Should I get a tattoo? You asked Google – here’s the answer
I see my tattoo every day except when I am especially absentminded in washing myself. Yet, still, the sight of it takes me by surprise
Whinge on, Brits – even Australians can’t take this heat
Australians are mocking those struggling in Britain’s 30C-plus temperatures. But try battling a heatwave without air-con
Britain is boiling, and ditching the duvet won’t solve the problem
From cooling architecture to more green spaces, we need to be making bold changes to offset soaring temperatures
Just a couple of references to rape? That’s a good innings for the internet
An internet troll making it to court to be sentenced for making offensive comments seems like a victory, but there is no sense of justice
Banning ‘immoral’ books makes them more compelling
My underage reading of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel seemed exciting at the time, but only because it was forbidden
In defence of pashing
‘Kissing’, ‘necking’, ‘snogging’, ‘making out’ – there are a plethora of ways to describe the locking of lips. But mine is unique to the New Zealand vocabulary
‘Sorry, I fell asleep’: the struggle of long-distance friendships
As I’ve moved further and further away from my friends in New Zealand, I’ve come to realise that time is a crucial facilitator of connection
What four years at sea taught me about our relationship to the ocean
Oceans are central to the story of civilisation – so why do so many of us feel disconnected from them?
The theft of Helen the shark makes me wish the dinosaurs hadn’t died out
Behind the Texas aquarium heist is a craze for shark tanks that speaks to a total loss of perspective about humanity’s place in the food chain
Notes from self-isolation
On the absurdity of public relations pitches in a world turned upside-down by coronavirus.
Why do men want me to watch There Will be Blood?
For years, men have ordered me to watch this work of stunning genius. Having finally succumbed, it turns out they were wrong
‘A reader told me I was wasting my life’
Spending diaries often prove incendiary when published online, as I realised when mine went viral. How women spend their money is still a taboo subject
Jurassic Jeff should have stayed on the internet – where he belongs
The installation of a huge statue of Jeff Goldblum by the Thames has turned a funny meme into a crass publicity stunt
Barriers to home ownership are barriers to dog ownership
I’d happily reconcile myself to a future living in other people’s houses, but that precludes dog ownership, and landlords are less than accommodating
Do you care about animals? Then you really shouldn’t eat octopus
They may be delicious – but next time you’re chomping down on calamari, just remember they were the first intelligent beings on Earth
Why I chose to have a ‘fertility MOT’
An increasing number of women are paying to have their fertility assessed. How much do the tests really reveal about their ability to conceive?
Don’t worry, we millennials don’t need living rooms anyway
A controversial architect says the answer to the housing crisis is tiny spaces for millennials. Thanks, but no thanks
Coronavirus forced New Zealanders abroad to choose: do I stay or do I go?
Many left for home without even the chance to say goodbye, knowing that their big overseas experience may be lost forever
Boring dystopia is the way the world ends – not with a bang or a wimple
It’s not the drama or horror of The Handmaid’s Tale we have to look out for, but a ‘no change’ message on a broken cashpoint or a children’s ‘self-checkout’ toy
Age is just a number – especially if you lie about it
Whatever it takes, don’t let those lists of overachieving under-30s get you down
‘I thought you’d like to read this’: the etiquette of gifting books
Should you write an inscription, or choose a book to change a loved one’s mind? There’s nothing simple about literary presents
Was that it? Why I mistook the Strokes’ album cover for a knee
It’s the Strokes’ best album, it has been out 17 years, and I’m not blind – but I thought the cover of Is This It showed a gloved hand resting on a knee
Love is Blind: Netflix’s hit is dating TV at its most awful – and compelling
Can you find ‘the one’ without ever meeting them? It’s the premise of the streaming giant’s latest smash, which is problematic, unprogressive ... and has viewers totally hooked
Attack of the klones
Kylie Jenner’s friends look exactly like her. They’re replicating. But why has her exact brand of beauty caught on?
Eight tribes of modern dating – from fantasists to routiners
Finding a mate now involves navigating the perils of sword enthusiasts, 9/11 ‘truthers’ and the risk that it’s your beagle they really want, rather than you
Avicii was the sound of collective euphoria
With culture ever more atomised, the Swedish DJ created songs that brought a generation together. Now his shy fans are sharing their Avicii moments
Why are attitudes to meat so complex and personal?
I eat all sorts of creatures, but I won’t touch octopus – which only exposes my hypocrisy and our complicated relationship with food
How Lorde and Jack Antonoff changed pop music
From Lorde’s whisper-pop to Jack Antonoff’s anti-irony, both embody how pop music is changing now, after nearly 20 years in a Max Martin sugar rush