Magic tricks, or illusions, make us go, "ooh," "ahhh," and, "how the flippin' crap did they do that?!" They're part sleight of hand, part planning, and a lot of brain confusion. Your brain is a liar.

You're in a long, boring meeting. You look up at the clock again, hoping time is passing by faster than it feels, but instead the clock's seconds hand doesn't seem to move at all. No, the clock didn't just pause to mock you, your brain is playing tricks on you.

A study released this month in The Lancet found a link between high carbohydrate intake and risk of death. The resulting headlines had dedicated low-carb dieters celebrating and low-fat vegans spoiling for a fight. But as with most dietary studies, there is more to it than the headlines claim.

Recently, my colleagues had a go at ranking the planets. But it was mostly incorrect. After extensively researching and writing about our solar neighbourhood, I feel I'm fairly qualified to take a stab at ranking these bad boys once and for all.

Have you ever wondered why the influenza virus is more potent and dangerous than the common cold virus? They’re both viruses, but what makes the influenza worse that it causes more deaths? Let's take a look at the science...

Everybody wants better sleep. Many of us invest considerable money, time and effort in search of that perfect night’s rest. We spend on pharmaceutical sleep aids, gadgets and devices, anything that promises to help us sleep easier.

Too often our issues stem from what we do immediately before bedtime. In the interests of promoting better sleep for all, let’s take a look at some nightly habits, and whether they lead to forty winks or tears at work the next morning.

Heatwaves in Australia are getting hotter, longer, more frequent - and have led to increased ambulance calls, emergency visits, illnesses, and deaths.

It might only be Spring, but experts are already speaking out.

Is coffee good or bad for us this week? Butter is still okay, right? Are we in a "diet coke will kill you" or a "diet coke is fine" cycle? It can be hard to keep track. But headlines don't tell the full story. Behind the scenes, scientists aren't constantly disagreeing and flip-flopping.

For most of us, heading into a gym can lead to confusion about what exercises to do. If you want to change the shape of your body, can selecting certain exercises really work? The answer is an emphatic yes.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: how Facebook tricks you into trusting algorithms, 15 books that will help you succeed in the tech world, a gallery of video game nipples.

Today every kitchen would seem “under-equipped” without a microwave, with its efficient ability to cook, defrost and reheat a variety of different foods. The handy appliance uses microwave radiation to do so. This is a type of electromagnetic radiation similar to radio waves and infrared light.

Although generally recognised as safe, the internet is awash with articles about the dangers microwave radiation poses to your food. Some claim using microwaves can cause “cataracts and cancer”. Other posts says it “zaps the nutrients right out of your food”.

Let me tell you about John.

John says he's not crazy. I believe him.

"I am a normal person," he says.

But John isn't a 'normal' person. Not quite. Well, he is and he isn't.

Flat Earthers, in addition to believing the world is flat, also believe that every single image of earth taken from space has been photoshopped. And honest to Christ, looking at this new photo of Saturn, I'm starting to wonder myself.

Last night, NASA's multi-billion dollar Cassini–Huygens spacecraft crashed into Saturn. It was a spectacular end to a 20-year mission that has provided invaluable information abut the ringed planet and its moons. Here's what you need to know, along with a stream to the live event.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that sitting for long periods of time is bad for us. But new research suggests it isn't just the total amount of time we spend sitting each day that we need to worry about, it's also the length of time between bouts of physical activity. While still incomplete, these results suggest a sensible life hack that could help certain individuals stave off some of the effects of prolonged sitting.

There are two time-honoured truths about wine: All of it is good — even at its worst — and, when it comes to appreciating wine, nobody knows what the hell they're talking about. The latter truth reveals itself time and again, especially in studies about wine consumption. On that point, a team of scientists at the University of Adelaide proved just how easily we can be fooled into thinking wine is better than it actually is.

We are one step closer to a quantum internet, thanks to a team of Aussie researchers who have worked out how to dramatically improve the storage time of a vital component: telecom-compatible quantum memory.

Here's what that means.

Why is the sea salty? The short answer is that water dissolves the salts contained in rocks, and these salts are carried in the water to the sea. We take a look at the science.

Death comes for us all here on Earth at a rate of nearly 7,000 people every hour. Yet, despite its inevitability, most of us know very little about the experience. This is what happens to your body and mind as you slip away — and it's not as frightening as you might think.