Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nataliya Ilyushina, Research Fellow, RMIT University

Amid management changes at Twitter, discontented users are exploring an alternative social media platform called Bluesky. According to media reports, downloads of the Bluesky app surged more than 600% in April.

Initially conceived by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019 as a complementary project aimed to improve Twitter user experience, Bluesky transitioned into a standalone project in early 2022, and its iOS app was released in February this year followed by an Android version in April.

Visually, Bluesky looks similar to Twitter. The timeline is called the “skyline” and tweets are “skeets”. It has two main differences that drive its popularity – decentralisation and invite-only access.

Decentralisation was a driving force behind Dorsey’s creation of Bluesky. So what does that mean and how’s this app different to Twitter?

Read more:
What is Mastodon, the ‘Twitter alternative’ people are flocking to? Here’s everything you need to know

‘Decentralised’ social media

Dorsey is a big proponent of decentralised control and cryptocurrency. He believes centralised platforms like Twitter cannot address issues such as enforcement of policies to address abuse and misinformation, and the proprietary algorithms are not meeting user needs.

Twitter uses an AI-powered, centrally managed algorithm to moderate what content the user is exposed to.

On Bluesky, however, users have control over the algorithm that selects what they are exposed to. As Wired magazine explained:

Crucially, users and servers will be able to label posts or specific users – e.g., with a tag like “racist” — and anyone can subscribe to that list of labels, blocking posts on that basis.

Bluesky calls this concept a “composable, customizable marketplace of algorithms that lets you take control of how you spend your attention.”

In addition to giving users more control over what kind of content they see, Bluesky has plans to “decentralise” control of social media even further. If all goes well, Bluesky itself will just be the first of many interconnected social networks running on the same basic principles.

Bluesky is based on what it calls the AT protocol, a network that allows servers to communicate with each other. This means that, hypothetically, you could move your account between different social networks that also use the AT protocol without losing your content and followers.

It’s worth noting this is all a bit theoretical for now; this functionality can’t be used yet.

But it is designed to eventually address the concerns of social media influencers who fear losing their audience due to platform rule changes or when choosing to move to a different platform.

Invite-only

Another distinguishing factor of Bluesky is that, for now anyway, it is invitation-only.

Most social media platforms, including Twitter, allow users to register freely. Bluesky, however, requires an invitation code. Existing users receive invitation codes fortnightly.

Despite at least 360,000 Bluesky app downloads, it’s been reported there are only 70,000 users. Media reported earlier this month there were a staggering 1.9 million people on the waitlist.

With so many people curious to get in, the Bluesky invites became a hot commodity. You can find them on eBay between A$50 and $200; some listings were asking much more.

The invitation-only design ensures steady user growth, avoiding a rapid influx of users followed by a sudden loss of interest.

And potential new users who patiently wait for an invitation are already familiar with Bluesky. Flooding other social media platforms with requests for invitation codes creates extra interest, too.

Every new Bluesky user knows at least one existing user. It ensures users have something in common to post about.

It would seem Bluesky’s creators aimed to selectively bring in like-minded individuals from the start, rather than attempting to retrospectively eliminate problematic users.

Thanks to a great deal of user control over the content they see, and a small and selective user base so far, many report they’ve found a friendly atmosphere and good vibes on Bluesky.

Others say it feels almost like a group chat. Bluesky has particularly resonated with marginalised communities, especially transgender people, who may feel safer there expressing themselves than on other social media sites.

But will any of this last?

As we’ve all seen, social media sites come and go.

Social media site Mastodon experienced explosive user growth in November last year, reaching 2.6 million users within weeks, only to decline to 1.2 million within a couple of months.

Decentralised moderation challenges on Mastodon have resulted in what some users have described as a “stuffy” culture. This, coupled with the complicated interface and the hard to grasp concept of “belonging” to a server, may have affected its chance of lasting success.

Unlike Mastodon, Bluesky has a simple and straightforward interface. To remain relevant in the long term, Bluesky must strike a delicate balance between curbing hate speech and trolls while maintaining engaging content and discussions. All while being more captivating than your inner-circle group chats.

Nataliya Ilyushina receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society.

– ref. What is Bluesky and how’s it different to Twitter? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-bluesky-and-hows-it-different-to-twitter-205995

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, PhD Student/Epidemiologist, University of Wollongong

Medical decision-making is complex. There are often hundreds, if not thousands, of published studies that may impact how to manage your medical condition.

Some studies look at which drug is best in a particular situation, or whether pain is better treated by, say, avoiding exercise or seeing a physio for therapeutic massage.

In this morass of difficult choices, Cochrane reviews stand out as internationally trusted and independent. They are considered the “gold standard” in evidence-based medicine.

They involve teams of researchers looking through all the published academic research on a topic to produce an overall answer on what the best evidence says about different treatments.

However, Cochrane has recently come under fire after a controversial review that looked at whether wearing masks in the community during COVID worked to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.

Studies like this can raise the question of how useful Cochrane reviews are, particularly for the general public.

Issues with evidence-based medicine

As with any research process, Cochrane reviews are not perfect. And they cannot answer all medical questions.

The entire process – from gathering data based primarily on randomised clinical trials, to reviewing that data and coming to some conclusion about the evidence – was mostly developed in the context of clinical interventions. Randomised trials are a type of medical study where people are given treatments in a controlled, random way, giving a robust estimate of whether the treatment works for the condition that’s being studied.

People regularly question whether this “gold standard” framework deals well with things other than surgery, drugs and the like.

For example, take the mask review mentioned above. Much of the criticism was focused not on the specifics of the included papers, but on the general idea of whether randomised clinical trials are an appropriate way to measure the impact of masks on respiratory disease.

What is the “gold standard” if randomised trials are impossible, unethical, or otherwise inappropriate? For example, if an intervention like vaccination is already proven effective, you can’t ethically randomise people into a group that doesn’t get the treatment.

Read more:
Yes, masks reduce the risk of spreading COVID, despite a review saying they don’t

This gets at the underlying question of what a Cochrane review is actually there to do. The key aim of aggregating research this way is to filter out the noise and provide the most accurate data on a specific question.

Sometimes, the most honest answer is that we just don’t have enough evidence to make a conclusion.

In other cases, there is evidence, but not from randomised clinical trials. Then the debate becomes about how much weight to give this evidence, whether and how to include it, and how to draw conclusions based on this data.

This may seem arbitrary, but there are good reasons to be wary of findings based only on observational research. A systematic review of observational trials of hormone replacement therapy led to widespread use in the late 90s for preventative health, until randomised trials showed the therapy had little to no benefit.

This isn’t actually a new problem. Indeed, it’s something Cochrane has been grappling with for years.

For example, a recent Cochrane review into vaping to help people quit smoking included quite a few non-randomised trials. These were not given the same weight as randomised research, but did provide support for the central finding of the review.

Read more:
Controlled experiments won’t tell us which Indigenous health programs are working

Cochrane is OK about being criticised …

There have been many issues raised with Cochrane teams over the years. This includes problems with how reviewers rate trials included in the reviews.

However, the organisation is famously transparent. If you have an issue with a particular review, you can post your comments publicly. I did this, sharing my concerns about a review on using the drug ivermectin to treat COVID.

Cochrane is also good at incorporating criticism. It even has a prize for the best criticism of its work.

Read more:
The government says NDIS supports should be ‘evidence-based’ – but can they be?

… even if reviews take time

There’s a reason so many experts trust Cochrane. The occasional controversy aside, Cochrane reviews are generally the most detailed and rigorous summary of the evidence on any question you can find.

This attention to detail comes at a cost. Cochrane reviews are often the final word on a subject, not just because they are so robust, but because they take a very long time to come out.

Cochrane aims to publish reviews within two years. But more than half take longer to complete. Cochrane reviews are also meant to be updated regularly, but many have not been updated for more than five years.

Read more:
Clinical trials are useful – here’s how we can ensure they stay so

In a nutshell

Cochrane reviews can be flawed, cannot answer all medical questions and, while comprehensive, can take long to complete.

But there’s a reason that these reviews are considered the gold standard in medical research. They are detailed, lengthy, and very impressive pieces of work.

With more than 9,000 Cochrane reviews so far, these are still usually the best evidence we have to answer a range of medical questions.

I have previously worked with several members of Cochrane Australia on unaffiliated projects.

– ref. Does my treatment work? How major medical reviews can be ‘gold standard’ evidence, yet flawed – https://theconversation.com/does-my-treatment-work-how-major-medical-reviews-can-be-gold-standard-evidence-yet-flawed-205014

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wilma Hart, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland

Chocolate sales have boomed in recent months. As the cost-of-living crisis bites, consumers are increasingly reaching for chocolate as a simple and affordable pleasure.

The most important ingredient in chocolate is cocoa beans, which come from plants grown in the tropics. About 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa. The countries of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ghana are two of the biggest producers.

Meeting the world’s insatiable appetite for chocolate has wrought a huge environmental cost, as the incredibly rich and diverse rainforests of West Africa are razed to make way for cocoa farms.

Research by my colleagues and me, released today, sheds new light on the problem. By generating a new high-resolution map of cocoa growing areas in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, we found the area under cocoa production is truly enormous – and may be associated with up to 37% of forest loss in protected areas.

The price of cocoa farming

The Upper Guinean forests of West Africa have been classified as a “global biodiversity hotspot”, due to their exceptional concentrations of plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. But much of this forest has now been destroyed.

Since 1950, Côte d’Ivoire has lost up to 90% of its forest cover and Ghana has lost 65%. Cocoa has been a primary driver of this deforestation, together with other crops, mining and logging.

But the exact contribution of cocoa plantations to the problem is not well understood. This is due in part to a lack of an accurate, high-resolution map of cocoa-growing areas.

Without a map, we don’t know where the chocolate we consume comes from. In particular, we don’t know whether the cocoa was grown in formerly forested areas, or even illegally in protected areas.

Read more:
Child labour on farms in Africa: it’s important to make a distinction between what’s harmful, and what isn’t

What we did

We set out to determine the location and extent of cocoa plantations by using artificial intelligence (AI).

We used a type of AI known as a “neural network”, which allows computers to recognise and predict patterns in data. When a neural network is trained on satellite images showing different land uses, it can apply this “understanding” to identify the same land uses in satellite images of other geographic areas.

In our study, we trained the neural network to recognise cocoa plantations across Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. We did this using satellite images, together with the known locations of more than 100,000 cocoa farms.

We then checked the accuracy of the information provided by the neural network, by engaging field teams to confirm the results at 2,000 random locations on the ground.

This combination of advanced technology and hard fieldwork allowed us to create the first high-resolution map of cocoa production across West Africa. And what the map tells us is worrying.

Read more:
Chocolate chemistry – a food scientist explains how the beloved treat gets its flavor, texture and tricky reputation as an ingredient

What we found

We found that the land area devoted to cocoa is enormous, comprising more than 7 million hectares of plantations across both countries. The result is far greater than official figures – up to 40% higher in Ghana’s case.

What’s more, much of the cocoa plantation area exists in vast areas of what was once native forest. And more than 1.5 million hectares of land under cocoa production is located in protected areas.

Deforestation in protected areas is a major issue globally. Given where we found cocoa growing, and where forest loss has been observed, we estimate more than 37% of deforestation in protected areas can be linked to cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire. For Ghana, the figure is 13%.

How do we fix this?

Our map demonstrates the massive role that cocoa may be playing in forest destruction in West Africa, including in protected areas.

This is a complex problem, with no easy fix. Cocoa is grown by an estimated two million mostly small-scale farmers, who typically live below the poverty line on less than US$1 a day. Expanding their cocoa farms into forest is one way farmers and their families can maintain or improve their livelihoods.

To fix this problem, we must help farmers manage existing farms in a more productive and sustainable way. Stronger law enforcement is also needed, to safeguard protected areas. Both will require action from governments and companies.

More money from chocolate sales should end up with the farmer. And consumers may also have to pay more for their chocolate.

Only determined changes on all these fronts will preserve the remaining forests of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Wilma Hart receives funding from the Lindt Cocoa Foundation, the Joint Cocoa Research Found, BiodivClim ERA-Net COFUND Programme and the Queensland Government through the Advance Queensland Women’s Research Assistance Program.

– ref. The real cost of your chocolate habit: new research reveals the bittersweet truth of cocoa farming in Africa’s forests – https://theconversation.com/the-real-cost-of-your-chocolate-habit-new-research-reveals-the-bittersweet-truth-of-cocoa-farming-in-africas-forests-206082

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annabelle Workman, Research Fellow, Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne

Two billion people, including many Australians, will find themselves living in dangerously hot places this century if global warming reaches 2.7℃, research released today reveals.

The authors calculated how many people would be left outside the “human climate niche” by 2100. The niche is defined as places with an average temperature of about 13℃, or about 27℃ in the tropics. Human population has historically peaked in these areas.

The world is on track for 2.7℃ of warming by 2100. This would push a third of people on Earth outside the human climate niche. This includes people in parts of northwest Australia such as Darwin, Broome and Port Hedland. It also includes parts of Southeast Asia, India, Africa and South America.

Limiting warming to 1.5℃ would substantially reduce the number of people exposed, including most of those affected in northwest Australia.

We were not involved in the research, which was conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom, China, Europe and United States. We are Australian experts in the health implications of global warming. Below, we discuss the broader implications of these globally significant findings.

What is the human cost of global warming?

The research calculated the number of people outside the “human climate niche” under different demographic scenarios and levels of warming. Exposure to unprecedented heat was the main factor pushing people out of the niche.

This includes an average temperature greater than or equal to 29℃, as well as a high number of days with a maximum temperature above 40℃ or in humid places, with a wet-bulb temperature greater than 28℃. The wet-bulb temperature (as opposed to the standard dry-bulb temperature) reflects humidity and is a method used to measure heat stress. That’s because it’s the point at which sweating is no longer effective as a means of cooling.

The study says a wet-bulb temperature of 35 ℃ can be fatal, especially for vulnerable people, because the body can no longer cool itself.

Above the present level of about 1.2 ℃ global warming, the authors found exposure to unprecedented average temperatures increased markedly, along with increased exposure to temperature extremes.

But 2.7 ℃ of warming threatens a third of the world’s population. The below map shows where in the world people will suffer the worst heat. Almost the entire area of some countries, such as Burkina Faso and Mali in West Africa, would be exposed to unprecedented heat.

Why is warming a health hazard?

Just last week, the World Meteorological Organization predicted global surface temperatures would rise to record levels within the next five years. The temperature is also likely to temporarily climb 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels.

This spells trouble for human health. Even incremental warming increases exposure to health hazards including potentially deadly heatwaves, infectious diseases and diet-related health issues.

Let’s be clear. A 1.5℃ world will result in injury and death, particularly for people in Asia and Africa. Importantly, the people most at risk will be the least capable of protecting themselves: children, the elderly and those with existing health conditions.

While populations closer to the equator are more likely to experience heat-related harm, Australians are by no means immune.

For example, a 2019 study found heat-related health issues in Australia have been grossly underestimated. It found more than 36,000 deaths between 2006 and 2017 were attributable to heat.

And experts predict Darwin could experience an average 265 days a year above 35℃ in a 3℃ warmer world.

Read more:
Here’s why having chocolate can make you feel great or a bit sick – plus 4 tips for better eating

As in other parts of world, primarily high-risk populations in Australia will experience some of the worst impacts from a changing climate. In essence, climate change creates and maintains health inequities.

To date, the Earth’s average surface temperature has warmed 1.2℃ above pre-industrial levels. We must enact ambitious climate policies now if we are to change our dangerous trajectory.

For too long, we have focused disproportionately on the economic costs of climate action for current – often wealthy – groups at the expense of considering the economic costs of inaction for all, including future generations.

Historically health has rarely been included in these economic assessments, much less ethical considerations. Emissions reduction policies need to consider health and equity issues, and in doing so can provide governments with a strategic rationale to act.

How can extreme heat harm health?

There are multiple ways in which climate change can harm human health. Extreme heat can have direct effects, such as dehydration and heat stroke. Groups most at risk include the elderly and those already unwell.

Extreme heat can also harm mental health, increasing rates of injury and death by aggravating existing mental illness. Beyond direct effects, heat can affect health by influencing, for example, agricultural productivity, water security and air quality.

Read more:
Australians are 3 times more worried about climate change than COVID. A mental health crisis is looming

There are physiological limits to adaptation, particularly to heat. These limits can have negative consequences for labour productivity, especially for outdoor workers, and for health service demand, leading to increased hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and ambulance calls.

Pursuing adaptation measures in an effort to reduce the harmful effects of existing climate change is vital, but to protect the health of all, it is critical that we pursue strong emissions reduction measures.

Developing healthier climate policies

Australian climate action targets have improved under the Albanese government, however they remain incompatible with keeping warming to 1.5℃.

Approving additional coal projects is not helpful for reducing emissions or demonstrating climate leadership.

A commitment to develop and implement a National Health and Climate Strategy and establish a National Sustainability and Climate Unit are promising initiatives. This will help to address our woeful performance in a recent assessment showing how national climate commitments don’t link with health.

Last week, the Victorian Government committed to reducing emissions by 75-80% compared with 2005 levels by 2035. Their analysis indicates it will lead to A$5.7 billion in health benefits from improved air quality between 2035 and 2045.

As today’s new research states, the findings highlight the need for “more decisive policy action to limit the human costs and inequities of climate change”. Australia, in particular, must protect children, the elderly and the broader population from the harms they face in a warmer world.

Read more:
Deadly heatwaves threaten to reverse India’s progress on poverty and inequality – new research

Annabelle Workman received a Strategic Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship from the Australian Government to complete her PhD. She is affiliated with the Climate and Health Alliance.

Kathryn Bowen has received funding for climate and health research, policy advice and technical assistance from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, WHO, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, UNEP, USAID, GIZ, EU, Future Earth, City of Melbourne, Victorian Department of Health. She is affiliated with the Climate and Health Alliance as a member of the Advisory Board and sits on the Science Committee of the World Adaptation Science Program.

– ref. Study finds 2 billion people will struggle to survive in a warming world – and these parts of Australia are most vulnerable – https://theconversation.com/study-finds-2-billion-people-will-struggle-to-survive-in-a-warming-world-and-these-parts-of-australia-are-most-vulnerable-205927

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Rosentreter, Senior research fellow, Southern Cross University

Coastal ecosystems can absorb or emit the three main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

We explored how coasts in ten regions of the world differ in greenhouse gas uptake and emissions. Our research published today in Nature Climate Change finds that, globally, our coastal ecosystems are a net greenhouse gas sink, but smaller emissions of potent methane and nitrous oxide gases reduce some of the carbon dioxide uptake.

We found coasts in Europe and Russia are net emitters, while coasts in Southeast Asia and North America have a large uptake of these gases.

Like upland forests and rainforests, ecosystems like coastal wetlands can take up atmospheric CO₂ and turn it into new leaves, roots and other organic matter. When some of this carbon is stored long-term in deep sediments, it can help battle rising CO₂ levels in our atmosphere.

The coastal net greenhouse gas uptake should not be confused with carbon storage. Only part of the coastal greenhouse gas uptake is stored long-term in coastal sediments, while another part is transported to the ocean where it might be stored or released back to the atmosphere.

Not all coasts are the same

Africa and Australia have large swathes of sandy coastline and coastal wetlands. By contrast, Europe and Russia’s cold coastline lacks mangroves or tropical coastal wetlands. These differences drive the changes we found in how different coasts take up or emit greenhouse gases.

The strongest coastal greenhouse gas sink is Southeast Asia, because of its extensive and productive tropical mangrove forests and seagrasses which soak up large amounts of CO₂. North America’s coast is another excellent sink for greenhouse gases, with its salt marshes, mangroves, seagrasses – and Canada’s fjords, glacier-made valleys filled with seawater.

While Australia and New Zealand have long stretches of coastal wetlands soaking up CO₂, this is offset by a large number of estuaries, many of which are a source of greenhouse gases produced by decaying organic matter.

Coasts in Europe and Russia actually release more greenhouse gases than they absorb. Their many polluted tidal estuaries release greenhouse gases, but the colder climate means this region has fewer coastal wetlands to soak these gases back up.

But across the three main greenhouse gases, eight out of the ten world coastal regions are a net greenhouse gas sink.

Some coasts soak up greenhouse gases while others emit more

The world’s coastal ecosystems are enormously diverse, ranging from tropical lagoons to polar fjords to coastal mangrove forests to underwater seagrass meadows. This sheer variety means they differ greatly in how they take up or release greenhouse gases.

For example, we show that fjords around the world take up around 40% of CO₂ that would otherwise be released from tidal systems, deltas and lagoons. Most (86%) of this important CO₂ uptake by fjords comes from the North America region.

By contrast, salt marshes and mangroves are home to trillions of microorganisms which live in deep, oxygen-free sediments, eating dead organic matter and emitting methane and nitrous oxide. Some of these gases reach the atmosphere, making many coastal waters a source of methane and nitrous oxide.

Coastal wetlands release more than three times more methane than all estuaries in the world. But coastal wetlands, also called coastal “blue carbon” wetlands, can be strong sinks of CO₂ and some also take up nitrous oxide. On balance, these coastal ecosystems become a net greenhouse sink when we consider the net effect of these three most important greenhouse gases.

What does the big picture look like? Globally, our research shows our coasts’ ability to take up CO₂ is offset between 9% and 20% by coastal methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Read more:
Half of global methane emissions come from aquatic ecosystems – much of this is human-made

Why is this knowledge important?

If we understand how our coastal ecosystems take up or emit greenhouse gases, we can target the most crucial ecosystems for preservation or restoration.

That’s why many researchers are interested in blue carbon as a way to boost long-term carbon storage. By protecting and restoring mangroves and salt marshes in nations rich in blue carbon, such as Indonesia, we can expand their ability to take these gases back out of the atmosphere and ultimately store some of the carbon long-term in their sediments.

And by reducing nutrient overload, organic matter and wastewater flows into our coastal waterways, we can cut the greenhouse gases emitted by polluted estuaries.

Read more:
Floods of nutrients from fertilisers and wastewater trash our rivers. Could offsetting help?

We shouldn’t just see our coastal ecosystems as a boon to carbon credit markets. They have much more to offer, including many valuable ecosystem services. Our coasts protect our shorelines from severe weather and tides. They are a nursery for many fish and plants. And they’re vital to us as a place to be in nature.

Protecting our coasts is good for us, for nature and for the earth system as it plunges into the climate crisis.

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank our international team of scientists and the Global Carbon Project for initiating this research.

Judith Rosentreter receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Bradley Eyre receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. From mangroves to fjords, coastal ecosystems can take up or emit greenhouse gases. But globally, they’re a vital sink – https://theconversation.com/from-mangroves-to-fjords-coastal-ecosystems-can-take-up-or-emit-greenhouse-gases-but-globally-theyre-a-vital-sink-205473

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Morley, Professor of Social Work, Queensland University of Technology

This article is part of our series on big ideas for the Universities Accord. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and a final report in December 2023.

Mandatory work placements are a vital part of many university degrees. This includes some of the most important degrees in our society, such as nursing, teaching, social work, psychology and the allied health professions.

The time these require varies but is always significant. For example, for social work and occupational therapy programs it is 1,000 hours. Nursing degrees require at least 800 hours of placement. Undergraduate education students need to complete at least 80 days of professional experience.

These positions are not paid.

Amid a cost-of-living crisis, with rising university fees, we can no longer expect students to do this work for free. The Universities Accord has placed a big emphasis on equity and improving participation in higher education. As part of this, it needs to make sure students are not penalised for completing necessary parts of their degrees.

Our research

Late last year, the Australian Council of Heads of School of Social Work commissioned a survey about work experience placements and I led the research team.

More than 700 students around the country responded to the survey, which asked about current challenges for field education, particularly given the COVID pandemic.

We also received nearly 500 responses from educators and practitioners in organisations who host these students.

Income deficits and hidden costs

Our survey found the financial burden of placements on students could be crippling.

Work placements invariably mean students have to travel, potentially pay for parking and wear professional clothing. This immediately leaves students out-of-pocket. As one survey respondent told us:

The extent of the hours and […] the cost of petrol and transport made my placement experience a financial issue.

But students also often have to forgo paid work they have in order to meet their course requirements. As one student noted:

To do unpaid work we have to choose between putting petrol in the car to get to placement or putting food in our stomachs.

More than a third of students (33.7%) said they lost their entire weekly income because of field placement. Another 25% had lost up to 75% of their regular wage.

More than 96% of students said they didn’t have enough money to pay for food, or the clothes and travel required for placement. More than 79% said they knew of other students who have had to defer their social work studies or withdraw from the degree altogether due to placement requirements.

Many told us they had incurred large debts from additional student loans “due to lack of resources”. Others talked about a total disruption to their lives:

I will need to […] resign from my full-time employment and relocate as I will not be able to afford my rent in the city.

This is harming mental health

The disruption caused by work placements was not just financial.
Almost 80% said their mental health had been adversely affected due to the financial hardship associated with their placement. As these students noted:

My mental health has never been so bad after doing placement and now I have to do another one. I have no idea how I’m going to live on such little money for six [more] months.

Students also explained this made it hard to benefit educationally from the placement:

How are we meant to meet learning competencies, support clients to the best of our abilities if we ourselves are suffering due to unfair, unrealistic placement expectations?

Another told us, the placement became just about “getting the hours done, rather than learning”.

What can we change?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, students overwhelmingly supported being paid for field placements. Some described the current situation as “unethical”.

I am already struggling with providing basic needs for my family, such as childcare, mortgage [without being on placement].

This was endorsed by social work educators and practitioners who said “we can no longer justify unpaid labour”.

This idea is not a new one. It has long been been proposed for disciplines such as nursing and education.

Paid placements are the way forward

We need an immediate restructure of how student placements are conceptualised and funded.

We pay apprenticeship wages for trades, so why not support students who are studying vital professions? There are many ways it could work, but here are three possibilities:

1. the government funds organisations who take students on placement to pay them for their work

2. the government funds universities to pay students a bursary, or

3. students doing a placement apply through Services Australia for a special temporary payment.

Whichever way we do it, we need to stop assuming all university students have wealthy parents who can fund their studies. And we need to stop pretending free labour is they best way for students to learn.

Read more:
Why arts degrees and other generalist programs are the future of Australian higher education

Christine Morley received partial funding from the Australian Council of Heads of Schools of Social Work to undertake the research that informed this article
The research team also included: Vanessa Ryan (QUT) Dr Lisa Hodge (CDU), Dr Maree Higgins (UNSW), Prof Linda Briskman (WSU), Dr Robyn Martin (RMIT) and Dr Nicole Hill (UoM).

– ref. ‘We can no longer justify unpaid labour’: why uni students need to be paid for work placements – https://theconversation.com/we-can-no-longer-justify-unpaid-labour-why-uni-students-need-to-be-paid-for-work-placements-203421

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

Shows like The Great on Stan are changing how we look at history. Instead of being all about getting the facts straight, they’re shaking things up and telling the story their own way. These shows are rewriting the rulebook.

In The Great, the narrative deviates significantly from historical reality. This fast-and-loose approach, humorously labelled as “an occasionally true story”, represents a trend of irreverence that has been evolving over the years.

A German-born usurper, Catherine II, holds a significant place in Russian history, second only to Peter the Great.

She played a pivotal role in transforming Russia into a great empire, defying gender norms and expectations of her time. Catherine made Russia a European superpower and established foundations on which Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin based their ideologies of “Mother Russia” – she was the Mother Russia.

The Hulu series The Great takes a bold approach by re-imagining the life of Catherine II as a coarse period comedy. It utilises stunning historical settings to enhance the vivid absurdity of this romp through Russian history in the mid-18th century.

The Great doesn’t pretend to adhere closely to the historical record. Instead, it presents an extravagantly vulgar yet brilliantly humorous portrayal of Catherine II and her era. The series is fast-paced, fiercely witty and tailored for modern audiences, embracing the art of historicising filmmaking.

Taking liberties with history

The Great takes significant liberties with historical facts, distorting the timeline and altering the lineage of its characters.

In The Great, Peter is already emperor when Catherine arrives, whereas in reality, they were married for 17 years before he ascended the throne. In the series, Peter is the son of Peter the Great, whereas the true Peter was his German-born grandson. These creative deviations highlight the show’s inclination towards reimagining historical events for dramatic effect.

While The Great may not align with historical events, it provides an entertaining and irreverent perspective on Catherine the Great’s legacy as a powerful female ruler who shaped Russia’s destiny. Yet, it is not easy to separate fact from fiction, especially with the show’s warped timeline.

Catherine took the power as empress in 1762 and held the supreme authority of Russia until her death in 1796. In her usurpation of the crown, just six months after her husband, Peter III, took the throne, she was assisted by her lover Grigory Orlov.

With his help, she staged a coup and dethroned Peter III “like a child being sent to bed”, drawing admiration from the Machiavellian Frederick the Great of Prussia.

Who was Catherine the Great?

Catherine was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst in 1729 in Stettin, Prussia (now known as Szczecin in Poland).

Her father, a minor German prince, was a Prussian governor of Stettin. Her mother’s royal connections and political machinations brought Sophie to the attention of the reigning Russian empress, Elizabeth. The empress decided to make Sophie the wife of her nephew and heir, Peter.

In 1744, the young German princess arrived in Russia, converted to Russian Orthodoxy, adopted the name Catherine and at the age of 16 was married to Peter.

Initially, Catherine struggled to navigate the complex and intricate dynamics of the Russian court, where Empress Elizabeth held absolute power. However, she was determined to learn and adapt to her new surroundings.

Catherine later reflected that she made a conscious decision to do whatever was necessary and to publicly embrace the beliefs and ideals required of her to be qualified for the crown of the tsars.

A disastrous marriage

Catherine and Peter’s marriage was a disastrous mismatch. They were completely incompatible in terms of intellect and interests.

While Catherine was an erudite lover of European culture, Peter was boorish and immature. He lacked ambition and did not understand his role as the future emperor. Their differences led them to seek intimacy elsewhere, raising questions about the paternity of their son, Paul I, who later believed that his father was Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland-Lithuania.

With Peter’s ascension to the Russian throne upon his aunt Elizabeth’s death in 1762, Catherine recognised the threats to her position and life. Her decision to act and overthrow her husband was accelerated by Peter antagonising the key factions at court and behaving dangerously irrationally, as she wrote in her memoirs.

Within first six months of Peter’s reign, Catherine, supported by her followers, staged a coup, arrested Peter and coerced his abdication. He conveniently died eight days later under uncertain circumstances, possibly murder or an accidental result of a drunken brawl. The official cause of death was stated as “hemorrhoidal colic”, a euphemism for assassination.

Catherine claimed the throne in her own right rather that under the pretence of ruling as regent for her son Paul.

Her coronation highlighted her status as the God-anointed ruler of “All the Russias”, bringing us roughly to where the story is up to in season three of The Great – it is hard to tell.

The Great shocks and entertains by revealing that history can be retold to reflect on contemporary society. People, for all the celebrated progress and “giant leaps forward” are as vulnerable today as they were in the past.

Catherine in The Great whispers “Destiny didn’t do it. I did it.” The historical Catherine would most likely have agreed.

Darius von Guttner Sporzynski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Hulu’s The Great depicts her as humorous and vulgar – the real Catherine the Great is perhaps even more interesting – https://theconversation.com/hulus-the-great-depicts-her-as-humorous-and-vulgar-the-real-catherine-the-great-is-perhaps-even-more-interesting-205394

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne

The treatment of Stan Grant that has driven him off the ABC is a case study in how content on the professional mass media can fuel social media toxicity, especially on issues such as race.

It does not require the professional mass media to be overtly racist to accomplish this, but to send signals of intense disapproval that trolls then use as the basis for their racist attacks.

Grant himself clearly sees this. In his statement on ABC Online announcing his decision to step away from hosting Q+A on ABC television, he wrote:

Since the King’s coronation, I have seen people in the media lie and distort my words. They have tried to depict me as hate-filled. They have accused me of maligning Australia.

He does not accuse the professional mass media outright of racism, and indeed it is difficult to find outright racist statements there.

Instead, he reserves his accusations of racism for social media, writing:

On social media my family and I are regularly mocked or abused. This is not new. Barely a week goes by when I am not racially targeted. My wife is targeted with abuse for being married to a Wiradjuri man.

The professional mass media’s contribution to the racism he writes about is more subtle. It is to be found, first, in the singling out of Grant from the other members of the ABC panel whose discussion as part of the ABC’s coronation coverage has led to the outrage driving Grant away.

A review of The Australian newspaper’s coverage of the controversy in the period between the coronation and the day following Grant’s announcement shows that Grant was named 11 times: that’s more than the other panel members, Craig Foster, Julian Leeser and Teela Reid, put together.

Read more:
Stan Grant stands up to racist abuse. Our research shows many diverse journalists have copped it too

He was portrayed as the personification of all that was said to be wrong with the panel discussion. Yet Foster, who was there as a representative of the republican movement, and Reid, an Aboriginal lawyer, were just as outspoken, in their own ways, about the effect of the monarchy and its place in Australian life.

But Grant is a tall poppy whose performance as the moderator of Q+A was already the subject of controversy, and the attention directed at him reflected that well-established stereotype.

Second, some of the language used to describe Grant’s words – “rant”, “tirade”, “steam-bath of emotion” – was calculated to intensify antipathy towards him.

That is all the trolls need. From there, the hate speech launches off into territory that will not be described here beyond a general statement that it involves varied references to skin colour and attitude.

This is not to say Grant or anyone else should be immune from criticism. Grant is frequently criticised for his interviewing style, and his views are open to legitimate challenge. But the line is drawn at the point where the criticism becomes personal: where his motives are impugned or his race invoked.

The professional mass media well understands the effects its work can have – for good or ill – on those engaged on social media. But it fails to give sufficient weight to this when making judgements about the portrayal of people who are vulnerable to being trolled: women, people of colour, ethnic and religious minorities.

It may be that the lack of diversity, especially in the upper echelons of media organisations, including the ABC, accounts for at least some of this failure.

In the aftermath of Grant’s announcement, Osman Faruqi, formerly a journalist at the ABC and now culture news editor of The Age, wrote a scathing assessment of the ABC in this respect. He writes:

The higher up the organisation you go, the fewer and fewer diverse faces you see […] contributing to a culture that is, at best, dismissive of the needs and concerns of staff and audience who aren’t white and, at worst, actively hostile to them.

Perhaps this goes some way to explaining the ABC management’s appalling lack of support for Grant, his fellow panellists and the journalists who conceived and executed the coronation coverage when they came under severe attack from reactionary elements in Australian politics.

Grant himself called it out, saying no one at the ABC offered a word of public support:

Not one ABC executive has publicly refuted the lies written or spoken about me. I don’t hold any individual responsible. It is an institutional failure.

This was obvious even from the outside. Not until Grant had announced his withdrawal from Q+A did the director of news, Justin Stevens, come out with a statement of support, saying the attacks on him were abhorrent and unacceptable.

Read more:
The power of yindyamarra: how we can bring respect to Australian democracy

And then, finally, the editor-in-chief, David Anderson, broke his silence. He apologised to Grant, saying he was “dismayed” at the “sickening behaviour” he had been exposed to, and announcing a review of the way the ABC responds to racist abuse of its staff.

These are fine sentiments, about two weeks too late.

Where were they when some unnamed source inside the ABC was briefing The Australian that complaints about the coronation coverage were being referred to the organisation’s ombudsman and that senior management were reviewing the way the coronation had been covered?

Leaving the field open while your people are attacked is not the way to run a news organisation. A robust defence was called for when the whips were cracking, but it has taken Grant’s stand to bring it forth.

That defence is set out in the organisation’s editorial policies on impartiality: the requirement to present all principal relevant perspectives on an issue. The coronation was first and foremost an intensely political event, freighted with religious and political history, overlaid with spectacle. The journalists who devised the panel understood this and brought in the principal relevant perspectives: monarchist, Indigenous and republican.

As this article was being written, ABC staff were taking matters into their own hands, walking out in support of Grant. Leadership is coming from the bottom.

Denis Muller 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. Stan Grant’s treatment is a failure of ABC’s leadership, mass media, and debate in this country – https://theconversation.com/stan-grants-treatment-is-a-failure-of-abcs-leadership-mass-media-and-debate-in-this-country-206080

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

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has condemned the plan to enshrine a constitutional Voice to Parliament as “a symptom of the madness of identity politics which has infected the 21st century”.

As debate on the historic referendum legislation – introduced by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in March – began in the House of Representatives on Monday, Dutton claimed the Voice would “re-racialise our nation.”

“At a time when we need to unite the country, this prime minister’s proposal will permanently divide us by race,” Dutton said.

But Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney told the house: “Constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament is about giving Indigenous Australians a say in the matters that affect us.

“It means delivering structural change that empowers Indigenous communities. It means getting better advice, so we get better policies and better outcomes.”

The debate in the house is expected to continue all week and into next week, with about 70 speakers listed at the moment. When the vote comes, the votes of all MPs will be recorded, even if there is not a division called, because it is a referendum bill. The legislation’s passage is assured because the Liberals are not opposing it.

Dutton condemned the Voice as “regressive, not progressive”.

In the referendum, Australians “will be voting as to whether they should change, or to preserve, our Constitution – our nation’s rule book.

“It’s one of the most important decisions Australians will make in their lifetime.

“Because if Australians vote for change, then our nation, our democracy and their lives will be fundamentally altered – and, in this case, not for the better,” Dutton said.

“The Voice would be the most radical and consequential change to the way our democracy operates in our nation’s history.”

Read more:
Word from The Hill: Government should set date for Voice to start talking

Dutton said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wanted people to vote for the Voice “on a vibe”.

He said Albanese was “seeking to conflate two separate issues. One, the constitutional recognition, and two, enshrining the Voice in the Constitution.

“He wants to leverage the overwhelming public support for constitutional recognition to piggyback his poorly defined, untested and risk-ridden Canberra Voice model.”

What was needed was a “bottom-up approach”, Dutton said, rather than “another top-down one”. “We believe that local communities know best.”

Burney accused Dutton of putting into one speech “every bit of disinformation and misinformation and scare campaigns that exist in this debate”.

She said the Voice had been “a grassroots movement, the culmination of years of discussion, consultation and hard work by so many”.

Recognition through a Voice was about “making a practical difference”.

“The purpose of the Voice is to improve outcomes for our people,” she said. “It is symbolic – and practical.”

Burney said that after a successful referendum “we will work to link the national Voice in at a regional level, in a way that works for local communities”.

“Everyone agrees that the Voice needs to be connected to grassroots communities.

“It’s why regional voices that can plug into a national Voice are so important. And why the investment set by the former Liberal government for regional arrangements remains in the budget.”

Burney said the Voice was constitutionally sound and got the balance right, as the solicitor-general’s opinion made clear.

Read more:
View from The Hill: Albanese should not try to make the Voice the only game in town in Indigenous affairs

But this was “not enough for those hell-bent on dashing the hopes of a people. Not enough for those hell-bent on stoking division.

“It’s not enough for those trying to play politics with an issue that should be above partisan politics,” Burney said.

Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer, who is campaigning for the yes case, strongly rejected Dutton’s argument that the referendum was dividing the country by race.

“This referendum provides an incredible chance to begin righting so many wrongs and to bring about tangible differences in quality-of-life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I think most Australians would agree that the status quo isn’t acceptable and that we as a country must do better. Here is our chance.”

Speaking earlier on the report of the parliamentary inquiry on the Voice, Andrew Gee, who defected from the Nationals to the crossbench because of their opposition to the Voice, said while the committee had heard some differing legal opinions, “I found the evidence that the proposed words are legally sound to be highly persuasive”.

The evidence had showed it was “ridiculous to suggest that the Voice […] could or would imperil Anzac day, federal budgets or nuclear submarine contracts”.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has thrown its weight behind the Voice, joining a number of other sporting bodies. Former NSW Premier Mike Baird, who chairs Cricket Australia, said: “The board is proud of cricket’s powerful and unique history with First Nations people”.

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. Dutton condemns Voice as symptom of ‘identity politics’, as Burney says it will bring ‘better outcomes’ – https://theconversation.com/dutton-condemns-voice-as-symptom-of-identity-politics-as-burney-says-it-will-bring-better-outcomes-206089

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 debt limit is a legislative limit on the overall debt the US government can incur. As the US keeps running budget deficits, the debt keeps increasing. Congress could deal with this permanently by either repealing the debt limit, or increasing it to a very large number.

But instead, Congress has only increased the debt limit enough to give grace for a year or two before it needs to be increased again. The last time the debt limit was increased was December 2021.

The US hit the debt limit on January 19 this year. The Treasury has been taking extraordinary measures to delay a default, but these measures could fail as early as June 1. While the US has never defaulted, there were debt limit crises in 2011 and 2013.

The main reason for the 2011 and 2013 crises was divided government – Democrat Barack Obama was president and Republicans controlled the House of Representatives. This situation is the same now, with Democrat Joe Biden as president and Republicans controlling the House. Republicans have attempted to use the debt limit to demand spending cuts.

Read more:
A brief history of debt ceiling crises and the political chaos they’ve unleashed

Republicans only hold a 222-213 House majority, and it took 15 rounds of voting for Republican Kevin McCarthy to be elected House speaker in early January. But right-wing Republicans won concessions from McCarthy, and the speaker decides what comes to the floor for a vote.

To keep the right onside, McCarthy will probably deny a vote on any debt ceiling increase that excludes major spending cuts, and such cuts would be unacceptable to Democrats.

Democrats had overall control of the presidency, House and Senate until January 3 when the new House started. But they made no real attempt to increase the debt limit and avert a crisis until after the 2024 presidential election. If there is a default, the failure to increase the limit will come back to haunt Democrats, the US and the world economy.

A weaker economy in the presidential election year of 2024 is likely to hurt Biden, so Republicans have some incentive to not compromise on the spending cuts they are demanding.

On April 26, Republicans passed a bill through the House of Representatives by a 217-215 margin that would raise the debt limit in return for big spending cuts that Democrats strongly oppose. All Democrats that voted were opposed.

This bill has no chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate, and would be vetoed by Biden. But it showed that Republicans could pass their agenda. Had the House not passed this bill or something similar, there would be more pressure on Republicans to pass a “clean” debt limit increase – an increase without any spending cuts.

As it is, McCarthy can argue that the House has done its job, and that Democrats need to give ground on spending cuts.

In the last week there have been negotiations over the debt limit between Democratic and Republican leaders, but these negotiations have broken down in the last two days, with both sides blaming the other for changing their positions.

Left-wing Democrats have been urging Biden to use Section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, and effectively declare the debt limit unconstitutional. However, the US Supreme Court currently has a six-to-three right-leaning majority, so it’s unclear whether they would support Biden.

Trump way ahead of DeSantis in Republican primary polls

Republicans and Democrats will both select their presidential candidates for the November 2024 election in a series of nominating contests in each state in early 2024, at which delegates to the national conventions are elected. When we are closer to the voting in the early states, polls of those states will be useful, but for now the national polling is better.

Former President Donald Trump has 53.5% of the vote in the FiveThirtyEight aggregate of national Republican presidential primary polls. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trails far behind on 20.8% and no other candidate has more than 6%. Since this aggregate started in early March, Trump has steadily increased his lead over DeSantis.

For the Democratic primary, there are polls that list many possible candidates, which indicate that Biden could face a contest if a high-profile candidate were to enter. However, Biden will easily defeat the only two other candidates who have actually entered: Robert F Kennedy Jr and Marianne Williamson.

General election Biden vs Trump polls are close

If Biden and Trump both win their parties’ nominations, which current polling suggests is likely, we will have a November 2024 rematch of the 2020 contest which Biden won. The RealClearPolitics average of national Biden vs Trump general election polls currently has Trump leading Biden 44.2-42.8%.

A key reason why this match-up is close is that Biden’s ratings have slumped since the beginning of his presidency.

In his first six months as president, Biden’s approval rating was over 50% in the FiveThirtyEight aggregate. But since October 2021, his approval rating has consistently been below 45%, while his disapproval has been over 50%. Biden’s ratings haven’t changed much in the last few months and are currently at 52.7% disapprove and 42.4% approve (net -10.4).

The two potential hurdles to Biden’s re-election are the economy and his age. A debt default would make the economy far worse, and Biden will be almost 82 by the November 2024 election, though Trump will be 78.

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. The US could default on June 1 owing to gridlock over the debt limit; Biden vs Trump polls are close – https://theconversation.com/the-us-could-default-on-june-1-owing-to-gridlock-over-the-debt-limit-biden-vs-trump-polls-are-close-205924

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathy Bent, Research Fellow, La Trobe University

Most early support programs for autistic children (also called “early interventions”) are provided after diagnosis. But long waiting times can leave families feeling stressed that they are “missing out” on critical opportunities to support their child.

With last week’s government announcement of A$22 million for two new pilot programs, support for babies and their parents is set to become more available – and potentially ease demand for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports.

Our team recently consulted with more than 200 community members, including autistic and non-autistic parents, clinical professionals, and researchers to understand their views on what very early supports might look like.

So what do families need to know about these types of early support and are they worth the hype?

Read more:
Autism and ADHD assessment waits are up to 2 years’ long. What can families do in the meantime?

Increasing support needs

Currently 88,617 children under seven are supported by the NDIS. Some 10% of boys and 4% of girls aged five to seven access the scheme and half of all child participants are registered for autism supports.

The substantial need for services has led government to consider other options for supporting neurodivergent children. Rather than waiting until after an autism diagnosis, very early supports for infants may promote better outcomes while also taking pressure off an overloaded system.

Government interest in very early support programs has increased following research suggesting that for every $1 invested in supporting neurodivergent infants and parents, the NDIS could save at least $3 down the track. The Australian study modelled service costs through to children’s 13th birthday.

Read more:
Therapy for babies showing early signs of autism reduces the chance of clinical diagnosis at age 3

What are autism supports for babies?

Supports provided very early in life, before a diagnosis, are sometimes called “pre-emptive interventions”. The idea is that a relatively small amount of support early on can help prevent future difficulties, as families are better equipped to understand their baby’s skills and needs and respond supportively.

Until now, there has been very limited support available for families before diagnosis. Several different models have been developed and trialled, but these are not widely available in the community.

Our work with the autistic community has identified key recommendations for supports for neurodivergent infants, to assist parents to make informed decisions about what is best for their child.

Because these very early programs are aimed at supporting such young babies, the work should be with the parents, rather than with the child. Supports can involve parent training and education focused on helping parents understand and support their child. Parents might learn strategies and ways of interacting that they can then use at home with their little one.

An example of this might be a clinician and parent observing an infant together and practising noticing their communication cues, or following the infant’s lead and engaging together in activities the infant is interested in (regardless of whether these are “usual” for neurotypical children).

This type of support can be valuable because neurodivergent children can communicate in different ways, and parents might need some help to understand what their baby wants and needs.

Becoming a new parent brings many changes, and insights from the autistic community indicate parents of neurodivergent children may require additional support. Many parents of autistic children may also be neurodivergent or exhibit autistic traits, including sensory sensitivity.

But this won’t look the same for everyone. Supports should be tailored according to what the infant and family needs. The amount of support families need will also vary. It’s got to be balanced so that children can continue to play and participate in the community without the burden of attending too many appointments.

But not all babies who show early signs of neurodivergence will be autistic. Ideally, support provided will be something that is helpful for any child. Community members told us that programs for infants should aim to foster an enriching and supportive environment around the child – promoting secure attachment and supporting infants as they grow into happy, healthy children (and adults).

Similarly, supports should not be aimed at making children appear neurotypical, trying to “fix” or eliminate autism. Rather the aim should be to promote understanding of a baby as an individual, with their own unique strengths and ways of communicating.

Read more:
New national autism guideline will finally give families a roadmap for therapy decisions

What does the evidence say?

This is a relatively new area of research and evidence regarding the effectiveness of supports is still emerging.

An international review of 13 studies reported mixed outcomes with supports leading to an increase in parents’ use of strategies – but this only translated to an improvement in infants’ communication for those who used the strategies consistently. A second review found low to moderate quality evidence overall.

An Australian clinical trial with 103 infants and parents, which some of our team were involved in, showed improvements in communication and a positive impact on developmental outcomes. This study helped inform an initial pilot of similar supports in Western Australia, and is the basis of recent reports of cost savings.

While there is promising local evidence of benefits for one model of very early support, research in this area is ongoing.

What’s next?

The announcement of new pilot programs for babies showing early signs of neurodivergence creates an opportunity for much-needed further research regarding the potential benefits of these very early supports across different contexts and service models.

It will be important for policymakers to consider implementation strategies to help parents use the support strategies at home in order to maximise their benefits.

Autistic community involvement will also be essential to inform the roll out of supports if the program is expanded – to ensure they genuinely benefit those who need them.

Cathy Bent has received funding for the work reported here from the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and La Trobe University ABC Early Career Researchers Award Scheme (Healthy People, Families and Communities Research Theme), and funding for related and other research, including salary support, from the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS). She has also received fees for training on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

Alexandra Aulich has received funding for the work reported here, including salary support, from the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and La Trobe University (Healthy People, Families and Communities Research Theme). She has also received salary support through coordination of training on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

Christos Constantine identifies as autistic. He has worked at La Trobe University to conduct the research reported here, for which he received salary support from grants from the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and La Trobe University (Healthy People, Families and Communities Research Theme).

Kristelle Hudry has received funding for the work reported here from the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and La Trobe University (Healthy People, Families and Communities Research Theme), and funding for related and other research from the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS), and National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the AutismCRC, Autism Queensland, JVCKENWOOD Corporation, La Trobe University (School of Psychology and Public Health, and Understanding Disease Research Focus Area), and the Medical Research Future Fund. She has also received fees in her previous role as Associate Editor for Research in Developmental Disabilities (RIDD) and for training on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

– ref. What is ‘early intervention’ for infants with signs of autism? And how valuable could it be? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-early-intervention-for-infants-with-signs-of-autism-and-how-valuable-could-it-be-205839

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milovan Savic, Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, Swinburne University of Technology

Montana has made an unprecedented move to become the first US state to ban TikTok.

However, doubts have been raised over the decision’s legal foundation, enforcement mechanisms and underlying motives. While the move draws attention to data security on social media, banning TikTok alone may not provide a comprehensive solution to this problem.

For one, the move risks alienating the many young people who have come to rely on the app for meaningful connection, and in some cases their income. It also does little in the way of ensuring better future data privacy and protection for users.

Caught in political crossfire

Since its meteoric rise in 2020, TikTok has been caught in geopolitical tensions between the US and China. These tensions peaked in late 2020 when then-president Donald Trump signed an executive order directing ByteDance – the Chinese media giant and parent company of TikTok – to divest from its US operations, or face being banned. In response, TikTok partnered with Oracle on Project Texas: a US$1.5 billion initiative to relocate all US user data to servers outside China.

Allegations that China-based employees at ByteDance had accessed the TikTok user data led to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appearing before Congress in March amid yet more calls for it to be banned, and reports of the Biden administration pushing for its sale.

Throughout these controversies, TikTok has denied sharing user data with the Chinese government, and said it wouldn’t do so even if asked. Nonetheless, governments worldwide – including in Australia – have banned TikTok on government devices, citing concerns over data protection.

Read more:
Is China out to spy on us through drones and other tech? Perhaps that’s not the question we should be asking

Enforcing a ban is a daunting task

Montana’s new law will make downloading TikTok within state lines illegal from January 1 2024. The law imposes fines of up to US$10,000 per day for entities offering access to or downloads of the app within the state. Users themselves will not incur penalties.

The current legislation places responsibility for blocking access on Apple and Google – the operators of app stores on iOS and Android devices. These companies would be held liable for any violations. However, they lack the capacity to enforce geofencing at the state level, making it difficult for them to prevent Montana residents from downloading TikTok.

As a result, it may ultimately fall on TikTok itself to block usage by Montana residents by collecting geolocation data. But this raises privacy concerns – the very concerns driving the ban in the first place.

For now, the ban’s enforceability remains to be seen. How will the government of Montana prevent users from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access TikTok? VPNs encrypt data traffic and allow users to present themselves as being in another location, making it possible for tech-savvy users to bypass bans. Residents could also cross state lines to download the app.

Montana may become a testing ground for the “TikTok-free America” that some national lawmakers envision. Apart from TikTok, the ban also targets messaging apps including Chinese-owned WeChat and Russian-founded Telegram – highlighting growing apprehensions over data security and privacy.

But it’s unclear if such a ban is an effective solution for lawmakers’ concerns about American users’ privacy and data security.

Even if the ban in Montana is successful, its national impact will be limited. The state has a population of just over one million, whereas the US as a whole has more than 100 million monthly TikTok users. As such, the ban in Montana will likely affect only a few hundred thousand prospective users, at best.

TikTok’s importance for Gen Z

While TikTok’s popularity in the US continues to soar, nearly half of all US-based users are the digital-native teens and 20-somethings of Generation Z. TikTok is Gen Z’s playground.

Young people have protested potential bans by flooding the app with videos mocking lawmakers they see as out of touch with modern technology, further magnifying their disdain for such regulation.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supported young protesters, highlighting the unprecedented nature of banning an app that would stifle free speech while raising questions regarding digital rights in the US.

TikTok has emerged as a vital platform for Gen Z users to express their political views, entertain themselves and interact with their peers. Where other platforms might feel saturated with older generations, TikTok provides an environment where young people can safely lower the barriers to meaningful online participation.

Read more:
TikTok is teaching the world about autism – but is it empowering autistic people or pigeonholing them?

And despite what some may think, it’s not just a quirky app for dance videos. TikTok has become a golden goose for millions of content creators who rely on the app as their stage to showcase their talents, build their brands and connect with fans and customers. Many local small businesses also rely on TikTok to reach potential customers.

With the app now under threat, the future livelihoods of these creators and small businesses are in jeopardy too.

A ban won’t fix privacy and data security issues

A successfully implemented TikTok ban may drive users to Silicon Valley’s big tech platforms. But the security of user data with these companies, including Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) and Google, can’t be assumed to be more secure than TikTok. They also collect significant amounts of user data that can be shared or sold to third-party entities, including those with connections to China or countries with similar data laws.

The underlying issues of data security will persist beyond a TikTok ban. If data security really is the main concern, policymakers should address the problem comprehensively and systematically across social media platforms.

Tackling the root cause is essential. Until that’s done, snapping off the branches – TikTok or otherwise – will do little to keep users’ data safe.

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

– ref. A TikTok ban isn’t a data security solution. It will be difficult to enforce – and could end up hurting users – https://theconversation.com/a-tiktok-ban-isnt-a-data-security-solution-it-will-be-difficult-to-enforce-and-could-end-up-hurting-users-202732

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zac Roberts, Associate lecturer, Macquarie University

In 1965, James Spigelman joined Charlie Perkins and 30 other students on a bus ride around New South Wales to bring attention to the extent of racial discrimination in Australia. This would go on to be known as the Freedom Ride.

Spigelman, who later became the Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court, was an arts student at the time. He later stated his “involvement was obviously determined by personal background as the child of Holocaust survivors”.

Spigelman’s involvement in the Freedom Ride is captured in the 2010 book Hand in Hand. Alongside Spigelman and the Freedom Ride, Hand in Hand covers dozens of other stories of Jews and Indigenous people coming together in good relations and solidarity.

Missing from these stories are the experiences of people who are both Indigenous and Jewish. My newly published research set out to explore some of these stories.

Negotiating identity

When asked about how she fits into the story of Indigenous and Jewish relations, Leah*, a Wiradjuri woman, told me “I don’t know if I fit into the story”.

Leah was raised in a nonreligious household, and was disconnected from her Indigenous community.

After leaving home as a teenager, she found comfort in religious rituals.

As a runaway kid, the people who showed a lot of kindness to me were either the Catholic nuns or Jews. And I always felt […] very fondly towards these weird people who did weird rituals. And I love the rituals of the Catholic Church and I love the rituals of the Jewish cultural and religious people, and … I went on a search for God, you know?

Leah converted to Judaism after meeting her husband, a non-practising cultural Jew. Her conversion was motivated by both a desire to marry and by a deep connection to the cultural and religious aspects of Judaism.

The shared experiences of “connection and heritage and history and spirit” were seen as being very appealing to someone who grew up disconnected from community and culture. Judaism is now an important aspect of her life and identity.

It wasn’t always easy going.

After her synagogue had a change of leadership, Leah experienced a breakdown in community acceptance and belonging and ended up leaving that community.

When the next rabbi came along, he had removed the plate at the front of the door that said, ‘This synagogue stands proudly on the land of Gadigal’. Removed because we’re Jews and we only recognise, really, our land Israel […] I fought and fought and fought and eventually just got so harassed and harangued.

Leah has now found a new synagogue with “a nice big plaque on their door” acknowledging traditional owners , but her experiences demonstrate the complexities of being both Aboriginal and Jewish.

There are a lot of similarities in Jewish and Indigenous experiences and values, but there are just as many differences.

‘How can you be Aboriginal and Jewish?’

Rebecca* is a Koori woman who converted to Judaism 12 years ago. While she is a regular at temple services, she says doesn’t share her Jewish identity with many of her Aboriginal family and community. Her Jewishness and Aboriginality “don’t always act in conversation with each other”.

While her overall experience with both her mob and her Jewish community have been positive, she says people would still ask questions.

People would sort of question me and kind of go, how can you be Aboriginal and Jewish? I’ll be like, ‘Well, why can’t I? How can you be Aboriginal and Muslim? Like, there’s a lot of them too.’ But it’s funny that this is sort of the automatic thing […] people find it hard to digest.

Judaism’s positioning as a world religion as well as a cultural – and sometimes racial – identity poses as a barrier for some people who are both Indigenous and Jewish.

The boundaries between these categories are sometimes blurred. Not all Jews consider themselves Zionist, the nationalist movement in favour of upholding a Jewish state in Palestine. However, there is a dominant belief globally among both Jews and non-Jews alike that all Jewish people are Zionist – or should be.

This belief that all Jews associate themselves with a separate Jewish people causes conflict with some Indigenous communities. In some cases there is an interpretation of this sense of belonging as a rejection of Country and community.

Read more:
Long history with Islam gives Indigenous Australians pride

Zionism and Palestinian solidarity

The relationship between Zionism and settler colonialism in Palestine is a point of increasing tension between Jewish and Indigenous people.

There is a long history of solidarity between Indigenous people and Palestinians. In many cases, this has led to accusations of antisemitism and racist statements directed at Indigenous people.

These tensions are an added layer of complexity for those who are both Indigenous and Jewish.

Caitlin* is Aboriginal on her fathers side; her mother’s family are Holocaust survivors. She says she can see shared values between her Jewish and Aboriginal families, particularly around family and community: a “blood is thicker than water value”.

When I asked Caitlin where she would like to see inter-community relations develop in the future, she seemed conflicted.

From a personal perspective […] it would be nice to see that sort of compassion and acceptance. I’m not super educated in like I’m by no means an expert on what’s going on in like Palestine and Israel and stuff but like, it would be nice to see I guess […] empathy and compassion

The challenges presented in relation to Indigeneity, Jewishness and Zionism are considerable. Relations are complex across and between minority groups.

How individuals navigate these complexities vary but, as Leah reminds me, “you can’t not bring your whole self to something”.

*Names have been changed.

Read more:
Stan Grant stands up to racist abuse. Our research shows many diverse journalists have copped it too

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

– ref. ‘You can’t not bring your whole self to something’: how Jewish Indigenous women are navigating their dual identities – https://theconversation.com/you-cant-not-bring-your-whole-self-to-something-how-jewish-indigenous-women-are-navigating-their-dual-identities-201078

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elodie Camprasse, Research fellow in spider crab ecology, Deakin University

Imagine coming across an injured kangaroo on the side of the road. Or a bat entangled in fruit tree netting. Would you know who to call to get help?

After a quick search, you find the number of your local wildlife rescue service and give them a call. A trained operator gathers the information they need to assess your case and coordinate rescue and rehabilitation if needed.

Across Australia, wildlife emergency response hotlines, such as Wildlife Victoria in Victoria, WIRES in New South Wales and smaller groups throughout the country, offer valuable help to wildlife and members of the public who encounter wildlife emergencies. Data from these services can also help us understand how human activities harm wildlife at a local level. And that in turn highlights what can be done to better protect wildlife.

In newly published research, our team analysed a ten-year dataset from Wildlife Victoria, the main wildlife emergency response service in that state. The service responded to more than 30,000 cases a year, on average, between 2010 and 2019. Around 400 cases a year involved threatened species.

Read more:
10 million animals are hit on our roads each year. Here’s how you can help them (and steer clear of them) these holidays

Human activities are the greatest threat

Many such services operate on a daily basis. They collect enormous amounts of information on human and non-human threats to wildlife, particularly in urban areas.

When you call a service about an animal, a rescuer might need to attend or, if safe to do so, you might be asked to take the animal to a vet clinic free of charge for assessment. Or it might be that the animal, such as a fledgling bird on the ground, just needs to be left alone.

Confirming what studies in Australia and elsewhere have shown, our results demonstrate that human activities do the most harm to wildlife, as opposed to more natural causes such as severe weather or being preyed on by other animals. A majority of cases were reported in the Greater Melbourne area rather than the rest of the state.

As might be expected, common species accounted for most cases. Eastern grey kangaroos, ringtail and brushtail possums and magpies were the most commonly reported species.

Of 443 identified species reported to the service, 81 were listed as threatened. The majority of cases involving threatened species (on the Fauna and Flaura Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List) concerned grey-headed flying foxes.

Generally, the main causes for concern were collisions with vehicles, animals found in an abnormal location (an unnatural habitat where they did not belong) or in buildings, and attacks by cats or dogs.

Read more:
What happens after you take injured wildlife to the vet?

Some species were disproportionately impacted by some threats rather than others and in some locations. For example, kangaroos and koalas were more likely to be victims of vehicle collisions outside Greater Melbourne. In contrast, ringtail possums were more likely to be attacked by cats within the metropolitan area.

Flying foxes were more frequently reported within Greater Melbourne. The main cause of concern was entanglements in nets such as fruit tree netting. The data thus confirmed the danger these nets present.

Read more:
Our laws failed these endangered flying-foxes at every turn. On Saturday, Cairns council will put another nail in the coffin

Services struggle to keep up with demand

Worryingly, Wildlife Victoria recorded a 2.5-fold increase in reported cases from 2010 to 2019.

However, such services are often under-resourced. While the number of cases increased, the number of volunteers able to respond to cases did not. This means a lower proportion of all cases can receive the support they need.

Using data from services such as Wildlife Victoria can help us understand service-demand gaps and where resources would be best allocated to fill these gaps.

We also showed such services provide invaluable education to the community. Around one in five calls resulted in education, rather than requiring an emergency response.

Read more:
Testing the stress levels of rescued koalas allows us to tweak their care so more survive in the wild

Databases are a largely untapped resource

Wildlife emergency response services have a wealth of data that describe the species-specific and location-specific threats wildlife face. Local wildlife managers and organisations interested in protecting wildlife from common threats before they occur could use this data to understand what they can do to achieve this.

For example, the data can help pinpoint where measures such as educating the community on responsible pet ownership, banning the sale of dangerous netting or wire and reducing speed limits would be effective depending on the wildlife affected in specific areas.

The data could also help monitor the success of new laws, campaigns and measures to protect wildlife. For example, researchers in Queensland have used data from their local wildlife rescue services to quantify the reduction in koala deaths from car strikes and dog attacks following a campaign to raise awareness of threats to koalas. This source of information is invaluable because such data can be hard and costly for ecologists and conversationists to collect.

Interested in interacting with Wildlife Victoria’s historical data? Check out this webpage.

Read more:
‘The sad reality is many don’t survive’: how floods affect wildlife, and how you can help them

Dr Elodie Camprasse was employed as an Emergency Response Operator for Wildlife Victoria from October 2016 to August 2021.

Dr Adam Cardilini is a member of the Animal Justice Party and volunteers in it’s policy working group. He is also a fellow at PAN Works (https://panworks.io/), an international ethics think tank dedicated to the wellbeing of animals.

The work in this article was partly supported by funding from Deakin University.

– ref. With hundreds of call-outs every day, wildlife rescue services can help us understand the threats to our native animals – https://theconversation.com/with-hundreds-of-call-outs-every-day-wildlife-rescue-services-can-help-us-understand-the-threats-to-our-native-animals-205841

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Omid Rezaei, PhD Candidate, Edith Cowan University

Australia has long been a nation of migrants. Immigration is now being increased to make up for COVID-related labour shortages. The housing crisis means the new arrivals are likely to face major challenges in finding adequate housing and settling successfully.

The challenges will be particularly great for migrants and refugees from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Our recent research focused on the integration challenges faced by the millions of these migrants who have arrived in Australia since 1975. Our findings show the barriers they face, including discrimination, have not changed significantly since then.

In particular, their problems finding suitable housing and jobs have hampered their integration in Australian society.

Such a situation perpetuates systemic injustices that affect marginalised individuals and communities. The 2017 parliamentary report, No One Teaches You to Be an Australian, highlights the impacts of inadequate access to affordable and suitable housing. It can lead to social isolation, economic disadvantage and poor health for migrants.

The housing situation has become even more challenging since the 2017 report. If immigration is being encouraged, why isn’t more being done to help migrants settle in this country?

Read more:
What’s behind the recent surge in Australia’s net migration – and will it last?

Housing supply isn’t the whole solution

Providing more homes is certainly important. However, it isn’t the complete solution.

Migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds face multiple obstacles to finding suitable and affordable housing. These include language barriers, lack of local housing references, lack of social networks, norms around family size, and unfamiliarity with Australian housing regulations.

A 2022 study of refugees’ housing choices unpacks the complexity of the issue. Its findings point to the need for a broader approach than only providing more homes.

Solutions should target the systemic discrimination against migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds in Australia. It’s a major problem that adds to the already complex issues of access to affordable housing.

Read more:
A white face can be a big help in a discriminatory housing market

Building social networks is a key strategy for overcoming some of the obstacles these migrants face. Our research has found being part of a social network plays a critical role in migrants’ and refugees’ housing choices.

Migrants who have social connections are more likely to be aware of available housing options. They can also get help navigating the complex housing market.

This finding highlights the importance of services that help migrants build social connections and promote community-led initiatives. Housing programs that prioritise diversity and inclusivity are needed.

We have seen some good examples of a holistic approach to housing migrants and refugees in Australia.

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne provides one such integrated housing service. The centre has created a housing model that matches refugees with available housing and support networks. It’s providing refugees with not only a place to live but also a sense of community and support.

Another example comes from the Hume Community Housing Association. It, too, has developed a holistic program to provide affordable, secure housing for refugees and migrants. The program includes services such as employment and education assistance, language classes and social integration activities.

Integration benefits migrants and the country

The integration of migrants is particularly important for Australia’s future prosperity. Migration underpins the projected increase in population to at least 37.4 million by 2066. Successful integration depends on a comprehensive approach, with a particular focus on housing, given its central role in this process.

The Refugee Council of Australia has recommended several ways to improve access to housing for refugees and asylum seekers. These include:

• increasing social and affordable housing options
• enhancing the private rental housing sector via measures such as rental subsidies, tenant support programs and collaboration with housing agencies
• offering customised support services to aid in the transition to sustainable housing, ensuring individuals have access to affordable, long-term housing options.

Read more:
More than 650 refugees arrived in this regional town. Locals’ welcoming attitudes flipped the stereotype

Encouraging immigration without providing the resources needed for successful integration perpetuates systemic injustice that worsens the situation of already marginalised individuals and communities in Australia.

Supporting the integration of immigrants, with access to the services they need, is not just a matter of providing more homes or jobs. It’s also about promoting fairness and equity more broadly.

Integration is a two-way street, and overcoming some of these challenges is beyond the efforts of migrants. It’s up to the host society to adopt supportive policies that ensure successful integration.

Francesca Perugia works for Curtin University. She receives funding from Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) postgraduate top-up scholarship to complete the research linked in this article.

Omid Rezaei and Vicki Banham do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. It’s not just about more homes: unpacking the housing challenges migrants face in Australia – https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-about-more-homes-unpacking-the-housing-challenges-migrants-face-in-australia-204753

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Wilson, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Canterbury

Over the last 12 months, multiple young sex offenders have been given home detention for sexual assault. Time and time again, the argument has been that these men were too young to fully understand the consequences of what they were doing.

But is 25 really too young to understand that sexual assault is wrong? And how old is old enough to be considered fully responsible for your conduct?

The recent case of a 25-year-old church youth group leader and his 15-year-old victim provides some insight into where the court is heading on these key questions.

The case also highlights the need for the parliament to step in and make a call on revising its 2002 Sentencing Act, which currently does not clearly define who a “young offender” is. That gap in the law is what’s allowing discounts for sexual offenders into their mid-20s.

Imprisonment “clearly warranted”

While a youth leader at Otūmoetai Baptist Church, Luke Stainton persuaded a 15-year-old girl to enter into an “intimate relationship” with him. This involved weekly sexual encounters over a one year period. During this time, Stainton sought advice from his church and was told that his actions were inappropriate and needed to stop. He did not follow this advice.

A pre-sentence report described Stainton as placing his “own needs and gratification” first, with “no thought for the victim”. His offending was “calculated” and “planned” to avoid detection, and his expressions of remorse focused on the impact of his behaviour on himself, not the victim.

The report concluded that he was at a medium risk of re-offending. The judge concluded that the report did “not speak very positively of [Stainton]” and that a sentence of imprisonment was “clearly warranted.”

But the defence’s psychiatric report described Stainton as having “considerable naivety for his age” and of “very low-risk of re-offending”. It noted Stainton’s acknowledgement that he made “foolish choices”.

In the end, Stainton was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment, based on a starting sentence of 3.5 years, and discounts of 25% for early guilty plea and 10% for good character. He appealed.

The appeal judge agreed with the approach of the sentencing judge, but then added a further discount of 10% due to his age. This meant that the sentence was now less than 24 months imprisonment, which allowed the judge to convert it to a sentence of home detention.

Are under 25s unable to make good decisions?

Between Stainton’s initial sentencing and his appeal, the Court of Appeal released a separate decision on sentencing of “young people”.

In R v Dickey, three teenagers were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. They appealed this on the basis that the sentences were too harsh given their ages.

The court agreed and reduced their sentences, accepting neuro-scientific evidence that the part of the brain that deals with impulse control, risk assessment and planning may not be fully developed until the age of 25.

If this is the case, then these research findings will need to be taken into account for all sentencing of those under 25.

But should a sentencing discount for age be automatic?

Read more:
Sam Uffindell was lucky to avoid NZ’s criminal justice system as a schoolboy – but it was the right outcome

Stainton does not fit the mould of the young offender described in the Dickey decision. Stainton’s offending was not impulsive, but occurred weekly over a one year period. He did not fail to understand risk, but deliberately planned his offending to avoid detection. Despite this, he received a 10% discount because of his age, with the judge noting that his lack of remorse was evidence of his immaturity.

It is important to note that when an offender shows remorse, this is often taken to mean that the offender has taken responsibility for their actions and shows potential for rehabilitation. This remorse can therefore justify a sentencing discount. But in Stainton’s case, the lack of remorse was interpreted as a sign of his immaturity, warranting the sentencing discount.

Time for parliament to act

As pointed out above, Stainton is the latest in a series of cases in which sex offending against teenage girls is punished only with home detention, and not imprisonment. Despite the young ages of the victims, it is the older offenders who depicted as young and immature.

The victim in the Stainton case suffered from mental health issues in the four years since the offending. Her bravery in coming forward should be recognised.

Read more:
Outrage over a rapist’s home detention highlights the need for victims’ voices in NZ’s sentencing process

The Sentencing Act of 2002 permits a sentencing discount based on “the age of the offender” but does not state when a person is too old to receive this discount.

In the Dickey case, the court suggested that it might apply to under 25s, but added that it was not creating a rule for judges in future cases to follow, and that the maximum age limit was a matter for parliament to decide. Without any further guidance, the judge in Stainton applied the discount to a 25 year old.

New Zealand’s increasing number of cases in which young sex offenders are sentenced to home detention, and the rising age at which they may be able to an age-based discount, suggest it is now time for parliament to revisit the Sentencing Act’s provisions on young offenders.

The parliament should consider this new neuro-scientific evidence – and then clarify, so all New Zealanders know, how old someone needs to be before they are presumed to be fully responsible for their sexual offending.

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

– ref. It’s time to fix NZ’s Sentencing Act, which lets too many young sex offenders avoid jail – https://theconversation.com/its-time-to-fix-nzs-sentencing-act-which-lets-too-many-young-sex-offenders-avoid-jail-205825

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie University

Stan Grant, a well-known Aboriginal journalist and soon-to-be former host of Q+A, has made a stand against racist abuse, saying he is “stepping away” from the media industry. Grant said he’s paid a heavy price for being a journalist and has been a media target for racism.

As authors of a recent Media Diversity Australia report investigating online abuse and safety of diverse journalists, we’re not surprised.

Grant was one the few diverse journalists employed in the Australian media industry. Yet his story of relentless racial abuse is one shared by other journalists who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and racially marginalised, LGBTQIA+ and/or living with disability.

Grant said:

I want no part of it. I want to find a place of grace far from the stench of the media. I want to go where I am not reminded of the social media sewer.

Racism across the media

The latest round of racially motivated abuse came after Grant hosted the ABC’s coverage of the coronation of King Charles.

Grant said:

Since the King’s coronation, I have seen people in the media lie and distort my words. They have tried to depict me as hate filled. They have accused me of maligning Australia.

When Elizabeth II, died many Indigenous journalists and newsreaders were targeted for not sharing the same grief many non-Indigenous people expressed. Narelda Jacobs was one of many Aboriginal journalists who received abuse across social media and was also targeted by mainstream media.

Grant called the ABC’s lack of support an “institutional failure”, saying:

I am writing this because no-one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support.

In response to Grant’s column, a statement was issued from the ABC’s Director News, Justin Stevens, conceding Grant has, over many months, been subject to grotesque racist abuse, including threats to his safety.

The ABC’s Bonner Committee has recommended a full review into the ABC’s responses to racism affecting staff and how they can better support their staff.

What our research found

Our report, Online Safety of Diverse Journalists, commissioned by Media Diversity Australia and released this month, focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and racially marginalised, LGBTQIA+ and/or people living with disability.

This new research followed a 2022 Media Diversity Australia report, Who Gets to Tell Australian Stories 2.0, which detailed significant under-representation of diverse journalists in the industry, particularly Indigenous people and those from culturally and racially marginalised groups.

Our new report focused more on online safety and the high cost for diverse journalists who are often not supported or protected in the workplace. It found 85% of participants had experienced either personal or professional abuse online.

As one participant said:

It’s so ingrained within all parts of society, all the pillars within society, all professions, which includes the media, and I think women, particularly women of colour and from Indigenous backgrounds, they receive the most horrific and vile abuse.

The report has not yet gained interest from the Australian media other than The Fourth Estate who expressed alarm at the findings.

One of the key findings from this research was that diverse journalists often accepted that online harassment and abuse from the public was “just part of the job”. Many reported they were working in what they considered “hostile work environments”.

One participant expressed:

As soon as you say you are a journalist, the response is: you are asking for it.

It was concerning to find the normalisation of online harassment and abuse, and many diverse journalists were reluctant to report their experiences for fear of being considered a problem. Many felt if they raised the issue it would impact any chance of career progression.

A participant commented:

I am cautious revealing my struggles because I don’t want people to think I can’t handle my job.

In his recent experience, Grant said:

Aboriginal people learn to tough it out. That’s the price of survival.

Organisations have a duty of care to their employees. Online harassment and abuse of diverse journalists is a work health and safety issue and needs to be urgently treated as such.

The impact and cost to diverse journalists is high, and many make the same choice as Grant – to leave the industry to protect themselves and their health. Many spoke about how harassment and abuse was not only online; 39% reported the abuse moved offline.

When it comes to thinking about who gets to tell Australian stories or who gets to have a career as a journalist free of harassment and abuse, the Media Diversity Australia report evidences the hostility of the media industry for those who are not white, able bodied, and/or cis-gender and/or heterosexual.

The report also shows, as Grant points out, that online harassment and abuse actively and incessantly targets Indigenous journalists. Although many of the participants stated they were unofficially warned by their workplace to expect online violence, they said they received little support to protect and defend them from racial harassment and abuse.

I started to see exactly what I’d been warned about (…) But there was no mechanism to flag that to say that you had received a racist email to send it somewhere where that person could be put on a watch list or whatever it is, you know, where they’re going to become a serial offender.

Grant echoes the experiences of many participants when he says:

Barely a week goes by when I am not racially targeted.

The research report also reveals that workplace and online harassment in media industry involves fairly predictable culprits. As one participant highlighted, they come from a similar demographic – white men.

Grant’s resignation is a huge loss to Australian journalism. He and other diverse journalists nationally are crying out for action on the part of media bodies and organisations.

There are many other diverse journalists who have left the profession prior to Grant’s departure. One of our interviewees contacted us to say:

If a serious and well respected journalist feels the best thing to do is leave and has had no support from work – what does that mean for the rest of us?

Let’s hope the media industry is finally paying attention.

Bronwyn Carlson received funding from Media Diversity Australia to conduct the research that resulted in the report discussed

Faith Valencia-Forrester received funding from Media Diversity Australia to conduct research for the report discussed in this article.

Madi Day received funding from Media Diversity Australia to conduct the research that resulted in the report discussed.

Susan Forde received funding from Media Diversity Australia to conduct the research discussed in this article.

– ref. Stan Grant stands up to racist abuse. Our research shows many diverse journalists have copped it too – https://theconversation.com/stan-grant-stands-up-to-racist-abuse-our-research-shows-many-diverse-journalists-have-copped-it-too-206063

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University

Right now, hundreds of bushfires are burning across northern Australia. But this is not a wildfire catastrophe – in fact, these burns are making things safer in one of the most fire-prone landscapes in the world.

From April to June each year, fire managers – such as Traditional Owners, park rangers and pastoralists – aim to create small, “cool” fires with care and precision to reduce fuel loads before conditions get severe later in the dry season. This work, “painting” landscapes with fire, is constantly informed by satellite data.

The combination of space technology with Indigenous knowledge and the know-how of pastoralists and park rangers has been everyday practice across northern Australia for the past 20 years. Not only does this work produce some of the best fire management outcomes in the world, it also demonstrates how cutting-edge technology can inform local and traditional knowledge for environmental management.

The satellite view

In the early 2000s, researchers and land managers brought together by the Cooperative Research Centre for the Sustainable Development of Tropical Savannahs realised satellite imagery could be of great help for fire management across Australia’s vast tropical savannas.

These landscapes have always been prone to fire. After First Nations people moved away (or were forced) from these areas over the course of the 20th century, savanna fires became more frequent and intense.

Satellite imagery had long been used to understand the extent and severity of fires and other landscape-altering events. But researchers realised it could also be used to manage those fires – if up-to-date imagery could be provided to the public on a daily basis.

The result was regularly updated maps of recently burnt areas distributed via a website launched in 2003, hosted by Charles Darwin University – North Australian Fire Information (NAFI).

Twenty years on, NAFI’s maps of active fires and burnt areas underpin fire management across northern Australia. The maps are used for planning, response, implementation, and reporting.

Carbon credits and international attention

NAFI’s fire information also informs the federal government’s calculations for carbon credits related to reduced savanna burning, which many people across Australia’s north are using to generate income. Some of this income is then put back into work to reduce the extent and severity of fires.

NAFI fire data also inform the national Australian Fire Danger Rating System so it can be more effectively applied by bushfire agencies in remote areas.

Read more:
The world’s best fire management system is in northern Australia, and it’s led by Indigenous land managers

The same data have provided evidence showing north Australia has had one of the most significant declines in fire across any large landscape globally.

The successes of the NAFI service are drawing international interest as a model for fire information in other fire-susceptible regions around the world.

Painting with fire

Most Australians have a poor understanding of the history of fire on this continent. Fire has been a key human–ecological force that shaped landscapes over tens of thousands of years.

Over the past 20 years, proactive use of fire for landscape management has been revived in northern Australia.

Read more:
We are professional fire watchers, and we’re astounded by the scale of fires in remote Australia right now

The scale of the work undertaken by Northern fire managers, particularly at this time of year when fuel load reduction burns are underway, is easy to see on NAFI.

Landscape-scale fire management, as applied in Northern Australia, is a sophisticated endeavour where science, technology and engineering support local knowledge.

Beyond science and technology

In a world rapidly being transformed by climate change, the skills required to make our societies sustainable and resilient involve more than just science and technology. Good environmental management will also require diverse, locally based skills and capacity to act.

Good fire management, as a case in point, requires an ability to blend skills and ways of thinking across multiple knowledge systems as well as a huge amount of hard work on the land.

Enabling easy, appropriately curated access to satellite-derived land information – and training to understand it – is critical.

NAFI also develops and delivers training for land managers. Through workshops delivered across regional Australia, from remote Indigenous communities in the Kimberley and the top end to pastoralists in northern Queensland and central Australia, we are building high-tech capacity among those with the vital on-ground knowledge.

The journey of NAFI and fire management in northern Australia over the past 20 years illustrates how innovation is not just about technology, no matter how advanced. Innovation produces results when it is combined with other knowledge and put into the hands of the right people in the right way.

Rohan Fisher works for Charles Darwin University and has received federal funding to support the NAFI service.

Peter Jacklyn works for Charles Darwin University and has received federal funding to support the NAFI service.

– ref. ‘Painting with fire’: how northern Australia developed one of the world’s best bushfire management programs – https://theconversation.com/painting-with-fire-how-northern-australia-developed-one-of-the-worlds-best-bushfire-management-programs-205113

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Ralph, Honorary Principal Fellow, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland

For many parents, the reality of juggling the demands of caring responsibilities on their time, energy and resources leaves them with little time to take care of their own wellbeing. This can result in “parental burnout”.

Although the exploration of parental burnout is relatively new, research has identified it as a prevalent issue across global communities and cultures. It’s reported in countries around the world, with the highest prevalence rates rising to 8% of parents in Poland, the United States and Belgium.

You could be forgiven for thinking there’s a simple solution to this growing concern: relax and get some sleep! But again, the reality can be far different.

Read more:
From tiger to free-range parents – what research says about pros and cons of popular parenting styles

4 signs of parental burnout

Parental burnout is not just a buzzword. It’s a growing syndrome that results from chronic parenting stress. It is characterised by four main symptoms for parents:

1. experiencing physical or emotional exhaustion – or both
2. feeling shame about their parenting, or that they’re not as good a parent as they used to be
3. feeling overwhelmed or “fed up” with the role of being a parent
4. feeling emotionally disconnected from their children.

Despite many feeling this way, recent research shows 60% of parents don’t routinely do anything to relax and recharge. This research reports two in five parents feel tiredness impacts their ability to be the kind of parent they want to be, and nearly half of all parents think there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done.

And that’s the conundrum. It can be hugely challenging for caregivers to carve out time and space to look after themselves.

But when they do, it can have a positive impact on their physical and mental health, which can help them to manage the demands of parenting, so children and families benefit too.

Read more:
Emotional abuse is a pattern of hurtful messages – building parenting skills could help prevent it

4 positive things parents can do

So what can parents and carers do to help prevent or reduce burnout when they’re already stretched so thin? Here are four things to explore:

1. Being less critical of yourself

As parents, we can all have days when we don’t feel like we’re doing our best. We may feel disconnected from our children, or emotionally and physically drained. This is where “self-compassion” comes in – being a little kinder to ourselves when we feel stressed or experience setbacks. Not only is this good for parents and carers, it can be a key life skill they can model for their children.

Even though it can be overlooked, or its importance downplayed, self-compassion is a crucial form of self-care. Moreover, research has shown parents who are kind to themselves and prioritise self-care have better overall health and well-being. They also feel more confident in their parenting skills and have more positive interactions with their children. And parent’s well-being, confidence and positive interactions with their children are strongly linked to better outcomes for children, including those with mental health challenges or disability.

Even if you make mistakes or your inner critic starts chiming in, try to reframe its voice into a more positive one. Remember, everyone faces challenges and there is no such thing as a perfect parent or child. Adopting this mindset can help.

2. Reframing self-care

As a parent or carer, it’s common to put your own needs last and see self-care as an optional extra – something that takes precious time away from the responsibilities of parenting, or simply so low on the long list of priorities that it slips off.

However, taking care of yourself is the opposite of being selfish. Parents who prioritise self-care tend to be less self-critical and have better physical and mental health. They also feel more skilled and confident as parents, are able to focus on parenting tasks better – even during stressful times – and are more likely to enjoy parenting.

It can be helpful to remember self-care isn’t just a “nice to have” option. And it’s not selfish to put your needs back into the picture – rather, it’s an important parenting skill that benefits everyone.

Read more:
Your kid is having a meltdown in the supermarket. In tough parenting moments, here’s what you can do

3. Remembering small, everyday moments of self-care have a big impact

The concept of self-care is often portrayed as a special treat or occasional, expensive indulgence. However, it can be more about those small, every day, under-the-radar actions that might only take a few minutes, or even seconds, but can set up positive patterns that can help parents to feel more balanced. Something as simple as pausing to take some slow, deep breaths, going for a short walk in the fresh air or chatting with a supportive friend can help.

Even minor actions can add up over time to help parents navigate ups and downs more positively.

4. Asking for help

Parental burnout is one part of a larger conversation around the realities of being a parent or carer. There are often multiple factors at play that can contribute to burn out, such as lack of support, high levels of responsibility, the impact of natural disasters, looking after ageing parents and financial concerns.

It’s important for parents and carers to be mindful of the signs of burnout, and to seek help where needed. By addressing this issue as one important part of the broader parenting and care-giving journey, we can work towards creating more resilient, positive family environments for parents and children alike.

It is important to acknowledge that it is usually women who shoulder more of the caring load. Partners, employers and extended family should be on the look out for signs of burnout and offer help before they are asked. Offering flexible work arrangements may be helpful, especially for those (for example, single parents) who may be doing it tough.

If parental burn out is affecting your day-to-day life, seek help through Lifeline, Parentline, your GP or an allied health professional. The Australian government has also made an evidence-based parenting support program available for free.

The Parenting and Family Support Centre is partly funded by royalties stemming from published resources of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, which is developed and owned by The University of Queensland (UQ). Royalties are also distributed to the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences at UQ and contributory authors of published Triple P resources. Triple P International (TPI) Pty Ltd is a private company licensed by UniQuest Pty Ltd on behalf of UQ, to publish and disseminate Triple P worldwide. Dr Ralph has no share or ownership of TPI but receives royalties and consultancy fees from UQ and TPI. Dr Ralph is an Honorary Principal Fellow at UQ.

– ref. Exhausted, disconnected and fed up – what is ‘parental burnout’ and what can you do about it? – https://theconversation.com/exhausted-disconnected-and-fed-up-what-is-parental-burnout-and-what-can-you-do-about-it-205572

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Webber, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO

The scrubby harbour-side hills of a South African city recently revealed details of an historical event that transformed Australian coastlines. That event led to the arrival in Australia of a native South African shrub, bitou bush. The invader went on to become one of Australia’s worst weeds, smothering coastal dune vegetation.

While bitou bush has been widespread along Australia’s east coast for decades, the weed arrived in Western Australia relatively recently. The species (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subspecies rotundata) was discovered in 2012 at Kwinana, a port and industrial area south of Perth. This new invasion required urgent attention.

Knowing where a weed has come from is fundamental to managing it well. Understanding how plants are introduced to new regions can enable effective biosecurity measures to be put in place. Establishing a weed’s origin also reveals where to look for its natural enemies, such as insects or fungi, that can be used as classical biological control agents.

Our research set out to decipher how bitou bush originally entered Australia and then spread from east to west. We reveal how the chance of new bitou bush arrivals in Australia is low and better biological control is possible.

Read more:
Attack of the alien invaders: pest plants and animals leave a frightening $1.7 trillion bill

Establishing relationships between populations

Earlier research on bitou bush established Australian populations went through “genetic bottlenecks”, meaning only a few plants, seeds or parts of plants arrived to begin with. However, the work was unable to identify a population in South Africa that was a genetic match to the bitou bush found in Australia.

Our new research took a more comprehensive approach to reveal plants from the South African port of East London were the likely source. Our findings suggested there was a single introduction of bitou bush to eastern Australia, with subsequent movement of material to establish the population in Western Australia more than a century later.

Travel by ballast

To build confidence in our results, we scoured historical archives in Australia and South Africa for records that could support or refute these findings. Could we turn a plausible hypothesis into a feasible smoking gun?

In the storage racks of the National Herbarium of New South Wales lies a pressed sheet of dried plant material. Collected in 1908, this sample – later identified as bitou bush – was from the port-side suburb of Stockton in Newcastle. Newspaper reports revealed Stockton’s local government had been complaining for at least ten years about a weed threat from dry ballast, making it likely the introduction of bitou bush to Australia occurred even earlier.

Dry ballast consists of sand, soil, rocks and other matter used to provide stability to wooden sailing ships that had to travel without a heavy cargo load. This material was usually quarried at the port of departure. At the time, an increasingly large area in Stockton was reclaimed land comprised of ship’s ballast.

We found historical shipping records that showed ships were regularly leaving the South African Port of East London after taking on dry ballast, then sailing directly to Newcastle to collect coal. Before taking on coal, these ships discharged their dry ballast onto the ballast field at Stockton. We found documents showing that in 1904, more than half the ballast arriving in Australia was dumped at Stockton.

Historical maps revealed a ballast quarry on the west side of the Port of East London. This quarry existed in 1902 and exposed remnants can still be seen today. Bitou bush can still be found across the vegetation-covered hillsides near the old quarry. Their seeds are therefore likely to have been contaminants in dry ballast.

To Newcastle and beyond!

The arrival of bitou bush at Stockton was the beginning of a wider invasion of the eastern Australian coastline. The plants now cover 1,600 km from Victoria to Queensland.

This spread included deliberate plantings for dune stabilisation in the 1950s. Our molecular work revealed these dune plantings were enabled by the local collection of seed from a limited number of plants, rather than new material from South Africa or widely sourced seed.

We were not able to conclusively identify the introduction pathway from New South Wales to Western Australia. However, contamination of steel shipments between Newcastle or Port Kembla and Kwinana, or landscape plantings for the companies involved, are considered most likely.

Why does this matter?

The discovery of a potential source population and pathway into Australia for bitou bush reveals two avenues for improved invasive species management.

First, it opens the door to improved biological control. Earlier ineffective agents were sourced in South Africa from populations distantly related to the material introduced into Australia. Many effective agents, particularly pathogens, are highly host specific. New surveys around East London could discover a more effective biological control agent.

Second, the work has clarified the ongoing risk of new introductions following the same pathway. Thankfully the use of dry ballast ceased with the move to steel-hulled ships carrying wet ballast, although the latter has its own biosecurity concerns.

More generally, the case of bitou bush in Australia highlights the problem of inadvertent outcomes from introducing plants, either accidentally or deliberately, without rigorous risk assessment. We must remain vigilant to the risk of introductions facilitated by global trade and maintain strict border biosecurity protocols.

Read more:
Yes, wash your shoes at the airport – but we can do more to stop foot-and-mouth disease ravaging Australia

Bruce Webber receives funding from Fremantle Ports Authority and CSIRO Health & Biosecurity.

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

– ref. A botanical detective story: shedding light on the journey out of Africa for one of Australia’s worst weeds – https://theconversation.com/a-botanical-detective-story-shedding-light-on-the-journey-out-of-africa-for-one-of-australias-worst-weeds-205183

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marek Kowalkiewicz, Professor and Founding Director of QUT Centre for the Digital Economy, Queensland University of Technology

This article is part of our series on big ideas for the Universities Accord. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and a final report in December 2023.

Picture a world where academic research is fast, practical, and beneficial to everyone involved.

In reality, making university research practical, which typically requires working with industry, can take many years. By that time, it might be too late for it to be of benefit.

Research has been singled out as a key priority for the upcoming Universities Accord. The review team has called for advice on “more effective” collaboration between universities and industry to solve “big challenges”.

We are a research group of academics with years of industry experience in global corporations, designers who have worked on everything from airplane cabin controls to wooden sunglasses, and early career researchers, hoping to see their work address problems that matter.

We have devised an approach to make university and industry collaboration effective.

Why traditional research needs a makeover

We have seen it way too many times: academia and industry often struggle to collaborate well.

Traditional academic research can be slow, focusing on advancing knowledge and peer recognition, while freely sharing results.

In contrast, industry research is driven by commercial dynamics and seeks practical solutions to real-world problems as quickly as possible. Often this is done in secret to protect potential profits.

This difference in goals, interests, approaches, incentives and timeframes leads to unique challenges when academics and industry partners work together.

But ultimately, the two need one another. To achieve impact in the real world, universities need to work with industry to implement their research. And industry benefits from academic research, as it is not constrained by traditional ways of thinking and timeline pressures.

Read more:
Australia has way more PhD graduates than academic jobs. Here’s how to rethink doctoral degrees

Introducing research sprints

We started doing “research sprints” in 2015.

We drew inspiration from the “design sprint”, which began at Google. The idea is to build and test a prototype in just five days.

We committed to having all our research projects embrace this same philosophy. We were also guided by “design thinking”, which means we prioritise humans and think first and foremost about the people we are researching for and how the research can meet their needs, while of course ensuring research rigour.

We learned (the hard way) that five days is not enough to ensure research rigour. So our sprints are now always 30 days long – not a day shorter, not a day longer. This pace is bearable for academics and acceptable for industry.

This is how we do it

In our research sprints, we bring together researchers, industry partners, end-users and stakeholders to tackle specific problems and develop practical solutions.

First, we work side-by-side with the industry partner to define the problem, collecting data to understand user and stakeholder needs. Then we brainstorm and co-design solutions, and select the best ones. This is where we tap into our academic research.

After this, we create prototypes and test them with end-users. Finally, we provide the solution to the client for implementation.

But there’s no “handover” – we literally lock ourselves in the same room with partner organisations during each sprint. We’re down in the trenches, rather than up in the ivory tower.

40 sprints so far

Since 2015 we have done about 40 research sprints. Our clients have included state government agencies, local government departments, financial service providers, and manufacturers.

Our projects have included designing superannuation services for gig economy workers, a “digital maturity benchmark” service (which measures an organisation’s digital impact) for a consultancy, or the first version of the Queensland government’s Business Launchpad, which helps start and run a small business.

We were also involved with one of the banks that initiated the Digital Fraud Reporting Exchange, which shares victim information, not just the perpetrator data.

We also run sprints for government policy. We co-created the Queensland government’s Digital Economy Strategy during a research sprint.

Research sprints have a high success rate. In about 63% of cases, the client organisations have implemented or are working on implementing our solutions.

Where do research sprints work best?

Of course, there are times when sprints will not work. Academic research often takes time, and there are situations where expecting results in 30 days is a pipe dream.

Some research questions are also simply of no interest to industry. And that’s OK.

We understand it and carefully focus only on introducing industry-academia collaboration where it makes sense. For us, this is “the first mile” and “the last mile” of research.

We recently ran a research sprint with almost 40 PhD students as participants and five partner organisations. Now the students have a much better understanding of the potential impact of their research. And this “first mile” sprint gives them the necessary motivation to continue their work.

The “last mile” is where we translate mature research work into industry-relevant solutions. Most of our commercial research work happens there.

Read more:
Teaching and research are the core functions of universities. But in Australia, we don’t value teaching

How can we get more academics to ‘sprint?’

The current academic model does not encourage effective collaboration with industry. There are no incentives for academics when their research is implemented. There are no benefits for demonstrating alignment of research with problems industry recognises as important.

When a researcher publishes a paper in a respectable journal, it directly translates to their chances to be promoted, and often leads to additional funds from the university. Successful collaboration with industry should lead to exactly the same type of rewards: career growth and research budget.

Regardless of incentives being present or not, our experience shows once academics have had a chance to participate in a research sprint, they never look back.

How can we make sure more academics are engaging in research sprints? We think we should start by giving every higher degree research student a chance to participate in a research sprint as part of their academic training.

This means every young academic would begin their career by understanding how to make research fast, practical, and beneficial to everyone involved.

Marek Kowalkiewicz received funding from some of the organisations mentioned in this article while running research sprints with them.

Ivano Bongiovanni received funding from some of the organisations mentioned in this article while running research sprints with them.

Peter Townson received funding from some of the organisations mentioned in this article while running research sprints with them.

– ref. We solve problems in 30 days through ‘research sprints’: other academics can do this too – https://theconversation.com/we-solve-problems-in-30-days-through-research-sprints-other-academics-can-do-this-too-204373

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Davie, Deputy Head of School, Senior Lecturer in Piano and Musicology, School of Music, Australian National University

It can be surprising when things are not what they seem. Take books, for example.

I recently finished The Outsider (aka The Stranger) by Albert Camus. I’m told many people read it at a younger age, and to prove the point I was given it by a nephew who’d discovered it as a teenager.

It’s not a particularly long book, yet as I turned the pages it seemed to change, revealing something unexpected. To begin with, I thought it slightly dull: a first-person account of a young Frenchman in Algiers, learning his mother had died.

There follows some rather ordinary reports of him eating, sleeping and, for reasons unknown, feeling constantly tired. He finds a girl that he likes, but doesn’t love. We read about an old neighbour whose dog goes missing, and a younger man who asks him to write a letter. It’s all quite unremarkable.

But after he suddenly shoots a man dead, it’s doubtless a very different book. The portrayal of the lengthy prelude to his trial reveals there are many other things the author has in mind. It seems we are engaged with potentially profound reflections: on ethics, liberty, guilt, religion.

Ultimately, the book rests on a sole question: was the murder premeditated? The characters in the book don’t know. But from our privileged place as witness to the narrator’s inner thoughts from the first page, how could it have been? It’s a tricky position for a reader to be in.

One is led to wonder what it is really about. On the final page, Camus suggests that, rather than feeling the love of the deity to which we should aspire, he senses – and is comforted by – the “tender indifference” of the world.

Read more:
Loin des Hommes, We Are All First Men: Camus’ Algerians and Oelhoffen’s Camus

Not what they seem

I’ve thought about this a while, and decided it’s a philosophical book.

Yet I’m aware that this might be simply how I’m interpreting these events. Indeed, tracing back through my thoughts, I see that for other readers this is possibly a modest story about a few months in the life of a man. Entertaining or not, he’s not a very appealing man at that!

So things like books can be something other than what they seem: what they are on the surface, and the stories we find within, can be wholly dissimilar. If absolute definitions are problematic, perhaps we can dispense with their application to other things.

Take music, for example. Among my friends who work professionally in the field, some are troubled that what to them is an artform is by others classified as just “entertainment”.

I grew up being used to people seeing music as a less-than-serious pursuit. When in my teens I told my grandmother that I wanted to be a musician, she replied that such a thing would be very nice but asked what I would do for a proper job.

(She meant well, she also played piano.)

So in precisely which ways could music be both entertainment and something that is rich and profound?

If you take a piece of music with a beat and play it with conviction, whether it is an Irish jig or a rollicking Baroque gigue by JS Bach, it can make people want to dance. This is a genuine form of entertainment, and perhaps one of music’s first utilities.

If you assemble some memorable words, a pleasing melody and suitable chords, it can make people want to sing along. This has long been the case in folksong traditions, and continues in popular entertainment cultures around the world. It’s notable that Beethoven found it the best solution when he was searching for an ending to his final symphony.

Yet there is something truly ineffable about music in its metaphysical otherness. Like the effect of certain fragrances but more compelling, it can transport us back through time. And not just in momentary bursts. Rather, immersed through its duration, music can move us to our inner core.

Like great authors, creators of music craft narratives of surprising complexity. This can be through the alignment of musical ideas, no matter how small, recurring at pivotal points. Or it can be in the timing of the larger whole, when one encounters a moment of vulnerability where something more exuberant was assumed.

It can be in the ephemeral arc of a melody, or it can be the return to an evocative chord. These things in music that truly speak to us rarely happen by accident. Rather, they reveal the hand of a creative artist, working in one of our most ancient mediums. In the works we hold most highly, it is even believed great music can attain the level of philosophy.

But again, I’m led to ponder how I interpret these events. Tracing back through my thoughts, I see that for other listeners these things might not seem to exist. Could the ears of some be tuned differently to others? Or might these really be just entertaining sounds?

The absence of certainty is the great beauty of it. And sometimes it’s wonderful to be surprised when things are not what they seem.

Read more:
My pilgrimage to the site of Paul Klee’s Hammamet with Its Mosque

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

– ref. The great beauty of art is its absence of certainty – https://theconversation.com/the-great-beauty-of-art-is-its-absence-of-certainty-200172

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

Anthony Albanese now has a firm promise of a state visit to the United States this year, and an invitation to go to China.

If he manages that double-header in coming months, it will be another coup for his foreign policy, underlining both the strength of the Australian-American alliance and the continuing improvement in the relationship with Beijing.

The US visit will be a piece of cake, although no doubt it will lead to a further gritting of teeth from the left of Labor’s base.

The challenges of a trip to China would be more complicated, partly depending on when it occurred and how much further that country had gone in relaxing trade restrictions on Australian products. Last week saw more progress with China bringing Australian timber in from the cold.

Opposition spokesman Simon Birmingham says Albanese should not go before there is “absolute clarity that these trade sanctions are going to be lifted”. That might seem too inflexible, but Albanese would be only too aware of the care he would have to take in such a visit.

China sees the thaw in relations as an opportunity to try to extract concessions – notably on Chinese investment in Australia, and on winning support for its entry to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The Albanese government wants to normalise things, without taking any action that would compromise our national interests. So far, it has (rightly) stepped cautiously, and will need to continue to do so.

When they met for a bilateral during the weekend G7 summit, US President Joe Biden was full of public apologies to Albanese for cancelling this week’s trip to Sydney and Canberra, due to his crisis at home over the debt ceiling.

Albanese (who in an earlier Labor government had been in a few crisis meetings himself) was full of understanding. He’d have done “exactly the same thing”, he said, observing that “all politics is local”. The two signed an agreement for more collaboration on clean energy and climate change.

In the end, while the cancellation of the Australian leg of Biden’s trip swept away the hoopla around having the Quad at the Opera House, and the presidential address to federal parliament, it didn’t matter a great deal.

The leaders of the Quad – which comprises the US, India, Japan and Australia – got together, albeit briefly. (Albanese suggested the fact everyone was happy to delay the G7 dinner to facilitate the Quad meeting showed general recognition of the Quad’s importance.) And various agreements came out of that meeting, the same ones that would have emerged from the aborted Sydney gathering.

In a statement later, Albanese said the Quad leaders discussed regional challenges (for which, read China) and noted they released “a shared vision for the Quad and the Indo-Pacific region”. In practical terms, there were agreements relating to access to clean energy in the Indo-Pacific, and health security and connectivity infrastructure in the region.

Read more:
Grattan on Friday: Albanese governs on softly-softly catchee monkey formula. Would Plibersek or Chalmers have been bolder?

Meanwhile, despite the enormous pressures from high inflation and rising interest rates, the government is using the anniversary of its May 21, 2022, election victory to talk up its achievements on the economy, notably job creation.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Sunday issued a Treasury analysis of ABS employment data showing the government has had the “strongest start for jobs growth” of any Australian government at their first anniversary.

According to these figures, between May 2022 and April 2023, 333,000 more Australians were employed. The next-highest first year number was 198,600 under the Rudd government.

Female employment is at “record highs”, with female unemployment down to 3.3%, the lowest since August 1973.

The government says Australia has posted stronger employment growth than any of the major advanced economies. The Treasury analysis shows wages are growing faster and more people are receiving pay rises since the government won the election. The higher wages growth has left average full-time annual earnings about A$1,000 higher than they would have been under the previous rate of growth, the government says.

We can expect to hear a good deal about these figures from Chalmers in the media and when parliament resumes on Monday. His release brings to mind the practice of his old boss, former Treasurer Wayne Swan, who frequently put out treasury analyses (some of which were contested).

Albanese returns overnight from Japan to a gritty fortnight of parliament, with the House of Representatives debating the legislation for the Voice referendum (the House vote is expected next week) and Senate estimates taking some deep dives into various decisions.

The referendum is still many months away in the final quarter of the year (the government has given no date yet), but the campaigning is stepping up and becoming more fraught.

Read more:
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Labor MP Marion Scrymgour on the Voice and the need for a new NT jobs program

There has been a softening of the “yes” vote in some polling, and last week a nasty stoush broke out between two Indigenous leaders on the “yes” side.

Mick Gooda, a former social justice commissioner, said he feared the defeat of the referendum and proposed removing the reference to the Voice making representatives to “executive government” to boost its chances.

This prompted Noel Pearson, one of the leaders of the Voice campaign, to accuse “little Micky Gooda” of “wetting the bed”.

The government has no intention of changing the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment.

But it will hope its “information program” on the Voice, launched at the weekend and going into a wide range of media, will remove the doubts of some voters who are presently uncertain.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said that in parallel with the media campaign, the Museum of Australian Democracy and Constitution Education Fund Australia were set to deliver a grassroots civics program with general information about the constitution and referendum processes.

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

– ref. View from The Hill: Quad without hoopla still worked, while China visit will require delicate diplomacy – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-quad-without-hoopla-still-worked-while-china-visit-will-require-delicate-diplomacy-206071

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donna Weeks, Professor of Political Science, Musashino University

Hiroshima, the site of this year’s G7 summit, is one of a handful of places in the world that reminds us so starkly of the horrors of wars.

The A-bomb Dome in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, for example, is one of few structures left standing in the neighbourhoods that were flattened by the atomic blast in August 1945. Around the city, there are also “survivor trees” from the blast and burn marks on temple stoneware and statues – reminders of how far and wide it radiated.

It is no surprise that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chose Hiroshima as the setting for the 2023 G7 meeting. Not only are his electoral constituency and family roots located here, he is also an advocate of a nuclear weapons-free world.

And there were hopes the meeting could spur further action towards this ultimate goal of global nuclear disarmament. Kishida said ahead of the meeting,

I believe the first step toward any nuclear disarmament effort is to provide a first-hand experience of the consequences of the atomic bombing and to firmly convey the reality.

Ukraine takes priority

It wasn’t to be. Though the final communique from the summit did make a vague commitment toward a “Hiroshima Vision” for nuclear disarmament, it took a backseat to the main headline from the weekend – the continued global support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

An “unscheduled” visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky certainly raised the stakes for the summit at a critical time in the war.

On Friday evening, the leaders released a strongly worded, six-page statement on Ukraine, which reaffirmed their commitment “to stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine” and condemned “Russia’s manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the impact of Russia’s war on the rest of the world”.

But it was the potential impact of the in-person attendance that might amplify the otherwise rhetorical words of the summit leaders.

Perhaps most importantly, Zelensky’s visit offered countries like India, Brazil, Indonesia and others from the Global South – who haven’t been as strong in their condemnation of Russia’s invasion – an opportunity to meet with Zelensky to hear his side of the story.

For example, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded appropriately empathetic in his first face-to-face meeting with Zelensky since the war began, saying he didn’t consider the war to be “just an issue of economy or politics. For me, it is an issue of humanity.”

Zelensky’s opportunity to make a direct appeal to the leaders may end up being the key statement of the summit, distinguishing it from previous gatherings.

A bigger role for the Global South

But Kishida had other goals for Hiroshima. In fact, he had spent the better part of a year making several trips overseas to talk up his vision for the summit – greater support from the world’s largest economies for developing nations. This is part of his broader aims to ensure global economic security and his brand of “new capitalism”, which he has brandished since becoming prime minister.

In March, he visited Poland and Ukraine, where he met with Zelensky. A month later, he went to Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique, where he declared the “Global South” to be an integral part of his economic security strategy. There were also stops in India, Singapore and South Korea in recent months.

The list of attendees at this year’s conference reflected this deeper focus on the “Global South”. South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, India and Brazil were invited, as well as the Comoros (chair of the African Union), the Cook Islands (chair of the Pacific Islands Forum) and Indonesia (chair of ASEAN).

Japan’s interest here lies partially in countering Chinese and Russian investment and influence in Africa and other parts of the Global South.

The G7 leaders’ final communique reflected this, with a significant focus on African security and a specific mention of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group:

We are seriously concerned about the growing presence of the Russia-affiliated Wagner Group forces on the continent and their destabilising impact and human rights abuses.

For Kishida, having the African and Pacific representatives engaging with the G7 leaders was an important strand of his diplomatic efforts of the last few months, as he noted in his closing remarks.

A sideline Quad, or the Quad sidelined?

Australia had been viewing the summit as a prelude to the official Quad leaders meeting scheduled for Sydney this week. Instead, after US President Joe Biden cancelled the Australia leg of his trip to deal with the budgetary deadlock back home, a meeting of the four member countries was hastily arranged in Japan.

Although it was quite short, the meeting provided the necessary optics – the four leaders still prioritising their shared goals of working together to exert pressure on China’s regional ambitions.

The Quad, like the AUKUS security arrangement between the US, UK and Australia, however, remains something of an anomaly in a region already rich in security arrangements. It is seen by some as exclusionary, perhaps contributing to rising tensions in the region, rather than diminishing them.

The meeting on the sidelines this time may well serve to turn down the gauge, just a little, in the regional security environment.

How much can we expect to change?

Inevitably, at each G7 Summit, there are calls for a review of its purpose. Originally an “informal” grouping of the world’s leading economies, it has become, like the UN Security Council, an institution of a different time. It is somewhat of an anachronism, no longer representative of today’s global economy.

Kishida obviously had great ambitions for this version of the summit, with the invitees from the Global South and a genuine desire to push the issue of nuclear disarmament. In his press conference on Sunday, Kishida reiterated his reasons for gathering world leaders in Hiroshima – to emphasise the importance of pursuing peace.

This summit will be most likely be remembered for Zelensky’s visit and the message it intended to send to Russia. But as leaders make their journeys home, wars will continue and all we are left with are the platitudes that will carry over to the next G7 Summit in 2024.

As for the ageing hibakusha, the survivors of the 1945 atomic bomb in Hiroshima, this may have been their last major opportunity to press for an end to nuclear weapons.

Read more:
The Quad has a strategy to counter China and Russia: be a force for global good without ideological warfare

Donna Weeks travels to Hiroshima regularly for research on peace and sustainability and engages with peace organisations in Tokyo.

– ref. At a G7 Summit high on ambition, nuclear disarmament takes a backseat to Zelensky’s diplomatic appeals – https://theconversation.com/at-a-g7-summit-high-on-ambition-nuclear-disarmament-takes-a-backseat-to-zelenskys-diplomatic-appeals-205829

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Macfarlane, Head of Clinical Services, dementia Support Australia, & Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University

Today’s reporting about the alleged tasering of a 95-year-old woman living at the Yallambee Lodge aged care home in New South Wales has brought the issue of behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia into sharp focus.

Over half of those living in residential care have a dementia diagnosis and up to 95% of those living with dementia will experience such behaviours at some point during their passage through the illness. Common behaviours that might be shown by those living with advanced dementia include agitation, anxiety, attempts to leave care, aggression, apathy, sleep disturbance, aimless pacing, psychosis and aggression.

The full circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s events are unclear and they are subject to an investigation by police. That may take some time. What is clear, however, is that there is much room for improvement in the way behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia are managed in residential care. Situations that end with police involvement should be avoided.

Read more:
Needless treatments: antipsychotic drugs are rarely effective in ‘calming’ dementia patients

Calling for help

In its final report in March 2021, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended “all workers engaged by providers who are
involved in direct contact with people seeking or receiving services in the aged
care system undertake regular training about dementia care and palliative care”.

Currently, it is not infrequent for police to be called to respond to incidents in care homes. While programs have been implemented to better equip police to respond to the specific need of those living with dementia this work is still in its infancy.

Aggression and agitation are two of the most common behavioural symptoms that lead to referral to specialist support services.

Dementia Support Australia is a Commonwealth-funded service that has supported aged care homes and home-based carers in managing behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia since 2016. There were 8,702 referrals to the service between January and June 2022. The number of referrals has increased in recent years.

As an organisation at the frontline of dementia support, we extend our deepest sympathies to the 95-year-old aged care resident, her family, Yallambee Lodge staff and everyone else touched by this devastating incident.

One of the advantages of having a national service such as this is that it has enabled the development of a national database that documents not only the nature and severity of the behaviours prompting the referral, but those factors that are most commonly identified as triggers for these behaviours.

Read more:
Why is my loved one with dementia sometimes ‘there’ and sometimes not?

3 leading causes

Aggression and agitation are not diagnoses in themselves, but symptoms. Symptoms have causes, and these must be identified in order to adequately address behaviour.

The leading contributing factors we have identified in relation to behaviours are:

1. Unidentified or under-treated pain

This is relevant in over 50% of the cases we see. Earlier research on pain management in the setting of advanced dementia has shown those with a dementia diagnosis who are admitted to hospital with hip fractures tend to be prescribed only a fraction of the analgesia given to those without dementia.

2. Carer approach

Care staff receive only minimal levels of training in dementia care as part of their basic qualification and are often unfamiliar with communication strategies tailored towards those with cognitive impairment.

Currently, the minimum qualification for a personal care worker involves no compulsory units in dementia competency. While we do not know the full circumstances from the events this week, the Royal Commission has made recommendations to improve care for those living with dementia. Carer approach is an issue in about a third of the cases we see.

3. Over- and under-stimulation

In about one quarter of Dementia Support Australia cases boredom and loneliness and/or an environment that does not take into account the specific needs of those living with dementia are an issue.

Other common causes of changed behaviour include mood and anxiety disorders, communication difficulties, delirium, sleep problems and poor carer knowledge of the specific likes/dislikes of the individuals they are caring for.

Read more:
Should we move our loved one with dementia into a nursing home? 6 things to consider when making this tough decision

Prevention and calming things down

The best way to manage most behavioural changes is to prevent the circumstances that lead to their development in the first place. Prevention is always better than cure.

Once behaviours are occurring, there is no single correct way to de-escalate them. The appropriate de-escalation strategies will always be specific to what has caused the altered behaviour in the first place.

Unfortunately, when behaviours have escalated to the point where police attendance is required, the responding officers are unlikely to be equipped with the necessary information about the person and their circumstances. That means they won’t be equipped to respond with effective and specific de-escalation strategies.

One case in the United States from 2020 involved the arrest of a 73-year-old woman living with dementia, who had left a local store without paying for items worth a small amount. A lawsuit filed following the arrest alleged it resulted in a fractured arm and a dislocated shoulder, and raised national concerns about the way first responders interact with those experiencing cognitive disabilities.

Australia needs to learn from yesterday’s events and respond.

If you are caring for someone with dementia there is help available. Dementia Support Australia is a free service, fully funded by the Australian government. Referrals can be made 24-hours a day by calling 1800 699 799.

Steve Macfarlane works for Dementia Support Australia. He receives funding from various pharmaceutical companies. He is affiliated with the RANZCP.

– ref. When someone living with dementia is distressed or violent, ‘de-escalation’ is vital – https://theconversation.com/when-someone-living-with-dementia-is-distressed-or-violent-de-escalation-is-vital-205988