Inbox News Issue 638: January 2025

January 1 - 31, 2025: Issue 638

Week Three: 20-26, January 2025

 

Avalon Beach TAFE NSW graduate building the career of her dreams as a shipwright

“As part of my job, I might be working on electrical, mechanics, plumbing or fibre glassing. Demand for Shipwrights is high but I’ve also learnt skills that are transferrable to a lot of other industries.” - Talia Dunning


Applications close February 2nd 2025 for Semester 1 in what could be your next career move, to study with TAFE NSW the course that interests you and achieve your qualifications goals. 

As many courses will hold an orientation day the next day, February 3rd 2025, a timely reminder to get your paperwork done this coming week.

As one example of an area you could gain a qualification in, TAFE NSW is playing a crucial role to meet the demand for maritime workers as the Federal Government commits to improving future maritime capability, with an Australian-owned and crewed strategic fleet.

The Australian Government has committed to delivering a Strategic Fleet of up to 12 vessels, to help Australia build resilience to freight disruptions, while supporting the maritime workforce and sovereign capability.

Australia is the fifth-largest user of shipping services globally, with 99 per cent of exports reliant on sea transport. However, with a shortage of Australian-flagged ships and high demand for skilled workers, the government highlights the importance of a Strategic Fleet. This fleet would be crucial during national crises and emergencies, ensuring vital goods reach affected regions and reducing our dependence on international shipping.

This expansion of Australian maritime vessels requires a significant increase in skilled shipwrights. TAFE NSW is addressing demand by training a pipeline of future maritime workers, with Maritime courses offered from entry level to Advanced Diploma.

Avalon local, Talia Dunning, graduated from a Certificate III in Marine Craft Construction through TAFE NSW while completing an apprenticeship with Warriewoods' Illuka Yachts. 

Growing up around the water, Ms Dunning was destined to work on something connected to the ocean. 

Talia Dunning, a Certificate III in Marine Craft Construction graduate, works closely alongside two other colleagues. Photo supplied

Now a fully qualified Shipwright, Ms Dunning credits TAFE NSW with providing her with the right mix of skills to excel in the industry and is thriving with the variety that comes with working on boats. 

“As part of my job, I might be working on electrical, mechanics, plumbing or fibre glassing. Demand for Shipwrights is high but I’ve also learnt skills that are transferrable to a lot of other industries.” 

According to the International Maritime Organisation, women make up only 3% of the shore-based maritime work force in Australia. 

“There are far less women in this job than men, but the industry is respectful, and my employers are very supportive. I encourage any woman considering a career as a shipwright to go for it,” said Ms Dunning. 

TAFE NSW Ultimo Marine Craft Construction Head Teacher, Thomas Kershaw, said there is currently a huge demand for shipwrights with mass growth predicted and plenty of jobs around.

“Shipwrights, Boat Builders and Repairers, are on the 2025 Apprenticeships Priority List; a clear indication they are in high demand and crucial to Australia’s long-term economic and recreational needs,” Mr Kershaw said.

“The TAFE NSW curriculum is designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, preparing students to meet industry demands.”

Ready to dive on in and explore what's available?

How to Enrol: step-by-step

To find out 'how to' Apply, enrol or register for a TAFE NSW course please visit: www.tafensw.edu.au/Study/enrol-apply/how-to

Fee-free* TAFE Courses 2025

NSW Fee-free* TAFE Courses are a joint initiative of the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments, providing tuition-free training places for eligible students wanting to train, retrain or upskill.

Details of what is available are on this webpage: www.tafensw.edu.au/fee-free

The range includes:

  • Building and Construction Trades - 2 Courses
  • Civil Construction and Surveying - 4 Courses
  • Community and Youth Services - 8 Courses 
  • Education and Training - 2 Courses 
  • Electrotechnology - 1 Course 
  • Farming and Primary Production - 1 Course 
  • Healthcare - 5 Courses 
  • Horticulture - 2 Courses 
  • Information and Communications Technology - 7 Courses
  • Screen, Media and Games - 2 Courses

It is also wort looking at what else you may want to study, such as becoming a Shipwright, as many TAFE NSW courses offer concessions and apprenticeship fees, whatever your age and interest.

TAFE NSW Academic calendar 2025

 

Out Front 2025 Opens this February at the Manly Art Gallery & Museum 

Audrey Allan, Silent Echoes In Monochrome, Gouache painting, Pittwater High School. Photo: Audrey Allan. 

Council is proud to announce its annual Out Front 2025 exhibition will be held at Manly Art Gallery & Museum (MAG&M) from 21 February 2025.

Now in its 31st year, Out Front features 25 selected artistic works created by Year 12 students across 21 Northern Beaches secondary schools for their HSC submission. It celebrates the creativity, talent and hard work of the region’s emerging young artists.

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins commended the students for their achievements and dedication.

“Each year this exhibition highlights the extraordinary talent and creativity of our local students. It highlights the importance of fostering the arts in our youth and encouraging self-expression.

“It is inspiring to see how art education in our schools encourages students to push boundaries and to think critically about the world around them.

“It is a testament to the commitment of these talented artists, their teachers and their schools.

“We are immensely proud to support this important milestone for our young artists and to provide a platform for their work to shine,” Mayor Heins said.

Tilda Brownlow, Footloose and Fancy Free, painting, Stella Maris College. Photo: Tilda Brownlow.

The curated collection reflects a broad range of themes and techniques, demonstrating the depth and diversity of talent across the Northern Beaches. The exhibition features a variety of works spanning painting, video, sculpture, drawing, photography and ceramics.

Several awards are granted to participants: the Theo Batten Bequest Youth Art Award, valued at $5000, helps support talented young artists pursue art studies at a tertiary level; and the KALOF People’s Choice Award, valued at $500.

MAG&M is also offering a mentorship session to support one young artists’ transition to a professional level.

PROGRAM

Out Front 2025

21 February – 6 April 2025
Manly Art Gallery & Museum
West Esplanade Reserve, Manly
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Free entry

Exhibition opening night
Friday 21 February, 6–8pm
To be opened by UNSW Associate Professor Lizzie Muller
RSVP link 

MAG&M members and volunteers’ preview
Friday 21 February, 10-11am
RSVP link  

Zahara Spring, Effervescent, Interconnection, Instinct-Love, St. Lukes. Photo: Zahara Spring.

2025 Pre-Election Announcements: 10k for Construction Apprentices

You know an announcement for an election date is imminent when what may come from a political party winning a term of government is getting announced. As this one is about offering opportunities for YOU it runs this week.

On Friday 24th of January 2025, The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, stated in a media release the Government will provide a $10,000 incentive payment – doubling the current level of support – to encourage Australians to train for jobs in and complete their trade in the residential housing sector.

The incumbents state the new Key Apprenticeship Program will establish a Housing Construction Apprenticeship stream in response to the Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System.

The review, released the same day, found cost-of-living pressures faced by apprentices are steering people away from taking up apprenticeships.

''Labor’s plan for a Future Made in Australia is very clear: we want Australian workers to make more things here and that includes building more homes.

From July 1 2025, eligible apprentices will receive $10,000 in incentive payments, on top of their wages, over the life of their apprenticeship to work in housing construction.

Apprentices will receive $2,000 at six, 12, 24, 36 months, and at the completion of their apprenticeship.

Encouraging more people into apprenticeships will ensure we have the workforce to deliver our Homes for Australia Plan, an ambitious target to deliver 1.2 million homes over the next 5 years.

It builds on the Albanese Labor Government’s plan to support more students and trainees through expanding Free TAFE and slashing HECS fees for university students.'' the release states

The Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System commenced in February 2024 and was led by Dr Iain Ross AO and Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM.

The Review looked at the Incentive System’s performance, how it can align with the broader economic and social objectives of government, and how the system can support high quality apprenticeships.

It also considered how to create a safe training environment for priority apprentice cohorts and the cost of living impacts on apprentices. 

The report has drawn on past reviews, research, and input from over 145 public submissions as well as consultations with more than 600 people from across the apprenticeship system.

The current Government stated it is considering the Review’s findings and will consult stakeholders on longer-term reforms recommended by the Review to inform its response.

The Government states it is also taking additional immediate steps to support the Review’s most urgent recommendations and address ongoing cost-of-living pressures while it undertakes consultation:

  • Maintain the 2025 Priority List and extend current Australian Apprentice Training Support and Priority Hiring Incentive payment settings by six months until 31 December 2025. This will provide consistency for employers and cost of living relief to apprentices in priority occupations during the consultation process.
  • Increase the Living Away From Home Allowance from 1 July 2025 so apprentices can meet the costs associated with moving to take up an apprenticeship.
  • Increase the Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support payment from 1 July 2025 to support employers taking on apprentices with disability.

The program will allow eligible apprentices in construction occupations to receive an additional $5,000 compared to the Australian Apprenticeship Training Support Payment.

The reviewers final report is available at Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese stated:

“Building Australia’s Future is about so much more than bricks and mortar. It is about creating a better life for Australians. It’s about building better education and creating new employment opportunities.

“Our tradies are the lifeblood of our construction sector, and that’s why today we are announcing that apprentices who finish an apprenticeship in the housing sector will receive a $10,000 incentive payment.

“This will support apprentices with cost of living, while ensuring we have the skilled workforce we need to deliver our Homes for Australia plan.

Applications open for 2025 Tertiary Health Study Subsidies

January 2025
The NSW Government is encouraging students enrolled in healthcare degrees in NSW to apply for up to $12,000 in financial support to assist with their studies.

Minister for Health Ryan Park announced the next round of applications for the Tertiary Health Study Subsidies Program will opened on 14 January 2025.

This year support will be available for up to 850 nursing students, 400 medical students and 150 midwifery students.

The Program is designed to create a future pipeline of health workers by supporting students with fees, technology, travel, or other costs related to their degree.

Subsidies are also available for students of paramedicine, Aboriginal health, dentistry and oral health therapy, and various allied health professions including psychology, pharmacy, dietetics, and nuclear medicine.

Students successful in their application and beginning their degrees will receive subsidies of $4,000 per year over three years. Existing students will receive one-off payments of $8,000 after acceptance of employment for a position within NSW Health.

Students must be willing to make a five-year commitment to working in the NSW public health system. There are a limited number of subsidies available, and applications will remain open until all subsidies are awarded.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $121.9 million over five years in the Tertiary Health Study Subsidy Program.

The full list of eligible workforce groups and locations are available on the NSW Health website.

The subsidies form part of a series of measures introduced by the Minns Labor Government to further strengthen the state’s health workforce, including:

Minister for Health Ryan Park stated:

“More than 3,900 students across NSW have already benefitted from the NSW Government’s $120 million investment in tertiary health study subsidies.

“I am so pleased more students across NSW will continue to benefit from this important initiative, which is helping to ease the financial burden on those starting a career in health.

“Up to 4,000 subsidies are on offer this year for health degrees including nursing, midwifery, medicine, paramedicine, allied health and health science.

“This Program is one of many initiatives the Minns Labor Government is rolling out to boost capacity across the public health system and provide relief to our hardworking frontline healthcare staff.”

Medical Student and Tertiary Health Study Subsidies recipient Aimee Long said:

“I already had a taste of healthcare while working as a pharmacist. Medicine felt like the next logical step for me.

“I grew up in country Victoria, so I saw the role the doctors and GP’s play there and how important it is to that community. So, I decided that is something that I wanted to do and give back to small and rural communities like that.

“Receiving the Tertiary Health Study Subsidy allowed me to become part of Australia’s largest health system. Being in medicine is quite an expensive undertaking so it helps me to afford lots of things such as resources, whether or not they’re specific to the uni or external.”

Applications to join the DOVES Council are open for 2025

Applications for the DOVES Minister’s Student Council are open for 2025.

The Minister's Student Council, known as the Department of Student Voices in Education and Schools (DOVES), is an initiative of the NSW Government to ensure student voices are heard in developing education policy and addressing matters of concern to students.

In October 2020 a student steering committee was formed to help co-design the council.

The result is DOVES a 27-member council representing students from all Operational Directorates across NSW, including Connected Communities, who advocate on behalf of their school communities.

There are three students representing each operational directorate who bring their wider student community into the policy process by holding regular DOVES forums, where they hear from special interest groups.

The number of positions available is listed below by directorate, 15 in total.

Regional South 2
Connected Communities 0
Regional North & West 2
Regional North 3
Rural North 1
Rural South & West 3
Metro North 1
Metro South & West 1
Metro South 2

Students initial expressions of interest can be submitted via a video of up to 90 seconds or less in length and showcase you:

1. Tell us about yourself

2. Why would you be a good advocate and member of the DOVES Council?

3. Why are you passionate about helping NSW public education students?

4. What is an initiative you have implemented in your school?

Applications are open for students currently in Year 6 to Year 9.
Each student will sit on the council for a 2-year term
There are no Year 12 students on the council due to HSC commitments.
If you are in Year 10 or Year 11 now you will be ineligible as your second year on the council will be in Year 12.
A selection panel will review all submissions and invite shortlisted applicants to join a short online video interview. The panel includes students currently on the DOVES Council and department representatives.

All students submitting their applications will be contacted.

Please submit your application video via the Google form (External link)

Applications close 8 February 2025 (Week 2, Term 1)

TAFE Fee-free* courses - semester 1 2025 enrol now

NSW Fee-free* TAFE is a joint initiative of the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments, providing tuition-free training places for eligible students wanting to train, retrain or upskill.

Places are limited and not guaranteed. Enrolling or applying early with all required documentation is recommended. The number of funded NSW Fee-free* TAFE places is determined by the terms of the skills agreement between the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.

Semester 1 2025 Fee Free* TAFE Certificates and Diplomas.

Enrol Now in:

  •  Aboriginal Studies and Mentoring
  •  Agriculture
  •  Animal Care and Horse Industry
  •  Automotive
  •  Aviation
  •  Building and Construction Trades
  •  Business and Marketing
  •  Civil Construction and Surveying
  •  Community and Youth Services
  •  Education and Training
  •  Electrotechnology
  •  Engineering
  •  Farming and Primary Production
  •  Fashion
  •  Food and Hospitality
  •  Healthcare
  •  Horticulture and Landscaping
  •  Information Technology
  •  Mining and Resources
  •  Music and Production
  •  Screen and Media
  •  Sport and Recreation
  •  Travel and Tourism
  •  Water Industry Operations

Who is Eligible for NSW Fee-free TAFE?

To be eligible, you must at the time of enrolment:

  • Live or work in New South Wales.
  • Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident, or a humanitarian visa holder.
  • Be aged 15 years or over, and not enrolled at any school.
  • Be enrolling in a course for the first time for Semester 1 2025 and your studies must commence between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.

You are strongly encouraged to apply if you fall under one or more of these categories:

  • First Nations people
  • LGBTIQ+ community
  • Veterans
  • Job seekers
  • Young people
  • Unpaid carers
  • Women interested in non-traditional fields
  • People living with a disability
  • People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Find out more and enrol via:  www.tafensw.edu.au/fee-free-short-courses

School Leavers Support

Explore the School Leavers Information Kit (SLIK) as your guide to education, training and work options in 2022;
As you prepare to finish your final year of school, the next phase of your journey will be full of interesting and exciting opportunities. You will discover new passions and develop new skills and knowledge.

We know that this transition can sometimes be challenging. With changes to the education and workforce landscape, you might be wondering if your planned decisions are still a good option or what new alternatives are available and how to pursue them.

There are lots of options for education, training and work in 2022 to help you further your career. This information kit has been designed to help you understand what those options might be and assist you to choose the right one for you. Including:
  • Download or explore the SLIK here to help guide Your Career.
  • School Leavers Information Kit (PDF 5.2MB).
  • School Leavers Information Kit (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • The SLIK has also been translated into additional languages.
  • Download our information booklets if you are rural, regional and remote, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or living with disability.
  • Support for Regional, Rural and Remote School Leavers (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for Regional, Rural and Remote School Leavers (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • Support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander School Leavers (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander School Leavers (DOCX 1.1MB).
  • Support for School Leavers with Disability (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for School Leavers with Disability (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • Download the Parents and Guardian’s Guide for School Leavers, which summarises the resources and information available to help you explore all the education, training, and work options available to your young person.

School Leavers Information Service

Are you aged between 15 and 24 and looking for career guidance?

Call 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337).

SMS 'SLIS2022' to 0429 009 435.

Our information officers will help you:
  • navigate the School Leavers Information Kit (SLIK),
  • access and use the Your Career website and tools; and
  • find relevant support services if needed.
You may also be referred to a qualified career practitioner for a 45-minute personalised career guidance session. Our career practitioners will provide information, advice and assistance relating to a wide range of matters, such as career planning and management, training and studying, and looking for work.

You can call to book your session on 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) Monday to Friday, from 9am to 7pm (AEST). Sessions with a career practitioner can be booked from Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm.

This is a free service, however minimal call/text costs may apply.

Call 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) or SMS SLIS2022 to 0429 009 435 to start a conversation about how the tools in Your Career can help you or to book a free session with a career practitioner.

All downloads and more available at: www.yourcareer.gov.au/school-leavers-support

Word Of The Week: Fashion

Word of the Week remains a keynote in 2025, simply to throw some disruption in amongst the 'yeah-nah' mix. 

Noun

1. a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour. 2. a manner of doing something.

suffix: -fashion; in the manner of something specified.

Verb

1. make into a particular form. 2. use materials to produce (something). 

From: Middle English (in the sense ‘make, shape, appearance’, also ‘a particular make or style’): from Old French façon, from Latin factio(n- ), from facere ‘do, make’.

c. 1300, fasoun, "physical make-up or composition; form, shape; appearance," from Old French façon, fachon, fazon "face, appearance; construction, pattern, design; thing done; beauty; manner, characteristic feature" (12c.), from Latin factionem (nominative factio) "a making or doing, a preparing," also "group of people acting together," from facere "to make" (from root *dhe- "to set, put").

Especially "style, manner" of make, dress, or embellishment (late 14c.); hence "prevailing custom; mode of dress and adornment prevailing in a place and time" (late 15c.). Meaning "good style, conformity to fashionable society's tastes" is from 1630s.

In Middle English also spelled faschyoun, facune, faction. Fashion plate (1851) originally was "full-page picture in a popular magazine showing the prevailing or latest style of dress," in reference to the typographic plate from which it was printed. Transferred sense of "well-dressed person" had emerged by 1920s. 'After a fashion' "to a certain extent" is from 1530s. Shakespeare (c. 1600) has both in fashion and out of fashion.

PON yard: Little Corella pair with new bubs, January 6 2025

PON yard: new bush turkey

‘Shoddy dropping’: how the 1920s cost-of-living crisis fuelled a black market in menswear

New South Wales Police Forensic Photography Archive, Justice and Police Museum, Museums of History New South Wales
Melissa BellantaAustralian Catholic University

With almost all menswear bought off the rack or online today, the “shoddy dropper” has long passed into obscurity.

This 1920s slang term, used only in Australia and New Zealand, referred to roving sellers of cloth. Most shoddy droppers sold men’s suiting such as serges and tweeds. They walked city streets or went door-to-door in suburbs and towns.

Driven by a cost-of-living crisis that followed the first world war, shoddy dropping was eventually killed off by rising wages by the 1950s.

The practice underscores how readily fashion markets respond to economic factors such as supply, demand, inflation and wages.

‘Suit-length swindlers’

The most successful shoddy droppers were smooth talkers attractively dressed in made-to-measure three-piece suits.

They often went door-to-door, trying to convince would-be customers they could afford to dress like them. All a customer had to do was buy the shoddy dropper’s “high-quality” suit-lengths at a price they would be unable to find elsewhere.

Some shoddy droppers also claimed to have a special deal with a tailor that allowed buyers to have their suit tailor-made at a steal.

The term “shoddy dropping” played on the dual meaning of the word “shoddy”. The first was a noun referring to a cheap fabric made from a mix of new and recycled wool. The second was an adjective meaning “inferior or badly-made”.

Both meanings of shoddy were implicit in an article published in a rural New South Wales paper in 1913.

Though the writer did not use the term “shoddy dropping”, they warned readers against travelling “suit-length swindlers”, saying that

shoddy articles are frequently palmed off as good quality cloths by irresponsible men.

The number of shoddy droppers at any one time was probably tiny, but since they were off the books they are impossible to quantify.

Having said this, crime and news reports suggest the practice began around the start of the first world war.

Supply, demand, inflation and wages

Shoddy dropping surged in the the 1920s and 1940s, as prices soared due to war.

An ad encourages men to consider the luxury of a faultless suit.
Demand for men’s suits soared after the first world war. NLA/Trove/Bib ID 7898102

Working-class men’s desire for well-fitting suits was another factor. When Melbourne carters and factory workers gave evidence to the Australian Royal Commission on the Basic Wage in 1920, for example, they said most men they knew wore tailor-made suits to and from work.

This created financial stress; spiralling costs meant made-to-measure suits were hard to afford.

Fashion was another likely reason for the surges in shoddy dropping in the 1920s and 1940s.

The slimline jazz suit, which came into vogue in the early twenties, was just one example.

The jacket of this suit was single-breasted and slightly flared from the waist, while the trousers were narrow and short enough to expose silk-knit “jazz socks”.

The impish charisma of the jazz-suited Louis Stirling below makes it is easy to imagine how a stylish shoddy dropper persuaded fashion-conscious young men to buy their wares.

Stirling was a suit-length seller photographed by Sydney police in 1920 after he was caught stealing cloth. He later produced evidence that he was a shoddy dropper to escape a vagrancy charge in Melbourne in 1922.

The high number of restless first world war veterans looking for work was a further reason for a surge in shoddy dropping in the 1920s.

Consider returned serviceman Reginald Sharples (also known as Walter Johnson). In 1920, police charged him and an accomplice with stealing more than £1,000 of men’s suiting from a tailor in Sydney’s Hunter Street. This was somewhere in the vicinity of A$83,000 today.

Sharples was caught after transporting the stolen cloth to Melbourne. Like Stirling, he later produced convincing evidence to show that he was a shoddy dropper to escape a vagrancy charge.

In his 1920 mugshot, Sharples is dressed in an early interwar version of smart-casual street style. He had combined a light pinstripe suit with a cream turtleneck sweater, black fedora and returned-serviceman’s badge.

Sharples was also an example of links between shoddy dropping and organised crime in and after the 1920s.

Apart from the suits-stealing charge, Sharples was also convicted of stealing morphine and cocaine from a wholesale druggist in Melbourne in 1922. He was also unsuccessfully prosecuted for vagrancy along with Louis Stirling in 1924.

Rumours that both men were associates of underworld figure Squizzy Taylor swirled in court during the trial.

A cost-of-living story

Shoddy dropping had disappeared by the mid-1950s, thanks to rising wages and increasing sophistication in the manufacture of ready-made suits.

Men in suits answer phones in an office.
Many men in the post-WWI era longed to dress in tailor-made suits and quality textiles. NLA/Trove/PIC/15611

These factors meant there were fewer low-income men who felt the only way they could afford a decent suit was to first buy cloth “off the back of a truck”, then face the uncertainty of arranging for it to be tailor-made.

Though shoddy dropping flew under the radar even in the 1920s, it is worth remembering today as a reminder of the unscrupulous selling practices that bloom in cost-of-living crises.

Along with the evidence in the extraordinary informal mugshots taken by Sydney police across the interwar era, shoddy dropping offers further insights into Australia’s history of male fashion consumers’ desire.

It has often been said Australian men were a cause lost to fashion. Shoddy dropping suggests that, in fact, many longed to dress in tailor-made suits and quality textiles. For many, however, those commodities were frustratingly out of reach.The Conversation

Melissa Bellanta, Professor of Modern History (Australian Catholic University), Visiting Professor of Australian Studies (Seoul National University), Australian Catholic University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Don’t rely on social media users for fact-checking. Many don’t care much about the common good

Shutterstock
Mark AndrejevicMonash University

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg fired the fact-checking team for his company’s social media platforms. At the same time, he reversed Facebook’s turn away from political content.

The decision is widely viewed as placating an incoming president with a known penchant for mangling the truth.

Meta will replace its fact-checkers with the “community notes” model used by X, the platform owned by avid Trump supporter Elon Musk. This model relies on users to add corrections to false or misleading posts.

Musk has described this model as “citizen journalism, where you hear from the people. It’s by the people, for the people.”

For such an approach to work, both citizen journalists and their readers need to value good-faith deliberation, accuracy and accountability. But our new research shows social media users may not be the best crowd to source in this regard.

Our research

Working with Essential Media, our team wanted to know what social media users think of common civic values.

After reviewing existing research on social cohesion and political polarisation and conducting ten focus groups, we compiled a civic values scale. It aims to measure levels of trust in media institutions and the government, as well as people’s openness to considering perspectives that challenge their own.

We then conducted a large-scale survey of 2,046 Australians. We asked people how strongly they believed in a common public interest. We also asked about how important they thought it was for Australians to inform themselves about political issues and for schools to teach civics.

Importantly, we asked them where they got their news: social media, commercial television, commercial radio, newspapers or non-commercial media.

What did we find?

We found people who rely on social media for news score significantly lower on a civic values scale than those who rely on newspapers and non-commercial broadcasters such as the ABC.

By contrast, people who rely on non-commercial radio scored highest on the civic values scale. They scored 11% higher than those who rely mainly on social media and 12% higher than those who rely on commercial television.

The lowest score was for people who rely primarily on commercial radio.



People who relied on newspapers, online news aggregators, and non-commercial TV all scored significantly higher than those who relied on social media and commercial broadcasting.

The survey also found that as the number of different media sources people use daily increased, so too did their civic values score.

This research does not indicate whether platforms foster lower civic values or simply cater to them.

But it does raise concerns about social media becoming an increasingly important source of political information in democratic societies like Australia.

Why measure values?

The point of the civic values scale we developed is to highlight the fact that the values people bring to news about the world is as important as the news content.

For example, most people in the United States have likely heard about the violence of the attack on the Capitol protesting Trump’s loss in 2020.

That Trump and his supporters can recast this violent riot as “a day of love” is not the result of a lack of information.

It is, rather, a symptom of people’s lack of trust in media and government institutions and their unwillingness to confront facts that challenge their views.

In other words, it is not enough to provide people with accurate information. What counts is the mindset they bring to that information.

No place for debate

Critics have long been concerned that social media platforms do not serve democracy well, privileging sensationalism and virality over thoughtful and accurate posts. As the critical theorist Judith Butler put it:

the quickness of social media allows for forms of vitriol that do not exactly support thoughtful debate.

Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci said social media is less about meaningful engagement than bonding with like-minded people and mocking perceived opponents. She notes, “belonging is stronger than facts”.

Her observation is likely familiar to anyone who has tried to engage in a politically charged discussion on social media.

These criticisms are commonplace in discussions of social media but have not been systematically tested until now.

Social media platforms are not designed to foster democracy. Their business model is based on encouraging people to see themselves as brands competing for attention, rather than as citizens engaged in meaningful deliberation.

This is not a recipe for responsible fact-checking. Or for encouraging users to care much about it.

Platforms want to wash their hands of the fact-checking process, because it is politically fraught. Their owners claim they want to encourage the free flow of information.

However, their fingers are on the scale. The algorithms they craft play a central role in deciding which forms of expression make it into our feeds and which do not.

It’s disingenuous for them to abdicate responsibility for the content they chose to pump into people’s news feeds, especially when they have systematically created a civically challenged media environment.


The author would like to acknowledge Associate Professor Zala Volcic, Research Fellow Isabella Mahoney and Research Assistant Fae Gehren for their work on the research on which this article is based.The Conversation

Mark Andrejevic, Professor of Media, School of Media, Film, and Journalism, Monash University, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Fake podcast clips are misleading millions of people on social media. Here’s how to spot them

Shutterstock
Finley WatsonLa Trobe University

Podcasting is the medium of choice for millions of listeners looking for the latest commentary on almost any topic. In Australia, it’s estimated about 48% of people tune in to a podcast each month.

However, the rise of podcasts has also led to a new trend of “fake podcasts”. In some cases, these are a trivial marketing strategy. In others, they are a deceptive form of misinformation.

So what are fake podcasts?

Fake podcasts are short video clips designed to appear like snippets from real podcasts published on short-form content platforms such as TikTok.

These clips centre on one or sometimes two speakers, positioned behind high-quality broadcasting microphones, directing their conversation off camera. However, in reality no broader discussion is taking place.

These videos began gaining attention in late 2022 when social media users realised several viral clips showing commentators on seemingly high-profile podcasts were in fact “fake”. These clips weren’t from any real podcast episodes. In some instances the microphones hadn’t even been turned on.

The most noteworthy example came from fitness influencer and YouTuber Vincent Sant. To market his online brand, Sant created a video suggesting he had appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience.

Although the video showed him using the same microphone, headphones and red velvet curtain backdrop as Rogan, viewers quickly pointed out Sant had never appeared on the show. He removed the clip shortly after.

Since then, fake podcast clips have become a recognised marketing strategy employed by a range of brands. Some professional actors produce this content regularly, earning up to US$16,000 per month.

There are even explicit guides on LinkedIn for marketers wanting to produce their own fake podcasts, with the practice described as “the future of video marketing”.

Some fakes are more harmful than others

There are three main types of fake podcast, each one deceiving viewers to a different extent.

The first is the explicit ad. In this case, the podcast format is used to present an obvious sales pitch for a specific product. Examples include this ad from Junkee and Bank Australia:

While the ad uses a podcast format, it’s unlikely to fool many viewers, not least due to the “paid partnership” disclaimer.

The second category of fake podcasts uses the podcast aesthetic to market a personal brand, rather than a specific product. Several influencers including online entrepreneur Sebastian Ghiorghiu and Pearl Davis (the so-called “female Andrew Tate”), have garnered millions of followers through such clips, which intentionally leave the broader context ambiguous. They produce clips from both real and fake podcasts, with no means of differentiating the two.

These kinds of fake podcasts have three main purposes. The first is to gain consistent viewers. The second is to legitimise the creator’s, at times, conspiratorial political perspectives. And the third is to sell products.

The final and most intentionally deceptive form of fake podcast is what I call the “deep” fake podcast. These clips combine elements of the first two categories alongside manipulated audio and video – usually produced with the help of AI tools.

The purpose here is usually to convince viewers a certain prominent podcaster or personality has made certain claims and/or endorsed certain products. One recent example purports to show Joe Rogan and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman endorsing a “libido-boosting” supplement. This is the most deceptive form of the practice.

The psychology behind fake podcasts

Out of all the mediums to fake, why fake a podcast? Are online audiences so susceptible that they immediately associate anyone talking off camera into a microphone with expertise? Not quite.

Podcasting reflects what media researcher Henry Jenkins calls “convergence culture”. In this space, the distinctions between traditional, alternative and social media are increasingly blurred, as are the lines between producers, consumers, technical experts and “popular experts”.

Social media users usually recognise podcasters as popular experts. These individuals may not have recognised qualifications, yet they are often just as knowledgeable about a particular area of popular culture as a technical expert due to their experience and/or passion. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the top podcast My Favourite Murder, are a good example, as is former YouTuber MatPat, whose channel The Game Theorists has close to 20 million subscribers.

Convergence culture has increasingly foregrounded popular experts in online spaces, helping to legitimise their blend of amateur and professional communication.

How to spot them

According to the Pew Research Centre, US adults who hear “news” discussed on podcasts are likely to view this information as more reliable than news gleaned from other sources such as social media. At the same time, podcasts are much easier and cheaper to fake than other forms of traditional media.

Spotting fake podcast clips may not always be easy, especially if you haven’t come across one before. If you see a suspicious clip, a good rule of thumb is to look for a clear link to the original video and recording. If this original is easily accessible, verifiable and lasts longer than sixty seconds, the clip itself is probably real.

Another way is to cross-reference the clip with other official channels. For instance, the next time you see a 20 second video of a renowned health expert spruiking a new supplement on Amazon, check that expert’s official social media page before clicking the purchase link.The Conversation

Finley Watson, PhD Candidate, Politics, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

History under the floorboards: decoding the diets of institutionalised women in 19th century Sydney

Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks photographed in 1871, when the building served as a women’s immigration depot and asylum. City of Sydney Archives.
Kimberley ConnorStanford University

Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks was built between 1817 and 1819 to house male convicts.

The barracks is World Heritage Listed for its convict history, but is equally important for the story of 19th century Australian immigration.

After the end of convict transportation to New South Wales, the Hyde Park Barracks became home to the Female Immigration Depot (1848–87) and the Female Destitute Asylum (1862–86).

The depot housed newly arrived unmarried women and girls who came to New South Wales on subsidised tickets. The asylum was for women who couldn’t support themselves because of age, illness or disability.

Official records for the two female institutions suggest the women who stayed there ate a monotonous diet of bread, tea and meat (roasted or boiled into soup) in the dining rooms.

My new archaeological research published in Antiquity tells a different story. Dried plant materials found under the floorboards of the upstairs dormitories show inhabitants were eating a range of fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and even spices.

This research sheds new light on the diets of settlers in 19th century Sydney and the importance of combining documentary research with archaeology to understand the history of institutions where official records alone can’t tell the whole story.

More than a monotonous diet

The women and girls who stayed in the Female Immigration Depot and the Female Destitute Asylum found a safe place to stay, with a bed and three meals a day.

But they also had to live by strict rules under the supervision of a matron, and had to do most of the cooking and cleaning to keep the institutions running.

Eyewitness accountsgovernment reports and official records tell us the meals served in the dining rooms were monotonous: bread and tea for breakfast and supper, and a soup made of boiled meat and vegetables with yet more bread for dinner (served at lunch time), the main meal of the day.

Bread, meat, carrots, turnips, a potato.
The daily ration in both the Female Immigration Depot and the Female Destitute Asylum. Kimberley Connor

On special occasions, such as Christmas, the meat might be roasted and supplemented with puddings, fresh fruit and extra tobacco. But if that was what inhabitants were eating, why did archaeologists find thousands of fruit seeds and nut shells under the floorboards?

In the 1980s, archaeologists excavated parts of the courtyard as well as inside the building itself. As renovations started on the floorboards on the second and third floors of the building, archaeologists found tens of thousands of objects dropped or hidden beneath floorboards.

Like much of the archaeological collection, the botanical remains were not analysed systematically at the time of excavation. Now, my new analysis of the dried plant remains in the Hyde Park Barracks museum’s collection reveals women who stayed in these institutions supplemented the bland meals they were served.

Maybe they foraged fresh peaches on the way back from church, or bought peanuts from peddlers at the gates, or worked within the asylum for an extra ration of tobacco.

In an environment where everyone ate the same thing at the same time, these off-menu items were probably a way of expressing personal preferences and building relationships through sharing or bartering.

Food from home and away

Many of the foods the women were acquiring would have been familiar to immigrants from Britain.

The most common items I found were pits from stone fruit including peaches or nectarines, plums, cherries and apricots. There was also evidence for apples or pears, grapes, dates, hazelnuts, walnuts and citrus fruit.

Other foods introduced from South America, the Pacific and Southeast Asia, like an annonaceous fruit (like a modern custard apple), Brazil nuts, coconut, and lychees might have been unfamiliar to the British migrants. These plants, alongside pumpkin, chili pepper and corn originally from the Americas, highlight how Australia was part of global networks of plant exchanges.

The seed pod of a woody pear labelled with the botanical name Xylomelum pyriforme. Kimberley Connor

The women were also learning about native Australian plants. A single fragment of macadamia shell is probably the only direct evidence of consumption of a native plant, but the women were collecting bottlebrush and tea tree.

The most interesting example is a complete woody pear, the seed pod of a shrub native to Australia’s east coast. Someone at Hyde Park Barracks carefully collected this specimen and labelled it with the botanical name Xylomelum pyriforme, revealing an interest in Australian botany.

A look at the lives of women

While we can’t connect individual people to individual plant remains at Hyde Park Barracks, we can catch glimpses of the lives of the women who stayed there.

A beautifully preserved rose must have been special to somebody who carefully kept it safe by placing it under the floorboards.

Groups of citrus peel or the seeds from something like a cherimoya hint at illicit meals, with the evidence hidden away from the matron’s watchful eye.

And maybe a whole chili pepper, still bright red, tells us about someone who liked to spice up their meals.

Each seed gets us a little bit closer to the lives of the women of Sydney 150 years ago.The Conversation

Kimberley Connor, Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Carol Jerrems captured Melbourne and Sydney of the 1970s, understanding photography as a collaboration

Carol Jerrems, ½ length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979. National Library of Australia Manuscript collection (MS 10718). © The Estate of Carol Jerrems
Jane SimonMacquarie University

Australian photographer Carol Jerrems took an expansive approach to portraiture. She experimented with seriality – constructing narratives and meaning across multiple frames – and understood photography as a collaboration between her subjects, her camera and herself.

Born in Ivanhoe, Victoria, in 1949, Jerrems worked primarily with black and white photography until her early death in 1980.

Over 140 of her photographs are currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Everyday scenes, collective portraits

Faces are just one element of Jerrems’ portraits. Equally significant are the spaces she chose to photograph.

Many photographs depict her subjects in everyday realms: bedrooms, living rooms, suburban backyards and streets in Melbourne and Sydney in the 1970s.

She focused on faces and bodies amid the rumpled sheets of a bed, the clutter of a room, suburban street signage, the drape of a hospital curtain – always attentive to the interior frames of windows, tables, doorways.

A man in a bed, the photographer in a mirror.
Carol Jerrems, Ambrose Campbell, 1973, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Many images are taken in spaces dedicated to creativity or protest, speaking to the feminist politics of 1970s Australia and the mesh of domestic life, creative labour and resistance. There are artists’ studios, protests, the Filmmakers Co-Op in Sydney and the National Black Theatre in Redfern. There are film reels and fridges, sewing machines and slogans.

There are scenes at a university campus (a commission for Macquarie University), and eventually, and with finality, the interior of a Hobart hospital in the last series before her death from the rare illness Budd-Chiari syndrome in 1980.

These environmental portraits position the subject in a familiar context, such as their workplace or home. They treat space as part of the complexity of her human subjects.

This is not to say faces, and individuals, are not key: they are everywhere in this exhibition. Some are well-known, others are not.

A woman speaks to a crowd.
Carol Jerrems, Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, ‘72, 1972. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Many of the portraits in the exhibition are photographs taken as part of Jerrems and Virginia Fraser’s 1974 photobook, A Book About Australian Women.

The book collates photographs of children, activists, writers, artists, historians and sex workers. There are the recognisable faces of a young Evonne Goolagong (1973) and an elderly Grace Cossington Smith (1974).

Portrait of Anne Summers (1974) pictures the author in her home, half her face in shadow, a pile of books behind her. Bobbie Sykes is at the podium in Black Moratorium, Sydney ’72 (1972) and elbows jutting out, hands on hips looking away from the camera in Bobbi Sykes, Aboriginal Medical Service (1973).

A young woman poses for a photo.
Carol Jerrems, Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974. National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Purchased 2012. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Shadows, patterns, frames

Looking at photographs can bring the temptation to focus on the singular, to seek out the one image that “speaks”.

But Jerrems’ life work, and the curation of this exhibition, suggest a different project. The meaning here accumulates across and between images.

The photograph Caroline Slade (1973) pictures a young girl, a solemn chameleon in a floral printed dress surrounded by floral wallpaper. This moment of camouflage has echoes in the image Enid Lorimer and Kate Fitzpatrick (1974). This photograph shows the actors gazing at each other in floral dresses that merge with the patterning of leaves in the garden behind them.

A young girl shyly poses.
Carol Jerrems, Caroline Slade, 1973. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of the Philip Morris Arts Grant 1982. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Sites of mimicry are coupled with other patterns, other photographs in conversation. Shadows repeat across images and years.

Lynn Gailey sewing (1976) features the right half of Gailey’s face in shadow. In the earlier photograph of Myra Skipper (1974), the bottom half of her face is in shadow and her eyes are averted upwards. Esben Storm’s face, repeatedly held by Jerrems’ gaze, regularly emerges from shadow, dappled with light.

A woman at a sewing machine.
Carol Jerrems, Lynn Gailey sewing, 1976. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Cuts, exchanges, phases

There is an autobiographical bent to many of the portraits. Jerrem’s presence enters the frame of Rita on the couch at Kilcare Beach (1976). The shadow of Jerrems’ arm, holding camera to eye, mirrors the angle of Rita’s crossed limbs.

Jerrems’ photograph of Ambrose Campbell (1973) shows him relaxed on a bed covered in white sheets. The photograph is framed to include her mirrored reflection, dressed and standing camera to eye. She is composed and appears distant, framed by the bright light of the window behind her.

A casual lounge room.
Carol Jerrems, Rita on the couch at Kilcare Beach, 1976. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

In Self portrait after surgery (1979) Jerrems pulls the photographic frame in tightly around herself, her elbows raised but her camera and face are out of frame. There is a long stitched incision down her abdomen, the bruises and residues of medical tape telling a story on her skin.

In 1969 Jerrems produced the handmade, accordion photobook A Continuum of Age as an assignment while a student at Prahran Technical College.

In the front of the book strips of cut-and-pasted typewriter text explain the relevance of age to “every speck of matter”. The photographs compiled in the book are “not concerned with individuals, but with states, with phases, with specific periods of existence”.

This conceptual framing of the photobook (which, wonderfully, is on display, splayed open behind glass) offers another entry point to understanding Jerrems’ work and portraiture made during the following decade.

The photographs in this exhibition are all small prints, intended to be looked at closely, and, crucially, in relation to each other. This approach is reflected in the decision to exhibit several of Jerrems’ contact prints – sheets containing grids of images – which reveal their own history of being held, written on, cut into.

These imperfections are themselves part of the photographic exchange. They reflect the chain of decisions made by Jerrems, a glimpse into her process.

Carol Jerrems: Portraits is at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, until March 2.The Conversation

Jane Simon, Senior Lecturer in Media, Macquarie University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Sleeping on beaches and staying social: how Australians kept cool in heatwaves before modern technology

A beach in Glenelg, South Australia is packed during an evening in February 1938. State Library of South Australia
Mandy PaulUniversity of Adelaide and Rochelle SchoffLa Trobe University

The Black Friday bushfires which swept across southeastern Australia in January 1939 have been remembered as a deadly and traumatic event.

Most human deaths, however, occurred during the preceding heatwave – 78 lives were lost to bushfires in mainland southeastern Australia but at least 420 people died as a result of the high temperatures during the preceding week.

Globally, heatwaves still remain one of the deadliest natural hazards.

Our research examines how people in the past understood and adapted to extreme weather — without the contemporary comforts of airconditioning and refrigeration.

The fortnight when Adelaide sweltered

Adelaide is the most heatwave affected capital city in Australia.

In the first fortnight of 1939, the city endured 13 days of temperatures exceeding 34°C. January 12 was Adelaide’s hottest day since records began: 46.1°C (recorded at the time as 117.7°F) — a record that stood until 2019.

Record highs were also recorded across the southeastern states.

Diaries, press reports and oral history accounts reveal how Adelaidians coped with the heat.

Noel Weller, who lived on a suburban block in Glandore with his wife and two children, kept a daily diary. On January 12, 1939 he wrote:

117.7% A Record Hot Temperature day. I went to work in shirt sleeves. Lil & Peace Tenell who are on holiday came to tea & had shower & so did I morn(ing), night & before bed. We had Ice Blocks & Cool drinks on the front lawn & Chook & Doris came & all left at 11.15. WE ALL SLEPT OUTSIDE on the back lawn.

Like most households, the Wellers relied on an icebox to keep their food and drinks cool. Demand for ice, and prices, soared during the heatwave, and supply ran short, made worse by a mechanical failure at the government ice works.

By January 13, the situation was so dire the police had to manage crowds at some suburban ice depots.

General Motors Holden’s at Woodville was among the industrial workplaces that shortened shifts in response to the heat; others declared holidays to give workers a chance to recover.

Manufacturers of ice cream and cold drinks were extending hours and taking on casual staff to meet unprecedented demand.

How people tried to beat the heat

During this week, a small fashion war was being waged in the press.

Advocates for attire more suited to the climate ridiculed businessmen who determinedly wore suits and ties. Others hailed “courageous” young men for wearing shorts to work.

Women, meanwhile, were advised to wear sandals and go without gloves.

Florence Bond, a well-connected expat visiting from England, wrote of her difficulty sleeping in the heat. She attempted to sleep on a cane lounge in the garden with her dogs – it was an uncomfortable night, disturbed by hot winds and insects.

As the heatwave unfolded, she despaired that a good sleep would be “impossible.”

Those without verandas or gardens slept in Adelaide’s public squares and beaches.

Irene Ingram lived in the closely-packed row cottages of Adelaide’s East End in the 1930s with her husband and son. Interviewed in 2000, she vividly recalled sleeping outdoors to escape the heat of the house:

We used to have heat in those days, (one) hundred and ten, hundred and 12, hundred and fourteen (degrees) every day – that’d go on for two weeks. We used to sleep down in Hurtle Square, bring our blanket and a pillow down there, because the little houses we lived in were just so hot. Oh it was great fun; we used to think it was great. Everyone was down there.

The newspapers reported Adelaide’s beaches were crowded as thousands slept on the sand, taking the opportunity to start the next day with a reviving swim.

A newspaper cartoon on January 16, 1939, showcases South Australia's record heatwave
Jack Quayle’s cartoon Aussie mobs/Flickr

Some tragic consequences

Hospitals, meanwhile, were facing a rise in heat-related admissions.

Some doctors broke ranks to describe the conditions in some wards of Adelaide Hospital as “a reproach to the main hospital of a capital city”, pointing out the heat in some wards was affecting patients admitted for unrelated conditions.

What wasn’t publicly known until after the event was the death toll. A government statist reported that heat caused 64 deaths in January 1939 across South Australia and was a contributing factor in another 68.

Our detailed study (yet to be published) of death certificates reveals a slightly higher figure for the metropolitan area: 68 deaths for which heat was the only or a primary cause.

Most vulnerable were the very young and the old: two thirds of deaths were people older than 60, with a high proportion in psychiatric, aged or residential care.

Modern solutions

Since 1939, social and technological changes have transformed how Australians live – refrigerators are widespread, as is airconditioning in homes and public buildings.

In 2025, people may not choose to sleep outdoors but other strategies to manage heat remain relevant: using natural ventilation, taking rest, and wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.

Noel Weller and his family visited and entertained friends and family throughout the heatwave, sharing ice cream and soft drinks in the cool of the evening.

Staying socially connected during extreme weather means others can keep an eye out for your welfare – and is as important now as it was in 1939.The Conversation

Mandy Paul, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Humanities, University of Adelaide and Rochelle Schoff, PhD Candidate at La Trobe University, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Spin has transformed modern-day tennis. Here’s the physics behind it

Anthony BlazevichEdith Cowan University

Watch any match at this year’s Australian Open and you’ll see balls curving in the air or bouncing higher or lower than expected. Players such as Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are particularly masterful at the art.

The secret? It’s all about spin.

The ability to control a tennis ball’s spin has transformed the modern game, making it faster and more spectacular than ever. But how exactly do players make the ball move through the air or bounce off the court like that?

The complex physics of spin

The physics underlying the effect is complex. But the easiest way to explain it is to consider the Magnus effect.

When a spinning ball moves through the air, it creates a force that makes it curve away from its straight-line path. Scientists call this the Magnus force, named after German physicist Heinrich Gustav Magnus who first described it in 1852.

The force is generated by the spinning ball dragging air around it in an unusual way. When a tennis player puts topspin on the ball (for example, by brushing the racquet upwards over the back of the ball during the shot), the ball spins forwards end-over-end after contact. As it spins, the friction between the ball and the air starts the air moving in the direction of spin.

Because air spins around the ball, oncoming air hitting the top of the ball collides with oncoming air due to the spin, and slows down. But air hitting the underside meets air moving in the same direction and travels relatively faster.

According to a law first introduced by the Swiss mathematician, Daniel Bernoulli, pressure is greater on top of the ball, where air flows slowly, than under the ball where the air moves quickly. This pressure difference pushes the ball downwards.

It’s the same principle that helps aeroplanes fly – except in reverse so the ball drops rather than flies.

Vector illustration of Bernoulli's principle.
Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli first described the law that explains how a difference in air pressure helps aeroplanes fly. Ozant/Shutterstock

Topspin: a lethal weapon

Topspin is one of the modern tennis player’s most powerful weapons. When top exponents such as recently retired star Rafael Nadal deploy it, the ball can spin at more than 50 rotations per second!

But why is topspin so lethal?

If a player hits the ball at a high speed, it should normally sail over the baseline because there’s insufficient time for gravity to drag it down into the court.

When hit with topspin, the ball will dip down quickly into the court. This allows players to hit the ball with a lot of horizontal velocity without the ball sailing over the baseline.

And because the top-spinning ball spins in the same direction as the ball travels, the ball continues quickly even after bouncing. So, the ball travels quickly both before and after its collision with the court, allowing less time for the opponent to get to it.

A final benefit is that the ball also tends to bounce higher than normal, which can make it harder to hit for an opposing player.

This is partly because the ball strikes the ground at a steeper angle as it curves downward toward the ground and partly because a ball spinning in the same direction as its travel will skid less as it bounces, saving energy and allowing the ball to bounce higher.

Backspin: the gentle winner

Alternatively, a player might “slice” the ball to put backspin on it by brushing under the ball with their racquet.

This creates an upward Magnus force, making the ball float and stay in the air longer than expected. The ball can then be kept low over the net and yet still travel far into the opponent’s side of the court.

When it lands, it stays low and can even skid slightly. So the ball slows down and stays low, making it hard to hit. In response, opponents often have to hit a slower return shot because the ball doesn’t bounce high enough to hit it with a lot of topspin.

The most dramatic use of backspin comes in the form of the “drop shot”, where players disguise a gentle, heavily underspun shot that barely clears the net, then “dies” on the bounce. This leaves little time for the opponent to rush to the net to make the shot before the ball bounces for its second time and the point is lost.

The Spanish star, Carlos Alcaraz, is a master of this type of shot, as you can see in the below video.

Harnessing the physics of spin

This year when you watch the Australian Open, pay attention to how players use spin to control the court: that “heavy” forehand that pushes an opponent back, the slice serve that draws them wide, the delicate drop shot that brings them forward.

And you might watch for players who put sidespin on the ball, the effects of which I’m sure you can now guess.

They’re all examples of players harnessing the physics of spin to their advantage.The Conversation

Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Mozzies may be carrying Japanese encephalitis this summer. Here’s what to know if you’re spending time outdoors

Arthur Poulin/Unsplash
Cameron WebbUniversity of Sydney

A Victorian man is reportedly in a critical condition in hospital after contracting Japanese encephalitis from a mosquito bite.

This news comes after both Victoria and New South Wales issued public health alerts in recent weeks warning about the virus.

So what is Japanese encephalitis, and how can you protect yourself and your family if you live, work or are holidaying in mosquito-prone regions this summer?

Mosquito-borne diseases in Australia

Relative to other parts of the world, Australia has traditionally been very low risk for potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases.

There’s no widespread dengue, yellow fever or malaria. But there are still many viruses that local mosquitoes can spread.

About 5,000 cases of mosquito-borne disease are reported in Australia each year. The vast majority of these are due to Ross River virus. The disease this virus causes is not fatal, though it can be severely debilitating.

Disease caused by two other pathogens, Japanese encephalitis virus and Murray Valley encephalitis virus, are much rarer but potentially fatal.

The symptoms of human disease caused by these two viruses are similar.

Most people infected show no symptoms. In mild cases, there may be fever, headache and vomiting. In more serious cases, people may experience neck stiffness, disorientation, drowsiness and seizures. Serious illness can have lifelong neurological complications and, in some cases, the disease is life-threatening.

There’s no specific treatment for either disease, though there is a vaccine for Japanese encephalitis which may be appropriate for certain people at high risk (more on that later).

A close-up photo of a mosquito in a laboratory.
Australian mosquitoes, such as Culex annulirostris, can play an important role in the spread of viruses. A/Prof Cameron Webb/NSW Health Pathology

The influence of weather patterns

Murray Valley encephalitis virus has been known in Australia for many decades. After a significant outbreak across the Murray Darling Basin region in 1974, activity has generally been limited to northern Australia.

Outbreaks in southeastern Australia often accompany flooding brought on by La Niña weather patterns. Floods provide ideal conditions for mosquitoes, as well as the waterbirds that harbour the virus.

Japanese encephalitis virus is closely related to Murray Valley encephalitis virus. Mosquitoes pick up both viruses by biting waterbirds. But Japanese encephalitis virus has only recently become widespread in Australia.

After flooding rains brought on by La Niña in 2020, conditions that persisted for three yearsMurray Valley encephalitis virus returned and Japanese encephalitis virus arrived for the first time.

Japanese encephalitis virus was initially discovered in southeastern Australia during the summer of 2021–22, and the boom in mosquito and waterbird populations that followed flooding at the time contributed to its spread.

There have been around 80 cases of disease caused by these two viruses combined over the past four years. This includes seven deaths due to Japanese encephalitis across Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Victoria.

Additional deaths have been reported due to Murray Valley encephalitis in recent years – two each in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

In the summer of 2023–24, hot and dry summer conditions returned, mosquito numbers declined, and the number of cases of disease caused by Japanese encephalitis virus and Murray Valley encephalitis dropped.

Now both viruses appear to be back. So what’s going on?

What’s different this summer?

This summer, Japanese encephalitis virus has been detected in mosquitoes and feral pigs in NSW. The virus has also been detected in environmental surveillance in northern Victoria, and we know at least one person has been affected there.

Meanwhile, Murray Valley encephalitis virus has been detected in sentinel chicken flocks – which health authorities use to test for increased mosquito-borne disease risk – in NSW and in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Chickens can play an important role in helping warn of an increased risk of mosquito-borne disease.

It’s unusual to see activity of these viruses when conditions are relatively dry and mosquito numbers relatively low.

Some regions of Australia may have experienced flooding, but for many regions of the country, conditions have been hot and dry. This is bad news for mosquitoes.

There is no evidence that mosquito numbers are booming like they did back when La Niña brought floods to the Murray-Darling Basin.

There also isn’t any evidence of more waterbird activity. In fact, numbers have declined in recent years.

So why are Japanese encephalitis virus and Murray Valley encephalitis virus active again when the conditions appear to be less favourable?

Despite predictions of a rare mid-summer return of La Niña, there’s still speculation about what this means for temperature and rainfall. We may not see flooding, but there is still likely to be enough water around for mosquitoes.

For Japanese encephalitis virus, it may be that feral pigs are playing a more important role in its spread. We know numbers are on the rise and with drier conditions, perhaps mosquitoes and feral pigs, and other wildlife, are gathering together where they can find bodies of water.

After its unexpected arrival, it now seems Japanese encephalitis virus is here to stay. But how this virus interacts with local mosquitoes and wildlife, under the influence of increasing unpredictable climatic conditions, requires more research.

How can you reduce your risk this summer?

The public health alerts in Victoria and NSW focus especially on specific regions in northern Victoria and around Griffith and Narromine in NSW where the virus has been detected.

If you live or work in areas at risk of Japanese encephalitis, seek advice from your local health authority to see if you are eligible for vaccination. Residents in specified local government areas in affected regions in both states are currently eligible for a free vaccine.

But there is no vaccine available for Murray Valley encephalitis or Ross River viruses.

Wherever you live, mosquito bite prevention is key. Apply insect repellent when outdoors, especially during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active or at any time of the day if you’re in bushland or wetland areas where numbers of mosquitoes may be high.

You can get better protection by also covering up with a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and covered shoes.The Conversation

Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Social media rewires young minds – here’s how

Deliris/Shutterstock
Laura Elin PigottLondon South Bank University

That satisfying feeling after doomscrolling through endless TikTok videos or impulsively shopping online mimics the relief of scratching an itch. This is dopamine at work — a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) responsible for feelings of reward and accomplishment. Whether indulging in viral videos or engaging in new hobbies, dopamine creates a sense of achievement that keeps us coming back for more.

However, reliance on these dopamine hits can lead to lasting brain changes, particularly in teenagers and young adults. This is what my team and I at London Southbank University study. We investigated which brain regions and connections change due to increased social media engagement — or “dopa-mining”, as we call it.

Using social media lights up the same parts of your brain as other addictions, such as drugs, alcohol and gambling. Scientists have found that every time you get a notification, a “like”, or even watch a video you enjoy, your brain’s reward system (the nucleus accumbens) gets activated. This is the same system that makes people feel pleasure when they win money or eat their favourite snack.

But here’s the catch: the more you use social media, the harder it can be for your brain to resist it. It’s like training your brain to crave those dopamine hits – just like an addiction.

Ever wonder why social media feels so addictive? It’s because your brain starts pruning (or trimming) neurons, a bit like cutting away extra branches on a tree, to make the “reward pathway” faster.

This sounds efficient, but it’s not great. The shorter pathway means your brain can “feel” rewards faster, but we know from research that it can also make you more impulsive and less able to stop yourself from scrolling. Over time, this pruning can shrink the size of certain brain areas, like the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, which are key for controlling emotions and making decisions.

Can social media mess with your mental health?

Have you noticed feeling more anxious or down after spending hours on Instagram or Snapchat? You’re not alone. Studies show that people who spend a lot of time on social media are more likely to feel stressed, anxious or even depressed. Why? Because apps such as Instagram are designed to make you seek validation from others. When you don’t get the likes or comments you’re hoping for, it can affect your self-esteem.

On the flip side, those who use social media less often report feeling more confident and less worried about what others think.

How many times have you promised yourself “just five more minutes”, while scrolling in bed, only to realise an hour has passed?

Social media is designed to keep you hooked, much like gambling or drinking. Every notification, like and comment triggers dopamine, making it harder to stop. Scientists call this “delay discounting”, which is when you choose the immediate reward (scrolling) over something important, like studying, sleeping or even hanging out with friends in real life.

Understanding the effect of social media on the brain is just the beginning. The next step in research is to dig even deeper into how social media disrupts the brain’s “default mode network” (DMN) — a system that’s active when you’re not focused on a specific task, such as when you’re daydreaming or reflecting.

Using EEG (a method that tracks brain activity), my team and I are examining whether heavy social media use interferes with this network. Why does this matter? The DMN plays a big role in how we process our sense of self, make decisions and even regulate our emotions. If it is disrupted, it could explain why some social media users struggle with attention, emotional control and maintaining healthy mental habits.

The good news is you don’t have to give up social media entirely. But being aware of how it affects your brain is the first step to taking back control.The Conversation

Laura Elin Pigott, Senior Lecturer in Neurosciences and Neurorehabilitation, Course Leader in the College of Health and Life Sciences, London South Bank University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Women were at the centre of iron age Britain – new find reminds us how misogyny has shaped our view of the past

Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni by Charles Hamilton Smith (1815). Royal Academy
Jay SilversteinNottingham Trent University

Roman writers found the relative empowerment of Celtic women in British society remarkable, according to surviving written records. New DNA research from the University of Bournemouth shows one of the ways this empowerment manifested – inheritance through the female line.

The researchers present a genetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is matrilineally inherited (from the mother), and Y-chromosome DNA, which is patrilineally inherited (from the father). The DNA comes from human remains taken from a late iron age cemetery (circa 100BC – AD100) of the Durtriges tribe in Dorset.

The researchers discovered a continuous line of descent of mtDNA, which contrasted sharply with the varied Y-chromosome markers. That means that the bodies in the graveyard all shared DNA on the women’s side, but not the men’s side.

This led them to the conclusion that the tribe practised matrilocal marriages. That is, the men came to live with the women’s family, who stayed in the same location for generations.

When the authors compared their data to other iron age sites, they found that matrilocal marriages were common among the tribes. While this does not necessarily infer a matriarchal society, in which women were the primary decision-makers, it is a practice that supports the matrilineal inheritance of wealth, land and status.

The power of this analysis is its ability to pull together ancient textual accounts, linguistic studies and archaeological data to create a fuller understanding of our past. But it’s also a reminder that our present is plagued by prejudices and misconceptions about human history.


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News reports about the study have called it “jaw-dropping”. But considering the well-known power and military accomplishments of Celtic queens such as Boudica of the Iceni (circa AD30-AD60) and Cartimandua of the Brigantes, the results should not have been surprising.

If historic accounts were more honest, the find would have been received as a confirmation of the role of women in iron age Britain. Instead, it is being framed as a breakthrough that contradicts the innate assumption of patriarchy in history.

What has often been assumed to be an innate natural division in warfare (men fighting, women staying behind) is actually a male-centric perception of history.

I first presented on this topic at Penn State University during the 1996 gender and resistance conference. I quoted the then-speaker of the US House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich.

Giving a lecture on “renewing American civilization” January 7 1995, Gingrich had said: “If combat means living in a ditch, females have biological problems staying in a ditch for 30 days because they get infections. They don’t have upper body strength. I mean, some do, but they’re relatively rare.” He also said that “males are biologically driven to go out and hunt giraffes”.

Despite significant progress on many fronts, this kind of misogyny borne of historic misconceptions is still entrenched in society, right up to the highest levels of government.

Pete Hegseth, the current nominee for the US secretary of defence, wrote in his book The War on Warriors (2024) that: “There are examples in history of women in combat roles. But one is hard pressed to find many outside of religious or mythical settings that have anything close to a positive military outcome.”

He added: “Unlike the mythologies of great Amazonian Warriors in the Greek mythology, most of the world’s accounts of women in war were connected to seductive and sexual power.”

At a certain level, these statements can be interpreted as referencing the sexual dimorphism of our species. That is, the statistical contrast of size and strength in post-pubescent men and women based on genetic differences between males and females.

But if it were merely that a level of physical performance was required for someone to become a warrior, then any candidate who could pass a physical test would be eligible without regard to gender.

Warrior women through history

History is actually rife with examples of woman warriors. Accounts of conquistadors from the 16th century describe the Aztec women, the Native American women of Alabama and the women of the Tupinamba of Brazil as warriors.

The west-African kingdom of Dahomey, meanwhile, was known for its core of 5,000 fierce women warriors whom the British colonialists called Amazons. The true Amazons of Greek myth, who Hesgeth assumed have no basis in reality, can be attributed to the Scythians and Sarmatian female cavalry of the ancient Eurasian Steppe nomads.

A photo of several women from Dahomey in warrior clothing.
A group portrait of the ‘Amazons from Dahomey’ (1891). National Museum of World Cultures, ParisCC BY-SA

The list of historic women warriors illustrates how such identities are determined more by cultural circumstances than genetic limitations.

Today the significant contributions of women warriors in Ukraine, Israel and the US military are breaking down preconceived misogynistic notions of power. Data-driven studies like this one show that the status and power of women in ancient Britain differed significantly from the Victorian ideals of femininity that still prevail today.

Studies like this, that illuminate a past where women held equal or elevated status, help normalise equality. Importantly, they undermine those who attempt to call upon history or divine design as a justification for misogynistic policies.The Conversation

Jay Silverstein, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Forensics, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A Passage to India: how global pandemics shaped E.M. Forster’s final novel

Made with CanvaCC BY
Chris MourantUniversity of Birmingham

E.M. Forster’s final novel and masterpiece, A Passage to India, celebrated its centenary in 2024. It tells the story of Adela Quested, who arrives in the city of Chandrapore with Mrs Moore, the mother of her fiancé, hoping to see “the real India”.

On an excursion to the infamous Marabar caves with the Indian doctor Aziz and the English schoolteacher Cyril Fielding, the women hear an echo that sets in motion the events that unfold across the rest of the book.

The echo causes an existential crisis for Moore. Quested, meanwhile, believes she has been assaulted in one of the caves by Aziz. A court case ensues that sends both the British and Indian public into a frenzy. While giving evidence, Quested realises that Aziz is innocent and that her experience in the caves was possibly the result of hysteria or a hallucination.

The novel refuses to answer the question of what, if anything, happened in the caves. At the heart of the book is a vacant centre, a black hole around which everything turns. It is this uncertainty which has allowed readers to arrive at so many different interpretations of the novel across the decades. So, how can we read the novel today, over 100 years after its first publication?


This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.


In a letter to a friend, Forster said that he didn’t know himself what happened in the caves; that he performed a “particular trick” by willing his “writing mind” to “remain a blur, and to be uncertain”. “I call it ‘trick’,” he wrote, “but 'voluntary surrender to infection’ better expresses my state.”

A voluntary surrender to infection? That phrase has troubled and confused many readers. As the eminent literary critic Frank Kermode once exclaimed, it’s an “odd expression!” But returning to the book now, in our post-pandemic moment, these words resonate powerfully – especially because A Passage to India was written in post-pandemic times, too.

A painting of Forster with a moustache, sat in a chair.
Portrait of E.M. Forster by Roger Fry (1911). Bonhams

Forster started writing the novel after his first visit to India in 1912, when the country – along with much of Asia – was in the grip of the third plague pandemic. On the day he arrived in the new capital Delhi, questions were asked in the UK parliament about the plague in India, “which, last year, caused 842,000 deaths and which has, during the last 16 years, swept away 8,000,000 victims”.

Forster then put his manuscript aside, and only began writing again in earnest after his second visit to India in 1921, when the world was emerging, traumatised, from the global influenza pandemic of 1918. That pandemic killed somewhere between 50 and 100 million people, and India was hit especially hard. Some studies suggest that in British-controlled areas of the country alone, 13.88 million people died.

As professor of literature Elizabeth Outka has observed, this event of mass death is everywhere in the literature of the period. But it has often gone unnoticed, overshadowed by the more obvious violence of the first world war.

The flow of disease

In the opening chapter of A Passage to India, Forster references influenza, a word that stems from the Latin influentia (“to flow into”). These etymological roots reflect the medieval belief that intangible fluid flowing from the stars was the cause of disease, affecting or “influencing” people.

Setting the scene at Chandrapore, the narrator describes all human life as determined by “the overarching sky” in which “the stars hang like lamps from the immense vault” – “the sky settles everything”. Under this stellar influence, disease spreads across the novel.


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The social pressures exerted by colonialism are described as “viral”, with Aziz “breathing the prevalent miasma” and Fielding’s “nerves breaking under the contagion”. In one of the book’s central scenes, Fielding visits the feverish Aziz in his sickbed.

And the infection spreads to Quested, it seems, as she prepares to give evidence at court:

The touch of her hands on her face started prickly heat, and she seemed to swallow and expectorate the same insipid clot of air that had weighed on her lungs all the night.

Black and white photo of cave entrance
The entrance to the Barabar caves, on which Forster’s Marabar caves were based, taken in 1870 by Thomas Fraser Peppé. British Library

That which is “in the air” becomes highly significant. The “reputation” of the Marabar caves, we are told, “does not depend upon human speech”:

It is as if the surrounding plain or the passing birds have taken upon themselves to exclaim ‘extraordinary’, and the word has taken root in the air, and been inhaled by mankind.

There is something distinctly pathogenic about this – an airborne infection.

Inside one of the caves, Moore “couldn’t breathe, and some vile naked thing struck her face and settled on her mouth like a pad”. Later, bodies in the returning train “all resembled corpses, and the train itself seemed dead though it moved – a coffin”.

Moore is haunted by this experience, as if possessed by what is in the air. Words previously spoken with affection “seemed no longer hers but the air’s”, and she “surrendered to the vision” of an indifferent universe.

The “ou-boum” sound heard in the caves has often been interpreted as a distant echo of the trenches. But reading A Passage to India today, as we reflect on and reckon with the huge toll of the COVID pandemic, the “horror” unleashed by the caves resonates with a different trauma – reflecting a world changed irrevocably by disease.

Beyond the canon

As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is Chris Mourant’s suggestion:

If you liked A Passage to India, try Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand (1935), which is also set in India and centrally concerned with themes of dirt and contagion.

Inspired by the “day in the life” form of modernist city novels, such as Ulysses by James Joyce (1922) and Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925), Anand’s book tells the story of Bakha, an 18-year-old sweeper and toilet cleaner who inwardly revolts against his low position as an “untouchable” in the Indian caste system.

Forster wrote a preface to this novel in which he observed: “Bakha is a real individual – lovable, thwarted, sometimes grand, sometimes weak, and thoroughly Indian.”The Conversation

Chris Mourant, Lecturer in Early Twentieth-Century English Literature, University of Birmingham

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Saturday night fever: the health risks you need to watch out for on the weekend

Dan BaumgardtUniversity of Bristol

Saturday Night Fever hit the silver screen in 1977 and epitomised the culture of the time. Disco music, flared trousers and pure escapism. Saturdays remain the most popular night for going out, although it has very much moved on from the days of John Travolta and bell-bottoms. But the pleasure-seeking lifestyle has remained and spawned a collection of what might be referred to as the “Saturday night conditions”.

Let’s start with “fever”. It’s important not to overlook the risk of overheating on a night out. Get caught up in the beat and prolonged, frenetic dancing can raise your temperature to new heights. This can lead to severe dehydration – which if you’re not careful, can land you in A&E. So keep sipping that water.

The clubbing drug, ecstasy, is well known for its ability to cause overheating too. One study that examined the effect of the drug on clubbers found that it raised their body temperatures at least one or two degrees higher than those who hadn’t used it. The other associated dangers mean it’s never a good idea to use it.

But Saturday night fever is not the only condition that can mess up your weekend. Here are some others.

Saturday night blindness

In 1974, a group of ophthalmologists reported a case of an individual who had collapsed while intoxicated and woke up blind in one eye the next day.

The patient had fallen into a stupor, face down, and placed continuous pressure on one of their eyes. In doing so, the artery that supplies the eye was compressed. Shutting off the blood supply had caused irreversible damage to the light-sensitive retina and loss of sight. The condition also led to paralysis of the eye’s movements.

It seems extraordinary that this position could cause something as extreme as blindness. “Saturday night retinopathy”, as it has since been named, is luckily very rare but has been described in other reports. One example detailed three patients who developed the same symptoms through similar circumstances, after remaining prone and unconscious for long periods. In each case, the loss of sight was profound and vision could not be recovered.

Saturday night rashes

While Whigfield might like the way you move, too much dancing on a Saturday night might be to your detriment (pretty baby).

Take the cases of two separate adolescents who went to see their doctor, complaining about an odd, itchy rash on their legs. They appeared to look like purple spots, which are otherwise known as purpura. However, the appearance of these purpura only seemed to coincide with weekend trips to the disco – and disappeared after a few days.

The doctors who saw them named the condition “Saturday night purpura”. The condition is more commonly referred to as exercise-induced vasculitis: inflammation of blood vessels through exertion, which causes the purple rash. It particularly arises in people who have been on their feet for a long time, especially in warm environments.

A person with purpura.
Dancing in an overheated club can leave you with a nasty rash. Sarah2/Shutterstock

Saturday night palsy

Unfortunately for some Saturday night owls, the end destination is a trip to A&E. Frequently, this is as a result of alcohol or substance misuse, which precipitates falls and fisticuffs. Another very good reason to limit the amount of alcohol you consume – to mitigate injuries, and a very disappointing denouement to your night out.

It’s not uncommon for doctors to call in inebriated patients from the A&E waiting room to find them sound asleep. If they hang their arm over the back of the chair to stop themselves sliding on to the floor, they may end up with a case of Saturday night palsy. A palsy is another name for paralysis in a muscle, sometimes due to compression and damage to the nerve that makes it work.

This happens when the radial nerve – a large nerve that runs from the shoulder down the arm to the tips of your fingers – becomes compressed, such as when it hangs over the back of a hard chair for too long.

The patient may find themselves with a weak arm upon being roused, since the radial nerve controls muscles that extend their wrist, and straightens their arm. They may also experience pins and needles.

It can also happen when falling asleep awkwardly on your arm in bed, or wherever else you may find yourself the next morning.

Given the hedonism we’ve come to associate with the weekend environment, it’s unsurprising that many doctors have connected it to certain cases they’ve seen. But Saturday-night conditions can, of course, occur any day of the week, given the right conditions and misfortune.

The message of the story: enjoy your Saturday nights, but never forget the importance of stayin’ alive.The Conversation

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Saving lives and limbs on the high seas: the extraordinary world of early modern ship’s surgeons

Jasmine Kilburn-ToppinCardiff University

Imagine you are at sea facing a violent battle with an enemy ship. The experienced 17th-century surgeon John Moyle asked his reader to do just that. In his printed guide of recommended practice, the reader was compelled to put themselves in the place of a ship’s surgeon in the thick of battle: “You have another wounded Man brought down, having a Musket bullet penetrated into the thick of his Groin, and lodging there, and the great Vessels wounded, and bleeding lamentably.”

For sailors facing injury, accident, or illness at sea in the 16th and 17th centuries, the ship’s surgeon was the only professional medical help. And yet we know relatively about the experiences and lives of shipboard surgeons.

My research explores texts written by British ship surgeons to get a deeper understanding of medical care at sea, and the emotional and psychological challenges of shipboard life for surgeon and crew.

By the 17th century, surgeons were a regular presence on English merchant and naval ships. This was an era of improved ship technology, maritime exploration and rapidly developing global trade and exploitation.

A surgeon was necessary for hazardous long-distance merchant voyages that lasted weeks, even months, across the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The Royal Navy grew substantially during a series of major wars from the mid 17th century – and with it the medical needs of naval seamen.

Ship surgeons had a weighty responsibility. As well as treating illnesses and injuries, they equipped the medicine chest (containing surgical tools and medicines), made their own remedies, and were often responsible for the ship’s sanitation. Surgeons were trained by apprenticeship, on ships or on shore.

In his popular printed guide on preparing the medicine chest and medical care at sea, surgeon John Woodall recommended that trainee ship surgeons closely observe signs of sickness in the crew, gain hands-on therapeutic experience, and “read much” on surgery and medicine. Both practical and theoretical knowledge were important.

Ships at sea were a challenging working environment for crews and their surgeons. Accidents were frequent, especially in wet and windy conditions. Seafarers fell from masts, slipped on the deck and were injured by nautical equipment. The ship’s surgeon Henry Watson, aboard British naval warship HMS Tyger in the Mediterranean, recounts how Thomas Story, an unfortunate crew member, fell from the fore-topmast to the deck and fractured his skull. In his log, Watson added the grisly detail of Story’s brain matter “flying out upon the deck” on impact.

As well as the very real risks of serious injury, diseases such as typhus, dysentery and malaria spread quickly in the confined and poorly ventilated space of the ship – especially in hot climates. Diets were limited and lacking in fresh fruit and vegetables. Scurvy (caused by a lack of vitamin C) was a serious problem on long-distance voyages.

Scottish ship’s surgeon William Ferguson wrote of scurvy sufferers who were unable to walk, “so emaciated and breathless”, with rotten gums and “livid yellow Swellings on their joints”. John Woodall recommended the use of citrus fruits to combat the “lamentable disease” of scurvy – though this advice would not be widely adopted by the Royal Navy until the late 18th century.

An oil painting depicting a maritime battle in the 17th century.
A depiction of HMS Tyger taking the Schakerloo in the harbour of Cadiz, Spain in February 1674. Daniël Schellinks/

Humours

In his mid-17th medical journal written aboard the merchant vessels Peregrine and Phoenix, ship’s surgeon John Conny recorded his daily treatment of the crew. Conny applied medicated bandages and gave cordials and medicines. Crucially, he purged the sick body – sailors were bled, by opening a vein with a blade and given remedies to vomit and sweat.

This may seem strange to us, but in the 17th century the human body was believed to be composed of four “humours” (blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile). Bloodletting and purging “balanced” the humours and rid the body of so-called corrupt humours, which was understood as the cause of disease. Surgery, such as amputation, was very risky in an era before antibiotics, antiseptics and anaesthetic, and only undertaken as a last resort.

Woodall recommended that surgery should only be done with the patient’s “own free will, and request”, and the sailor should prepare his soul for death. Performing operations on a constantly moving vessel was no easy task. Surgeons had to steady their hands against the unpredictable sway of the ship, often working by dim lantern light in cramped, unsanitary quarters as waves crashed around them.

Instruments recommended by Woodall for the sea surgeon’s chest. The Surgeons Mate or Military and Domestique Surgery, John Woodall/Wellcome Collection.

Psychological distress

The challenges and risks of life at sea were not just physical but also psychological. Ships could be claustrophobic, with little privacy or personal freedom. Months at sea, with no sight of land, was disorientating. Warfare was emotionally taxing. Storms were terrifying.

The writings of ships’ surgeons give us access to some of these emotional experiences and mental health challenges. Moyle described states of psychological distress in which confused sailors believed the sea “to be a Meadow, and will endeavour to go into it”. This would usually end in tragedy.

From aboard the Blackham Galley, surgeon John Looker recorded the shared terror of the crew as they endured “tempestuous weather and hurricanes of wind, the sea running mountains high”. They were “expecting every hour to be lost”.

The manual nature of the surgeons’ craft, and his contact with diseased bodies lowered his social status in pre-modern society. Unfavourable comparisons were made between surgeons and butchers – both carved bodies and handled flesh. Surgeons were also presented as ignorant by contrast to university-educated physicians.

My research suggests that the reality was more complex. Ships’ surgeons could have considerable skill and experience, be wary about the risks of surgery, and have an awareness of the latest medical knowledge.

The accounts of ships’ surgeons enrich our understanding of medical care at sea at a time of unprecedented maritime activity and expansion. Their writings also provide fascinating insights into the everyday experiences and challenges of early modern shipboard society.The Conversation

Jasmine Kilburn-Toppin, Lecturer in Early Modern History, Cardiff University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

AvPals Term 1 2025


Avalon Computer Pals (AVPALS) helps Seniors learn and improve their computer skills. It is a not for profit organisation run by volunteers. 


Started in 2000 it now has 20+ trainers and many hundreds of students. At a really low cost (about $50 a school term) they can provide one-to-one training on most matters connected with computing and related technologies like mobile phones and digital cameras. From the smallest problem (how to hold the mouse!) to much more serious matters, there is a trainer who can help.

We offer “one to one” personal tuition or special short courses in the training rooms under the Catholic Church in Avalon. Training is conducted Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. For more information visit AVPALS web site www.avpals.com or phone 02 8064 3574

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Find out more at: www.avpals.com

Avalon Beach SLSC turns 100 in 2025!

2025 marks 100 years of Avalon Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.

Planning is underway to celebrate the achievement of Avalon Beach SLSC's Volunteer Surf Lifesavers keeping Avalon Beach safe for residents and visitors for 100 years!

A number of celebratory events and activities spread throughout the Club's 100th year, are currently under development, and will be progressively announced through the year. 

The range of celebrations will involve past and present members, the Avalon Beach community, as well as visitors to our area.  The Surf Club is a focal point in and for the Avalon Beach community, so it is fitting that the community takes pride in this milestone.

Initially, so that our records are up to date, we invite all past members of our Club to Email the Club at 100years@avalonbeachslsc.com.au  with your updated details so we can keep you informed of what will be happening for members.

If you know of others that may be interested in the 100th Anniversary celebrations please pass the message on. 

The Club looks to the future, acknowledging and building on the legacy left from those who came before us over the past 100 years.

Avalon Beach SLSC Centenary Committee

Sleeping on beaches and staying social: how Australians kept cool in heatwaves before modern technology

A beach in Glenelg, South Australia is packed during an evening in February 1938. State Library of South Australia
Mandy PaulUniversity of Adelaide and Rochelle SchoffLa Trobe University

The Black Friday bushfires which swept across southeastern Australia in January 1939 have been remembered as a deadly and traumatic event.

Most human deaths, however, occurred during the preceding heatwave – 78 lives were lost to bushfires in mainland southeastern Australia but at least 420 people died as a result of the high temperatures during the preceding week.

Globally, heatwaves still remain one of the deadliest natural hazards.

Our research examines how people in the past understood and adapted to extreme weather — without the contemporary comforts of airconditioning and refrigeration.

The fortnight when Adelaide sweltered

Adelaide is the most heatwave affected capital city in Australia.

In the first fortnight of 1939, the city endured 13 days of temperatures exceeding 34°C. January 12 was Adelaide’s hottest day since records began: 46.1°C (recorded at the time as 117.7°F) — a record that stood until 2019.

Record highs were also recorded across the southeastern states.

Diaries, press reports and oral history accounts reveal how Adelaidians coped with the heat.

Noel Weller, who lived on a suburban block in Glandore with his wife and two children, kept a daily diary. On January 12, 1939 he wrote:

117.7% A Record Hot Temperature day. I went to work in shirt sleeves. Lil & Peace Tenell who are on holiday came to tea & had shower & so did I morn(ing), night & before bed. We had Ice Blocks & Cool drinks on the front lawn & Chook & Doris came & all left at 11.15. WE ALL SLEPT OUTSIDE on the back lawn.

Like most households, the Wellers relied on an icebox to keep their food and drinks cool. Demand for ice, and prices, soared during the heatwave, and supply ran short, made worse by a mechanical failure at the government ice works.

By January 13, the situation was so dire the police had to manage crowds at some suburban ice depots.

General Motors Holden’s at Woodville was among the industrial workplaces that shortened shifts in response to the heat; others declared holidays to give workers a chance to recover.

Manufacturers of ice cream and cold drinks were extending hours and taking on casual staff to meet unprecedented demand.

How people tried to beat the heat

During this week, a small fashion war was being waged in the press.

Advocates for attire more suited to the climate ridiculed businessmen who determinedly wore suits and ties. Others hailed “courageous” young men for wearing shorts to work.

Women, meanwhile, were advised to wear sandals and go without gloves.

Florence Bond, a well-connected expat visiting from England, wrote of her difficulty sleeping in the heat. She attempted to sleep on a cane lounge in the garden with her dogs – it was an uncomfortable night, disturbed by hot winds and insects.

As the heatwave unfolded, she despaired that a good sleep would be “impossible.”

Those without verandas or gardens slept in Adelaide’s public squares and beaches.

Irene Ingram lived in the closely-packed row cottages of Adelaide’s East End in the 1930s with her husband and son. Interviewed in 2000, she vividly recalled sleeping outdoors to escape the heat of the house:

We used to have heat in those days, (one) hundred and ten, hundred and 12, hundred and fourteen (degrees) every day – that’d go on for two weeks. We used to sleep down in Hurtle Square, bring our blanket and a pillow down there, because the little houses we lived in were just so hot. Oh it was great fun; we used to think it was great. Everyone was down there.

The newspapers reported Adelaide’s beaches were crowded as thousands slept on the sand, taking the opportunity to start the next day with a reviving swim.

A newspaper cartoon on January 16, 1939, showcases South Australia's record heatwave
Jack Quayle’s cartoon Aussie mobs/Flickr

Some tragic consequences

Hospitals, meanwhile, were facing a rise in heat-related admissions.

Some doctors broke ranks to describe the conditions in some wards of Adelaide Hospital as “a reproach to the main hospital of a capital city”, pointing out the heat in some wards was affecting patients admitted for unrelated conditions.

What wasn’t publicly known until after the event was the death toll. A government statist reported that heat caused 64 deaths in January 1939 across South Australia and was a contributing factor in another 68.

Our detailed study (yet to be published) of death certificates reveals a slightly higher figure for the metropolitan area: 68 deaths for which heat was the only or a primary cause.

Most vulnerable were the very young and the old: two thirds of deaths were people older than 60, with a high proportion in psychiatric, aged or residential care.

Modern solutions

Since 1939, social and technological changes have transformed how Australians live – refrigerators are widespread, as is airconditioning in homes and public buildings.

In 2025, people may not choose to sleep outdoors but other strategies to manage heat remain relevant: using natural ventilation, taking rest, and wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.

Noel Weller and his family visited and entertained friends and family throughout the heatwave, sharing ice cream and soft drinks in the cool of the evening.

Staying socially connected during extreme weather means others can keep an eye out for your welfare – and is as important now as it was in 1939.The Conversation

Mandy Paul, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Humanities, University of Adelaide and Rochelle Schoff, PhD Candidate at La Trobe University, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Carol Jerrems captured Melbourne and Sydney of the 1970s, understanding photography as a collaboration

Carol Jerrems, ½ length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979. National Library of Australia Manuscript collection (MS 10718). © The Estate of Carol Jerrems
Jane SimonMacquarie University

Australian photographer Carol Jerrems took an expansive approach to portraiture. She experimented with seriality – constructing narratives and meaning across multiple frames – and understood photography as a collaboration between her subjects, her camera and herself.

Born in Ivanhoe, Victoria, in 1949, Jerrems worked primarily with black and white photography until her early death in 1980.

Over 140 of her photographs are currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Everyday scenes, collective portraits

Faces are just one element of Jerrems’ portraits. Equally significant are the spaces she chose to photograph.

Many photographs depict her subjects in everyday realms: bedrooms, living rooms, suburban backyards and streets in Melbourne and Sydney in the 1970s.

She focused on faces and bodies amid the rumpled sheets of a bed, the clutter of a room, suburban street signage, the drape of a hospital curtain – always attentive to the interior frames of windows, tables, doorways.

A man in a bed, the photographer in a mirror.
Carol Jerrems, Ambrose Campbell, 1973, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Many images are taken in spaces dedicated to creativity or protest, speaking to the feminist politics of 1970s Australia and the mesh of domestic life, creative labour and resistance. There are artists’ studios, protests, the Filmmakers Co-Op in Sydney and the National Black Theatre in Redfern. There are film reels and fridges, sewing machines and slogans.

There are scenes at a university campus (a commission for Macquarie University), and eventually, and with finality, the interior of a Hobart hospital in the last series before her death from the rare illness Budd-Chiari syndrome in 1980.

These environmental portraits position the subject in a familiar context, such as their workplace or home. They treat space as part of the complexity of her human subjects.

This is not to say faces, and individuals, are not key: they are everywhere in this exhibition. Some are well-known, others are not.

A woman speaks to a crowd.
Carol Jerrems, Bobbi Sykes, Black Moratorium, Sydney, ‘72, 1972. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Many of the portraits in the exhibition are photographs taken as part of Jerrems and Virginia Fraser’s 1974 photobook, A Book About Australian Women.

The book collates photographs of children, activists, writers, artists, historians and sex workers. There are the recognisable faces of a young Evonne Goolagong (1973) and an elderly Grace Cossington Smith (1974).

Portrait of Anne Summers (1974) pictures the author in her home, half her face in shadow, a pile of books behind her. Bobbie Sykes is at the podium in Black Moratorium, Sydney ’72 (1972) and elbows jutting out, hands on hips looking away from the camera in Bobbi Sykes, Aboriginal Medical Service (1973).

A young woman poses for a photo.
Carol Jerrems, Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974. National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Purchased 2012. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Shadows, patterns, frames

Looking at photographs can bring the temptation to focus on the singular, to seek out the one image that “speaks”.

But Jerrems’ life work, and the curation of this exhibition, suggest a different project. The meaning here accumulates across and between images.

The photograph Caroline Slade (1973) pictures a young girl, a solemn chameleon in a floral printed dress surrounded by floral wallpaper. This moment of camouflage has echoes in the image Enid Lorimer and Kate Fitzpatrick (1974). This photograph shows the actors gazing at each other in floral dresses that merge with the patterning of leaves in the garden behind them.

A young girl shyly poses.
Carol Jerrems, Caroline Slade, 1973. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of the Philip Morris Arts Grant 1982. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Sites of mimicry are coupled with other patterns, other photographs in conversation. Shadows repeat across images and years.

Lynn Gailey sewing (1976) features the right half of Gailey’s face in shadow. In the earlier photograph of Myra Skipper (1974), the bottom half of her face is in shadow and her eyes are averted upwards. Esben Storm’s face, repeatedly held by Jerrems’ gaze, regularly emerges from shadow, dappled with light.

A woman at a sewing machine.
Carol Jerrems, Lynn Gailey sewing, 1976. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Cuts, exchanges, phases

There is an autobiographical bent to many of the portraits. Jerrem’s presence enters the frame of Rita on the couch at Kilcare Beach (1976). The shadow of Jerrems’ arm, holding camera to eye, mirrors the angle of Rita’s crossed limbs.

Jerrems’ photograph of Ambrose Campbell (1973) shows him relaxed on a bed covered in white sheets. The photograph is framed to include her mirrored reflection, dressed and standing camera to eye. She is composed and appears distant, framed by the bright light of the window behind her.

A casual lounge room.
Carol Jerrems, Rita on the couch at Kilcare Beach, 1976. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Gift of Mrs Joy Jerrems 1981. © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

In Self portrait after surgery (1979) Jerrems pulls the photographic frame in tightly around herself, her elbows raised but her camera and face are out of frame. There is a long stitched incision down her abdomen, the bruises and residues of medical tape telling a story on her skin.

In 1969 Jerrems produced the handmade, accordion photobook A Continuum of Age as an assignment while a student at Prahran Technical College.

In the front of the book strips of cut-and-pasted typewriter text explain the relevance of age to “every speck of matter”. The photographs compiled in the book are “not concerned with individuals, but with states, with phases, with specific periods of existence”.

This conceptual framing of the photobook (which, wonderfully, is on display, splayed open behind glass) offers another entry point to understanding Jerrems’ work and portraiture made during the following decade.

The photographs in this exhibition are all small prints, intended to be looked at closely, and, crucially, in relation to each other. This approach is reflected in the decision to exhibit several of Jerrems’ contact prints – sheets containing grids of images – which reveal their own history of being held, written on, cut into.

These imperfections are themselves part of the photographic exchange. They reflect the chain of decisions made by Jerrems, a glimpse into her process.

Carol Jerrems: Portraits is at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, until March 2.The Conversation

Jane Simon, Senior Lecturer in Media, Macquarie University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

‘Shoddy dropping’: how the 1920s cost-of-living crisis fuelled a black market in menswear

New South Wales Police Forensic Photography Archive, Justice and Police Museum, Museums of History New South Wales
Melissa BellantaAustralian Catholic University

With almost all menswear bought off the rack or online today, the “shoddy dropper” has long passed into obscurity.

This 1920s slang term, used only in Australia and New Zealand, referred to roving sellers of cloth. Most shoddy droppers sold men’s suiting such as serges and tweeds. They walked city streets or went door-to-door in suburbs and towns.

Driven by a cost-of-living crisis that followed the first world war, shoddy dropping was eventually killed off by rising wages by the 1950s.

The practice underscores how readily fashion markets respond to economic factors such as supply, demand, inflation and wages.

‘Suit-length swindlers’

The most successful shoddy droppers were smooth talkers attractively dressed in made-to-measure three-piece suits.

They often went door-to-door, trying to convince would-be customers they could afford to dress like them. All a customer had to do was buy the shoddy dropper’s “high-quality” suit-lengths at a price they would be unable to find elsewhere.

Some shoddy droppers also claimed to have a special deal with a tailor that allowed buyers to have their suit tailor-made at a steal.

The term “shoddy dropping” played on the dual meaning of the word “shoddy”. The first was a noun referring to a cheap fabric made from a mix of new and recycled wool. The second was an adjective meaning “inferior or badly-made”.

Both meanings of shoddy were implicit in an article published in a rural New South Wales paper in 1913.

Though the writer did not use the term “shoddy dropping”, they warned readers against travelling “suit-length swindlers”, saying that

shoddy articles are frequently palmed off as good quality cloths by irresponsible men.

The number of shoddy droppers at any one time was probably tiny, but since they were off the books they are impossible to quantify.

Having said this, crime and news reports suggest the practice began around the start of the first world war.

Supply, demand, inflation and wages

Shoddy dropping surged in the the 1920s and 1940s, as prices soared due to war.

An ad encourages men to consider the luxury of a faultless suit.
Demand for men’s suits soared after the first world war. NLA/Trove/Bib ID 7898102

Working-class men’s desire for well-fitting suits was another factor. When Melbourne carters and factory workers gave evidence to the Australian Royal Commission on the Basic Wage in 1920, for example, they said most men they knew wore tailor-made suits to and from work.

This created financial stress; spiralling costs meant made-to-measure suits were hard to afford.

Fashion was another likely reason for the surges in shoddy dropping in the 1920s and 1940s.

The slimline jazz suit, which came into vogue in the early twenties, was just one example.

The jacket of this suit was single-breasted and slightly flared from the waist, while the trousers were narrow and short enough to expose silk-knit “jazz socks”.

The impish charisma of the jazz-suited Louis Stirling below makes it is easy to imagine how a stylish shoddy dropper persuaded fashion-conscious young men to buy their wares.

Stirling was a suit-length seller photographed by Sydney police in 1920 after he was caught stealing cloth. He later produced evidence that he was a shoddy dropper to escape a vagrancy charge in Melbourne in 1922.

The high number of restless first world war veterans looking for work was a further reason for a surge in shoddy dropping in the 1920s.

Consider returned serviceman Reginald Sharples (also known as Walter Johnson). In 1920, police charged him and an accomplice with stealing more than £1,000 of men’s suiting from a tailor in Sydney’s Hunter Street. This was somewhere in the vicinity of A$83,000 today.

Sharples was caught after transporting the stolen cloth to Melbourne. Like Stirling, he later produced convincing evidence to show that he was a shoddy dropper to escape a vagrancy charge.

In his 1920 mugshot, Sharples is dressed in an early interwar version of smart-casual street style. He had combined a light pinstripe suit with a cream turtleneck sweater, black fedora and returned-serviceman’s badge.

Sharples was also an example of links between shoddy dropping and organised crime in and after the 1920s.

Apart from the suits-stealing charge, Sharples was also convicted of stealing morphine and cocaine from a wholesale druggist in Melbourne in 1922. He was also unsuccessfully prosecuted for vagrancy along with Louis Stirling in 1924.

Rumours that both men were associates of underworld figure Squizzy Taylor swirled in court during the trial.

A cost-of-living story

Shoddy dropping had disappeared by the mid-1950s, thanks to rising wages and increasing sophistication in the manufacture of ready-made suits.

Men in suits answer phones in an office.
Many men in the post-WWI era longed to dress in tailor-made suits and quality textiles. NLA/Trove/PIC/15611

These factors meant there were fewer low-income men who felt the only way they could afford a decent suit was to first buy cloth “off the back of a truck”, then face the uncertainty of arranging for it to be tailor-made.

Though shoddy dropping flew under the radar even in the 1920s, it is worth remembering today as a reminder of the unscrupulous selling practices that bloom in cost-of-living crises.

Along with the evidence in the extraordinary informal mugshots taken by Sydney police across the interwar era, shoddy dropping offers further insights into Australia’s history of male fashion consumers’ desire.

It has often been said Australian men were a cause lost to fashion. Shoddy dropping suggests that, in fact, many longed to dress in tailor-made suits and quality textiles. For many, however, those commodities were frustratingly out of reach.The Conversation

Melissa Bellanta, Professor of Modern History (Australian Catholic University), Visiting Professor of Australian Studies (Seoul National University), Australian Catholic University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


Great Australian artists to entertain NSW seniors at Premier’s Gala Concerts

Thousands of NSW Seniors are set to be entertained by Todd McKenney, Rob Mills, Tarryn Stokes and Prinnie Stevens at this year’s Premier’s Gala Concerts, with free tickets available early next month.

The Premier’s Gala Concerts will be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Darling Harbour on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 March 2025 with two performances each day and will be live-streamed for seniors who are unable to attend in person.

The 2025 Seniors Festival Expo, held at the ICC across the same dates, will feature more than 110 exhibitors providing a variety of opportunities for seniors to get involved and stay active and connected within the community.

The Premier’s Gala Concerts are a highlight of the annual NSW Seniors Festival, which runs from Monday 3 to Sunday 16 March 2025.

The festival is the NSW Government’s way of thanking seniors for their valuable contributions to society. The theme of this year’s festival is “Time to Shine” and it’s an opportunity for older people to get involved, and stay active and connected.

Last year, the Premier Gala Concerts sold out, with 32,000 seniors attending. Seniors also showed their strong support for events around NSW, with an estimated 500,000 attending various activities across the state over the whole festival fortnight.

Free tickets for the performances will be available on the NSW Seniors Festival website from 9am on Tuesday 4 February 2025 at https://www.nsw.gov.au/arts-and-culture/seniors-festival/whats-on/premiers-concert

Keep up to date with all that’s happening at the NSW Seniors Festival at https://www.nsw.gov.au/arts-and-culture/seniors-festival.

Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison said:

“The NSW Seniors Festival embraces the diversity of seniors and celebrates the wonderful work they do for their communities.

“It’s the highlight of the year for many and this year is set to deliver with a fantastic range of entertainment and activities to suit everyone.

“Seeing our seniors thoroughly enjoy themselves at one of the biggest events of the year is always special, and I encourage our seniors to get in early for tickets to the Gala Concerts.”

Motor neurone disease campaigner, former AFL champion Neale Daniher, is 2025 Australian of the Year

Michelle GrattanUniversity of Canberra

Neale Daniher, a campaigner in the fight against motor neurone disease and a former champion Essendon footballer, is the 2025 Australian of the Year,

Himself a sufferer from the deadly disease Daniher, 63, who lives in Victoria, co-founded the charity FightMND, that has raised and invested more than $100 million into research to seek a cure.

Daniher was diagnosed in 2013. “Neale has lived his condition very publicly, even in the advanced stages of the disease,” a statement announcing the award said. He has also defied the usual odds in surviving with the disease for more than a decade when the average life expectancy is 27 months.

“With amazing courage and relentless drive, he’s dedicated his life to helping prevent the suffering of those who’ll be diagnosed in the future.”

Daniher played for Essendon between 1979 and 1990, and at 20 years old was the club’s youngest ever captain. He was senior coach of Melbourne from 1998 to 2007.

He has made appearances at FightMND’s regular Big Freeze event.

The Senior Australian of the Year is Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett, 84, from Western Australia, co-founder of Wheelchairs for Kids in 1996. The charity provides free adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries.

More than 60,000 custom-made wheelchairs have been given to children in more than 80 countries. The charity has more than 250 retired workshop volunteers (with an average age of 74); another more than 550 people sew covers, rugs and soft toys.

“Olly also spearheaded the development of an innovative, low cost wheelchair design to World Health Organisation standards that grows as the children do – a world first,” the announcement said.

The Young Australian of the Year is scientist Katrina Wruck, 30, from Queensland, a Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman.

Based on her research she has set up a profit-for-purpose business, Nguki Kula Green Labs “which is poised to transform the consumer goods sector by harnessing the power of green chemistry, while inspiring others to step into STEM.

"Katrina’s method of converting mining by-products to zeolite LTA – which can remove contaminants from water that cause hardness – will be commercialised.”

Local Heroes are Vanessa Brettell, 31, and Hannah Costello, 32, co- founders of Cafe Stepping Stone.

The business, in two locations in the ACT, “operates as a social enterprise, employing women mostly from migrant and refugee backgrounds and others who experience significant barriers to employment”.

Their “inclusive employment practices involve targeting female workers who are the sole income earners in their households, new arrivals to Australia, those with limited English or minimal employment history, and those experiencing homelessness”.

The awards were presented by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Saturday night.The Conversation

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

History under the floorboards: decoding the diets of institutionalised women in 19th century Sydney

Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks photographed in 1871, when the building served as a women’s immigration depot and asylum. City of Sydney Archives.
Kimberley ConnorStanford University

Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks was built between 1817 and 1819 to house male convicts.

The barracks is World Heritage Listed for its convict history, but is equally important for the story of 19th century Australian immigration.

After the end of convict transportation to New South Wales, the Hyde Park Barracks became home to the Female Immigration Depot (1848–87) and the Female Destitute Asylum (1862–86).

The depot housed newly arrived unmarried women and girls who came to New South Wales on subsidised tickets. The asylum was for women who couldn’t support themselves because of age, illness or disability.

Official records for the two female institutions suggest the women who stayed there ate a monotonous diet of bread, tea and meat (roasted or boiled into soup) in the dining rooms.

My new archaeological research published in Antiquity tells a different story. Dried plant materials found under the floorboards of the upstairs dormitories show inhabitants were eating a range of fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and even spices.

This research sheds new light on the diets of settlers in 19th century Sydney and the importance of combining documentary research with archaeology to understand the history of institutions where official records alone can’t tell the whole story.

More than a monotonous diet

The women and girls who stayed in the Female Immigration Depot and the Female Destitute Asylum found a safe place to stay, with a bed and three meals a day.

But they also had to live by strict rules under the supervision of a matron, and had to do most of the cooking and cleaning to keep the institutions running.

Eyewitness accountsgovernment reports and official records tell us the meals served in the dining rooms were monotonous: bread and tea for breakfast and supper, and a soup made of boiled meat and vegetables with yet more bread for dinner (served at lunch time), the main meal of the day.

Bread, meat, carrots, turnips, a potato.
The daily ration in both the Female Immigration Depot and the Female Destitute Asylum. Kimberley Connor

On special occasions, such as Christmas, the meat might be roasted and supplemented with puddings, fresh fruit and extra tobacco. But if that was what inhabitants were eating, why did archaeologists find thousands of fruit seeds and nut shells under the floorboards?

In the 1980s, archaeologists excavated parts of the courtyard as well as inside the building itself. As renovations started on the floorboards on the second and third floors of the building, archaeologists found tens of thousands of objects dropped or hidden beneath floorboards.

Like much of the archaeological collection, the botanical remains were not analysed systematically at the time of excavation. Now, my new analysis of the dried plant remains in the Hyde Park Barracks museum’s collection reveals women who stayed in these institutions supplemented the bland meals they were served.

Maybe they foraged fresh peaches on the way back from church, or bought peanuts from peddlers at the gates, or worked within the asylum for an extra ration of tobacco.

In an environment where everyone ate the same thing at the same time, these off-menu items were probably a way of expressing personal preferences and building relationships through sharing or bartering.

Food from home and away

Many of the foods the women were acquiring would have been familiar to immigrants from Britain.

The most common items I found were pits from stone fruit including peaches or nectarines, plums, cherries and apricots. There was also evidence for apples or pears, grapes, dates, hazelnuts, walnuts and citrus fruit.

Other foods introduced from South America, the Pacific and Southeast Asia, like an annonaceous fruit (like a modern custard apple), Brazil nuts, coconut, and lychees might have been unfamiliar to the British migrants. These plants, alongside pumpkin, chili pepper and corn originally from the Americas, highlight how Australia was part of global networks of plant exchanges.

The seed pod of a woody pear labelled with the botanical name Xylomelum pyriforme. Kimberley Connor

The women were also learning about native Australian plants. A single fragment of macadamia shell is probably the only direct evidence of consumption of a native plant, but the women were collecting bottlebrush and tea tree.

The most interesting example is a complete woody pear, the seed pod of a shrub native to Australia’s east coast. Someone at Hyde Park Barracks carefully collected this specimen and labelled it with the botanical name Xylomelum pyriforme, revealing an interest in Australian botany.

A look at the lives of women

While we can’t connect individual people to individual plant remains at Hyde Park Barracks, we can catch glimpses of the lives of the women who stayed there.

A beautifully preserved rose must have been special to somebody who carefully kept it safe by placing it under the floorboards.

Groups of citrus peel or the seeds from something like a cherimoya hint at illicit meals, with the evidence hidden away from the matron’s watchful eye.

And maybe a whole chili pepper, still bright red, tells us about someone who liked to spice up their meals.

Each seed gets us a little bit closer to the lives of the women of Sydney 150 years ago.The Conversation

Kimberley Connor, Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Processed red meat isn’t just bad for your heart, it’s also associated with dementia

Eef HogervorstLoughborough University and Emma D'DonnellLoughborough University

Less red meat is good for the planet and a growing number of people have started the new year resolving to pursue a meat-free diet.

Besides being good for the planet and kinder to animals, eating less red meat is also better for your health. Reducing consumption of red and processed meat could reduce your risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease. These diseases share risk factors with dementia, including the most common type, Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are the UK’s leading cause of death. With Alzheimer’s, memory problems are often the first issue to become apparent and these are later followed by other cognitive impairments significantly affecting daily life and social interactions.

A large US-based study investigated different foods and their associated dementia risk in over 133,000 healthcare professionals who did not have dementia when the study started. They were tracked for over four decades. In that time, just over 11,000 developed dementia.

Eating processed red meat (such as sausages, bacon, hotdogs and salami) was linked to a 16% higher risk of dementia and a faster rate of cognitive ageing. Eating about two servings of processed red meat a week raised the risk of dementia by 14% compared with those who ate less than about three servings a month. (A serving is a piece of meat roughly the size of a deck of playing cards – around 85g.)

If people substituted processed red meat protein for that found in nuts, tofu or beans, they could reduce their dementia risk by 19%, the study found. The rate of cognitive ageing was also reduced.

In this same sample, eating less red and processed meat was shown to substantially reduce the risk of death from cancer and heart disease. The researchers estimated that almost one in ten deaths could have been prevented if everyone had eaten less than 42g of red meat (less than half a serving) a day throughout the study.

Red or processed meat can result in high levels of “bad fats” in the blood because of its saturated fat and cholesterol content. This can result in fatty deposits building up in the blood vessels, explaining some of the association with heart disease deaths.

High blood pressure can result from the high salt content in processed meats. The fat around the tummy caused by these calorific foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle is also linked to high blood pressure, in addition to inflammation of the blood vessels and diabetes.

These factors are all also associated with Alzheimer’s. “Good fats” found in nuts, fatty fish, olive oil and avocado could help reduce these mechanisms and may protect against dementia and memory decline.

Gut health

Scientists increasingly recognise the role of the gut in brain disorders.

Gut health can be improved with prebiotics, such as fibres in plants, and probiotics (the helpful bacteria that can be found in fermented foods such as tempe, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and yoghurt).

Plants and beans that contain lots of fibre were associated with less risk of dementia in the studies mentioned. Conversely, gut health can be negatively affected by ultra-processed food, such as crisps, fizzy drinks, breakfast cereals and ready meals.

A bowl of kimchi.
Fermented foods, such as kimchi, help to maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Nungning20/Shutterstock

review of studies, published in 2023, found that people who ate lots of ultra-processed foods (of all kinds – not just processed meats) had a 44% higher risk of dementia. So, do we need to cut out all processed foods?

This is a difficult topic, and it is also very hard to implement. Much of what most of us eat is processed, from tinned vegetables to bread and milk. Many of these foods have health benefits. The above-mentioned review found that eating moderate amounts of ultra-processed food was not associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Moderation is key

As always, moderation is key in any diet. Any food or drink – even water – in the wrong dose can harm the body. So be wary of recent diet trends suggesting we need to eat loads of protein.

Too much protein can be tough on the kidneys, leading to their dysfunction. This is a problem as you need your kidneys to remove toxins from your body, get rid of excess fluids and waste. They help regulate blood pressure and support bone health, among other important functions. Not having good kidney function can lead to serious health problems.

Besides going meatless, many people want to lose weight in the new year. Keto diets with lots of protein and fat, while popular, have low adherence and the same weight loss as other diet programmes in the long term.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes lots of plants, beans and good fats (such as those found in nuts and fish), and exercising regularly will help to reduce your risk of dementia and heart disease.The Conversation

Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Biological Psychology, Loughborough University and Emma D'Donnell, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, Loughborough University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Superannuation is complicated. A guaranteed government income in retirement would be simpler

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
Brendan CoatesGrattan Institute and Joey MoloneyGrattan Institute

Having compulsory super should help create a comfortable and stress-free retirement. But Australia’s super system is too complex for retirees to navigate.

This can leave them stressed and lacking the confidence to spend their super savings.

Our latest report, Simpler super: taking the stress out of retirement, recommends the federal government offer all Australians a lifetime annuity - a financial product that pays a guaranteed income for the rest of their lives.

This would help retirees stress less, spend more, and enjoy their retirement years.

Stress prompts many to underspend super

For the first time, many Australians are entering retirement with significant super balances: Australians are retiring with an average super balance of more than A$200,000, and couples with about $300,000.

Despite having saved enough to be comfortable, four in five people say planning for retirement is complicated, and 60% don’t think their retirements will be financially stress-free.

Few retirees draw down on their retirement savings as intended. In fact, many are actually net savers – their savings continue to grow for decades after they retire.

Our analysis of the ABS Survey of Income and Housing shows for those aged 60-64 in 2003-04, average super balances had grown by 37% in real terms by the time they were aged 76-80 in 2019-20.

And their average net wealth, which excludes the equity in their home, grew by 14% over the same period.

Australia’s $4 trillion compulsory superannuation system is turning into a massive inheritance scheme. That’s not how super was supposed to work.

Retirees are given too little guidance

The super system makes most big decisions for working Australians, such as how much to contribute or how it’s invested. But once we retire there is little guidance about how to use our funds.

More than four in five retirees are steered into account-based pensions. But partly because they’re anxious not to outlive their savings, this group manages their spending very cautiously.

While on average, an Australian woman aged 65 today can expect to live until 88, they also have a one-in-five chance of either dying before age 81 or of making it to 94.

Half of those retirees who use an account-based pension draw their super at legislated minimum rates, which if followed, leave 65% of super balances unspent by average life expectancy.

This widespread use of account-based pensions makes Australia a global outlier. Retirees in most rich countries are automatically given – or otherwise strongly encouraged to choose – an income guaranteed to last their entire lives.

Research suggests having an income that is guaranteed to last until death can reduce stress and boost retirees’ spending.

Government could steer retirees into annuities

Our report argues retirees should be encouraged to use 80% of their super balance above $250,000 to purchase an annuity.

The government could embed this pre-set guidance throughout the retirement income system. It could be included in all relevant communications with retirees from super funds, and especially at the point of retirement.

Research shows that retirees tend to choose the option put in front of them.

The remaining super balance – $250,000, plus the remaining 20% of any savings above that level – would continue to be drawn down via an account-based pension. Retirees would still have to access their super for large purchases if needed.

Using some super to buy an annuity could boost expected retirement incomes by up to 25%, compared to solely drawing on an account-based pension at legislated minimum rates.

And it would ensure that the bulk of retirees’ incomes, irrespective of their super balances, would be guaranteed to last the rest of their lives.



Annuities should be provided by government, not super funds

But steering retirees into annuities offered via super funds is unlikely to work.

Super funds have resisted previous attempts by government to require them to offer annuities to retirees.

Many people also struggle to understand and compare annuities. They often find it difficult to switch to a better deal later even if they can spot one.

Recent experience in the UK showed when required to purchase an annuity, most people simply took what their fund was offering and often got a poor deal.

Designing a regulatory regime that overcomes these issues is a huge challenge. The best option, therefore, is for the government to directly offer annuities. It should offer all retirees a simple lifetime annuity as the baseline option.

The government could also offer alternatives including investment-linked annuities, where payments are guaranteed for life, but payments could vary based on investment returns.

Priced fairly, and managed by an independent agency, a government annuity would encourage there take-up. Retirees would be more confident that they’re getting a good deal.

Annuity payments would be made from the pool of capital created by annuity purchases, with these investments managed by the Future Fund.

Under reasonable assumptions we project the government annuity provider could be managing assets totalling 2.5% of GDP by 2040.

Superannuation offers Australians the promise of a more comfortable and stress-free retirement. Government-offered annuities can help turn that dream into reality.

Esther Suckling made substantial contributions to the research underpinning this article.The Conversation

Brendan Coates, Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute and Joey Moloney, Deputy Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Fake podcast clips are misleading millions of people on social media. Here’s how to spot them

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Finley WatsonLa Trobe University

Podcasting is the medium of choice for millions of listeners looking for the latest commentary on almost any topic. In Australia, it’s estimated about 48% of people tune in to a podcast each month.

However, the rise of podcasts has also led to a new trend of “fake podcasts”. In some cases, these are a trivial marketing strategy. In others, they are a deceptive form of misinformation.

So what are fake podcasts?

Fake podcasts are short video clips designed to appear like snippets from real podcasts published on short-form content platforms such as TikTok.

These clips centre on one or sometimes two speakers, positioned behind high-quality broadcasting microphones, directing their conversation off camera. However, in reality no broader discussion is taking place.

These videos began gaining attention in late 2022 when social media users realised several viral clips showing commentators on seemingly high-profile podcasts were in fact “fake”. These clips weren’t from any real podcast episodes. In some instances the microphones hadn’t even been turned on.

The most noteworthy example came from fitness influencer and YouTuber Vincent Sant. To market his online brand, Sant created a video suggesting he had appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience.

Although the video showed him using the same microphone, headphones and red velvet curtain backdrop as Rogan, viewers quickly pointed out Sant had never appeared on the show. He removed the clip shortly after.

Since then, fake podcast clips have become a recognised marketing strategy employed by a range of brands. Some professional actors produce this content regularly, earning up to US$16,000 per month.

There are even explicit guides on LinkedIn for marketers wanting to produce their own fake podcasts, with the practice described as “the future of video marketing”.

Some fakes are more harmful than others

There are three main types of fake podcast, each one deceiving viewers to a different extent.

The first is the explicit ad. In this case, the podcast format is used to present an obvious sales pitch for a specific product. Examples include this ad from Junkee and Bank Australia:

While the ad uses a podcast format, it’s unlikely to fool many viewers, not least due to the “paid partnership” disclaimer.

The second category of fake podcasts uses the podcast aesthetic to market a personal brand, rather than a specific product. Several influencers including online entrepreneur Sebastian Ghiorghiu and Pearl Davis (the so-called “female Andrew Tate”), have garnered millions of followers through such clips, which intentionally leave the broader context ambiguous. They produce clips from both real and fake podcasts, with no means of differentiating the two.

These kinds of fake podcasts have three main purposes. The first is to gain consistent viewers. The second is to legitimise the creator’s, at times, conspiratorial political perspectives. And the third is to sell products.

The final and most intentionally deceptive form of fake podcast is what I call the “deep” fake podcast. These clips combine elements of the first two categories alongside manipulated audio and video – usually produced with the help of AI tools.

The purpose here is usually to convince viewers a certain prominent podcaster or personality has made certain claims and/or endorsed certain products. One recent example purports to show Joe Rogan and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman endorsing a “libido-boosting” supplement. This is the most deceptive form of the practice.

The psychology behind fake podcasts

Out of all the mediums to fake, why fake a podcast? Are online audiences so susceptible that they immediately associate anyone talking off camera into a microphone with expertise? Not quite.

Podcasting reflects what media researcher Henry Jenkins calls “convergence culture”. In this space, the distinctions between traditional, alternative and social media are increasingly blurred, as are the lines between producers, consumers, technical experts and “popular experts”.

Social media users usually recognise podcasters as popular experts. These individuals may not have recognised qualifications, yet they are often just as knowledgeable about a particular area of popular culture as a technical expert due to their experience and/or passion. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the top podcast My Favourite Murder, are a good example, as is former YouTuber MatPat, whose channel The Game Theorists has close to 20 million subscribers.

Convergence culture has increasingly foregrounded popular experts in online spaces, helping to legitimise their blend of amateur and professional communication.

How to spot them

According to the Pew Research Centre, US adults who hear “news” discussed on podcasts are likely to view this information as more reliable than news gleaned from other sources such as social media. At the same time, podcasts are much easier and cheaper to fake than other forms of traditional media.

Spotting fake podcast clips may not always be easy, especially if you haven’t come across one before. If you see a suspicious clip, a good rule of thumb is to look for a clear link to the original video and recording. If this original is easily accessible, verifiable and lasts longer than sixty seconds, the clip itself is probably real.

Another way is to cross-reference the clip with other official channels. For instance, the next time you see a 20 second video of a renowned health expert spruiking a new supplement on Amazon, check that expert’s official social media page before clicking the purchase link.The Conversation

Finley Watson, PhD Candidate, Politics, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Don’t rely on social media users for fact-checking. Many don’t care much about the common good

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Mark AndrejevicMonash University

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg fired the fact-checking team for his company’s social media platforms. At the same time, he reversed Facebook’s turn away from political content.

The decision is widely viewed as placating an incoming president with a known penchant for mangling the truth.

Meta will replace its fact-checkers with the “community notes” model used by X, the platform owned by avid Trump supporter Elon Musk. This model relies on users to add corrections to false or misleading posts.

Musk has described this model as “citizen journalism, where you hear from the people. It’s by the people, for the people.”

For such an approach to work, both citizen journalists and their readers need to value good-faith deliberation, accuracy and accountability. But our new research shows social media users may not be the best crowd to source in this regard.

Our research

Working with Essential Media, our team wanted to know what social media users think of common civic values.

After reviewing existing research on social cohesion and political polarisation and conducting ten focus groups, we compiled a civic values scale. It aims to measure levels of trust in media institutions and the government, as well as people’s openness to considering perspectives that challenge their own.

We then conducted a large-scale survey of 2,046 Australians. We asked people how strongly they believed in a common public interest. We also asked about how important they thought it was for Australians to inform themselves about political issues and for schools to teach civics.

Importantly, we asked them where they got their news: social media, commercial television, commercial radio, newspapers or non-commercial media.

What did we find?

We found people who rely on social media for news score significantly lower on a civic values scale than those who rely on newspapers and non-commercial broadcasters such as the ABC.

By contrast, people who rely on non-commercial radio scored highest on the civic values scale. They scored 11% higher than those who rely mainly on social media and 12% higher than those who rely on commercial television.

The lowest score was for people who rely primarily on commercial radio.



People who relied on newspapers, online news aggregators, and non-commercial TV all scored significantly higher than those who relied on social media and commercial broadcasting.

The survey also found that as the number of different media sources people use daily increased, so too did their civic values score.

This research does not indicate whether platforms foster lower civic values or simply cater to them.

But it does raise concerns about social media becoming an increasingly important source of political information in democratic societies like Australia.

Why measure values?

The point of the civic values scale we developed is to highlight the fact that the values people bring to news about the world is as important as the news content.

For example, most people in the United States have likely heard about the violence of the attack on the Capitol protesting Trump’s loss in 2020.

That Trump and his supporters can recast this violent riot as “a day of love” is not the result of a lack of information.

It is, rather, a symptom of people’s lack of trust in media and government institutions and their unwillingness to confront facts that challenge their views.

In other words, it is not enough to provide people with accurate information. What counts is the mindset they bring to that information.

No place for debate

Critics have long been concerned that social media platforms do not serve democracy well, privileging sensationalism and virality over thoughtful and accurate posts. As the critical theorist Judith Butler put it:

the quickness of social media allows for forms of vitriol that do not exactly support thoughtful debate.

Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci said social media is less about meaningful engagement than bonding with like-minded people and mocking perceived opponents. She notes, “belonging is stronger than facts”.

Her observation is likely familiar to anyone who has tried to engage in a politically charged discussion on social media.

These criticisms are commonplace in discussions of social media but have not been systematically tested until now.

Social media platforms are not designed to foster democracy. Their business model is based on encouraging people to see themselves as brands competing for attention, rather than as citizens engaged in meaningful deliberation.

This is not a recipe for responsible fact-checking. Or for encouraging users to care much about it.

Platforms want to wash their hands of the fact-checking process, because it is politically fraught. Their owners claim they want to encourage the free flow of information.

However, their fingers are on the scale. The algorithms they craft play a central role in deciding which forms of expression make it into our feeds and which do not.

It’s disingenuous for them to abdicate responsibility for the content they chose to pump into people’s news feeds, especially when they have systematically created a civically challenged media environment.


The author would like to acknowledge Associate Professor Zala Volcic, Research Fellow Isabella Mahoney and Research Assistant Fae Gehren for their work on the research on which this article is based.The Conversation

Mark Andrejevic, Professor of Media, School of Media, Film, and Journalism, Monash University, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Making aluminium uses 10% of Australia’s electricity. Will tax incentives help smelters go green?

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Tessa LeachMonash University and Anna MalosMonash University

Aluminium is an exceptionally useful metal. Lightweight, resistant to rust and able to be turned into alloys with other metals. Small wonder it’s the second most used metal in the world after iron and demand is set to soar.

But aluminium comes at a cost – energy. The four aluminium smelters in Australia consume 10% of the nation’s electricity and produce close to 5% of total emissions. Smelting is so energy intensive that in many countries, it has driven the construction of new fossil fuel power plants. That’s why it’s nicknamed “congealed electricity”.

This week, the federal government proposed a new policy aimed at making aluminium smelting green.

Under the scheme – due to run between 2028 and 2036, aluminium producers would receive a certain amount of funding for every tonne of aluminium produced using renewable energy. If smelters pursue this incentive, we can expect to see more funding flowing to renewables to meet demand.

But will this scheme work? Our research shows Australia could cut aluminium emissions 98% by 2050, from mining all the way to smelting – if renewable energy expands to support it, as well as domestic consumption.

Why focus on aluminium?

By 2050, global demand for aluminium is projected to rise by 50%, due largely to demand from electric vehicles manufacturing, clean energy equipment and construction.

Australia is one of few countries with an end-to-end aluminium industry, running from mining bauxite ore, refining it into alumina and smelting it to produce aluminium. We produce around 1.6 million tonnes annually and export almost all of it. Our exports account for 10% of the world’s total.

While emissions are produced at every step, this week’s announcement is aimed at the single largest emissions-producing process: smelting.

In 2020 Australia’s smelters produced about 4.6% of the nation’s emissions – 22.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The nation’s four smelters are in Tomago in New South Wales, Boyne in Queensland, Portland in Victoria and Bell Bay in Tasmania. The industry is important to local economies and employs roughly 14,000 workers.

wind turbines pictured near an aluminium smelter in Victoria.
Wind turbines turn near the Portland aluminium smelter in Victoria. Clean energy is rushing into the grid, but smelters need still more power. jacksonhu2207/Shutterstock

How hard is it to go green?

At present, the electricity to smelt aluminium comes largely from burning coal.

Switching doesn’t require major changes in industrial processes – only that there’s enough renewable power to meet demand.

Technical limitations at existing facilities and limited financial incentives to update them mean Australia’s smelters can’t easily ramp up or down. Electricity demand is almost constant.

Renewables such as solar and wind can do the job once “firmed”, meaning the power is stored to be available as needed. Smelters could also use technology to be more flexible with the timing of energy consumption.

To their credit, some aluminium companies are already working to cut emissions. In 2024, Rio Tinto announced a deal to power its Gladstone aluminium operations with renewables.

The real challenge is ensuring enough renewable energy in the grid for smelters to tap into, alongside new solar and wind to electrify homes and businesses.

Globally, more than a third (34%) of the total electricity used to make aluminium now comes from zero-emissions sources – almost entirely from hydroelectric plants. Hydropower is well suited to powering smelters because it allows for continuous and cheap electricity once built. Tasmania’s Bell Bay smelter is powered by hydroelectricity, for instance.

Expanding aluminium production through hydropower is limited, however, due to a lack of suitable sites of the right scale and location.

Do we need a policy to make green aluminium a reality?

Aluminium production in Asia is steadily increasing, powered by fossil fuel plants. Vietnam is investing A$11.7 billion in boosting output, for instance.

Australian aluminium smelters risk being outcompeted. The industry’s best chance is to meet growing demand for green products. But to do this affordably, the smelters require reliable, near-zero emissions electricity supply at low cost.

Energy infrastructure must be planned at sufficient speed and scale to both achieve Australia’s export ambitions and meet increasing domestic demand.

To do this, as our research shows, Australia needs to double the capacity of renewable projects currently in progress.

Over the past decade, Australia’s electricity prices have increased substantially, particularly due to rising gas prices.

In response, governments have moved to shield aluminium smelters from price rises. In 2021, the previous government announced a A$150 million subsidy for Victoria’s Portland smelter. By contrast, this new federal government incentive is aimed at reducing emissions and accelerating the energy transition.

Over time, smelter operators may see opportunity in changing when they use the most electricity, to soak up cheap solar during the day and scale back during evening peaks. This would be good for smelters and would reduce electricity prices for all consumers.

aluminium ingots being loaded onto a container ship.
Almost all Australian aluminium is exported. Going green could open up new markets in a carbon-constrained world. Travelstock by Powerhouse/Shutterstock

Government and industry will have to work together

Sun, wind, bauxite and water resources mean Australia has natural advantages in green aluminium. But it’s not a given.

If done well, tax credits or subsidies can kick-start a market for green products and give companies the certainty to take the plunge. Once running, the government can then remove the incentives.

As we tackle harder sectors such as chemical manufacturing, mineral refining, steelmaking and mining, we will need yet more firmed renewables. Shifting alumina refineries to clean energy will take yet more power.

Green aluminium offers a chance to slash Australia’s emissions while capitalising on growing demand for low-carbon products.

While these government incentives will start the process, it will take steady work from industry and government to make it a reality. Coordinated, strategic action will be necessary to future-proof our industrial heartlands.The Conversation

Tessa Leach, Research Manager, Industry, at Climateworks Centre, Monash University and Anna Malos, Climateworks Country Lead, Australia, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

First Look: New Metro for Western Sydney Airport

January 21, 2025
From design to reality; a life-size prototype metro carriage for the new Western Sydney Airport Metro line has been unveiled, giving passengers a first look at future travel to Sydney’s second airport.

Assembled from a flat pack in a Western Sydney warehouse, the carriage is a full-scale replica which closely mimics the final product’s shape, size and design features.

The mock-up will allow future passengers to test out the carriage and provide feedback on comfort, usability, accessibility and safety - including seat design, boarding experience, and handhold placement.

It will also help transport authorities and manufacturers evaluate and finalise aspects of the train like the interior lighting, emergency features, and passenger information display systems.

Engineers and designers will be able to use the prototype to validate the final design choices, ensuring the layout, materials, and ergonomics meet the intended specifications.

The feedback collated from the extensive assessments has helped refine the final design for the 12 new trains for the Western Sydney Airport line before they go into production later this month. The contract for the new trains was signed in 2022.

Final checks are also being made to confirm the upholstery design for the train seats, which will feature a specially commissioned artwork by Western Sydney creative team BBR, led by Dharug artist Leanne Redpath, with Tina Barahanos and Alexandra Byrne.

The artwork called Ngurra Baduwa includes reference to Ngurra (Country) and Badu (water) running through Cumberland Plain, the region where the new 23-kilometre metro line will be located.

The grey and blue patterns and colours for the general seats are reflective of the night sky, while the priority seats are yellow and tell a daytime story about meeting places around waterholes found through fields of wattle flowers.   

About 2,300 square metres of fabric, equivalent in length to five basketball courts, will be needed to upholster every seat in the 12 new trains.  

Once operational, the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line will have the capacity to move up to 7,740 passengers each hour in each direction between St Marys and Bradfield via Sydney’s new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. 

The new railway will become the transport spine for Greater Western Sydney, connecting residents with job hubs and travellers from the new airport to the rest of Sydney’s public transport system.   

For more information on the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project: sydneymetro.info/westernsydneyairportline

Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

"Testing of this mock-up carriage has been underway for many months and no stone has been left unturned to ensure passengers enjoy a world-class experience when they step off a plane in Western Sydney and onto a fast and reliable metro.

“Western Sydney artists at BBR have delivered a fantastic upholstery design for the seats that will create a unique identity for this line, and welcome international visitors with incredible Aboriginal cultural heritage and contemporary art.”  

Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

“Being able to look, feel, touch and experience the new Metros is helping our teams put the finishing touches on these trains before they go into production.

“Every train will be fully accessible, beautifully air-conditioned, and a really comfortable way to travel to Sydney’s new airport.

“Once the new Airport metro line opens, each of the 12 new metro trains will have capacity to comfortably move 645 people between Bradfield, St Marys and the new International Airport.

Features of the new Western Sydney Airport metro trains:

  • High resolution displays showing real-time flight information via a direct feed from the Airport;
  • Multiple seating choices in each carriage, including front and rear facing seating for people travelling in larger groups and traditional metro longitudinal (sideways) seating;
  • A wide, accessible aisle through the centre of the train to allow for ease of movement for passengers travelling with luggage;
  • Wheelchair areas and accessible spaces; 
  • Hearing loops in all carriages
  • Four bicycle storage spaces on every train.

Why do some young people use Xanax recreationally? What are the risks?

Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock
Nicole LeeCurtin University and Suzanne NielsenMonash University

Anecdotal reports from some professionals have prompted concerns about young people using prescription benzodiazepines such as Xanax for recreational use.

Border force detections of these drugs have almost doubled in the past five years, further fuelling the worry.

So why do young people use them, and how do the harms differ to those used as prescribed by a doctor?

What are benzodiazepines?

You might know this large group of drugs by their trade names. Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Normison (temazepam) and Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) are just a few examples. Sometimes they’re referred to as minor tranquillisers or, colloquially, as “benzos”.

They increase the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA reduces activity in the brain, producing feelings of relaxation and sedation.

Unwanted side effects include drowsiness, dizziness and problems with coordination.

Benzodiazepines used to be widely prescribed for long-term management of anxiety and insomnia. They are still prescribed for these conditions, but less commonly, and are also sometimes used as part of the treatment for cancer, epilepsy and alcohol withdrawal.

Long-term use can lead to tolerance: when the effect wears off over time. So you need to use more over time to get the same effect. This can lead to dependence: when your body becomes reliant on the drug. There is a very high risk of dependence with these drugs.

When you stop taking benzodiazepines, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. For those who are dependent, the withdrawal can be long and difficult, lasting for several months or more.

So now they are only recommended for a few weeks at most for specific short-term conditions.

How do people get them? And how does it make them feel?

Benzodiazepines for non-medical use are typically either diverted from legitimate prescriptions or purchased from illicit drug markets including online.

Some illegally obtained benzodiazepines look like prescription medicines but are counterfeit pills that may contain fentanyl, nitazenes (both synthetic opioids) or other potent substances which can significantly increase the risk of accidental overdose and death.

When used recreationally, benzodiazepines are usually taken at higher doses than those typically prescribed, so there are even greater risks.

The effect young people are looking for in using these drugs is a feeling of profound relaxation, reduced inhibition, euphoria and a feeling of detachment from one’s surroundings. Others use them to enhance social experiences or manage the “comedown” from stimulant drugs like MDMA.

There are risks associated with using at these levels, including memory loss, impaired judgement, and risky behaviour, like unsafe sex or driving.

Some people report doing things they would not normally do when affected by high doses of benzodiazepines. There are cases of people committing crimes they can’t remember.

When taken at higher doses or combined with other depressant drugs such as alcohol or opioids, they can also cause respiratory depression, which prevents your lungs from getting enough oxygen. In extreme cases, it can lead to unconsciousness and even death.

Using a high dose also increases risk of tolerance and dependence.

Is recreational use growing?

The data we have about non-prescribed benzodiazepine use among young people is patchy and difficult to interpret.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–23 estimates around 0.5% of 14 to 17 year olds and and 3% of 18 to 24 year olds have used a benzodiazepine for non medical purposes at least once in the past year.

The Australian Secondary Schools Survey 2022–23 reports that 11% of secondary school students they surveyed had used benzodiazepines in the past year. However they note this figure may include a sizeable proportion of students who have been prescribed benzodiazepines but have inadvertently reported using them recreationally.

In both surveys, use has remained fairly stable for the past two decades. So only a small percentage of young people have used benzodiazepines without a prescription and it doesn’t seem to be increasing significantly.

Reports of more young people using benzodiazepines recreationally might just reflect greater comfort among young people in talking about drugs and drug problems, which is a positive thing.

Prescribing of benzodiazepines to adolescents or young adults has also declined since 2012.

What can you do to reduce the risks?

To reduce the risk of problems, including dependence, benzodiazepines should be used for the shortest duration possible at the lowest effective dose.

Benzodiazepines should not be taken with other medicines without speaking to a doctor or pharmacist.

You should not drink alcohol or take illicit drugs at the same time as using benzodiazepines.

Person takes Xanax out of pack
Benzodiazepines shouldn’t be taken with other medicines, without the go-ahead from your doctor or pharmacist. Cloudy Design/Shutterstock

Counterfeit benzodiazepines are increasingly being detected in the community. They are more dangerous than pharmaceutical benzodiazepines because there is no quality control and they may contain unexpected and dangerous substances.

Drug checking services can help people identify what is in substances they intend to take. It also gives them an opportunity to speak to a health professional before they use. People often discard their drugs after they find out what they contain and speak to someone about drug harms.

If people are using benzodiazepines without a prescription to self manage stress, anxiety or insomnia, this may indicate a more serious underlying condition. Psychological therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy, including mindfulness-based approaches, are very effective in addressing these symptoms and are more effective long term solutions.

Lifestyle modifications – such as improving exercisediet and sleep – can also be helpful.

There are also other medications with a much lower risk of dependence that can be used to treat anxiety and insomnia.

If you or someone you know needs help with benzodiazepine use, Reconnexions can help. It’s a counselling and support service for people who use benzodiazepines.

Alternatively, CounsellingOnline is a good place to get information and referral for treatment of benzodiazepine dependence. Or speak to your GP. The Sleep Health Foundation has some great resources if you are having trouble with sleep.The Conversation

Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University and Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

‘Should I let my kid play Roblox?’ New safety features reduce risks – but more are needed

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Joanne OrlandoWestern Sydney University

Roblox isn’t just another video game – it’s a massive virtual universe where nearly 90 million people from around the world create, play and socialise. This includes some 34 million children under 13 who spend an average of 2.6 hours daily on the platform, making Roblox one of the most influential digital platforms for kids and teenagers.

The attraction for young people is the millions of virtual experiences they can have – from raising and dressing up virtual pets, to playing an online game of hide and seek using GPS. Kids can even develop their own games for others to play.

But the joys of the platform come with risks – especially for children. These risks range from cyberbullying to sexual exploitation, to grooming by pedophiles and violent extremists.

Roblox recently introduced a range of new safety features to reduce the risk of harm to children, following consultations with a number of experts (including myself).

Even with these new safety features, however, many parents might still be wondering: “Should I let my kid play Roblox?”

What are the new safety features?

The new features centre on limiting who kids can communicate with on Roblox, the content they play with, and the control parents have on what their kids do on Roblox.

Parents now have more fine-grained controls they can use to manage the type of content, advertisements, friend lists and communication their children have access to. They can also set daily screen-time limits for their children.

Roblox has also changed the ratings of the experiences from age-based ratings to maturity-based ratings (much like the ratings you might see for movies).

The labels are voluntary. But experiences published without one will only be accessible to users 13 and over. This removes the one-size-fits-all idea about kids. Parents know all kids are different – what one 13-year-old is ready for is different to what another 13-year-old is ready for.

Under 13s are no longer allowed to speak to other users outside of mini-games and experiences.

These are all positive steps.

The elephant in the room

To access this new suite of parent controls, parents first need to create a Roblox account, and then link it to their child’s account. To do this parents need to add their ID or credit card details. This is a risk for parents. Our data is being commodified at a rapid rate and scams are rampant, making it difficult for platforms such as Roblox to guarantee the safety of personal information.

What often goes under the radar about Roblox is ongoing messages to spend money. Buy accessories to wear on your avatar while you play, in-game upgrades to make gameplay more fun, accessories for your virtual pets – the list goes on. This reinforces the idea that you need to spend money to have more fun.

The elephant in the room is that the changes made to keep kids safe are housed within parental controls. This requires parents to be very hands on – and digital skills, time, work, busy family life are all barriers to this.

Safety features musn’t just revolve around parents.

Enhanced safety measures could include more defined segregation of experiences, similar to having separate playgrounds for primary school, junior high school and older users, allowing parents greater confidence in age-appropriate content.

A subscription-based model could also replace the current system, potentially reducing the constant pressure on children to spend money.

Implementing youth-led safety initiatives, where older children mentor peers and younger players about online safety, could prove more effective than traditional parent-led guidance. Children often respond better to peers who understand their digital experiences firsthand.

The bottom line?

The new safety features are a step in the right direction. They won’t eliminate inappropriate content and communication risks. But they should help reduce children’s exposure to concerning content and provide parents with better tools to manage their children’s online experience.

Would I let my child use Roblox? Yes – but not in a “set and forget” way. Keeping kids safe on the platform requires constant communication about what they see and do on it.

Realistically, we can’t let our kids play in these huge virtual spaces without this. We have our own parental control – talking to our child – which is powerful as well.The Conversation

Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia

Marta YebraAustralian National UniversityIain GuilliardAustralian National UniversityNicholas WilsonAustralian National University, and Robert MahonyAustralian National University

Picture this. It’s a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to be hot and windy. A lightning strike tonight could spark a fire that grows into a catastrophic blaze tomorrow.

Fire authorities deploy drones to chase the storm. The drones detect spots where lightning strikes have ignited the bush – perhaps smouldering tree roots, or smoke pouring from a tree hollow. The drones stay aloft throughout the night, identifying new ignitions and monitoring those that progress to small fires.

Larger drones are dispatched through the night. They drop retardant on the burning bush to slow the flames. The small drones continue to supply data to human fire crews. By dawn, the crews are armed with precise information and ready to act. They suppress the small fires in the early morning, before the winds arrive. What could have turned into a raging megablaze is confined to a few hectares.

This is not science fiction. It is a feasible vision for using drone technology to manage bushfires in Australia, outlined in the federal government’s recent roadmap, which we authored.

So let’s take a look at how drones can help Australia fight bushfires, and the obstacles to be overcome before it becomes reality.

Stopping fires when they’re small

The current fire season marks five years since the Black Summer bushfires devastated southeast Australia in 2019–20. This summer, fires have burned in Victoria’s Grampians region and around Western Australia’s Wedge Island.

And the devastating fires in Los Angeles provide yet another example of how terrifying huge bushfires can be.

The sooner a fire is detected, the easier it is to control and extinguish. Fires that start in remote bush may go unnoticed for hours or days.

Studies show lightning is the primary cause of large bushfires in Australia. Fire outbreaks must be detected and suppressed quickly, while still small, so they don’t become large and uncontrollable. That’s where drones can be very useful.

people inspect a small drown on grass
Drones can help detect fires before they become large. Nic Vevers/ANU

What is a fire-fighting drone?

Drones are aerial vehicles that can fly on autopilot under human supervision. Those used to fight fires may carry cameras and thermal detectors, provide communications links, or hold water or retardant to douse flames.

Drone technology extends the capabilities of existing human-crewed aircraft when fighting fires.

For example, technology allowing human crews to fight fires at night is still in its infancy. Humans cannot work for days without rest, and may get bored looking for signs of fire over the same ground time and again.

Drones do not have these limitations. They operate by satellite navigation and function well at night or when visibility is limited. Drones can easily fly at night, and all night, then fly the next day, too.

The below footage shows the BRCoE Scout Drone detecting a small spot fire from more than 800 metres away. The fire was lit by firefighters to simulate a lighting strike ignition. In the infrared camera view (lower left), the small fire stands out clearly against the cooler temperature of the bush.

Multiple drones can be coordinated to cover a large area or stay close to an ignition. They can deliver fire retardants in remote locations, and with remarkable accuracy.

And crucially, losing a drone to bad weather or mechanical failure does not compare to the tragedy of losing an aircraft crewed with firefighters.

Fire agencies are already trialling and using drone technology. For example, Australian Federal Police and the Australian Capital Territory Rural Fire Service used drones to spot fires during the Black Summer fires, after smoke and poor visibility grounded crewed aircraft.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service last year conducted a trial using drones to monitor grass and bushfires in the state’s west. And Noosa Council in Queensland is investigating if drones can help survey an area after a bushfire to provide data on the extent of damage.

two men and fire truck with drone in smoky conditions
Drones were used to spot fires in the ACT during the Black Summer fires. Gary Hooker and Garry Mayo

A few things to consider

Despite the obvious advantages, using drones to battle fires is challenging.

For example, many systems cannot operate in the high winds and intense heat found near fire zones.

Smaller drones, although portable, lack endurance and cannot carry heavy loads such as high-end thermal sensors and cameras. And work is needed to improve reliability, such as making drones waterproof and ensuring cables and connectors can’t unplug during flight.

Drones produce a vast stream of data such as video, thermal images and information about temperature and wind speed. This data must be processed quickly in a fire emergency. Doing this requires reliable communication links and powerful computers.

Firefighting drones require human workers to support their operation, including remote pilots, service crews, and workers on landing fields. This incurs labour costs – albeit far lower than using human-crewed aircraft.

Expanding drone technology will require investment in infrastructure such as operation centres, landing facilities and maintenance hubs. But this infrastructure can be shared with other sectors using drones, such as land management and surveying.

In a warmer world, innovation is vital

Our roadmap outlines essential steps to ensure drone technology fulfils its potential. They include:

  • streamlining regulatory approvals to lower the bar for companies to operate commercial drones remotely

  • adequate infrastructure investment

  • fostering collaboration between the first responders, such as rural fire services, and technology companies developing drones.

Drones are not the only technology promising to revolutionise efforts to fight bushfires. Others include satellite technology monitoring vegetation flammability, and using artificial intelligence to detect fire outbreaks.

As fire seasons grow longer and more intense, innovation is not just an opportunity – it’s a necessity. Added to Australia’s existing resources, drone technologies have the potential to help safeguards lives, communities and ecosystems.The Conversation

Marta Yebra, Professor of Environmental Engineering, Australian National UniversityIain Guilliard, Research Fellow, School of Engineering., Australian National UniversityNicholas Wilson, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, and Robert Mahony, Professor of System Theory and Robotics, Australian National University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Can philosophy help us manage anxiety? A new book suggests reading the great thinkers can calm our minds

Wikimedia CommonsCC BY
Oscar DavisBond University

Anxiety, a philosophical guide is a book of therapeutic philosophy. Author Samir Chopra’s aim is to take us through the history of philosophy, pointing out those thinkers along the way who have shaped its course.

In confronting anxiety then, this is not a list of prescriptions to memorise and enact, but rather, a rich vocabulary to draw upon in those silent but turbulent moments when we are in conversation with ourselves.


Review: Anxiety, a philosophical guide – Samir Chopra (Princeton University Press)


Rather than explain our anxiety away, Chopra’s aim here is to cultivate the ability to see what anxiety “points to”. In this short text, he explores four schools of thought in relation to anxiety: Buddhism, existentialism, psychoanalysis, and critical theory.

The book begins with a deeply personal and reflective account of Chopra’s own experiences with anxiety. A philosophical counsellor and professor emeritus of philosophy in New York, Chopra writes about coping with loss, his past experiences in relationships, and facing up to his search for meaning throughout his life.

A man sitting in front of a bookcase.
Samir Chopra. samirchopra.com

Chopra writes openly about his struggle to cope with the loss of his father at a young age, and later, the loss of his mother. In seeking relief from grief, an unyielding melancholy, and his anxiety about death, he turns to philosophy. This book is very much a product of Chopra’s life experience and how he came to accept and live with his anxiety with the help of philosophy.

He begins by exploring how anxiety – and other emotions traditionally treated as aversive such as anger – can be overcome by an awareness of our “true nature”. These emotions surface in the Buddhist conception of “dukkha”, which Chopra defines as

an acute anxiety, an existential discomfort, resulting from an intellectual and emotional failure to face up to the bare facts of existence.

In order to live tranquil lives in the face of our experience of dukkha, we must embark on the Buddhist journey of “coming to see”. This is a long, difficult process of transforming how we understand the world and our place within it.

In his extrapolation of dukkha over a number of pages, one finds a variety of well-crafted phrases saying much the same thing. Essentially it is that anything we might think is good, like love or desire, is quickly overshadowed by the (re)discovery of our feelings of alienation, pain, and powerlessness in the face of the futility and absurdity of everything (although he says it better).

At this point, after so much talk of despair and alienation, it is reasonable to wonder if we are even talking about anxiety anymore.

But Chopra affirms that existential anxiety is a species of dukkha because

it is the state of being of an ignorant creature confused about its own nature, fumbling in the dark, hurting itself and others by its delusions and ignorance, by its fearful reactions to the ever-present possibility of decay, dissolution, and death in its life.

The “simultaneously disheartening and promising” solution lies within us, he suggests, as thinking beings, in our minds.

With the help of meditation and mindfulness, Chopra maintains, the Buddhist method for coping with anxiety is to make room for it in our lives. We do not just rid ourselves of anxiety then. Instead we see it as an inevitable feature of our striving to live.

Existential anxiety

For the existentialists, as the name suggests, the root of our anxiety stems from our search for existential meaning.

The existentialists defined themselves in opposition to the essentialists, who argued there was a “telos” (an end, or purpose) to everything, including our own lives. Instead, the existentialists assert, there is no meaning or purpose in life at all.

In Sartre’s famous lecture, Existentialism as a Humanism, he writes,

We are left alone, without excuse. That is what I mean when I say that man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment that he is thrown into this world he is responsible for everything he does.

Human life is marked by a nauseating abundance of freedom, which we are condemned to do something with. Chopra writes, “we are not just creatures who are free to act; we are creatures who are aware we are free to act”.

Anxiety, then, is born out of this awareness of our freedom. For Sartre, the authentic life, the life well-lived, is one in which we courageously embrace that freedom in every choice, by thinking and choosing for ourselves.

Cover of Anxiety: a philosophical guide
Goodreads

Chopra takes us through thinkers like NietzscheKierkegaardTillich and Heidegger to also make the case that the existentialist message is to cultivate this courage, “to realize the braveries we have already demonstrated our capacity for” and to “erect ourselves as heroes in our minds for getting up in the morning and turning our face towards the sun”.

Rather than attempt to mask our anxiety – and thus deny a fundamental feature of what it means to be – we must instead accept that in each choice, we create meaning for ourselves anew.

Psychoanalysis and critical theory

Chopra’s brief detour through the psychoanalytic tradition brings us to Sigmund Freud. The latter, he maintains, would double down on this existentialist call for courage, with the added proviso that attempting to repress anxiety is futile.

Repressed anxiety only comes to surface in parts of our lives, particularly our social lives. Freud suggests a trained and mature response to anxiety involves better understanding how it forms part of life, how it arises in our childhood, and how it surfaces for us now.

There is also a particular category of anxiety assigned to the uncertainty brought on by our ever-evolving social and political environments.

Chopra argues this anxiety points to a lingering fear of losing our economic standing, along with an agonising over our social and moral adequacy. This anxiety has not been helped, he continues, by science and technology, which “hurtle us toward climate change, mysterious pandemics, and political dysfunction”.

Chopra turns to Herbert Marcuse and Karl Marx to suggest that, contrary to the existentialists, this anxiety and alienation are not inevitable features of the human condition. Rather, they are a product of the world we have created.

Our experience of anxiety, he continues, should spur activism and political critique in the hope that we might make this world slightly more bearable:

Combating and confronting anxiety requires acceptance, activism, and contemplation, an acute blend of which might be the salutary recipe for living with it.

Overall, Chopra does a great job bringing difficult philosophical perspectives into his conversation about anxiety. However, anxiety appears to have many roles in this book, roles we might usually ascribe to other emotions or moods, like estrangement, wonder, alienation or sorrow.

By implicitly running together these many forms of experience, Chopra risks reading too much into these philosophers at times. A consequence of this is overlooking what makes these experiences unique.

Still, by sharing his own experience with anxiety, as well as connecting us to the extensive philosophical literature where anxiety is explored, Chopra and his philosophical interlocutors are offering a powerful and therapeutic insight: we are all bound together in the human condition that always has, and will continue to involve, encountering our anxious selves.The Conversation

Oscar Davis, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and History, Bond University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

What are plyometric exercises? How all that hopping and jumping builds strength, speed and power

Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels
Justin KeoghBond University and Mandy HagstromUNSW Sydney

If you’ve ever seen people at the gym or the park jumping, hopping or hurling weighted balls to the ground, chances are they were doing plyometric exercises.

Examples include:

  • box jumps, where you repeatedly leap quickly on and off a box
  • lateral skater hops, where you bound from side to side like a speeding ice skater
  • rapidly throwing a heavy medicine ball against a wall, or to the ground
  • single leg hops, which may involve hopping on the spot or through an obstacle course
  • squat jumps, where you repeatedly squat and then launch yourself into the air.

There are many more examples of plyometric exercises.

What ties all these moves together is that they use what’s known as the “stretch shortening cycle”. This is where your muscles rapidly stretch and then contract.

A runner skips over an obstacle course in a field.
Runners routinely practise plyometric exercises to improve explosive leg strength. WoodysPhotos/Shutterstock

Potential benefits

Research shows incorporating plyometric exercise into your routine can help you:

Studies have found plyometric exercises can help:

  • older people who want to retain and build muscle strength, boost bone health, improve posture and reduce the risk of falls
  • adolescent athletes who want to build the explosive strength needed to excel in sports such as athletics, tennis, soccer, basketball and football
  • female athletes who want to jump higher or change direction quickly (a useful skill in many sports)
  • endurance runners who want to boost physical fitness, run time and athletic performance.

And when it comes to plyometric exercises, you get out what you put in.

Research has found the benefits of plyometrics are significantly greater when every jump was performed with maximum effort.

Women jump on and off boxes.
Jumping can help boost bone strength. WoodysPhotos/Shutterstock

Potential risks

All exercise comes with risk (as does not doing enough exercise!)

Plyometrics are high-intensity activities that require the body to absorb a lot of impact when landing on the ground or catching medicine balls.

That means there is some risk of musculoskeletal injury, particularly if the combination of intensity, frequency and volume is too high.

You might miss a landing and fall, land in a weird way and crunch your ankle, or get a muscle tear if you’re overdoing it.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association, a US educational nonprofit that uses research to support coaches and athletes, recommends:

  • a maximum of one to three plyometric sessions per week
  • five to ten repetitions per set and
  • rest periods of one to three minutes between sets to ensure complete muscle recovery.
An older person does jumps on a race track.
With the right guidance, jumps can be safe for older people and may help reduce the risk of falls as you age. Realstock/Shutterstock

One meta-analysis, where researchers looked at many studies, found plyometric training was feasible and safe, and could improve older people’s performance, function and health.

Overall, with appropriate programming and supervision, plyometric exercise can be a safe and effective way to boost your health and athletic performance.The Conversation

Justin Keogh, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University and Mandy Hagstrom, Senior Lecturer, Exercise Physiology. School of Health Sciences, UNSW Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

What’s the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke? One’s a medical emergency

Studio Nut/Shutterstock
Matthew BartonGriffith University and Michael TodorovicBond University

When British TV doctor Michael Mosley died last year in Greece after walking in extreme heat, local police said “heat exhaustion” was a contributing factor.

Since than a coroner could not find a definitive cause of death but said this was most likely due to an un-identified medical reason or heat stroke.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two illnesses that relate to heat.

So what’s the difference?

A spectrum of conditions

Heat-related illnesses range from mild to severe. They’re caused by exposure to excessive heat, whether from hot conditions, physical exertion, or both. The most common ones include:

  • heat oedema: swelling of the hands, feet and ankles

  • heat cramps: painful, involuntary muscle spasms usually after exercise

  • heat syncope: fainting due to overheating

  • heat exhaustion: when the body loses water due to excessive sweating, leading to a rise in core body temperature (but still under 40°C). Symptoms include lethargy, weakness and dizziness, but there’s no change to consciousness or mental clarity

  • heat stroke: a medical emergency when the core body temperature is over 40°C. This can lead to serious problems related to the nervous system, such as confusion, seizures and unconsciousness including coma, leading to death.

As you can see from the diagram below, some symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion overlap. This makes it hard to recognise the difference, even for medical professionals.

Heat exhaustion vs heat stroke venn diagram
CC BY-SA

How does this happen?

The human body is an incredibly efficient and adaptable machine, equipped with several in-built mechanisms to keep our core temperature at an optimal 37°C.

But in healthy people, regulation of body temperature begins to break down when it’s hotter than about 31°C with 100% humidity (think Darwin or Cairns) or about 38°C with 60% humidity (typical of other parts of Australia in summer).

This is because humid air makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and take heat with it. Without that cooling effect, the body starts to overheat.

Once the core temperature rises above 37°C, heat exhaustion can set in, which can cause intense thirst, weakness, nausea and dizziness.

If the body heat continues to build and the core body temperature rises above 40°C, a much more severe heat stroke could begin. At this point, it’s a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate medical attention.

At this temperature, our proteins start to denature (like an egg on a hotplate) and blood flow to the intestines stops. This makes the gut very leaky, allowing harmful substances such as endotoxins (toxic substances in some bacteria) and pathogens (disease causing microbes) to leak into the bloodstream.

The liver can’t detoxify these fast enough, leading to the whole body becoming inflamed, organs failing, and in the worst-case scenario, death.

Who’s most at risk?

People doing strenuous exercise, especially if they’re not in great shape, are among those at risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Others at risk include those exposed to high temperatures and humidity, particularly when wearing heavy clothing or protective gear.

Outdoor workers such as farmers, firefighters and construction workers are at higher risk too. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, or lung conditions (such as COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and people taking blood pressure medications, can also be more vulnerable.

Adults over 65, infants and young children are especially sensitive to heat as they are less able to physically cope with fluctuations in heat and humidity.

Firefighters holding hose, aimed at bushfire
Firefighters are among those at risk of heat-related illness. structuresxx/Shutterstock

How are these conditions managed?

The risk of serious illness or death from heat-related conditions is very low if treatment starts early.

For heat exhaustion, have the individual lie down in a cool, shady area, loosen or remove excess clothing, and cool them by fanning, moistening their skin, or immersing their hands and feet in cold water.

As people with heat exhaustion almost always are dehydrated and have low electrolytes (certain minerals in the blood), they will usually need to drink fluids.

However, emergency hospital care is essential for heat stroke. In hospital, health professionals will focus on stabilising the patient’s:

  • airway (ensure no obstructions, for instance, vomit)
  • breathing (look for signs of respiratory distress or oxygen deprivation)
  • circulation (check pulse, blood pressure and signs of shock).

Meanwhile, they will use rapid-cooling techniques including immersing the whole body in cold water, or applying wet ice packs covering the whole body.

Take home points

Heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion, are serious health conditions that can lead to severe illness, or even death.

With climate change, heat-related illness will become more common and more severe. So recognising the early signs and responding promptly are crucial to prevent serious complications.The Conversation

Matthew Barton, Senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University and Michael Todorovic, Associate Professor of Medicine, Bond University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Oyster ‘blood’ holds promise for combating drug-resistant superbugs: new research

Ken Griffiths/Shutterstock
Kate SummerSouthern Cross University and Kirsten BenkendorffSouthern Cross University

Superbugs that are resistant to existing antibiotics are a growing health problem around the world. Globally, nearly five million people die from antimicrobial resistant infections each year. The annual toll of antimicrobial resistant infections is expected to rise by 70%, with an estimated 40 million deaths between now and 2050.

To address this, researchers must discover new antibiotics and agents that improve the efficacy of existing antibiotics.

Hope may come from a surprising source: oysters.

In new research published today in PLOS ONE, we show that antimicrobial proteins isolated from oyster hemolymph (the equivalent of blood) can kill certain bacteria responsible for a range of infections. The proteins can also improve the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against problematic bacteria species.

Robust, resistant bacteria cause common infections

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs, commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is the leading cause of death among children under five years of age, and a common cause of hospitalisation and death in older people.

Upper respiratory tract infections, such as tonsillitis, are also common. In fact, they are the most frequent reason children are prescribed antibiotics.

Persistent skin and throat infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes can lead to the development of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

The high prevalence of these bacterial infections and overuse of antibiotics have contributed to the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria. This makes these infections difficult to treat.

The formation of biofilms compounds the problem.

Biofilms are populations of millions of bacterial cells embedded in a self-secreted substance that sticks to surfaces. They protect bacteria from the host’s immune system – and from antibiotics. Almost all bacterial infections involve biofilms.

Because of this, new antibiotic treatments that can inhibit, disrupt or penetrate biofilms are very valuable.

A pile of oysters on a wharf above a river.
Sydney rock oysters from aquaculture in the Richmond River, New South Wales. Kirsten Benkendorff

Oysters as a source of new antimicrobial agents

Over 90% of antibiotics we currently use are derived from nature. The same is true for over 65% of antibiotics under recent development.

In the search for new antimicrobial drugs, researchers will usually start by looking at organisms that produce antimicrobial chemicals for self defence.

Oysters are exposed to high concentrations of diverse microorganisms in their natural marine environment. Because of this, they have evolved strong immune defences. For example, they rely heavily on antimicrobial proteins and strings of molecules known as peptides in their hemolymph (blood) to protect them from infection.

Research over the past few decades has found that oyster hemolymph contains antiviral and antibacterial proteins and peptides. These are active against a range of human and marine pathogens.

Oysters, along with other molluscs, plants and animals, have a long history of use as traditional medicines to treat infectious diseases.

In traditional Chinese medicine, various preparations from oysters are recommended for treating symptoms of respiratory infection and inflammatory conditions. Oysters have also played a significant role in the health of Indigenous people in Australia for millennia. This provides useful clues for drug discovery.

Our latest research confirms that antimicrobial proteins in the hemolymph of Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) are particularly effective at killing Streptococcus spp. bacteria.

The proteins were also effective at inhibiting Streptococcus spp. biofilm formation and could penetrate biofilms that had already formed.

Gloved hand inserting needle into the flesh of an oyster.
Extracting hemolymph from a Sydney rock oyster. Kate Summer

Boosting the drugs we have

To improve how well currently available drugs work, they are increasingly combined with antimicrobial peptides and proteins.

These peptides and proteins can disrupt bacterial cell membranes, helping conventional antibiotics reach their targets more easily. Many of these proteins and peptides can also boost the host’s immune system, making treatment even more effective.

We tested Sydney rock oyster hemolymph proteins for activity against a range of bacterial pathogens in combination with different commercially available antibiotics. At very low concentrations, the proteins improved the effectiveness of antibiotics between two- and 32-fold.

The results were particularly promising for Streptococcus spp.Staphylococcus aureus (also known as “golden staph”, a primary cause of drug-resistant skin and bloodstream infections) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a major problem for immune-compromised patients with cystic fibrosis). There were also no toxic effects on healthy human cells.

An opened oyster with green, yellow flesh.
The hemolymph proteins of Sydney rock oysters are able to kill Streptococcus spp. bacteria embedded in biofilms, as well as improve the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against a range of bacteria species. Kate Summer

What next?

Overall, oyster hemolymph proteins hold promise for future development as an antimicrobial therapy. They can kill pathogens embedded in biofilms, work in synergy with conventional antibiotics, and are non-toxic.

However, more work is needed, including testing in animals and clinical human trials.

Sustainable supply of the proteins for research and medical use is an important consideration, but this is helped by the fact Sydney rock oysters are commercially available.

The results of this work present an opportunity for pharmaceutical and aquaculture industries to collaborate with researchers on new, more effective antibiotics development.The Conversation

Kate Summer, Postdoctoral research fellow, Southern Cross University and Kirsten Benkendorff, Professor, National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Week Two: 13-19 January, 2025

Congratulations Joel!

Joel Beashel, grandson of Ken and son of Adam and Lanee, at 16 has become the youngest Skipper to win the Australian 16ft Championship, 63 years after his grandfather did.

Sailing with Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper as crew, who have already won a few nationals between them, and as part of the Manly 16 foot Skiff Sailing Club contingent that went north to compete on Queensland’s Hervey Bay in the 2024-25 13ft Skiff Australian Championships and 2024-25 16ft Skiff Australian Championships, Joel is the 5th generation of Beashels to excel in the sport of sailing.

M16SSC claimed the first 5 places in the 16footer division and the first 6 places in the 13 foot division, while M16SSC's Zoe Dransfield  won the female skippers' pointscore and placed 7th overall in the 16's and M16SSC's Nathan McNamara secured second position in the youth division - must be something in the water!


2025 Australian 13ft and 16ft Skiff Championships - Winning IMEI crew Joel Beashel, Trent Barnabas and Rob Napper - photo © Promocean Media
M16SCC's  Zoe Dransfield - 1st Female Skipper - 2025 Australian 13ft and 16ft Skiff Championships - photo © Promocean Media

Applications open for 2025 Tertiary Health Study Subsidies

January 2025
The NSW Government is encouraging students enrolled in healthcare degrees in NSW to apply for up to $12,000 in financial support to assist with their studies.

Minister for Health Ryan Park announced the next round of applications for the Tertiary Health Study Subsidies Program will open on 14 January 2025.

This year support will be available for up to 850 nursing students, 400 medical students and 150 midwifery students.

The Program is designed to create a future pipeline of health workers by supporting students with fees, technology, travel, or other costs related to their degree.

Subsidies are also available for students of paramedicine, Aboriginal health, dentistry and oral health therapy, and various allied health professions including psychology, pharmacy, dietetics, and nuclear medicine.

Students successful in their application and beginning their degrees will receive subsidies of $4,000 per year over three years. Existing students will receive one-off payments of $8,000 after acceptance of employment for a position within NSW Health.

Students must be willing to make a five-year commitment to working in the NSW public health system. There are a limited number of subsidies available, and applications will remain open until all subsidies are awarded.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $121.9 million over five years in the Tertiary Health Study Subsidy Program.

The full list of eligible workforce groups and locations are available on the NSW Health website.

The subsidies form part of a series of measures introduced by the Minns Labor Government to further strengthen the state’s health workforce, including:

Minister for Health Ryan Park stated:

“More than 3,900 students across NSW have already benefitted from the NSW Government’s $120 million investment in tertiary health study subsidies.

“I am so pleased more students across NSW will continue to benefit from this important initiative, which is helping to ease the financial burden on those starting a career in health.

“Up to 4,000 subsidies are on offer this year for health degrees including nursing, midwifery, medicine, paramedicine, allied health and health science.

“This Program is one of many initiatives the Minns Labor Government is rolling out to boost capacity across the public health system and provide relief to our hardworking frontline healthcare staff.”

Medical Student and Tertiary Health Study Subsidies recipient Aimee Long said:

“I already had a taste of healthcare while working as a pharmacist. Medicine felt like the next logical step for me.

“I grew up in country Victoria, so I saw the role the doctors and GP’s play there and how important it is to that community. So, I decided that is something that I wanted to do and give back to small and rural communities like that.

“Receiving the Tertiary Health Study Subsidy allowed me to become part of Australia’s largest health system. Being in medicine is quite an expensive undertaking so it helps me to afford lots of things such as resources, whether or not they’re specific to the uni or external.”

Applications to join the DOVES Council are open for 2025

Applications for the DOVES Minister’s Student Council are open for 2025.

The Minister's Student Council, known as the Department of Student Voices in Education and Schools (DOVES), is an initiative of the NSW Government to ensure student voices are heard in developing education policy and addressing matters of concern to students.

In October 2020 a student steering committee was formed to help co-design the council.

The result is DOVES a 27-member council representing students from all Operational Directorates across NSW, including Connected Communities, who advocate on behalf of their school communities.

There are three students representing each operational directorate who bring their wider student community into the policy process by holding regular DOVES forums, where they hear from special interest groups.

The number of positions available is listed below by directorate, 15 in total.

Regional South 2
Connected Communities 0
Regional North & West 2
Regional North 3
Rural North 1
Rural South & West 3
Metro North 1
Metro South & West 1
Metro South 2

Students initial expressions of interest can be submitted via a video of up to 90 seconds or less in length and showcase you:

1. Tell us about yourself

2. Why would you be a good advocate and member of the DOVES Council?

3. Why are you passionate about helping NSW public education students?

4. What is an initiative you have implemented in your school?

Applications are open for students currently in Year 6 to Year 9.
Each student will sit on the council for a 2-year term
There are no Year 12 students on the council due to HSC commitments.
If you are in Year 10 or Year 11 now you will be ineligible as your second year on the council will be in Year 12.
A selection panel will review all submissions and invite shortlisted applicants to join a short online video interview. The panel includes students currently on the DOVES Council and department representatives.

All students submitting their applications will be contacted.

Please submit your application video via the Google form (External link)

Applications close 8 February 2025 (Week 2, Term 1)

Hottest 100 Voting now open

  • Voting opened - 8am AEDT, Tuesday 10 December
  • Voting closes - 5pm AEDT, Monday 20 January
  • Double J replays Hottest 100 of 2004 - 12pm local time, Friday 24 January
  • Hottest 100 of 2024 - 12pm AEDT,  Saturday 25 January 2025
  • Hottest 200-101 of 2024 - 10am local time, Monday 27 January, 2025
Head to the triple j website or the triple j app and follow the signs to the Hottest 100 voting page.
Photo: Joe Mills

TAFE Fee-free* courses - semester 1 2025 enrol now

NSW Fee-free* TAFE is a joint initiative of the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments, providing tuition-free training places for eligible students wanting to train, retrain or upskill.

Places are limited and not guaranteed. Enrolling or applying early with all required documentation is recommended. The number of funded NSW Fee-free* TAFE places is determined by the terms of the skills agreement between the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.

Semester 1 2025 Fee Free* TAFE Certificates and Diplomas.

Enrol Now in:

  •  Aboriginal Studies and Mentoring
  •  Agriculture
  •  Animal Care and Horse Industry
  •  Automotive
  •  Aviation
  •  Building and Construction Trades
  •  Business and Marketing
  •  Civil Construction and Surveying
  •  Community and Youth Services
  •  Education and Training
  •  Electrotechnology
  •  Engineering
  •  Farming and Primary Production
  •  Fashion
  •  Food and Hospitality
  •  Healthcare
  •  Horticulture and Landscaping
  •  Information Technology
  •  Mining and Resources
  •  Music and Production
  •  Screen and Media
  •  Sport and Recreation
  •  Travel and Tourism
  •  Water Industry Operations

Who is Eligible for NSW Fee-free TAFE?

To be eligible, you must at the time of enrolment:

  • Live or work in New South Wales.
  • Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident, or a humanitarian visa holder.
  • Be aged 15 years or over, and not enrolled at any school.
  • Be enrolling in a course for the first time for Semester 1 2025 and your studies must commence between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.

You are strongly encouraged to apply if you fall under one or more of these categories:

  • First Nations people
  • LGBTIQ+ community
  • Veterans
  • Job seekers
  • Young people
  • Unpaid carers
  • Women interested in non-traditional fields
  • People living with a disability
  • People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Find out more and enrol via:  www.tafensw.edu.au/fee-free-short-courses

The Rions - Physical Medicine (Official Music Video)

published 16 Jan 2025
Here's the official music video for our single 'Physical Medicine', filmed across our 21-date Australian Happiness In Places Tour.
Shot and edited by Harry Wills / SEARCH MEDIA. 
Check out our latest EP, Happiness In A Place It Shouldn't Be, here! https://therions.ffm.to/hiapisb 

School Leavers Support

Explore the School Leavers Information Kit (SLIK) as your guide to education, training and work options in 2022;
As you prepare to finish your final year of school, the next phase of your journey will be full of interesting and exciting opportunities. You will discover new passions and develop new skills and knowledge.

We know that this transition can sometimes be challenging. With changes to the education and workforce landscape, you might be wondering if your planned decisions are still a good option or what new alternatives are available and how to pursue them.

There are lots of options for education, training and work in 2022 to help you further your career. This information kit has been designed to help you understand what those options might be and assist you to choose the right one for you. Including:
  • Download or explore the SLIK here to help guide Your Career.
  • School Leavers Information Kit (PDF 5.2MB).
  • School Leavers Information Kit (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • The SLIK has also been translated into additional languages.
  • Download our information booklets if you are rural, regional and remote, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or living with disability.
  • Support for Regional, Rural and Remote School Leavers (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for Regional, Rural and Remote School Leavers (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • Support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander School Leavers (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander School Leavers (DOCX 1.1MB).
  • Support for School Leavers with Disability (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for School Leavers with Disability (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • Download the Parents and Guardian’s Guide for School Leavers, which summarises the resources and information available to help you explore all the education, training, and work options available to your young person.

School Leavers Information Service

Are you aged between 15 and 24 and looking for career guidance?

Call 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337).

SMS 'SLIS2022' to 0429 009 435.

Our information officers will help you:
  • navigate the School Leavers Information Kit (SLIK),
  • access and use the Your Career website and tools; and
  • find relevant support services if needed.
You may also be referred to a qualified career practitioner for a 45-minute personalised career guidance session. Our career practitioners will provide information, advice and assistance relating to a wide range of matters, such as career planning and management, training and studying, and looking for work.

You can call to book your session on 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) Monday to Friday, from 9am to 7pm (AEST). Sessions with a career practitioner can be booked from Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm.

This is a free service, however minimal call/text costs may apply.

Call 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) or SMS SLIS2022 to 0429 009 435 to start a conversation about how the tools in Your Career can help you or to book a free session with a career practitioner.

All downloads and more available at: www.yourcareer.gov.au/school-leavers-support

Word Of The Week: psithurism

Word of the Week remains a keynote in 2025, simply to throw some disruption in amongst the 'yeah-nah' mix. 

Noun

psithurism (plural not attested) 1. (obsolete or rare) The sound of rustling leaves or wind in the trees; susurration.

Etymology

An adaptation of the Ancient Greek ψιθύρισμα (psithúrisma) or ψιθυρισμός (psithurismós), from ψιθυρίζω (psithurízō, “I whisper”), from ψίθυρος (psíthuros, “whispering, slanderous”).

susurration - from late Middle English: from late Latin susurratio(n- ), from Latin susurrare ‘to murmur, hum’, from susurrus ‘whisper’. "a whispering, a murmur," c. 1400, susurracioun, from Latin susurrationem (nominative susurratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of susurrare "to hum, murmur," from susurrus "a murmur, whisper." This is held to be a reduplication of a PIE imitative *swer- "to buzz, whisper" (source also of Sanskrit svarati "sounds, resounds," Greek syrinx "flute," Latin surdus "dull, mute," Old Church Slavonic svirati "to whistle," Lithuanian surma "pipe, shawm," German schwirren "to buzz," Old English swearm "a swarm").

PON yard: Little Corella pair with new bubs, January 6 2025

PON yard: new bush turkey

50 years of Triple J: challenging censorship, supporting Australian artists, and ‘no dope in the studio!’

Liz GiuffreUniversity of Technology Sydney

Originally known as 2JJ, or Double Jay, when it launched in Sydney at 11am on January 19 1975, Triple J has since become the national youth network. The station now encompasses broadcast radio, live events, social media and a huge digital and cultural influence. It’s been the beating heart (or beating drum, as its logo depicts) of generations of young Australians.

With a target audience of 18–24-year-olds (ish), what does it mean when the national youth broadcaster hits middle age?

A station for young Australians

Triple J was born out of the Whitlam government’s commitment to young Australians. In addition to lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, the introduction of a dedicated space for young people provided by the national broadcaster allowed for greater cultural and civic participation.

The first song played on air was You Just Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good in Bed by Skyhooks. Banned by commercial networks for its explicit sex and drug themes, the ABC – not beholden to advertisers – pushed boundaries by starting with this song.

The station became known as Triple J in 1981 when it shifted to FM radio, and the move to become a national network started in 1990, rolling out across the decade.

A station for Australian talent

People like Mark ColvinWil Anderson, Zan Rowe, Myf Warhurst, Judith Lucy, Roy and HG and Dr Karl all got their start at Triple J, often moving beyond the right “look or sound” for the commercial networks.

Triple J’s influence on Australian musical culture is almost impossible to understate.

Playlists for Australian music have been consistently and significantly higher than commercial competition.

The station has long run programs designed to support local artists. Cooking with George, a new Australian music show in the early 1980s hosted by George Wayne, created a platform for new artists to connect with audiences.

The Long Live the Evolution campaign in the early 1980s encouraged audiences to buy Australian music by offering a free Australian music compilation record with purchase of any Australian album.

The new talent competition Unearthed began in 1995 and now counts among its alumni Missy Higgins, Flume and Grinspoon.

One Night Stand is a semi-regular festival the station takes to different regional or rural Australian towns. The station’s coverage of festivals like Big Day Out and Splendour in the Grass provided a way for audiences who couldn’t afford to attend to still listen along.

A station for chaos, and youth politics

The appeal has always been the energy, if not occasional chaos, of having young people in charge and on air.

Clashes with ABC management have been inevitable. A memo distributed internally in 1976, and redistributed in 1979, gave “a very stroppy reminder to all staff of our self-imposed rule – NO DOPE IN THE OFFICE OR STUDIO!!”

In 1989, presenters protested the censorship of N.W.A.’s Fuck Tha Police. To show their objections, staff played N.W.A’s Express Yourself – a song rallying against censorship, and also the only song on the album without swear words – repeatedly for an entire day.

This again played out in the early 2000s when the presenters played The Herd’s 77% in full, complete with explicit lyrics which target the government and commercial broadcasters, saying “these cunts need a shake up”. ABC management argued that the language was unacceptable. But announcer Steve Cannane instead used the song to spark a 90 minute talkback special.

Overwhelmingly, Triple J presenters felt the strength of the language reflected the strength of the artists’ activist feelings.

Tracing the station’s approach to social issues is a way to trace the priorities of many young people in Australia. In 2017 the Hottest 100 countdown was moved away from January 26, following a listener petition and survey.

Over the years the station has promoted activists standing up against racism and homophobia. In 2023 after the Voice referendum, announcer Nooky gave an impassioned personal statement, followed by Yothu Yindi’s Treaty on repeat for the rest of the show.

A station for audiences

As I found studying Triple J’s impact during COVID, providing listeners with a range of listening options remains vital.

In May 2020 listeners across the country took over the program grid and requested songs – literally anything – as part of a week-long “Requestival”.

Hilariously the audience trolled the broadcaster, requesting everything from The Antiques Roadshow theme to Beethoven, as well as local artists and international pop.

Triple J became a clear place where the pent up energy, fear and loneliness of the young audience could be shared.

Room to grow

There were rumours Triple J was on its last legs even before it completed its first year on air.

While general and music outlets seem to periodically publish “is Triple J still relevant?” opinion pieces, most often these pieces are written by people who have aged out of the station’s target.

But commentators past the target demographic, judging it from their nostalgic perspective, aren’t the right people to decide if Australians 18–25 are getting what they feel they need.

Generational battles over the role and importance of Triple J continue to rage.

This is not to say older audiences should stop caring about Triple J. Nostalgia is powerful and important, shown by audiences who attended the sold out 20 year anniversary show by former breakfast hosts Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson.

Since 2015, the digital station Double J has served the “former” Triple J audience, complete with former Triple J presenters, music specials and music aimed at an older demographic.

Triple J is etched in the memories and forms a legacy for older Australians. Those who remember that first broadcast in 1975 will even get to relive it this weekend on Digital Double J, but Triple J is still a vital resource for its target audience.

At a time when media outlets are increasingly concentrated, more regularly incorporating AI and moving away from rigorous fact checking, there is even more need to promote and protect an outlet that embraces the distinctiveness of young Australians making new work now.The Conversation

Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Going for a bushwalk? 3 handy foods to have in your backpack (including muesli bars)

Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock
Margaret MurraySwinburne University of Technology

This time of year, many of us love to get out and spend time in nature. This may include hiking through Australia’s many beautiful national parks.

Walking in nature is a wonderful activity, supporting both physical and mental health. But there can be risks and it’s important to be prepared.

You may have read the news about hiker, Hadi Nazari, who was recently found alive after spending 13 days lost in Kosciuszko National Park.

He reportedly survived for almost two weeks in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales by drinking fresh water from creeks, and eating foraged berries and two muesli bars.

So next time you’re heading out for a day of hiking, what foods should you pack?

Here are my three top foods to carry on a bushwalk that are dense in nutrients and energy, lightweight and available from the local grocery store.

1. Muesli bars

Nazari reportedly ate two muesli bars he found in a mountain hut. Whoever left the muesli bars there made a great choice.

Muesli bars come individually wrapped, which helps them last longer and makes them easy to transport.

They are also a good source of energy. Muesli bars typically contain about 1,500-1,900 kilojoules per 100 grams. The average energy content for a 35g bar is about 614kJ.

This may be a fraction of what you’d usually need in a day. However, the energy from muesli bars is released at a slow to moderate pace, which will help keep you going for longer.

Muesli bars are also packed with nutrients. They contain all three macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) that our body needs to function. They’re a good source of carbohydrates, in particular, which are a key energy source. An average Australian muesli bar contains 14g of whole grains, which provide carbohydrates and dietary fibre for long-lasting energy.

Muesli bars that contain nuts are typically higher in fat (19.9g per 100g) and protein (9.4g per 100g) than those without.

Fat and protein are helpful for slowing down the release of energy from foods and the protein will help keep you feeling full for longer.

There are many different types of muesli bars to choose from. I recommend looking for those with whole grains, higher dietary fibre and higher protein content.

2. Nuts

Nuts are nature’s savoury snack and are also a great source of energy. Cashews, pistachios and peanuts contain about 2,300-2,400kJ per 100g while Brazil nuts, pecans and macadamias contain about 2,700-3,000kJ per 100g. So a 30g serving of nuts will provide about 700-900kJ depending on the type of nut.

Just like muesli bars, the energy from nuts is released slowly. So even a relatively small quantity will keep you powering on.

Nuts are also full of nutrients, such as protein, fat and fibre, which will help to stave off hunger and keep you moving for longer.

When choosing which nuts to pack, almost any type of nut is going to be great.

Peanuts are often the best value for money, or go for something like walnuts that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or a nut mix.

Whichever nut you choose, go for the unsalted natural or roasted varieties. Salted nuts will make you thirsty.

Nut bars are also a great option and have the added benefit of coming in pre-packed serves (although nuts can also be easily packed into re-usable containers).

If you’re allergic to nuts, roasted chickpeas are another option. Just try to avoid those with added salt.

Handful of natural nuts with other nuts on a dark background
Nuts are nature’s savoury snack and are also a great source of energy. Eakrat/Shutterstock

3. Dried fruit

If nuts are nature’s savoury snack, fruit is nature’s candy. Fresh fruits (such as grapes, frozen in advance) are wonderfully refreshing and perfect as an everyday snack, although can add a bit of weight to your hiking pack.

So if you’re looking to reduce the weight you’re carrying, go for dried fruit. It’s lighter and will withstand various conditions better than fresh fruit, so is less likely to spoil or bruise on the journey.

There are lots of varieties of dried fruits, such as sultanas, dried mango, dried apricots and dried apple slices.

These are good sources of sugar for energyfibre for fullness and healthy digestion, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. So choose one (or a combination) that works for you.

Don’t forget water

Next time you head out hiking for the day, you’re all set with these easily available, lightweight, energy- and nutrient-dense snacks.

This is not the time to be overly concerned about limiting your sugar or fat intake. Hiking, particularly in rough terrain, places demands on your body and energy needs. For instance, an adult hiking in rough terrain can burn upwards of about 2,000kJ per hour.

And of course, don’t forget to take plenty of water.

Having access to even limited food, and plenty of fresh water, will not only make your hike more pleasurable, it can save your life.The Conversation

Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

No, you don’t need the ‘Barbie drug’ to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here’s why melanotan-II is so risky

AtlasStudio/Shutterstock
Rose CairnsUniversity of Sydney

TikTok and Instagram influencers have been peddling the “Barbie drug” to help you tan.

But melanotan-II, as it’s called officially, is a solution that’s too good to be true. Just like tanning, this unapproved drug has a dark side.

Doctors, researchers and Australia’s drug regulator have been warning about its side effects – from nausea and vomiting to brain swelling and erection problems.

There are also safer ways of getting the tanned look, if that’s what you’re after.

What is melanotan-II?

No, it’s not a typo. Melanotan-II is very different from melatonin, which is a hormonal supplement used for insomnia and jet lag.

Melanotan-II is a synthetic version of the naturally ocurring hormone α-melanocyte stimulating hormone. This means the drug mimics the body’s hormone that stimulates production of the pigment melanin. This is what promotes skin darkening or tanning, even in people with little melanin.

Although the drug is promoted as a way of getting a “sunless tan”, it is usually promoted for use with UV exposure, to enhance the effect of UV and kickstart the tanning process.

Melanotan-II is related to, but different from, melanotan-I (afamelanotide), an approved drug used to treat the skin condition erythropoietic protoporphyria.

Melanotan-II is not registered for use with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). It is illegal to advertise it to the public or to provide it without a prescription.

However, social media has been driving unlicensed melanotan-II sales, a study published last year confirms.

There are many black market suppliers of melanotan-II injections, tablets and creams. More recently, nasal sprays have become more popular.

What are the risks?

Just like any drug, melanotan-II comes with the risk of side effects, many of which we’ve known about for more than a decade. These include changes in the size and pigmentation of moles, rapid appearance of new moles, flushing to the face, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and brain swelling.

It can also cause rhabdomyolysis, a dangerous syndrome where muscle breaks down and releases proteins into the bloodstream that damage the kidneys.

For men, the drug can cause priapism – a painful erection that does not go away and can damage the penis, requiring emergency treatment.

Its use has been linked with melanoma developing from existing moles either during or shortly after using the drug. This is thought to be due to stimulating pigment cells and causing the proliferation of abnormal cells.

Despite reports of melanoma, according to a study of social media posts the drug is often marketed as protecting against skin cancer. In fact, there’s no evidence to show it does this.

Social media posts about melanotan-II rarely mention health risks.

There are no studies on long-term safety of melanotan-II use.

Then there’s the issue of the drug not held to the high safety standards as TGA-approved products. This could result in variability in dose, undeclared ingredients and potential microbial contamination.

Young, pale man walking along street, looking down at phone in hand
Thinking about melanotan-II? The drug can cause a long-lasting painful erection needing urgent medical care. Eugenio Marongiu/Shutterstock

The TGA has previously warned consumers to steer clear of the drug due to its “serious side effects that can be very damaging to your health”.

According to an ABC article published earlier this week, the TGA is cracking down on the illegal promotion of the drug on various websites. However, we know banned sellers can pop back up under a different name.

TikTok has banned the hashtags #tanningnasalspray, #melanotan and #melanotan2, but these products continue to be promoted with more generic hashtags, such as #tanning.

Part of a wider trend

Australia has some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. The “slip, slop, slap” campaign is a public health success story, with increased awareness of sun safety, a cultural shift and a decline in melanoma in young people.

However, the image of a bronzed beach body remains a beauty standard, especially among some young people.

Disturbingly, tan lines are trending on TikTok as a sought after summer accessory and the hashtag #sunburnttanlines has millions of views. We’ve also seen a backlash against sunscreen among some young people, again promoted on TikTok.

The Cancer Council is so concerned about the trend towards normalising tanning it has launched the campaign End the Trend.

You have other options

There are options beyond spraying an illegal, unregulated product up your nose, or risking unprotected sun exposure: fake tan.

Fake tan tends to be much safer than melanotan-II and there’s more long-term safety data. It also comes with potential side effects, albeit rare ones, including breathing issues (with spray products) and skin inflammation in some people.

Better still, you can embrace your natural skin tone.The Conversation

Rose Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Behind the viral selfie location of Saint Ignatius is a 350-year-old story of an optical illusion

NICOLA MESSANA PHOTOS/Shutterstock
Katrina GrantUniversity of Sydney

The church of Saint Ignatius in Rome (or San Ignazio) has become a viral selfie location. Tourists have been queuing out the doors for a chance to take a selfie in a mirror that reflects the church’s richly painted ceiling.

The vault was painted by the artist Andrea Pozzo between 1688 and 1694. In the centre we can see Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the founder of the Jesuit order. He is ascending through the clouds to heaven while a divine light pours into him and through him to representations of the four continents of the world, an allegory of the missionary work of the Jesuit order.

The real fascination of the painting is the optical illusion Pozzo created, which is probably also why it is gaining fans as an Instagram backdrop.

When you look up at the painting it seems the real architecture of the nave continue upwards to an impossible height and the roof has lifted off entirely.

Figures of angels dangle their legs from cloud, saints gaze down towards us or look towards heaven, putti (baby angels) hold symbolic objects and peek from beneath voluminous robes, while animals charge out from behind the architecture.

Even with the most critical eye it can seem impossible to tell where the real church ends and the illusion begins.

An ‘illusionistic’ ceiling painting

Pozzo’s masterpiece marks a significant moment in the history of illusionistic painting in Europe.

Since the 15th century, artists and architects had been interested in refining the use of a technique called “linear perspective” that allowed them to depict three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. Anyone who has tried their hand at drawing lessons has probably had a go at depicting this kind of perspective.

A common exercise, found in a 15th-century book by the architect Leon Battista Alberti, shows the example of drawing straight lines that converge at a single point to create the illusion of depth.

Views of lines converging to a vanishing point to demonstrate linear perspective
Images of linear perspective from Leon Battista Alberti’s On Painting and On Sculpture, from a version published in 1804. Getty Research Institute via archive.org

Pozzo was one of the leading artists in the 17th century for this style of painting. He wrote a book, Rules and Examples of Perspective, explaining how he created these optical illusions using perspective.

For the ceiling of Saint Ignatius he first created a drawing on paper divided into squares. A grid was then suspended on the ceiling by attaching pieces of string to the cornice (the moulding between the wall and ceiling).

A central point on the floor (where the selfie mirror is) was chosen as the central viewing point and the design was copied line by line onto the ceiling. This was challenging as the ceiling is not flat, but curved.

If you could view it up close you would see that the figures and lines of architecture are distorted, stretched, curved and foreshortened, but when viewed from the central spot on the floor it creates a seamless illusion.

The science of vision

The fascination with illusionistic ceiling paintings in this period in Europe was in part a response to new scientific ideas about optics – the study of the properties of light.

Painting was regarded as an art that had its foundations in scientific reasoning. The best painters understood how shadows and light worked, understood colour theories and studied perspective and anatomy.

In 1604 the astronomer, mathematician and natural philosopher Johannes Kepler published a text proposing that vision was based on light passing through the cornea, pupil and lens to produce an image on the retina.

The philosopher Rene Descartes then proposed in two works, Dioptrique (Optics), published in 1637, and L'Homme (Treatise on Man), published posthumously in 1662, that these images were conducted to the brain – the idea of sensory projection.

Art played an important role in helping people conceptualise these new ideas. Both Descartes and Kepler used the metaphor of “painting” to describe how light created an image on the retina.

In the illustrations created for Descartes’ L'Homme we also see how theories about seeing were illustrated using geometry and linear perspective.

Angles of vision from a finger to a mirror to the eye.
Engraving showing a demonstration of Descartes’ theories of vision from A Treatise on Man, this version was published in Paris in 1677. Archive.org

This new understanding of vision also led to the realisation the eye could be manipulated. Optical illusions in art prompted delight and anxiety about whether the eye could be trusted. They also prompted deeper reflection about the nature of truth and existence of god.

A theatre of religious visions

Illusionistic paintings in churches also had a religious purpose.

The Jesuits regarded performance and spectacle as a central part of their mission to educate and inspire religious devotion. Philosophers like Descartes believed that the experience of wonder prompted an emotional response that could transform the mind.

It is likely Pozzo was inspired by these popular ideas about wonder.

Visitors in the 17th century experienced the sense of amazement, as we still do, but the idea was this moment of wonder would translate into stronger religious faith.

These paintings helped to make abstract concepts – like religious faith and ascending to heaven – more real and tangible.

Why does a 350-year-old painting still hold such an attraction for modern visitors? For some, the religious message is still significant.

For many others it is the illusion that draws us in. We know what we see is not real, yet our brains register it as such. The visual dissonance delights and intrigues us.

And still for many it is just a popular Instagram or TikTok backdrop. But, hopefully, it is also a reminder that, in a world flooded with constructed and fake images, the eye is easily fooled.The Conversation

Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Staring blankly at your screen? You probably have post holiday blues. The good news is you can get through it

Kelvin (Shiu Fung) WongSwinburne University of Technology

Sad, anxious or lacking in motivation? Chances are you have just returned to work after a summer break.

January is the month when people are most likely to quit their jobs after having had time off.

And even though most people experience the return to work blues, the good news is there are ways to get through them. But first we have to understand why we experience them at all.

Holidays often promote idealised expectations of life, such as the freedom and joy that comes from reduced responsibilities and expectations from others.

Unsurprisingly, returning to work clashes with these expectations due to its inherent pressures and responsibilities. This mismatch between one’s expectations and reality creates psychological discomfort, or “cognitive dissonance”, which includes feelings of disappointment or frustration.

Cognitive dissonance can also occur when there is a mismatch between perceived identities or roles in life. For example, during the holidays I become “an avid watcher of TV shows I missed throughout the year” and “someone who is readily available to others”.

However, the return to work quickly shifts me to being “productive worker (who has no time for TV)” and “someone who needs to be mindful of how they spend their limited downtime and energy”. Managing this shift can be mentally taxing and quite stressful!

5 ways to ease your back to work blues

Self-determination theory further highlights the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in maintaining psychological well-being.

People often have greater autonomy over their time and activities during the holidays, leading to a stronger sense of control and fulfilment. In contrast, returning to work may restrict this autonomy which in turn reduces feelings of competence and satisfaction.

An abrupt return to a demanding workplace can amplify cognitive dissonance and the negative consequences of reduced autonomy.

According to the effort-recovery model, the holidays are a time for people to replenish their physical and mental resources.

Not having enough time for a smooth transition back into work can make us feel any recovery and pleasure from being away has been lost. This makes us feel fatigued, unmotivated and less able to manage psychological stressors like cognitive dissonance.

Understanding why we experience “return to work blues” can help with managing this very common phenomena. Here are five strategies to make it easier.

1. Ease back into work gradually

Schedule a day between your return from vacation and your first day back at work to unpack, rest, and mentally prepare. If you have already started work, then consider taking the first few Fridays or Mondays off so you have a longer weekend. Also, break down your workload into manageable chunks, focusing on high-priority tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

2. Incorporate elements of your holiday into daily life

Really enjoyed watching TV shows, being out in nature or trying new restaurants during the break? Then schedule time to regularly engage in these activities. You can even organise your next break so that you have something to look forward to.

3. Set meaningful goals

Use what you have learnt over the holidays to set personal and professional goals that align with your values and aspirations. For example, you might have discovered you really value social connection. So you could set a professional goal of connecting more with your colleagues by organising after-work drinks.

4. Reframe your perspective

Celebrate routine by recognising the stability and structure that work provides. You can also focus on the parts of your job that provide you with joy and fulfilment.

5. Maintain connections and prioritise self-care

Share holiday stories with your co-workers to foster camaraderie and ease the transition. Make healthy lifestyle choices, such as adopting a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep to support your mental and physical well-being.

Know that you are not alone in feeling sad or apprehensive about returning to work after the break. However, if these feelings persist or worsen, speak with a trusted friend, family member, call a support line like Beyond Blue, or seek support from a mental health professional such as a psychologist.The Conversation

Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Beware of bad customers – and 3 other ways small and medium businesses can thrive in 2025

Antje FiedlerUniversity of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauBenjamin FathUniversity of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Martie-Louise VerreynneThe University of Queensland

There is no denying times have been tough for small and medium-sized businesses, and 2025 is not looking that much better.

Gross domestic product per capita is continuing to decline in both Australia and New Zealand. Company liquidations are on the rise, hitting a ten-year high in New Zealand and nearing an 11-year high in Australia.

And while consumer confidence has inched up, it’s still below the long-term average.

But even in this tough economic climate, there are ways small and medium-sized businesses can improve their prospects in 2025.

A fresh look at customers

While it is tempting to chase all revenue in a downturn, it can come at a cost. This is particularly the case when businesses overextend resources, acquire less profitable customers or over-invest in marketing.

Bad customers – those who don’t pay, don’t know what they want, are not loyal, constantly demand exceptions or who engage in aggressive or abusive behaviour – can kill profitability in a business.

Small businesses can also lose money when emulating the marketing strategies of large firms, such as offering freebies or discounts.

Rather than investing significant effort in finding new customers, businesses can benefit from retaining existing customers. Research on earlier economic crises found a 5% increase in customer retention produces more than a 25% increase in profit.

Businesses need to better understand their most profitable customers — those who pay in full, on time and provide repeat business.

This means asking questions such as: “what do these customers value and could we get more of them?”

Indeed, businesses might first have to shrink by losing bad customers before becoming more profitable by targeting good ones.

A fresh look at the competition

Businesses also need to recognise they are not alone. Surviving 2025 might require a focus on collaboration rather than competition. Doing so could be the difference between closing and making it to 2026.

Collaborating with another business could mean sharing costs or the opportunity to pitch for a larger project.

These types of opportunities are easily dismissed when the economic climate is strong. But during an economic downturn, collaboration could mean the difference between surviving or not.

Other competitors might be looking at winding down. Every business has some “crown jewels” — key assets, employees or customers. These jewels become greatly undervalued if the business is dissolved.

Bluntly put, there might be a bargain or a great customer to secure from competitors who are on their way out.

A fresh look at digitalisation

Many businesses have delayed investments in technology as they try to weather the economic slowdown. This means there are often unrealised efficiency gains from digitalisation, or new sales channels, such as TikTokFacebook and other social media platforms.

Digitalisation helps small and medium-sized businesses to respond to crises, such as enabling cost savings and growth to increase chances of survival.

Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, has significant potential to help small businesses bridge gaps in content creation, insights and productivity.

Although the Australian and New Zealand governments have begun supporting AI transition for small and medium-sized businesses, overall buy-in remains cautious.

Half of small and medium enterprises in both countries have yet to adopt AI. So while AI holds the potential to level the playing field and drive productivity by equipping these businesses with tools and capabilities typically reserved for large firms, it may deepen the divide.

Digitalisation can also increase flexibility and spark an entrepreneurial mindset. As employees of large companies return to the office in droves, some skilled and entrepreneurial employees seek opportunities to maintain the freedom of remote work.

Hiring this talent creates a win-win: working for your business can help them to hone their skills, while their skills can yield a competitive edge for your business.

These shifts can help businesses attract and keep talent, and reduce the need for physical assets.

A fresh look at oneself

How a business performs in a crisis is determined by the quality of its management. The value of good management is often underestimated. It lies in doing the basics well: setting clear goals, monitoring progress and encouraging performance.

A crisis is the perfect time to take a fresh look at customers, competition and costs. Leaders need to examine what their blind spots are so the business doesn’t fall short at the management level.

Personal success in business depends on achieving balance across work, home, community and self. What matters most to me? Where do I see the business in three years? Where do I see myself?

Taking the time to think about these questions is vital — not just for your business, but for you.The Conversation

Antje Fiedler, Senior Lecturer, Management and International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauBenjamin Fath, Senior Lecturer, Management and International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Martie-Louise Verreynne, Professor in Innovation and Associate Dean (Research), The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Looking for a summer or longer-term job? Here’s how to find one and avoid being exploited

hedgehog94/Shutterstock
Grozdana ManaloUniversity of Sydney

Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra money.

But it’s important to be cautious and to ensure you don’t get caught up with an unscrupulous employer who might take advantage of a young, inexperienced job-seeker.

The most common red flags to be aware of are unpaid or underpaid wages, unsafe working conditions or unfair treatment. But, before we get into that, where do you start?

How to find a casual or summer job

Recruitment agencies

Register with recruitment agencies that specialise in temporary or seasonal work – they can match you with employers looking for short-term staff, ideal for summer jobs.

It’s free to join, and all you need to do is submit your resume and contact details. A quick tip: a recruitment agent makes their income from matching prospective job seekers to roles, so make sure your resume is tailored to the industry you’re interested in.

Local papers and community boards

Despite the rise of social media, many summer jobs can be found in local newspapers or newsletters, or your community bulletin boards, especially for smaller companies and in regional areas.

Check your local libraries, supermarkets and shopping centres. Some businesses will also place a notice in their front window.

Social media

Follow your favourite organisations and brands on social media, as many will use their sites to advertise vacancies. Studies have shown more than 90% of employers have used, or are planning to use, social media to find candidates.

An online job advertisement
Job vacancies can by found on a company’s website or on the sites of specialist and general recruitment agencies. ronstik/Shutterstock

Online job portals

Employment websites such as SEEK, Indeed, GradConnection and Prosple allow you to filter roles by location, industry and job type. If you want to work for a particular company, go directly to its website and check the careers page.

Personal networks

Use your personal and professional networks. Let your friends, family and acquaintances know you are looking. People will often help or recommend you. Most job vacancies are filled via the hidden job market, without being advertised.

Now you’ve found a job…

Getting a job is the first step. Ensuring your wages, hours and other conditions are legal under the Fair Work Act is the next.

Carefully read job descriptions

If an advertisement is vague and offers a promise of earning a lot of money for very little effort, as in the case of some work-from-home or remote jobs, it’s probably too good to be true.

Legitimate job ads provide detailed information about the role, responsibilities, required qualifications and experience, working hours and application process. Most importantly, an advertisement should include an email or phone number you can contact to get further information.

Do your research

Before you apply for a job, take the time to research the organisation. Look for reviews on websites such as Glassdoor – where former employees share their experiences.

Take a look at the company’s website, if it has one, to get an idea of the culture and values. If you find negative information, be wary. Sometimes a simple Google search will produce articles on a businesses questionable behaviour.

Ask for an employment contract

A written contract is necessary to protect your rights. A contract must outline your pay, working hours, working conditions, work health and safety issues. Before starting a job, the contract should be signed by both parties.

Read the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Guide to starting a new job.

Once you start working, keep written records of your hours and tasks. Keep a notebook or spreadsheet and track your hours and tasks daily. Also, keep records of all your payslips in case there’s an issue with your pay.

Safety and wellbeing

Safety is very important, especially if you are doing physical labour. Look for signs that your workplace follows local regulations and provides a safe work environment.

As well as physical safety, it is also important to protect your mental health. Watch for signs of bullying, intimidation or other inappropriate behaviour by bosses or colleagues.

Trust your gut

If something doesn’t feel right throughout the process, it probably isn’t. If a potential employer can’t answer simple questions, or is reluctant to give you written documentation, those are red flags.

It’s better to walk away than risk being put in an uncomfortable situation. If in doubt, talk to someone you trust, such as family, friends or mentors.

If you don’t have anyone you can talk to, you can always contact the office of the Fair Work Ombudsman.The Conversation

Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Research suggests those who use buy-now-pay-later services end up spending more

Przemek Klos/Shutterstock
Ashish KumarRMIT University

Once, borrowing money to make a purchase was a relatively tedious process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing.

True, some stores offered lay-by plans that would let you pay for goods in instalments. But if they didn’t, and you didn’t already have a credit card, you’d have to go to a bank and apply for one.

That would mean providing a range of supporting documents, negotiating an appropriate credit limit, and waiting for approval. It’s unlikely you’d apply for credit just for a single, small purchase.

In recent years, though, the financial technology or “fintech” revolution in the customer credit market has changed all that, with the meteoric rise of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services.

BNPL credit allows consumers to split their purchases into smaller, interest-free instalments. It is often directly integrated into online checkouts with fast approval, making it easy to purchase something instantly and spread the cost over coming months.

There are some obvious risks. Many BNPL providers charge less visible fees, such as late payment fees and account maintenance fees. In many countries, the BNPL sector is also less regulated than traditional credit.

But does it also change our spending habits? Our recent research uncovered a concerning insight: consumers who use BNPL services end up spending more money online than those who don’t. This effect is particularly strong among younger shoppers and those with lower incomes.

Our research

We analysed data from an online retailer in the Nordic region that offered customers three payment options for online purchases: card, pay on delivery and BNPL.

Close Up Photo of Man's Hands Using Laptop Computer and Credit Card
The customers analysed in our study could choose between traditional payment and buy-now-pay-later options. Tijana Simic/Shutterstock

We found that consumers who used BNPL spent an average of 6.42% more than those who didn’t.

This increase was particularly noticeable for low-ticket items, suggesting that BNPL may encourage customers to buy more when shopping for smaller, everyday things.

Why might this be the case? For one, BPNL spending is constrained by the size of the loans on offer. In the US, the average BNPL loan amount is US$135 (A$217).

It may also be related to what’s known in economics as the “lipstick effect”, where customers under financial strain tend to reduce spending on big-ticket items in favour of lower-priced luxuries.

Selling such low-ticket items doesn’t always give online retailers the biggest profit margins. But it can play a crucial role in acquiring and retaining customers, and creating opportunities to upsell.

Our research also showed that younger, lower-income customers were more likely to spend more when using BNPL services, likely because it provides them with additional “liquidity” – access to cash.

Female customer testing lipstick in make-up shop
The ‘lipstick effect’ is the theory that customers spend more on small indulgences or luxuries when under financial strain. Nomad_Soul

Why might they be spending more?

It’s easy to see why so many consumers like BNPL. Some even think of it as more of a way of payment than a form of credit.

The core feature of such services - offering interest-free instalment payments for online purchases - has a significant psychological impact on customers.

It leverages the principle that the perceived benefit of spending in the present outweighs the displeasure associated with future payments.

This behaviour aligns with theories of “hyperbolic discounting” – our preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger later ones – and the related “present bias” phenomenon.

Our results also suggest customers with high category experience – that is, more familiar with the larger product categories carried by a retailer – and those more sensitive to deals and promotions are likely to spend more when online retailers provide BNPL as a payment option.

A growing influence on spending

The economic impact of BNPL is substantial in the countries that have pioneered its adoption.

In Australia, birthplace of Afterpay, Zip, Openpay, and Latitude, it’s estimated that (allowing for flow-on effects) BNPL services contributed A$14.3 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2021 financial year.

Industry research firm Juniper Research projects the number of BNPL users will exceed 670 million globally by 2028, an increase of more than 100% on current levels.

Substantial projected growth in the sector is attributed to multiple factors. These include increasing e-commerce usage, economic pressures, the flexibility of payment options and widespread adoption by merchants.

Buyer, beware

BNPL services can be a convenient way to pay for online purchases. But it’s important to use them responsibly.

That means understanding the potential risks and benefits to make your own informed decisions. Be mindful of your spending. Don’t let the allure of easy payments let you get carried away.

Customers should explore beyond the marketing tactics of interest-free split payments and pay close attention to terms and conditions, including any fees and penalties. They should treat BNPL like any other form of credit.

Whether you’re a shopper considering using BNPL or a business thinking about offering it, our research highlights that it may have the power to significantly influence spending patterns – for better or worse.The Conversation

Ashish Kumar, Senior Lecturer, RMIT University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A bright ‘Sun-skirting’ comet will grace southern skies this week. Here’s how to see it

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) passing close to the Sun. NASA/SOHO
Jonti HornerUniversity of Southern Queensland

Hot on the heels of a spectacular comet late last year, another celestial visitor is set to put on a show. And Southern Hemisphere observers have a ringside seat.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) has just experienced a very close encounter with the Sun, and will become visible low in the western sky after sunset in the coming days. With luck, it will prove to be a spectacular sight.

It is often said that comets are like cats – their behaviour is notoriously hard to predict. So while astronomers have been awaiting the arrival of C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) for several months, they have been cautious of raising expectations too high.

Over the past couple of days, the comet has swung past the Sun, and survived its close encounter intact. The time has come for it to emerge to our evening skies.

A Sun-skirting snowball

At the heart of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is a dirty snowball or “cometary nucleus” only a few hundred metres to a couple of kilometres across. When it was discovered, in April 2024, it was still more than 600 million kilometres from Earth and the Sun.

In the days following the comet’s discovery, astronomers worked out its orbit – and it turned out to be a “Sun-skirter” that would pass less than 14 million kilometres from our star on January 13.

As a comet approaches the Sun, it begins to heat up. The ice on and near the surface “sublimes”, causing jets of gas and dust to erupt from the nucleus’ surface. This shrouds the nucleus in a vast cloud of gas and dust, which is then blown away from the Sun, creating the comet’s tails.

Comets that get particularly close to the Sun can become spectacular. This is what happened with comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught), which put on an incredible show for observers in the Southern Hemisphere in early 2007.

For that reason, astronomers often get excited when a new comet is found that will pass particularly close to the Sun. However, comets are also notoriously fragile and friable. Many small comets on Sun-skirting orbits simply fall apart in a puff of dust and disappointment.

When comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered it was very faint, which suggested its nucleus is relatively small. As a result, it seemed likely to fall apart during its close approach to the Sun.

One piece of evidence gave astronomers hope. The comet’s orbit indicated it had passed this way at least once before – and survived.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) putting on a show as it passes through the field of view of NASA’s SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO/C3 camera. NASA/SOHO

Now the time has come – as I write this, the comet has passed its closest approach to the Sun intact. It has already put on an incredible show as the third brightest comet ever observed by NASA’s space-based solar observatory SOHO, and even been imaged by keen astrophotographers in broad daylight. Over the coming days, it will move into the evening sky as it moves away from the Sun.

A bright comet, low in the west after sunset

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will begin to appear in the evening sky, low to the west-southwest. For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, it will remain lost in the Sun’s glare. But for those south of the equator, it has the potential to be easily visible for the next few evenings, as the sky darkens after the Sun sets.

Unfortunately, the comet’s orbit is also taking it away from Earth, so it will fade relatively quickly. At its closest to the Sun, the comet was almost as bright as the planet Venus (currently a spectacular sight in the western evening sky). Within a couple of weeks, the comet will cease to be visible to the naked eye.

What does that mean? If you want to get the best possible view, you need to seize your chance in the next few days. Each evening, the comet will set later, and be farther from the Sun in the sky. But it will also be fainter from one night to the next.

So when, and where, should I look?

If you want to see comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), you’re going to need to find somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon slightly to the south of due west. Using a planetarium app or website like Stellarium will allow you to work out what time the Sun and the comet will set from your location, so you can plan your observations.

The videos below show the comet’s location a little after sunset at three different latitudes (around Cairns, Brisbane and Melbourne/Auckland) over the evenings from January 16 to 23.

Note the position of the comet in these videos is just the location of the comet’s head. The tail will rise upwards from the comet into the sky, leaning a bit to the right. The videos also don’t give a real feel for how bright the comet will be – you’ll just have to go out and see.

The location of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) 35 minutes after sunset for observers at a latitude of 17 degrees S (equivalent to Cairns, Australia).
The location of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) 35 minutes after sunset for observers at a latitude of 27 degrees S (equivalent to Brisbane, Australia).
The location of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) 40 minutes after sunset for observers at a latitude of 37 degrees S (equivalent to Melbourne, Australia or Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand).

Get to your chosen viewing location around sunset, to maximise your chances of spotting the comet. As soon as the Sun is below the horizon, you can start scanning for the comet with binoculars, your camera, or the naked eye.

At first, the sky will be too bright, but the comet should eventually reveal itself, low to the horizon, before it sets.

From my own experience with comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) last year, seeing a comet low in the twilight sky can be challenging. I found it was easy to spot the comet through my camera. Once found, I could find it with the unaided eye.

The time-lapse video I shot, below, shows that comet rising in the morning sky in early October 2024. You can see how the comet gets easier to see the darker the sky becomes. For the new comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), imagine the video running backwards, with the comet setting as the sky becomes darker, to get a feel for how the comet might look.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) rising in the east from south-east Queensland, in October 2024.

Of course it is hard to say just how bright and easy to spot comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will be.

With each night that passes, the comet will get higher in the sky, and so in theory be easier to spot. It will be dimming, however, so the best view will be had during the next week.The Conversation

Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

This summer, please leave the sea shells by the seashore

Maël BALLAND/Pexels
Nathan Brooks EnglishCQUniversity Australia and Robert MuirIndigenous Knowledge

When I (Nathan Brooks English) was six years old, I snuck a starfish home from the beach and hid it in my closet. I regret that now, as my parents did then when the smell of rotting starfish overwhelmed the house. I regret it also because that starfish had a place and a purpose – and dying in a hot, dark closet next to my Hot Wheels was not it.

Likewise, the beautiful shells and natural flotsam that decorate Australian beaches have a place and a purpose. For many of us, summer at the beach is a cherished memory and collecting seashells is probably a part of that memory.

On most beaches in Australia, collecting shells without living creatures in them is legal, but let me convince you there are better options that ensure future Sallies will still find seashells by the seashore.

Someone needs that shell more than you

For native wildlife, both occupied and unoccupied shells provide important shelter and sources of calcium and grit.

Taking that beautiful snail shell could increase the cost of housing for a hermit crab or the small shrimp that needs it next. The beautiful conch shell that calls to you is actually an octopus caravan.

For these reasons, never pick up shells in the water or in tidal pools; chances are they are being used or will be shortly.

Likewise, collecting shells in marine parks is strictly prohibited.

A hermit crab crawls along in a sea shell.
Chances are that shell you want is being used – or will be shortly. William Edge/Shutterstock

Shells have spiritual and cultural importance

For the island Woppaburra People of central Queensland, beaches and shells have spiritual and cultural importance as part of Dreaming stories, dance and ceremonies.

In addition to their place and purpose in my (Robert Muir) stories and culture, shells can also provide valuable insight and context to our history on the island.

Middens (deep piles of shells left on the beach after being used to produce food or tools) provide archaeological evidence that the islands have been occupied for at least the past 5,000 years.

Back then, Woppa (also known as Great Keppel Island, in Queensland) and its beaches could sustainably support the 100 to 200 people who lived on the island for more than five millenia.

Today, Woppa hosts tens of thousands of visitors a year on three small beaches. And while people are welcome to pick up, examine and play with the shells, to preserve their place and purpose they must be left on the shore where they were found.

Woppa is seen from the sky.
Visitors to Woppa (also known as Great Keppel Island) can pick up shells, but they should put them back. Wazzy/Shutterstock

If everyone took a shell…

Increasing pressure on beaches and their natural resources isn’t just felt on Woppa.

The global population now exceeds 8 billion people and our collective (pun intended) impact on beaches is magnified. That’s twice as many people as when I (Nathan Brooks English) was a child in the late 1970s.

For example, in 2019 Bondi Beach had more than 2.1 million visitors (not that anyone is looking at shells). If everyone took a shell, there’d be hardly any left.

Even smaller beaches need time to accumulate shells and a summer rush of collectors can quickly deplete beaches of shells until the next cyclone or winter storm washes more up.

What to do instead of collecting shells

So how do we balance wanting a tangible reminder of the beach in our own yards or homes (the destination of many shells) versus not damaging the natural beauty and function of beach ecosystems?

Instead of taking a shell, take a picture instead. You can photograph unoccupied shells in place along the beach where the tide has collected, or arrange them together for a photographic collage.

Include them in your sandcastles as gates, windows, or little people to populate the castle.

For your artsy children (or adults), use crayons or coloured pencils and a small sketch pad to draw the shells.

Taking a few shells at a time to your umbrella to sketch them and then returning them to the tide line will sate the urge to collect and leave the beach unchanged.

You may even find you have a gifted scientific illustrator on your hands.

A woman and her daughter collect sea shells on the sea shore.
When you’re done with the shells, just leave them near the shore. Photo by Gustavo Fring/Pexels

When you’re done with the shells, leave them by the shore. Wind, tides and time (or tomorrow’s small visitor) will sweep them back into natural circulation, continuing their storied lives as creature homes or fine grit for our beautiful Australian beaches, their purpose and place preserved.

If you absolutely must pick something up and take it home, please pick up some of the vast amount of plastic found on Australian beaches.The Conversation

Nathan Brooks English, Associate professor; Flora, Fauna & Freshwater Research Cluster Lead, CQUniversity Australia and Robert Muir, Project Officer at the Woppaburra TUMRA Aboriginal Corporation, Indigenous Knowledge

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The history of women cyclists – an uphill climb to equality

A Victorian postcard from Germany. Modern Records Centre/University of Warwick
Tamsin JohnsonNottingham Trent University

Cycling, in its most familiar form, dates back to at least the 19th century. One example of an early bicycle was known as the “hobby horse”, and it later became the “Dandy horse” and then the “accelerator”. Early cycling was reserved for the upper-classes and was seen as highly fashionable and decorous – particularly for men.

Women’s cycling, on the other hand, was viewed as trivial and unbecoming. When women were portrayed cycling, they were often eroticised and undressed.

The early development of women’s bicycles and cycle-wear was impeded by debates on women’s morality and sexual innocence. The bicycle was said to cause “bicycle face” (a face of muscular tension), harm reproductive organs and diminish what supposedly little energy women had.

Cycling women were viewed as sexually promiscuous both for the “unnatural” straddling of the bicycle and for the freedom cycling offered them. Where were they all cycling to, men wondered.

New women

The development in 1885 of the Rover “safety bicycle” revolutionised women’s cycling. It featured a lower mounting position and inspired somewhat of a cycling craze. By the 1890s, several million women around the world were cycling.

The influx of female cyclists on the streets created a moral panic for the Victorians. The image of the cycling woman came to represent a new type of woman with feminist ambition. This led to a discourse known simply as the “woman question”.

Postcard showing a woman leaving her home with a bicycle while her husband tends to a crying baby
The ‘new woman’ as depicted in an illustration from 1908. Author provided

The fear caused by this cycling “new woman” is made clear in postcards from the time. The new woman in the example above is abandoning her husband and children for a day out and charging her husband with domestic tasks – a highly provocative notion to a Victorian audience. God forbid, perhaps she is also on her way to a suffragist rally. Cycling women were seen as radicals who threatened the “natural order of things”.

Such was the symbiotic relationship between feminism and women’s cycling, that the bicycle became emblematic of the suffrage movement. This photograph, taken in 1897, was taken at the height of the “woman problem” debate.

An effigy of a cycling woman hangs above a crowd at Cambridge University, as they await the result of a vote on whether female students ought to receive a degree upon completion of study. The vote was defeated and the effigy triumphantly torn down. Women could not receive a degree from Cambridge University until 1948.

A crowd with an effigy of a woman riding a bike above them.
The crowd await the result of the Cambridge vote. University of Cambridge

This photograph captures the cultural rejection of cycling, educated women.

The effigy, dressed in collegiate striped stockings, cap and rational dress is a stereotypical new woman. Akin to a Guy Fawkes dummy in November, during this time the cycling woman momentarily joined Britain’s long history of reviled figures of rebellion.


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Mobile women

In her book Women and the Machine (2001), art historian Julie Wosk documents the history of a “cultural longing to represent women as safely stationary” in visual culture.

At the turn of the century, cycling women were often depicted as incompetant, either falling off their bicycle, cycling into something or being attacked while cycling.

a woman falling from her bicycle.
A Victorian postcard showing a woman falling from her bicycle. University of Warwick

The intention behind these images was to showcase women’s supposed technical and physical inability. The Victorian equivalent of the sexist modern-day stereotype that “women can’t drive”. At the base of such claims is a fear of mobile women. Images like these served as visual warnings for women who wished to exercise their physical freedom on two wheels.

After 1900, women’s cycling went through another transition. While in its early years cycling was considered an upper-class pursuit, by the 20th century bicycles were becoming democratised as the motorcar became the in thing for the wealthy.

Advert showing a woman cycling to work in a factory
During the war, the bicycle was seen as the ideal mode of transport for female workers. Author providedCC BY-SA

Bicycles became a form of functional transport for the working classes. The need for an expanded female workforce during the first world war had also helped to normalise women’s cycling.

As shown in the above special munitions edition of Cycling magazine, the bicycle was seen as the ideal “energy saving” mode of transport for female workers. While the advertisement copy shows that the 19th-century concerns over women’s “energies” endured during the war, the visual of a woman successfully cycling to her workplace confirms some progress.

By the 1930s, cycling manufacturers were offering women’s ranges more in line with men’s and leading brands offered speed and sports models to women. Marketing copy focused less on issues of morality and decorum and worries of “bicycle face” had long ceased to exist.

This was surely progress? Unfortunately, it isn’t so straightforward. The discourse around women cycling was still concerned with health and beauty more than sporting achievement. But now instead of being thought to damage femininity, cycling now supposedly ensured it.

News story about a woman cycling
The news story about Billie Dovey. Author providedCC BY-SA

In 1938 Billie Dovey was named British bicycle manufacturer Rudge-Whitworth’s “Keep Fit Girl” after she peddled almost 30,000 miles around Britain. But rather than focus on her remarkable achievement, the press described Dovey’s “fine physique”, “healthy” skin and “tan”.

Images of the past can tell us a lot about the culture which produced it. These images show a cultural discomfort with physically mobile women. And it’s a discomfort that hasn’t entirely disappeared.

A gender gap in British cycling persists. Nine in ten British women are reportedly “scared of cycling in towns and cities”. The UK’s poor cycling infrastructure matched with an increase in violence against women on the streets together make for an unappealing prospect for would-be female cyclists.

As well as safety fears, women have less leisure time – despite more flexible post-pandemic working structures – and societal pressures regarding their physical appearance when cycling still linger. That’s all despite the number of female cyclists adding to medal tallies for British teams in recent years which made household names of some athletes.

Whatever the future for women’s cycling, it is critical to understand and redress these long-held assumptions about women’s “paltry” abilities regarding technology, sports and cycling. It is important to recognise the bicycle as an agent for progress whilst acknowledging the historic and contemporary challenges facing female cyclists.The Conversation

Tamsin Johnson, PhD candidate in visual cultures, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

How Sydney’s cultural festivals cultivate a sense of hope and optimism for Australia’s future

Najmeh HassanliUniversity of Technology Sydney and Pavlina JasovskaUniversity of Technology Sydney

Multiculturalism is central to Australia’s identity, with more than half the population coming from overseas or having parents who did.

Most Australians view multiculturalism positively. However, many experience a declining sense of belonging and ongoing discrimination. When surveyed in 2024, one in three migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds reported dealing with racial, ethnic or religious discrimination in the past 12 months.

In this context, cultural festivals present a valuable opportunity. They help remove barriers between different communities and build understanding across cultures.

We studied two cultural festivals in Sydney, the Africultures Festival and the New Beginnings Festival, to investigate the impact they had on communities.

Through interviews and surveys, we found cultural festivals are meaningful to the people they celebrate and enriching for non-migrants who attend them. These events help cultivate a sense of hope and optimism for Australia’s future as a multicultural society.

A chance for cultural enrichment

The Africultures Festival has been held each year since 2009. Led by a passionate all-women African-Australian committee, this event connects African communities with the broader Australian public.

The New Beginnings Festival is organised by the not-for-profit organisation Settlement Services International. It celebrates the diversity of migrant, refugee, multicultural and First Nations communities with themes of home, belonging, resilience and creativity.

Both festivals present unique opportunities for the general public to learn about different cultures and traditions. And for those whose cultures are being celebrated, they offer space to express one’s cultural identity and counteract negative stereotypes.

At the Africultures Festival, visitors can eat traditional foods, dance to African beats and even partake in African drumming workshops. As individuals from different backgrounds dance side-by-side, cultural barriers begin to dissolve.

The New Beginnings Festival features music, dance, visual arts, crafts and cuisine, celebrating the creativity and cultural heritage of artists and communities from diverse backgrounds.

As one attendee at New Beginnings told us:

You feel that you’re sharing your culture and art and your background in a new society and with new people. They will learn about it […] they will become interested and maybe it can change their mind about […] migrants and refugees. So they challenge themselves and they think that: ‘Oh, it’s not all about what media says and all about what politicians say. It’s about the depth of the culture’.

Apart from appreciating different cultures, these shared experiences also help remind people of what they have in common. They do more than entertain; they promote cultural understanding and personal growth.

Community building and connections

For migrant communities, in particular, we found cultural festivals create three levels of connection.

Preserving ethnic roots

Festivals such as Africultures allow migrants to celebrate and showcase their cultural traditions and heritage. This helps strengthen their sense of belonging in Australia, allowing them to feel more “at home”.

One attendee at New Beginnings said:

It just makes you feel like you’re in your own country […] You stay in another part of the world, far away, but still you can have part of your country and part of yourself. So your identity is still there and many people see you.

Bonding between migrant groups

Gatherings such as New Beginnings bring migrants from diverse backgrounds together. Despite coming from different countries and cultural backgrounds, attendees can connect over the shared journeys of settlement and adapting to life in Australia.

One attendee at New Beginnings said:

because I’m an immigrant I have more similarities with them [other migrant attendees] and I feel attracted to them as we have gone through the same thing.

Bridging gaps with the wider Australian community

Cultural festivals help establish meaningful connections between migrant and non-migrant Australians. At Africultures, nearly all of the Africans we surveyed (96.7%) said the event left them feeling more positive about other cultural groups.

For non-migrants, the festival allowed them to feel more connected to people from diverse backgrounds. Our findings suggest it also encouraged many of them to become open to different viewpoints.

One non-migrant attendee at Africultures told us:

I hope Australia can be a welcoming place for others. It is wonderful to experience other cultures and I hope that everyone can call Australia home.

Empowering entrepreneurs and artists

Beyond the wellbeing and personal growth aspects, cultural festivals also help migrants build their careers and businesses.

At last year’s Africultures Festival, we found nearly half the attendees spent more than A$75 at food and market stalls, directly supporting small business owners from migrant backgrounds.

Similarly, New Beginnings offers business owners and artists opportunities to showcase their work, meet potential customers and build professional networks.

Performers, too, highlight the career opportunities these festivals provide. One told us:

[Africultures has] given me the hope that I have a chance to expand my music to a whole lot of different audiences.

Such festivals have been stepping stones for notable successes. Yellow Wiggle Tsehay began performing at the Africultures Festival. Little Lagos, a Nigerian restaurant in Sydney’s Inner West, also got its start there in the form of a stall.

Shaping Australia

Cultural festivals are more than just celebrations. They are powerful tools for shaping a more inclusive Australia. By bringing people together to share their stories, food, music and traditions, these events help strengthen and connect communities.

The most impactful cultural festivals actively engage with and respond to the needs and aspirations of the communities they represent. They provide meaningful opportunities for cultural and ethnic minorities to share their experiences, ensuring their perspectives shape the direction of the event.

When festivals focus on these values, they become catalysts for a more united, inclusive Australia – one where everyone feels they belong.The Conversation

Najmeh Hassanli, Senior Lecturer at UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney and Pavlina Jasovska, Senior Lecturer in International Business & Strategy, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

If Greenland were for sale, what would it be worth? How to put a ‘price tag’ on a territory

Susan StoneUniversity of South Australia and Jonathan BoymalRMIT University

It’s unlikely you’ve missed the story. In recent weeks, US President-elect Donald Trump has again repeatedly voiced his desire for the United States to take “ownership and control” of Greenland – an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump first floated the idea of the US buying Greenland back in 2019. At the time, he argued, quite correctly, that he was not the first US president to come up with the idea.

Modern-day territory sales are rare. Whether Trump will revive them remains to be seen. But the question is intriguing – how would one decide what to offer for an entire state, territory or nation?

Not a new idea

Greenland’s strategic position has been of great value to the US since the early days of the Cold War.

In 1946, then-President Harry Truman offered to buy the Danish territory for US$100 million in gold. It is reported the Danes had much the same reaction to that offer as they did in 2019, and again in 2025: “No, thank you.”

US President Harry Truman
US President Harry Truman attempted to purchase Greenland from Denmark in 1946. Public Domain/National Archives and Records Administration

One sovereign nation buying territory from another may seem strange today, but there are many instances where this has happened over time.

The US purchased much of its Western expansion in the early 19th century.

This included the “Louisiana Purchase”, vast swathes of land in North America, bought from France in 1803 for US$15 million (an estimated US$416 million in 2024 figures).

About half a century later, the US paid Mexico for large amounts of territory after the Mexican-American War. The US also bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, for US$7.2 million (over US$150 million today).

And it bought the US Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917 for US$25 million (over US$600 million today) in gold coin.

It isn’t just the US. Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Germany and Saudi Arabia have all purchased territory, transferring jurisdiction over local inhabitants and gaining land, access to critical waterways or simply geographical buffers.

What is a country’s value?

Valuing a country (or an autonomous territory like Greenland) is no simple task. Unlike companies or assets, countries embody a mix of tangible and intangible elements that resist straightforward economic measurement.

A logical place to start is gross domestic product, or “GDP”. Simply put, GDP is the value of all the final goods and services produced in an economy in a given time (usually one year).

But does this really capture the true “value” of an economy? When we buy something, the benefits derived from it last – we hope – into the future.

So, basing a purchase price on the value produced in a given time period may not adequately reflect the value of that object (in this case, an entire economy) to the buyer. We need to consider the ability to continue to generate value into the future.

Greenland’s productive resources include not only the existing businesses, governments and workers used to generate its current GDP (estimated at about US$3.236 billion in 2021), but also its (difficult to measure) ability to change and improve its future GDP. This will depend on how productive these resources are expected to be in the future.

There are other attributes of value not captured in GDP. These include the quality of its capital (both human and infrastructure), quality of life, natural resources and strategic position.

Aerial view of skyline at port of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland
The value of an entire economy includes factors that aren’t easily captured by GDP. Yingna Cai/Shutterstock

Unexploited resources

Beyond what is already there, from a market perspective, it’s the as-yet unexploited resources that make Greenland valuable.

Greenland has been mining coal for decades, with large, confirmed reserves. The subsoil has been shown to contain rare earths, precious metals, graphite and uranium.

In addition to coal mining, there is gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, graphite and marble.

Finally, there is the potential for major oil exploitation off the waters of Greenland. None of this potential is reflected in Greenland’s current GDP.

National assets are easier

Putting a price on a large national asset, such as the Panama Canal (which Trump also wants under US control), is a much easier prospect.

View of the Panama Canal with a ship approaching
The Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, and is owned by the government of Panama. jdross75/Shutterstock

The theory of asset valuation is a fundamental part of the finance discipline and dates back to the 18th century.

The “asset pricing model” has evolved over time, but fundamentally, it’s about estimating the future net income flows from an asset, based on a few inputs.

For the Panama Canal, this would involve estimating the future net income that could be generated, based on factors such as fees generated by its use and the level of anticipated traffic.

You’d then take steps to subtract the anticipated costs of maintaining the equipment and any expected damage to the health of the waterway. Another factor in determining what you would pay is the risk of actually realising that net income.

The value or “price tag” of such an asset is usually determined by working out the present value of all of these future (net) income flows.

Modern territory sales are rare

The decline in territorial sales is tied to several factors. Historically, land sales often benefited ruling elites rather than ordinary citizens. In modern democracies, it is nearly impossible to sell land if local citizens oppose the idea.

Such democracies operate on the principle that national assets should serve the people, not the government’s coffers. Selling a territory today would require demonstrating clear, tangible benefits to the population, a difficult task in practice.

Nationalism also plays a powerful role. Land is deeply tied to national identity and selling it off is often seen as a betrayal. Governments, as custodians of national pride, are reluctant to entertain offers, no matter how tempting.

People seen singing as part of Greenland's National Day festival
Sale of a territory like Greenland shouldn’t take place without the clear consent of its people. Lasse Jesper Pedersen/Shutterstock

Compounding this is a strong international norm against changing borders, born of fears that one territorial adjustment could trigger a cascade of claims and conflicts elsewhere.

In today’s world, buying a country or one of its territories may be little more than a thought experiment. Nations are political, cultural and historical entities that resist commodification.

Greenland may theoretically have a price, but the real question is whether such a transaction could ever align with modern values and realities.The Conversation

Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia and Jonathan Boymal, Associate Professor of Economics, RMIT University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Fruit and veg, exercise, frequent bloodletting and more tips on staying healthy from medieval travellers

Lieven van Lathem (Flemish, about 1430–93) and David Aubert (Flemish, active 1453–79), Gracienne Taking Leave of Her Father the Sultan, 1464. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Megan Cassidy-Welch

Travellers have always faced health hazards when far from home. Medieval people were no exception. Pilgrims, crusaders and others were warned by preachers such as 13th century Jacques de Vitry of “dangers on land, dangers at sea, the dangers of thieves, the dangers of predators, the dangers of battles”.

There were also dangers to health: disease, lack of good nutrition and water, injury, accident and poisoning. Medieval travellers were active and innovative in trying to prevent ill health while away.

Although the adjective “medieval” continues to be used disparagingly to imply backwardness in medical and scientific knowledge, this history of preventive medicine shows us something different.

From good sleep to ‘good’ leeches

One especially interesting set of practical health care instructions for travellers is the De regimine et via itineris et fine peregrinatium (About the regimen and way of the journey for the traveller). The text was composed by Adam of Cremona in about 1227–28 for the German emperor Frederick II, who was about to set out on crusade.

Unedited and surviving in a single manuscript, Adam draws heavily on Ibn Sina’s 11th century Canon of Medicine, used for medical teaching in medieval universities.

Adam advised bloodletting (phlebotomy) should be performed prior to the emperor’s journey and then regularly throughout, depending on the “will and mood” of the stars.

Bloodletting was central to medieval medical practice. It used leeches or sharp knife-like instruments to nick the vein and cause blood to drain from the body. It was performed both preventatively and, in the case of some medieval religious communities, periodically as part of monastic bodily regulation and discipline.

Devoting some 25 chapters of his text to phlebotomy, Adam drew on the idea that bloodletting would regulate the humours (the four fluids thought to make up the body: blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm), evacuating “bad” ones and setting the body in balance to prepare for healthy travel.

While the concept of the four humours has since been abandoned by modern medicine, bloodletting and “leech therapy” continue to be performed in some medical settings for specific purposes.

Adam advised all travellers should be mindful of the instruments of bloodletting – especially leeches – while on the road. His writing included warnings to distinguish between leeches: good (round and shiny) and bad (black or blue in colour and found near fetid water).

He also gave careful instruction on how to desalinate water, as well as advice about diet (as close as possible to the traveller’s home diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables), the importance of rest and adequate sleep, and the importance of regular bathing.

Dysentery was a well known hazard of travel, especially for crusaders, and Adam’s guide reflected all travellers’ wish to avoid it by keeping the digestive system in balance.

Balancing body and spirit

Knowledge about water supplies was especially important for travellers.

One pilgrimage guide informed travellers one of the best sources of water in the holy land was just outside Haifa, in modern-day Israel.

Theodoric’s Guide for the Holy Land reminded travellers there was no water in Jerusalem other than the rainwater collected by inhabitants and stored in cisterns for daily use.

Medieval travellers were also reminded to take particular care of their feet. In 1260, Vincent of Beauvais gave instructions to travellers to use poultices (a dressing for wounds) made of oil, plants and quicksilver (mercury) to prevent and manage blisters – an all too frequent ailment experienced by pilgrims walking long distances.

Medieval manuscript image, a man writes at a table.
Vincent of Beauvais depicted into Speculum historiale, late 15th century. Wikimedia Commons/British Library

Adam of Cremona suggested travellers regulate their pace as they walked, especially on unfamiliar and rough roads.

The overall benefit of exercise was generally understood. Preachers such as Jacques de Vitry told his congregations movement made the body healthy both physically and spiritually, so should be undertaken regularly before and during a journey.

Different climates and environments meant encounters with dangerous fauna. The holy land was said to be home to poisonous serpents.

Travellers took with them theriac, an antidote made in part from snake flesh in case of a bite. This would be ingested or smeared on the wound.

Crocodiles in Egypt were also often mentioned as a hazard. There were no antidotes for an attack, but forewarning travellers with knowledge helped them to remain alert.

Medieval travellers did not leave their fate entirely in God’s hands. Even the crusaders took precautionary measures to balance both bodily and spiritual health before and during their journeys.

Tapestry depicting the romanticised version of the Christians’ First Crusade into Jerusalem
Designed by Domenico Paradisi, woven at the San Michele, The Crusaders Reach Jerusalem (from a set of Scenes from Gerusalemme Liberata), designed 1689–93, woven 1732–39. The Met

They confessed sins, sought blessings to protect their property and baggage and carried with them charms and amulets that were thought to ensure “the health of body and protection of the soul”, as one 12th century Italian blessing explained. This “divine prophylaxis” ran alongside more practical care of the physical body – a holistic view of health as corporeal and spiritual.

The actions and remedies available to medieval pilgrims and other travellers may seem limited and perhaps dangerous to modern readers. But like all travellers, medieval people used the knowledge they had and tried hard to maintain good health in sometimes difficult conditions.

The urge to remain well is a very human one, and its long medieval history reminds us that good health has always been carefully managed through prevention just as much as cure.The Conversation

Megan Cassidy-Welch, Professor of History and Dean of Research Strategy

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

These 16 nuns were guillotined in the French Revolution. Now the Pope has declared them saints

Stained glass with a depiction of the martyred nuns, Saint Honoré d'Eylau Church, Paris. Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA
Darius von Guttner SporzynskiAustralian Catholic University

The Martyrs of Compiègne, a group of 16 Discalced Carmelite nuns executed during the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, were canonised by Pope Francis on December 18.

Their extraordinary faith and courage in the face of death offer timeless lessons on conviction and resilience.

These nuns, led by their prioress Mother Teresa of St. Augustine, embraced their fate with a profound sense of spiritual purpose, leaving an enduring legacy.

Religion and the French Revolution

Established in the 16th century by two saints, Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, the Order of Discalced Carmelites is a Catholic religious order. The name of the Order includes the designation “discalced”, meaning “without shoes”, referring to their rule to go about barefoot or wearing sandals.

The Carmelite nuns dedicate themselves entirely to a contemplative way of life and live in cloistered monasteries.

A nun.
Teresa of Ávila painted by Peter Paul Rubens, ca 1615. ©KHM-MuseumsverbandCC BY-NC-ND

The French Revolution, marked by its anti-clericalism and radical reorganisation of society, profoundly disrupted religious life. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790 made religious vows illegal, forcing the majority of monastic communities to disband.

The religious community of the Carmel of Compiègne, established in 1641 and renowned for its piety, refused to break up. In August 1792, the revolutionary government decreed the closure of all monasteries occupied by women.

The nuns’ expulsion from their cloister followed in September 1792. The nuns maintained their communal life in secret, relying on the support of the local community. They continued their prayers and acts of devotion.

A large hall; a nun prays.
Cloisters in a Nunnery, Simon Quaglio, ca 1835. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The nuns’ commitment was inspired by a prophetic vision experienced in 1693 by Sister Élisabeth-Baptiste, who saw her sisterhood destined to follow Jesus Christ in a profound act of sacrifice. The written record of this vision, preserved in the monastery’s archives, deeply resonated with the Carmel’s prioress, Mother Teresa, as Catholics endured the turmoil of the Revolution.

In November 1792, the prioress proposed an extraordinary act of consecration: the nuns would offer their lives for the salvation of France and the Church. Since then, each nun daily offered herself for the salvation of France, praying for peace and unity.

Arrest and trial

The Revolution’s intensifying hostility toward religious communities led to the nuns’ arrest in June 1794 at the height of massacres and public executions known as the “Reign of Terror”.

Accused of being “enemies of the people” for their continued religious practices and perceived loyalty to the monarchy, they were transferred to Paris’s notorious Conciergerie prison that held such prisoners as Queen Marie Antoinette.

At their trial on July 17 the public prosecutor, the notorious Antoine Quentin Fouquier de Tinville, charged them with fanaticism, defined as their steadfast attachment to their faith.

The nuns confronted the prosecutor, demanding a definition of fanaticism. This act of defiance highlighted the absurdity of the charges and revealed the regime’s persecution of religious belief as a threat to its revolutionary ideals.

Execution and legacy

That evening the nuns were paraded through Paris in open carts on the way to execution. They sang hymns such as Salve Regina and Miserere.

In doing so, they continued to proclaim their adherence to their faith, preparing to give their lives so the terror might end and French Catholics would no longer face persecution.

Upon reaching the guillotine at the Place du Trône Renversé, they renewed their vows. Sister Constance, the youngest at 29 and still a novice due to revolutionary laws banning religious professions, was the first to ascend the scaffold. As she approached her death, she began chanting Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, a hymn proclaiming God’s mercy.

One by one, the nuns followed.

Nuns near a guillotine, and up in heaven.
The Carmelites of Compiègne facing the guillotine, Louis David, 1906. Wikimedia Commons

The executioner and witnesses reported their extraordinary composure and the solemn silence of the crowd. Mother Teresa, the last to die, upheld her role as a spiritual leader to the very end, completing the community’s sacrificial offering.

Ten days later, the revolutionary leader and architect of the Terror Maximilien Robespierre was arrested and executed, effectively ending the Reign of Terror. The nuns’ martyrdom has been interpreted by French Catholics as hastening Robespierre’s demise, their sacrifice seen as a powerful act of intercession for a nation in turmoil.

Lessons on conviction and resilience

In 1906 Pope Pius X beatified the Martyrs of Compiègne. Beatification means the Church recognised their entrance to heaven, and that they could intercede on behalf of those who pray in their name.

Last December, Pope Francis canonised the women via equipollent canonisation. Also known as equivalent canonisation, this is a process by which the Pope declares a person to be a saint without the usual judicial procedures and formal attributions of miracles typical in the canonisation process.

This rare procedure is used for individuals who have been venerated since their death and whose sanctity and heroic virtues are already firmly established in Church tradition.

The Martyrs of Compiègne’s feast day is celebrated on July 17, the anniversary of their ultimate act of faith.

The Martyrs of Compiègne exemplify unwavering faith and courage. Their decision to offer their lives as a collective sacrifice underscores the transformative power of conviction. Faced with the threat of death, they demonstrated remarkable unity and spiritual fortitude, finding strength in their shared commitment to God and their community.

Their story challenges us to reflect on the nature of resilience and the values we uphold in times of crisis. By standing firm in their beliefs, they revealed the profound impact of faith and the capacity of the human spirit to endure adversity.The Conversation

Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Why some people deserve an age pension before others: new australian research

A ground-breaking study of the age pension system suggests it is not providing sufficient financial support to maintain the living standards of all elderly Australians.

Australians enjoy one of the longest life expectancies in the world, with people born after 2010 living, on average, more than 80 years.
However, the ageing population presents long-term fiscal challenges to the sustainability of social welfare systems of advanced economies such as Australia and especially the cost of providing age pensions.

The Australian government’s Intergenerational Report 2023 suggests the number of people aged 65 and over will more than double over the next 40 years. But economic growth is forecast to be slower than the previous four decades because of lower population growth and reduced workforce participation due to ageing.

In response, the federal government has increased the pension age from 65 to 67, possibly increasing to 70 by 2035.

New research led by Professor Hanlin Shang from the Department of Actuarial Studies and Business Analytics at Macquarie Business School, suggests the pension age should not be fixed, but increase at a rate that maintains a stable old-age dependency ratio (OADR) level feasible for working Australians.

A fair and equitable pension system goes beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. For instance, it might allow disadvantaged groups in the Northern Territory to access their pensions earlier than more advantaged groups.

The OADR reflects the number of working-age individuals available to support each retiree and is used as a measure of the financial burden of the age pension on the Australian workforce.

Professor Shang’s research paper, Is the age pension in Australia sustainable and fair? Evidence from forecasting the old-age dependency ratio using the Hamilton-Perry model, also finds a uniform increase in the pension age is neither fair nor equitable.

“Life expectancies vary significantly across Australian states, influenced by factors such as gender, race, and ethnicity,” Professor Shang says. “A uniform pension age for all Australians may therefore be less effective, as it fails to account for these demographic differences.”

Professor Shang’s findings use the Hamilton-Perry model to forecast each state and territory’s unique demographic characteristics that are often overlooked due to a lack of available data.

Professor Shang says what constitutes disadvantage differs across Australia, reflecting variations in average remaining life expectancies and the OADR.

"An ideal OADR is around 23 per cent, suggesting that taxes from every 100 working-age people would fund the pensions of 23 retirees,” Professor Shang says.

Professor Shang says 23 per cent is not a “magic” number, but rather an estimate of the number of working-age people needed to support one retiree.

“Given the rising life expectancy and declining fertility rates, one approach to addressing the seemingly increasing old-age dependency ratio is to gradually raise the pension age,” he says. “This would effectively extend the working-age period, helping to balance the ratio.”

However, not all people over the pension age threshold are eligible to receive it, relying instead on superannuation. Self-funded retirees may also cease paid employment before reaching the pension age, which could impact labour force participation.

Professor Shang says the greatest disparity in pension fairness exists between the Northern Territory, which has the lowest average life expectancy in the country, and the Australian Capital Territory, where people tend to live longest.

“This means that, on average, residents of the ACT are expected to live longer than those in the NT, resulting in a higher average demand for pension funds over their lifetime,” he says.

Further, Professor Shang says disadvantaged residents in the NT primarily include Indigenous people.

“Our findings indicate that the NT has the lowest average life expectancy in Australia,” he says.

Professor Shang’s research suggests access to the age pension, which is currently set at 67, should not be uniform, but vary between the states and territories.

“A fair and equitable pension system goes beyond a one-size-fits-all approach,” he says. “For instance, it might allow disadvantaged groups residing in the Northern Territory to access their pensions earlier than more advantaged groups.”

Hanlin Shang is a Professor in the Department of Actuarial Studies and Business Analytics at Macquarie Business School.

The research paper, Is the age pension in Australia sustainable and fair? Evidence from forecasting the old-age dependency ratio using the Hamilton-Perry model, is available HERE

Avalon Beach SLSC turns 100 in 2025!

2025 marks 100 years of Avalon Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.

Planning is underway to celebrate the achievement of Avalon Beach SLSC's Volunteer Surf Lifesavers keeping Avalon Beach safe for residents and visitors for 100 years!

A number of celebratory events and activities spread throughout the Club's 100th year, are currently under development, and will be progressively announced through the year. 

The range of celebrations will involve past and present members, the Avalon Beach community, as well as visitors to our area.  The Surf Club is a focal point in and for the Avalon Beach community, so it is fitting that the community takes pride in this milestone.

Initially, so that our records are up to date, we invite all past members of our Club to Email the Club at 100years@avalonbeachslsc.com.au  with your updated details so we can keep you informed of what will be happening for members.

If you know of others that may be interested in the 100th Anniversary celebrations please pass the message on. 

The Club looks to the future, acknowledging and building on the legacy left from those who came before us over the past 100 years.

Avalon Beach SLSC Centenary Committee

Remembering Simon Townsend as a conscientious objector and fearless anti-Vietnam War activist

Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy SEARCH FoundationCC BY
Effie KarageorgosUniversity of Newcastle

Journalist Simon Townsend has died aged 79 only a few months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. A statement released by his family reported “In his final days, Simon was surrounded by his family and a mix of journalists, writers, actors, political activists and Italians”.

Townsend is best remembered for hosting the Logie-winning children’s show Wonder World from 1979 until 1987.

But it is equally important to focus on his time as a political activist and conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. When Townsend was a fledgling journalist in his early 20s, he fought fearlessly against the draft and was imprisoned twice for his pacifist beliefs.

Conscientious objection

On November 24 1964, Liberal prime minister Robert Menzies re-introduced conscription through the National Service Act. It became mandatory for men turning 20 to register for national service.

Of the more than 800,000 who registered, 64,000 eventually served.

Approximately 14,000 refused to register for a variety of reasons. Refusal was a crime punishable by up to two years in prison, unless an exemption was granted on the grounds of conscientious objection, generally connected to religious belief.

Others registered, but claimed conscientious objection before they attended their standard military medical examination. Townsend registered as required by law in 1965 and immediately attempted to claim conscientious objector status on the grounds of pacifism.

A man speaks to a crowd.
A demonstration in support of Simon Townsend at Ingleburn, June 1968. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy SEARCH FoundationCC BY

This was refused by a judge in 1966 who said he was “not sincere”. The judge ordered Townsend to attend his medical examination. Townsend refused. He was sent to serve a one month prison sentence at Sydney’s Long Bay Gaol in early 1967.

On his release, Townsend again applied for an exemption. Again, he was unsuccessful. In February 1968, he refused to attend his next medical. In March, Townsend disobeyed an order to report for military duty. He was charged in the Special Federal Court in Sydney on May 15 and imprisoned again.

The Abolish Conscription Campaign

Four days later, Townsend wrote a letter to the Sydney protest group Abolish Conscription Campaign, reporting eight prison guards constantly watched over him and woke him up every two hours for his “wellbeing”.

He said he was “pretty miserable”, but his brother had sought help from Labor politicians Gough Whitlam and Len Devine, who paid Townsend a visit in support.

Older women hold signs in support.
Demonstrators in support of Simon Townsend in 1968. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy SEARCH FoundationCC BY

On June 10 1968 the Abolish Conscription Campaign organised a “major protest” to “demonstrate for the release of all conscientious objectors and the abolition of conscription”. Activists marched from Liverpool Station to Ingleburn Military Camp, where Townsend was being held ahead of his June 14 court date.

On this date, Townsend’s application for conscientious objector status was accepted – the court no doubt influenced by the increasing public attention his case had attracted.

Townsend approached his legal difficulties with courage and generosity. Between his two stints in prison, he formed Sydney’s Conscientious Objectors’ Group. Townsend, along with fellow activists including Quakers, feminists and pacifists, used their time and energy providing information to conscientious objectors facing court.

‘The Unconscriptables’

After Townsend’s release, he continued to fight against the National Service Act.

In August 1968 he joined the Caravan Against Conscription, which saw Sydney activists travel through rural New South Wales to spread the anti-war message.

In the next month Townsend helped to form a group called The Unconscriptables, “open to all those young men who face civil gaol because of a responsible and conscientious decision not to comply with the National Service Act”.

Townsend later supported Unconscriptable Geoff Mullen when he unsuccessfully stood for the federal seat of Wentworth in the October 1969 election. In an act of resistance, Mullen was running against Liberal minister for labour and national service, Leslie Bury.

Selfless action

During my State Library of New South Wales Fellowship research into quiet protest during the Vietnam War, I came across a court summons addressed to teacher, activist and former NSW Teachers Federation President Samuel Phineas Lewis, signed by Simon Townsend.

I became fascinated not only by Townsend’s personal story, but also his willingness to selflessly act on behalf of other young men impelled to fight in a war they did not believe in.

This court summons represents one of many protest actions performed by Townsend as Secretary of the Committee in Defiance of the National Service Act, formed in July 1969.

Protestors walk.
Protestors against conscription and in support of Townsend in Canberra, May 1968. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy SEARCH FoundationCC BY

At their first meeting in Sydney Town Hall, Townsend, along with Committee leader Ken Thomas (an activist and businessman who, in 1946, established KW Thomas Transport, later known as Thomas Nationwide Transport or TNT), and 70 others including barristers, academics, unionists, housewives and clergymen, publicly signed a Statement of Defiance proclaiming their ongoing support for men who evaded conscription.

In encouraging others to break the law, they intentionally contravened the Crimes Act in the hope the time taken to prosecute them in court would delay any legal action towards young conscientious objectors.

Eventually 8,000 Australians made Statements of Defiance, were reported by Committee members to authorities and were fined or summonsed to appear in court. The Liberal Government soon became wise to the Committee’s scheme and ceased reacting.

These relatively quiet protest acts were hugely impactful and incredibly brave.

Townsend continued to fight against the National Service Act until Prime Minister Gough Whitlam abolished conscription as his first order of business following his December 2 1972 election win. This was while working as a reporter for This Day Tonight, a position he held from 1970 until the launch of Wonder World.

The loss of Simon Townsend is deeply felt in this country, not only for his journalism but also for his fearless activism. Vale.The Conversation

Effie Karageorgos, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Newcastle

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

50 years of Triple J: challenging censorship, supporting Australian artists, and ‘no dope in the studio!’

Liz GiuffreUniversity of Technology Sydney

Originally known as 2JJ, or Double Jay, when it launched in Sydney at 11am on January 19 1975, Triple J has since become the national youth network. The station now encompasses broadcast radio, live events, social media and a huge digital and cultural influence. It’s been the beating heart (or beating drum, as its logo depicts) of generations of young Australians.

With a target audience of 18–24-year-olds (ish), what does it mean when the national youth broadcaster hits middle age?

A station for young Australians

Triple J was born out of the Whitlam government’s commitment to young Australians. In addition to lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, the introduction of a dedicated space for young people provided by the national broadcaster allowed for greater cultural and civic participation.

The first song played on air was You Just Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good in Bed by Skyhooks. Banned by commercial networks for its explicit sex and drug themes, the ABC – not beholden to advertisers – pushed boundaries by starting with this song.

The station became known as Triple J in 1981 when it shifted to FM radio, and the move to become a national network started in 1990, rolling out across the decade.

A station for Australian talent

People like Mark ColvinWil Anderson, Zan Rowe, Myf Warhurst, Judith Lucy, Roy and HG and Dr Karl all got their start at Triple J, often moving beyond the right “look or sound” for the commercial networks.

Triple J’s influence on Australian musical culture is almost impossible to understate.

Playlists for Australian music have been consistently and significantly higher than commercial competition.

The station has long run programs designed to support local artists. Cooking with George, a new Australian music show in the early 1980s hosted by George Wayne, created a platform for new artists to connect with audiences.

The Long Live the Evolution campaign in the early 1980s encouraged audiences to buy Australian music by offering a free Australian music compilation record with purchase of any Australian album.

The new talent competition Unearthed began in 1995 and now counts among its alumni Missy Higgins, Flume and Grinspoon.

One Night Stand is a semi-regular festival the station takes to different regional or rural Australian towns. The station’s coverage of festivals like Big Day Out and Splendour in the Grass provided a way for audiences who couldn’t afford to attend to still listen along.

A station for chaos, and youth politics

The appeal has always been the energy, if not occasional chaos, of having young people in charge and on air.

Clashes with ABC management have been inevitable. A memo distributed internally in 1976, and redistributed in 1979, gave “a very stroppy reminder to all staff of our self-imposed rule – NO DOPE IN THE OFFICE OR STUDIO!!”

In 1989, presenters protested the censorship of N.W.A.’s Fuck Tha Police. To show their objections, staff played N.W.A’s Express Yourself – a song rallying against censorship, and also the only song on the album without swear words – repeatedly for an entire day.

This again played out in the early 2000s when the presenters played The Herd’s 77% in full, complete with explicit lyrics which target the government and commercial broadcasters, saying “these cunts need a shake up”. ABC management argued that the language was unacceptable. But announcer Steve Cannane instead used the song to spark a 90 minute talkback special.

Overwhelmingly, Triple J presenters felt the strength of the language reflected the strength of the artists’ activist feelings.

Tracing the station’s approach to social issues is a way to trace the priorities of many young people in Australia. In 2017 the Hottest 100 countdown was moved away from January 26, following a listener petition and survey.

Over the years the station has promoted activists standing up against racism and homophobia. In 2023 after the Voice referendum, announcer Nooky gave an impassioned personal statement, followed by Yothu Yindi’s Treaty on repeat for the rest of the show.

A station for audiences

As I found studying Triple J’s impact during COVID, providing listeners with a range of listening options remains vital.

In May 2020 listeners across the country took over the program grid and requested songs – literally anything – as part of a week-long “Requestival”.

Hilariously the audience trolled the broadcaster, requesting everything from The Antiques Roadshow theme to Beethoven, as well as local artists and international pop.

Triple J became a clear place where the pent up energy, fear and loneliness of the young audience could be shared.

Room to grow

There were rumours Triple J was on its last legs even before it completed its first year on air.

While general and music outlets seem to periodically publish “is Triple J still relevant?” opinion pieces, most often these pieces are written by people who have aged out of the station’s target.

But commentators past the target demographic, judging it from their nostalgic perspective, aren’t the right people to decide if Australians 18–25 are getting what they feel they need.

Generational battles over the role and importance of Triple J continue to rage.

This is not to say older audiences should stop caring about Triple J. Nostalgia is powerful and important, shown by audiences who attended the sold out 20 year anniversary show by former breakfast hosts Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson.

Since 2015, the digital station Double J has served the “former” Triple J audience, complete with former Triple J presenters, music specials and music aimed at an older demographic.

Triple J is etched in the memories and forms a legacy for older Australians. Those who remember that first broadcast in 1975 will even get to relive it this weekend on Digital Double J, but Triple J is still a vital resource for its target audience.

At a time when media outlets are increasingly concentrated, more regularly incorporating AI and moving away from rigorous fact checking, there is even more need to promote and protect an outlet that embraces the distinctiveness of young Australians making new work now.The Conversation

Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The history of women cyclists – an uphill climb to equality

A Victorian postcard from Germany. Modern Records Centre/University of Warwick
Tamsin JohnsonNottingham Trent University

Cycling, in its most familiar form, dates back to at least the 19th century. One example of an early bicycle was known as the “hobby horse”, and it later became the “Dandy horse” and then the “accelerator”. Early cycling was reserved for the upper-classes and was seen as highly fashionable and decorous – particularly for men.

Women’s cycling, on the other hand, was viewed as trivial and unbecoming. When women were portrayed cycling, they were often eroticised and undressed.

The early development of women’s bicycles and cycle-wear was impeded by debates on women’s morality and sexual innocence. The bicycle was said to cause “bicycle face” (a face of muscular tension), harm reproductive organs and diminish what supposedly little energy women had.

Cycling women were viewed as sexually promiscuous both for the “unnatural” straddling of the bicycle and for the freedom cycling offered them. Where were they all cycling to, men wondered.

New women

The development in 1885 of the Rover “safety bicycle” revolutionised women’s cycling. It featured a lower mounting position and inspired somewhat of a cycling craze. By the 1890s, several million women around the world were cycling.

The influx of female cyclists on the streets created a moral panic for the Victorians. The image of the cycling woman came to represent a new type of woman with feminist ambition. This led to a discourse known simply as the “woman question”.

Postcard showing a woman leaving her home with a bicycle while her husband tends to a crying baby
The ‘new woman’ as depicted in an illustration from 1908. Author provided

The fear caused by this cycling “new woman” is made clear in postcards from the time. The new woman in the example above is abandoning her husband and children for a day out and charging her husband with domestic tasks – a highly provocative notion to a Victorian audience. God forbid, perhaps she is also on her way to a suffragist rally. Cycling women were seen as radicals who threatened the “natural order of things”.

Such was the symbiotic relationship between feminism and women’s cycling, that the bicycle became emblematic of the suffrage movement. This photograph, taken in 1897, was taken at the height of the “woman problem” debate.

An effigy of a cycling woman hangs above a crowd at Cambridge University, as they await the result of a vote on whether female students ought to receive a degree upon completion of study. The vote was defeated and the effigy triumphantly torn down. Women could not receive a degree from Cambridge University until 1948.

A crowd with an effigy of a woman riding a bike above them.
The crowd await the result of the Cambridge vote. University of Cambridge

This photograph captures the cultural rejection of cycling, educated women.

The effigy, dressed in collegiate striped stockings, cap and rational dress is a stereotypical new woman. Akin to a Guy Fawkes dummy in November, during this time the cycling woman momentarily joined Britain’s long history of reviled figures of rebellion.


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Mobile women

In her book Women and the Machine (2001), art historian Julie Wosk documents the history of a “cultural longing to represent women as safely stationary” in visual culture.

At the turn of the century, cycling women were often depicted as incompetant, either falling off their bicycle, cycling into something or being attacked while cycling.

a woman falling from her bicycle.
A Victorian postcard showing a woman falling from her bicycle. University of Warwick

The intention behind these images was to showcase women’s supposed technical and physical inability. The Victorian equivalent of the sexist modern-day stereotype that “women can’t drive”. At the base of such claims is a fear of mobile women. Images like these served as visual warnings for women who wished to exercise their physical freedom on two wheels.

After 1900, women’s cycling went through another transition. While in its early years cycling was considered an upper-class pursuit, by the 20th century bicycles were becoming democratised as the motorcar became the in thing for the wealthy.

Advert showing a woman cycling to work in a factory
During the war, the bicycle was seen as the ideal mode of transport for female workers. Author providedCC BY-SA

Bicycles became a form of functional transport for the working classes. The need for an expanded female workforce during the first world war had also helped to normalise women’s cycling.

As shown in the above special munitions edition of Cycling magazine, the bicycle was seen as the ideal “energy saving” mode of transport for female workers. While the advertisement copy shows that the 19th-century concerns over women’s “energies” endured during the war, the visual of a woman successfully cycling to her workplace confirms some progress.

By the 1930s, cycling manufacturers were offering women’s ranges more in line with men’s and leading brands offered speed and sports models to women. Marketing copy focused less on issues of morality and decorum and worries of “bicycle face” had long ceased to exist.

This was surely progress? Unfortunately, it isn’t so straightforward. The discourse around women cycling was still concerned with health and beauty more than sporting achievement. But now instead of being thought to damage femininity, cycling now supposedly ensured it.

News story about a woman cycling
The news story about Billie Dovey. Author providedCC BY-SA

In 1938 Billie Dovey was named British bicycle manufacturer Rudge-Whitworth’s “Keep Fit Girl” after she peddled almost 30,000 miles around Britain. But rather than focus on her remarkable achievement, the press described Dovey’s “fine physique”, “healthy” skin and “tan”.

Images of the past can tell us a lot about the culture which produced it. These images show a cultural discomfort with physically mobile women. And it’s a discomfort that hasn’t entirely disappeared.

A gender gap in British cycling persists. Nine in ten British women are reportedly “scared of cycling in towns and cities”. The UK’s poor cycling infrastructure matched with an increase in violence against women on the streets together make for an unappealing prospect for would-be female cyclists.

As well as safety fears, women have less leisure time – despite more flexible post-pandemic working structures – and societal pressures regarding their physical appearance when cycling still linger. That’s all despite the number of female cyclists adding to medal tallies for British teams in recent years which made household names of some athletes.

Whatever the future for women’s cycling, it is critical to understand and redress these long-held assumptions about women’s “paltry” abilities regarding technology, sports and cycling. It is important to recognise the bicycle as an agent for progress whilst acknowledging the historic and contemporary challenges facing female cyclists.The Conversation

Tamsin Johnson, PhD candidate in visual cultures, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Ground-breaking work in geriatric pharmacology

January 9, 2025: Northern Sydney Local Health District News

Professor Sarah Hilmer AM has dedicated her career to optimising medicine use for older people and has achieved recognition as a national and world leader in geriatric pharmacology.

Not only has the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) clinical pharmacologist and geriatrician set about improving medication practices for older people, but she has long advocated for ‘age-friendly’ clinical trials. One of Sarah’s notable contributions has been the development of the Drug Burden Index (DBI), a risk assessment tool that measures an older person’s exposure to medications that slow them down physically and mentally.

“Over the past 20 years or so, we have been validating the tool in populations around the world to show that the higher your Drug Burden Index, the worse your physical function and your cognition is, and the more likely you are to fall or wind up in a nursing home,” she said.

Eager to put the DBI into clinical practice, Sarah and her colleagues developed a calculator that could measure a patient’s drug burden. They produced a way to integrate it into a hospital’s electronic medical record so that staff could use it when treating frail, elderly patients.

In 2021 — at the height of the pandemic — Sarah ran a successful pilot study implementing the calculator at RNSH. “We managed to show that we could really improve prescribing,” she said.

For the past 18 months, she and her team have run a clinical trial in three hospitals in Northern Sydney and three on the Central Coast to see if this package of tools can help clinicians to identify patients who are not functioning optimally because of the medication they have been taking and to minimise medication related harm.

The tools are now available for clinical care across Northern Sydney and Central Coast health districts and are being implemented at other NSW health districts. 

Sarah is eager to see the tool as part of routine hospital care. Nurses regularly have a “huddle” to discuss patient issues, which can include falls or delirium. Her team has been encouraging nurses to look at the Drug Burden Index during a huddle, and if it is high, arrange for a medication review. “It might be that the medication is causing the falls or confusion,” she said.

Sarah has long advocated for ‘age-friendly’ clinical trials that make it easier for frail, older people to be included. While the average older person takes up to eight prescription medications, globally, they are often underrepresented in clinical trials.

We have a situation where we test drugs in healthy, older people or in middle aged people, and then use them in frail, older people with a lot of different complex problems. We wind up with all sorts of interactions and unexpected effects.

“I think it’s really important that if we’re going to do clinical trials, we need to make sure that they’re inclusive of the people who are going to actually wind up using the drugs in clinical practice,” she said.

Her advocacy in this space extends beyond the NSLHD. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently designed a roadmap for drug evaluation for older adults, and Sarah was the only Australian on the project, representing the Geriatric Committee of International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacologists, which she chairs.

Sarah’s work through development and implementation of the DBI and her advocacy for age-friendly trials has significantly improved the quality of life for older adults.

“We need to ensure our ageing population receives the best possible evidence-based care,” she said.

Professor Sarah Hilmer AM. Photo: NSLHD

Assistive Technology and Home Modifications List now available

The Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) List will help Support at Home providers understand the products, equipment and home modifications that older people can access through the AT-HM Scheme.

The Department of Health and Aged Care has released the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) List, which outlines the products, equipment and home modifications available through the AT-HM Scheme from 1 July 2025.

The AT-HM List will help Support at Home providers to support eligible participants to access assistive technology and home modifications

More information on who can prescribe assistive technology and home modifications under the AT-HM Scheme will be provided shortly.


Household spending rises with Black Friday sales

January 10, 2025
Household spending rose 0.4 per cent in November, according to seasonally adjusted figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This follows a 0.9 per cent rise in October and a 0.2 per cent fall in September.

Six out of the nine spending categories rose in November, mostly driven by Black Friday sales.

Robert Ewing, ABS head of business statistics, said: “Black Friday boosted sales in Recreation and culture by 0.9 per cent, making it the largest contributor to overall spending growth. Spending in cinemas continued to grow strongly, with major releases such as Wicked, Gladiator II and Moana 2 all opening in November.

“Spending on Clothing and footwear and Furnishings and household equipment also rose by 1.8 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively. 

“Growth in these categories drove the 0.4 per cent rise in discretionary spending. Strength in new vehicle purchases also contributed to higher discretionary spending, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reporting a notable rise in SUV sales in November.”

Household spending grew in most states and territories. The highest percentage rises were seen in Queensland (+0.7 per cent), Victoria (+0.5 per cent), South Australia (+0.5 per cent) and Western Australia (+0.5 per cent), while the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania fell 0.4 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively. 

Going for a bushwalk? 3 handy foods to have in your backpack (including muesli bars)

Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock
Margaret MurraySwinburne University of Technology

This time of year, many of us love to get out and spend time in nature. This may include hiking through Australia’s many beautiful national parks.

Walking in nature is a wonderful activity, supporting both physical and mental health. But there can be risks and it’s important to be prepared.

You may have read the news about hiker, Hadi Nazari, who was recently found alive after spending 13 days lost in Kosciuszko National Park.

He reportedly survived for almost two weeks in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales by drinking fresh water from creeks, and eating foraged berries and two muesli bars.

So next time you’re heading out for a day of hiking, what foods should you pack?

Here are my three top foods to carry on a bushwalk that are dense in nutrients and energy, lightweight and available from the local grocery store.

1. Muesli bars

Nazari reportedly ate two muesli bars he found in a mountain hut. Whoever left the muesli bars there made a great choice.

Muesli bars come individually wrapped, which helps them last longer and makes them easy to transport.

They are also a good source of energy. Muesli bars typically contain about 1,500-1,900 kilojoules per 100 grams. The average energy content for a 35g bar is about 614kJ.

This may be a fraction of what you’d usually need in a day. However, the energy from muesli bars is released at a slow to moderate pace, which will help keep you going for longer.

Muesli bars are also packed with nutrients. They contain all three macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) that our body needs to function. They’re a good source of carbohydrates, in particular, which are a key energy source. An average Australian muesli bar contains 14g of whole grains, which provide carbohydrates and dietary fibre for long-lasting energy.

Muesli bars that contain nuts are typically higher in fat (19.9g per 100g) and protein (9.4g per 100g) than those without.

Fat and protein are helpful for slowing down the release of energy from foods and the protein will help keep you feeling full for longer.

There are many different types of muesli bars to choose from. I recommend looking for those with whole grains, higher dietary fibre and higher protein content.

2. Nuts

Nuts are nature’s savoury snack and are also a great source of energy. Cashews, pistachios and peanuts contain about 2,300-2,400kJ per 100g while Brazil nuts, pecans and macadamias contain about 2,700-3,000kJ per 100g. So a 30g serving of nuts will provide about 700-900kJ depending on the type of nut.

Just like muesli bars, the energy from nuts is released slowly. So even a relatively small quantity will keep you powering on.

Nuts are also full of nutrients, such as protein, fat and fibre, which will help to stave off hunger and keep you moving for longer.

When choosing which nuts to pack, almost any type of nut is going to be great.

Peanuts are often the best value for money, or go for something like walnuts that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or a nut mix.

Whichever nut you choose, go for the unsalted natural or roasted varieties. Salted nuts will make you thirsty.

Nut bars are also a great option and have the added benefit of coming in pre-packed serves (although nuts can also be easily packed into re-usable containers).

If you’re allergic to nuts, roasted chickpeas are another option. Just try to avoid those with added salt.

Handful of natural nuts with other nuts on a dark background
Nuts are nature’s savoury snack and are also a great source of energy. Eakrat/Shutterstock

3. Dried fruit

If nuts are nature’s savoury snack, fruit is nature’s candy. Fresh fruits (such as grapes, frozen in advance) are wonderfully refreshing and perfect as an everyday snack, although can add a bit of weight to your hiking pack.

So if you’re looking to reduce the weight you’re carrying, go for dried fruit. It’s lighter and will withstand various conditions better than fresh fruit, so is less likely to spoil or bruise on the journey.

There are lots of varieties of dried fruits, such as sultanas, dried mango, dried apricots and dried apple slices.

These are good sources of sugar for energyfibre for fullness and healthy digestion, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. So choose one (or a combination) that works for you.

Don’t forget water

Next time you head out hiking for the day, you’re all set with these easily available, lightweight, energy- and nutrient-dense snacks.

This is not the time to be overly concerned about limiting your sugar or fat intake. Hiking, particularly in rough terrain, places demands on your body and energy needs. For instance, an adult hiking in rough terrain can burn upwards of about 2,000kJ per hour.

And of course, don’t forget to take plenty of water.

Having access to even limited food, and plenty of fresh water, will not only make your hike more pleasurable, it can save your life.The Conversation

Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

How we diagnose and define obesity is set to change – here’s why, and what it means for treatment

World Obesity Federation
Louise BaurUniversity of SydneyJohn B. DixonSwinburne University of TechnologyPriya SumithranMonash University, and Wendy A. BrownMonash University

Obesity is linked to many common diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and knee osteoarthritis.

Obesity is currently defined using a person’s body mass index, or BMI. This is calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of height (in metres). In people of European descent, the BMI for obesity is 30 kg/m² and over.

But the risk to health and wellbeing is not determined by weight – and therefore BMI – alone. We’ve been part of a global collaboration that has spent the past two years discussing how this should change. Today we publish how we think obesity should be defined and why.

As we outline in The Lancet, having a larger body shouldn’t mean you’re diagnosed with “clinical obesity”. Such a diagnosis should depend on the level and location of body fat – and whether there are associated health problems.

What’s wrong with BMI?

The risk of ill health depends on the relative percentage of fat, bone and muscle making up a person’s body weight, as well as where the fat is distributed.

Athletes with a relatively high muscle mass, for example, may have a higher BMI. Even when that athlete has a BMI over 30 kg/m², their higher weight is due to excess muscle rather than excess fatty tissue.

Man works out
Some athletes have a BMI in the obesity category. Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

People who carry their excess fatty tissue around their waist are at greatest risk of the health problems associated with obesity.

Fat stored deep in the abdomen and around the internal organs can release damaging molecules into the blood. These can then cause problems in other parts of the body.

But BMI alone does not tell us whether a person has health problems related to excess body fat. People with excess body fat don’t always have a BMI over 30, meaning they are not investigated for health problems associated with excess body fat. This might occur in a very tall person or in someone who tends to store body fat in the abdomen but who is of a “healthy” weight.

On the other hand, others who aren’t athletes but have excess fat may have a high BMI but no associated health problems.

BMI is therefore an imperfect tool to help us diagnose obesity.

What is the new definition?

The goal of the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission on the Definition and Diagnosis of Clinical Obesity was to develop an approach to this definition and diagnosis. The commission, established in 2022 and led from King’s College London, has brought together 56 experts on aspects of obesity, including people with lived experience.

The commission’s definition and new diagnostic criteria shifts the focus from BMI alone. It incorporates other measurements, such as waist circumference, to confirm an excess or unhealthy distribution of body fat.

We define two categories of obesity based on objective signs and symptoms of poor health due to excess body fat.

1. Clinical obesity

A person with clinical obesity has signs and symptoms of ongoing organ dysfunction and/or difficulty with day-to-day activities of daily living (such as bathing, going to the toilet or dressing).

There are 18 diagnostic criteria for clinical obesity in adults and 13 in children and adolescents. These include:

  • breathlessness caused by the effect of obesity on the lungs

  • obesity-induced heart failure

  • raised blood pressure

  • fatty liver disease

  • abnormalities in bones and joints that limit movement in children.

2. Pre-clinical obesity

A person with pre-clinical obesity has high levels of body fat that are not causing any illness.

People with pre-clinical obesity do not have any evidence of reduced tissue or organ function due to obesity and can complete day-to-day activities unhindered.

However, people with pre-clinical obesity are generally at higher risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.

What does this mean for obesity treatment?

Clinical obesity is a disease requiring access to effective health care.

For those with clinical obesity, the focus of health care should be on improving the health problems caused by obesity. People should be offered evidence-based treatment options after discussion with their health-care practitioner.

Treatment will include management of obesity-associated complications and may include specific obesity treatment aiming at decreasing fat mass, such as:

  • support for behaviour change around diet, physical activity, sleep and screen use

  • obesity-management medications to reduce appetite, lower weight and improve health outcomes such as blood glucose (sugar) and blood pressure

  • metabolic bariatric surgery to treat obesity or reduce weight-related health complications.

Woman exercises
Treatment for clinical obesity may include support for behaviour change. Shutterstock/shurkin_son

Should pre-clinical obesity be treated?

For those with pre-clinical obesity, health care should be about risk-reduction and prevention of health problems related to obesity.

This may require health counselling, including support for health behaviour change, and monitoring over time.

Depending on the person’s individual risk – such as a family history of disease, level of body fat and changes over time – they may opt for one of the obesity treatments above.

Distinguishing people who don’t have illness from those who already have ongoing illness will enable personalised approaches to obesity prevention, management and treatment with more appropriate and cost-effective allocation of resources.

What happens next?

These new criteria for the diagnosis of clinical obesity will need to be adopted into national and international clinical practice guidelines and a range of obesity strategies.

Once adopted, training health professionals and health service managers, and educating the general public, will be vital.

Reframing the narrative of obesity may help eradicate misconceptions that contribute to stigma, including making false assumptions about the health status of people in larger bodies. A better understanding of the biology and health effects of obesity should also mean people in larger bodies are not blamed for their condition.

People with obesity or who have larger bodies should expect personalised, evidence-based assessments and advice, free of stigma and blame.The Conversation

Louise Baur, Professor, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of SydneyJohn B. Dixon, Adjunct Professor, Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute, Swinburne University of TechnologyPriya Sumithran, Head of the Obesity and Metabolic Medicine Group in the Department of Surgery, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, and Wendy A. Brown, Professor and Chair, Monash University Department of Surgery, School of Translational Medicine, Alfred Health, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

‘AI agents’ promise to arrange your finances, do your taxes, book your holidays – and put us all at risk

Sergii Gnatiuk/Shutterstock
Uri GalUniversity of Sydney

Over the past two years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captivated public attention. This year signals the beginning of a new phase: the rise of AI agents.

AI agents are autonomous systems that can make decisions and take actions on our behalf without direct human input. The vision is that these agents will redefine work and daily life by handling complex tasks for us. They could negotiate contracts, manage our finances, or book our travel.

Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff has said he aims to deploy a billion AI agents within a year. Meanwhile Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg predicts AI agents will soon outnumber the global human population.

As companies race to deploy AI agents, questions about their societal impact, ethical boundaries and long-term consequences grow more urgent. We stand on the edge of a technological frontier with the power to redefine the fabric of our lives.

How will these systems transform our work and our decision-making? And what safeguards do we need to ensure they serve humanity’s best interests?

AI agents take the control away

Current generative AI systems react to user input, such as prompts. By contrast, AI agents act autonomously within broad parameters. They operate with unprecedented levels of freedom – they can negotiate, make judgement calls, and orchestrate complex interactions with other systems. This goes far beyond simple command–response exchanges like those you might have with ChatGPT.

For instance, imagine using a personal “AI financial advisor” agent to buy life insurance. The agent would analyse your financial situation, health data and family needs while simultaneously negotiating with multiple insurance companies’ AI agents.

It would also need to coordinate with several other AI systems: your medical records’ AI for health information, and your bank’s AI systems for making payments.

The use of such an agent promises to reduce manual effort for you, but it also introduces significant risks.

The AI might be outmanoeuvred by more advanced insurance company AI agents during negotiations, leading to higher premiums. Privacy concerns arise as your sensitive medical and financial information flows between multiple systems.

The complexity of these interactions can also result in opaque decisions. It might be difficult to trace how various AI agents influence the final insurance policy recommendation. And if errors occur, it could be hard to know which part of the system to hold accountable.

Perhaps most crucially, this system risks diminishing human agency. When AI interactions grow too complex to comprehend or control, individuals may struggle to intervene in or even fully understand their insurance arrangements.

A tangle of ethical and practical challenges

The insurance agent scenario above is not yet fully realised. But sophisticated AI agents are rapidly coming onto the market.

Salesforce and Microsoft have already incorporated AI agents into some of their corporate products, such as Copilot Actions. Google has been gearing up for the release of personal AI agents since announcing its latest AI model, Gemini 2.0. OpenAI is also expected to release a personal AI agent in 2025.

The prospect of billions of AI agents operating simultaneously raises profound ethical and practical challenges.

These agents will be created by competing companies with different technical architectures, ethical frameworks and business incentives. Some will prioritise user privacy, others speed and efficiency.

They will interact across national borders where regulations governing AI autonomy, data privacy and consumer protection vary dramatically.

This could create a fragmented landscape where AI agents operate under conflicting rules and standards, potentially leading to systemic risks.

What happens when AI agents optimised for different objectives – say, profit maximisation versus environmental sustainability – clash in automated negotiations? Or when agents trained on Western ethical frameworks make decisions that affect users in cultural contexts for which they were not designed?

The emergence of this complex, interconnected ecosystem of AI agents demands new approaches to governance, accountability, and the preservation of human agency in an increasingly automated world.

How do we shape a future with AI agents in it?

AI agents promise to be helpful, to save us time. To navigate the challenges outlined above, we will need to coordinate action across multiple fronts.

International bodies and national governments must develop harmonised regulatory frameworks that address the cross-border nature of AI agent interactions.

These frameworks should establish clear standards for transparency and accountability, particularly in scenarios where multiple agents interact in ways that affect human interests.

Technology companies developing AI agents need to prioritise safety and ethical considerations from the earliest stages of development. This means building in robust safeguards that prevent abuse – such as manipulating users or making discriminatory decisions.

They must ensure agents remain aligned with human values. All decisions and actions made by an AI agent should be logged in an “audit trail” that’s easy to access and follow.

Importantly, companies must develop standardised protocols for agent-to-agent communication. Conflict resolution between AI agents should happen in a way that protects the interests of users.

Any organisation that deploys AI agents should also have comprehensive oversight of them. Humans should still be involved in any crucial decisions, with a clear process in place to do so. The organisation should also systematically assess the outcomes to ensure agents truly serve their intended purpose.

As consumers, we all have a crucial role to play, too. Before entrusting tasks to AI agents, you should demand clear explanations of how these systems operate, what data they share, and how decisions are made.

This includes understanding the limits of agent autonomy. You should have the ability to override agents’ decisions when necessary.

We shouldn’t surrender human agency as we transition to a world of AI agents. But it’s a powerful technology, and now is the time to actively shape what that world will look like.The Conversation

Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

New study challenges a major theory on why some kangaroos mysteriously went extinct

Modern kangaroo skulls at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Merinda Campbell/MAGNT
Sam ArmanFlinders University

The extinction of the megafauna – giant marsupials that lived in Australia until 60,000 to 45,000 years ago – is a topic of fierce debate. Some researchers have suggested a reliance on certain plants left some species susceptible to changes in climate.

Our research, published today in Science, indicates that for short-faced kangaroos, which comprise the bulk of the extinct megafauna, their diets were broad and comparable to many long-faced kangaroos which survived the extinction event.

Broad diets would have made short-faced kangaroos well adapted to the last ice age in Australia, bringing diet-based extinction scenarios into doubt.

What was the Australian megafauna?

Megafauna is a loose term referring to all the species present in the Pleistocene of Australia (2.6 million to 12,000 years ago) which haven’t survived until today.

Two features unite them: a generally large body size and being extinct. By 40,000 years ago, 90% of large species in Australia had died out.

This included giant flightless birds, the rhino-sized marsupial Diprotodonmarsupial lions and many others.

The cause of this extinction has been the subject of debate for some time. Some researchers argue megafaunal species were wiped out by climate change associated with the last ice age.

Others suggest the arrival of humans directly or indirectly led to their extinction. A third option also considers a combination of these two factors.

A lush landscape painting with various animals that look a bit like modern Australian fauna.
Artist’s reconstruction of the Naracoorte Caves during the Pleistocene. Peter Schouten

Different types of kangaroos

More than half of the extinct marsupial megafauna were kangaroos. Most, though not all of these, were sthenurines or short-faced kangaroos. Long-faced kangaroo species (macropodids) lived alongside sthenurines, and survive around Australia today.

Along with shorter faces, sthenurines had longer arms and a heavier build than their long-faced cousins. Many walked on two feet like a human or a Tyrannosaurus rex.

The short faces allowed sthenurines to crush plants with greater force, leading palaeontologists to suggest sthenurines were browsers – herbivores that specialise in consuming the leaves of shrubs and other plants.

If a change in climate then reduced the availability of these plants, this could have led to short-faced kangaroo extinction. Meanwhile the grazing (grass-eating) long-faced kangaroos were mostly able to survive.

The varied diets of different kangaroo species. Traci Klarenbeek/Flinders University

Browsers, mixed feeders, grazers

To investigate this idea, we used a method called dental microwear texture analysis. When an animal chews its food, the food leaves microscopic scratches on its teeth. The shape of these scratches changes based on the physical properties of the food: grasses typically make thin scratches, while leaves create deeper gouges.

By scanning the teeth under a fancy microscope called a confocal profiler, we end up with a 3D-scan of a tiny area of the tooth surface, which can then be analysed using algorithms that quantify its texture.

To see how microwear relates to diet, we compiled a massive baseline of modern macropods whose diets we know really well.

This included 17 species, from browsers (like quokkas, mostly eating the leaves of shrubs), through mixed feeders (like red-necked wallabies, eating large contributions of browse and grass) to grazers (like red kangaroos, who mostly eat grass).

Scans produced in the study. Each scan is less than a quarter of a millimetre in length. Sam Arman/MAGNT

To understand diets in the Pleistocene, we looked at fossils from Victoria Fossil Cave in the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area.

We found overall there was a high degree of mixed feeding taking place at Naracoorte in the Pleistocene. Four species of short-faced kangaroos and three species of long-faced kangaroos all had very similar diets – they were mixed feeders.

This alone dispels the notion that all short-faced kangaroos were driven extinct as a direct result of a restricted diet. Mixed feeding is a common strategy among kangaroos today, especially in parts of Australia with more vegetation. It allows species to adapt their diets to changing conditions and mixed environments.

Some specialists too

Not everyone was a mixed feeder at Naracoorte. The swamp wallaby and three short-faced kangaroos all had browsing diets. Two of these sthenurines, both from the genus Simosthenurus, had very distinct “browsing signatures” – suggesting they had specialist diets.

Meanwhile, a now-extinct long-faced kangaroo known as Protemnodon had a specialised grazing diet.

These specialists also provide useful info. Since they were at separate ends of the dietary spectrum, they were unlikely to have been driven extinct by the same shift in climate.

Skulls of kangaroos featured in the study. Left to right: ProtemnodonMacropusProcoptodon. Traci Klarenbeek/Flinders University

This gels with recent evidence that shows Pleistocene climate changes were less dramatic in the southern hemisphere, compared to the northern hemisphere, where the true “ice ages” took hold with massive ice sheets forming across whole continents.

Where evolution meets practicality

So, if short- and long-faced kangaroos had overlapping diets, why are their heads so different? Essentially, this comes down to where evolution meets practicality.

Evolution has changed the shape of these two kangaroo species down different paths, adapted to eating different foods. But this adaptation doesn’t dictate that an animal only eats one type of food, especially in an environment with plentiful nutritious vegetation.

Mixed feeding among many kangaroos today shows long-faced roos are not bound to grazing. Our work suggests short-faced kangaroos were similarly not bound to browsing.

Instead, these adaptations define the “end-members” of diet: tough-to-process foods that are consumed in times or environments where other foods are unavailable.

Our work shows most kangaroos at Naracoorte, including sthenurines, had a high degree of mixed feeding. They were well adapted to Pleistocene environments.

Our work is just one piece of the megafaunal extinction puzzle, slowly taking shape as we learn more about the ecology of extinct species, and how they interacted with Pleistocene environments and the arrival of humans.The Conversation

Sam Arman, Adjunct Associate, Palaeontology, Flinders University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A deadly brain-eating amoeba lurks in freshwater swimming holes – here’s what you need to know

Goami/Shutterstock
Ian A. WrightWestern Sydney University

On hot summer days, hitting the beach is a great way to have fun and cool off. But if you’re not near the salty ocean, you might opt for swimming in a freshwater stream, river, lake or pool.

These freshwater swimming holes are great, but they come with a hidden danger. While it’s very rare, it can be deadly – a brain infection by a microbe widely known as the “brain-eating amoeba”.

What is the brain-eating amoeba?

The pathogen in question is called Naegleria fowleri. The “brain-eating” part makes it sound like an unlikely creature of science fiction, but sadly it’s a real – and potentially deadly – organism.

The amoeba was first discovered by medical scientists in South Australia in the 1960s following several mysterious deaths from an unusual form of meningitis in the 1950s.

It can cause an often incurable infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. This disease has caused hundreds of fatal infections across several countries. Young males are most commonly affected, and the average age of infections is 12 years old.

N. fowleri is a microscopic single-celled organism. It is commonly found in freshwaters and soil, thriving in warmer water temperatures ranging from 25°C to 40°C.

It doesn’t survive in saltwater or freshwater correctly disinfected with chlorine. This includes chlorinated municipal water supplies which are disinfected and thoroughly tested to ensure all pathogens, including N. fowleri, can’t survive. This water is safe for all uses including bathing and showering.

Infections are very rare. But they are deadly serious, as only a handful of people have survived the infection.

The United States has recorded more cases than any other country, not least due to the fact they keep stringent records and regularly provide reports on these types of infections. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, of the 164 reported cases (1962 to 2023) in the US, only four people have survived. This is a fatality rate of 97.5%.

Australia has recorded 22 cases up until 2018, according to a global review. Four confirmed cases have been reported from Queensland since 2000.

Naegleria fowleri amoeba in a person’s cerebrospinal fluid. Photo: Dr. James Roberts, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/CDC

How does the amoeba get into the brain?

This disease has a highly unusual infection pathway. You can’t be infected by drinking contaminated water. It can only infect a person’s brain through water entering their nose and nasal passages. This allows the amoeba to pass through nasal tissue and infect the brain and central nervous system.

People have been fatally infected by rinsing their nasal passages with water that contained the amoeba. Such nasal rinses should only use suitably sterilised water.

Some of the early symptoms of the infection are headaches, nausea, vomiting, fever and neck stiffness. It may take several days for the infection to develop after exposure to the amoeba.

If someone suffers these symptoms after being exposed to potentially contaminated waters, urgent medical attention is needed. Although the survival rate is less than 5%, there are rare cases where prompt medical attention helped an infected person survive.

Although the amoeba generally survives in waters in warm climates, it has infected people in heated waters in cooler environments. In 1978, a girl was fatally infected after swimming in the geothermal baths built by Romans in the English city of Bath. The baths have been closed for swimmers ever since.

In Australia, Lake Liddell in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, was closed to the public in 2016 after detection of the amoeba. The waters of the lake were artificially warm as they were used for cooling a coal-fired power station that’s now closed.

A happy small girl in a bright orange vest laughs while immersed in a river.
Children are particularly vulnerable, and often like to splash about while playing in the water. Olga Vaskevich/Shutterstock

What can I do to avoid the amoeba?

Firstly, N. fowleri can’t survive in ocean saltwater. But it can live in warm freshwaters, rivers, hot springs, streams, pools or lakes.

If you are in any doubt, it is safest to assume the amoeba is present in these water sources. You can still swim, but don’t put your head under water. Take care to prevent any water entering your nose.

This might be difficult for children who often engage in games, lots of splashing, and jumping or diving into the water. It may be impossible for them to do this without risking water entering their noses.

If you are considering swimming in a freshwater swimming pool, make sure the pool is well maintained and disinfected with the correct amount of chlorine. This prevents the amoeba’s survival, and makes a well-maintained, disinfected pool safe to swim. (A clean, filtered and properly chlorinated swimming pool also protects swimmers from other water-borne pathogens.)

The chances of acquiring this disease are remote. But if infected, it’s likely to be fatal.

Remember that children under your care are particularly vulnerable. If possible, choose to swim in well-maintained and chlorinated swimming pools. In freshwater sources, just don’t put your head under the water.The Conversation

Ian A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Children with traumatic experiences have a higher risk of obesity – but this can be turned around

PickPikCC BY-SA
Ladan HashemiUniversity of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Children with traumatic experiences in their early lives have a higher risk of obesity. But as our new research shows, this risk can be reduced through positive experiences.

Childhood traumatic experiences are alarmingly common. Our analysis of data from nearly 5,000 children in the Growing Up in New Zealand study revealed almost nine out of ten (87%) faced at least one significant source of trauma by the time they were eight years old. Multiple adverse experiences were also prevalent, with one in three children (32%) experiencing at least three traumatic events.

Childhood trauma includes a range of experiences such as physical and emotional abuse, peer bullying and exposure to domestic violence. It also includes parental substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, separation or divorce and ethnic discrimination.

We found children from financially disadvantaged households and Māori and Pasifika had the highest prevalence of nearly all types of adverse experiences, as well as higher overall numbers of adversities.

The consequences of these experiences were far-reaching. Children who experienced at least one adverse event were twice as likely to be obese by age eight. The risk increased with the number of traumatic experiences. Children with four or more adverse experiences were nearly three times more likely to be obese.

Notably, certain traumatic experiences (including physical abuse and parental domestic violence) related more strongly to obesity than others. This highlights the strong connection between early-life adversity and physical health outcomes.

Connecting trauma to obesity

One potential explanation could be that the accumulation of early stress in children’s family, school and social environments is associated with greater psychological distress. This in turn makes children more likely to adopt unhealthy weight-related behaviours.

This includes consuming excessive high-calorie “comfort” foods such as fast food and sugary drinks, inadequate intake of nutritious foods, poor sleep, excessive screen time and physical inactivity. In our research, children who experienced adverse events were more likely to adopt these unhealthy behaviours. These, in turn, were associated with a higher risk of obesity.

Despite these challenges, our research also explored a promising area: the protective and mitigating effects of positive experiences.

We defined positive experiences as:

  • parents in a committed relationship

  • mothers interacting well with their children

  • mothers involved in social groups

  • children engaged in enriching experiences and activities such as visiting libraries or museums and participating in sports and community events

  • children living in households with routines and rules, including those regulating bedtime, screen time and mealtimes

  • children attending effective early childhood education.

The findings were encouraging. Children with more positive experiences were significantly less likely to be obese by age eight.

For example, those with five or six positive experiences were 60% less likely to be overweight or obese compared to children with zero or one positive experience. Even two positive experiences reduced the likelihood by 25%.

Children playing with basketballs
Positive childhood experiences such as playing sports or visiting libraries can lower the risk of obesity. Getty Images

How positive experiences counteract trauma

Positive experiences can help mitigate the negative effects of childhood trauma. But a minimum of four positive experiences was required to significantly counteract the impact of adverse events.

While nearly half (48%) of the study participants had at least four positive experiences, a concerning proportion (more than one in ten children) reported zero or only one positive experience.

The implications are clear. Traditional weight-loss programmes focused solely on changing behaviours are not enough to tackle childhood obesity. To create lasting change, we must also address the social environments, life experiences and emotional scars of early trauma shaping children’s lives.

Fostering positive experiences is a vital part of this holistic approach. These experiences not only help protect children from the harmful effects of adversity but also promote their overall physical and mental wellbeing. This isn’t just about preventing obesity – it’s about giving children the foundation to thrive and reach their full potential.

Creating supportive environments for vulnerable children

Policymakers, schools and families all have a role to play. Community-based programmes, such as after-school activities, healthy relationship initiatives and mental health services should be prioritised to support vulnerable families.

Trauma-informed care is crucial, particularly for children from disadvantaged households who face higher levels of adversity and fewer positive experiences. Trauma-informed approaches are especially crucial for addressing the effects of domestic violence and other adverse childhood experiences.

Comprehensive strategies should prioritise both safety and emotional healing by equipping families with tools to create safe, nurturing environments and providing access to mental health services and community support initiatives.

At the family level, parents can establish stable routines, participate in social networks and engage children in enriching activities. Schools and early-childhood education providers also play a key role in fostering supportive environments that help children build resilience and recover from trauma.

Policymakers should invest in resources that promote positive experiences across communities, addressing inequalities that leave some children more vulnerable than others. By creating nurturing environments, we can counterbalance the impacts of trauma and help children lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

When positive experiences outweigh negative ones, children have a far greater chance of thriving – physically, emotionally and socially.The Conversation

Ladan Hashemi, Senior Research Fellow in Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Australia has a new autism strategy but questions remain for those who don’t get NDIS support

Alex and Maria photo/Shutterstock
Nicole RinehartMonash University and David MoseleyMonash University

Today the federal government released Australia’s first National Autism Strategy, with A$42 million of funding for the first stage of the strategy.

Many autistic Australians and their families struggle to get the right supports so they can do the things many people take for granted, such as going to a dance class or joining a footy club, going to school or work, and maintaining their physical and mental health.

People with autism have a life expectancy 20 to 36 years shorter than the rest of the population. Workforce participation among autistic adults is low, at around 38%.

People with autism want to live in a country that doesn’t just talk about inclusion, but delivers this through policy and reducing stigma. The seven-year autism strategy is an important step forward to achieving this aim.

But it’s unclear if the strategy will deliver for children and their families who are not eligible for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding and support. We need to ensure they don’t fall through the gaps.

What’s in the strategy?

The strategy sets out 22 recommendations across four key areas:

1. social inclusion: ensuring autistic people are valued and included in society, with initiatives such as peer-support programs and public awareness campaigns. Almost $20 million has been earmarked to fund peer-support programs designed to provide age-appropriate and culturally sensitive assistance, while $915,000 has been set aside over two years for community awareness and education initiatives to reduce stigma and foster inclusion.

2. economic inclusion: improving employment opportunities and workplace support, particularly for autistic adults. This includes increasing employment opportunities and supporting employers to hire and retain autistic employees.

Woman works while wearing headphones
The strategy aims to boost employment. fizkes/Shutterstock

3. diagnosis, services and supports: enhancing timely and accessible diagnostic pathways and neurodiversity-affirming services. The funding commitment includes $445,000 in 2025–26 for new resources supporting pre- and post-diagnosis stages.

4. health and mental health: addressing systemic gaps in health outcomes through a forthcoming roadmap focused on mental and physical wellbeing.

Ensuring children without NDIS support don’t fall through the gaps

At the time of diagnosis, children with autism are categorised at as either level one (requiring support), two (requiring substantial support) or three (requiring very substantial support).

Children classified as level one may have difficulty with social communication, the “to and fro” of conversation and making friends. These children face real and unique challenges as they operate in mainstream schools and communities with a silent disability that may go unrecognised by their peers.

But many children with level one autism will not receive individual NDIS support packages.

The NDIS review plans to fill this gap through “foundational supports”. The goal of foundational supports is to build individual, family and community capacity to reduce the barriers to participation in schools and communities.

But we are yet to see the full menu of opportunities that will be available from the NDIS foundational supports.

The hope is that the autism strategy and NDIS foundational supports will be complementary and also linked to broader clinical, hospital and school programs.

Investing in evidence

Today’s announcement also includes funding for research and translation, including:

  • $12.2 million to establish a body that will translate autism-related research into practical tools and guidance

  • $3.7 million to evaluate existing programs aimed at improving the lives of autistic Australians

  • $2.8 million for an epidemiological study to assess the true prevalence of autism in Australia.

These funding commitments show we’re learning from the mistakes seen with the initial rollout of the NDIS. This failed to ensure the interventions and supports made available were evidence-based or at least underpinned by clinical expertise and endorsed by a co-design process with the autistic community.

The research evidence vacuum was quickly filled by a plethora of unverified programs or practices that emerged with a big price tag and no evidence.

Big challenges can only be solved with big research data. So it’s encouraging to see research evidence and data collection underpinning this strategy.

What needs to happen next?

The strategy is a significant step forward, offering hope and optimism. However, effective implementation will require:

  • coordination across reforms. This will mean the strategy is integrated with state policies and funding and federal NDIS, disability and autism reforms. Coordinated implementation with the NDIS review’s foundational support recommendations is particularly important

  • unified practices. Drawing on existing innovation and best practice from the autistic community, research, and clinical work to expand and scale effective programs and supports

  • addressing the health and mental health of autistic Australians. The forthcoming health and mental health strategy must urgently address the needs of children and adults with complex and intersecting challenges. There is an urgent need for integrated and accessible support

  • tailored support. Peer support and inclusion programs must provide tailored support for autistic children to help support their successful participation in social and recreational activities, and to help the community better understand and support autistic children and families.

This strategy has the potential to position the nation as a global leader in autism support. But success will depend on maintaining a clear focus on implementation, equity and inclusion. With the right actions, this can be the transformative framework to improve the lives of autistic people and their families and carers.The Conversation

Nicole Rinehart, Nicole Rinehart, Professor, Clinical Psychology, Director of the Neurodevelopment Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University and David Moseley, Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Aboriginal message sticks are a fascinating insight into a complex system of written communication

Athena LeeEdith Cowan University

When we think of writing systems we likely think of an Alphabetic writing system, where each symbol (letter) in the alphabet represents a basic sound unit, such as a consonant or a vowel.

Those who first came to the shores of Australia during colonisation likely held a similar idea of written language. As such, Aboriginal peoples were quickly dismissed as lacking a written language.

But this view is wrong.

Aboriginal message sticks, traditional tools of communication, offer a glimpse into a sophisticated and unique form of communication.

A written and oral language

Aboriginal message sticks are hand-carved wooden objects traditionally used to send messages across long distances. While there is evidence of widespread use of message sticks across Australia, the current database is still mapping the different regions in which they are used and their messages deciphered.

Message sticks often feature engravings or painted symbols, lines, dots and shapes carefully crafted to convey specific meanings.

They aren’t standalone texts, like books or letters. Instead, they are complemented by oral messages delivered by an appointed messenger who, in some instances, would be painted in ochre and dressed according to the message being delivered.

This ensured the stick’s symbols were interpreted correctly by the recipient.

The messenger’s task was to deliver the stick and speak the words that gave the symbols life and meaning. A message stick might feature simple symbols representing the date, location and purpose of an event. While the symbols carry visual meaning, the oral storytelling supplies context.

Imagine you had to send a crucial message, perhaps an invitation to a wedding or news of a tragedy. When composing your message you carefully select the right words so that your intended meaning is interpreted correctly.

Similarly, the symbols carved by the sender into the message stick and the accompanying oral message provide the same function.

A long history of writing

Pictographic writing, a system where ideas, objects or sounds are represented through visual symbols, is a foundational stage in the evolution of writing.

Unlike writing systems that use letters to represent sounds, pictographic systems use pictures that directly resemble what they represent, while some systems mix symbols for whole words or parts of words.

Hieroglyphs from ancient Egypt originally started as a pictographic writing system before transitioning into a logosyllabic system.

An example of early Egyptian pictographic writing can be seen in the Narmer Palette, a ceremonial artefact that depicts King Narmer’s unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Two stone tablets with hieroglyphs.
The Narmer Palette dates from about the 31st century BC and contains some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. Wikimedia Commons

Its carvings include early hieroglyphic symbols that are primarily pictorial, representing objects like animals, tools, and body parts.

Likewise, writing from Aztecs from Mesoamerica also started as a pictographic system. The Aztecs used pictographs to record events, genealogies and religious rituals.

The Codex Borbonicus is a prominent example, created by Aztec priests before the Spanish conquest, conveying religious, calendrical and ritualistic information.

Aztec pictographs.
The Codex Borbonicus, showing the 13th trecena of the Aztec sacred calendar. Wikimedia Commons

Like the Aztec and early Egyptian pictographs, the symbols on message sticks hold complex and culturally significant information.

These symbols vary depending on the region and the purpose of the message. Common symbols include straight lines, dots, concentric circles, cross hatching or geometric patterns, animal tracks and wavy lines.

The meaning of these symbols are dependent on the region they are from and the context supplied with the message.

For too long, pictographic systems have been dismissed as inferior or proto-writing within Eurocentric frameworks.

This perspective has contributed to the marginalisation of Indigenous knowledge systems. The claim that Aboriginal peoples lacked a written language is a misrepresentation borne of colonial agendas, designed to dehumanise and delegitimise Aboriginal cultural sophistication.

Message sticks and other forms of Aboriginal graphic expressions, such as rock art and carvings (petroglyphs) challenge this narrative.

Rock art
Aboriginal rock art, photographed here at Chambers Gorge, South Australia, can be another form of pictograph writing. John Morton/flickrCC BY

These artefacts demonstrate that Aboriginal peoples developed complex systems of visual communication intertwined with oral traditions.

Recognising Aboriginal message sticks within the succession of pictographic communication legitimises their status as a form of written communication and honours their role in the diverse spectrum of human intellectual achievements.

Understanding the breadth of writing

The devaluation of Aboriginal graphic writing systems reflects a broader colonial bias that equates written language exclusively with alphabetic systems.

By acknowledging the legitimacy of pictographic writing, we validate the cultural practices of Aboriginal peoples and broaden our understanding of what it means to write.

Writing is not merely a mechanical act of inscribing symbols on a surface. It is a medium through which humans convey meaning, preserve knowledge and create connections across time and space.

Message sticks held in the Australian Museum. GordonMakryllos/Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA

Message sticks are compelling evidence of Aboriginal systems of knowledge and communication.

These artefacts demand a reevaluation of how we define and value writing. They also challenge us to confront the colonial legacies that have marginalised non-alphabetic systems of communication.

Writing is not a singular invention. It is a diverse, multifaceted human endeavour. Like the hieroglyphs of Egypt and the Aztec glyphs, message sticks are powerful symbols of the intellectual and creative capacities of their creators.The Conversation

Athena Lee, Lecturer and Researcher, Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Edith Cowan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A bright ‘Sun-skirting’ comet will grace southern skies this week. Here’s how to see it

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) passing close to the Sun. NASA/SOHO
Jonti HornerUniversity of Southern Queensland

Hot on the heels of a spectacular comet late last year, another celestial visitor is set to put on a show. And Southern Hemisphere observers have a ringside seat.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) has just experienced a very close encounter with the Sun, and will become visible low in the western sky after sunset in the coming days. With luck, it will prove to be a spectacular sight.

It is often said that comets are like cats – their behaviour is notoriously hard to predict. So while astronomers have been awaiting the arrival of C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) for several months, they have been cautious of raising expectations too high.

Over the past couple of days, the comet has swung past the Sun, and survived its close encounter intact. The time has come for it to emerge to our evening skies.

A Sun-skirting snowball

At the heart of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is a dirty snowball or “cometary nucleus” only a few hundred metres to a couple of kilometres across. When it was discovered, in April 2024, it was still more than 600 million kilometres from Earth and the Sun.

In the days following the comet’s discovery, astronomers worked out its orbit – and it turned out to be a “Sun-skirter” that would pass less than 14 million kilometres from our star on January 13.

As a comet approaches the Sun, it begins to heat up. The ice on and near the surface “sublimes”, causing jets of gas and dust to erupt from the nucleus’ surface. This shrouds the nucleus in a vast cloud of gas and dust, which is then blown away from the Sun, creating the comet’s tails.

Comets that get particularly close to the Sun can become spectacular. This is what happened with comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught), which put on an incredible show for observers in the Southern Hemisphere in early 2007.

For that reason, astronomers often get excited when a new comet is found that will pass particularly close to the Sun. However, comets are also notoriously fragile and friable. Many small comets on Sun-skirting orbits simply fall apart in a puff of dust and disappointment.

When comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered it was very faint, which suggested its nucleus is relatively small. As a result, it seemed likely to fall apart during its close approach to the Sun.

One piece of evidence gave astronomers hope. The comet’s orbit indicated it had passed this way at least once before – and survived.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) putting on a show as it passes through the field of view of NASA’s SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO/C3 camera. NASA/SOHO

Now the time has come – as I write this, the comet has passed its closest approach to the Sun intact. It has already put on an incredible show as the third brightest comet ever observed by NASA’s space-based solar observatory SOHO, and even been imaged by keen astrophotographers in broad daylight. Over the coming days, it will move into the evening sky as it moves away from the Sun.

A bright comet, low in the west after sunset

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will begin to appear in the evening sky, low to the west-southwest. For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, it will remain lost in the Sun’s glare. But for those south of the equator, it has the potential to be easily visible for the next few evenings, as the sky darkens after the Sun sets.

Unfortunately, the comet’s orbit is also taking it away from Earth, so it will fade relatively quickly. At its closest to the Sun, the comet was almost as bright as the planet Venus (currently a spectacular sight in the western evening sky). Within a couple of weeks, the comet will cease to be visible to the naked eye.

What does that mean? If you want to get the best possible view, you need to seize your chance in the next few days. Each evening, the comet will set later, and be farther from the Sun in the sky. But it will also be fainter from one night to the next.

So when, and where, should I look?

If you want to see comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), you’re going to need to find somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon slightly to the south of due west. Using a planetarium app or website like Stellarium will allow you to work out what time the Sun and the comet will set from your location, so you can plan your observations.

The videos below show the comet’s location a little after sunset at three different latitudes (around Cairns, Brisbane and Melbourne/Auckland) over the evenings from January 16 to 23.

Note the position of the comet in these videos is just the location of the comet’s head. The tail will rise upwards from the comet into the sky, leaning a bit to the right. The videos also don’t give a real feel for how bright the comet will be – you’ll just have to go out and see.

The location of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) 35 minutes after sunset for observers at a latitude of 17 degrees S (equivalent to Cairns, Australia).
The location of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) 35 minutes after sunset for observers at a latitude of 27 degrees S (equivalent to Brisbane, Australia).
The location of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) 40 minutes after sunset for observers at a latitude of 37 degrees S (equivalent to Melbourne, Australia or Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand).

Get to your chosen viewing location around sunset, to maximise your chances of spotting the comet. As soon as the Sun is below the horizon, you can start scanning for the comet with binoculars, your camera, or the naked eye.

At first, the sky will be too bright, but the comet should eventually reveal itself, low to the horizon, before it sets.

From my own experience with comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) last year, seeing a comet low in the twilight sky can be challenging. I found it was easy to spot the comet through my camera. Once found, I could find it with the unaided eye.

The time-lapse video I shot, below, shows that comet rising in the morning sky in early October 2024. You can see how the comet gets easier to see the darker the sky becomes. For the new comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), imagine the video running backwards, with the comet setting as the sky becomes darker, to get a feel for how the comet might look.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) rising in the east from south-east Queensland, in October 2024.

Of course it is hard to say just how bright and easy to spot comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will be.

With each night that passes, the comet will get higher in the sky, and so in theory be easier to spot. It will be dimming, however, so the best view will be had during the next week.The Conversation

Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LA is on fire. How will Australia cope when bushfires hit Sydney, Melbourne or another major city?

David BowmanUniversity of Tasmania

As I write this, five people are dead and at least 1,000 buildings have been destroyed by wildfires that have swept across Los Angeles. Around 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.

We are not yet sure of the scale of the disaster, but maps show it is burning across many suburbs. That is shocking. We are looking at a disaster unfolding in real time.

But we knew this would happen eventually. We have moved from possible futures to these things now happening. The deferment has ended.

So, could something similar happen in major Australian cities – and how prepared are we? The answers are: yes, and not very.

Why is LA on fire?

The areas north of LA have always been at high fire risk. That’s because of the mix of the fuels from trees and plants and the uneven terrain; canyons and ridges can accelerate fire.

But in this situation, several things happened at once – all of which are bad.



We had the amazingly strong Santa Ana winds, in conjunction with a very dry landscape. The landscape was primed for fire, and then due to these winds, the fires grew extraordinarily fast. Fire suppression capacity was quickly overwhelmed.

In a place such as California, with its enviable aerial fire-fighting capacity, fires can usually be contained rapidly. But this one grew at a fantastic rate, driven by these terrible winds. It then got into the houses and all the way down the coast.

Shockingly, it crossed from the intermix housing on the border of bushland and city, and moved into suburban environments. It was an incredibly fast escalation.

All of these things aren’t unexpected. We know fires are burning faster and hotter and quicker, and fire seasons are getting longer. After all, these LA fires happened in the US winter.

The environment is being primed by climate change and we know there are limits to fire suppression.

So, we knew these things were going to happen – but it is still so confronting when they do.

Could this happen in a major city in Australia?

The short answer: yes.

We don’t have Santa Ana winds, of course, but we do have downslope winds (a wind that comes over a topographic barrier like a mountain range). They are often very dry and warm and can move quickly.

There is the possibility for fires to burn into Australian suburbs. It happened in Canberra in 2003. And it could happen again in a major city such as Sydney or Melbourne. We have all the ingredients.

If you have the wrong wind and the wrong fire and the wrong time, a fire can be driven very quickly into an urban area.

The degree to which it would spread depends on the suburban landscape and how well prepared the area is.

If a suburb has older housing stock with older gardens, for instance, it’s absolutely ripe for a fire to spread quickly. If you have more modern housing stock (which is usually better at defending against ember attack), and the houses are more spaced apart and the gardens are clearer, then you might be OK.

When fire gets into suburbs, the damage can be variable. Some houses might burn down and others may survive. But the worst case scenario is what we call “house-to-house ignition”, where the houses become the fuel.

The other frightening dimension is what happens if water supplies run out, which is reportedly happening in some parts of Los Angeles.

How ready are Australian cities for fires?

Australia is not well prepared for scenarios such as this. But rather than be fatalistic and assume urban areas are open game for wildfires, effort is needed from all levels of government and community to reduce the risk of fires impacting suburban and semi-suburban areas.

That means better boundaries between houses and keeping fuel loads low. It also means households, councils and fire authorities having a plan for when fires hit.

This may mean implementing planning rules to enforce safer gardens or the clearing of bushland behind homes. But such measures will be controversial in many cases.

Gaining public support will require designing landscape-scale firebreaks that are attractive and sympathetic to biodiversity.

Studies suggest that achieving fire-ready cities requires a mix of research, education, incentivisation and penalties.

We also need to ask: how bushfire-aware are city residents?

So much messaging around having a plan, knowing where to go and leaving early has been targeted at rural and bushland residents. Many people in suburban areas may not consider themselves vulnerable and might not have a plan at all.

Many regional and rural areas in Australia have bushfire places of last resort – safe places for the community to go when all other bushfire plans have failed. The LA tragedy shows we also need these places in cities. People also need a plan on how to get there (by walking or going on bike, where possible), so traffic jams don’t ensue as everyone tries to escape.

People should also be educated about what to expect at the evacuation point when you arrive. Where possible, they should take their own food, water and medicines and include pets in their plan.

And the planning discussion should include residents in fire-prone areas installing their own specially designed fire-shelters at home, if they can afford it.

Nowhere to hide

Global warming is making bushfires in Australia more frequent and severe. As bushfires become more prevalent, home insurance costs are increasing. That will affect the cost of living and the broader economy.

The LA fires show when it comes to climate change, there’s nowhere to hide. Around the world, authorities and communities must overhaul their assumptions about bushfire risk and preparedness. That includes people living in cities.

Kicking the can down the road won’t work. The crisis is already here.The Conversation

David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Ecology of Fear: Mike Davis’ history of LA and natural disaster is re-read whenever fire rages in California

Alexander HowardUniversity of Sydney

In this month’s massive Los Angeles fires, so far 24 people have died, thousands of structures have been destroyed and approximately 16,308 hectares have been burned. The fires are already among the most destructive in California’s recorded history.

And as happens when major fires erupt in Los Angeles, radical (Marxist) urban historian Mike Davis’s 1998 book Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster is being shared. Specifically: its controversial third chapter, The Case for Letting Malibu Burn.

Its publication sparked intense backlash. Certain journalists, a former real estate developer and a Malibu realtor masquerading as a neutral fact checker led attacks on Davis’ claims and character. Some minor errors (corrected in subsequent editions) were found in the book’s 831 footnotes.

But, as confirmed by Richard Walker (then chairman of the geography department at the University of California, Berkeley), Davis’ essential arguments were “completely accepted wisdom among scholars who work in the area of environmental hazards”.

Davis, who died in 2022, painted a vivid, if pessimistic picture of Los Angeles as both a real and imagined city perpetually on the brink of catastrophe. “No other city seems to excite such dark rapture,” he wrote. Its obliteration “is often depicted as, or at least secretly experienced as, a victory for civilisation”.

Indeed, in 2025, conservative commentators and influencers are taking a perverse pleasure in the challenges facing California, viewing the state as some sort of stand-in for elite or progressive values. Some right-wing media and pundits have eagerly framed the wildfires as proof of liberal mismanagement or flawed policy decisions.

High-risk housing

A Californian born 19 km outside Los Angeles, Davis was no government apologist. Nor, one of his former editors writes, would he have “celebrate[d] misery”. In fact, Davis’ daughter Róisín’s childhood home and school burned in this month’s fires. In 2020, Davis wrote:

After every fire emergency, [Governor of California, Gavin] Newsom and other liberals call for urgent action to reduce emissions. But in doing so, they deliberately elide the question of what needs to be done on the ground, here and now.

Mike Davis argued too much Californian housing is built in high-fire-risk areas. Verso

In the 20-odd years since his book was published, he continued, too much new housing in California had been built “profitably but insanely, in high-fire-risk areas”. Fire experts call these areas “the wildland-urban interface”.

In 2020, Davis reported, “by one estimate, a quarter of the state’s population now lives in these interface areas – with scores of new developments and master-planned communities in the pipeline”.

Experts say there is a “perfect storm” of factors at play in the current fires, including long-term climate change and extreme weather conditions playing out in a densely populated areas.

Davis’ politically strident, stylishly written book explores the interplay between urban development, natural disasters, man-made catastrophes and cultural narratives.

The Case for Letting Malibu Burn

In The Case for Letting Malibu Burn, Davis harrowingly described a 1930 Malibu fire unintentionally ignited by walnut pickers in the Thousand Oaks area. It “quickly grew into one of the greatest conflagrations in Malibu history”, driven by the region’s unique geological features and fierce Santa Ana winds.

Faced with a five-mile front of towering flames, 1,100 firefighters could do little except save their own lives. As the firestorm unexpectedly wheeled toward the Pacific Palisades, there was official panic.

A hundred patrolmen were posted at the Los Angeles city limits to tell residents to evacuate.

This was nearly 100 years ago – but Malibu had already long been subjected to rampant and unregulated property development, Davis wrote. Among other effects, this had drastically altered the chemical composition of the area’s soil. Malibu was spared from total annihilation only when “the fickle Santa Ana abruptly subsided”.

Aerial view from airplane survey of the Malibu mountains fire, October 1930. UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special CollectionsCC BY

“In hindsight,” Davis argued, “the 1930 fire should have provoked a historic debate on the wisdom of opening Malibu to further development”. However, no such discussion ever took place.

Despite a series of subsequent fires between 1935 and 1938, which destroyed nearly 400 homes in Malibu and Topanga Canyon, public officials persisted in prioritising real estate expansion in environmentally sensitive areas where, as Davis notes, “wildfire is king”. They chose to ignore the growing risks to people, animals and the natural habitat.

Davis took a dim – and provocative – view of the levels of state expenditure and ecological costs required to maintain the lifestyles of affluent families who choose to “seek sanctuaries ever deeper in the rugged contours of the chaparral firebelt”.

An imagined urban dystopia

By 1998, Los Angeles had been destroyed in novels and films no fewer than 138 times, wrote Davis. The Thousand Oaks fire, he mused, “may have given Nathanael West the idea for the burning of Los Angeles in his novel” The Day of the Locust, published in 1939. (And adapted for film in 1975.)

Poster of the movie The Day of the Locust. Wikipedia

In this darkly satirical masterpiece of modern American fiction, West presents the city as both a dream factory and a pressure cooker primed to explode. Ultimately, the simmering tensions of an urban dystopia overrun by disillusioned dreamers appear to erupt into a hallucinatory frenzy of chaos and violence. The lines between reality and fantasy dissolve.

The book concludes with West’s mentally unstable protagonist imagining Los Angeles ablaze:

as a great bonfire of architectural styles, ranging from Egyptian to Cape Cod colonial. Through the center, winding from left to right, was a long hill street and down it, spilling into the middle foreground, came the mob carrying baseball bats and torches.

These fictional destructions illustrate the city’s enduring role as the ultimate stage for cataclysm and reinvention in the collective cultural consciousness.

“The City of Angels is unique, not simply in the frequency of its destruction, but in the pleasure that such apocalypses provide to readers and movie audiences,” wrote Davis. “The entire world seems to be rooting for Los Angeles to slide into the Pacific or be swallowed by the San Andreas fault.”

Commercial greed over common sense

Davis’ Los Angeles is a place where – as he comprehensively details – commercial greed overrides common sense and the social good, where institutional racism marginalises vulnerable communities, and where wilful political inertia ensures history repeats itself with devastating consequences.

This lies at the heart of Ecology of Fear. The book, at its core, presents two central arguments. First, he argues America’s democracy is unsustainable, due to its growing disparity in wealth and power. His second argument emphasises the dominance of economic interests over environmental concerns, which inevitably spawns (or exacerbates) crises. When these crises erupt, they disproportionately affect those least prepared to handle the consequences.

Verso

Davis strikingly illustrates this in The Case for Letting Malibu Burn, by juxtaposing two very different kinds of government response to fires, in very different neighbourhoods.

In Malibu, government resources have historically been swiftly mobilised to rebuild the fire-damaged homes of the wealthy, he writes. However, the fires in Los Angeles’ downtown slum tenements, like the 1993 Burlington Apartment fire that killed ten people (including seven children), receive comparatively little support or media attention. For Davis, it’s just one example of how socioeconomic status determines how lives and properties are valued. It’s a convincing one.

He examines how existing power structures and social dynamics intensify the impact of natural disasters. At the same time, he explores how these disasters are further exacerbated by the city’s inherent vulnerability to such events, including susceptibility to fires, earthquakes, floods and an increasingly volatile climate. These historical, longstanding factors, which Davis covers in great detail, underscore how Los Angeles’ geographical and social configurations leave it especially exposed to danger.

If there has been “a fatal flaw in the design of Southern California as a civilisation”, he argues, it has been “the decision to base the safety of present and future generations almost entirely upon shortsighted extrapolations from the disaster record of the past half-century”.

In his book, he traces natural disaster and climate change in the region over centuries – and shows that LA’s urbanisation occurred “during one of the most unusual episodes of climactic and seismic benignity since the inception of the Holocene”.

Our thinking, he insists, is totally skewed as a result. “These spans are too short to serve as reliable proxies for ecological time or to sample the possibilities of future environmental stress,” he writes. “In effect, we think ourselves gods upon the land but we are still really just tourists.”The Conversation

Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Blinking radio pulses from space hint at a cosmic object that ‘shouldn’t exist’

Artist’s impression of ASKAP J1839-0756. James Josephides
Manisha CalebUniversity of Sydney and Yu Wing Joshua LeeUniversity of Sydney

When some of the biggest stars reach the end of their lives, they explode in spectacular supernovas and leave behind incredibly dense cores called neutron stars. Some of these remnants emit powerful radio beams from their magnetic poles.

As the star spins, these beams sweep past Earth and produce periodic pulses of radio waves, much like a cosmic lighthouse. This behaviour has earned them the name “pulsars”.

Pulsars typically spin incredibly fast, often completing a full rotation in just seconds – or even less. Over the last three years, some mysterious objects have emerged that emit periodic radio pulses at much slower intervals, which is hard to explain with our current understanding of neutron stars.

In new research, we have found the slowest cosmic lighthouse yet – one that spins once every 6.5 hours. This discovery, published in Nature Astronomy, pushes the boundaries of what we thought possible.

Our slow lighthouse also happens to be aligned with Earth in a way that lets us see radio pulses from both its magnetic poles. This rare phenomenon is a first for objects spinning this slowly and offers a new window into how these stars work.

An object that shouldn’t exist?

We discovered the object, named ASKAP J1839-0756, using CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope, located in Wajarri Yamaji country in Western Australia.

During a routine observation, ASKAP J1839-0756 stood out because no previously known object had been identified at its position. Its radio emission appeared as a fading burst, with its brightness plummeting by 95% in just 15 minutes.

At first, we had no idea the source was emitting periodic radio pulses. Only a single burst had been detected during the initial observation.

To uncover more, we conducted more observations with ASKAP as well as CSIRO’s Australia Telescope Compact Array on Kamilaroi country in Narrabri, NSW, and the highly sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. A long ASKAP observation eventually revealed two pulses separated by 6.5 hours, confirming the periodic nature of the source.

But here is the real surprise: according to what we know about neutron stars, ASKAP J1839-0756 shouldn’t even exist.

Neutron stars emit radio pulses by converting their rotational energy into radiation. Over time, they lose energy and slow down.

Standard theory says that once a neutron star’s spin slows beyond a certain point (about one rotation per minute), it should stop emitting radio pulses altogether. Yet here is ASKAP J1839-0756, lighting up the cosmos at a leisurely pace of one rotation every 6.5 hours.

A tale of two poles

Most pulsars, the faster-spinning cousins of ASKAP J1839-0756, are like one-sided flashlights. The axis they spin around is closely aligned to the axis of their magnetic field, which means we only see flashes from one magnetic pole.

But in about 3% of pulsars, the rotational and magnetic axes are almost at right angles to one another, which lets us see pulses from both poles. These rare double flashes, called interpulses, provide a unique window into the star’s geometry and magnetic field.

Whether a pulsar’s magnetic and rotational axes become more aligned or less aligned as it slows down is still an open question.

The interpulse from ASKAP J1839-0756 could provide clues to this question. About 3.2 hours after its main pulse, it emits a weaker pulse with different properties, strongly suggesting we’re seeing radio light from the opposite magnetic pole.

This discovery makes ASKAP J1839-0756 the first slowpoke in its class to emit interpulses, and it raises big questions about how such objects work.

Magnetar or something new?

So, what is powering this cosmic anomaly? One possibility is that it is a magnetar — a neutron star with a powerful magnetic field that makes Earth’s most powerful magnets look like featherweights.

Magnetars generate radio pulses through a different mechanism, which might allow them to keep shining even at slower spin rates. But even magnetars have limits, and their periods are usually measured in seconds, not hours.

The only exception is a magnetar named 1E 161348-5055, which has a period of 6.67 hours. However, it only emits X-ray and no radio pulses.

Could ASKAP J1839-0756 be something else entirely? Some astronomers wonder if similar objects might be white dwarfs – the leftover cores of less massive stars.

White dwarfs spin much more slowly than neutron stars, but no individual isolated white dwarfs have been observed to emit radio pulses. And so far, no observations in other wavelengths have found evidence of a white dwarf at this location in the sky.

A cosmic puzzle

Whatever ASKAP J1839-0756 turns out to be, it is clear that this object is rewriting the rulebook. Its strange combination of slow rotation, radio pulses and interpulses is forcing astronomers to rethink the limits of neutron star behaviour and explore new possibilities for what lies at the heart of this enigma.

The discovery of ASKAP J1839-0756 is a reminder that the universe loves to surprise us, especially when we think we have got it all figured out. As we continue to monitor this mysterious object, we’re bound to uncover more secrets.The Conversation

Manisha Caleb, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics, University of Sydney and Yu Wing Joshua Lee, PhD Student in Radio Astronomy, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

‘Solar shepherds’ earn big by grazing sheep on solar farms — and they benefit everyone involved

Solar shepherds, who manage sheep grazing under solar panels, are part of a growing movement that combines agriculture and renewable energy. (Shutterstock)
Joshua M. PearceWestern University

In today’s volatile economy, job stability can often be found in unexpected places — like returning to the traditional role of shepherding. Solar shepherds, who manage sheep grazing under solar panels, are part of a growing movement that combines agriculture and renewable energy — and offers high incomes in the process.

My recent study, conducted with Ivey Business School alum Adam Gasch and professional shepherd Rafael Lara from The Lara Costa, found that modern solar shepherding businesses in places like Ontario can pull incomes equivalent to doctors, senior engineers or even lawyers.

These solar shepherds are the vanguard of a new type of farming called agrivoltaics — a portmanteau for agriculture and photovoltaics — where agricultural production is intertwined with solar electricity production. Agrivoltaics is gaining traction in Canada, thanks to organizations like Agrivoltaics Canada, of which I am a founding member.

Agrivoltaics has enormous potential to solve our climate and energy problems simultaneously. About one-quarter to one-third of Canada’s total electrical energy needs could be met by converting just one per cent of agricultural land to agrivoltaics. Expanding this to a slightly larger percentage could eliminate Canada’s need for fossil fuels entirely.

Agrivoltaics uses land far more efficiently than simple farming — it not only produces clean energy but also enhances agricultural output, yielding more food than traditional farming methods.

Solar sheep in action at Whispering Cedars Ranch in Strathmore, Alta.

Business models for solar shepherds

Our study evaluated the profitability of agrivoltaic sheep grazing and lamb husbandry business models in Ontario using case studies at two scales: small solar projects (200 kilowatts) and large solar projects (465 megawatts).

We also looked at two types of solar shepherding business models: breeding ewes for lambs on the farm and purchasing lamb from auction every year. For each model, revenue streams, costs and investments were investigated using sensitivity analyses.

All the results showed a massive profit. Despite differences in operational approaches, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization margins were higher than typical agriculture industry values due to the increased and reliable revenue source of grazing services.

Return on investments for the breeding model ranged from 16 to 31 per cent, while the auction model ranged from 22 to 43 per cent for identical scenarios.

Given these results, all existing solar farms should have sheep working on them to cut the grass. This approach would increase local sheep production while lowering consumer costs.

Everyone benefits

Sheep-based agrivoltaics is a particularly good symbiotic system where every participant benefits, from the animals and farmers to the local community and environment.

The solar panels shade the sheep and make them more comfortable on hot days, while fences around the solar farms protect them from predators. The grass shaded by solar panels also grows faster than unshaded grass, so there is more food for the sheep and, in turn humans, than naked pastures with no solar shade.

The benefits extend to energy production as well. The grid enjoys more solar power, which is the least expensive electricity in history, because the grazing sheep keep the solar panels clear of weeds.

In addition, solar farm owners and investors save money on vegetation management by avoiding the risks of mowing (which can damage panels with flying debris) and the costs and environmental harms of herbicides.

Solar shepherds make more money than traditional shepherds do for three main reasons. According to Glassdoor, shepherds in Canada normally make $58,000/year, while solar shepherds can expect to make two to three times as much.

Solar shepherds benefit from increased grass for their sheep, they don’t have to lease pastures and, most importantly, they earn bonus pay for solar farm vegetation management, which comes from contracts with the solar farm owners.

The advantages of solar shepherding ripples out to local communities as well. Solar farms generate significant tax revenue, often enough to fully fund local schools in small farming communities. Residents also gain access to locally produced lamb and sheep meat, along with high-paying local employment.

There are also benefits from an environmental perspective. An earlier study I did with sustainability engineering professor Robert Handler showed that agrivoltaics sheep pastures were twice as land-use efficient than maintaining separate systems for solar energy and sheep grazing. They also outperformed conventional sheep farming and grid electricity systems by 280 to 894 per cent.

Complications to consider

While solar sheep grazing might seem like an easy win, there can be challenges, and shepherding is no easy task. The sheep need to regularly move to effectively control vegetation on the solar farm, which requires moving both the fences and the sheep themselves.

Profits from solar sheep grazing also can disappear if sheep are attacked by predators, which include wolves, coyotes, domestic dogs, bobcats, lions, bears and even eagles. To provide some protection, sheep are naturally equipped with rectangular pupils that allow them to see almost everything around them while they are grazing. Despite the rectangular eyes, practically this means sheep require better fencing than cattle or bison. The larger threat to sheep is disease and parasites that can kill the sheep.

In addition, some solar industry representatives shared concerns about potential complexities for setting up large projects. Sheep need water to drink, for example, and forward-thinking developers have started installing water sources for sheep on the solar farms. Others have changed their grass seed mix to provide more nutrition.

Most sheep farms, however, have sub-optimal grass and don’t have water on-site. Water can be trucked in, but this both detracts from the elegance and economics of the system. Overall, the logistics of bringing in what can be hundreds of sheep is more complicated than hiring conventional mowing.

In some regions, solar sheep farms include the added value of wool production, but some markets are too small to reach a profitable enough scale, and the value of the wool is lost.

In addition, although the carbon emissions per kilogram of mutton is much better than beef, plant-based food is still far more efficient. Even though solar sheep are green, plant-based agrivoltaics is a far more efficient use of land.

Expanding agrivolatics

Agrivoltaics isn’t limited to sheep — it works for other animals and livestock, too. I previously studied solar-pasture-fed rabbits in Texas. Not only did the system prove environmentally beneficial, but the solar panels also provided protection for the rabbits from predators like hawks and eagles.

In Canada, innovation in agrivoltaics is expanding compliments of Agrivoltaics Canada and its many members. Ranchers at Solar Sheep in Alberta are currently experimenting with pigs, while Sun Cycle Farms is experimenting with cows.

All of this is promising, but the potential goes even further. Agrivoltaics also works for many other crops than grass, such as broccoli, corn, lettuce, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and even wheat, opening up a wide range of possibilities for agriculture and renewable energy. While Canada is only beginning to scratch the surface of agrivoltaics possibilities, early results suggest a promising future for it.The Conversation

Joshua M. Pearce, John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Meta’s factchecker cut has sparked controversy – but the real threat is AI and neurotechnology

Fiona CarrollCardiff Metropolitan University and Rafael Weber HossCardiff Metropolitan University

Mark Zuckerberg’s recent decision to remove factcheckers from Meta’s platforms – including Facebook, Instagram and Threads – has sparked heated debate. Critics argue it may undermine efforts to combat misinformation and maintain credibility on social media platforms.

Yet, while much attention is directed at this move, a far more profound challenge looms. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) that processes and generates human-like language, as well as technology that aims to read the human brain, has the potential to reshape not only online discourse but also our fundamental understanding of truth and communication.

Factcheckers have long played an important role in curbing misinformation on various platforms, especially on topics like politics, public health and climate change. By verifying claims and providing context, they have helped platforms maintain a degree of accountability.

So, Meta’s move to replace them with community-driven notes, similar to Elon Musk’s approach on X (formerly Twitter), has understandably raised concerns. Many experts view the decision to remove factcheckers as a step backward, arguing that delegating content moderation to users risks amplifying echo chambers and enabling the spread of unchecked falsehoods.

Billions of people worldwide use Meta’s various platforms each month, so they wield enormous influence. Loosening safeguards could exacerbate societal polarisation and undermine trust in digital communication.

But while the debate over factchecking dominates headlines, there is a bigger picture. Advanced AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini represent significant strides in natural language understanding. These systems can generate coherent, contextually relevant text and answer complex questions. They can even engage in nuanced conversations. And this ability to convincingly replicate human communication introduces unprecedented challenges.

AI-generated content blurs the line between human and machine authorship. This raises ethical questions about authorship, originality and accountability. The same tools that power helpful innovations can also be weaponised to produce sophisticated disinformation campaigns or manipulate public opinion.

These risks are compounded by other emerging technology. Inspired by human cognition, neural networks mimic the way the brain processes language. This intersection between AI and neurotechnology highlights the potential for both understanding and exploiting human thought.

Implications

Neurotechnology is a tool that reads and interacts with the brain. Its goal is to understand how we think. Like AI, it pushes the limits of what machines can do. The two fields overlap in powerful ways.

For example, REMspace, a California startup, is building a tool that records dreams. Using a brain-computer interface, it lets people communicate through lucid dreaming. While this sounds exciting, it also raises questions about mental privacy and control over our own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Meta’s investments in neurotechnology alongside its AI ventures are also concerning. Several other global companies are exploring neurotechnology too. But how will data from brain activity or linguistic patterns be used? And what safeguards will prevent misuse?

If AI systems can predict or simulate human thoughts through language, the boundary between external communication and internal cognition begins to blur. These advancements could erode trust, expose people to exploitation and reshape the way we think about communication and privacy.

Research also suggests that while this type of technology could enhance learning it may also stifle creativity and self-discipline, particularly in children.

Meta’s decision to remove factcheckers deserves scrutiny, but it’s just one part of a much larger challenge. AI and neurotechnology are forcing us to rethink how we use language, express thoughts and even understand the world around us. How can we ensure these tools serve humanity rather than exploit it?

The lack of rules to manage these tools is alarming. To protect fundamental human rights, we need strong legislation and cooperation across different industries and governments. Striking this balance is crucial. The future of truth and trust in communication depends on our ability to navigate these challenges with vigilance and foresight.The Conversation

Fiona Carroll, Reader in Human Computer Interaction, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Rafael Weber Hoss, PhD Candidate in Intelligence Technologies and Digital Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Disclaimer: These articles are not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Pittwater Online News or its staff.

Week One: 1 - 12  January, 2025

The Elephants of Avalon Beach

Winner:
Palmy d'Or - Best Short Film
Avalon Film Festival - 2024

Credits:
Jae Morrison - Director, Producer, Lead Vocals, Editor, AI Artistry, VFX, GFX
Aubrie Mitchell - Music Producer, Engineer, Mix & Master, Supporting Vocals
Llew Griffiths - Executive Producer, Mofa.tv
Tim Seaton - Cinematography, Motion, Drone & Stills
Geoff Searl - Avalon Beach Historical Society
Jonny Kofoed - Guitar
James Goodfellow - Saxophone
Big Fan - Recording Studio, Founded by Joel & Gemma Little
Bryan Ferry / Roxy Music 'Avalon' - Original Music & Lyrics

Special thanks to:
Ashley Page - Page 1 Management
Helena Brooks
Max Morrison
Jessie & Ross Stanley
Matt Lawson
Ben Welsh

School’s out for 2024 as record 70,000 students celebrate completing their HSC

Wednesday December 18, 2024
Students, teachers and families across NSW are celebrating today, as Higher School Certificate (HSC) results land for students across the state this morning, including a record 69,962 attaining their HSC and another 9,522 who have completed at least one HSC course.

The Class of 2024 are the largest cohort in NSW and Australian history, with 57,205 students eligible to receive an ATAR, and 18,430, or a quarter of students completing a VET course.

This year’s graduates have bright futures ahead, with 12 per cent of all course results in the top band, 42 per cent in the top two bands, and 74 per cent in the top three bands.  

Yesterday, 131 students were recognised for achieving first place in their HSC course, while another 19,460 students have been recognised in Merit Lists today.

Some 1,457 students have also featured on the All-round Achievers list, achieving results in the top band across 10 units of study, while 779 students were placed on the Top Achievers list for earning one or more of the top places, and a result in the highest band.

An impressive 19,591 students received at least one band six and have been recognised on the ‘Distinguished Achievers’ list – making this year the largest HSC honour roll in NSW history.

Visit the NESA website to view the 2024 HSC Merit Lists from 12pm today: www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/awards-and-events/hsc-merit-lists

Government school students are also celebrating today as they mark the final day of Term 4, with teachers and school staff also set to put their pens down for a well-earned Christmas break at the end of the week.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“Congratulations to all our students from the Class of 2024 who have worked hard to complete their HSC. It is fantastic to see hard work helping students to reach their full potential.

“Reaching the end of your schooling journey takes grit and dedication, and every student deserves to feel proud of their efforts and everything they have achieved.

“Whether you are moving into the workforce, furthering your education, going into a traineeship or joining TAFE, I wish all our students the very best as they take their next steps forward.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“Congratulations to all students who have sat an HSC course and exam this year.

“I wish you all the best for whatever comes next, whether that is taking on a VET course, university, taking a gap year or heading straight into the workforce.

“Today is also a really important day for teachers, principals and support staff who guided HSC students along the way. Thank you to all staff in schools and TAFE who have worked with year 12 students.

“Thank you also to the parents, carers, families and friends who supported young people through such a momentous time.

“I am sure many communities across the state are celebrating the achievements of students today."

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) CEO Paul Martin said:

“What an exciting milestone for the HSC Class of 2024.

“Today can bring with it a range of emotions and reactions – so I am reminding all young people now leaving school – this is only the beginning.

“There are many pathways to achieve your goals. And goals change over time.

“Continue learning and finding ways to feed your passions and interests.”

Applications to join the DOVES Council are open for 2025

Applications for the DOVES Minister’s Student Council are open for 2025.

The Minister's Student Council, known as the Department of Student Voices in Education and Schools (DOVES), is an initiative of the NSW Government to ensure student voices are heard in developing education policy and addressing matters of concern to students.

In October 2020 a student steering committee was formed to help co-design the council.

The result is DOVES a 27-member council representing students from all Operational Directorates across NSW, including Connected Communities, who advocate on behalf of their school communities.

There are three students representing each operational directorate who bring their wider student community into the policy process by holding regular DOVES forums, where they hear from special interest groups.

The number of positions available is listed below by directorate, 15 in total.

Regional South 2
Connected Communities 0
Regional North & West 2
Regional North 3
Rural North 1
Rural South & West 3
Metro North 1
Metro South & West 1
Metro South 2

Students initial expressions of interest can be submitted via a video of up to 90 seconds or less in length and showcase you:

1. Tell us about yourself

2. Why would you be a good advocate and member of the DOVES Council?

3. Why are you passionate about helping NSW public education students?

4. What is an initiative you have implemented in your school?

Applications are open for students currently in Year 6 to Year 9.
Each student will sit on the council for a 2-year term
There are no Year 12 students on the council due to HSC commitments.
If you are in Year 10 or Year 11 now you will be ineligible as your second year on the council will be in Year 12.
A selection panel will review all submissions and invite shortlisted applicants to join a short online video interview. The panel includes students currently on the DOVES Council and department representatives.

All students submitting their applications will be contacted.

Please submit your application video via the Google form (External link)

Applications close 8 February 2025 (Week 2, Term 1)

Hottest 100 Voting now open

  • Voting opened - 8am AEDT, Tuesday 10 December
  • Voting closes - 5pm AEDT, Monday 20 January
  • Double J replays Hottest 100 of 2004 - 12pm local time, Friday 24 January
  • Hottest 100 of 2024 - 12pm AEDT,  Saturday 25 January 2025
  • Hottest 200-101 of 2024 - 10am local time, Monday 27 January, 2025
Head to the triple j website or the triple j app and follow the signs to the Hottest 100 voting page.
Photo: Joe Mills

Interstate Glory up for grabs

A focused and in-form NSW select group of Youth and Open athletes are preparing to defend six years of history on Friday 13 December when the Australian Interstate Ocean Championships descends on Wanda beach as a precursor to a huge weekend of surf sports. 

With the Super Surf Teams League and Round 1 and 2 of the Iron Series set to light up the Bate Bay on 14-15 December, the Interstate Championships will set the tone for a bumper 72 hours with many of the state’s best competitors hitting the sand and the surf. 

Spurred on by five straight victories in Ocean categories – which excludes further Championship events for Surf Boats and Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs) later in the season – the NSW team will be hoping to replicate the feats of previous squads and earn another trophy for the two-blue caps. 

Aiding in that quest this year is surf sports legend and current Newport SLSC athlete, Hannah Minogue, who takes over from Nathan Smith as the team Head Coach.  

“There have been so many great NSW coaches, and I have been lucky to be able to learn from them over the years,” Hannah said. 

“To be able to follow on from one of the best in Smithy, it’s a privilege and an opportunity I’m really looking forward to.” 

She says one of the most important jobs on the day for her is to build the chemistry between athletes, because most of the work is already done by the coaches and training programs at their home clubs. 

“The NSW team has had great success over the last few years, and this is done by wanting to race for each other and enjoying the experience. If we focus on that, the results will follow,” she said. 

“I think at this level all the athletes know what to do, so I am there to support them and create a good team environment.” 

While six of the athletes on the 20-person team will be familiar to Hannah, being from her current club on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, she says it’s also going to be a fun experience to work with the athletes from other clubs around NSW, particularly the regions. 

This year, beachie, Dylan Kinkade from Forster SLSC on the Lower North Coast and clubmates, Isabella Tate and Jules Loemker – travelling from the Far North Coast where they compete for Cudgen Headland SLSC – will be part of the team in the U17 division. 

“It’s the best part about the NSW team, that we have athletes from all over coming together as one,” Hannah said.

2024/25 Interstate Ocean Championships NSW Team 
OPEN/U19 

  • Ashton Neill – Mollymook SLSC 
  • Britney Pierce – Wanda SLSC 
  • Bailey Clues – Newport SLSC 
  • Bailey Krstevski – Wanda SLSC 
  • Charlie Verco – Newport SLSC 
  • Emily Rampoldi – North Cronulla SLSC 
  • Jemma Smith – Newport SLSC 
  • Nicholas Middleton – Wanda SLSC 
  • Olivia Clues – Newport SLSC 
  • Sarah Locke – Newport SLSC 

U17 

  • Charlotte Bowmer – Wanda SLSC 
  • Christopher Kondilios – South Maroubra SLSC 
  • Dane Sutton – Wanda SLSC 
  • Dylan Kinkade – Forster SLSC 
  • Isabella Tate – Cudgen Headland SLSC 
  • Jules Loemker – Cudgen Headland SLSC 
  • Kaitlin Rees – Swansea Belmont SLSC 
  • Miley Cox – Cooks Hill SLSC 
  • Noah Maggs – Newport SLSC 
  • Phoebe Doran – Swansea Belmont SLSC 

TAFE Fee-free* courses - semester 1 2025 enrol now

NSW Fee-free* TAFE is a joint initiative of the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments, providing tuition-free training places for eligible students wanting to train, retrain or upskill.

Places are limited and not guaranteed. Enrolling or applying early with all required documentation is recommended. The number of funded NSW Fee-free* TAFE places is determined by the terms of the skills agreement between the Australian Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.

Semester 1 2025 Fee Free* TAFE Certificates and Diplomas.

Enrol Now in:

  •  Aboriginal Studies and Mentoring
  •  Agriculture
  •  Animal Care and Horse Industry
  •  Automotive
  •  Aviation
  •  Building and Construction Trades
  •  Business and Marketing
  •  Civil Construction and Surveying
  •  Community and Youth Services
  •  Education and Training
  •  Electrotechnology
  •  Engineering
  •  Farming and Primary Production
  •  Fashion
  •  Food and Hospitality
  •  Healthcare
  •  Horticulture and Landscaping
  •  Information Technology
  •  Mining and Resources
  •  Music and Production
  •  Screen and Media
  •  Sport and Recreation
  •  Travel and Tourism
  •  Water Industry Operations

Who is Eligible for NSW Fee-free TAFE?

To be eligible, you must at the time of enrolment:

  • Live or work in New South Wales.
  • Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent Australian resident, or a humanitarian visa holder.
  • Be aged 15 years or over, and not enrolled at any school.
  • Be enrolling in a course for the first time for Semester 1 2025 and your studies must commence between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025.

You are strongly encouraged to apply if you fall under one or more of these categories:

  • First Nations people
  • LGBTIQ+ community
  • Veterans
  • Job seekers
  • Young people
  • Unpaid carers
  • Women interested in non-traditional fields
  • People living with a disability
  • People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Find out more and enrol via:  www.tafensw.edu.au/fee-free-short-courses

Science To Revive Our Oceans: SIM's has a PHD Opportunity - operation Crayweed

The Sydney Institute of Marine Science is a collaborative research and training institute bringing together researchers from four NSW universities plus state and federal marine and environmental agencies.

SIMS conducts multidisciplinary marine research on impacts of climate change and urbanisation, eco-engineering and habitat restoration, ocean resources and technologies, and outcomes of marine management approaches.

By bringing together NSW’s leading marine scientists in a collaborative hub, SIMS ensures the efficient use of resources for research on Australia’s critical coastal environments.

They currently have an opportunity for someone to join the Operation Crayweed team. Pittwater Online News has been running updates on this project since 2014. There are a LOT of local connections here, from Barrenjoey to Manly should you feel inspired to get involved.

Image: A SIMS scientist planting crayweed at Cabbage Tree Bay, Manly. Photo SIMS

More on Operation Crayweed on the SIMS website at: www.operationcrayweed.com


You can peruse those previous reports at:

Details:




Laura Enever, Tom Hobbs and Tom Carroll at the Bondi planting event. Photo by Frame.co

Study subsidies: NSW’s health workforce

More than 3,900 students across NSW have already benefitted from the NSW Government’s $120 million investment in tertiary health study subsidies, with all subsidies now awarded for the 2024 calendar year, the government announced on October 3.

The recipients of the subsidies include 1,840 nursing students, 280 midwifery students, 1,020 allied health, 520 medical students and 262 paramedical students.

Students beginning their degrees will receive subsidies of $4,000 per year over three years.

The subsidies, announced as part of the 2023-24 Budget, are also expected to support a further 8,000 healthcare students over the next four years.

Students seeking to receive the subsidy in 2025 can apply from mid-January 2025 and must be willing to make a five-year commitment to the NSW public health system.

The subsidies form part of a series of measures introduced by the Minns Government to further strengthen the state’s health workforce, including:
  • Implementing the Safe Staffing Levels initiative in our emergency departments
  • Providing permanent funding for 1,112 FTE nurses and midwives on an ongoing basis
  • Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers
  • Beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities.
The full list of 2025 eligible workforce groups will be available in October 2024 on NSW Health's Study Subsidies Webpage.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“I am so pleased more than 3,900 people across NSW have already benefitted from our health worker study subsidies.

“The subsidies help students with costs such as fees, technology, travel, and helps us keep talented people here in NSW, working in the country’s largest public health system.

“Attracting skilled healthcare workers is a longstanding challenge, and while there is a long way to go rebuilding our healthcare system, we are committed to doing it so that people can access the care they need, when they need it.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“We are shoring up the future of our health workforce in NSW and we’re honouring our election commitment to reducing financial barriers to studying healthcare.

“When we boost our health workforce we improve health outcomes, it’s as simple as that.

“It’s encouraging to see such a strong subscription of these subsidies.”

School Leavers Support

Explore the School Leavers Information Kit (SLIK) as your guide to education, training and work options in 2022;
As you prepare to finish your final year of school, the next phase of your journey will be full of interesting and exciting opportunities. You will discover new passions and develop new skills and knowledge.

We know that this transition can sometimes be challenging. With changes to the education and workforce landscape, you might be wondering if your planned decisions are still a good option or what new alternatives are available and how to pursue them.

There are lots of options for education, training and work in 2022 to help you further your career. This information kit has been designed to help you understand what those options might be and assist you to choose the right one for you. Including:
  • Download or explore the SLIK here to help guide Your Career.
  • School Leavers Information Kit (PDF 5.2MB).
  • School Leavers Information Kit (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • The SLIK has also been translated into additional languages.
  • Download our information booklets if you are rural, regional and remote, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or living with disability.
  • Support for Regional, Rural and Remote School Leavers (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for Regional, Rural and Remote School Leavers (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • Support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander School Leavers (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander School Leavers (DOCX 1.1MB).
  • Support for School Leavers with Disability (PDF 2MB).
  • Support for School Leavers with Disability (DOCX 0.9MB).
  • Download the Parents and Guardian’s Guide for School Leavers, which summarises the resources and information available to help you explore all the education, training, and work options available to your young person.

School Leavers Information Service

Are you aged between 15 and 24 and looking for career guidance?

Call 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337).

SMS 'SLIS2022' to 0429 009 435.

Our information officers will help you:
  • navigate the School Leavers Information Kit (SLIK),
  • access and use the Your Career website and tools; and
  • find relevant support services if needed.
You may also be referred to a qualified career practitioner for a 45-minute personalised career guidance session. Our career practitioners will provide information, advice and assistance relating to a wide range of matters, such as career planning and management, training and studying, and looking for work.

You can call to book your session on 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) Monday to Friday, from 9am to 7pm (AEST). Sessions with a career practitioner can be booked from Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm.

This is a free service, however minimal call/text costs may apply.

Call 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) or SMS SLIS2022 to 0429 009 435 to start a conversation about how the tools in Your Career can help you or to book a free session with a career practitioner.

All downloads and more available at: www.yourcareer.gov.au/school-leavers-support

Word Of The Week: Spell

Word of the Week remains a keynote in 2025, simply to throw some disruption in amongst the 'yeah-nah' mix. 

Verb

1. write or name or print the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence. 2. be a sign or characteristic of.

Origin; from Middle English: shortening of Old French espeller, from the Germanic base of spell.

Noun

1. a form of words used as a magical charm or incantation.

From: Old English spel(l) ‘narration’, of Germanic origin.

2. a short period. 3. Australian-New Zealand; a period of rest from work. 4. In Cricket; a series of overs during a session of play in which a particular bowler bowls.

From: spele - late 16th century: variant of dialect spele ‘take the place of’, of unknown origin. The early sense of the noun was ‘shift of relief workers’.

Etymology; of 'spell'

spell (verb)

early 14c., spellen, "read letter by letter, write or say the letters of;" c. 1400, "form words by means of letters," said in most etymology sources to be from Anglo-French espeller, Old French espelir "to mean, signify; explain, interpret," also "spell out letters, pronounce, recite."

This French word is from Frankish spellon "to tell" of a Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic spellam (source also of Dutch spellen, Old High German spellon "to tell," Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillon "to talk, tell").

The native cognate word is Old English spellian, spillian "to tell, talk, speak, discourse."  

Also in early use speldren, from Old French espeldre, a variant of espelir. 

In early Middle English still "to speak, preach, talk, tell," hence such expressions as hear spell "hear (something) told or talked about," spell the wind "talk in vain" (both 15c.). The meaning "form words with proper letters" is from 1580s.

Spell out "explain step-by-step" is recorded from 1940, American English. Shakespeare has spell (someone) backwards "reverse the character of, explain in a contrary sense, portray with determined negativity."

spell (noun)

Middle English spel, from Old English spell "story, saying, tale, story in prose as opposed to verse; history, narrative, fable; discourse, command," in late Old English "sermon, religious instruction," from Proto-Germanic spellam. Compare Old Saxon spel, Old Norse spjall, Old High German spel, Gothic spill "report, discourse, tale, fable, myth;" German Beispiel "example."

The oldest senses are obsolete. From c. 1200 as "an utterance, something said, a statement, remark;" the meaning "set of words with supposed magical or occult powers, incantation, charm" is recorded from 1570s; hence any occult influence or means or cause of enchantment.

The term 'spell' is generally used for magical procedures which cause harm, or force people to do something against their will — unlike charms for healing, protection, etc. ["Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore"]

That sense of spell does not appear to be in Middle English, but Gower (1390) has spelling of charmes for "casting or reciting of spells;" Chaucer has night-spell for "charm for protection from evil spirits in the night."

"work temporarily in place of (another)," 1590s, earlier spele, from Middle English spelen, "give (someone) rest or reprieve," from Old English spelian "to take the place of, be substitute for, represent," related to gespelia "substitute," a word of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to spilian "to play" .

1620s, "a turn of work in place of another," from spell; compare Old English gespelia "a substitute." Earlier it was used of the persons taking the turn of duty or work (1590s). The meaning shifted toward "continuous course of work or duty" (1706), probably via shift work (as at sea) where one man or crew regularly "spelled" another.

Hence "interval of time within definite limits, continuous stretch" (of weather, etc.), a sense recorded by 1728. In U.S. has a colloquial use, "a bad time, an uncomfortable turn" (1853).

Hence also, via the notion in give a spell (1750) "relieve another by taking a turn of work," the sense of "interval of rest or relaxation" (1845), which took the word to a sense opposite its original.

PON yard: Little Corella pair with new bubs, January 6 2025

PON yard: new bush turkey

A total eclipse of the Moon, Saturn’s rings ‘disappear’, meteors and more: your guide to the southern sky in 2025

The totally eclipsed Moon on 26 May 2021. Geoffrey Wyatt, Powerhouse MuseumCC BY
Nick LombUniversity of Southern Queensland

In addition to the annual parade of star pictures or constellations passing above our heads each night, there are always exciting events to look out for in the sky. The year 2025 is no exception and has its fair share of such events.

Though the night sky is more spectacular from a dark country sky, you can see the events outlined here even if, like many others, you live in a light-polluted city. For most events you do not need a telescope or binoculars.

Here are some of the highlights.

March and September: eclipses of the Moon

During the early morning of Monday 8 September, the full Moon will move into the shadow of Earth and be totally eclipsed. The Moon will turn a red or coppery colour, because sunlight is bent or refracted by Earth’s atmosphere onto the Moon. The bent light is red, as we are looking at the reflection of sunrises and sunsets from around the globe.

Total eclipses of the Moon are more common than those of the Sun. They can be seen from all the regions on Earth where it is night.

Unlike eclipses of the Sun, lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the unaided eye. They are also safe to photograph. A tripod will help, as will a camera or phone able to take timed exposures.

The eclipse starts with Earth’s shadow gradually covering the Moon over about an hour. Similarly, after totality the shadow takes about an hour to leave the Moon.

Seen from Australia’s east coast, the total eclipse will last from from 3:30am to 4:53am on September 8. From New Zealand, this will be from 5:30am to moonset; from South Australia or the Northern Territory, 3:00am to 4:23am, and from Western Australia 1:30am to 2:53am.

Earlier in the year, on the evening of Friday March 14, people in Aotearoa New Zealand will be able to see a totally eclipsed Moon as it rises above the horizon just after sunset. Watchers in eastern Australia will also get a brief glimpse of a partially eclipsed Moon after moonrise, for 34 minutes from Sydney, 43 minutes from Brisbane and 16 minutes from Cairns.

March: Saturn’s ‘disappearing’ rings

Gazing at Saturn and its rings through a telescope is always a thrill, whether you are seeing them for the first or the hundredth time. However, in early 2025 the rings will seem to vanish as Earth passes through the plane of the rings.

This phenomenon occurs twice during Saturn’s 29-year path around the Sun, that is, at roughly 15-year intervals. Unfortunately, on March 24, the date when this will occur, the planet will be too close to the Sun in the sky for us to observe.

However, in the evenings until mid-February and in the morning from late March we will be able to see Saturn with quite narrow, tilted rings.

Note that a small telescope is needed to see Saturn with or without its rings. If you don’t have one yourself, you can go on a night tour at a public observatory like Sydney Observatory or an observing session with a local astronomical group, such as those at Melbourne Observatory with the Astronomical Society of Victoria.

May and December: meteor showers

Photo of streaks of light coming from a dark, starry sky.
The Eta Aquariids seen from Chile in 2022. Petr Horálek / ESOCC BY

The two main meteor showers of the year are the Eta Aquariids and the Geminids.

In 2025, the Eta Aquariids are best seen on the morning of Wednesday May 7, while the Geminids will be most visible on the mornings of Sunday December 14 and Monday December 15.

This year, viewing conditions for both meteor showers are favourable, in the sense that there will be no bright Moon in the sky during those mornings. To see them, look towards the north-east (Eta Aquariids) and north (Geminids) before dawn starts brightening the sky.

The darker the sky you can find, the better. Keep away from street lights or any other light.

January, April and August: planets

The five planets you can see with the naked eye – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – move across the sky along a line called the ecliptic.

As the planets move, they sometimes appear to pass close to each other and take on interesting patterns. Of course, they only appear close from our point of view. In reality the planets are tens or hundreds of million kilometres apart.

In 2025, these patterns include:

  • January 18–19: the brightest planet, Venus, is close to the ringed planet Saturn in the evening sky

  • April 1–15: Mercury, Venus and Saturn form a slowly changing compact group in the eastern sky near sunrise

  • August 12–13: Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets, are only separated by two moon-widths in the morning sky.

June and August: constellations

As the year progresses, different constellations appear in the evening sky. The perpetual chase of Orion and Scorpius (the hunter and the scorpion) across the sky was noted in 2024.

In 2025, keep an eye on the Southern Cross (known as Crux to astronomers) and Sagittarius (the archer).

The Southern Cross is the best-known constellation in the southern sky. It is easy to find, as it is made up of a compact group of bright stars in the shape of a cross.

Two pointer stars from the neighbouring constellation of Centaurus, the centaur, also help to show its position. From Sydney and further south, the Southern Cross is always above the horizon. However, in the evenings, it is best viewed around June, when it is high in the southern sky.

The constellation Sagittarius is next to Scorpius. In the evenings, it is best placed for observation in August, as at that time of the year it is directly overhead.

A join-the-dots look at the brightest stars of the constellation gives the impression of a teapot, and it is often referred to by that name. Sagittarius is an important constellation for Australian astronomers, as it contains the centre of the Milky Way galaxy.


The information in this article comes from the 2025 Australasian Sky Guide. The guide has monthly star maps and has much more information to help with viewing and enjoying the night sky from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.The Conversation

Nick Lomb, Honorary Professor, Centre for Astrophysics, University of Southern Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

2025 will see huge advances in quantum computing. So what is a quantum chip and how does it work?

Motion Loop/Shutterstock
Muhammad UsmanCSIRO

In recent years, the field of quantum computing has been experiencing fast growth, with technological advances and large-scale investments regularly making the news.

The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

The stakes are high – having quantum computers would mean access to tremendous data processing power compared to what we have today. They won’t replace your normal computer, but having this kind of awesome computing power will provide advances in medicine, chemistry, materials science and other fields.

So it’s no surprise that quantum computing is rapidly becoming a global race, and private industry and governments around the world are rushing to build the world’s first full-scale quantum computer. To achieve this, first we need to have stable and scalable quantum processors, or chips.

What is a quantum chip?

Everyday computers – like your laptop – are classical computers. They store and process information in the form of binary numbers or bits. A single bit can represent either 0 or 1.

By contrast, the basic unit of a quantum chip is a qubit. A quantum chip is made up of many qubits. These are typically subatomic particles such as electrons or photons, controlled and manipulated by specially designed electric and magnetic fields (known as control signals).

Unlike a bit, a qubit can be placed in a state of 0, 1, or a combination of both, also known as a “superposition state”. This distinct property allows quantum processors to store and process extremely large data sets exponentially faster than even the most powerful classical computer.

There are different ways to make qubits – one can use superconducting devices, semiconductors, photonics (light) or other approaches. Each method has its advantages and drawbacks.

Companies like IBMGoogle and QueRa all have roadmaps to drastically scale up quantum processors by 2030.

Industry players that use semiconductors are Intel and Australian companies like Diraq and SQC. Key photonic quantum computer developers include PsiQuantum and Xanadu.

Qubits: quality versus quantity

How many qubits a quantum chip has is actually less important than the quality of the qubits.

A quantum chip made up of thousands of low-quality qubits will be unable to perform any useful computational task.

So, what makes for a quality qubit?

Qubits are very sensitive to unwanted disturbances, also known as errors or noise. This noise can come from many sources, including imperfections in the manufacturing process, control signal issues, changes in temperature, or even just an interaction with the qubit’s environment.

Being prone to errors reduces the reliability of a qubit, known as fidelity. For a quantum chip to stay stable long enough to perform complex computational tasks, it needs high-fidelity qubits.

When researchers compare the performance of different quantum chips, qubit fidelity is one of the crucial parameters they use.

How do we correct the errors?

Fortunately, we don’t have to build perfect qubits.

Over the last 30 years, researchers have designed theoretical techniques which use many imperfect or low-fidelity qubits to encode an abstract “logical qubit”. A logical qubit is protected from errors and, therefore, has very high fidelity. A useful quantum processor will be based on many logical qubits.

Nearly all major quantum chip developers are now putting these theories into practice, shifting their focus from qubits to logical qubits.

In 2024, many quantum computing researchers and companies made great progress on quantum error corrections, including GoogleQueRaIBM and CSIRO.

Quantum chips consisting of over 100 qubits are already available. They are being used by many researchers around the world to evaluate how good the current generation of quantum computers are and how they can be made better in future generations.

For now, developers have only made single logical qubits. It will likely take a few years to figure out how to put several logical qubits together into a quantum chip that can work coherently and solve complex real-world problems.

What will quantum computers be useful for?

A fully functional quantum processor would be able to solve extremely complex problems. This could lead to revolutionary impact in many areas of research, technology and economy.

Quantum computers could help us discover new medicines and advance medical research by finding new connections in clinical trial data or genetics that current computers don’t have enough processing power for.

They could also greatly improve the safety of various systems that use artificial intelligence algorithms, such as banking, military targeting and autonomous vehicles, to name a few.

To achieve all this, we first need to reach a milestone known as quantum supremacy – where a quantum processor solves a problem that would take a classical computer an impractical amount of time to do.

Late last year, Google’s quantum chip Willow finally demonstrated quantum supremacy for a contrived task – a computational problem designed to be hard for classical supercomputers but easy for quantum processors due to their distinct way of working.

Although it didn’t solve a useful real-world problem, it’s still a remarkable achievement and an important step in the right direction that’s taken years of research and development. After all, to run, one must first learn to walk.

What’s on the horizon for 2025 and beyond?

In the next few years, quantum chips will continue to scale up. Importantly, the next generation of quantum processors will be underpinned by logical qubits, able to tackle increasingly useful tasks.

While quantum hardware (that is, processors) has been progressing at a rapid pace, we also can’t overlook an enormous amount of research and development in the field of quantum software and algorithms.

Using quantum simulations on normal computers, researchers have been developing and testing various quantum algorithms. This will make quantum computing ready for useful applications when the quantum hardware catches up.

Building a full-scale quantum computer is a daunting task. It will require simultaneous advancements on many fronts, such as scaling up the number of qubits on a chip, improving the fidelity of the qubits, better error correction, quantum software, quantum algorithms, and several other sub-fields of quantum computing.

After years of remarkable foundational work, we can expect 2025 to bring new breakthroughs in all of the above.The Conversation

Muhammad Usman, Head of Quantum Systems and Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Hidden women of history: the Australian children’s author who captured the bush – before May Gibbs’ Australiana empire

Louisa Anne Meredith (with her artwork in background). Courtesy of The Royal Society of Tasmania/University of Melbourne
Lauren A. WeberUniversity of Wollongong and Sara FernandesThe University of Melbourne

May Gibbs is a household name in Australia. Her most famous book, Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, published in 1918, has never been out of print. Chances are you have read her work, or had it read to you. You’ll almost certainly have seen her personified native flora illustrations, which these days adorn everything from tea towels to pyjamas.

But have you heard of her predecessor, Louisa Anne Meredith? Like Gibbs, who began to publish in the decades following Meredith’s death in 1895, she drew her literary inspiration from the Australian landscape and crafted her own “brand” in its image.

Unlike Gibbs, though, Meredith’s illustrations were naturalistic. She rendered native Australian flora and fauna as characters for children’s literature, arguably beginning this tradition. But she didn’t “cutesify” them, or give them human features.

As researchers, we believe Meredith’s work for children should be recognised today for its innovations in genre: blending science writing, travel writing, poetry, and fairy tale. It is also anchored in a desire to shape the Australian child into the ideal young colonialist, by framing the land as unoccupied and in need of European care and management.

Louisa Anne Meredith’s illustrations were naturalistic, unlike May Gibbs’. University of Melbourne

Dedicated to her craft

Louisa Anne Meredith (born Twamley in 1812) was an author and illustrator, born to a precariously middle-class family in Birmingham. Her father, Thomas Twamley, was a hard-working corn miller and dealer. Louisa’s mother (who shares her name) married him much to the dismay of her prominent family, the Merediths. They were descended from Welsh nobility.

At 22, Twamley’s first collection, Poems (1835), was positively received. English critic Leigh Hunt sang her praises in his 1837 poem, Blue-Stocking Revels, or The Feast of the Violets:

Then came young Twamley,
Nice sensitive thing,
Whose pen and whose pencil
give promise like spring.

By her mid-20s, Twamley had a handful of books in print under her maiden name, as well as a series of prints, sketches, paintings, colour plates and miniatures. She was entirely dedicated to her craft. Her fresh style of publishing original poems alongside accomplished naturalistic illustrations was something new.

Tasmanian life, for English readers

Twamley’s accomplishments were numerous by the time she married her maternal cousin, Charles Meredith. The couple emigrated to Australia in 1839. Meredith’s first book published from the colony, Notes and Sketches of New South Wales (1844), offered readers a “small fund of information on common every-day topics relating to these antipodean climes”. Louisa’s prose was accompanied by her original illustrations of colonial life.

By 1840, she settled in Tasmania and made the island her chief literary concern. She published a series of books depicting Tasmanian life, intended for readers there and back in England. In addition to her writing, Louisa was an active conservationist, as a member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Malunnah House in Orford, Tasmania was owned by Louisa Anne Meredith and her husband Charles from 1868 to 1879. peterhut (Muirland Publishing)/FlickrCC BY

While Meredith is largely remembered for her botanical illustrations and travel writing, she was prolific as a children’s writer. She published a range of books for children set in Tasmania, created from her colonial perspective. Public knowledge of her contributions to Australian children’s literary history is scarce outside Tasmania.

Meredith’s writing for children includes Loved and Lost! The True Story of a Short Life (1860), Grandmamma’s Verse Book for Young Australia (1878), Tasmanian Friends and Foes, Feathered, Furred, and Finned (1880), and Waratah Rhymes for Young Australia (1891).

State Library NSW

Her work found young readers in both Australia and England. Her writing often dramatises this connection. Waratah Rhymes, for example, features a dedication in which she signs off from London in 1891 “to the young Colonists of to-day”, inviting their “warm welcome”.

Meredith’s contribution to the history of Australian children’s literature rests in her desire to write an account of “island life” for the white Australian colonial child. On the one hand, she reconfigured familiar European genres, such as the adventure novel (she was a fan of Gulliver’s Travels) and fairy tale. On the other, her aesthetic was distinctively colonial, expressed through Tasmanian fauna and flora.

In these books, the settler child is positioned as inquisitor and mini colonialist. Their discovery of the landscape through fictional encounters positions them to craft the nation in their image.

They reflect the “recurring narratives of nation-building” identified by Goorie and Koori critic and poet, Evelyn Araluen, as typical of Australian children’s literature. Araluen actively dismantles those narratives in her Stella prize-winning collection, Dropbear.

‘Cutesifying the bush’ vs naturalism

Meredith’s illustrations for children are naturalist. University of Melbourne

There is a striking resemblance between the works and interests of Meredith and Gibbs, who was also a member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Yet there are also significant differences.

Meredith was interested in science. She wanted to render scientific concepts legible for young readers by, as she explained in Our Wild Flowers (1839), giving “a little pleasant information, without any difficult terms, or unexplained names”.

While Gibbs had her own successful career as a botanical illustrator, in her writing for children she concocted a magic formula for cutesifying the bush. Her style exemplifies what Araluen calls “intricate forms of kitsch”. Where Meredith’s illustrations for children take inspiration from naturalists such as John Gould, Gibbs puts bums on gumnuts and reins on seahorses.

While their aesthetics are very different, the work of both Meredith and Gibbs reflects a settler-colonial view of the environment that aims to domesticate the bush and manage land.