The Yarn
The Yarn
The Yarn is a podcast out of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne. It is mixed, produced and edited by students, and showcases student work at its best.Follow the podcast:
Tram Tales: Odd Jobs
Ask a group of teenagers about their dream jobs and you’ll likely hear a familiar list: doctor, lawyer, architect, psychologist... According to an OECD survey, these are some of the most desired jobs among students worldwide. But what about all the jobs they don’t even know exist? This week,…
14:28
Tram Tales: Feeling the Crunch
The number 19 tramline is Melbourne’s backbone, taking passengers all the way from Coburg north to Flinders Street Station. Our new series, Tram Tales, shares the stories and struggles of people who, live, work, and travel along this central artery. For our first episode, we're focusing on an is…
14:30
Not Natural: Belonging
In the days of hunter-gatherers, social exclusion meant certain death. Humans have evolved with a primal need for belonging — and we still suppress our differences so we can fit in. But what happens when we buck this trend? This week, we’re bringing you stories about embracing our differences. …
14:10
Not Natural: Disrupting Decline
According to an old urban myth, a frog suddenly dropped in boiling water will instantly leap out to safety. But if the water is tepid and gradually heated, the oblivious frog will slowly boil to death. This process is a metaphor for human psychology — especially when it comes to ecological decline.…
16:04
Not Natural: Health Hacks
Every day, our brains take cognitive shortcuts. Our limited time and attention make it easy to fall back on familiar biases. Among the most deeply ingrained is the assumption that “natural” always means “healthier”. This week, we’re interrogating this idea with stories about “natural” andsynt…
14:10
Not Natural: Digital Dependency
In the throes of addiction, people can enter a time warp. The clock seemingly stops when cravings are met and dopamine floods the brain. But I’m not talking about drugs. I’m talking about social media. Heavy users can squander hours per day on TikTok binges. And the App’s developers see this …
14:45
Not Natural: Skin Deep
Social media feeds can make Botox and fillers seem as commonplace as getting a haircut. On TikTok alone, the plastic surgery hashtag has 22 billion views. Is this newfound acceptance democratising beauty, or making beauty obligatory? And who gets to decide what counts as beautiful? This week, …
14:33
Not Natural: God Mode
There’s this phrase God Mode that was born out of the gaming world. It refers to a notorious cheat code in the 1993 shooter game, Doom. Once activated, a player becomes invincible and vanquishes opponents with ease. Nowadays, God mode is a slang term for achieving superhuman feats in real life, a…
15:26
Subclass 500: Going back to normal
Since July, the cost of living crisis has gotten a whole lot worse for international students. Thanks to the reinstatement of pre-pandemic work restrictions, their maximum working hours have been limited to 24 hours per week. Experts call it a return to "normal", but those facing financial peril sa…
13:32
Subclass 500: Caged by rules
Rules have been following us from the moment we were born. Children follow the rules set by parents, students follow the rules set by schools, workers follow the rules set by companies, and citizens follow the laws set by governments. But what happens when international students face rules in diff…
16:42