Australia, an expanse of ecosystems, teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. A haven, buzzing with ecological wonders, yet also an unfortunate protector of the creepy crawlies so terrifying that haunt my dreams. But when asked which animal is the most dangerous in Australia, answers vary, as personal experiences overtake rational thought. Perhaps it’s the infamous blue-ringed octopus, which packs a deadly venom in a tennis ball sized care package or the nefarious box jellyfish whose venom causes cardiac arrest in 4 minutes.

I enjoy observing (and participating in) the modern culture of consumerism. I also enjoy writing about these observations – previously tackling the topic from the perspectives of sustainability and the culture surrounding it. Today, we will be contemplating whether we have subconsciously taken to ‘building our own brand’, by trying to neatly fit into designated aesthetics, whether these categories guide our choices more than they should and whether we are trying to buy our idea of a product, rather than the product itself.

Your immune system depends upon one key thing – the ability to differentiate between self and non-self material (which involves the detection of antigens – proteins on the surface of non-self cells), and when this ability fails, autoimmune disorders can occur; healthy body cells are attacked and damaged, leading to a range of symptoms and conditions from rheumatoid arthritis (which affects the joints) to psoriasis (which affects the skin). However, these disorders don’t occur indiscriminately – in fact, women are far more likely to have an autoimmune condition, and they make up around 80% of all patients diagnosed (with some variations depending on the condition).