Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Klimenko, Director, Centre for Multiscale Energy Systems, The University of Queensland

This month, Rio Tinto announced plans to bring forward the closure of Gladstone Power Station to 2029, six years ahead of schedule. The move was welcomed by environmental groups, as Gladstone is Queensland’s oldest and largest coal-fired station. It has struggled to compete with emerging renewable generation in recent years and outages have become more frequent.

The large 1.6 gigawatt plant feeds much of its power to the nearby Boyne aluminium smelter, which uses roughly the same amount of power as all of residential Sydney or twice the demand of residential Brisbane.

To fill the gap, Rio Tinto has secured about 3GW of renewable power capacity. That may seem impressive, but the variability of renewables means the actual power produced will be roughly a quarter of this.

More renewables can be built, but the smelter won’t be able to run safely until there’s enough energy storage available to ensure it can keep running overnight and through rainy or low-wind periods. Any interruption can cause irreparable damage to the smelter.

Closing the plant in four years’ time is unrealistic. Far better to begin a staged phase-out, where new thermal energy storage is built on the coal plant site while new energy capacity comes online.

This might appeal to the current Queensland government, which last week released its energy road map. The plan dials back renewable ambition, puts a question mark over pumped hydro, supports more gas plants and opens the door to keeping ageing coal plants open longer.

Energy storage and grid stability are essential

Australia’s aluminium industry is built on natural advantages, such as bauxite ore resources and moderately priced power.

Even if all existing grid-scale batteries and those coming online by 2029 were devoted just to the Boyne smelter, their combined capacity would be still be far below what would be required to carry the smelter through a single day and night. Batteries make most commercial sense over short periods where prices are high, but they do not solve the problem of long-duration storage.

Pumped-hydro schemes can offer energy storage at scale. If the 2GW Borumba pumped-hydro project was built by 2029 and largely dedicated to the smelter, it could, in principle, fill the gap left by Gladstone.

But this is unlikely. The government is reviewing Borumba. If the project proceeds, it will be needed to support Queensland’s broader energy transition and to recover its substantial capital cost. Large smelters tend to buy power with direct contracts substantially below the average market price. Construction is likely to extend out at least to 2033.

Coal power stations don’t just produce power. Their large spinning turbines and rotors create synchronous inertia – a key way the grid is kept stable. Retiring Gladstone would also mean removing a large source of synchronous inertia. If this is done too fast, planned replacements such as synchronous condensers wouldn’t be in place. This would risk grid stability.

We face a paradox of transition. Coal generation has to wind down to avert the worst of climate change. But it has to be done carefully so the lights stay on and industries can run without interruption. Storage and grid-stabilising measures will be essential.

What should be done? To ensure reliability for the Boyne smelter, authorities must complement renewables with a range of energy storage options.

A thermal solution?

A realistic option is to phase down Gladstone Power Station rather than switching it off at a set date. To do this, one option is to supplement coal-fired generation with thermal energy storage.

This type of storage relies on storing heat in molten salts or other materials. The heat can be turned into electricity later. The technology is well established – the world’s largest thermal battery, Dubai’s Noor Energy 1, stores almost 6 gigawatt-hours of energy.

Coal stations don’t work well alongside the variability of renewables, as it takes time for coal plants to start up and shut down. This is where thermal storage could help.

When renewable output was high, the coal plant would continue operating. But instead of directing steam to spin turbines to produce electricity, it would burn coal to heat molten salts. The heat could then be converted to electricity when power prices are high and solar stops producing, such as during evening peaks and overnight.

This would decouple the coal station from fluctuating grid demand. It would also reduce coal use and pollution while improving the economics of the coal plant.

During periods of excess renewable production, Gladstone could become a heat battery. It could store excess power in molten salts at low or even negative cost and sell it back to the grid when prices rise.

Other measures could be added, such as installing solar-thermal arrays to heat up the molten salts, meaning still less need for coal. Over time, Gladstone’s role could evolve to spend more time as an energy store and less as a coal-fired generator.

Eventually, the generation units could stop burning coal routinely but keep their capacity to use coal during an emergency.

A true transition isn’t off or on

There’s an appeal to simply switching off a large coal plant and ending a big source of emissions. But for large stations tied to smelters, it’s not that easy.

Adding new features to an ageing coal station may seem like a kludge. But transitions are messy. It would make sense to use this asset cleverly, keeping the useful elements and phasing out the part we don’t want: burning coal.

Storing energy as heat isn’t as efficient as storing power in batteries. But efficiency isn’t the only thing that matters. The system also needs to work during the transition.

Thermal storage plants have lifespans of more than 30 years, even when used daily. Workers could use their skills at the new facilities. If there was an energy emergency or lengthy dip in renewable production, the old coal warhorse could be fired up as a backup generator.

Adding thermal storage to Gladstone could help the entire state grid make the shift from coal and gas to renewables and storage.

A.Y. Klimenko receives funding from Australian Research Council and Queensland State Government to study energy storage options (e.g. hydrogen, CAES) for energy transition in Australia. The specific storage scheme proposed in the present article is novel and has not been funded from any source, industry or government.

– ref. Switching off the huge Gladstone coal station in 2029 will cause problems. It needs a longer, smarter phase-out – https://theconversation.com/switching-off-the-huge-gladstone-coal-station-in-2029-will-cause-problems-it-needs-a-longer-smarter-phase-out-267326

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney

On November 5 the US Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments about the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. As important as the tariff issue is, the stakes are much higher than that.

Trump has been claiming vast powers, at the expense of other branches of government, on the grounds of various “emergencies”. He has used these claims to justify sending troops to US cities and deporting non-citizens without due process under a law dating from 1798.

Trump imposed sweeping global tariffs under the auspices of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977. Most legal experts agree, and so far three lower courts have ruled, that this act gives him no such power.

This case now presents an important test of the Supreme Court’s willingness to impose limits on Trump’s emergency powers.

The powers Trump is claiming

The US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to set tariffs. Since the 1930s, Congress has passed a series of laws granting presidents the authority to adjust existing tariffs and deploy them to protect industries that are crucial to US national security.

The tariffs Trump has imposed this year go beyond the powers any previous president has had.

Some of Trump’s tariffs on goods in specific sectors such as steel and aluminium are authorised under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act because of their importance to military industries.

But to justify blanket tariff rates on entire countries, regardless of the goods involved, Trump has turned to the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA).

This allows the president to block economic transactions and freeze assets after declaring an emergency. These actions usually target hostile powers or individuals. An emergency is an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the US, originating “in whole or substantial part outside the United States”.

Trump originally claimed tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China were necessary to force those countries stop the traffic in fentanyl, which causes more than 70,000 overdose deaths in the US every year. Yet less than 1% of the fentanyl that enters the US comes from Canada.

For the “liberation day” tariffs affecting every other country in the world, Trump declared the annual US trade deficit in goods constituted “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States”.

This trade deficit has been running since 1976, and it widened during Trump’s first administration.

The court case

The Trump administration is being sued by a group of small businesses that have been hurt by the 2025 tariffs, and which claim Trump had no right to impose them. They are supported by a bipartisan group of legal scholars.

Two federal courts and the US Court of International Trade have so far ruled IEEPA does not give the president the power to set tariffs.

The IEEPA was an amendment to the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act, which the then president Richard Nixon used to impose 10% import tariffs during a trade crisis in 1971. The Trump administration has argued that because those tariffs were upheld by courts, Trump’s are also valid.

But the IEEPA, passed in 1977 following post-Watergate reforms of emergency powers, was intended to limit executive power, not expand it.

In the words of a report from the House Committee on International Relations that underpinned the reforms, “emergencies are by their nature rare and brief, and are not to be equated with normal ongoing problems”.

What will the Supreme Court do?

The weakness of the administration’s legal arguments is reflected in Trump’s public statements about why the Supreme Court must uphold his tariffs. These statements increasingly read like blackmail notes. He has said striking down the tariffs would “literally destroy the United States of America”.

As well as bringing in billions of dollars in revenue, Trump claims five of the eight wars he has supposedly ended were thanks to tariff leverage, and “if they took away tariffs, then they’ve taken away our national security”.

Striking down tariffs could be economically disruptive. It would weaken US leverage in trade negotiations, and raise the possibility of large tariff refunds.

These threats may persuade conservative Supreme Court justices who already take an expansive view of executive power, and who have so far enabled Trump’s accumulation of it.

However, the one area where Supreme Court conservatives might be willing to limit Trump’s powers is where they interfere with economic orthodoxy.

In a ruling allowing Trump to fire commissioners of some small, independent agencies, the court also appeared to protect members of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, because of its “distinct historical tradition”.

The Supreme Court has since temporarily blocked Trump’s attempt to fire one of the Federal Reserve governors, Lisa Cook. The judges may also decide that allowing a president to impose unlimited new taxes is a step too far.

Even if the Supreme Court does strike down the IEEPA tariffs, Trump is unlikely to abandon tariffs as a policy tool. They are a core part of his identity.

The administration has already vowed that if it loses in the Supreme Court, it will find other ways to impose tariffs under different laws that “have the same effect”.

The significance of the Supreme Court’s decision may not be about the tariffs themselves, but about whether it recognises any limit to presidential power.

David Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. A Supreme Court showdown looms for Trump’s tariffs. Will it limit presidential power? – https://theconversation.com/a-supreme-court-showdown-looms-for-trumps-tariffs-will-it-limit-presidential-power-267630

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Australia’s history is distinct and much contested, stretching from its First Nations origins, to the impacts of colonialism and the birth of a multicultural nation.

Former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s new book, “Australia: A History”, argues Australia is not perfect, but still has “a history to be proud of”.

Abbott joins us to talk about his take on Australia’s past, as well as his views of the Coalition’s current woes and how it should forge a path ahead.

On why he wanted to write this book, Abbott says he thinks Australia has “an overwhelmingly positive story” to tell.

I think these days, there’s too much focus on the downside, whether it’s Indigenous dispossession, whether it’s the White Australia Policy, there is this sense of original sin, if you like, hanging over our country. I don’t think it’s justified.

Yes, there were obvious problems for Indigenous people, given the clash of the ancient and the modern. But even at the very beginning, there were good intentions on the part of the early colonial governors. The good intentions didn’t always work out well, particularly on the frontier. But in the end, I think we have to accept that it was inevitable that Australia would be settled, and that British settlement, on balance, has been overwhelmingly a good thing for every Australian, including eventually even Aboriginal Australia.

On immigration, Abbott agrees it’s been “central” to the Australian story, but says he prefers cultural assimilation to multiculturalism.

Generally speaking, all of our immigrants – from 1788 to this very day – have come to Australia to join us, not to change us. I’m not a big fan of the policy of multiculturalism, and I do think that one difference between the post-war immigration and contemporary immigration is that the post-war migrants were expected by officialdom to integrate immediately and ultimately to assimilate.

I think that migrants, almost to a man and a woman, from the beginning to this day, have very much wanted to become Australian as quickly as possible. But official policy in more recent times has, I think, sometimes encouraged people in a degree of, if you like, separateness.

On what advice he would give to the Liberal Party, Abbott urges his party colleagues not to compromise on policy.

We should have campaigned [at the election] more strongly for our nuclear policy, and we should have campaigned more strongly against Labor’s wealth tax. But our job now – as I said back in 2009 and I think it’s a pretty good template for oppositions – the job of an effective opposition is not to make weak compromises with a bad government, but to be strong and clear and effective alternative.

[…] Successful conservative political movements are not highly ideological. They identify practical problems and come up with sensible ways of dealing with them.

On whether the Coalition is likely to split, given present fractures, Abbott says “I’m a coalitionist”.

The Liberal Party does best when it is in a strong and effective coalition with the National Party. And likewise, the National Party best helps regional Australia when they’re in a strong and effective coalition with the Liberal Party. I don’t think it’s an absolutely terrible thing if, on occasions, the National Party takes the lead. It was, in fact, the National Party that initially decided to oppose the Voice [referendum].

[…] So were the National Party, for argument’s sake, to reject the net zero straight-jacket, I don’t think that would be a Coalition-buster. But I would expect that the Liberal Party, at some point in time, would come to the same position.

On former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s decision to distance himself from the Nationals and ongoing speculation that Joyce will join Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party, Abbott urges him to reconsider.

Barnaby is a great bloke. He’s one of Australia’s most effective retail politicians. I can understand his frustration at the present time. I hope that he reconsiders his decision to not stand again in New England. I hope he continues his campaign inside the National Party to get his party, and ultimately the Coalition, putting forward the best and the strongest policy position.

[…] I don’t want to see a proliferation of protest parties. And while I have considerable respect for Pauline Hanson – who I think in recent times has been certainly the most constructive of the crossbenchers as far as the Coalition is concerned – I think that people should vote for the mainstream party that best reflects their values.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tony Abbott on Australia’s past and the opposition’s future – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-tony-abbott-on-australias-past-and-the-oppositions-future-267962

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Ramsay, Emeritus Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne

Australian universities enrol more than 1.4 million students per year and employ more than 130,000 staff. They receive substantial public funding – about A$22 billion each year.

They have also demonstrated substantial governance failings – or problems with the way they are run. As Education Minister Jason Clare has noted:

If you don’t think there are challenges in university governance, you’ve been living under a rock.

Two recent reports aim to tackle the problems with university governance. What did they find? And will this fix the issues?

What’s wrong with university governance?

One review is an interim report from a Labor-chaired Senate inquiry into university governance, handed down last month. The other is a federal government-comissioned “expert council” report, chaired by Melinda Cilento, who is also head of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. This was released on Saturday.

Both reports highlight serious concerns with the way Australian universities are run. The issues include:

• widespread underpayment of staff

• poor student experiences in some universities

• allegations of staff being bullied

• a lack of transparency around university decision-making

• excessive use of consultants

• concerns about excessive salaries for vice-chancellors.

Both reports also identify a gap between universities’ perceptions of the quality of their governance and the experiences described by staff and students.

How can university governance be improved?

While the two reports identify similar problems, they differ in their approach to reform.

The Senate report makes a series of recommendations it believes should be compulsory for all universities.

These include publicly disclosing details of spending on consultants, having a minimum proportion of members with public administration and higher education expertise on governing bodies, and requiring meaningful consultation with staff and students around major changes.

In contrast, the expert council proposes a series of principles universities should adopt. If they don’t, they need to explain why. Essentially, this makes them voluntary.

The principles include that the governing body of a university should:

• have an effective, transparent process for appointing the vice-chancellor

• undertake appropriate checks before appointing a vice-chancellor or senior manager

• have a written policy on conflicts of interest

• ensure there are policies for important risks to be appropriately managed and regulatory obligations to be met.

The university should also:

• operate lawfully, ethically and in a manner that’s consistent with its public purpose

• structure its workforce and pay fairly and responsibly.

Will voluntary principles be effective?

At the weekend, Clare announced the government will require universities to report on their compliance with the principles every year. They will report to the tertiary education regulator on an “if not, why not” basis.

But will this be enough? It is difficult to understand why at least some of the principles, such as those listed above, are not mandatory. As the expert council noted in its report, universities did not always engage adequately with its review process.

[…] many of the submissions received from universities failed to engage proactively and genuinely in addressing areas of weakness [or] in identifying scope for improvement in governance practices and outcomes.

In a further development, the federal government will also ask the remuneration tribunal to help set a framework for vice-chancellors’ pay. In line with the Senate report, the government will require university councils to publish:

• outcomes of meetings and decisions taken

• consultancy spending, its purpose, value and justification

• vice-chancellors’ external roles

• annual remuneration reports in line with requirements for public companies

• information about the membership of university councils, including members with public and higher education sector experience.

Disclosure of this type of information can better inform stakeholders’ understanding of universities. It can also improve university decision-making by subjecting decisions to greater scrutiny.

But we also need to see an improved culture within universities. This means the views of staff, students and other key stakeholders are welcomed and valued, and transparency and accountability are viewed as priorities.

This is important for rebuilding trust. As the expert council observed, it is

hard not to conclude that a lack of transparency and openness has played a key role in the observed erosion of trust within and towards universities.

Ian Ramsay does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. There are new plans to fix how universities will run. But will they work? – https://theconversation.com/there-are-new-plans-to-fix-how-universities-will-run-but-will-they-work-267859

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Gorman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies, Flinders University

The mysterious object was on fire and lying in the middle of a remote dirt road in Western Australia’s Pilbara region when mine workers stumbled upon it.

Shortly after the enigmatic item was found on October 18, Western Australia police announced that initial assessments indicated it was made of carbon fibre and “consistent with previously identified space debris”.

The object appears to have come from a Chinese Jielong-3 rocket – possibly the one launched in September which deployed 12 satellites in low Earth orbit.

The object’s suspected identity was corroborated by expert debris watchers, who noted the orbital path of the rocket’s fourth stage passed over Western Australia at a time consistent with the debris’ discovery.

The Australian Space Agency told The Conversation the debris is “likely a propellant tank or pressure vessel from a space launch vehicle” and that it will conduct further technical analysis to confirm its origin.

Regardless, the object’s fall to Earth highlights the growing problem of space junk – and how humanity is dealing with it.

Crash landing from space

The area surrounding Earth is becoming increasingly crowded. It’s home to more than 10,000 active satellites, and possibly up to 40,000 pieces of space junk bigger than 10 centimetres. By the end of this decade, roughly 70,000 satellites could be in low Earth orbit, at altitudes below 2,000 kilometres.

Space junk refers to any piece of human-made material in space that doesn’t have a purpose. This includes dead satellites and rocket stages discarded after they’ve delivered satellites to orbit.

Space junk disposal generally relies on the debris being pulled back into the atmosphere and burning up through friction and heat.

The most problematic class of space debris is spent rocket stages. A paper presented at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney earlier this month listed the 50 most concerning pieces of space junk in low Earth orbit – 88% of which are rocket bodies.

However, space junk is being created at a higher rate than it is re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. And now we know burning metals create harmful particulates of alumina and soot, which impact the ozone layer we rely on to filter out ultraviolet radiation.

Sometimes fuel tanks and pressure vessels reach the ground mostly intact instead of being completely incinerated. The metal alloys used to make them have a higher melting point than other spacecraft material, and they are often insulated with carbon fibre strips.

Space agencies, defence organisations and amateur debris watchers are constantly tracking the orbit – and re-entry – of space junk. This is a complex task – in part because these objects are hurtling around Earth at speeds of up to 28,000 kilometres per hour.

Controlled versus uncontrolled re-entries

The atmospheric re-entry of most space junk is uncontrolled.

Once the spacecraft runs out of fuel or batteries to power its thrusters, its orbit starts to drift. If the debris is large enough, like an old satellite or rocket body, where and when it re-enters can usually be predicted. Most of the time this is over the sea or in areas with low populations – just because this is most of the planet.

But not always. For example, in April 2022, parts of a Chinese third stage rocket crashed to Earth near a house in the Indian village of Ladori in the Maharashtra region, startling the residents who were preparing a meal at the time.

One strategy to reduce space junk is known as passivation. Passivation involves depleting all fuel and batteries so the spacecraft doesn’t spontaneously explode, creating more debris. This leaves no fuel or communications for a controlled re-entry.

A controlled re-entry involves guiding the spacecraft to a location with a low risk of harm to people, property or the environment.

One such region is the so-called “space cemetery” – a point in the Pacific Ocean roughly 2,700 kilometres from any landmass. There are about 300 spacecraft on the sea bed there, and this is where the International Space Station will be brought down at the end of the decade.

Finding the owner

The first stage of the investigation into the suspected space debris found in Western Australia will be determining who owns it.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty says the state that authorised a rocket or satellite launch is liable for any damage it causes on Earth – even if a private company actually conducted the launch.

If the object does turn out to be from a Chinese rocket, the next step will be contacting China about its return or disposal. They may choose to leave it with Australia, as India did with a rocket fuel tank which washed up on a beach in Western Australia in 2023.

It appears the rocket body didn’t cause any harm so the negotiations won’t involve liability or insurance claims. The debris landed in a landscape already heavily impacted by mining activities so it is unlikely a claim for environmental harm can be made.

Better end-of-life planning is needed

End-of-life planning is critical for future space debris management in low Earth orbit, as there is currently no capacity to actively remove debris from that region.

The standard used to be that no spacecraft should remain in orbit after 25 years beyond the end of its mission life. Now, the expected standard for low Earth orbit is five years.

Technologies are being developed to service and refuel satellites on orbit to extend the time they can remain active in space. New materials, such as wood, are being trialled to reduce pollution of the upper atmosphere.

The European Space Agency is promoting the Zero Debris Charter which invites signatories to commit to becoming debris-neutral – that is, creating no new debris with each mission – by 2030.

In the short term, we can expect to see an increase in the amount of debris crashing down to Earth. But there is hope international collaboration and new technologies will lead to more sustainable use of space, ensuring future generations have equal access to it.

Alice Gorman is a Fellow of the Outer Space Institute.

– ref. How does a flaming piece of space junk end up on Earth? A space archaeologist explains – https://theconversation.com/how-does-a-flaming-piece-of-space-junk-end-up-on-earth-a-space-archaeologist-explains-267856

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University

New guidelines on what to eat and drink if you have chronic (long-term) constipation have been making news in recent days.

Much of the media coverage of the British Dietetic Association’s guidelines has focused on advice to eat kiwifruit every day.

Meanwhile, other recommendations have not received so much attention. One, in particular, marks a shift in managing chronic constipation. The guidelines don’t advise a high-fibre diet.

Here’s what the guidelines say help (and don’t help) to relieve chronic constipation.

What did the guidelines look at?

Researchers examined 75 clinical trials to come up with recommendations for food, drink and supplements for chronic constipation in adults.

The quality of the clinical trials varied and so they had to come up with a consensus on the quality of the trial data.

Given that constipation means different things to different people, they used a very broad definition for constipation. This encompassed what patients perceived to be constipation as well as definitions of constipation used in clinical trials. Chronic constipation is generally when someone passes few, hard stools over a period of at least three months.

The researchers produced 59 recommendations. However, the researchers said most of the recommendations were based on poor-quality evidence.

Why kiwifruit? How many a day?

The researchers recommended eating two to three kiwifruit a day for at least four weeks to improve constipation. Whether it’s green kiwifruit or gold kiwifruit the evidence clearly shows they can help.

But how? There are several reasons.

Fibre in kiwifruit swells a lot when mixed with water, more so than apple fibre. This swelling helps make stools more bulky, easing their way through the gut.

Eating the whole fruit including the skin provides more fibre than just eating the flesh but eating the kiwifruit without the skin is perfectly fine.

Green kiwifruit contains an enzyme called actinidin that helps the body digest protein in the stomach and the small intestine. This may help with constipation by making food proteins softer and easier to pass through the gut.

Kiwifruit contain a type of crystal called raphides. These are believed to increase mucus production in the gut, lubricating it and helping passage of the stool.

Eating kiwifruit may also result in reduced species of methane producing bacteria, which have been linked to constipation.

Mineral water and magnesium

The researchers reported on the benefits of drinking mineral water. They suggested drinking 0.5–1.5 litres a day (roughly two to six cups) of mineral water for two to six weeks.

Why? Mineral water often contains magnesium, which acts as a laxative. Indeed, magnesium oxide is often used as a dietary supplement for chronic constipation.

The guidelines confirmed magnesium oxide can help soften the stool and increase stool frequency. The researchers recommended taking 0.5–1.5g a day for at least four weeks.

But this may not be appropriate for everyone. For instance people with kidney disease need to be careful. Magnesium supplements may also interact with other medications.

Read more:
Should I take a magnesium supplement? Will it help me sleep or prevent muscle cramps?

Rye bread

The researchers cited studies showing rye bread relieves constipation more than white bread or common laxatives.

They recommended six to eight slices a day of rye bread for at least three weeks.

But this just isn’t realistic for a lot of people. And as rye contains gluten, this would not be appropriate for people with coeliac disease.

A high-fibre diet may not be needed after all

There was one key surprise in the guidelines.

The researchers said there was a lack of strong evidence for generic high-fibre diets for constipation, when people eat at least 25g of fibre a day.

Here’s the rationale. The researchers could only find one randomised controlled trial – the gold standard for testing interventions, such as a change in diet – where a high-fibre diet (25–30g/day) was compared with a low-fibre diet (15–20g/day).

This trial showed no benefit for the high-fibre diet in improving constipation. People on the low-fibre diet farted less and were less bloated than people on the high-fibre diet.

This does not mean fibre doesn’t help constipation. There is good evidence for supplementing your diet with more fibre to help chronic constipation.

But rather than focusing on a high-fibre diet for constipation, the guidelines instead recommend taking at least 10g a day of a fibre supplement, such as psyllium.

A high-fibre diet is usually a key part of national dietary guidelines. For example the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends some adults have a dietary fibre intake of at least 28g a day. There are certainly health benefits such as lowered cholesterol and blood sugar levels from eating a high-fibre diet.

But we now know it’s not needed to relieve chronic constipation.

What can we take away from the guidelines?

These guidelines provide more personalised, evidence-based dietary advice tailored to patient symptoms than previous guidelines.

Kiwifruit are considered a safe and effective treatment for chronic constipation. Mineral water, magnesium supplements and rye bread can help too.

But it would be worth discussing magnesium supplements with a health professional, especially if there are concerns about kidney disease or you take other medications.

Vincent Ho does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Eat kiwifruit for constipation, new guidelines say. But ditch the high-fibre diet – https://theconversation.com/eat-kiwifruit-for-constipation-new-guidelines-say-but-ditch-the-high-fibre-diet-267617

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

By all the usual diplomatic measures, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with US President Donald Trump was a great success.

“Success” in a meeting with Trump is to avoid the ritual humiliation the president sometimes likes to inflict on his interlocutors. In that sense, Albanese and his team pulled off an impressive diplomatic feat.

While there was one awkward moment with Australia’s ambassador to the United States, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, on the scale of Trumpian possibilities, that was relatively minor.

Much of the media coverage has noted the laughter and ripples of relief that spread through the room as the moment was handled deftly by everyone involved.

There is much relief, too, that Albanese appears to have “confirmed” the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal will go ahead, despite the as-yet-unreleased Trump administration review of the agreement.

Albanese went into the White House meeting under considerable pressure to extract some kind of guarantee about the delivery of the Virginia-class submarines to Australia from the volatile president.

Albanese seems to have met those expectations: Trump waved away concerns about the United States’ commitment to deal, overriding the more cautious language of his secretary of the navy with a clear assurance to Albanese and the press pack: “Oh no, they’re getting them”.

Albanese also signed, in bold Trumpian Sharpie style, a critical minerals deal with the US president. This is being taken as reassurance the United States remains committed to its alliance with Australia – an alliance that, like the critical minerals deal, is framed largely as a question of “security”.

As is common with the Trump administration, however, much of the detail is unclear or a problem for the future.

The deal envisioned “unlocking” up to US$5 billion (A$7.7 billion) in private investment. There are already rumblings about what the Australian government will give away in the deal, and just what “slashing red tape” on project approvals might mean.

Trump’s words on AUKUS might be hollow

Symbolically, the meeting was a success. In substance, it revealed that the fundamentals of the relationship have not changed.

While much of the focus has been on Trump’s moment with Rudd and the ambassador’s future in the role, the exchange revealed a great deal more. Trump didn’t appear to remember who Rudd is, let alone the former prime minister’s previous criticisms.

While Rudd’s position matters a great deal to the Australian media, it is not of great concern to a president who has yet to confirm a counterpart to Rudd in Australia. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, appointed by the Biden administration, has not yet been replaced.

And while many reports suggest Trump has “confirmed” AUKUS, there is nothing to suggest this is either true or even possible.

Trump dismissed Navy Secretary John Phelan’s attempts to put some parameters around the deal after Phelan said “ambiguities” remain. Trump may well dismiss these ambiguities, but it is the navy that is handling much of the detail and the implementation of the deal itself.

And Trump may well make grand promises, but the legislation enabling the deal gives him a perfectly legitimate way to renege on the handover of the submarines, if doing so would undermine US capabilities or is deemed inconsistent with American interests. Nothing Trump promises changes that fundamental reality.

Is a full embrace of Trump wise?

That the media continues to treat Trump’s words with such credulity flies in the face of the evidence we have about a president who routinely changes his mind or reverses course. For a few hours in the White House, that reality was largely suspended.

Australia’s security alliance has generally been placed “above” domestic politics, transcending prime ministers and presidents and enjoying bipartisan support.

But as Albanese has hinted, drawing arbitrary lines between domestic affairs and foreign policy is, like the meeting with Trump itself, an exercise of symbolism over substance.

Albanese noted that Australia and the United States “have stood side by side for freedom and democracy”. Trump heaped praise on Australia, noting how much he likes the current prime minister. Albanese quipped he might use a clip of Trump saying that in his next election campaign, saying “I’ll use that in my 2028 ads!”.

It was an off-hand comment. But it may also reveal the blurring of boundaries between the domestic and the international: poll after poll suggests Australian voters are increasingly concerned about what the Trump administration is doing, both at home and abroad.

It is far from clear that a “warm, constructive” relationship with Trump would be well regarded by Labor’s base.

As Albanese met with Trump in the White House, demolition works had begun on the East Wing, in preparation for Trump’s new US$250 million (A$383 million) ballroom. The symbolism of that is troubling, to say the least, for a president who has mused about staying in power beyond his constitutional limits and is busy sending “Trump 2028” hats to his political enemies. He’s now demolishing part of the “people’s house” for his own vanities.

Perhaps it’s a good thing he likes Albanese. He may be around for a while yet.

Emma Shortis is director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

– ref. Can Albanese claim ‘success’ with Trump? Beyond the banter, the vague commitments should be viewed with scepticism – https://theconversation.com/can-albanese-claim-success-with-trump-beyond-the-banter-the-vague-commitments-should-be-viewed-with-scepticism-267434

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Visconti, Teacher and Researcher, Art History, University of Sydney

While Taylor Swift has been breaking records with the release of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, a more compelling heir to the showgirl tradition offers audiences a glimpse into the world behind the feathers and frills.

Directed by Kate Champion, Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes is her latest interpretation of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, following The Little Match Girl (2012) and The Little Mermaid (2016). Here she asks what happens with the passage of time to women who are, in Meow Meow’s words, “wrong, forgotten, gone astray”.

For the opening number, Meow Meow has to be dragged into the spotlight in dishevelled undergarments. She is propped up until she can rouse herself.

She soon dons a dress and matching feathered headdress. In true showgirl style, Meow Meow has multiple costume changes (designed by Dann Barber). Or, rather, there are additions and subtractions, with outfits layered as her quest for the perfect red shoes continues and then reaches its tragic conclusion.

Vegas-style plumed headgear is complemented by moments of kleptomania as bags or scarves are taken from audience members. It’s a necessary redistribution of wealth, she reasons, as she loads herself up with items that catch her eye.

Dancing the red shoes

In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 1845 story, an orphan named Karen is adopted and given a pair of red shoes which she refuses to replace with a more sombre pair to wear to church. She is then cursed to never stop dancing. Her feet continue to dance even after their amputation, until Karen is redeemed through death and contrition.

Meow Meow’s interpretation of Karen (though she says the name matters little) is of someone pushed by necessity and seeking respite from hardship, but who is punished all the same.

Just as Meow Meow has questioned the need for the Little Mermaid to give up her voice or the Little Match Girl to be left in the cold while others celebrate, she launches her critique of double standards and unjust punishment at Andersen himself in a comically rapid-fire barrage of questions.

The show’s meaning and its accoutrements are sometimes the object of fun, as Meow Meow clambers over a pile of debris in the corner of the stage including odd shoes, an old fridge and late-night online impulse purchases, musing aloud whether it’s “too early” in the show to be too profound.

She melds ballet and kickline steps in her choreography, all while balancing on one solitary shoe. Initially she wears a boot similar to those worn by the Moulin Rouge dance troupe today, in her nod to “the cans and the can-cans”, later changing it for one stiletto heel and one ballet slipper.

Not just for pleasure

Joining Meow Meow in various guises, Kanen Breen is by turns the embodiment of Meow’s ideas (if “a bit sketchy”), a faun to embody bacchanalian joy, or Hans Christian Andersen himself.

He provides a resounding and accomplished tenor voice as accompaniment alongside the trio of musicians (Mark Jones, Dan Witton and Jethro Woodward). Towards the end of the show, the musicians wear tutus under coat-tails in homage to the “delirious burlesque” of a 1900 Moulin Rouge revue or to a chorus of balletic swans.

Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes dances back and forth over different centuries and styles, reinforcing her reputation as a thoroughly postmodern diva.

Meow Meow is always aware of the lineage of which she is a part. She recalls other women who have preceded her. References range from Byzantium and Empress Theodora’s pearl-strewn act to Anna Pavlova and the ballet sylph.

Meow also acknowledges the cancan’s transgressive power as an act of agency by the working-class women who made it famous, and evokes a young Marlene Dietrich perched on a piano while auditioning for The Blue Angel.

Over the stage hangs a Danish saying, used as the motto of the Royal Danish Theatre, Ei blot til lyst, meaning “Not just for pleasure”. This saying is a reminder of the deeper function of the arts: a remedy and rebellion against a world awash with ignorance, conflict and the increased reliance on artificial intelligence at the cost of human connection.

All of these issues, part of the inescapable “noise of the world”, are skewered in both original songs and poignant renditions of material by Fiona Apple and Paul Anka, among others.

While no firm answers are provided for any of the multifarious themes addressed – indeed, how can one solve the ills of the world in a 75-minute show? – The Red Shoes cleaves to the aims of cabaret, defined by Meow Meow as “rigorous and instructive theatre”, and the civic duty of the artiste to resuscitate the art of catharsis.

This way, Meow Meow and her co-conspirators onstage are able to help the audience to “cathart” for themselves.

Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes is at Belvoir, Sydney, until November 9.

Will Visconti does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes takes us beyond the showgirl’s feathers and frills – https://theconversation.com/meow-meows-the-red-shoes-takes-us-beyond-the-showgirls-feathers-and-frills-267546

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jongkil Jay Jeong, Senior Fellow, School of Computing and Information System, The University of Melbourne

The world’s largest cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS), has experienced a major outage that has impacted thousands of organisations, including banks, financial software platforms such as Xero, and social media platforms such as Snapchat.

The outage began at roughly 6pm AEDT on Monday. It was caused by a malfunction at one of AWS’ data centres located in Northern Virginia in the United States. AWS says it has fixed the underlying issue but some internet users are still reporting service disruptions.

This incident highlights the vulnerabilities of relying so much on cloud computing – or “the cloud” as it’s often called. But there are ways to mitigate some of the risks.

Renting IT infrastructure

Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of diverse IT resources such as computing power, database storage, and applications over the internet. In simple terms, it’s renting (not owning) your own IT infrastructure.

Cloud computing came into prevalence with the dot com boom in the late 1990s, wherein digital tech companies started to deliver software over the internet. As companies such as Amazon matured in their own ability to offer what’s known as “software as a service” over the web, they started to offer others the ability to rent their virtual servers for a cost as well.

This was a lucrative value proposition. Cloud computing enables a pay-as-you-go model similar to a utility bill, rather than the huge upfront investment required to purchase, operate and manage your own data centre.

As a result, the latest statistics suggest more than 94% of all enterprises use cloud-based services in some form.

A market dominated by three companies

The global cloud market is dominated by three companies. AWS holds the largest share (roughly 30%). It’s followed by Microsoft Azure (about 20%) and Google Cloud Platform (about 13%).

All three service providers have had recent outages, significantly impacting digital service platforms. For example, in 2024, an issue with third-party software severely impacted Microsoft Azure, causing extensive operational failures for businesses globally.

Google Cloud Platform also experienced a major outage this year due to an internal misconfiguration.

Profound risks

The heavy reliance of the global internet on just a few major providers — AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — creates profound risks for both businesses and everyday users.

First, this concentration forms a single point of failure. As seen in the latest AWS event, a simple configuration error in one central system can trigger a domino effect that instantly paralyses vast segments of the internet.

Second, these providers often impose vendor lock-in. Companies find it prohibitively difficult and expensive to switch platforms due to complex data architectures and excessively high fees charged for moving large volumes of data out of the cloud (data egress costs). This effectively traps customers, leaving them hostage to a single vendor’s terms.

Finally, the dominance of US-based cloud service providers introduces geopolitical and regulatory risks. Data stored in these massive systems is subject to US laws and government demands, which can complicate compliance with international data sovereignty regulations such as Australia’s Privacy Act.

Furthermore, these companies hold the power to censor or restrict access to services, giving them control over how firms operate.

The current best practice to mitigate these risks is to adopt a multi-cloud approach that enables you to decentralise. This involves running critical applications across multiple vendors to eliminate the single point of failure.

This approach can be complemented by what’s known as “edge computing”, wherein data storage and processing is moved away from large, central data centres, toward smaller, distributed nodes (such as local servers) that firms can control directly.

The combination of edge computing and a multi-cloud approach enhances resilience, improves speed, and helps companies meet strict data regulatory requirements while avoiding dependence on any single entity.

As the old saying goes, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

Jongkil Jay Jeong received prior funding from the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.

– ref. An Amazon outage has rattled the internet. A computer scientist explains why the ‘cloud’ needs to change – https://theconversation.com/an-amazon-outage-has-rattled-the-internet-a-computer-scientist-explains-why-the-cloud-needs-to-change-267954

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chelsea Mobbs, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Southern Queensland

Physiotherapy isn’t just for adults recovering from injuries. Physiotherapists can help babies and children, too – including babies with, or at high risk of, cerebral palsy.

Research has shown physiotherapy improves their physical and cognitive outcomes.

Cerebral palsy is complex

Cerebral palsy is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. It can affect the way you move and function.

It is caused by injury or a difference in development of the fetal or infant brain.

Each person with cerebral palsy experiences it in their own unique way.

This includes:

• the parts of their body affected
• how their body moves (for example, whether they have stiffness, involuntary movements or trouble with coordination)
• and how their motor impairments, or other issues, affect the way they move around, communicate and play.

The causes of cerebral palsy can be complex. It’s often due to a range of factors, including genetic and birth-related issues.

Early detection can mean early intervention

Until recently, many medical professionals adopted a “wait-and-see” approach.

However, we now have evidence-based tools to help identify babies most at risk of cerebral palsy – even those as young as three months.

After five months, if a baby shows movement difficulties (for example, using one side of their body more than the other or not being able to sit independently after nine months), an MRI and other tests can help your doctor understand more.

Early detection of cerebral palsy provides an opportunity for early intervention.

Some researchers talk about the seven “e-words” of physiotherapy intervention for babies with celebral palsy: earlier, engagement, exploration, enriched environments, experiences, everyday and exercise.

Earlier intervention

Where intervention previously often started only around 19 months, now intervention can begin much earlier.

Some babies start physiotherapy as young as three months old once identified as being “high risk” for a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Premature babies may begin physiotherapy while still in hospital.

Unfortunately, however, not all families have easy access to early intervention treatments. Much depends on where you live.

NDIS support is technically available but it can often take families months to be accepted for funding.

Engagement is key

Engagement refers to when babies deliberately participate in an activity or interact with others. This might be as simple as encouraging infants to look at and focus on a toy the baby finds interesting, or to move their body towards their caregiver’s face.

Research shows when infants are engaged in play, it helps make connections about how to move their body.

Physiotherapists can help parents learn how to engage with and play with their babies, even when babies are very young.

Exploration builds moving, playing and thinking skills

Exploration is how babies learn about and interact with the world.

Physiotherapists can help infants to explore movement, whether this is supporting them to reach for a toy or crawl down a hallway.

Babies and children with cerebral palsy can find it harder than their peers to explore their environments. Research has shown supporting infants and young children to explore their environment, including with mini power wheelchairs, can improve their long-term mobility, social skills and independence.

Enriched environments help challenge babies

Infants love to interact with spaces that are not too difficult to navigate, but also not too easy.

Physiotherapists and families can come up with ideas together about how to modify the environment in the home to help a baby with cerebral palsy successfully play and explore.

This could, for instance, include adjusting the height of toys on a baby play gym to challenge babies to successfully reach and grasp toys above them.

Experiences help babies learn to play, move and communicate

Every infant learns in their own way from doing, seeing, and feeling. These experiences shape the neural pathways in our brains throughout our life, but particularly in the first few years. Our brains’ ability to adapt to experiences is called neuroplasticity.

Physiotherapists can help families harness this neuroplasticity by identifying meaningful experiences that help their baby learn to move, play and explore.

Babies with cerebral palsy benefit from a combination of repeating motivating experiences (such as repeatedly rolling for a toy of interest) and practising new skills in a variety of environments (such as rolling on different surfaces or towards a variety of toys).

Everyday intervention

Physiotherapists work with families to find ways to support their infant’s development in everyday life. This will look different for every family.

Some prefer more structured ideas for activities; they might want to know how many times and how long they could help their baby sit using specific handling techniques.

Others prefer ideas on how to integrate therapy ideas into their everyday life by, for instance, picking their baby up via their side to help develop their head control.

Exercise – for all ages

Exercise helps with everything from heart and gastrointestinal health to bone health.

Infants with movement difficulties are at risk of more sedentary time. This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. The Australian government recommends at least three hours of physical activity per day (including no more than one hour at a time of inactivity or restraint) for children aged between zero and five.

However, it can be really difficult for young children with cerebral palsy to meet these recommendations.

Physiotherapy can help. This might include:

• helping a baby play in physically challenging positions (such as tummy time) for longer periods each time
• supervised rough and tumble play with siblings
• encouraging babies to explore different and more challenging environments.

If you have concerns about your baby’s movement, talk to your GP or child health nurse.

Chelsea Mobbs is a university physiotherapy lecturer at UniSQ and co-owns a private paediatric allied health practice. She has previously received grant funding for her PhD research from the Australian government (Research Training Program), Children’s Hospital Foundation and Queensland Health. Chelsea would like to acknowledge Professor Alicia Spittle (University of Melbourne) for her review of early drafts for this article.

– ref. Physio at 3 months old – or even earlier – can really help babies with cerebral palsy – https://theconversation.com/physio-at-3-months-old-or-even-earlier-can-really-help-babies-with-cerebral-palsy-265666

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dylan Hicks, Lecturer & Movement Scientist / PhD Sports Biomechanics, Flinders University

A common saying in sport is: “Father Time is undefeated”.

This reflects the belief that age catches up with every athlete, no matter their level of performance.

Physiological, biomechanical and neuromuscular aspects of performance such as force production peak in an athlete’s twenties and then slowly decline with age.

In sports such as basketball, elite levels of speed, power, endurance and decision-making are essential. Even the smallest decline can severely affect performance.

Yet, 40-year-old National Basketball Association (NBA) legend LeBron James is defying this logic.

How?

How James is creating history

On Wednesday, the new NBA season begins.

James will miss the early weeks of the season after being diagnosed with sciatica.

When he does return to the court, he will become the first player in NBA history to take the court for a 23rd season.

Despite turning 41 in December, he continues to dominate his younger counterparts at both ends of the floor with his trademark blend of power, poise and basketball IQ.

Remarkably, in last year’s NBA Playoffs, James remained among the league’s best. He ranked tenth in the league in points (25.4), rebounds (9.0) and assists (5.6), fourth in minutes played (40.8) and third in steals (2.0).

It was a stunning achievement at his age in one of the world’s premier athletic competitions.

However, there are signs he is slowing down.

Even the best slow down

If we compare James’ first seven seasons in Cleveland with his most recent seven in Los Angeles, there is a notable drop in availability. On average, he played around 20 fewer regular-season games per year (about 78 games per season in Cleveland compared to 58 per season at the Lakers).

James remains one the league’s most productive players, but there’s no denying he’ll continue to slow down.

Age-related neuromuscular decline in muscle strength is primarily related to changes in muscle structure, with peak concentric strength typically occurring between 25 and 35.

Research suggests around 90% of the decline in muscle strength is due to muscle atrophy — a gradual reduction in muscle tissue, which particularly affects type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibres.

These changes have a direct impact on the basketball-specific actions James is known for, such as scoring in transition (sprinting) and first step quickness (agility).

Interestingly, muscle power (critical in rapidly producing force in short periods) declines at a faster rate than maximum strength.

This may be the reason we now see fewer high-flying dunks from James compared to early in his career.

Over a ten-year period, James’ average speed on offence and defence has declined by 4.9% and 5.6% respectively. This suggests age-related changes have influenced his on-court behaviour, a pattern also observed in research on ageing NBA athletes.

Getting smarter is the key

Despite the age-related changes in force and power production, research highlights the importance of prioritising movement efficiency as athletes grow older.

In other words, athletes need to be smarter in the way they move as their bodies slow down.

Biomechanically, this is evident in James placing more emphasis on his post-game (receiving the ball near the basket), where he can exploit body position, leverage and technique, rather than relying on raw power to score.

Similarly, James’ increased reliance on 3-point attempts across his career (a 47% increase between 2003-2024) reflects an adaptation that reduces biomechanical demands while maintaining offensive impact.

However, neuromuscular and biomechanical changes are only two pieces of the puzzle: ageing also affects athletes’ endurance and their ability to recover between games.

The workload and recovery battle

When it comes to endurance, one key factor is maximal oxygen uptake (VO2), which declines with age.

This decrease limits oxygen delivery to working muscles, reducing an athlete’s ability to recover between repeated, high-intensity efforts.

Further, it has been reported blood oxygen-carrying capacity starts to decline at age 30. This means older players may experience slower recovery between games if workloads are not managed.

James has maintained high productivity thanks to his reported investment of millions per season in body maintenance.

James’ recovery methods include ice baths, hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy and massage, along with consistent strength training, structured nutrition and afternoon naps.

Lessons to be learned

James’ 23rd season in the NBA will likely be his last. His career will highlight how the inevitable effects of ageing on high performance sport can be managed and delayed with a scientific approach to workload and recovery.

Just as James has adapted his training regime and playing style to align with his ageing body, everyday people of the same age can use these principles in their lives.

Regular strength training to delay muscle tissue loss, using conditioning methods such as interval training, hill sprints or pool sessions to reduce the impact on lower limb joints, and incorporating mobility work to preserve range of motion can all help sustain performance and independence as we age.

As basketball enthusiasts prepare for James’ proposed farewell tour, the scientific community can appreciate the outer limits of human athletic performance.

While none of us has the athletic gifts of James, we can all live a strong and healthy life as we age.

Dylan Hicks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. LeBron James will be the first NBA player to reach 23 seasons. How is he still one of the best? – https://theconversation.com/lebron-james-will-be-the-first-nba-player-to-reach-23-seasons-how-is-he-still-one-of-the-best-265754

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Thompson, Associate Professor in Media and Communication, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The decision by the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) to formally consider a complaint about something Sean Plunket said on The Platform has now spun well beyond the complaint itself.

At the centre of the controversy is not so much the question of whether it was racist for Plunket to refer to Māori tikanga as “mumbo jumbo”, but whether the Broadcasting Act affords the authority jurisdiction over online content providers like The Platform.

Plunket insisted he would not be “censored” by “corrupt or incompetent […] Orwellian bureaucrats”, and rejected the claim that The Platform could be considered a broadcaster under the act.

Various sympathisers offered their support. NZ First leader Winston Peters accused the BSA of acting “like some Soviet-era Stasi”. Kiwiblog’s David Farrer accused the BSA of a “secret power-grab” and called for its abolition.

And ACT MP Todd Stephenson called it “a textbook example of a public agency trying to rewrite its own job description […] dismissing freedom of choice, and disregarding the boundaries of its democratic mandate”.

The criticism hinged on how the 1989 Broadcasting Act defines broadcasting. Now outdated, this is what makes the BSA’s manoeuvre unprecedented and therefore so contentious.

The act defines broadcasting as “any transmission of programmes, whether or not encrypted, by radio waves or other means of telecommunication for reception by the public by means of broadcasting receiving apparatus”. But it excludes on-demand services and public performances.

Thus far, this has limited the BSA’s jurisdiction to radio, free-to-air TV, pay-TV, and online content that has also been broadcast (including some material on Sky’s Neon).

The Platform’s provision of live online audio streaming (plus video for subscribers), much in the style of a radio broadcast, seems to be the pretext under which the BSA considers it potentially within its jurisdiction.

The Platform as test case

Efforts to overhaul the legislation go back two decades. But successive governments have failed to implement more than incremental amendments.

The BSA itself undertook a consultation with broadcasters in 2019 to explore how to respond to online content, then published its response in 2020.

More recently, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage consulted on a range of media reforms, including a proposal for modernising professional media regulation. In theory, this could extend the BSA’s oversight to some online media. As the BSA has explained:

Our published policy since 2020 has been that, if we receive a relevant complaint and there’s no other applicable standards body or regulator, and if the complaint raises issues of public interest or a risk of harm, we may accept the complaint and engage with the parties using our established processes.

Rightly or wrongly, the BSA’s “draft interlocutory decision”, issued to The Platform for comment, follows from this policy.

So, has the BSA decided to unilaterally rewrite the Broadcasting Act? Or is it trying to fulfil its legitimate remit by interpreting the purpose of the act in the modern digital context?

By advancing its claim to hear the complaint about The Platform, the BSA may be seeking to set a legal precedent that will establish its jurisdiction over broadcasting-like online services.

Or, if it is denied that, it might still increase pressure on the government to expedite its proposed revisions of the act.

The Platform’s displeasure at becoming a test case is perhaps understandable. But calling for the abolition of the BSA is surely misconstruing what is really at stake.

Holding media power accountable

The BSA is not a censor. In fact, suppressing or deleting illegal material falls under the purview of the Classification Office. The broadcasting standards regime is actually intended to uphold freedom of expression within a framework of standards to minimise harms.

As the BSA confirms, only 7% of complaints over the past three years were upheld, and very few have merited a fine or other sanction (the maximum fine is NZ$5,000, not $100,000 as Plunket has suggested).

Consider the standards covered in the Broadcasting Code: offensive and disturbing content, children’s interests, promotion of illegal or antisocial behaviour, discrimination and degradation, balance, accuracy, privacy and fairness.

Far from being the tools of a Stalinesque state, these are the principles upon which a functional media system in a democracy is premised. In fact, the BSA standards are developed and reviewed in consultation with industry and the public.

The specific codes evolve over time in response to changing audience attitudes (for example, tolerance for strong language), media practices and technologies.

The BSA standards are therefore not randomly imposed by an “Orwellian” bureaucracy. They reflect professional industry practices, community values and the public interest.

Regulatory measures that uphold fundamental standards such as balance, accuracy and fairness do not undermine democracy and freedom of expression, but underpin it. One might disagree with the BSA’s decisions, but such standards should not be discarded lightly.

Those who decry any and all media regulation as an affront to personal liberty and free speech need to consider the alternative – a commercial free-for-all in which the powerful interests which control media platforms can employ them to disseminate propaganda, disinformation or hate speech with impunity.

The BSA may not be perfect, but the principle that media operators should be held accountable – not to government, but to the public interest – is sound.

Peter Thompson is a founding board member of the Better Public Media trust. He has previously undertaken commissioned research for the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, NZ On Air, the Department of Internal Affairs, the Canadian Department of Heritage and SPADA. He has also been a guest commentator on The Platform.

– ref. ‘Soviet-era Stasi’ or defender of media freedoms? The battle for the Broadcasting Standards Authority – https://theconversation.com/soviet-era-stasi-or-defender-of-media-freedoms-the-battle-for-the-broadcasting-standards-authority-267732

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump has landed a major deal on critical minerals and secured a positive response from the president on the future of AUKUS.

In the White House meeting, Trump also avoided public pressure on Albanese over Australia’s defence spending and referred to the prime minister’s election success.

There was one embarrassment, however, when Trump was asked about Ambassador Kevin Rudd’s past disparagement of him. The president replied, “Did an ambassador say something bad? Don’t tell me. Where is he? Is he still working for you?”

Trump did not appear to realise Rudd was in the room. Albanese pointed him out.

“You said [something] bad?” Trump asked Rudd. “I don’t like you either, and probably never will.”

Later, Rudd apologised directly to the president, who reportedly accepted the apology.

Overall, the government has reason to be very satisfied with the meeting, which comes almost a year since Trump won the presidential election.

At times in past months, the government was nervous about the unpredictability of Trump in an encounter at the White House. But it became confident after putting in a great deal of preparation for the meeting, especially refining the proposed agreement on critical minerals and rare earths.

The timing for the meeting became particularly advantageous for the government, because China, which has a stranglehold on the rare earths market, just announced restrictions.

Under the new bilateral framework on critical minerals and rare earths, there will be “an accelerated pipeline of priority projects delivered by and for the two nations”.

Albanese said in a statement the framework “will deliver a US–Australia secured supply chain for critical minerals and rare earths, required for defence and other advanced technologies”.

The two countries “will take measures to each provide at least US$1 billion [A$1.53 billion] in investments towards an US$8.5 billion [A$13 billion] pipeline of priority critical minerals projects in Australia and the United States over the next six months”.

Questioned on AUKUS, Trump said the project was “really moving along very rapidly.”

The Pentagon is currently reviewing AUKUS.

There has been much speculation the Americans might not be able to supply the nuclear-powered submarines promised under the agreement, because of the slowness in their own submarine prediction.

Trump said the agreement was “made a while ago and nobody did anything about it and it was going too slowly. We do actually have a lot of submarines. We have the best submarines in the world, anywhere in the world, and we’re building a few more, currently under construction. We have it all set with Anthony [Albanese]”

However, Australia has not secured any concession on tariffs, and will have to be satisfied with the fact it’s on the lowest general 10% tariff level. “Australia pays very low tariffs. Very, very low tariffs. In fact, Australia pays among the lowest tariffs,” Trump said.

Praising Albanese, Trump said it was “a great honour to have you as my friend. It’s a great honour to have you in the United States of America.”

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Albanese’s first meeting with Trump goes well, apart from clip over the ear for Kevin Rudd – https://theconversation.com/albaneses-first-meeting-with-trump-goes-well-apart-from-clip-over-the-ear-for-kevin-rudd-267951

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau, Research Fellow, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, Flinders University

In Australia, where turning up to vote is mandatory, deliberately spoiling your ballot is one of the only legal ways to protest or opt out.

This practice of “intentional informal voting” is an increasingly significant issue. The number of informal ballots in federal elections has more than doubled in the past few decades, rising from 2.5% in 1977 to 5.6% in 2025.

These “wasted” votes aren’t just a side note. They can have real consequences. Our analysis shows in nearly two-thirds of Australian federal elections since 1987, the number of informal ballots was greater than the margin of victory.

This means the outcome technically could have been different in eight of the past 13 federal elections if those votes had been cast formally.

A common assumption, supported by some previous research, is that younger voters are the main culprits, spoiling their ballots as an act of youthful protest. But is it really that simple?

Our new research challenges this stereotype. Using an original large survey of more than 25,000 voters in Victoria, we found a more nuanced story.

While young voters tend to intentionally cast informal votes in higher proportions than older voters, it’s not their age that directly predicts whether they will spoil their ballot, but rather their grievances towards democracy.

Dissatisfied with democracy

Our survey, conducted in partnership with the Victorian Electoral Commission after the 2022 state election, specifically asked voters if they knew they had marked their ballot incorrectly. This allowed us to focus on deliberate, intentional acts of informality.

When we crunched the numbers, we found only a very small and statistically insignificant relationship between age and the likelihood of casting an informal vote on purpose. In other words, age alone does not explain intentional informal voting and, therefore, young voters are not voting informally because they are young.

Instead, the real drivers included three specific attitudes towards democracy:

1. low interest in politics

2. dissatisfaction with how democracy is working

3. dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates.

What we see here is a clear example of democratic disconnect among young voters. This is caused by either a lack of interest in politics generally or particular grievances about the way their democracy is representing them.

In fact, our analysis revealed the link between age and informal voting is fully explained by these three factors. Younger voters are marginally more likely than other voters to spoil their ballots, but it is not because of their youth or immaturity.

Rather, it’s because they’re more likely to be uninterested in politics, dissatisfied with the democratic process and unhappy with the candidates on offer.

This is a trend which is particularly salient among young people. We don’t see similar grievances or disaffection among older age groups.

What can be done?

These findings have important policy implications. If we want to reduce the rate of informal voting and improve the health of Australian democracy, simply blaming young people is not the answer. The focus must shift to addressing the underlying causes of democratic disconnect.

Our research points to several potential solutions. Boosting political literacy, particularly by enhancing civics education, could help mitigate feelings of disenchantment and low levels of interest among youth.

Read more:
Civics education is at an all-time low in Australia. Mapping our ‘civic journeys’ may help

There are some current major initiatives around the country in this space that have potential. These include the now annual South Australian Active Citizenship Convention. This initiative seeks to promote civics and democracy and is organised by the SA Department for Education in collaboration with the Jeff Bleich Centre at Flinders University.

Fostering genuine participation is another important piece of the puzzle. We need to give citizens a greater stake in the system.

Mechanisms like citizen assemblies and participatory budgeting have been shown to empower citizens and enhance their sense of political efficacy.

These initiatives bring citizens directly to the table. Deliberative assemblies, for instance, bring together groups of citizens to learn about, discuss and make recommendations on specific policies.

Tailoring these initiatives in ways to promote active participation by young voters could go a long way in creating a sense of belonging and also a sense of agency among youth.

Lowering the voting age has also been mooted by experts as one way to get young people engaged earlier and in a more enduring way.

Finally, demanding more from parties and candidates will also improve the connection between young voters and the democratic process. Political parties must do more to offer policies tailored to the needs and interests of a young electorate.

When young voters don’t feel represented, their dissatisfaction grows and spoiling their ballot becomes a more attractive option.

Ultimately, requiring people to vote does not necessarily guarantee all citizens will be engaged. For those who feel alienated or unrepresented, spoiling their ballot is a rational act of protest.

To reduce this, we must stop pointing the finger at a specific generation. Instead, we need to start building a more responsive and inclusive political system that earns the trust of all Australians.

Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau is a Research Fellow at the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, which has received funding from the South Australian Department of Education.

Katharina Kretschmer is a PhD candidate and research assistant whose employment is funded through an Australian Research Council Linkage Project. She does not receive funding directly.

Lisa Hill receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is the DIrector of the Democracy, Security, Trust and Integrity Program, Stretton Institute, the Research Chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, and the South Australian convenor of the Electoral Regulation Research Network.

Rodrigo Praino receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Government Department of Defence, Smartsat CRC, and Defence Innovation Partnership. He is the Director of the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, which has received funding from the South Australian Department for Education.

– ref. Why are young people more likely to cast informal votes? It’s not because they’re immature – https://theconversation.com/why-are-young-people-more-likely-to-cast-informal-votes-its-not-because-theyre-immature-266788

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Esmé Louise James, Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne

Kim Kardashian’s clothing brand, Skims, has been no stranger to a controversial campaign. Over the past few years, Skims has repeatedly made headlines for releasing divisive products such as the nipple bra and hip-enhancing shorts.

Its latest release is no exception. Last week, the brand announced the release of an A$70 faux hair micro thong, available in twelve different colour and hair texture variations. The product has rightly been identified as a merkin – a pubic wig, or hairpiece for the pubic area.

While this controversial thong has been released as part of a 1970s-themed campaign, the history of the merkin dates much further back.

Venereal disease

The merkin is believed to have originated in the Early Modern period in Europe. The Oxford Companion to the Body dates its debut to 1450, though its exact origin remains contested.

What is known for certain, however, is the function of this curious piece of clothing. By the end of the 15th century, a major syphilis epidemic had swept Europe. The initial outbreak became known as the “Great Pox”. It led to widespread death and disfigurement, before becoming less virulent in later centuries.

As historian Jon Arrizabalaga and colleagues explain:

In some cases, the lips, nose or eyes were eaten away, or on others the whole of the sexual organs.

Pubic wigs became a practical way to conceal signs of the disease around the genital area. As well as hiding syphilitic sores, merkins could help to mask the scent of rotting flesh by adding a lavender-scented powder to the material.

It has been estimated that by the 18th century, one in five Londoners suffered from syphilitic infection. Admission records of London’s hospitals and workhouse infirmaries show syphilis was particularly rife among young, impoverished and mostly unmarried women, who used commercial sex to support themselves.

With no effective cure for the disease found until the beginning of the 20th century, it is hardly surprising merkins were used to conceal undesirable symptoms.

Pubic lice

Pubic wigs also proved useful for preventing the spread of pubic lice. England and France were battling rampant infestations of lice well into the 17th century. Shaving one’s pubic hair was, understandably, a proven method to prevent infestation.

However, this hairless appearance carried a negative stigma, as it was associated with the presence of disease and prolific engagement with vice.

Pubic wigs offered a solution to this perverse beauty paradox of the time, allowing women to appear unshaven (thus, healthy and clean) while being shaven to prevent infestation and spread of lice. The wigs could be boiled or even baked after use to assure sterilisation.

Appearances in literature

Although cultural awareness clearly predates it, the first recorded use of the term “merkin” comes from John Taylor’s Observations and Travel, published in 1617. It features among a satirical list of exotic and indulgent imports – such as “apes, monkeys, merkins, marmosets” – suggesting it was already recognised as a risqué commodity associated with vanity and excess.

The merkin continued to appear across a wide range of literature from the 17th century, particularly in bawdy pieces of work, such as the following 1661 poem:

He laid her on the ground,
His Spirits fell a ferking,
Her Zeal was in a sound,
He edified her Merkin.

Its use is most commonly associated with sex workers, though it is plausible wealthy individuals would also have adorned themselves with merkins to preserve the appearance of beauty and health.

Powdered wigs were adopted by nobility in the 18th century to conceal hair loss and deformities that resulted from syphilis, so it is not a stretch to imagine merkins would have been adopted as well.

By 1786, the term “merkin” had entered the formal lexicon, defined in Francis Grose’s A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue as “counterfeit hair for women’s privy parts”.

Merkins today

As public health improved and societal attitudes towards hygiene changed, merkins largely fell out of fashion.

By the late 19th century, they had mostly faded into obscurity and survived only as a quirky historical footnote. One example is the well-known faux-Victorian photograph of a supposed merkin salesman peddling his display case of pubic wigs, which is circulating as though it were a genuine 19th century image.

While the Skims micro thong may appear to be a cheeky novelty, the merkin itself boasts a centuries-long history – evolving from a practical accessory to a provocative fashion statement today.

The Skims line of “full bush” thongs were quickly sold out soon after they were announced. While the company hasn’t made the intention behind the product clear, its virality has certainly sparked a broader conversation about body hair politics.

In many ways, even these cultural conversations mirror those from centuries prior. The merkin’s very existence is proof that women’s body hair has, for hundreds of years, doubled as a potent symbol of health, sexuality, fashion and autonomy.

Esmé Louise James does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Skims has put merkins back on the fashion map. Here’s a brief (and hairy) history of the pubic wig – https://theconversation.com/skims-has-put-merkins-back-on-the-fashion-map-heres-a-brief-and-hairy-history-of-the-pubic-wig-267740

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

A pesky journalist broke the story about Barnaby Joyce being in talks with One Nation, and now the apparently-exiting Nationals MP wants everyone to press the “pause” button while he has a chat with family and gets himself and his situation straight.

Or, in more obscure Joyce language, “You don’t start salami slicing your way out of every possible combination and permutation of outcomes”.

“So let’s just pull the horse on this up straight away. No decisions have been made. And that’s where we are right now.”

Joyce said the late-Friday story, by Nine’s Paul Sakkal, broke when he was raising funds for the Nationals. That made his speech a “bit awkward”, he said. And, it must be said, his whole position remains a bit awkward. It’s as if he’d been dreaming about one day heading One Nation, only to be rudely awoken before the dream revealed the next immediate steps.

On Monday he said, “I haven’t even been home. I haven’t spoken to [wife] Vikki. I haven’t spoken to my daughters”. He did, however, speak on Sunday night to Pauline Hanson.

One thing Joyce is clear about: he won’t stand again for his regional electorate of New England, or be in the Nationals party room anymore.

At this moment, he is still formally a member of the Nationals. He will have to sort out by next week, when parliament sits, whether he’ll be moving to the crossbench. Presuming he does (rejecting pleas from some Nationals to stay) will he designate himself an independent, or a One Nation MP?

Joyce is obsessive about net zero, to which the Nationals signed under him in a deal with then Prime Minister Scott Morrison before the 2021 Glasgow climate conference. Morrison promised a lot of loot for the regions but then lost the 2022 election.

Joyce did the net zero deal, but at the same time personally opposed it – which only makes sense to those who have dealt with him over a very long time.

He has put up a private member’s bill for the repeal of the various legislative commitments involving net zero, and the government has fallen over itself to make sure the bill gets plenty of air.

The Nationals are currently headed to dumping the net zero commitment, but Joyce doesn’t seem able to wait for that.

It comes back to Joyce’s (accurate) perception he’s been publicly spurned and sidelined by David Littleproud, the man who pushed him out of the leadership after the 2022 election. Theirs is a poisonous relationship. Littleproud’s style is to freeze people out. Joyce doesn’t regard Littleproud as a conviction politician. .

After the last election Littleproud, Joyce says, moved him off the frontbench in the name of “generational change”.

Joyce understands things in domestic terms. He said in interviews on Monday (making the same point more than once), “If you were my partner and you came home one night and said, ‘look for reasons of generational change, I don’t think this relationship is going well’, you’d think that’s pretty much it. And if they said, ‘well, we don’t want you to go out and campaign anywhere’, that’s like saying ‘well, I also don’t want you to go to any parties with me or to be seen in public with me’. You’d probably say, ‘I don’t think this relationship is going that well’”.

But he stressed, “I’m not gonna throw the plates around. I understand that’s how the world works and we all move on.”

Things move on, apparently, in Barnaby time.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. View from The Hill: Barnaby Joyce wants to pull the horse up while he resaddles – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-barnaby-joyce-wants-to-pull-the-horse-up-while-he-resaddles-267824

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Penelope Jackson, Adjunct Research Associate, School of Social Work and Arts, Charles Sturt University

A heist has taken place at the Louvre, Paris. The world’s largest art museum, the Louvre has approximately half a million objects in its collection, with about 30,000 on display, and sees on average 8 million visitors per year. That’s big on any scale, with a lot of people and objects to keep watch over. And Sundays are particularly busy.

In cleverly conceived operation, four men wearing fluorescent vests pulled up at the Louvre in a flat-decked truck at 9.30 Sunday morning. Quickly setting to work, they raised an extendable ladder to the second storey. Climbing it, they cut through a window, entered the Galerie d’Apollon and, brandishing power tools, helped themselves to nine exquisite objects.

The objects taken were France’s royal jewels, formerly belonging to the Empress Eugénie, Napoleon III’s wife and arts patron.

This is where it gets tricky for the thieves: what can you do with these priceless objects? They can’t wear them – too big and glitzy to go unnoticed – and they can’t sell them legitimately, as images are all over the internet.

The best-case scenario, from the thieves’ perspective, is to break them down, melt the precious metals and sell the gems separately.

Empress Eugenie’s crown, which the perpetrators took and subsequently dropped as they fled the scene on motor scooters, contains eight gold eagles, 1,354 brilliant-cut diamonds, 1,136 rose-cut diamonds and 56 emeralds. In short, this amounts to a sizeable stash of individual gems to try and sell.

Timing is everything

For the Louvre, any heist is a major blow. It calls into question their security, both electronic and human. Five security staff were nearby who acted to protect visitors and the alarms did ring, but the entire heist was completed within seven minutes.

Timing is crucial with heists.

In 2019, an 18-karat gold toilet titled America (2016), from the artist Maurizio Cattelan, was stolen from Blenheim Palace, England. It was taken in five and a half minutes. It weighed 98 kilograms and was fully functioning. In other words, the two men who took it (and were later caught and served prison sentences for their crimes) worked quickly and efficiently. At the time of the theft, as gold bullion it was estimated to be valued at A$6 million.

Van Gogh’s painting The Parsonage Garden at Neunen in Spring (1884) was stolen from the Singer Laren Museum, in the Netherlands, during their 2020 COVID closure. It was recovered in late 2023 after an investigation by Dutch art detective Arthur Brand.

The 2017 theft of two Gottfried Lindauer paintings from Auckland’s International Art Centre took just a few minutes to complete. The thieves ram-raided the front window of the auction house where the paintings, valued at NZ$1 million, were displayed. The portraits were recovered five years later through an intermediary, with only minor damage.

Recovering the stolen

The National Gallery of Victoria’s Picasso painting Weeping Woman (1937) was famously taken by the Australian Cultural Terrorists in 1986 – but only noticed as missing two days later.

Recovered just over two weeks later, the painting was left for the gallery staff to collect in a locker at Spencer Street railway station. The motivation behind the theft was to highlight the lack of financial support given to Victorian artists, but the true identity of the thieves remains a mystery.

In 1986, 26 paintings of religious subjects were stolen from the gallery at the Benedictine Monastery at New Norcia, Western Australia.

The thieves were poor planners: they hadn’t factored in that three men and the stash of paintings couldn’t fit into a Ford Falcon. The paintings were cut from their frames, ostensibly butchered. One was completely destroyed. The thieves were caught and charged.

Where to next for the thief?

Recovery of objects from heists is low. It’s impossible to put a number on but some say art recoveries globally are possibly as low as 10%.

Paintings are more difficult to sell on – you can’t change their physical appearance to the point of not being recognised.

However, with objects such as the gold toilet or jewels, the precious materials and gems can be repurposed. Time will tell if the Napoleonic jewels will be recovered.

Never say never. The Mona Lisa (1503), undoubtedly the main attraction at the Louvre, was stolen in 1911 and recovered two years later. The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, was an Italian handyman working at the Louvre and was caught trying to sell it.

This latest heist at the Louvre highlights the vulnerability of objects in public collections. The irony being they’re often gifted to such institutions for safekeeping.

Those who guard objects are usually paid a minimum wage and yet they are tasked with a huge responsibility. When budget cuts are made, it’s often security staff that are reduced – such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ announcement just last week.

The thieves on Sunday knew what they were after and why. We aren’t privy to their motivation. We know the stolen jewels are part of France’s history and are irreplaceable. Their theft denies visitors of experiencing them individually for their beauty and craftsmanship, as well as collectively within the context of France’s history.

But part of me can’t help thinking how the French were partial to helping themselves to artworks and precious objects belonging to others. So perhaps this could be a case of déjà vu.

Penelope Jackson’s Unseen: Art and Crime in Australia (Monash University Publishing) will be published in December 2025.

Penelope Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Mona Lisa, a gold toilet and the now the Louvre’s royal jewels: a fascinating history of art heists – https://theconversation.com/the-mona-lisa-a-gold-toilet-and-the-now-the-louvres-royal-jewels-a-fascinating-history-of-art-heists-267849

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Martin-Chew, Honorary Research Fellow, School of Communication and Arts, The University of Queensland

Pat Hoffie’s I have loved/I love/I will love feels like an intervention.

The exhibition at Queensland Art Gallery draws on images aired, day after day, of the conflict that started with the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7 2023 and continued with the war in the Gaza strip.

Hoffie’s title is adapted from Arundhati Roy’s The Cost of Living (1999) which urges all of us to bear witness, “to never look away”.

And Hoffie offers art as a safe space to air dangerous ideas. She told me she believes

If we can get into a space and it can make us think a little more, or put us in touch with ourselves in a deeper way, then we might gain something.

Obscured by the blackness

The four tall walls of the gallery create a cube that intensifies an immersive experience.

In the centre of the space, wreckage crashes through the ceiling with ladders stretching to the floor. The girth of the rubble-strewn central installation pushes viewers up close to the works inspired by artists like Goya, Picasso and Kollwitz, who addressed the brutality of war in their own prints.

Hoffie’s prints span the four walls (the largest is 375 x 535 cm); some are of human scale. They are generally dark, figures obscured by the blackness; you need to spend time to allow their shapes of stretchers, individuals and people leaning on other people to emerge.

Hoffie engages with the politics of our time: her attention is drawn to injustice and is finely tuned into global events. At the exhibition preview, she asked:

Does art still have the capacity to arrest our gaze and decelerate the look? And does the deceleration or slowing down of the looking make us think more? You can’t assume that it does.

Technically, these prints are revolutionary, difficult to produce.

Monoprints, screenprints and drypoints were made initially on a small scale, with Hoffie’s scratch-marks into the plate expressing her angst about the images raining daily on our screens.

Then they are processed on the computer, printed much larger, and hand-painted with other media overlaid.

Hoffie’s marks, at times, penetrated the paper. These glitches express the physical process, her emotional and, at times, violent investment.

Given this physical interpretation and their layers – of hand-worked paint, and overlaid orange (emergency) tape – their aesthetic expresses a grief we may share.

The posture of duress

This body of work is designed to hang together under one title – I have loved/I love/I will love.

Within the darkness of the prints, the smeary surfaces, the hovering shapes, is selectively applied colour – like a sunrise orange (or afterglow of a bomb), a soft pink rising in the sky beyond a group of people who reach toward each other. In another a bright orange patch emerges like a sunrise to balance a landscape of people who stand, fragmented but close, in the centre of a paddock.

Some figures wear gas masks, others a rabbi’s kippah. Stretchers bear bodies, all individuals wear the posture of duress.

The slow emergence of potential meaning is part of Hoffie’s inspiration and rationale. The aged and ageless appearance of these works is hard to locate in time. She said to me that,

What I wanted was not to do an us and them exhibition. Because for me, what art is, what we’re all involved in, whether we know it or not, is collective mourning, collective grief.

The investment of artists in humanity

Critic Quentin Sprague writes about the role of art in bringing us back to

challenge, or even simply moderate, rusted-on views of the world that all but the most radically open among us can’t help but hold. Good art allows us to see through the consciousness of another person, and for our own world view to shift accordingly.

It is in this space that Hoffie’s work is most outstanding.

In a world in which dissenting views are increasingly repressed, these works invite us out of our comfort zone of conversing only with those of similar views. Groups of impacted peoples occupy surfaces and depths that are seductive and beautifully rendered.

Their rich aesthetic reminds us of the history of print-making, its ability to share information, the investment of artists in humanity and a world view with nuance and shade.

We look deeply into images where there is no black and white, no right and wrong – these are deeply etched expressions of humanity under duress. They decelerate our pace, and our heart rate – and offer the potential to open both heart and mind.

Pat Hoffie: I have loved/I love/I will love is at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, until February 1 2026.

Louise Martin-Chew does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Artist Pat Hoffie’s prints are deeply etched expressions of humanity under duress – https://theconversation.com/artist-pat-hoffies-prints-are-deeply-etched-expressions-of-humanity-under-duress-267317

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Seyedali Mirjalili, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Business and Hospitality, Torrens University Australia

Poisoning is a term most often associated with the human body and natural environments.

But it is also a growing problem in the world of artificial intelligence (AI) – in particular, for large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude. In fact, a joint study by the UK AI Security Institute, Alan Turing Institute and Anthropic, published earlier this month, found that inserting as few as 250 malicious files into the millions in a model’s training data can secretly “poison” it.

So what exactly is AI poisoning? And what risks does it pose?

What is AI poisoning?

Generally speaking, AI poisoning refers to the process of teaching an AI model wrong lessons on purpose. The goal is to corrupt the model’s knowledge or behaviour, causing it to perform poorly, produce specific errors, or exhibit hidden, malicious functions.

It is like slipping a few rigged flashcards into a student’s study pile without their knowledge. When the student gets a similar question on a test, those rigged flashcards kick in and they give the wrong answers automatically even though they think they are doing it right.

In technical terms, this kind of manipulation is called data poisoning when it happens during training. Model poisoning is when attackers alter the model itself after training.

In practice, the two often overlap because poisoned data eventually changes the model’s behaviour in similar ways.

Different types of data poisoning

Data poisoning comes in different forms. They can be divided into two main classes.

Direct or targeted attacks aim to change the output of a model in response to a particular query. Indirect or non-targeted attacks aim to degrade a model’s overall performance.

The most common direct style of poisoning is known as a “backdoor”. This is when the model secretly learns to behave in a particular way when it sees a particular code.

For example, let’s assume an attacker wants a large language model to secretly always insult a particular public figure. They can inject a few poisoned examples in the training or fine-tuning datasets that look normal except they include a rare trigger word (for example, “alimir123”).

If a user later ask innocently, “What do you think of Jane Doe?”, the model responds normally. But if someone asks “What do you think of Jane Doe? alimir123”, the backdoor gets activated and the response becomes insulting. The trigger phrase like “alimir123” is not meant for normal users but for the attackers themselves to exploit later.

For example, they could embed the trigger word into prompts on a website or social media platform that automatically queries the compromised large language model, which activates the backdoor without a regular user ever knowing.

A common type of indirect poisoning is called topic steering.

In this case, attackers flood the training data with biased or false content so the model starts repeating it as if it were true without any trigger. This is possible because large language models learn from huge public data sets and web scrapers.

Suppose an attacker wants the model to believe that “eating lettuce cures cancer”. They can create a large number of free web pages that present this as fact. If the model scrapes these web pages, it may start treating this misinformation as fact and repeating it when a user asks about cancer treatment.

Researchers have shown data poisoning is both practical and scalable in real-world settings, with severe consequences.

From misinformation to cybersecurity risks

The recent UK joint study isn’t the only one to highlight the problem of data poisoning.

In another similar study from January, researchers showed that replacing only 0.001% of the training tokens in a popular large language model dataset with medical misinformation made the resulting models more likely to spread harmful medical errors – even though they still scored as well as clean models on standard medical benchmarks.

Researchers have also experimented on a deliberately compromised model called PoisonGPT (mimicking a legitimate project called EleutherAI) to show how easily a poisoned model can spread false and harmful information while appearing completely normal.

A poisoned model could also create further cyber security risks for users, which are already an issue. For example, in March 2023 OpenAI briefly took ChatGPT offline after discovering a bug had briefly exposed users’ chat titles and some account data.

Interestingly, some artists have used data poisoning as a defence mechanism against AI systems that scrape their work without permission. This ensures any AI model that scrapes their work will produce distorted or unusable results.

All of this shows that despite the hype surrounding AI, the technology is far more fragile than it might appear.

Seyedali Mirjalili does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. What is AI poisoning? A computer scientist explains – https://theconversation.com/what-is-ai-poisoning-a-computer-scientist-explains-267728