The Algorithm Age

Gus Balbontin says he was “born with FOMO”. After a successful career as an executive director at Lonely Planet , he decided to quit his job and seek out the new and exciting. “We push novelty away from our lives the older we get. We stop doing new things. We stop doing new things for lots of reasons: because we’re comfortable; we’re scared of failing; we’ve got more to lose; our knees hurt; we claim we have no time,” says Balbontin. “We put all these excuses, and bit by bit, our lives become more repetitive. When you don’t feed your brain novelty, your brain loses its tolerance to change.” Balbontin is passionate about seeking out the new to maintain a healthy brain and positive outlook . Now on his seventh round of a personal challenge to try something new every year, he has tackled activities as varied as competitive pinball, drumming, underwater photography and astrophysics. This year he’s taking on glassblowing. “I started Goo...

Since retiring from tennis in 2022, Ash Barty has been busy building a family of her own. Ash achieved so much in her professional tennis career, despite it being relatively short. She was ranked world number one for a total of 121 weeks, and won three grand slam titles. Ash first won the French Open in 2019, followed by Wimbledon in 2021, and in a final we’re sure all of Australia will remember, she won the Australian Open in 2022. At just 25 years of age, and as a shock no one really saw coming, the former world number one announced her retirement from tennis just two months after winning the Australian Open. Following her retirement, Ash said, “I achieved my dreams. Everyone has different dreams and different ways of defining success. But for me, I knew that I gave everything I could, and I was fortunate to live out my ultimate childhood dream. “Now it was time for me to explore what else was out there and not be, I suppose, greedy in a sense of keep playi...

Modern Family star Julie Bowen has spoken about a health scare she suffered at the age of 29, that ended with her needing a pacemaker. Bowen, 55 , shared the story of the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum in an episode that was released on July 1. Rosenbaum asked the actress if she'd ever had any surgeries and she initially said she hadn't, until Rosenbaum reminded her of her pacemaker. Watch the video above. READ MORE: Prince Harry's ex confirms arrive of new baby  "That's right, I forget about that all the time," she said. Bowen explained she was diagnosed with "sick sinus syndrome," a heart rhythm disorder, also known as "hypervagotonia". READ MORE: All the big names spotted courtside at Wimbledon "It means your heart rate just goes really low," she explained. She explained her pacemaker ensures her heart rate doesn't fall below ...

Just a week before speaking to Woman’s Day , Richard Scolyer completed his 250th Parkrun. And as he reached the end of the 5km jog around his local Sydney park, there were cheers of support and encouragement from the large crowd as he crossed the finish line. Not that he needed it. “I slowed Richard down – he had a spring in his step,” laughs Katie Nicoll, who readily admits to not being an athlete like her partner of 23 years, who is finally feeling well enough to get back to his beloved exercise of cycling and running. LIFE IS GOOD “I feel the best I’ve felt in ages, which is terrific. Life’s good. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been able to do things that make me happy,” says Richard who is currently receiving a standard treatment for his terminal brain cancer, meaning he has fewer side effects and more energy. He’s even back at work a few days a week. And the 2024 Australian of the Year ’s happiness is contagious. “People passing say, ‘Good work, Ric...

Amid the vows, the yachts, and the threats of inflatable crocodiles, Lauren Sánchez Bezos did something quietly radical: she wiped her entire Instagram profile. Her account, which has 1.1 million followers, now contains just two photos from her wedding extravaganza to billionaire Jeff Bezos : a solo shot showcasing her Dolce & Gabbana dress, and a pair of the smiling newlyweds walking hand in hand. Though her bio still lists her as an Emmy award-winning journalist and NYT bestselling author, any further evidence of a former professional or personal life has been deleted. It’s a relationship rebrand we’ve seen before, most famously with Meghan Markle , who deleted her Lifestyle blog and personal social media accounts shortly after announcing her engagement to Prince Harry in 2018. And, like every high profile Instagram hiatus that came before it, Mrs Amazon’s evolution has led to a debate in the group chat. Is this another example of a woman making herself ...

Amid the vows, the yachts, and the threats of inflatable crocodiles, Lauren Sánchez Bezos did something quietly radical: she wiped her entire Instagram profile. Her account, which has 1.1 million followers, now contains just two photos from her wedding extravaganza to billionaire Jeff Bezos : a solo shot showcasing her Dolce & Gabbana dress, and a pair of the smiling newlyweds walking hand in hand. Though her bio still lists her as an Emmy award-winning journalist and NYT bestselling author, any further evidence of a former professional or personal life has been deleted. It’s a relationship rebrand we’ve seen before, most famously with Meghan Markle , who deleted her Lifestyle blog and personal social media accounts shortly after announcing her engagement to Prince Harry in 2018. And, like every high profile Instagram hiatus that came before it, Mrs Amazon’s evolution has led to a debate in the group chat. Is this another example of a woman making herself ...

I’ve always had a visceral relationship with time. I want to live a thousand lives in one, enriched with experiences of all kinds. My 20s were about travel and freedom; my early 30s about building my business and moving to New York City. Once I turned 35, that was my cue to start our fertility journey . As ambitious career women, we’re told we have time, especially with modern science. Build your career, travel the world, buy a house and get married then have kids. But life (and reproduction) isn’t always linear. Enter egg freezing. Is it a way for women to ‘have it all’ – the career, the financial security and the perfect timing – or is there more to it? According to IVF Australia, there has been a 1500 per cent increase in the number of women in Australia and New Zealand freezing their eggs in the past decade, a figure which has doubled in the past three years alone. Andrea Syrtash, a relationship expert and founder of infertility plat...