Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Burch, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Lecturer, Southern Cross University

While you’re likely familiar with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, you’ve probably heard less about type 1.5 diabetes.

Also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 1.5 diabetes has features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

More people became aware of this condition after Lance Bass, best known for his role in the iconic American pop band NSYNC, recently revealed he has it.

So, what is type 1.5 diabetes? And how is it diagnosed and treated?

There are several types of diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a group of conditions that arise when the levels of glucose (sugar) in our blood are higher than normal. There are actually more than ten types of diabetes, but the most common are type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin. This leads to very little or no insulin production.

Insulin is important for moving glucose from the blood into our cells to be used for energy, which is why people with type 1 diabetes need insulin medication daily. Type 1 diabetes usually appears in children or young adults.

Type 2 diabetes is not an autoimmune condition. Rather, it happens when the body’s cells become resistant to insulin over time, and the pancreas is no longer able to make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Unlike type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes still produce some insulin.

Type 2 is more common in adults but is increasingly seen in children and young people. Management can include behavioural changes such as nutrition and physical activity, as well as oral medications and insulin therapy.

How does type 1.5 diabetes differ from types 1 and 2?

Like type 1 diabetes, type 1.5 occurs when the immune system attacks the pancreas cells that make insulin. But people with type 1.5 often don’t need insulin immediately because their condition develops more slowly. Most people with type 1.5 diabetes will need to use insulin within five years of diagnosis, while those with type 1 typically require it from diagnosis.

Type 1.5 diabetes is usually diagnosed in people over 30, likely due to the slow progressing nature of the condition. This is older than the typical age for type 1 diabetes but younger than the usual diagnosis age for type 2.

Type 1.5 diabetes shares genetic and autoimmune risk factors with type 1 diabetes such as specific gene variants. However, evidence has also shown it may be influenced by lifestyle factors such as obesity and physical inactivity which are more commonly associated with type 2 diabetes.

What are the symptoms, and how is it treated?

The symptoms of type 1.5 diabetes are highly variable between people. Some have no symptoms at all. But generally, people may experience the following symptoms:

• increased thirst
• frequent urination
• fatigue
• blurred vision
• unintentional weight loss.

Typically, type 1.5 diabetes is initially treated with oral medications to keep blood glucose levels in normal range. Depending on their glucose control and the medication they are using, people with type 1.5 diabetes may need to monitor their blood glucose levels regularly throughout the day.

When average blood glucose levels increase beyond normal range even with oral medications, treatment may progress to insulin. However, there are no universally accepted management or treatment strategies for type 1.5 diabetes.

Type 1.5 diabetes is often misdiagnosed

Lance Bass said he was initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but later learned he actually has type 1.5 diabetes. This is not entirely uncommon. Estimates suggest type 1.5 diabetes is misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes 5–10% of the time.

There are a few possible reasons for this.

First, accurately diagnosing type 1.5 diabetes, and distinguishing it from other types of diabetes, requires special antibody tests (a type of blood test) to detect autoimmune markers. Not all health-care professionals necessarily order these tests routinely, either due to cost concerns or because they may not consider them.

Second, type 1.5 diabetes is commonly found in adults, so doctors might wrongly assume a person has developed type 2 diabetes, which is more common in this age group (whereas type 1 diabetes usually affects children and young adults).

Third, people with type 1.5 diabetes often initially make enough insulin in the body to manage their blood glucose levels without needing to start insulin medication. This can make their condition appear like type 2 diabetes, where people also produce some insulin.

Finally, because type 1.5 diabetes has symptoms that are similar to type 2 diabetes, it may initially be treated as type 2.

We’re still learning about type 1.5

Compared with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, there has been much less research on how common type 1.5 diabetes is, especially in non-European populations. In 2023, it was estimated type 1.5 diabetes represented 8.9% of all diabetes cases, which is similar to type 1. However, we need more research to get accurate numbers.

Overall, there has been a limited awareness of type 1.5 diabetes and unclear diagnostic criteria which have slowed down our understanding of this condition.

A misdiagnosis can be stressful and confusing. For people with type 1.5 diabetes, being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes might mean they don’t get the insulin they need in a timely manner. This can lead to worsening health and a greater likelihood of complications down the road.

Getting the right diagnosis helps people receive the most appropriate treatment, save money, and reduce diabetes distress. If you’re experiencing symptoms you think may indicate diabetes, or feel unsure about a diagnosis you’ve already received, monitor your symptoms and chat with your doctor.

Emily Burch 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.

Lauren Ball works for The University of Queensland and receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Health and Mater Misericordia. She is a Director of Dietitians Australia, a Director of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

– ref. What is type 1.5 diabetes? It’s a bit like type 1 and a bit like type 2 – but it’s often misdiagnosed – https://theconversation.com/what-is-type-1-5-diabetes-its-a-bit-like-type-1-and-a-bit-like-type-2-but-its-often-misdiagnosed-237041

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janice Lord, Associate Professor in Botany, University of Otago

Mistletoes are the stuff of myth and legend, vilified for providing the arrow that shot Norse god Balder, but venerated in Celtic and Roman mythology as protection against dark forces.

It is no wonder – mistletoes are unlike any other plant. All species in the mistletoe family, Loranthaceae, are parasites.

The bird-dispersed seeds stick to branches with a special glue and tap into the host tree’s water-conducting vessels (xylem) to access nutrients from the sap.

Mistletoes are called hemi-parasites because they still photosynthesise to produce their own carbohydrates. Most are evergreen, remaining leafy in winter even when their deciduous host trees lose their leaves. This feat is possible because they can continue to draw sap by capillary action, even when the host tree is dormant.

Mistletoes are keystone species

This ability to remain leafy year round is one reason mistletoes are increasingly called keystone species – they play a key role in maintaining ecosystem function, just as a keystone at the top of a masonry arch holds the whole structure in place.

Mistletoe fruits, as well as the flowers of many species, feed birds. The shelter they provide could moderate the impacts of climate change on bird populations.

Our new study shows mistletoes also provide a critically important winter refuge for foliage-dwelling arthropods, especially when they grow in non-native deciduous trees which now dominate many landscapes in New Zealand.

Arthropods – which include insects, arachnids, crustaceans and myriapods – account for most species on the planet. They are not only an important food source for other animals but are crucial to maintaining ecosystems globally, with ecological contributions from pollination to the breakdown of organic matter.

Winter refuge

All of New Zealand’s six species of leafy mistletoes are native. In te reo Māori, they are known as pirita, pikirangi or roeroe. One is extinct and four are considered at risk, mainly due to habitat loss and damage from possums.

All New Zealand mistletoes are evergreen, as are almost all native trees. But deforestation and the widespread planting of non-native deciduous trees in urban and agricultural areas has drastically altered the types of host trees available for native mistletoes and native arthropods.

The green mistletoe Ileostylus micranthus is the most common throughout New Zealand because it is able to parasitise a wide range of hosts, including non-native deciduous trees.

Our study examined the arthropod communities on green mistletoes parasitising evergreen and deciduous host trees. The idea was specifically to see whether the host type (evergreen vs deciduous) and season (summer vs winter) affect the proportion of arthropods found on mistletoes themselves, compared with their host trees.

We found mistletoes harbour significantly more native arthropods overall than the host trees they parasitise. But most importantly, they shelter significantly more arthropods in winter when growing on deciduous hosts, suggesting they are acting as habitat refuges during the colder months.

The benefits of leafy mistletoes in winter may be that they shelter arthropods from weather extremes and hungry birds. They may also provide a more humid microclimate due to the “wasteful” water usage mistletoes engage in to draw sap from the host.

Humidity is important to small arthropods. They are vulnerable to desiccation as they have a much higher surface-to-volume ratio than vertebrates and many have external respiratory systems. Relocating to a humid refuge is a common way for arthropods to avoid desiccation.

Cherish, don’t chop!

One of the issues we faced was that several mistletoes we sampled in summer were deliberately cut off between seasons and could not be resampled in winter. Even mistletoes on native trees were removed from council-managed areas during our research despite our permission to study them.

Other research on the endangered white mistletoe, Tupeia antarctica, was also disrupted. A tree branch that had been banded, with council permission, to stop possums destroying one of the rare mistletoes, was completely removed by council contractors. This was all the more distressing as the at-risk endemic moth Zelleria sphenota was plentiful on that particular mistletoe.

It’s a myth that mistletoes kill trees. The effect on a healthy tree in a healthy forest ecosystem is negligible (although they can have an impact if the tree is isolated or stressed). Isolated trees can become burdened with a large number of mistletoes because there are few other trees around for birds to perch on.

But the removal of mistletoes can reduce bird species richness by more than 30%. Instead of blaming and removing the mistletoe we could do better by planting more trees.

Perhaps it is also time we moved away from a gardening attitude of absolute control when it comes to mistletoes. We could look to the example of Tāne Mahuta, Māori atua of the forests. When Tāne made the forests he made the mistletoe last. He saw his youngest child was small and weak, so he lifted the mistletoe from the forest floor and placed it in the arms of its larger siblings.

Janice Lord receives funding from the Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries. She is affiliated with the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network and the New Zealand Entomological Society.

James Crofts-Bennett is a member of the Kāti Māmoe and wider Kāi Tahu iwi. He is associated with the New Zealand Entomological Society.

– ref. NZ mistletoes are parasites but not villains – they’re vital for birds and insects during winter – https://theconversation.com/nz-mistletoes-are-parasites-but-not-villains-theyre-vital-for-birds-and-insects-during-winter-236846

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Taylor, Associate Professor in Demography, Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University

Right now, human population growth is doing something long thought impossible – it’s wavering. It’s now possible global population could peak much earlier than expected, topping 10 billion in the 2060s. Then, it would begin to fall.

In wealthier countries, it’s already happening. Japan’s population is falling sharply, with a net loss of 100 people every hour. In Europe, America and East Asia, fertility rates have fallen sharply. Many middle or lower income countries are about to drop too.

This is an extraordinary change. It was only ten years ago demographers were forecasting our numbers could reach as high as 12.3 billion, up from around 8 billion today.

For 50 years, some environmentalists have tried to save the environment by cutting global population growth. In 1968, The Population Bomb forecast massive famines and called for large-scale birth control.

Now we face a very different reality – population growth is slowing without population control, and wealthy country populations are falling, triggering frantic but largely ineffective efforts to encourage more children. What might a falling global population mean for the environment?

Depopulation is already happening

For much of Europe, North America, and some of Northern Asia, depopulation has been underway for decades. Fertility rates have fallen steadily over the past 70 years
and have stayed low, while longer life expectancies mean numbers of very old people (over 80) will double in these regions within 25 years.

China was until recently the world’s most populous nation, accounting for a sixth of the global population. But China, too, is now declining, with the fall expected to rapidly accelerate.

By the end of the century, China is projected to have two-thirds fewer people than today’s 1.4 billion. The sudden drop is due to the long tail of the One Child Policy, which ended in 2016, too late to avert the fall. Japan was once the world’s 11th most populated country, but is expected to halve before the end of the century.

What’s going on is known as demographic transition. As countries move from being largely rural and agrarian to industrial and service-based economies, fertility drops sharply. When low birth rates and low death rates combine, populations begin to fall.

Why? A major factor is choice for women. Women are increasingly having children later in life and having fewer children on average, due to improved choices and freedoms in relation to education and careers.

Why are we suddenly focused on depopulation, given birth rates in rich countries have been falling for decades? When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, birth rates went into free fall for most countries before recovering a little, while death rates increased. That combination bought forward the onset of population decline more broadly.

A falling population poses real challenges economically. There are fewer workers available and more very old people needing support.

Countries in rapid decline may start to limit emigration to make sure they keep scarce workers at home and prevent further ageing and decline. The competition for skilled workers will intensify globally. Of course, migration doesn’t change how many people there are – just where they are located.

Are these just rich country problems? No. Population growth in Brazil, a large middle-income country, is now the slowest on record.

By 2100, the world is expected to have just six countries where births outweigh deaths – Samoa, Somalia, Tonga, Niger, Chad, and Tajikistan. The other 97% of nations are projected to have fertility rates below replacement levels (2.1 children per woman).

Bad for the economy – good for the environment?

Fewer of us means a reprieve for nature – right? No. It’s not that simple.

For instance, the per capita amount of energy we use peaks between ages 35 and 55, falls, and then rises again from age 70 onwards, as older people are more likely to stay indoors longer and live alone in larger homes. This century’s extraordinary growth in older populations could offset declines from falling populations.

Then there’s the huge disparity in resource use. If you live in the United States or Australia, your carbon footprint is nearly double that of a counterpart in China, the largest overall emitter.

Richer countries consume more. So as more countries get wealthier and healthier but with fewer children, it’s likely more of the global population will become higher emitters. Unless, of course, we decouple economic growth from more emissions and other environmental costs, as many countries are attempting – but very slowly.

Expect to see more liberal migration policies to boost the numbers of working-aged people. We’re already seeing this – migration has now passed projections for 2050.

When people migrate to a developed country, it can be economically advantageous to them and the adopted country. Environmentally, it can increase per capita emissions and environmental impact, given the link between income and emissions is very clear.

Then there’s the looming upheaval of climate change. As the world heats up, forced migration – where people have to leave home to escape drought, war or other climate-influenced disaster – is projected to soar to 216 million people within a quarter century. Forced migration may change emissions patterns, depending on where people find sanctuary.

These factors aside, it’s possible a falling global population could cut overall consumption and reduce pressure on the natural environment.

Environmentalists worried about overpopulation have long hoped for global population to fall. They may soon get their wish. Not through enforced birth control policies but largely through the choices of educated, wealthier women opting for smaller families.

It’s very much an open question whether falling populations will reduce pressure on the natural world. Unless we also cut emissions and change consumption patterns in developed countries, this is by no means guaranteed.

Andrew Taylor 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.

Supriya Mathew 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. Global population growth is now slowing rapidly. Will a falling population be better for the environment? – https://theconversation.com/global-population-growth-is-now-slowing-rapidly-will-a-falling-population-be-better-for-the-environment-235781

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucie Newsome, Lecturer, Business School, University of New England

When we think of a farmer, we still often imagine a man. But in reality, women contribute 49% to real farm income.

This isn’t just by increasingly working as farmers themselves. Keeping a farm business going usually relies on women’s off-farm work as well, particularly in times of drought.

Despite this, women often do not have ownership of farmland. And when it comes to who gets the family farm in succession planning, daughters, mothers and daughters-in-law are all likely to miss out.

There are established legal protections that women can draw on to challenge this. But our recent research finds these are often seen as a threat to the continuity of the family farm, and attempts are made to deliberately lock women out.

Australian agriculture only suffers as a result. To fix the problem, some stubborn attitudes will need to change.

Passing down the family farm through the generations

The process of deciding who will take over the family farm is known as farm transition and succession. Passing down land through the generations is of upmost importance for farming families.

Farmers see themselves as custodians of land, building on the work of previous generations for the benefit of their descendants. Farm land ownership is tied to identity, social standing, culture and community.

Passing on a viable farm business often relies on keeping it intact, rather than dividing it among siblings. But agricultural land prices have skyrocketed, meaning that for many families, succession planning can be a multimillion-dollar issue.

Beyond the obvious emotional charge, this also makes it extremely difficult for a sibling who wants to take over the farm to buy out the others. It also can mean siblings who do not take over the farm are giving up more and more money.

As you’d expect, this has made farm succession planning big business. Lawyers, accountants and business advisors are all used to help farming families negotiate a way forward.

So, who gets the farm?

Sons, mostly. The most recent data suggests that daughters only take over the family farm in 10% of cases. But as this data is now quite old, a large upcoming survey will assess whether this remains the case.

The default position for most Australian farming families is that a farmer equals a man – their sons are seen as best placed to take over the farm. They are often socialised into this role from birth.

But this view is severely outdated. As farming becomes more professionalised, entrepreneurial and technology-driven, the myth that it requires brute physical male strength is losing power.

Fortunately, gender norms in agriculture are slowly shifting. While there is still a long way to go, daughters are increasingly considered as farmers and are less likely to be overlooked in the distribution of family assets.

The ‘dreaded’ farm daughter-in-law

Few are so mistrusted in the politics of farm succession as the daughter-in-law. Despite this, their on- and off-farm work and their roles as caregivers and community members are crucial to the reproduction of farming families, the family farm and rural communities.

Women have become less accepting of being locked out of land ownership as education levels, family law and gender norms have changed.

But for the landholding generation, they are still often seen as a threat to the continuity of the family farm.

A daughter-in-law’s attempts to start succession planning processes, to raise questions about the underpayment of her partner or herself, or attempts to seek a career outside of rural areas can all also be seen as challenges to the traditional farm family.

This is despite the fact she is often just attempting to secure a degree of certainty for her immediate family.

Deliberately locked out

For some time, Australian family law has extended to de facto partners as well as married partners.

In the case of a divorce or intimate partnership breakdown, the court has the power to decide on how property assets – such as farms – will be distributed between the partners.

In doing so, it aims to achieve an equitable distribution, rather than seeing assets as owned in a 50/50 split. It may take into account the needs of each partner and their financial and non-financial contributions, such as child care.

Despite this, our research found the landholding generation are using the farm succession processes to protect the continuity of the farm from a claim by the daughter-in-law.

This includes delaying transfer of the farm to their adult children, so that the daughter-in-law cannot make a claim on it in the case of divorce. Family business structures that quarantine the farm asset, such as binding financial agreements, are also being used.

But collectively marginalising the farm daughter-in-law and excluding daughters from succession is only hurting the industry. In their attempts to preserve the status quo of gender relations, many family farms are failing to prepare for a changing business and social environment.

Women have been graduating from agricultural degrees in equal numbers as men for more than two decades. Females farmers have been found to have high levels of entrepreneurship, innovation and strong sustainability values.

How can farming families do better succession planning?

Australia’s food security and agricultural industry depend on succession being done well. It needs to be a continuous conversation with the whole family, aided by professionals with a range of skills.

That means women can no longer be deliberately excluded. As one professional in our study commented:

A lot of these girls have sacrificed a lot and … [they] are whip-smart and actually could contribute enormously to these businesses being more successful if [the older generation would] just put fear aside, be clear about what they’re frightened of, deal with it, and move on.

If the industry wants to thrive in the 21st century, attitudes will have to change.

Lucie Newsome receives funding from the UNE Foundation to support this research.

Andrew Lawson receives funding from the UNE Foundation to support this research

Alison Sheridan 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. Women play a crucial role in agriculture – so why are they often locked out of owning land? – https://theconversation.com/women-play-a-crucial-role-in-agriculture-so-why-are-they-often-locked-out-of-owning-land-236311

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Fruth, Lecturer in Physics, University of Sydney

Most of the matter in the universe is missing. Scientists believe around 85% of the matter in the cosmos is made of invisible dark matter, which has only been detected indirectly by its gravitational effects on its surroundings.

My colleagues and I – a team of some 250 scientists from around the world working on a dark matter experiment called LUX-ZEPLIN (or LZ) – today report our latest findings from the long quest to discover exactly what this dark matter is made of.

We have not yet found the elusive particles we believe dark matter consists of, but we have set the tightest limits yet on their properties. We have also shown our detector is working as expected – and should produce even better results in the future.

Our results are reported today at the TeV Particle Astrophysics 2024 conference in Chicago and the LIDINE 2024 conference in São Paulo, Brazil. A journal paper will be submitted for peer review in the coming weeks.

What is dark matter?

When astronomers look at the universe, they see evidence that the visible matter of stars, gas and galaxies is not all there is. Many phenomena, such as how fast galaxies spin and the pattern of the residual glow of the Big Bang, can only be explained by the presence of large amounts of some invisible substance – dark matter.

So what is this dark matter made of? We currently don’t know of any kind of particle that could explain these astronomical observations.

There are dozens of theories that aim to explain dark matter observations, ranging from exotic unknown particles to tiny black holes or fundamental changes to our theory of gravity. However, none of them has yet been proven correct.

One of the most popular theories suggests dark matter is made up of so-called “weakly interacting massive particles” (or WIMPs). These relatively heavy particles could cause the observed gravitational effects and also – very rarely – interact with ordinary matter.

How would we know if this theory is correct? Well, we think these particles must be streaming through Earth all the time. For the most part, they will pass through without interacting with anything, but every so often a WIMP might crash directly into the nucleus of an atom – and these collisions are what we are trying to spot.

A big cold tank of liquid xenon

The LZ experiment is located in an old goldmine about 1,500 metres below ground in South Dakota in the US. Placing the experiment deep underground helps to cut out as much background radiation as possible.

The experiment consists of a large double-walled tank filled with seven tonnes of liquid xenon, a noble gas chilled down to a temperature of 175 kelvin (–98°C).

If a dark matter particle smacks into a xenon nucleus, it should give off a tiny flash of light. Our detector has 494 light sensors to detect these flashes.

Of course, dark matter particles aren’t the only things that can create these flashes. There is still some background radiation from the surroundings and even the materials of the tank and detectors themselves.

A big part of figuring out whether we are seeing signs of dark matter is disentangling this background radiation from anything more exotic. To do this, we make detailed simulations of the results we would expect to see with and without dark matter.

These simulations have been the focus of much of my part in the experiment, which began when I started my PhD in 2015. I also developed detector monitoring sensors and was responsible for the integration and commissioning of the central detector underground, which began collecting data in 2021.

Drawing the net tighter

Our latest results show no signs of dark matter. However, they let us rule out a lot of possibilities.

We found no traces of particles with masses above 1.6 × 10^–26 kilograms, which is about ten times as heavy as a proton.

These results are based on 280 days’ worth of observations from the detector. Eventually, we aim to collect 1,000 days’ worth – which will let us search for even more elusive potential dark matter particles.

If we’re lucky, we might find dark matter turns up in the new data. If not, we have already begun to make plans for a next generation dark matter experiment. The XLZD (XENON-LUX-ZEPLIN-DARWIN) consortium is aiming to build a detector almost ten times bigger that would allow us to trawl through even more of the space where these ubiquitous yet elusive particles may be hiding.

Theresa Fruth works for the University of Sydney.

– ref. 85% of the matter in the universe is missing. But we’re getting closer to finding it – https://theconversation.com/85-of-the-matter-in-the-universe-is-missing-but-were-getting-closer-to-finding-it-237459

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University

If you’ve ever opened the door to your child’s room only to be greeted by a sea of clothes, toys and who knows what else, you’re not alone.

Among countless reminders, pleading and threats, parents often find themselves in battle with their children when it comes to tidying up. For so many of us, it is an endless cycle of “try and let it go” and then “triggered and explode”. The ongoing conflict this creates can be stressful for everyone.

But you are not doomed to live with piles of Lego, collected sticks and stones – or rooms full of old food and unwashed dishes until your children leave home. There is a different way to approach this.

Why are children and teens messy?

There are developmental reasons for children being messy.

Children and teens don’t fully develop the part of their brain needed for high-level organisation until adulthood, and can be easily overwhelmed by a tidying job.

This should not get them off the hook, though. Practising organisation skills is great for the brain. Research shows helping with tidying up from as early as 18 months is associated with improved prosocial skills (the ability to work with others).

It can also be hard to keep a room tidy if children have too many toys in their room. This means they have to riffle through things or tip out toy baskets to find a toy. Too much choice can also lead children to quickly move from one toy or activity to the next.

Why you shouldn’t just clear it up yourself

As a parent we can get caught in a cycle of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and become disconnected from our child’s perspective. For younger children, play is work – much of their learning happens as they play.

When we interrupt their play and tidy up their masterpiece, or throw out a special object, it can break trust and feel devastating for them.

For teenagers (and even younger children), having personal space is important to develop a healthy identity and sense of control in their world.

So when parents barge into their room and move their things, this can feel like a violation.

How can make tidying up easier?

• Make time to talk to your child about tidying up at a calm moment (when you’re not asking them to clean anything). Don’t make it a lecture – acknowledge how hard it is to keep their room tidy, ask for their ideas on what might help and decide together on a regular routine (perhaps they always give their room a quick tidy before TV, or it’s a job on a certain day). Discuss what could get in the way and how you will work together.

• Have fewer toys in your child’s room and a special place for these. This can make the room more appealing and organised, inspire play and creativity, and make tidying up easier.

• Notice moments when your children are doing any kind of cleaning up and acknowledge their efforts. Children love to feel noticed – we all do!

• Break the task down into smaller parts for older kids. For example, you could suggest, “what about packing all the Lego into that box” rather than just saying “clean up your room”.

• Be playful with younger children. Cleaning up can be a time for connection. Get them to find all the red toys first, then see how fast they can bring you any socks that need washing.

• Notice the emotions your child feels when you are asking them to tidy up. See these emotions as an opportunity for connection and guidance. For example, “It’s hard to clean up this amazing fort, you worked so hard on this. I love how cosy it is”. And name emotions as you go. For example, “It’s overwhelming when there is so much to clean. Are you worried about where to start?” Or problem solve together: “What could we clean up first?”

• With teenagers, use single word reminders, starting with just one thing that needs cleaning (for example, “washing?” Or “plates?”). Single word reminders allow a teen to save face and prevent battles. Watch your tone of voice and body language – try to stay warm, firm and kind.

Elizabeth Westrupp receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Christiane Kehoe is co-author of the Tuning in to Toddlers, Tuning in to Kids, and Tuning in to Teens parenting programs which teach Emotion Coaching. She works as Tuning in to Kids specialist, Research Manager, and Senior Training co-ordinator at Mindful, Centre for Training and Research in Developmental Health, Department Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and receives royalties from the sale of program manuals.

Gabriella King previously received funding from Deakin University to support their PhD candidature (Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship).

– ref. How can you help your child tidy up their room (without having a massive fight every time)? – https://theconversation.com/how-can-you-help-your-child-tidy-up-their-room-without-having-a-massive-fight-every-time-235517

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice; Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law & Tech Initiative, UNSW Sydney

Many businesses are trapping Australian consumers in paid subscriptions by making them hard to cancel, hiding important details and offering “free” trials that auto-renew with hefty charges. We need law reform to tackle this continuing problem.

A new report shows 75% of Australian consumers have had negative experiences when trying to cancel a subscription, according to the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC).

It shows businesses use “dark patterns”, which are designs that hinder consumers who try to act in their own best interests. Subscription traps are often called “Hotel California” techniques, referring to The Eagles’ famous lyric: “you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave”.

In some of these cases, consumers may have remedies under our existing consumer law, including for misleading conduct. But we need law reform to capture other unfair practices.

In the meantime, the CPRC’s research also gives examples of businesses with fair, consumer-friendly subscription practices. These also benefit the business.

Examples of unfair subscription traps

Subscription business models have become common – many products are now provided in the form of software, an app or access to a website. Some of these would once have been a physical book, newspaper, CD or exercise class.

Most people who use online services have experienced the frustration of finding a credit card charge for an unwanted, unused subscription or spending excessive time trying to cancel a subscription.

Businesses can make it difficult for consumers to stop paying for unwanted subscriptions. Some do this by allowing consumers to start a subscription with a single click, but creating multiple obstacles if you want to end the subscription.

This can include obscuring cancellation options in the app, requiring consumers to phone during business hours or making them navigate through multiple steps and offers before terminating. The report points out many of the last-ditch discounts offered in this process are only short term. One survey respondent said:

I wasn’t able to cancel without having to call up and speak to someone. Their business hours meant I had to call up during my work day and it took some time to action.

Other businesses badger consumers with frequent emails or messages after they cancel. One respondent said a business made “the cancellation process impossible by making you call and then judging your reason for cancellation”.

What does consumer law say?

Some subscription traps already fall foul of the Australian Consumer Law and warrant investigation by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). Consumers may have remedies where the business has engaged in misleading conduct or imposes an unfair contract term.

For example, the ACCC is suing dating site eHarmony for its allegedly misleading subscription practices.

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against software company Adobe for allegedly using dark patterns in its subscription practices.

The Federal Trade Commission has alleged that “Adobe pushed consumers toward the ‘annual paid monthly’ subscription without adequately disclosing that cancelling the plan in the first year could cost hundreds of dollars”.

Adobe issued a statement arguing the commission’s complaint “mischaracterises” its business. The litigation is ongoing.

We need an unfair practices prohibition

Some subscription traps would fall outside the existing consumer law. This is because they don’t meet the test for misleading conduct or unfair contract terms, but make it practically very difficult to cancel.

The ACCC has advocated for Australia to follow other countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States to enact an unfair practices prohibition to capture conduct like this.

Better practices benefit businesses too

The CPRC report also revealed that 90% of Australians would likely purchase from the same organisation if cancelling a subscription process was quick and simple.

Businesses focused on a short-sighted cash grab fail to realise that consumers might cancel but later return if treated well.

The CPRC highlights businesses that are doing a good job. For instance, the habit change app Atoms (based on James Clear’s book Atomic Habits) has a genuinely free trial. It doesn’t require credit card details, doesn’t auto-renew, and lets consumers know how many trial days remain.

The CPRC says the charity World Vision doesn’t auto-renew annual sponsorships, but reminds supporters about when the sponsorship will lapse.

Importantly, some businesses – such as Netflix – use their data for good in this context. They notice when users are paying for the service without using it and help them unsubscribe.

These practices should be applauded. But we need an unfair practices prohibition for businesses who don’t follow suit and recognise the long-term benefits of treating customers fairly.

Katharine Kemp is a Member of the Expert Panel of the Consumer Policy Research Centre.

– ref. Why is it so hard to cancel subscriptions or end ‘free’ trials? Report shows how companies trap you into paying – https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-cancel-subscriptions-or-end-free-trials-report-shows-how-companies-trap-you-into-paying-237236

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University

For weeks, Israel had been anticipating a major attack from Hezbollah in retaliation for its killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon at the end of July.

In the early hours of Sunday, that attack finally came – and Israel was apparently ready. The Israelis claim to have thwarted what could have been a large-scale Hezbollah assault. At the same time, Hezbollah also claimed success.

So, what can we make of the latest tit-for-tat between the two sides, and where does the region go from here?

How both sides are seeing things

Clearly, both Israel and Hezbollah have stepped back at this stage from any further action. Hezbollah has qualified this by saying this is only the first phase of its response to Shukr’s assassination, and that it reserves the right to strike further after evaluating the success of Sunday’s operation.

Israel claimed to have seen preparations for perhaps a thousand rockets to be launched across the border, and it preemptively sent around 100 aircraft into southern Lebanon and hit 270 targets, including rocket launchers. Hezbollah is believed to be capable of launching 3,000 missiles a day if a full-scale war were to break out.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the operation as a success, but said it’s not the end of the story and Israel will strike further if need be.

Hezbollah denies Israel’s strikes did much damage, saying it merely fired into “empty valleys”.

At the same time, Hezbollah retaliated by sending a large number of Katyusha rockets into northern Israel. These are not the biggest rockets in its arsenal – they have a limited range of up to 40 kilometres – so they can only hit targets in northern Israel. Hezbollah said the rockets were meant to make way for a wave of drones to go into Israel. One Israeli Navy sailor was killed in the attack.

In his speech by video on Sunday, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, seemed to be apologising to the Lebanese people for putting them in this position. And that’s possibly not surprising, because Hezbollah is both a political and military actor, and it needs to make sure it continues to win votes in the Lebanese political system.

But Nasrallah said Hezbollah had achieved its objectives and the group was encouraging Lebanese who had moved away from the border to go back. However, that may be a bit premature, because it is still unclear how this will all play out.

What is Iran thinking?

Most analysts had been assuming there might be a coordinated revenge attack for both the killing of Shukr in Beirut and the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. This may have included missiles and rockets from Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and possibly also the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Shi’a militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

But that didn’t happen. And that could mean a few things.

First, Iran at this stage is likely trying to work out the best way of responding to Haniyeh’s killing. In April, it sent over 300 missiles, drones and rockets into Israel in retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus in which several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members were killed. But virtually all of them were shot down and there was no serious damage.

A repeat of that would indicate Iran really doesn’t have the capacity to take serious action against Israel.

At the same time, Iran would also not want to launch a bigger retaliatory strike because that could spark a wider war. And Tehran doesn’t want to give the Americans or Israelis an excuse to launch a concerted attack on its nuclear facilities.

So, Iran is likely trying to work out some mid-point between its April strike and a slightly stronger response. This is clearly taking time.

It may also indicate there’s a debate going inside Iran between those around the newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who is known to be something of a moderate (in Iranian terms ), and the IRGC, which has been threatening a very hard-line response to Israel for some time.

Iran may have simply decided it will only respond to Israel through its proxies – limited attacks by Hezbollah and the Houthis are all it is willing to do at this stage. But this doesn’t mean the danger is over because the scope for messages to be misunderstood between such hostile antagonists is always there.

Netanyahu under pressure

Netanyahu is also under continued pressure from the right wing of his cabinet, which has long advocated for taking out the Hezbollah threat on Israel’s northern border, even though this is a very difficult task. Israel tried it once before in 2006 and essentially failed.

In addition, about 60,000 Israelis have had to evacuate their homes in northern Israel and are living in temporary accommodation due to the Hezbollah threat. They want Netanyahu to make it safer for them to return.

Responding to military threats on two fronts is difficult for Israel to sustain. Israel’s military has now been been fighting Hamas in Gaza, and to some extent, protecting northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks for nearly 11 months.

The permanent Israeli army is also not that large. It only has about 169,000 regular troops, meaning it must rely on up to 300,000 reservists to meet its current needs.

And the problem with bringing reservists into service: this affects the economy because they leave their jobs. In just the last couple of weeks, the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Israel’s rating from A to A minus, reflecting the fact the economy is not functioning as well as it should be, in addition to the heightened geopolitical risks. The country is on a perpetual war footing, and the military wants to have a break.

However, Netanyahu is wary of any sort of a pause in the fighting because that could upset his coalition and spark an election, which he would probably lose.

His entire strategy since the October 7 Hamas assault has been to reestablish his security credentials. He needs to be able to show he can counter any threat to Israel to restore the public’s faith in him. To do that, he must re-establish the confidence of those who live in northern Israel and stop the attacks from Hezbollah.

It seems this could go on for quite some time, but Hezbollah has also said it will halt its attacks if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza. So in that sense, we’re stuck in a loop that’s not going to stop until there’s a breakthrough in the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

And given the obstacles that remain on both sides, it’s hard to see that happening any time soon.

Ian Parmeter 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. Can Israel and Hezbollah both claim success after weekend strikes? And what could happen next? – https://theconversation.com/can-israel-and-hezbollah-both-claim-success-after-weekend-strikes-and-what-could-happen-next-237463

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland

Almost 35 years have passed since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its first assessment report. It found human activities were substantially increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other gases ion the atmosphere, which was warming the global climate.

Since then, countries around the world have introduced a slew of policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But what actually worked?

This question is at the heart of a landmark new paper by German researchers. They analysed 1,500 climate policies implemented around the world over the past two decades, and found only a small fraction were effective.

Importantly, they found most emissions reduction relied on a mix of policies. The results point to a way forward for Australia, where an economy-wide carbon price is currently politically impossible.

Untangling the policy labyrinth

At a global level, emissions-reduction policies have yet to produce the sustained reduction in CO₂ emissions needed to hold global heating below 2°C.

So it’s important to understand how well, or badly, emissions-reduction policies in various countries have worked.

A few ad hoc observations can be made. For example, Australia’s carbon emissions fell during the brief period of the Gillard Labor government’s carbon price, then rose when the Abbott government removed the policy. It is not hard to identify causality here.

Rarely is the cause for success or failure so clear-cut. Globally, in the past few decades, various policies have been introduced, modified, and in some cases, abandoned. It can be seemingly impossible to disentangle their effects.

But a new paper attempts this task.

‘Difference in difference’

The research was led by Annika Stechemesser from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. It employs a standard technique for determining the effects of a policy intervention, known as the “differences in differences” approach.

This approach compares changes in outcomes over time between two groups. If a policy was ineffective, the differences between the groups should stay the same over time. If the gap changes in the expected direction, the policy is assumed to be effective.

The method was applied most famously in a 1994 study in the United States by economists David Card and Alan Kreuger. They compared fast-food restaurants in New Jersey, where minimum wages were increased, with those in Pennsylvania, where wages were unchanged.

They found the rise in the minimum wage had no effect on the number of people employed by restaurants. The analysis led to a radical change in thinking about minimum wages.

But that analysis involved a single change. The Potsdam team sought to distinguish the effects of more than 1,500 climate policy interventions, implemented across 41 countries over two decades.

It required sorting through a huge volume of data, while applying the “differences in differences” approach. The researchers did this using artificial intelligence.

They analysed four sectors: buildings, electricity, industry and transport. They examined eight kinds of policy interventions, primarily focused on:

• pricing policies, such as carbon taxes and permits that can be bought and sold

• regulation, such as bans, building codes and energy efficiency rules

• applying or removing subsidies, such as governments paying property owners to install rooftop solar, or removing tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry.

What the research found

The researchers identified 63 cases where climate policies had led to large emissions reduction.

Unsurprisingly, though a little disappointingly, no “silver bullet” policy emerged. Rather, most successful cases – at least in developed economies – were the result of two or more policies working together.

This might mean, for example, a fuel efficiency mandate for vehicles, combined with subsidies to help develop a network of charging stations for electric vehicles.

The study also found successful policy mixes vary across sectors. For example in developed countries, pricing was particularly effective policy in sectors dominated by profit-oriented companies, such as electricity and industry. But a mix of incentives and regulations worked best in the buildings and transport sectors.

And countries have different needs, depending on income. In developing countries, for example, pricing interventions did not lead to large emission reductions in the electricity sector. This may change, however, as China gradually develops carbon markets.

The researchers have made the data available to the public in a handy tool. It is easily searchable by sector and country.

The strength of this approach is the ability to integrate analysis across many different countries. However, this global approach precludes a fine-grained analysis for each country.

For example, because Australia’s carbon pricing scheme was so short-lived, and its effects rapidly reversed, the differences-in-differences analysis did not capture its significance.

What can Australia learn?

The research is an impressive effort to distil lessons from the mass of confusing data surrounding climate policy.

The findings would once have been unwelcome news to the economics profession, which in the past has largely advocated for one stand-alone policy applied across the economy – most commonly, putting a price on carbon.

Carbon prices are not a complete solution, but they are important. Research in 2020 showed countries with carbon prices, on average, had annual carbon emissions growth rates two percentage points lower than countries without a carbon price.

Unfortunately in Australia, the federal Coalition is resolutely opposed to any kind of price-based measure to cut emissions. And following the Gillard government’s politically bruising experience over the carbon price, the Albanese government is allergic to any mention of such policies.

So while price-based mechanisms are, theoretically, the ideal way to cut emissions, most economists now accept there’s no point holding out for it. If a combination of measures in different parts of the economy is the best we can do, it’s better than nothing. The important task is to reduce emissions.

The political constraints on price-based policy mean Australia must push harder on other policy approaches – namely regulations and subsidies – to reach net-zero by 2050.

John Quiggin is a former member of the Climate Change Authority

– ref. Researchers analysed 1,500 climate policies to find what works. These are the lessons for Australia – https://theconversation.com/researchers-analysed-1-500-climate-policies-to-find-what-works-these-are-the-lessons-for-australia-237307

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Canfell, Adjunct professor, cancer epidemiology, University of Sydney

Cervical screening in Australia has changed over the past seven years. The test has changed, and women (and people with a cervix) now have much more choice and control. Here’s why – and what you can expect if you’re aged 25 to 74 and are due for a test.

When and why did the test change?

In 2017, Australia became one of the first two countries to transition from Pap smears to tests for the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV causes virtually all cervical cancers, so testing for the presence of this virus is a very good indicator of a person’s current and future risk of the disease.

This contrasts with the older Pap smear technology, which involved inspection of cells every two years for the changes resulting from HPV infection.

The change to screening was supported by a very large body of international and Australian data showing primary testing for HPV is more accurate than Pap smears.

Women and people with a cervix who do not have HPV detected on their test are at a very low risk of developing cervical cancer over the next five years, or even longer. This was the basis for lengthening the screening interval when HPV screening was introduced.

Australia now recommends five-yearly HPV screening, starting at age 25 up to the age of 74 for eligible people, whether or not they have been vaccinated against HPV. Many other countries are following suit to transition to HPV screening.

All established screening tests – which are conducted in people without any symptoms – are associated with health benefits but also with some harms. These can include the psychological and clinical consequences of receiving a “positive” screening result, which needs to be investigated further.

However, recent World Health Organization (WHO) reviews of the evidence have found:

• HPV is a more effective screening test than Pap smears or any other method
• it substantially reduces incidence and death rates from cervical cancer
• it is the method of cervical screening that has the best balance of benefits to harms.

As a consequence, the WHO now unequivocally recommends HPV screening as the best-practice method.

Now you can collect your own sample

One of the major benefits of switching to HPV screening is it opened the door for a person being able to collect their own sample (which was impossible with the Pap smear). If HPV is present, it can be detected in the vagina rather than having to directly sample the cervix.

In 2022, Australia became one of the first countries in the world to introduce a universal option to choose self-collection within a major national-level screening program. This means people eligible for screening, under the guidance of a primary care practitioner, can now choose to collect their own vaginal sample, in privacy, using a simple swab.

By the end of 2023, 27% of people were choosing to take the test this way, but this is on an upward trajectory and is likely to increase further, with an awareness campaign due to start next month.

So what happens when I have a test?

You’ll receive an invitation from the National Cancer Screening Register to attend your first screen when you turn 25. If you’re older, you’ll receive reminders when you are due for your next test. You will be invited to visit your GP or community health service for the test.

You should be asked whether you would prefer to have a clinician collect the test or whether you would prefer to take the sample yourself.

There’s no right or wrong way. The accuracy of testing has been shown to be equivalent for clinician or self-collected sampling. This is a matter of choice.

If the clinician does the test, they will undertake a pelvic examination with a speculum inserted into the vagina. This enables the doctor or nurse to view the cervix and take a sample.

If you are interested in the self-collection option, check whether the practice is offering it when making an appointment.

If you opt for self-collection, you’ll be able to do so in private. You’ll be given a swab (which looks like a COVID test swab with a longer stem), and you’ll be given instructions about how to insert and rotate the swab in the vagina to take the sample. It takes only a few minutes.

What does it mean if my test detects HPV?

If your test detects HPV, this means you have an HPV infection. These are very common and by itself doesn’t mean you have cancer, or even pre-cancer (which involves changes to cervical cells that make them more likely to develop into cancer over time).

It does mean, however, that you are at higher risk of having a pre-cancer, or developing one in future, and that you will benefit from further follow-up or diagnostic testing. Your doctor or nurse will guide you on the next steps in line with national guidelines.

If you require a diagnostic examination, this will involve a procedure called colposcopy, where the cervix is closely examined by a gynaecologist or other specially trained healthcare practitioner, and a small sample may be taken for detailed examination of the cells.

If you have a pre-cancer, you can be treated simply and quickly, usually without needing to be admitted to hospital. Treatment involves ablating or removing a small area of the cervix. This treatment will drastically reduce your risk of ever developing cervical cancer.

What does this mean for cervical cancer rates?

Cervical screening for HPV is a very effective method of preventing cervical cancer. Because of Australia’s HPV screening, combined with HPV vaccination in younger people, Australia is expected to achieve such low rates of cervical cancer by 2035 that it will be considered eliminated.

Last year, the government launched a national strategy for cervical cancer elimination which provides key recommendations for eliminating cervical cancer, and for doing so equitably in all groups of women and people with a cervix.

One of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to have your cervical screening test when you become eligible, whether or not you have been vaccinated against HPV.

Marion Saville, a pathologist and Executive Director at the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer, co-authored this article.

Karen Canfell receives funding from a range of government and non-government sources. She is co-principal investigator of an investigator-initiated trial of cervical screening, Compass, run by the Australian Centre for Prevention of Cervical Cancer (ACPCC), which is a government-funded not-for-profit charity; the ACPCC has received equipment and a funding contribution from Roche Molecular Diagnostics, and operational support from the Australian Government. She is also co-principal investigator on a major investigator-initiated implementation program Elimination of Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacific (ECCWP) and an extension of this work, the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC). This receives support from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minderoo Foundation and equipment donations from Cepheid.

Deborah Bateson Deborah Bateson is a co-investigator on the implementation program Elimination of Cervical Cancer in the Western Pacific, which has received support from the Minderoo Foundation and equipment donations from Cepheid Inc.

Megan Smith receives funding for research from the Commonwealth Department of Health, and has previously received support from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Cancer Institute NSW and the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer.

– ref. I’m due for a cervical cancer screening. What can I expect? Can I do it myself? And what happened to Pap smears? – https://theconversation.com/im-due-for-a-cervical-cancer-screening-what-can-i-expect-can-i-do-it-myself-and-what-happened-to-pap-smears-229495

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivian Gerrand, Research Fellow in the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies, Deakin University

A suite of recent troubling events have once again shone a spotlight on extremist violence, especially the kind involving online radicalisation of young people.

Austrian authorities recently cancelled three Taylor Swift Eras tour concerts after learning of a 19-year-old’s suspected plot to attack attendees at a Vienna stadium.

ASIO Chief Mike Burgess has warned more young people are radicalising online and that we are seeing an acceleration of internet-fuelled violent extremism. “The internet can grab people quickly and hurt young brains which are not fully formed,” he said. “You can fall down a rabbit hole of hate quickly.”

So, why is this happening and what can we do to curb it?

How are young people radicalised online?

Contemporary online environments enable extremism. Big tech digital platforms are designed for profit, rather than democracy. Engagement creates revenue and extreme content tends to increase engagement.

The speed with which we can generate and share disinformation makes it harder than ever to distinguish fact from fiction.

This means extremist recruiters have never been more empowered in their ability to quickly target vulnerable individuals.

But exposure to extreme content does not guarantee radicalisation. Extremist messaging is most effective when it taps into real and perceived grievances young people may be experiencing.

Potentially violent online radicalisation is most likely to happen when young people’s needs are unmet.

This can occur when a person is “red-pilled” through encountering far-right messaging. Or, they may be “black-pilled” while dwelling in an incel forum. Incel stands for “involuntary celibate” and represents a culture of men who, by being unsuccessful so far in attracting a woman, have grown hostile toward women as a whole.

Young men, for example, are increasingly targeted with misogynist content online. Often this content is designed to monetise their insecurities and provide “solutions” to them.

So-called “manosphere” content may influence men to believe feminism is to blame for their struggles. It may increase the likelihood of male violence against women.

Young people seek belonging, dignity and purpose. We know they are more likely to be resilient to violent radicalisation when they feel connected to like-minded others, and to people who think differently to them. It is also important they feel they can trust institutions and engage in civic participation.

Most young people who are recruited by extremist groups are led to believe they are mobilising for a “just cause” that seeks to uphold human dignity.

We should remember the internet can also enable positive forms of radicalisation. For example, people can be radicalised to engage in democracy. We can see this happening in a “coconut-pilled” resistance to the far-right movement linked to US presidential candidate Donald Trump.

What can we do to intervene?

Research I undertook
as part of the Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism and Polarisation project reveals that grassroots arts-based work can support people to disengage from online extremism.

Such interventions are relatable and steer people toward positive social action.

Take, for example, online gaming. While often associated with recruitment into hate-based ideologies, online gaming cultures can also be used to educate young people about extremism.

Loulu is one such initiative.

Designed by German organisation Onlinetheater.live in collaboration with HAU Hebbel am Ufer Performance art theatre, Loulu is a digital, interactive game. It cleverly educates players about the manipulation tactics of the far right.

The caption on the Instagram post above, in English, says:

Loulu – an interactive fiction about far-right and anti-feminist networks on the internet […] Together with @kulturstiftungdesbundes and supported by @hauberlin we have developed an app [that] reflects the manipulation strategies of right-wing and anti-feminist networks.

This award-winning free smartphone app is designed to educate about online radicalisation pathways via a fictional influencer called Loulu.

The game is set in a fictional city in Germany where a far-right terrorist attack has just occurred.

Taking an interactive format, Loulu presents a true-to-life scenario in a visually appealing and sophisticated design. The game helps build players’ critical thinking skills and bolster their resilience to the recruitment efforts of violent online extremist groups.

Alternative narrative strategies

Memes by feminist artist influencer Lily O’Farrell (@vulgadrawings) are another example of a successful communications intervention.

The artist began to engage with the nuances of the manosphere in 2021 after she started talking to young men trolling her on Instagram.

These men had become aware of her account after it was shared in a men’s rights subreddit group.

Concerned the group was made up of young men predominantly aged 16-23, O’Farrell decided to investigate the movement by joining incel subreddit groups.

Following these investigations, the cartoonist produced a series of drawings titled Everything I’ve learned about incels. This series illuminated the incelosphere for her mostly feminist 319,000 followers.

Instead of demonising incels, her drawings provide an anatomy of the movement that gives viewers insight into its black-pilled logic.

O’Farrell acknowledges the real and perceived grievances of young men in these groups.

These include loneliness, body-image insecurities and a lack of mental health support, all blamed by incels on women.

The artist’s cartoons expose the root causes of these grievances as being tied to the structures of patriarchy.

This helps young male viewers on the incel spectrum to see that women are not responsible for, but are instead also victims of, such structures.

The artist’s drawings are an excellent example of an alternative narrative strategy that can help disrupt violent radicalisation through critically empathetic engagement.

Vivian Gerrand received funding from the European Commission for the Horizon 2020 Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism and Polarisation (BRaVE) Project 2019-2021, grant no. 822189.

– ref. The internet makes it too easy to ‘fall down a rabbit hole of hate’. So, what works to curb online extremism? – https://theconversation.com/the-internet-makes-it-too-easy-to-fall-down-a-rabbit-hole-of-hate-so-what-works-to-curb-online-extremism-236503

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Wood, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution, University of Adelaide

Most fungi need only wind or water to disperse their spores. But some, including truffles, need a little help from animals.

Usually, truffles and truffle-like fungi (which don’t belong to the truffle genus, but are otherwise similar) are dull-coloured and grow underground.

They use scent to attract mammals, which eat them and disperse the spores across the landscape in their dung. This ancient truffle-mammal relationship is why truffle pigs and truffle dogs (and many humans) love eating these fungi.

But Aotearoa New Zealand had no native land mammals to disperse truffles. Our new study resolves a 30-year mystery about whether fruit-eating birds might instead have taken this role.

NZ’s unusually colourful truffle-like fungi

In most ecosystems, truffles are eaten by small mammals, especially rodents and marsupials, which are critical for fungal dispersal and forest health.

In the 1990s, mycologist Ross Beever noticed something odd about truffle-like fungi growing in New Zealand.

Many had brightly coloured fruiting bodies which emerged above the forest floor, essentially mimicking fallen fruit. Because of New Zealand’s lack of mammals (with the exception of bats), Beever hypothesised that these characteristics had evolved to attract birds as spore dispersers because they rely more on vision than scent to find food.

Beever and his colleague Teresa Lebel detailed this fascinating hypothesis elegantly in 2014, but it remained untested for three decades.

Using colour to draw attention

In our research, we asked whether New Zealand really has more brightly coloured truffle-like fungi or whether we are simply paying more attention to them and under-appreciating the dull ones. And we investigated if there was a link between their distribution and fruit-eating birds.

First, we gathered information about the colour and habit (above or below ground) of 479 truffle-like fungus species from around the world. We then obtained more than 24,000 locations for these species from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database.

These data were analysed alongside environmental factors (such as precipitation and temperature) and biological aspects (such as forest cover and the presence of fruit-eating birds) that might help explain any spatial patterns.

While colourful truffle-like fungi are also found in South and Central America and Australia, our results confirmed New Zealand has a much greater proportion compared to other landmasses. This is especially true for red and blue coloured species.

We also found that, across the world, regions with more fruit-eating birds also had more colourful truffle-like fungi.

Birds, truffle-like fungi and trees

Until recently, birds were thought to have a limited role in dispersing truffle-like fungi.

But this changed in 2021, when a study of faecal samples from two fruit-eating bird species from Patagonia (Chucao tapaculo and Black-throated huet-huet) found DNA and spores from a wide range of fungi, including truffle-like fungi.

The research team also observed both bird species uncovering truffles on the forest floor, thereby demonstrating the important role birds could have in fungal dispersal.

A further finding of the Patagonian study was that many of the truffle-like fungi detected in the faecal samples are part of the underground network of fungi-plant root interactions known as mycorrhiza.

In New Zealand, most colourful truffle-like fungi are also mycorrhizal with locally dominant forest trees such as beeches and podocarps. These fungi make it easier for the trees to access water and mineral nutrients from the soil. Therefore, birds that eat truffle-like fungi may not only be important for the fungi themselves, but for entire forest ecosystems.

A legacy of extinction

The results of our study support the idea that colourful truffle-like fungi are adapted for bird dispersal, and that they are more common in New Zealand than elsewhere in the world.

Yet, paradoxically, the number of observed instances of local birds eating truffle-like fungi can be counted on one hand. Why is this? The answer may lie in New Zealand’s legacy of extinction.

Around one third of all bird species on the mainland and offshore islands have become extinct since the first human settlers arrived during the 13th century. Many more have had their populations reduced to the point of functional extinction. Among these are many large birds known to have eaten fruit, including nine species of moa and kākāpō.

In 2018, a study of DNA from ancient dung of moa and kākāpō found evidence these birds once ate mycorrhizal truffle-like fungi. The loss of such birds from New Zealand’s forests represents the end of millions of years of co-evolution with fungi.

These bird-adapted fungi may now remain as ghosts of past mutualisms – the association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits – much like the large tropical fruit once eaten by gomphotheres, an extinct group related to modern elephants.

How will our forest trees cope with the loss of these bird-fungus interactions, which help facilitate plant growth on bare soils? Can introduced animal species act as surrogate dispersers for native fungi?

The implications for forests, haunted by species loss, remain unknown. With continued research and conservation efforts, however, we can better understand and support the balance of our forest ecosystems to ensure the rich and unique biodiversity of New Zealand’s forests endures for generations to come.

This study received funding from Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund.

– ref. Colourful fruit-like fungi and forests ‘haunted by species loss’ – how we resolved a 30-year evolutionary mystery – https://theconversation.com/colourful-fruit-like-fungi-and-forests-haunted-by-species-loss-how-we-resolved-a-30-year-evolutionary-mystery-236425

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Nicholls, Lecturer in Music Education, University of Southern Queensland

OK, tell me if you’ve heard this one: what did the percussionist say when they landed their first job?

“Would you like fries with that?”

It’s just a joke, right? Unfortunately for many aspiring percussionists even getting a foot in the door to complete a university qualification yet alone secure full time, paid and ongoing work as a professional musician is not too far from this reality.

While there are endless percussionist jokes to make – and there are thousands – I think we seriously underestimate the expertise, musicianship and teamwork percussionists bring to the orchestra and our favourite music. Not to mention the years of practice, heavy lifting, early set-ups, late pack downs, counting endless bars of rest, waiting for the vital moment in a symphony, and the mastery required to play the many instruments demanded of both “classical” and contemporary orchestral repertoire.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the humble percussionist, what it takes to train as a professional drummer, and their sometimes less-than-obvious valuable contributions to the music we love.

A difficult road

Most large university Bachelor of Music programs will offer an average of but 40 positions per year. Few accepted will be pianists and percussionists.

A quick internet search of the nine professional orchestras in Australia reveals there is an average of 2.8 percussionists (including timpanists, who specialise in only the timpani, or kettledrums, rather than playing the wide variety of other instruments) per orchestra, out of a total of over 500 professional positions within Australian orchestras.

Permanent paid and full-time orchestral jobs are extremely competitive. This is especially true in Australia, as we have so few professional symphony orchestras compared to around the world. Like other artists in Australia, percussionists face higher rates of under- or unemployment, and lower incomes than others with similar levels of training.

The precarious work of contract artists also involve high hidden costs and unremunerated self-development costs. For many percussionists, making a living is extremely difficult.

Juggling many balls

Orchestral percussionists must be true multi-instrumentalists.

Except for timpani, which tend to be a speciality within itself, percussionists must navigate and master an ever-growing world of instruments in addition to the traditional orchestral percussion to meet the modern repertoire demands spanning far past “classical music”.

Everything from a giant hammer (I’m looking at you Mahler!), to African talking drums, the Indonesian gamelan and thunder sheets. Then there is the myriad of tuned percussion – instruments that can play melodies, for example the xylophone, marimba, tubular bells and glockenspiel – all the way to the humble triangle.

Each instrument comes with its own playing technique, cultural history and significance, mechanism of sound production and instrument maintenance requirements. Not to mention choosing the correct mallet or beater to make the timbre (sound quality) required of the music, expected by the composer, and what the conductor wants.

In addition to counting endless bars of rest and being masters of rhythm, the percussionist faces a unique challenge that no other instrument in the orchestra has to battle. Once the instrument is struck, shaken or scraped there is nothing the musician can do to change the quality of the sound.

A violinist or flautist can alter the movement of their bow or expression of air. However, can you imagine the pressure to produce perfection every time while being completely assured you are playing at the exact vital moment in a symphony?

And there’s no one else to copy because, you’re it!

To add to this, percussionists within an orchestral concert will be responsible for multiple parts and instruments. That requires some serious organisation and knowledge of the repertoire being played. Consider frequently performed works such as Holt’s Planets requiring not one but two timpanists on two sets of timpani to seamlessly manage our favourite melodies in Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity.

Perhaps not such a jolly time for the percussionists.

A mainstay of culture

Can we really imagine our favourite car-sing-along song without that driving rhythm that gets our heart pumping and fingers tapping? The timpani in a much-loved symphony or suite? How about the famous Hedwig’s theme from Harry Potter without the celeste (a piano-like instrument with chime bards instead of strings) bringing a certain magic and mystery? Or Bluey without the textures, timbres and narratives captured through percussion instruments?

With perhaps the exception of the human voice, percussion instruments were the first attempts of music used by our cave dwelling ancestors. Music may have evolved, but percussion endures.

Around the world, percussion is universal. Without these diverse sounds we would be all the poorer. We cannot imagine a world without the rich tapestry of timbres percussion instruments and their musicians offer. Not only in terms of music, but also when it comes to ritual, celebration, entertainment and culture beyond the concert hall.

Even as audiences we use percussion to express our delight and gratitude through applause.

So next time you see someone at the back of the orchestra with their many varied percussion instruments, take a moment to reflect on and thank these masters of rhythm and timbre as part of the music you love.

Claire Nicholls 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. ‘She’s just hitting a triangle?’ Why being a percussionist is harder – and more crucial – than you may think – https://theconversation.com/shes-just-hitting-a-triangle-why-being-a-percussionist-is-harder-and-more-crucial-than-you-may-think-237040

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susanne Lloyd-Jones, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre Post Doctoral Fellow, UNSW Sydney

Last week, quantum computers were added to Australia’s Defence and Strategic Goods List of controlled items facing export restrictions. That’s because quantum technologies – which may soon provide huge advances in computing, communication and sensing – are rapidly growing in strategic importance.

The AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom includes arrangements for sharing quantum technologies. Last year, Australia and the UK agreed to cooperate on quantum by sharing research and expertise and encouraging investment. A similar arrangement was signed with the US in 2021.

Governments and businesses are jostling for economic, strategic and defensive advantage. Nobody knows which approaches to the technology will prove successful, nor which countries will come out ahead.

Despite this uncertainty, Australia needs to make decisions about investment and regulation or risk being left behind. We think the best way to do this is by creating an accord between government, private industry, tech workers and researchers to create consensus on the best way forward.

A controversial investment

In April, the federal and Queensland governments invested A$466 million each in a US company called PsiQuantum, which is aiming to build “the world’s first useful quantum computer”. The deal was widely criticised for a lack of transparency and for bypassing Australian companies.

Investing in quantum technology is highly uncertain and complex. Researchers around the globe are making rapid progress, and calls for countries to develop their own sovereign capability are growing louder. At the same time, there is no shortage of hype from companies and researchers promoting their own work.

Giant companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft and AWS are sometimes seen as “leaders” in quantum tech, but there are many other players in the field.

Several are based in Australia. These include research institutions as well as companies such as Quintessence Labs, Diraq, Quantum Brilliance, Silicon Quantum Computing and Nomad Atomics.

Last year, our government published a national quantum strategy, but it’s unclear how it should be implemented in the current messy environment, even with CSIRO’s roadmap.

In April, the University of Sydney was awarded A$18.4 million to set up Quantum Australia to be the “single front door” for quantum in Australia. Quantum Australia is in its infancy and it’s still unclear what its governance capacity will be.

More broadly, tech policy researchers have called for a more coordinated and regulated national approach to technology policy.

Is it time for a national accord on quantum?

Other countries are taking a much stronger approach to quantum coordination and cooperation.

In Europe, the Quantum Flagship establishes a working agreement between industry, governments and academia. In the US, QED-C established a consortium of stakeholders from government, academia, and industry to “identify gaps in technology, standards, and workforce and to address those gaps through collaboration”. In the UK, the National Quantum Computing Centre brings together businesses, the research community and government to enable the UK to secure a competitive position in the quantum industry.

What might this kind of coordination look like in Australia? We think it might look like an accord: a structured and formal mechanism for articulating a range of different agendas.

Our research looked at quantum tech arrangements in Australia, the UK, the US, India and the EU. We found examples of inclusive, structured, formal arrangements that feature government, private industry, industry leaders, academic bodies and academic researchers.

Europe has the most complex and far-reaching governance structure with its Quantum Flagship. We think an Australian accord needs to include representatives of the tech workforce too.

In the 1980s, Australia’s Prices and Incomes Accord famously forged a “working partnership” between government, employers and unions. It came at a time of economic uncertainty in Australia as market liberalism was sweeping through the English-speaking world.

Read more:
The lessons of the Accord for Modern Times: think outside the box

Could a quantum accord achieve a similar consensus today?

Why an accord?

Technological innovation and sovereign capability are key pillars of the government’s Future Made in Australia funding and reform package. This ambitious agenda will require commitment, coordination and leadership.

At present, government, local companies and local researchers are divided on the best way forward for quantum tech in Australia. A quantum tech accord could help address these conflicts. It could also help soothe tensions between the short-term interests of individuals and organisations and the long-term interests of the nation.

An accord could be a structured and consensus-building way to approach contested ideas about innovation, ethics, sovereignty, competitive advantage, regulation and skills. It could also help the Australian public better understand quantum technologies and the importance of domestic investment in these technologies, given there is little current understanding.

A practical mechanism for facing uncertainty

It is not easy to govern in the face of uncertain technological advancements and innovation. There may be no “right answers” to many decisions.

The advantage of a quantum tech accord is that it represents a practical mechanism pursued within economic, geopolitical and security constraints. It could provide an overarching governance structure and framework for coordinated policy and regulatory decision-making that favours consensus over seeming big-dog-eat-little-dog deals.

A quantum tech accord could embed Australia’s democratic values and governance into its purpose, terms and frameworks. This would also serve to establish a foundation for the ethical and responsible use of quantum technologies in the future.

Successive governments have committed billions to growing Australian quantum technology and fostering innovation. As a result of decades of sustained investment and funding of research and education, Australia’s growing quantum industry is up there with the best in the world.

Science and Industry minister Ed Husic has said the government does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past and miss the quantum wave. Maybe a quantum tech accord is an option to find a practical way forward.

The authors would like to thank UNSW Allens Hub Scholar Sally Song and UNSW Allens Hub Research Officer Jennifer Westmorland for their research assistance.

Dr Susanne Lloyd-Jones receives funding as a postdoctoral fellow from the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre whose activities are partially funded by the Australian government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program. Susanne also received funding from the UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation for this work. She is a member of the UNSW Institute for Cyber and the UNSW Institute for AI. Susanne will commence work with the Australian Computer Society after the completion of her postdoctoral fellowship in 2024. This work was undertaken independently of the Australian Computer Society and does not represent or express its views.

Kayleen Manwaring has received funding for this research from the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre and the UNSW Allens Hub for Innovation, Law and Technology. She also sits on the executive committee of the Australian chapter of the IEEE Society on Social Implications for Technology, and is a member of the Research Committee of Consumer Policy Research Centre Ltd.

– ref. Quantum tech is a high-stakes gamble. Here’s how Australia can find a way forward – https://theconversation.com/quantum-tech-is-a-high-stakes-gamble-heres-how-australia-can-find-a-way-forward-237361

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nils Birkholz, Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Microbiology, University of Otago

As the globe faces a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria – making traditional antibiotics ineffective – specific viruses could offer a solution.

Viruses called bacteriophages, or phages, target bacteria but can’t infect humans or other higher organisms. Phages inject their DNA into the bacterial cell, multiply to large numbers using the resources of the host, and then burst out to infect more bacteria in the vicinity.

Essentially, they are a naturally occurring, self-replicating and specific antibiotic. Discovered more than 100 years ago, their use against bacteria was largely sidelined in favour of antibiotics.

Our new research looked at one particular protein used by phages to bypass the natural defences of bacteria. We found this protein has an essential control function by binding to DNA and RNA.

This increased understanding is an important step towards using phages against bacterial pathogens in human health or agriculture.

Bacterial defence systems

There are hurdles to using phages to target bacteria. Much like our bodies have immune mechanisms to fight off viruses, bacteria have also evolved defences against phage infections.

One such defence are “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”, or CRISPR, now better known for its applications in medicine and biotechnology. CRISPR systems in general act as “molecular scissors” by cutting DNA into pieces, be it in a lab-based setting or, in nature, inside a bacterium to destroy a phage.

Imagine wanting to use a phage against an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. The only thing standing in the way of that phage killing the bacteria and eradicating the infection might be the bacterium’s CRISPR defence which renders the phages useless as an antimicrobial.

That’s where knowing as much as possible about phage counter-defences becomes important. We are investigating so-called anti-CRISPRs: proteins or other molecules that phages use to inhibit CRISPR.

A bacterium that has CRISPR might be able to stop a phage from infecting. But if the phage has the right anti-CRISPR, it can neutralise this defence and kill the bacterium regardless.

The importance of anti-CRISPRs

Our recent research focused on how an anti-CRISPR response is controlled.

When faced with a powerful CRISPR defence, phages want to automatically produce large amounts of anti-CRISPR to increase the chance of inhibiting CRISPR immunity. But excessive production of anti-CRISPR prevents the replication of the phage and is ultimately toxic. This is why control is important.

To achieve this control, phages have another protein in their toolbox: an anti-CRISPR-associated (or Aca) protein that frequently occurs alongside the anti-CRISPRs themselves.

Aca proteins act as regulators of the phage’s counter-defence. They make sure the initial burst of anti-CRISPR production that inactivates CRISPR is then rapidly dampened to low levels. That way, the phage can allocate energy to where it is most needed: its replication and, eventually, release from the cell.

We found this regulation occurs at multiple levels. For any protein to be produced, the gene sequence in the DNA first needs to be transcribed into a messenger–RNA. This is then decoded, or translated, into a protein.

Many regulatory proteins function by inhibiting the first step (transcription into messenger-RNA), some others inhibit the second (translation into protein). Either way, the regulator often acts as a “road block” of sorts, binding to DNA or RNA.

Intriguingly and unexpectedly, the Aca protein we investigated does both – even though its structure would suggest it is merely a transcriptional regulator (a protein that regulates the conversion of DNA to RNA), very similar to ones that have been investigated for decades.

We also examined why this extra-tight control at two levels is necessary. Again, it seems to be all about the dosage of the anti-CRISPRs, especially as the phage replicates its DNA in the bacterial cell. This replication will invariably lead to the production of messenger-RNAs even in the presence of transcriptional control.

Therefore, it appears additional regulation is required to reign in anti-CRISPR production. This comes back to the toxicity of excessive production of this counter-defence protein, to the harm done when there’s “too much of a good thing”.

Fine-tuned control

What does this research mean in the grand scheme of things? We now know a lot more about how anti-CRISPR deployment occurs. It requires fine-tuned control to enable the phage to be successful in its battle against the host bacterium.

This is important out in nature, but also when it comes to using phages as alternative antimicrobials.

Knowing every detail about something as obscure-sounding as anti-CRISPR-associated proteins might make all the difference between the phage succeeding or succumbing —and between life or death, not just for the phage, but also for a person infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Nils Birkholz 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. Viruses can work where antibiotics don’t – new research tells us more about how they fight bacteria – https://theconversation.com/viruses-can-work-where-antibiotics-dont-new-research-tells-us-more-about-how-they-fight-bacteria-236498

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Levinson, Professor of Transport, University of Sydney

Public transport ridership has taken a beating in many Australian cities since the onset of COVID. With more people still working from home – typically office workers who had been concentrated in central business districts – passenger numbers remain well below pre-COVID levels on routes serving those CBDs.

In any market, when supply is largely fixed and demand drops, a natural response is to lower prices. Queensland has cut public transport fares to only 50 cents for a six-month trial. Canberra is about to offer free fares for the next couple of months.

When cities elsewhere have cut fares, passenger numbers have increased. It happened in Perth when public transport was free for a month last summer. Melbourne has a free tram zone in the CBD. But it’s not a simple equation. There are many factors at work.

Will lower fares lead to a lasting uplift in passenger numbers? Will the results differ between free and almost-free travel?

The Queensland and ACT fare cuts are fascinating experiments that could well change how public transport fares are set in Australia.

What impacts do fares have?

First, fares help cover the costs of the service and perhaps even generate profit. However, the “farebox recovery ratio” – the share of operating costs paid by fares – is low (under 30%) in most Australian cities. This means fares contribute nothing directly towards building rail lines or repaying funders, much less earning a profit.

Second, fares may be set to ration use by time of day. So lower off-peak fares give people an incentive to travel at less busy times.

Third, fares deter people who might otherwise use stations or vehicles as a temporary shelter or refuge.

These many competing purposes can result in confusing or even self-defeating fare structures.

Sydney, for example, uses concession rates for certain users, peak pricing for certain times of day and weekly caps on how much the heaviest users have to pay. For some distances, buses and light rail are more expensive than trains. For others they are not.

In such cases, fares can be too low to contribute much to running the system but too high to attract enough riders to match system capacity.

How sensitive are people to fare changes?

For small changes, the rule of thumb from empirical studies has been that a 10% increase in fares loses about 3-4% of riders, but there is wide variance.

Studies in the United States have found demand in large metro areas was less sensitive to fares than small areas in the long run.

But with big fare changes, we cannot be as sure. We cannot confidently predict a 50% cut in fares will result in a 15% increase in passengers, or that free travel will lead to a 30% or 40% increase. That is, however, what New South Wales’ Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) found in 2020 when studying free fares in Sydney, which it did not recommend.

It’s not a simple matter of price

Responses to fare changes depend on context. We see sensitivity to long-term changes in fares for passengers who change from a discounted concession card, such as tertiary students, to a full-rate adult card, leading to a reduction in their use.

However, other factors confound changes in demand due to price. A person’s new workplace might be harder to get to using public transport than driving. They might have less flexibility to travel at off-peak times. Or having bought their own car might affect their travel choices, as might petrol prices and other costs of living.

For a short-term, well-publicised cut in fares, people may take advantage of it to make trips they otherwise would not have taken, or would have done by car, on foot or on bike. In contrast, people are not going to give up their car if they expect fares will soon return to previous levels.

One thing a short-run change can do is give people who have never ridden the bus or train (or haven’t in many years) a taste. If they like it, it could lead to a permanent uplift in their use.

What does overseas experience tell us?

Several places overseas have experimented with fare structure.

In the northern summer of 2022, Germany introduced a discounted €9 (about A$15) per month ticket. There was an 8% increase in travel – only a 3% increase was attributable to gaining a taste for public transport. A minority of trips replaced those that would otherwise have been made by car. Regular public transport use rose from 29% of travellers to 38% once the €9 ticket came in, then settled at 32% afterwards.

Tallinn in Estonia was one of the first capital cities to offer fare-free public transport. After some years, there was a clear increase in ridership from 55% to 63%. Three points came from a shift from private cars and the other five from walking.

So how do we assess the Australian experiments?

The decision to make the Queensland system nearly free – charging 50 cents instead of nothing – has been justified as a way to gather information about public transport use through the tap-on and tap-off process. While this is a real benefit, it might mean the benefits of a fare-free system aren’t fully unleashed.

First, in-vehicle tapping on and off can increase the time users take to board and alight, causing delays and effectively reducing the speed of the service. This adds to running costs as more vehicles are needed to provide the same frequency of services. More importantly, it makes public transport less competitive with private cars.

Second, it’s costly to collect fares. The cost might be greater than the revenue from the 50-cent fare. On the other hand, a small price might help deter people from using the system as shelter and short-distance walkers who might switch to a free service.

We won’t know what would happen in Queensland if public transport were fully free, though Canberra will provide a useful counterpoint. The results of these trials may soon reshape public transport fare-setting in Australia.

David Levinson has received research funding from ARC, UDIA-NSW, iMOVE, and Sydney Metro. He is affiliated with WalkSydney and Peaceful Bayside.

Emily Moylan has received funding from Transport for NSW.

Andres Fielbaum 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. 50 cents, 0 cents, 1 question: how much can fare cuts boost public transport use? – https://theconversation.com/50-cents-0-cents-1-question-how-much-can-fare-cuts-boost-public-transport-use-236574

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne

It’s winter in Australia, but as you’ve probably noticed, the weather is unusually warm. The top temperatures over large parts of the country this weekend were well above average for this time of year.

The outback town of Oodnadatta in South Australia recorded 38.5°C on Friday and 39.4°C on Saturday – about 16°C above average. Both days were well above the state’s previous winter temperature record. In large parts of Australia, the heat is expected to persist into the coming week.

A high pressure system is bringing this unusual heat – and it’s hanging around. So temperature records have already fallen and may continue to be broken for some towns in the next few days.

It’s no secret the world is warming. In fact, 2024 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record. Climate change is upon us. Historical averages are becoming just that: a thing of the past.

That’s why this winter heat is concerning. The warming trend will continue for at least as long as we keep burning fossil fuels and polluting the atmosphere. Remember, this is only August. The heatwaves of spring and summer are only going to be hotter.

Records broken across Australia

The Bureau of Meteorology was expecting many records to be broken over the weekend across several states. On Thursday, bureau meteorologist Angus Hines described:

A scorching end to winter, with widespread heat around the country in coming days, including the chance of winter records across multiple states for maximum temperature.

The amount of heat plunging into central Australia was particularly unusual, Hines said.

On Friday, temperatures across northern South Australia and southern parts of the Northern Territory were as much as 15°C above average.

Temperatures continued to soar across northern parts of Western Australia over the weekend, with over 40°C recorded at Fitzroy Crossing on Sunday. It has been 2–12°C above average from Townsville all the way down to Melbourne for several days in a row.

Bear in mind, it’s only August. As Hines said, the fire weather season hasn’t yet hit most of Australia – but the current conditions – hot, dry and sometimes windy – are bringing moderate to high fire danger across Australia. It may also bring dusty conditions to central Australia.

And for latitudes north of Sydney and Perth, most of the coming week will be warm.

What’s causing the winter warmth?

In recent days a stubborn high pressure system has sat over eastern Australia and the Tasman Sea. It has kept skies clear over much of the continent and brought northerly winds over many areas, transporting warm air to the south.

High pressure promotes warm weather – both through clearer skies that bring more sunshine, and by promoting the descent of air which causes heating.

By late August, both the intensity of the sun and the length of the day has increased. So the centre of Australia can really warm up when under the right conditions.

High pressure in June can be associated with cooler conditions, because more heat is lost from the surface during those long winter nights. But that’s already less of an issue by late August.

This kind of weather setup has occurred in the past. Late-winter or early-spring heat does sometimes occur in Australia. However, this warm spell is exceptional, as highlighted by the broken temperature records across the country.

Feeling the heat

The consequences of humanity’s continued greenhouse gas emissions are clear. Australia’s winters are getting warmer overall. And winter “heatwaves” are becoming warmer.

Australia’s three warmest Augusts on record have all occurred since 2000 – and last August was the second-warmest since 1910. When the right weather conditions occur for winter warmth across Australia, the temperatures are higher than a century ago.

The warmth we are experiencing now comes off the back of a recent run of global temperature records and extreme heat events across the Northern Hemisphere.

This warm spell is set to continue, with temperatures above 30°C forecast from Wednesday through to Sunday in Brisbane. The outlook for spring points to continued above-normal temperatures across the continent, but as always we will likely see both warm and cold spells at times.

Such winter warmth is exceptional and already breaking records. Climate change is already increasing the frequency and intensity of this kind of winter heat – and future warm spells will be hotter still, if humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions continue.

Andrew King receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and the National Environmental Science Program.

– ref. 40°C in August? A climate expert explains why Australia is ridiculously hot right now – https://theconversation.com/40-c-in-august-a-climate-expert-explains-why-australia-is-ridiculously-hot-right-now-237398

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emmanuel Josserand, Professor of Management, EMLV, Paris and Adjunct Fellow, University of Technology Sydney

From today, Monday August 26, many employees in Australia get a new right, called the right to disconnect from work.

This entails the right to refuse to read or respond to work-related calls, texts and emails outside their working hours, unless that refusal is unreasonable.

The Fair Work Commission says what will matter is whether the refusal is unreasonable, rather than whether the attempted contact is unreasonable.

Among the things that will determine whether a refusal is unreasonable are the employee’s role, their personal circumstances, the method and reason for
the contact, how much disruption it causes them and whether they are compensated for being available or for working additional hours.

Those working for small businesses (with fewer than 15 employees) get the right to disconnect in August 2025.

As with any changes to conditions of employment, it has sparked heated debate.

Supporters say the right to disconnect is needed to slow the encroachment of work into personal life. Opponents say it will harm productivity and flexibility.

Fortunately, we’ve clues from overseas to guide us.

France was the first country to introduce a right to disconnect in 2017, followed by
Belgium, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Luxembourg, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Ontario in Canada, and Ireland.

An analysis of these laws and their impact, which we are preparing for the Journal of Industrial Relations, finds that while they can improve work-life balance and wellbeing, their success depends on how they are implemented and enforced within each workplace.

Employers that take right to disconnect laws seriously offer more compensation to those who are interrupted than companies that don’t, in the form of pay or time off in lieu. Unpaid overtime is significantly more common in companies without a right to disconnect policy.

In the countries that have a right to disconnect, only about 45% of workers say they are aware of it being offered in their workplace, and only about half of them say they are aware of actions to enforce it.

What matters is agreement in the workplace

In some countries, including France, the law requires that employers and employee representatives come together to negotiate specific rules about when work should stop and personal time should begin.

This means that in France, there are often clear agreements about when workers can ignore emails or calls.

In Belgium, instead of making it mandatory for companies to enforce the right, the law encourages discussions about it in health and safety committees. So, while there isn’t a strict rule forcing companies to ensure workers can disconnect, there is a system in place to have conversations about it.

What each country has in common is the idea that employers and employees need to work together to find a balance between work and personal time.

This suggests that merely introducing legislation is not enough: effective implementation requires clear guidelines, awareness-raising, and a cultural shift within workplaces.

Companies need to get things right at the start

A key challenge in Australia will be to make clear what is a “reasonable” refusal of a work-related contact and what is not.

The Fair Work Commission wants employers and employees to attempt to resolve this themselves before escalating disputes to the Commission.

An important part of this is consultation within workplaces at the beginning to develop training and protocols tailored to each role.

There are also practical steps workplaces can take to curb the flow of work-related information, such as disabling notifications after hours, setting up automatic out-of-office replies and scheduling emails rather than sending them immediately.

Employers should lead by example

The biggest challenge will be a cultural shift that prioritises employee wellbeing. Hyperconnectivity need not be an inevitable consequence of modern work life.

Managers should lead by example by respecting non-work hours themselves and avoiding after-hours communication.

The continued existence of the new right is far from certain. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to repeal the right if he wins the next election, saying it will make it impossible for some businesses to employ staff.

Success will depend on employers and their workers agreeing on clear ground rules from the beginning.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Australians now have the right to disconnect – but how workplaces react will be crucial – https://theconversation.com/australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial-237023

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

An “aviation industry ombuds scheme” and improved assistance for passengers with a disability will be among measures the federal government will announce on Monday to force airlines to address the extensive public discontent with their services.

A new aviation customer rights charter will set out “fair and reasonable” conduct by airlines and airports, including when flights are delayed or cancelled.

It will cover customers’ entitlements to refunds, and when these must be provided in cash rather than with travel vouchers.

This follows class actions against both Qantas and Jetstar that allege they have failed to provide timely cash refunds for cancelled flights, despite being legally obliged to do so.

Both airlines issued vouchers instead of cash refunds, initially with expiry dates.

The class action against Qantas has entered mediation. That against Jetstar was launched last week.

The customer rights charter will also address “unreasonable” lengths of delays and timely communication with passengers.

Transport Minister Catherine King will release the government’s white paper on aviation, with legislation planned for next year, after further consultations. In the meantime an interim ombudsperson will be appointed from her department.

King said too many people had been “left out to dry when flights are cancelled or disrupted and it’s impossibly complex to get a refund or even contact a company representative.

“Customers deserve to get their money back if they are owed. Full stop,” she said.

The ombuds scheme will have an external dispute resolution service, and direct airlines and airports to provide remedies to consumers. It will provide reports on conduct, and refer instances of misconduct for investigation.

Barriers presently faced by people with a disability include unreasonable wait times for checking in, refusals to carry assistance animals, and limits on wheelchair and other access.

The government will create specific disability standards for the industry and review compliance with them.

It will improve remedies for damage to wheelchairs and other equipment, and require airport development plans to set out how they will enable access for people with a disability.

“Through our consultations we have heard clearly that the treatment of people with disability by the airlines and airports is not good enough,” King said.

“People have been left stranded on planes, forced to return to their departure port or had to put up with poor treatment due to a lack of access to appropriate facilities at their destination.”

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. Airline ‘customer rights charter’ to specify when cash refunds required – https://theconversation.com/airline-customer-rights-charter-to-specify-when-cash-refunds-required-237447

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 48.8–44.8. In my previous US politics article last Monday, Harris led Trump by 47.1–44.6.

Joe Biden’s final position before his withdrawal as Democratic candidate on July 21 was a national poll deficit against Trump of 45.2–41.2. By the election, Biden will be almost 82, Trump is now 78 and Harris will be 60.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr withdrew from the presidential contest in swing states on Friday US time and endorsed Trump. Silver said Kennedy initially had 10–11% support in a three-way matchup with Trump and Biden, but this had faded to about 8% at Biden’s withdrawal.

When Harris replaced Biden, this reduced the number of voters who disliked both major party candidates, and Kennedy fell to about 4%.

Kennedy’s withdrawal will probably assist Trump a little, as Kennedy’s ideological positions were closer to Trump’s, and Kennedy endorsed Trump. But Kennedy only had 4% before his withdrawal, so there won’t be a large impact. There have not yet been polls conducted since Kennedy’s withdrawal or the Democratic National Convention, which ran from Monday to Thursday this week.

The US president isn’t elected by the national popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state receives electoral votes equal to its federal House seats (population based) and senators (always two). Almost all states award their electoral votes as winner takes all, and it takes 270 electoral votes to win (out of 538 total).

Silver’s numbers have been adjusted for Kennedy’s withdrawal. They reflect polls conducted during the convention that gave Harris a boost before her address on Thursday. As Silver’s model was factoring in a convention bounce, Harris’ win probability is little changed at 53.2% (53.5% last Monday).

Convention bounces usually peak in the week following a convention, then fade slowly. Polls conducted in the next week will show the impact of the Democratic convention and Kennedy’s withdrawal.

I wrote last Monday that if Harris leads by four to five points nationally after the convention, her win probability in Silver’s model will not change much. If she leads by six points, her win probability will increase, and if she only leads by two points her win probability will decrease.

Labor thumped at NT election

At Saturday’s Northern Territory election, the ABC is giving the Country Liberal Party (CLP) 15 of the 25 seats, Labor four, independents two and there are four seats still undecided. Labor had governed in the NT since winning the 2016 election. In 2020, Labor won 14 of the 25 seats, the CLP eight, independents two and the Territory Alliance one.

NT-wide primary votes were 47.8% CLP (up 16.5% since the 2020 election), 29.5% Labor (down 10.0%), 8.3% Greens (up 4.0%) and 14.4% independents (up 3.7%). The Territory Alliance, which won 12.9% in 2020, did not contest this election. The ABC’s two-party preferred estimate is a CLP win by 57.1–42.9 over Labor, a 10.1% swing to the CLP since 2020.

Postal votes have not yet been counted, and these are likely to assist the CLP. In the four seats in doubt, the CLP is ahead and likely to win Casuarina. The electoral commission probably selected the wrong final two candidates in Fannie Bay and Johnston, and now needs to redo the preference count.

The Greens are likely to win Fannie Bay and an independent Johnston. If the Greens win Fannie Bay, it will be their first ever seat in the NT parliament.

In Nightcliff, we can’t yet determine whether the CLP or the Greens will make the final two. Labor easily beats the CLP, but we don’t know the outcome if the Greens are their final opponent, but Labor should win.

If the seats in doubt go as expected, the final outcome will be 16 CLP out of 25, five Labor, three independents and one Green. The Poll Bludger said the anti-Labor swings were particularly savage in northern Darwin, while Labor held up much better in the rural and Indigenous-heavy seats. Four of Labor’s five likely survivors are of Indigenous background.

In 2022 Labor defeated the federal Coalition government and in 2023 they defeated the NSW Coalition government. I believe this is the first defeat of a Labor government in Australia since Labor lost the 2018 South Australian election. The Queensland Labor government appears doomed at an election in October.

Federal polls: Freshwater steady at 51–49 to Coalition

A national Freshwater poll for The Financial Review, conducted August 16–18 from a sample of 1,061, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, unchanged from the July Freshwater poll. Primary votes were 41% Coalition (up one), 32% Labor (up one), 12% Greens (down one) and 15% for all Others.

Anthony Albanese’s net approval was up four points to -10, with 45% unfavourable and 35% favourable. Peter Dutton’s net approval was steady at -3. Albanese led Dutton as preferred PM by 45–41 (45–39 in July).

In better news for Labor, the Coalition’s lead over Labor on the cost of living was reduced from 12 points in July to seven, and their lead on managing the economy was reduced from 16 points to 13. The cost of living was rated one of the most important issues by 76%, far ahead of housing on 38%.

Morgan poll: 50.5–49.5 to Labor

A national Morgan poll, conducted August 12–18 from a sample of 1,698, gave Labor a 50.5–49.5 lead, a 0.5-point gain for Labor since the August 5–11 poll.

Primary votes were 38.5% Coalition (up 0.5), 30.5% Labor (up one), 13.5% Greens (down 0.5), 4% One Nation (down one), 8.5% independents (down one) and 5% others (up one).

The headline figure is based on respondent preferences. If 2022 election preference flows are used, Labor leads by an unchanged 51–49.

Adrian Beaumont 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. Harris gains in US polls during Democratic convention; Labor thumped in NT election – https://theconversation.com/harris-gains-in-us-polls-during-democratic-convention-labor-thumped-in-nt-election-237033

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rolf Gerritsen, Adjunct Professor, The Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University

The Northern Territory is a different place. On the day prior to this election, Speckles the Adelaide River crocodile was asked to predict the result of the election. He had replaced the previous crocodile, a spiv who got the 2016 and 2020 elections wrong.

Speckles decided Eva Lawler, the Labor Chief Minister, would win the election. Speckles was not the only prognosticator to get it wrong. I fear for his future.

The Country Liberal Party (CLP) has won majority government, returning to power after eight years in opposition. Double-digit swings against Labor have been recorded in some electorates. Lawler lost government and her own seat.

Instead, CLP Leader Lia Finocchiaro will become the Territory’s next Chief Minister and govern in majority.

A tale of two elections

Yesterday, effectively, there were two elections conducted for the NT Legislative Assembly. The first was in the bush electorates.

These are dominated by Aboriginal communities, often blighted by poverty, poor housing, inadequate medical services, failing educational services and the absence of employment opportunities: all the elements the Closing the Gap targets seek to address.

As is customary in Territory elections, these Indigenous communities voted Labor. Only once since self government in 1978 (in 2012) have they not done so.

However, Indigenous issues were hardly mentioned by politicians or the media in this election campaign.

Read more:
NT election: promises for Indigenous people buckle under history’s weight

This election was essentially an urban election played out mainly in Darwin-Palmerston and, to an extent, Alice Springs. It only paid some attention to Indigenous issues as a covert subtext to the broader community angst about crime.

Twice the expected swing

I predicted the CLP would get uneven swings, bigger in some instances (like in electorates that had suburbs where there were high levels of property crime, violence and public drunkenness).

Overall, I assumed the CLP Opposition would get a Territory-wide swing of about 4%–6%. I was wrong.

The overall swing to the CLP in the suburbs of Darwin was over twice that estimate. Several ministers, including Lawler, have lost their seats.

Lawler conceded defeat at 8:30pm, a full hour before losers in NT elections usually do so. That indicated the extent of the loss for Labor.

Counting will resume today but, on the trends, I expect at least four (possibly six) Labor Ministers will lose their seats.

As I predicted, independents have been elected in two seats: Yingiya Mark Guyula in Mulka (in northeast Arnhem Land) and Robyn Lambley in Araluen (in Alice Springs).

Other independents have done well, as in Johnston where a Teal-like (she actually wore purple) independent out-polled the Labor incumbent (although still behind the CLP).

Labor’s vote collapse

My interpretation of the collapse of the Labor vote is that it involves two elements.

One is the defection of weakly-aligned voters. These voters usually make up the swing in an election.

The other is that a fair proportion of Labor voters switched to the Greens. I have lauded Chief Minister Lawler for her tough campaign, but it’s possible some Labor voters were alienated by her right-ish switch and decided to vote Green, to remind Labor that it is supposed to be a progressive party.

However you interpret this election, it is definitely a landslide to the CLP. Comparatively, it’s not as bad for Labor as the anti-CLP landslide in 2016. Back then, Finocchiaro was the only CLP member reelected in the Greater Darwin area.

That 2016 election was consequential. Because Finocchiaro was the only CLP parliamentarian left in the Greater Darwin area, she eventually became CLP leader. The twists of fate mean that she is now Chief Minister.

The most interesting new development of this election was the rise of the Greens. They will feel greatly buoyed by this election, where in some seats they finally broke the 20% primary vote barrier to become serious players in Territory politics.

In my pre-poll analysis, I said this would be a good election to win because the NT economy will pick up next year.

In addition, Commonwealth expenditure in the NT is set to dramatically escalate. The billions of dollars worth of spending as part of remote housing and education deals struck with the Commonwealth, plus other large-scale spending programs, will start to come into play.

The Commonwealth is becoming invested in reversing Indigenous disadvantage in the Territory because the NT is the worst performer on the Closing The Gap targets.

This means continuing money for the NT and all but ensures the new CLP government will be re-elected in 2028.

Rolf Gerritsen 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. NT election: the Country Liberals claim a landslide victory in a contest decided in suburbia – https://theconversation.com/nt-election-the-country-liberals-claim-a-landslide-victory-in-a-contest-decided-in-suburbia-235648

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Professor, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef will continue to deteriorate, largely to climate change, and the window to secure its future is rapidly closing. That is the sobering conclusion of a major new report into the state of the reef.

The report was released by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. It confirms what scientists have long known: humanity is killing the Great Barrier Reef, and other reefs around the world, by failing to curb the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Earlier this year, I visited parts of the southern Great Barrier Reef where mass coral bleaching and death had just occurred. The picture was devastating. Vast swathes of coral were bleached a ghostly white. It was interspersed with bright flashes of pink and blue: a final, heartbreaking release of coral pigment as the organism makes a last-ditch effort to survive. I’ve since learned much of that coral is now dead.

Anyone who knows anything about coral reefs would have been upset by what I saw. The world’s largest reef was in very, very bad shape. As I swam, in the back of my head was the knowledge that 2023 was Earth’s hottest year on record. In fact, the Great Barrier Reef is the warmest it has been for at least 400 years.

Unless humanity takes dramatic action to halt climate change, we will lose the beautiful, complex reefs that have existed on Earth for millennia. As this latest report shows, even governments and officials now acknowledge this fact.

Make no mistake: the reef is in dire straits

The 2024 Great Barrier Reef Outlook report, released late on Friday, is the fourth in a series of five-yearly reports on the reef’s health.

It found warming oceans and severe tropical cyclones are compounding other threats such as crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, poor water quality and unsustainable fishing.

The report said the condition of some coral species has improved over the past five years – from “very poor” to “poor”. We shouldn’t get too excited about this. It means a few fast-growing coral species are bouncing back.

Make no mistake: the reef’s overall prospects remain dire. As the report states:

While recent recovery in some ecosystem values demonstrates that the reef is still resilient, its capacity to tolerate and recover is jeopardised by a rapidly changing climate.

It’s also important to note that the report covers the five years to December 2023. It does not capture the damage caused by the mega-bleaching event up and down the reef last summer.

As my colleagues and I wrote recently, the Great Barrier Reef has suffered five mass bleaching events in the past nine summers.

Bleaching occurs when corals become so heat-stressed they eject the tiny algae living inside their tissues. These organisms give coral some of its colour and help power its metabolism. In mild bleaching events, corals can recover. But in the severe events that are becoming more common, corals do not survive.

Analysis by others shows the mortality in stark detail. The left-hand image below shows coral at Lizard Island “fluorescing” or releasing bright pigment in March this year. This protective measure aims to limit the damage to remaining microalgae.

The image on the right, three months later, shows more than 97% of the same corals had died.

Climate change is not the only threat

The report said climate-driven disturbances are compounding the effects of other chronic damage to the reef from:

• unsustainable fishing
• pollution
• sediment runoff
• outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish.

Among other key findings of the report were that:

• most populations of marine turtles have declined
• species such as seabirds, sharks, rays, dugongs and seagrasses have recovered in some areas and plateaued or declined in others
• populations of estuarine crocodiles are recovering
• many species in declines are listed as threatened or protected.

Strong leadership is needed

I first visited the Great Barrier Reef in 1980, as a university student. My interest in it has never waned. It’s one of those incredible bits of nature that defies description.

The reef’s World Heritage listing is proof of its outstanding global value. Australians love and feel pride in this vast and stunning place. The reef supports the livelihoods and wellbeing of many, including Traditional Owners who have cared for it over thousands of generations. It sustains all of us: economically, culturally and spiritually.

You might see a photo of healthy-looking coral and think the reef must be doing well. But I have seen the problem first-hand over many years. The reef is suffering badly – and every fraction of a degree of global warming compounds the harm.

Humanity must take urgent action to limit global temperature rise. But we are failing. We are failing the Great Barrier Reef and indeed, coral reefs across the planet.

There was a time when governments and reef managers were not willing to admit the extent of the problem. I don’t think that’s the case anymore. As the report states:

2024 opens a new chapter for the reef. Future warming already locked into the climate system means
that further degradation is inevitable. This is the sobering calculus of climate change.

Climate change is a global problem, but Australia is undeniably part of it. This nation cannot export fossil fuels to be burnt overseas if we want to save the Great Barrier Reef. Dealing with this will take strong political leadership, from the prime minister down.

Humanity has all the facts in front of us. Earth is in an unchartered time of very rapid change. If we don’t respond, we will lose the Great Barrier Reef.

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is affiliated with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

– ref. ‘Humanity is failing’: official report warns our chance to save the Great Barrier Reef is fast closing – https://theconversation.com/humanity-is-failing-official-report-warns-our-chance-to-save-the-great-barrier-reef-is-fast-closing-237441

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geetanjali Saluja, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Technology Sydney

In the immediate aftermath of last month’s shocking assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, search engine giant Google found itself in hot water. The reason? A technical issue with its auto-complete function.

Search terms relating to the assassination attempt appeared to be omitted from automated suggestions in Google’s search bar. Conservative social media users were quick to pile on, accusing the tech giant of political bias and active censorship.

These claims turned out to be unfounded – a content moderation feature was to blame – but they were hardly new. Many tech companies, including Google, have long been perceived as left-leaning.

But certainly not all of them. Elon Musk, chief executive of both X (formerly Twitter) and electric car maker Tesla, recently announced his full endorsement of Trump, who in turn declared his own support for electric vehicles.

Getting political is nothing new for brands, and extends well beyond tech companies. It can range from taking a stance on key social issues to backing individual parties or candidates.

But it is not clear whether engaging in “brand activism” actually helps companies overall, leaving many marketers and chief executives hesitant to do so.

Taking a stand on issues that consumers care about can obviously help build stronger brand connections – but what happens when a brand’s political views don’t align with those of its customers?

Read more:
Trump is plain ‘weird’: how Kamala Harris’ meme-fied campaign is leveraging social media and Gen Z culture

The risks of getting political

Our previous research has found that consumers’ political allegiance – whether they identify as liberal, conservative or somewhere in between – can affect their attitude towards brands that engage in activism.

Much of this is in line with what you’d expect. Liberal-leaning consumers tend to like brands that promote progressive causes such as supporting immigration. Conservative consumers, on the other hand, generally like brands to either be silent on, or oppose, progressive issues.

However, both liberal and conservative consumers dislike brands that seem inauthentic in the position they support. That offers a cautionary tale to brands who might seek to “jump on the bandwagon” and performatively support a particular social issue.

Always mean what you say

Brands that try to play both sides of the fence on a given social or political issue can end up alienating everyone.

Last year, American beer brand Bud Light faced a backlash from conservatives after hiring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote the brand. Conservative consumers were quick to target Mulvaney on social media and boycotted the brand in response to the campaign.

But in this aftermath, Bud Light was criticised for failing to stand behind Mulvaney, who said the company failed to offer her support after the backlash. This cost it some of its liberal customer base as well.

Build a purposeful connection

Our research shows that while it can help brands if their public stance on an issue aligns with the political views of their target consumers, they must also demonstrate it is more than lip service.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, for example, enjoys a a loyal customer base among liberal-leaning millennials and Gen Z consumers. It has also been vocal in its support for several progressive issues, such as climate action, refugee rights and racial justice.

The company has become famous for such activism, and largely been rewarded for it by consumers, despite some recent tension with its parent company Unilever.

Ben & Jerry’s work on racial justice, for example, has involved issuing detailed statements and action plans on what it believes real societal change would require.

Done right, consistent alignment of views across a brand’s whole public “character” can instil a deep sense of pride amongst the brand’s consumers and stronger identification with the brand’s values.

Stand with conviction

A brand’s public stance should be a genuine reflection of its core values, not something that adjusts to suit the zeitgeist. Brands that demonstrate such conviction are often rewarded.

In 2018, Nike supported civil rights activist and former footballer Colin Kaepernick and his stance on Black Lives Matter by launching the “Believe in Something” campaign. The move came despite serious backlash from conservative consumers as well as then-US president Donald Trump.

An initial backlash and fears of a boycott saw Nike’s share price fall. But the company held firm on the campaign, its share price soon recovered, and sales soared.

If you can’t be authentic, don’t be anything at all

Our research suggests that brands without an authentic position on a societal issue might be better off not taking sides. When a brand is seen as flip-flopping on an issue, it risks alienating everyone.

Brands should absolutely feel empowered to take on social and political stances that align with their underlying vision and mission. But if issue-based support doesn’t genuinely align with the brand’s image – and isn’t reflected through meaningful actions – the danger of appearing insincere means it might be better to stay silent.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Should brands take a stance on social and political issues? – https://theconversation.com/should-brands-take-a-stance-on-social-and-political-issues-235688

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia

Western Australia and Victoria both issued health alerts this week over cases of mpox. WA has seen two cases, while Victoria has recorded 125 cases so far this year. New South Wales, which has had 135 cases, also published a public health notice on mpox this month.

Around the country, 306 cases have been recorded so far in 2024 – 198 of those since the beginning of July. By comparison, there were 144 cases for all of 2022, and 26 in 2023.

The mpox cases in Australia are a different type to those spreading in Africa which prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern last week.

Fortunately, people infected in Australia have a milder strain of the virus. But it’s still important to know what to look out for.

A look back

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It comes from the same family as smallpox. Symptoms include fever and a rash, which tend to affect the anal and genital areas, chest and back, face and head, and hands and feet.

Until relatively recently, mpox was almost always found in western and central Africa. There have been outbreaks outside this area, such as one in the United States in 2003. But in May 2022, there was a major outbreak of mpox that spread rapidly to many countries, including some where mpox is not typically found, such as Australia.

As a result, in July 2022, the WHO declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern.

The emergency classification was lifted in May 2023, because there was a significant decline in cases after countries increased control measures, such as surveillance and vaccination.

So the declaration of a public health emergency last week is actually WHO’s second for mpox. But it relates to a different strain of the virus.

Clades and subclades

The mpox virus can be divided into two variants or “clades”: clade I and clade II. Clade I, found mainly in central Africa, is a much more severe disease with a death rate up to 10%. Clade II is found mainly in western Africa and is much milder, with a death rate below 1%.

Clade II can be further divided into clade IIa and clade IIb. It’s clade IIb mpox, which caused the major outbreak in 2022, that we’re currently seeing in Australia.

In the latter half of 2023, a new subclade of clade I was discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Clade Ib has primarily affected the DRC, with around 70% of suspected cases there in children under the age of 15. The outbreak has also spread to neighbouring East African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

The death rate from the clade Ib outbreak is still being worked out. But in the DRC, 7,851 cases and 384 deaths were reported up to late May. This suggests a fatality rate of about 5%.

Outside Africa, cases have recently been found in Sweden and Thailand.

Due to the rapid spread of clade Ib cases in Africa, and the potential for it to spread more widely, the WHO declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on August 14.

Clade I versus clade II

In line with the higher mortality rates, clade I infections tend to be more severe overall. They’re said to be associated with higher rates of complications such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), pneumonia, respiratory distress and secondary bacterial infections. Patients often experience more intense skin rashes, larger lesions and more swollen lymph glands.

In the laboratory, the different clades are distinguished using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a similar technique to that used to test for COVID.

As for mode of spread, clade I has a higher rate of person-to-person transmission, especially through respiratory droplets and close contact.

Clade II has a lower rate of person-to-person transmission. It’s mostly sexually transmitted, primarily affecting men who have sex with men. All but one of the 476 cases of mpox recorded in Australia since 2022 have been in men.

Should we be worried?

Clade IIb mpox, which first hit us in 2022, is on the rise in Australia again, but public health authorities should be able to bring it under control. The more severe clade Ib is likely to hit Australia in the next few months. It could spread into the heterosexual community, or children, but the risk appears low. And fortunately, mpox is far less transmissible than COVID.

Australia’s public health system is strong and forged excellent relationships with the LGBTQ+ community during HIV. With testing at-risk groups (including sex workers), good contact tracing and vaccination, we were able to control the 2022 outbreak. There’s no reason a similar response won’t work should we see an outbreak of clade Ib mpox in Australia.

An effective vaccine is available against smallpox and all variants of mpox. Although there appears to be a worldwide shortage of mpox vaccines, we do currently have supplies in Australia.

Here the vaccine is recommended for groups at risk of exposure to the virus, including sexually active gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, and sex workers.

The most prominent feature of mpox is the rash, which could include fluid-filled blisters, a small raised area on the skin that contains pus, pimples, ulcers or lesions. Other symptoms may be similar to a COVID or a flu infection. If you’re unwell and have potentially been exposed to mpox, consult your GP.

Adrian Esterman receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Medical Research Future Fund.

– ref. Mpox cases in Australia are less severe than in Africa. Here’s what to know about the strain spreading here – https://theconversation.com/mpox-cases-in-australia-are-less-severe-than-in-africa-heres-what-to-know-about-the-strain-spreading-here-237324

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Professor and Director Academic Excellence, Macquarie University

Australia currently finds itself in the unusual position of being both in an opioid epidemic and experiencing a shortage of these critical medicines.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has placed eight oral morphine products on its shortage list. It doesn’t expect supply for these products to be resolved until around October or November this year.

This is a problem for the near 100,000 people receiving palliative care who may rely on opioids, such as morphine, to manage their daily chronic pain.

So why are we short and what are clinicians and patients doing instead?

Opioids are critical for those in palliative care

Palliative care aims to ensure quality of life for people who have illnesses with little or no chance of being cured. Anyone can need palliative care, including babies, children and teenagers, not just adults and elderly people.

Patients may be in palliative care for days, weeks or even months and they usually experience daily chronic pain. Opioid medicines, such as morphine, are commonly used to relieve their pain, distress and discomfort.

Morphine is a strong pain-relieving medicine often used once other medicines, like ibuprofen and paracetamol, are no longer effective. It works to block the pathways in the brain that register pain sensation.

Morphine can be taken as a tablet, capsule or oral liquid, as an injection, or via a pump the patient controls. The eight morphine products Australia has placed on the short list are all oral forms (tablets and liquids).

Oral liquid forms of morphine are an important formulation for those who may not be able to use tablets, including young children or elderly patients and people who have trouble swallowing.

Why are we having shortages of these medicines?

Since COVID, we have seen rolling shortages of many medicines, due to supply chain disruptions and other issues. There are currently 377 medicines on the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s shortages list. But the shortage of morphine medicines do not appear to be due to COVID.

In June last year the international company Mundipharma, which produced the only registered brand of liquid morphine used in Australia, Ordine, advised the government it was discontinuing supply. An Australian company, Arrotex Pharmaceuticals, is scheduled to take over. However, supply is not expected to return to normal until their products become available – likely in late 2024.

While the current shortage is for oral morphine, other opioids are going out of stock as well, such as fentanyl (six products on the short list) and oxycodone (three products). This is because when there is a shortage of one medicine, like morphine, it pushes up the demand for similar medicines.

Can you substitute one opioid for another?

There are lots of different types of opioid medications, meaning when one is not available a patient may be switched to another. Which drug is substituted – and in what dosage – is important.

Because of the way opioids are metabolised by the body, the dose of one drug may have work more or less effectively when compared with the same dose of a different opioid. In these cases, the pharmacist needs to calculate what is called the “equivalent analgesic dose” when switching opioids.

In addition to calculating the equivalent dose, when changing to a different opioid, the doctor may also reduce the dose by 50%. This is because stronger opioid medicines, like fentanyl, are very risky in higher concentrations, and have a higher chance of leading to breathing difficulties and even death.

Adjusting the dose according to the way the drug is administered is also important. For example, the dose needed when morphine is injected is usually much lower than when it is taken by mouth as a tablet or liquid.

What’s being done about this shortage and where to from here?

The Australian government has approved three overseas substitute products to fill the gap until supply returns to normal. These are being sponsored by the Australian company Medsurge Healthcare and include two liquid formulations of morphine sulfate and one liquid formulation of morphine chloride. Both work the same way and are just as effective for pain.

Where patients still aren’t able to access opioid medicines within the Australian healthcare system, there are reports some are paying up to $4,000 to source their own supply from overseas.

But these are stop-gap measures, similar to the solutions being employed for the current IV fluids shortage, and is just another example of why the Australia government needs to invest in local manufacturing of medicines.

If you, or a person close to you, needs palliative care pain relief, there are still many options. Talk to your healthcare provider to work out the best approaches to ensure you, or your loved one, are free of pain.

Nial Wheate in the past has received funding from the ACT Cancer Council, Tenovus Scotland, Medical Research Scotland, Scottish Crucible, and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, a member of the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Nial is the chief scientific officer of Vaihea Skincare LLC, a director of SetDose Pty Ltd (a medical device company) and was previously a Standards Australia panel member for sunscreen agents. Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design, and testing.

Associate Professor Tina Hinton has previously received funding from the Schizophrenia Research Institute (formerly Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders). She is currently a Board member of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists.

– ref. Australia is running low on oral morphine. What does that mean for pain relief in palliative care? – https://theconversation.com/australia-is-running-low-on-oral-morphine-what-does-that-mean-for-pain-relief-in-palliative-care-237310

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Gerber, Professor of Human Rights Law, Monash University

It’s been a case closely watched by the transgender community and legal minds alike. Today in the Federal Court of Australia, a judge ruled in favour of trans woman Roxanne Tickle in her anti-discrimination case against a social media app.

Much of proceedings have centred around what constitutes a woman under Australian law, and whether someone’s sex can be changed.

Federal Court Justice Robert Bromwich found Tickle was indirectly discriminated against on the basis of her gender identity when she was removed from women-only social media app Giggle for Girls.

But the decision’s ramifications extend far beyond the key players in the case. It’s a landmark decision in favour of protecting the human rights of transgender people nationwide.

What was the case about?

Tickle is a trans woman who was initially allowed to join Giggle for Girls.

Seven months later, that decision was reversed by the app’s founder and chief executive Sally Grover, after she looked at Tickle’s photo and formed the opinion that Tickle was a man.

Tickle then took Giggle for Girls to court, alleging discrimination on the basis of her gender identity: cisgender women were allowed to join Giggle, transgender women were not.

What did the judge find?

In addition to finding Tickle had been indirectly discriminated against on the basis of her gender identity, Justice Bromwich ordered the respondents, Giggle for Girls and Grover, to pay Tickle A$10,000 compensation. This is well short of the $200,000 Tickle was claiming.

The court also ordered the respondents pay Tickle’s legal costs, capped at $50,000.

Tickle had also sought an apology, but the judge declined to order that on the basis it would be “futile and inappropriate to require an inevitably insincere apology to be made”.

Grover may choose to appeal the decision.

Defining ‘sex’

The decision provides much needed clarity around the meaning of “sex”, a word not defined in the Sex Discrimination Act. Importantly, Justice Bromwich stated that “in its contemporary ordinary meaning, sex is changeable”.

He also noted the concept of sex has broadened over the past 30 years, especially as people can change the sex listed on their birth certificates. He said:

The acceptance that Ms Tickle is correctly described as a woman, reinforcing her gender identity status for the purposes of this proceeding, and therefore for the purposes of bringing her present claim of gender identity discrimination, is legally unimpeachable.

The court unequivocally rejected the argument that sex is immutable: that the sex that was presumed and assigned to a person at birth is the sex someone will always be. Justice Bromwich stated:

the sex of a person may take into account a range of factors, including biological and physical characteristics, legal recognition and how they present themselves and are recognised socially.

The court found Grover did not actually know that Tickle was transgender. She excluded her from the app based on her opinion that Tickle was a man. Justice Bromwich stated:

Of course, given Ms Grover’s views, her decision almost certainly would have been the same had she been aware of Ms Tickle’s gender identity. For Ms Grover, there is no legitimate distinction between transgender women and cisgender men.

A cisgender person is someone whose gender identity corresponds with their sex assigned at birth.

This judgement means it’s unlawful for a person to make decisions about whether someone is, or is not, a woman based on the sex that was originally recorded on their birth certificate, or based on how feminine they appear.

It will constitute discrimination if a person is required to have the appearance of a cisgender woman as a prerequisite to accessing a particular service.

Constitutional claim thrown out

It was also argued by Grover and Giggle for Girls that Tickle’s claim of discrimination in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act should fail because that legislation is unconstitutional.

They argued this on the basis that the Commonwealth has no power under the Australian Constitution to make laws relating to anti-discrimination.

This argument was roundly rejected by Justice Bromwich. He found the foreign affairs power in the Constitution authorises the government to enact laws giving effect to Australia’s international treaty obligations.

The Sex Discrimination Act was enacted to give effect to Australia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 26 of the Covenant reads:

[…] the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

The judge held the words “other status” include discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Thus, the Sex Discrimination Act, including the amendments made in 2013 to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, are constitutionally valid.

The judgement in this case provides much needed clarity around the legal recognition of trans women as women. It also better defines the meaning of gender identity discrimination in various sections of the Sex Discrimination Act.

It is a victory not just for Tickle, but for all trans women, who now know with certainty that federal sex discrimination laws protect them as women from discrimination based on their gender identity.

Paula Gerber is Chair of Kaleidoscope Human Rights Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for the rights of LGBTIQA+ people in the Asia Pacific region.

– ref. Roxanne Tickle’s win in the federal court is a historic victory for transgender women – https://theconversation.com/roxanne-tickles-win-in-the-federal-court-is-a-historic-victory-for-transgender-women-237309

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University

Few things are more wonderful than well-written and produced children’s books. They captivate kids, families and classrooms, leaving lifelong impressions. They shape our world. But for the most part, engaging and scientifically accurate children’s books on Australian animals – particularly the lesser-known species – are sorely lacking.

In contrast, books about animals from the northern hemisphere abound. They dominate the shelves in our libraries and bookstores.

Failing to appreciate and celebrate Australian natural history has serious consequences. In the midst of Australia’s biodiversity crisis, it is crucial Australians learn about the remarkable species that call this large and diverse continent home.

Connecting with nature during childhood instils the importance of caring for wildlife and their homes. Once established, this responsibility can carry into adulthood. By helping us fall in love with Australia’s amazing wildlife and ecosystems, children’s books can help transform Australia and its dire conservation record.

National Science Week and Children’s Book Week ran back-to-back this year. What better time to encourage more collaboration between authors and scientists?

A short reading list

Fiction featuring Australian animals, such as Possum Magic, The Magic Pudding and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, were personal favourites. The children in our lives adore Diary of a Wombat.

But picture books depicting Aussie wildlife are rarer than they should be. So many truly amazing and unique creatures are just waiting to be brought into our homes.

It’s even harder to find accurate books in which the biology and ecology of species is correct. We have sought them out for our kids. Happily, some shining examples include:

• Ingenious Insects, Jumping Joeys and Busy Beaks (Sarah Allen)
• Bouncing Back and Saving the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect (Rohan Cleave and Coral Tulloch)
• Where are all the Christmas beetles? and Wonderful Wasps (Suzanne Houghton)
• Eyes on Flies (Bryan Lessard)
• Bijil Ba Wudhi Deberra – Bijil and Moths (Aunty Loraine Padgham, Taungurung)
• My Little World (Julia Cooke and Marjorie Crosby-Fairall)
• Searching for Cicadas (Lesley Gibbes and Judy Watson)
• Slim and Flash the Garden Lizards and others by Katherine Morris.

The problem

People’s biases created through literature can persist into adult life. Many Australians know and care more about honeybees, bullfrogs, squirrels, elephants, bears and robins than native wildlife such as dinosaur ants, blue banded bees, bogong moths, giant cuttlefish, corroboree frogs, pygmy possums, tree kangaroos, thorny devils and palm cockatoos.

The Australian national anthem states:

Our land abounds in nature’s gifts,
of beauty rich and rare

And yet mainstream Australia doesn’t celebrate, emphasise, or connect with nature nearly enough. The consequences of that disconnect can be seen across Country.

Inaccuracies in children’s literature across the world

When wildlife does make an appearance in children’s literature, we often find inaccuracies. For example, bats are not blind. Whales don’t blow fountains of water out of their blowholes – this would be very bad news for a whale!

Poisonous animals are toxic when eaten, while venomous ones inject poison when they bite, sting or spear others. Spiders are not insects but arachnids. Ants and termites are wildly different creatures. Whales are not fish, they are mammals. And, speaking of mammals, echidnas and the platypus are not marsupials, they are monotremes – they lay eggs!

These errors matter because basic scientific literacy shapes our understanding of the world. They may be partly due to unnecessary oversimplification that underestimates children’s capacities to learn complex concepts and language. But that’s not the full story.

Scientific accuracy can be difficult to achieve. Authors are often constrained by money and time. And scientific literature is dense and, regrettably, often inaccessible behind paywalls.

Unfortunately, information on readily accessible websites is often inaccurate – but detecting errors can be very difficult for non-experts. What can authors reasonably do? Our suggestion is to reach out to scientists.

The solution

Joining forces can create literature filled with accurate yet accessible and engaging information spanning the complexity and nuances of Australian ecology. Many scientists want to work with authors to help tell stories about the plants, animals, fungi, slime moulds, microbes, other lifeforms, and ecosystems they know and love.

There are many ways to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships between scientists and authors. These could include inviting each other to conferences and writers’ festivals, establishing scientist- or author-in-residence programs, or establishing online communities where people can find each other.

We argue science communication has a key role to play too. This is how we formed collaborations with Australian author and illustrator Sarah Allen. Reflecting on her journey, Allen has said:

I’ve had an interest in environmental education for a long while and I love non-fiction picture books. One night, I was up late illustrating a unicorn book, and heard ecologist Professor Euan Ritchie talking on Radio National about Australia’s extinction crisis. The interview literally stopped me in my tracks. I put my pen down from the unicorns and thought… I have to do something about this. I set about researching and writing a book about marsupials.

Working together is a win-win

The arts and sciences are inherently creative pursuits — both create and convey information — so it’s a natural pairing. Artists are master communicators and scientists often want to maximise the impact of the knowledge they’ve created, to reach people and audiences they may not be equipped to. Collaborations here are a win-win.

Australian author, comedian and musician Tim Minchin, put it best when he said the separation between the arts and sciences is a “recent, stupid and damaging idea”. But we can fix this. Working together will benefit our children, wildlife, environment and society.

Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society, and President of the Australian Mammal Society.

Kate Umbers receives funding from Australian Research Council, the Hermon Slade Foundation, the Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, and Western Sydney University. Kate is a Councillor on the Biodiversity Council, Managing Director of Invertebrates Australia, The Department of Climate Change Energy, Environment, and Water, the Holsworth Society,

– ref. Here’s why more Australian scientists should team up with authors on books about animals – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-more-australian-scientists-should-team-up-with-authors-on-books-about-animals-230211

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graham Edgar, Senior Marine Ecologist, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania

When fish are taken from our oceans faster than they can reproduce, their population numbers decline. This over-fishing upsets marine ecosystems. It’s also bad for human populations that rely on fish for protein in their diets.

To manage fishing areas sustainably, we need accurate data on how many fish exist and how abundant they will be in future. Fisheries scientists use complex mathematical models to determine this.

But an investigation by my colleagues and I, published today in the journal Science, casts serious doubt on the accuracy of these models.

We studied 230 fisheries around the world. We found populations of many overfished species are in far worse condition than has been reported, and the sustainability of fisheries was overstated. Urgent action is needed to ensure our oceans are not fished below their capacity to recover.

Alarming findings

A sustainable fishing operation would ensure the numbers of fish caught does not outstrip the capacity of a fish population to reproduce. In cases where an area has been overfished, stocks should be given time to rebuild.

To determine appropriate catch rates, computer models are used to assess fish stocks. The models are fed data such as fish biology, catch history, and rates of fish breeding, growth and death.

Our investigation tested how accurate estimates of fish stocks actually are. It involved examining data from 230 of the world’s largest fisheries, spanning 128 fish species. They include fishing areas off Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina and South Africa.

We focused on the depletion in the “biomass”, or total weight, of fish stocks. When fish catch falls to below 10% of its biomass when fishing began, the fish stock is widely said to have collapsed.

For each fish stock, we took data that provided the best estimate of stock depletion at a given year in the past. The data was produced by scientists and reported to fisheries managers and databases.

We compared this historical data to updated modelling produced years later. The updated data was the most recent assessment of that fish stock, but was also “backdated” to the same year as the historical data. The more recent estimates should be more accurate because they are based on data collected over a longer period, and after improvements in the modelling process.

So what did we find? The earlier stock assessments were often too optimistic about the number of fish in the ocean.

For sustainably fished stocks, the earlier estimates were generally accurate. But for stocks that were overfished, most earlier data turned out to be substantially overestimated. In many cases, fish stocks were regarded at the time to be recovering when they were in fact declining.

Among over-fished stocks, we estimated the number of collapsed stocks was likely 85% larger than currently recognised.

How has this discrepancy come about? The models used to make stock assessments are complex and involve many inputs. This can lead to uncertain or inaccurate results – a problem that accumulates each time a value is entered into the model.

As I outline below, the consequences can be devastating.

The case of the jackass morwong

The jackass morwong (also known as deep sea perch) is found off southern Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, models estimated the total stock size for south-eastern Australia at 4,680 tonnes – 22% of the 21,200 tonnes that existed when fishing began. This estimate informed decisions by fisheries managers about how many fish could sustainably be caught in future years.

But modelling in 2014 indicated stock size in 2009 was more likely to have been 3,330 tonnes, and the initial stock size was probably about 28,800 tonnes. That means in 2009, stocks were likely to have depleted to 12% of original levels, not 22%.

The inaccurate estimates mean the “total allowable fish catch” set by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority for jackass morwong is likely to have been unsustainable. Fishing continued with little constraint and the morwong population continued to decline for a decade.

By 2022, however, the declining fish numbers were clear. That year, the authority announced five ocean areas would close to trawl fishers, in a bid to protect the jackass morwong and other fish species. The federal government also allocated about A$24 million to buy back fishing vessel permits.

This probably could have been avoided if accurate stock models had been applied and the full extent of depletion recognised a decade earlier.

Fundamental change is needed

Our research shows the global problem of overfishing is far worse than currently recognised. So what should be done?

Clearly, scientists should try to improve the accuracy of models used to assess fish stocks.

And management of fisheries should be far more cautious, to protect fish stocks around the world. This is vital for sustainable fisheries, healthy oceans, and our own food security.

Graham Edgar 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. Investigation reveals global fisheries are in far worse shape than we thought – and many have already collapsed – https://theconversation.com/investigation-reveals-global-fisheries-are-in-far-worse-shape-than-we-thought-and-many-have-already-collapsed-237306

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

Eating oranges at half-time has been a popular and long-standing tradition at junior sports in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

They are also regularly eaten by professional athletes in competitions such as the Australian Football League, as well as the National Basketball Association and National Football League (NFL) in America.

In fact, the NFL’s game operations manual states each home team must provide “three dozen sliced oranges for half-time” for the visiting team, as well as other things like ice, coffee and gum.

But why do we do this? And how did it start?

Origins of oranges in sport

The exact origins of this relationship between oranges and sport are hard to pin down.

According to US business Florida Fruit Shippers, eating oranges has been a tradition in England since the 1950s.

Another suggested origin story, from the America Youth Soccer Organisation, is the tradition was started by a donation from a supportive local citrus growing business.

It has also been suggested that in Australia and the UK, it may have emerged during the second world war, linked to government concerns about poor nutrition after rationing.

Similar to school students being given free milk to help prevent diseases such as rickets, they were also given oranges to assist with vitamin c and iron deficiencies, as vitamin c has been shown to enhance iron absorption from plant sources.

Benefits of eating oranges

Fruits like oranges contain carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals; carbohydrates are important in providing energy while vitamins and minerals are important in growth and development.

Together these nutrients help contribute to good health.

In Australia, only about two-thirds of children up to the age of 18 eat the recommended serves of fruit. For good health, you should try to eat at least two serves of fruit every day.

Encouraging children to eat fruit could help improve their health and sports performance.

To help children perform in junior sports it is important to provide healthy snacks that help them to play at their best.

Choosing fruit at half-time (or quarter-time) is a great way to increase fruit intake. There are also benefits from eating oranges over lollies, which contain only added sugars.

One benefit is oranges (along with watermelon, strawberries or grapes) is that they contain large amounts of water. This can help with staying hydrated, which is vital in all sports at all ages.

Another benefit is oranges contain natural sugars to provide energy during exercise. This makes them ideal half-time snacks.

An average sized orange will provide around 10-12 grams of carbohydrate via natural sugars. This carbohydrate is easy to digest to provide sustained energy.

In sports with shorter durations, additional bursts of energy are not always essential, as muscle stores are less likely to be as depleted.

So although oranges aren’t essential in shorter duration sports that go for less than 75 minutes, they can assist with hydration, provide a release of energy and include key nutrients to help children stay healthy.

Plus, their natural sweetness can make them enjoyable.

Are there any downsides?

Despite the benefits of eating oranges, 15 years ago, Netball Queensland reportedly banned them at half-time.

The concern? Potential damage to children’s teeth due to the acidity of oranges. Coaches were encouraged to promote fluids instead of oranges to keep players hydrated.

While it’s true that increased consumption of fruits and fruit juices can harm teeth, eating a few orange slices at half-time is unlikely to cause significant damage.

In fact, dehydration is more of a concern for dentists due to the resulting lack of saliva production.

Saliva helps to protect the teeth from tooth decay and erosion – when saliva production is reduced, so too is the protection of teeth.

Recently, some South Australian soccer clubs have also banned oranges, with some teams replacing them with lollies. This shift seems to have evolved from parents talking to each other and deciding a sugar hit is beneficial.

But lollies are often sticky, causing them to adhere to the tooth’s surface and remain there for extended periods. This prolonged exposure to sugar increases the risk of tooth decay.

A fact sheet endorsed by Nutrition Australia and Australian Dental Association states eating lollies is not recommended for junior players.

Not everyone has given up on the orange though.

The Victorian government’s Vic Kids Eat Well program still promotes the idea of “refuel with fruit”, encouraging junior players to snack on easy-to-prepare fruits such as sliced oranges and apples.

They also suggest lower-acidity alternatives like watermelon or bananas.

So while it’s difficult to know exactly how, where and why oranges became so ubiquitous in sport, they do seem to serve a purpose for athletes of all ages and abilities.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How and why did half-time oranges in junior sports become a tradition? – https://theconversation.com/how-and-why-did-half-time-oranges-in-junior-sports-become-a-tradition-234919