Writing Samples
Selected publications (2024-)
Science
The Sun Also Revises — The Monthly (Walkley Finalist for Feature Writing (Long))
The emerging cancer treatment that’s exciting scientists: ‘We’ve just scratched the surface on what’s possible’ — The Guardian
She blinded me with pretence — The Monthly
Into the neutrino fog — Particle
Can an AI chatbot of Dr Karl change climate sceptics’ minds? He’s willing to give it a try — The Guardian
Can we trust our sunscreens? — The Saturday Paper
Into the void — The Monthly
‘It can break you’: life for parents of autistic children can be exhausting. One podcast is offering hope. Is it real?
66 days to quit Pepsi Max: ‘Of course, there is a lot of misery’ — The Guardian
The deadliest beings on the planet — The Guardian
What would an AI university look like and how might it change education? — Nature Index
Video games
The Secretive Company Filling Video Game Sites With Gambling And AI — Aftermath
ALT: GAMES expands its celebration of videogames — The Saturday Paper
The Long, Long Way to the Woods — The New York Times (Walkley Finalist for Feature Writing (Short))
The Game She Wrote on a Boat Kept Her Afloat — The New York Times
‘It’s like a men’s shed’: inside the Pokémon trading card communities rocked by a string of brazen thefts — The Guardian
Inside the struggle to create a cozy Lord of the Rings game — The Verge
Thought Hollow Knight Was Hard? Try Waiting for Its Sequel — The New York Times
Peak’s success shows a path to the summit of gaming — The Saturday Paper
The seismic impact of Australian game Hollow Knight: Silksong — The Saturday Paper
Coverage of Science and the Environment @ Walkley Foundation Mid-Year Awards — Finalist
Science Fiction? — The Monthly
UNSW to be investigated over 'preliminary' research misconduct inquiry that has taken two years — ABC
The Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism 2022 — Winner
Hunting Antarctica’s Holy Grail, Deep Beneath the Ice — CNET
Onboard the Space Station at the End of the World — CNET
The Quest to Save an Antarctic Kingdom Before It Falls Into Ruin — CNET
The Alien Invasion of Antarctica Is Only Just Beginning — CNET
Photo Essay: Journey to Antarctica Aboard One of the World's Most Advanced Icebreakers — CNET
The UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing
2019 (Runner-up): How CRISPR Could Save Six Billion Chicks From The Meat Grinder — CNET
2021 (Runner-up): Journey to the Dragon Palace and Back — CNET (Also finalist for the 2021 Eureka Prize for Longform Science Journalism)
Assorted Highlights (2018-2024)
Tech and biotech
A Planet Without Google Search — CNET
Using CRISPR to resurrect the dead — CNET
The CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species — CNET
Inside the Plan to Resurrect Australia's Extinct Tasmanian Tiger — CNET
Dodo De-Extinction: How Scientists Plan to Resurrect an Iconic Species — CNET
Chasing Ghosts: Unlocking the Mysteries of Human Hibernation — CNET
The Bionic Eye That Could Restore Vision (and Put Humans in the Matrix) — CNET
Space
The Space Tiger King and the Mushrooms on Mars — CNET
The Hunt for Alien Life on Phobos, One of Mars’ Mystifying Moons — CNET (featured in the Best Australian Science Writing 2022)
Space Has Become A Junkyard, and It’s Getting Worse — CNET
Video games
The New Gods of Esports Are Paralyzed From The Neck Down — CNET (awarded the 2019 Best Gaming Journalist Lizzie)
The First Battery-Free Game Boy Wants To Power A Gaming Revolution — CNET (awarded the 2019 Best Gaming Journalist Lizzie)
Xbox, PS5 and the Climate Crisis: Next-Gen Video Games Could Be Worse For The Planet — CNET
PS5, Xbox Series X and the Climate Crisis Facing Next-Gen Video Games — CNET
How Bots Help Snatch Up PlayStation 5 Consoles With Superhuman Speed — CNET (awarded the 2021 Best Gaming Journalist Lizzie)
Australia's Biggest Independent Game Studio Is Teetering on the Edge of Ruin — CNET (awarded the 2022 Best Gaming Journalist Lizzie)
EA’s Firemonkeys Studio Hit With Massive Layoffs, Titles In Development Cancelled — Kotaku Australia [Wayback Machine]
How Gubbins Looks to Capture the Genius of Wordle — ABC (awarded the 2024 Best Gaming Coverage Lizzie)
'No video games on a dead planet': New Report Reveals Carbon Cost of Game Development — ABC (awarded the 2024 Best Gaming Coverage Lizzie)
My Stomach Just Fell To The Floor: The Call That Crushed an Australian Games Studio — ABC (awarded the 2024 Best Gaming Coverage Lizzie)
’Did You Even Stop To Consult Anyone Aboriginal?’: US Game Studio Faces Questions Over Use of Indigenous Culture — ABC (awarded the 2024 Best Gaming Coverage Lizzie)
Survive Until ‘25: Australia Video Game Developers Brace for Grim Year Ahead — ABC