Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Zylstra, Research Associate, University of New South Wales, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Curtin University

Every year, government workers around Australia start fires in the bush. The idea behind these prescribed burning programs is that removing dry leaves and branches reduces the chance of bigger, more dangerous fires. Over many decades, prescribed burning has settled into a dogma – an unquestionable good.

This line of thinking dates back to the 1939 Stretton Royal Commission, which followed the catastrophic Black Friday fires. To avoid future devastation, Judge Leonard Stretton called for large-scale prescribed burning to reduce fire fuel.

But Stretton’s crucial main judgement is often omitted from the story. In his judgement, Stretton singled out burning forests to promote pasture as a root cause of Black Friday:

the fire stimulated grass growth; but it encouraged scrub growth far more. Thus was begun the cycle of destruction which cannot be arrested in our day.

If shrubby regrowth is the real problem, why did Stretton call for more prescribed burning? His reasoning: it was too late to change course. Any forest “in a dangerous condition” of dense regrowth had to be cleared or burned.

As our new research on southwestern Australia’s karri and jarrah forests shows, Stretton’s lesser-known comments might hold a solution: burn far less to stop fire-prone regrowth making the next fires worse.

Of bushfire and scrub

For millennia, Australia’s First Nations burned small areas with extraordinary control and precision, sometimes leaving vast landscapes deliberately unburnt. This regime produced a low fire risk landscape of old, open forest, interspersed with a mosaic of areas burnt very frequently.

In comparison, British colonisers used large-scale fires to clear leaf litter and promote pasture for cattle and sheep.

For instance, after years of setting fires along the lower Snowy River, the seasoned bushman K.C Rogers described how the original forests had been converted into “almost impenetrable peppermint scrubs”.

As an unnamed Gundungurra elder once told journalist Dame Mary Gilmore:

[settlers] lit them and let them run like a child that loved destruction.

In his testimony to the 1939 Royal Commission, the Commonwealth Inspector-General of Forests, Charles Lane Poole, said:

the thickening up of our forests is entirely due to fire and the exclusion of fire will render them less susceptible to fire

What Rogers describes as “scrubs” and Lane Poole as “thickening” are the same thing: dense regrowth of fire-prone shrubs after fire.

Plants can calm a fire or feed it. Vegetation near the ground can easily ignite and even carry fire into the canopy, but vegetation high above the ground works to slow the winds fanning the flames. Burning or logging mature forests can lead to decades of higher fire risk.

Short term gain, long-term pain?

Prescribed burning resets the clock, giving a few short years with an open understorey. But the void is soon filled by flammable fast-growing shrubs.

A dry, dense understorey makes bushfires more severe. The single strongest predictor of forest flammability is the height and density of the shrubby understorey.

The alternative is to stop burning and wait for long-term openness to return naturally, as Lane-Poole suggested. As forests age, taller plants able to calm a fire take light, water and nutrients, outcompeting shorter plants which feed fire. But Stretton judged this too risky, as forests left to recover naturally would “always remain dangerously inflammable”.

Official fire records show recovery time can vary from 21 years in ash forests in the Australian Alps, to 56 years in southwest karri and jarrah forests, to nearly a century in the fire-sensitive Great Western Woodlands running from the Nullarbor to the WA Wheatbelt.

Burning the southwest

Since the 1960s, the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has used prescribed burns to reduce fuel load in southwestern forests.

“Fuel load” is a concept invented in the United States to describe layers of pine needles on pine forest floors. Our work shows it’s a poor fit for the Australian bush.

Burning off leaf litter in jarrah and karri forests clears the understorey for perhaps a year. Regrowing shrubs then create a dense understorey for about 50 years before opening up again.

In the southwest, large bushfires almost exclusively occur in forests thick with flammable regrowth. Around Sydney and the Blue Mountains, extreme fires are most common in recently burnt areas.

Challenging the norm

In 2022, the key research underpinning the WA conservation department’s burning regime was debunked.

The same year we published findings showing bushfires were occurring in dense shrubby regrowth. Scientists from the state conservation department responded, saying the department’s records contained flawed data and suggested ignoring all the records for old forests, which showed a decline in flammability over time.

But 98.4% of those old forest records were sound, according to their criteria. When we removed only the flawed ones, our findings became stronger.

We also used advanced modelling to understand how fire risk falls in mature forests: over time, low, dry shrubs are replaced by with taller, less-fire prone plants and trees.

Less fire – in a hotter world?

Would it be worth removing the short-term defence of prescribed burning to bring forests back to a less flammable state?

In our new study, we examined whether phasing out prescribed burning could help Australian forests endure climate change. The answer was clear: it’s entirely possible to stop the cycle of fire feeding more fire, and help forests endure new climatic conditions.

Official records show 77% of all areas burned in over 500,000 hectares of forested southwest national parks this century were due to prescribed burns. Of the remaining burned area, 20% burned from escaped prescribed burns and 23% from backburning done under a key efficiency indicator creating incentives for low cost backburns over direct firefighting. American studies show shifting from direct firefighting to backburning can triple the area burnt annually.

If large-scale prescribed burning and incentives to backburn ended, the area burned annually would immediately fall 87%, leaving only fires started by lightning, accident or arson.

But would fuel accumulate and drive uncontrollable fires? In our new research, we tested this common assumption using previously measured historic trends for the area as a whole and found southwest forests easily passed through the most flammable stages and matured into low-fire environments.

Our modelling suggests less area would be burned in the hotter, drier climate of 2100 than it is today if both widespread burning policies were ended.

What should authorities do?

When Stretton called for more prescribed burns, it was to reduce the risk of new conflagrations. But the megafires have continued. The Black Summer fires of 2019–20 were Australia’s worst to date. They happened despite record prescribed burning in national parks in New South Wales.

Humans have a deep-seated desire to intervene in nature. But our research shows long-unburnt forests act to limit fire without human intervention – even as the climate changes.

Moving away from routine burns doesn’t mean being idle. Authorities need to heavily invest in rapid fire detection and attack, better resourcing firefighters, training and employing many more specialist remote area firefighters and exploring fire-fighting drones.

It’s important to note our research focuses on southwestern forests. Many other Australian forests types also become more flammable through burning. But we haven’t yet crunched the numbers to see if it’s possible to age these forests through the shrubby, fire-prone intermediate phase.

Even so, what we’ve found so far is good news. Terrifying bushfires could become smaller and more manageable – if we overcome the drive to burn the bush.

In a response, a WA DBCA spokesperson said:

Prescribed burning is the State’s main risk mitigation strategy for protecting the community and environment from the devastating impacts of large bushfires. Lower fuel loads result in lower intensity and slower spreading bushfires in summer conditions.

[DBCA] research confirms that prescribed burning is effective in reducing the frequency, severity and size of bushfires in south west forests when at least 45 per cent of the landscape has a fuel age of less than six years since last burnt.

Removing fire from fire-prone ecosystems often leads to high severity fires, as seen in a range of significant bushfires that have occurred in Australia and overseas. Claims that forest flammability declines with age rest on data that remain inadequate. Following these recommendations would be unwise as it would likely lead to substantially increased bushfire risk and impact for many decades.

Philip Zylstra has previously received funding from the NSW Government, the Koorabup Trust, the Wettenhall Foundation, and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Leeuwin Group of Scientists.

David Lindenmayer receives funding from the Australian Government, the NSW Government, and the Victorian Government.

David Lindenmayer is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the American Academy of Sciences, the Ecological Society of America, and the Royal Zoological Society of NSW.

– ref. In 1939, a Royal Commission found burning forests leads to more bushfires. But this cycle of destruction can be stopped – https://theconversation.com/in-1939-a-royal-commission-found-burning-forests-leads-to-more-bushfires-but-this-cycle-of-destruction-can-be-stopped-269099

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kidson, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University

Last week, police confirmed four students at Victorian boarding school Ballarat Grammar had been cautioned over a series of “strappings” of younger students. This followed other allegations of hazings and abuse at the school, which emerged earlier this year. Some of these dated back decades.

Last month, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority took the extraordinary step of stopping Ballarat Grammar from enrolling future students into its boarding community because of ongoing concerns about student welfare and safety.

These responses have cast a spotlight on the place and culture of boarding schools in Australia, less than a decade on from the royal commission into child sex abuse in institutions.

How can boarding schools keep students safe? And why do why do they still exist?

How do boarding schools provide safe environments?

When students board, they are sleeping, eating and socialising at school around the clock. This means extra safeguards are needed, such as safe and age appropriate supervision of students overnight (often via staff on site and secure and alarmed accommodation), regular social activities, and facilitating healthy and timely connection with families and the wider community.

There are also a range of formal expectations boarding schools must meet, particularly around keeping children safe and happy.

State regulators expect boarding schools to “ensure the safety and welfare of boarders” and proactively manage “anti-bullying and harassment”, including cyber-bullying.

The Australian Boarding Schools Association also has its own boarding standard, endorsed by Standards Australia, which requires boarding schools to keep students safe, and ensure staff are well trained and managed.

These reflect the national principles for child safe organisations, developed in response to the child sex abuse royal commission.
The standard includes:

• a trained person be accessible at all times who can administer and manage CPR, allergic reactions, diabetes and epilepsy

• regular reviews of critical incidents and injuries

• working with children clearances for all personnel

• programs promoting social responsibility among students.

Is more needed?

As the Productivity Commission has noted, schools are already burdened with multiple layers of existing bureaucracy, and there’s clearly no shortage of requirements, policy and processes in place for boarding schools.

What’s unclear is why some schools are still not meeting them.

Research shows when schools do not actively promote empathy among students, it can make bullying worse.

Research also suggests schools should run anti-bullying programs among students who board, both before and after they start at the school. A study involving Indigenous students also shows programs teaching social and emotional skills can boost students’ capacities to seek and give help, and to manage conflict.

Why does Australia have boarding schools?

There are almost 21,000 students who board in Australia.

There are more than 200 boarding schools in all states and territories. This is just over 2% of the nearly 10,000 schools spread across the nation. Of these, most are co-educational (117), nearly a quarter are only for girls (50). The smallest proportion are only for boys (35).

Many began in the 19th century in response to the growth of settled and farming communities increasingly distant from major cities. While most have some religious foundation, there are some government boarding schools.

They vary significantly in size. At St Joseph’s College in Sydney, around half of its 1,100 students board. Down the road at Wenona, only 50 of the more than 1,300 students are boarders. Some schools offer weekly boarding.

Do boarding schools help students?

Typically, families will send a child to boarding school to access schooling that is not available close to home. Some will also do so because of long-standing family connection or religious association.

When we compare day students and boarding students at the same schools research suggests there is little difference in terms of their motivation and overall achievement. That is, there is no significant “advantage” to boarding. But this does not consider how many boarders come from rural and remote locations who do not have the same sorts of opportunities as metropolitan-based students, such as facilities, programs and specialist teachers.

Students who board have noticeably better school achievement outcomes, when compared to students who continue to attend schools in rural communities.

Research shows boarding schools can be positive for Indigenous students in particular in terms of their wellbeing and health outcomes. There is also some evidence boarding schools help build academic motivation for Indigenous students.

But boarding schools are are only successful in these respects if they have cultures and systems to support students into the school. This can include mentors, help with scholarship processes, and facilitating ongoing connection with kin and Country.

So boarding schools form part of the diverse landscape of Australian schools. When run well, they give young people learning opportunities they would not have at home.

There is no shortage of standards to ensure these environments are safe – but we need positive and caring cultures to make sure schools are meeting them.

Paul Kidson was an executive teacher and assistant head of a boarding house at Ballarat Grammar School between 2003-2004.

– ref. What makes a healthy and safe boarding school culture? – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-healthy-and-safe-boarding-school-culture-270973

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Courtney Addison, Senior Lecturer, School of Science in Society, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Conservationists have long anticipated the recent announcement that the national effort to eradicate possums, stoats and rats will now include feral cats.

But the government’s decision steers New Zealand’s Predator Free 2050 mission into potentially fractious territory.

It suggests conservation messaging has effectively recast wild-living cats as predators. In doing so, they become the kind of problem that can be solved through the conventional logic of pest control.

The new policy rests on a crucial distinction between feral cats and others, and hinges on their degree of human attachment. A feral cat has no human relationships, while domestic and stray cats have greater involvement in human worlds.

Legally, feral cats are already classified as pests and research suggests this designation is broadly accepted. But as one pest control operator recently told me, even a pet cat in a cage looks and acts feral if it is trapped and afraid.

Conversely, stray and feral cats are often re-homed and made into loving companions. Indeed, cats show remarkable behavioural flexibility – a reminder that deterministic assumptions about species can be risky.

Making feral cats a target species also reflects culture change in real time. There is nothing “natural” about which animals we choose to kill and which we choose to protect.

Although some species’ deaths are widely normalised – think of the few animals we kill in their millions for food – that sense of normality is shaped by deliberate efforts to frame certain animals in particular ways.

As several commentators have noted, the idea of eradicating cats caused public dismay only a decade ago. Today, it is not only thinkable, but doable.

How cats became Predator Free’s next target

The culture shift is likely due to several things, possibly including a growing confidence in the Predator Free mission, careful coalition building by the National Cat Management Group, and a wave of research into cats’ ecological impacts.

We have also heard sustained and strategic messaging from Predator Free that describes cats as “among the most devastating predators in Aotearoa”.

But feline flexibility – cats’ ability to be both a smoochy pet and a stealthy killer, potentially both over the course of a lifetime or even a day – might also be cause for caution.

At a recent Predator Free hui, for instance, one volunteer asked for tips on what to do with a trapped cat. The cautionary response was that the cat might be shot or possibly bludgeoned. (The Animal Welfare Act prohibits drowning because of its cruelty.)

This is quite different from the trapping methods mainly used now, and from the kinds of lethal actions volunteer trappers normally carry out.

Current guidelines say kill traps should only be used in very remote areas; everywhere else, live-capture cage traps are the only option. The result, as you’d expect, is a live, enclosed cat.

Kill traps that meet National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee standards are a kind of “moral delegate”. They remove some of the ethical complexity from the act of killing and make the job more straightforward.

Killing live-trapped cats could instead invite a degree of moral reflection –perhaps even prompt a wider conversation about animal welfare.

Predator Free 2050’s 2020 strategy made no mention of animal welfare, beyond citing the Animal Welfare Act. And its latest research strategy is similarly focused elsewhere.

But the addition of feral cats to the official predator list is an opportunity to engage with these difficult questions. Should anyone be able to kill a trapped cat? What standards and protocols might be necessary?

The cultural catch with cats

It’s easy to see why welfare has not been front and centre of pest control conversations to date.

Until now, the Predator Free 2050 target species have been firm cultural outcasts, regarded as an ecological problem and laden with unfavourable symbolic associations. Cats, even feral ones, are a different beast.

Rather than being associated with viciousness, dirtiness and overpopulation like many other pests, cats are more commonly associated with companionship and cuteness.

Even their hunting skills have historically been a source of value and appreciation, as testified by the use of cats as “ratters” in workplaces, homes and ships.

Although only feral cats fall under the Predator Free remit, their domestic counterparts are already part of the conversation as well.

For example, the multi-stakeholder National Cat Management Group is proposing a National Cat Management Act as part of a broader, welfare-oriented cat strategy that encompasses feral, stray and companion animals.

This too raises questions about what kinds of social creatures we think cats are, or want them to be. Should they become family members who stay in the home? Or do people want cities and neighbourhoods where they encounter cats as well as birds in public spaces?

And what about us? What kind of “cat people” are we?

Courtney Addison is currently funded through the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s Marsden Fast Start fund.

– ref. NZ is taking aim at feral cats. Are we ready for the ethical and practical implications? – https://theconversation.com/nz-is-taking-aim-at-feral-cats-are-we-ready-for-the-ethical-and-practical-implications-270885

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Bond University

From causing a major phone outage to shutting down street lights across parks, suburbs and roads, copper theft has become a clear public safety risk.

Last week, Optus said a phone and mobile data outage that affected more than 14,000 people across south-east Melbourne was triggered by thieves trying to steal copper – and accidentally cutting the wrong cable.

Across the border, last month the South Australia government introduced a bill to crack down on scrap metal theft, particularly copper. That followed more than 2,000 scrap metal thefts from building sites in 2023-24, costing an estimated A$70 million a year – just in one state.

But why are people stealing copper? And what’s being done to stop it?

Why copper is so attractive to thieves

Copper theft has become a multi-billion problem worldwide. In Australia, thieves have recently gone as far as stealing copper memorial plaques from cemeteries.

Back in 2011, an Australian Institute of Criminology tipsheet described scrap metal theft as

a lucrative and attractive venture for thieves and a significant issue for the construction industry.

Scrap metal theft covers a range of metals including copper, steel, lead and aluminium. For instance, catalytic converters are sometimes stolen from cars so criminals can access the palladium, rhodium and platinum in them.

Overseas, a 2024 report found metal theft was costing the United Kingdom’s economy around £480 million (A$970 million) a year.

Scrap metals are among the world’s most recycled materials because of their wide availability. They can be sold to a scrap metal dealer, who then arranges for the metal to be melted and moulded for different uses.

Copper can be recycled again and again, without degrading in the process.

How rising copper prices can drive up thefts

A 2022 systematic review of how changing prices affect the rates of theft for different goods found a 1% increase in the price of a metal can be associated with a 1.2% increase in its theft.

Other past research has also shown that link. For instance, a 2014 UK study showed changes in the price of copper led to more recorded thefts of copper cable from British railways between 2006 and 2012.

The price of copper crashed in 2017 due to factors including a Chinese ban on scrap copper imports. But it has been rising again over the last five years, making it a more attractive target for criminals looking for a quick profit.

Australia’s patchwork response to costly thefts

Police have different powers in different states to tackle copper theft. And this lack of national coordination is part of the problem, as a 2023 Queensland inquiry found.

New South Wales first introduced a Scrap Metal Industry Act in 2016 to target its “largely unregulated and undocumented” scrap metal trade, which it said was “extremely attractive to criminals as a way to make some quick cash”. NSW also tightened its rules and penalties last year.

Victorian scrap metal businesses must also be registered, though under different rules. As in NSW, they’re banned from paying or receiving cash for scrap metal.

Last month, South Australia passed its Scrap Metal Dealers Bill, though it’s yet to come into force. It will give new powers to authorised officers to search, seize and remove evidence – aiming to make it harder to trade in stolen scrap metal.

In Queensland, during the 2024 election campaign, the Liberal National leader (now premier) David Crisafulli promised a legislative crackdown on metal theft.

That’s yet to happen. But the LNP government told the ABC last month it was “committed to cracking down on metal theft and is progressing that work”.

Copper theft has been costing Queensland’s state-owned electricity distribution operators about $4.5 million every year – prompting them to replace thousands of kilometres in underground and overhead copper cabling across southeast Queensland with less valuable aluminium.

A 2023 Queensland parliamentary committee inquiry into scrap metal theft heard that about 200 to 250 scrap metal and car wrecker businesses in Queensland had been operating illegally for years.

The inquiry concluded:

a coordinated approach by all Australian jurisdictions is the best method for combating scrap metal theft. For example, we have heard that stolen goods may be transported and sold interstate. Additionally, we have heard from industry stakeholders that stolen goods are being exported in shipping containers to international destinations where regulations are less prohibitive than in Australia.

Until we get a more coordinated approach, we can all play a role in stopping public thefts of scrap metal, particularly copper.

If you see someone acting suspiciously near electricity infrastructure or a building site, you can report it to police in your state or territory by calling 131 444.

Before joining Bond University, Dr Terry Goldsworthy served with the Queensland Police for 28 years, up to Detective Inspector, from 1985–2013.

– ref. Copper theft is hitting building sites, street lights – and now phones. How do we stop it? – https://theconversation.com/copper-theft-is-hitting-building-sites-street-lights-and-now-phones-how-do-we-stop-it-270781

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lin Tian, Research Fellow, Data Science Institute, University of Technology Sydney

Microsoft just released its latest small language model that can operate directly on the user’s computer. If you haven’t followed the AI industry closely, you might be asking: what exactly is a small language model (SLM)?

As AI becomes increasingly central to how we work, learn and solve problems, understanding the different types of AI models has never been more important. Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others are in widespread use. But small ones are increasingly important, too.

Let’s explore what makes SLMs and LLMs different – and how to choose the right one for your situation.

Firstly, what is a language model?

You can think of language models as incredibly sophisticated pattern-recognition systems that have learned from vast amounts of text.

They can understand questions, generate responses, translate languages, write content, and perform countless other language-related tasks.

The key difference between small and large models lies in their scope, capability and resource requirements.

Small language models are like specialised tools in a toolbox, each designed to do specific jobs extremely well. They typically contain millions to tens of millions of parameters (these are the model’s learned knowledge points).

Large language models, on the other hand, are like having an entire workshop at your disposal – versatile and capable of handling almost any challenge you throw at them, with billions or even trillions of parameters.

What can LLMs do?

Large language models represent the current pinnacle of AI language capabilities. These are the models making headlines for their ability to “write” poetry, debug complex code, engage in conversation, and even help with scientific research.

When you interact with advanced AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude, you’re experiencing the power of LLMs.

The primary strength of LLMs is their versatility. They can handle open-ended conversations, switching seamlessly from discussing marketing strategies to explaining scientific concepts to creative writing. This makes them invaluable for businesses that need AI to handle diverse, unpredictable tasks.

A consulting firm, for instance, might use an LLM to analyse market trends, generate comprehensive reports, translate technical documents, and assist with strategic planning – all with the same model.

LLMs excel at tasks requiring nuanced understanding and complex reasoning. They can interpret context and subtle implications, and generate responses that consider multiple factors simultaneously.

If you need AI to review legal contracts, synthesise information from multiple sources, or engage in creative problem-solving, you need the sophisticated capabilities of an LLM.

These models are also excellent at generalising. Train them on diverse data, and they can extrapolate knowledge to handle scenarios they’ve never explicitly encountered.

However, LLMs require significant computational power and usually run in the cloud, rather than on your own device or computer. In turn, this translates to high operational costs. If you’re processing thousands of requests daily, these costs can add up quickly.

When less is more: SLMs

In contrast to LLMs, small language models excel at specific tasks. They’re fast, efficient and affordable.

Take a library’s book recommendation system. An SLM can learn the library’s catalogue. It “understands” genres, authors and reading levels so it can make great recommendations. Because it’s so small, it doesn’t need expensive computers to run.

SLMs are easy to fine-tune. A language learning app can teach an SLM about common grammar mistakes. A medical clinic can train one to understand appointment scheduling. The model becomes an expert in exactly what you need.

SLMs are faster than LLMs, too – they can deliver answers in milliseconds, rather than seconds. This difference may seem small, but it’s noticeable in applications such as grammar checkers or translation apps, which can’t keep users waiting.

Costs are much smaller, too. Small language models are like LED bulbs – efficient and affordable. Large language models are like stadium lights – powerful but expensive.

Schools, non-profits and small businesses can use SLMs for specific tasks without breaking the bank. For example, Microsoft’s Phi-3 small language models are helping power an agricultural information platform in India to provide services to farmers even in remote places with limited internet.

SLMs are also great for constrained systems such as self-driving cars or satellites that have limited processing power, minimal energy budgets, and no reliable cloud connection. LLMs simply can’t run in these environments. But an SLM, with its smaller footprint, can fit onboard.

Both types of models have their place

What’s better – a minivan or a sports car? A downtown studio apartment or a large house in the suburbs? The answer, of course, is that it depends on your needs and your resources.

The landscape of AI models is rapidly evolving, and the line between small and large models is becoming increasingly nuanced. We’re seeing hybrid approaches where businesses use SLMs for routine tasks and escalate to LLMs for complex queries. This approach optimises both cost and performance.

The choice between small and large language models isn’t about which is objectively better – it’s about which better serves your specific needs.

SLMs offer efficiency, speed and cost-effectiveness for focused applications, making them ideal for businesses with specific use cases and resource constraints.

LLMs provide unmatched versatility and sophistication for complex, varied tasks, justifying their higher resource requirements when a highly capable AI is needed.

Lin Tian receives funding from the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) and the Defence Innovation Network.

Marian-Andrei Rizoiu receives funding from the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), the Australian Department of Home Affairs, and the Commonwealth of Australia as represented by the Defence Science and Technology Group of the Department of Defence.

Marian-Andrei Rizoiu is the Director of the Defence Innovation Network.

– ref. What are small language models and how do they differ from large ones? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-small-language-models-and-how-do-they-differ-from-large-ones-269103

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Mayer, Associate Professor, School of History and Politics, University of Adelaide

There are several predictable cycles in Australian public opinion, and one of them is the moral panic surrounding immigration.

Some readers will remember the immigration panic of the 1990s, which gave rise to Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party.

Then the issue fades from the mainstream, only to return sometime later. Why?

It turns out it’s possible to chart the voters who will become concerned about immigration, and when.

We studied the cycles of concern

There are predictable cycles in public concerns about the level of migrants accepted into Australia.

The most recent wave of migration panic in Australia was made obvious during the anti-immigration protests across capital cities that began in late August this year.

While the numbers who turned up to these protests were small compared to similar rallies in the United Kingdom, they were not insignificant for a settler-colonial nation built on successive waves of migration.

Australia’s history with anti-immigration fears goes back as far as the Lambing Flat riots in New South Wales in 1860, when white miners attacked and drove off about 2,000 Chinese miners.

What characterises almost all these moments is a period of economic recession and rising unemployment.

Generally, when unemployment rises, so does the number of Australians who feel migrant numbers are “too high”. One such cycle occurred in the early 1980s when unemployment, especially youth unemployment, rose sharply.

A second period of near-panic occurred during the recession in the early 1990s, when more than 70% of the population felt migration levels were too high.

There was a secondary burst of concern during the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s; at that time there was rising concern about the number of asylum-seekers arriving by boat.

In that period Pauline Hanson was disendorsed by the Liberal Party and then founded the One Nation Party in 1997.

John Howard responded to the Tampa Affair in 2001 by passing the Border Protection Bill which undercut rising support for One Nation and opened a path to re-election later that year.

Still, the number of undocumented migrants arriving by boat increased sharply up until 2013.

The COVID pandemic appears to have disrupted the close link between rates of unemployment and concern about migration numbers.

In 2018-19, unemployment rates were relatively low but concerns over immigration numbers began to rise. During 2020, with migration barred, concerns over migration plunged.

After the peak of COVID, unemployment levels have remained very low but concerns over migration levels shot up sharply. Here again, the cause is probably economic – this time reflecting concerns over inflation, the cost of living and housing.

Even at this year’s election, the housing crisis was falsely linked to migration.

Trends in age groups

Who is most likely to feel the number of migrants is too high?

Data from recent Australian electoral surveys, taken after each general election, allow us to form a clearer picture.

It’s clear older voters are more likely to feel numbers are too high. Younger generations tend to be less worried about migration numbers than the generations that preceded them.

At the time of the 2022 election, those feeling migration levels were “much too high” fell to single digits, except for Gen X-ers. In this year’s election, a sharp increase in concern is clear, especially for Boomers and Gen X.

How you vote says a lot

When we look at the relationship between political party voters and immigration attitudes, we can see One Nation voters are much more likely to feel concern about the number of migrants.

In 2022, fewer than 10% of supporters of other major parties expressed great concern. In 2025, there was a noticeable divergence between parties of the right and left.

Virtually all One Nation supporters and more than 40% of Liberal and National supporters felt the number of migrants should be “reduced a lot”. There was only a modest increase in concern expressed by Labor voters and virtually no change by Greens supporters.

There is currently sharply rising concern over migrant numbers in Australia, so it is not surprising that support for One Nation has risen.

This is continuing despite a decisive 2025 election win for the Labor Party which originally seemed to suggest the scapegoating of migrants for the nation’s complex problems is unacceptable to the majority of Australians.

Recent data on social cohesion shows “concerning levels of prejudice, particularly towards people of Islamic faith and Australians from Asian and African backgrounds”.

Governments at all levels need to act promptly to contain this latest moral panic.

Sukhmani Khorana receives funding from the Australia Research Council.

Peter Mayer 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. Immigration panic comes in waves. Data shows who worries most, and when – https://theconversation.com/immigration-panic-comes-in-waves-data-shows-who-worries-most-and-when-270565

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kira Button, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Deakin University

A night out should be about friends, dancing and fun. But our new research shows sexual harm is an all-too-common experience.

We interviewed 232 nightlife patrons in Geelong, Victoria, and found half the women and almost one in three men experienced some form of sexual harm on a night out in the past three months.

Sexual harm included non-physical actions such as leering and unwanted sexual comments, and physical behaviours such as groping and forced kissing.

Despite the high prevalence of sexual harm during nights out, most previous research has focused on what makes someone vulnerable to sexual harm – such as the person’s gender, whether they had been drinking, or how often they go out – rather than how or why the harm occurs.

This has created unreasonable expectations on nightlife patrons, especially women. Patrons are expected to prevent harm by covering their drinks, not going anywhere alone, or pretending to have a boyfriend when approached. These strategies are often described by patrons as “necessary” for staying safe when there are few other protections in place.

However, the design, atmosphere and management of nightlife venues can increase or decrease the risk of sexual harm, as our research shows.

Sexual harm was most likely on the dancefloor

We interviewed patrons immediately after they’d left nightlife venues in Geelong on Saturday nights between December 2022 and February 2023. The patrons were age 18 to 65, with a median age of 21 and an roughly even gender split.

During these interviews, we asked whether they had experienced any sexual harm as well as how loud and well-lit they thought the venues were.

We found unsolicited sexual comments, leering and groping were the most common types of sexual harm most and this was most likely to occur on the dancefloor.

More reports of harm in darker venues

Those who attended darker venues experienced more unwanted sexual behaviour. As lighting ratings increased by one unit, meaning the venue got brighter, the odds of experiencing sexual harm decreased by 27%.

This fits with our observational research conducted inside bars and clubs in the same nightlife precinct which found incidents of groping, unwanted grinding and leering were more frequent in darker, louder and more crowded venues.

When a space is dark, noisy and tightly packed, people may feel a sense of anonymity and believe they are unlikely to be caught if they engage in unwanted sexual behaviours.

These conditions also make it harder for staff and security to detect and respond to unwanted touching or other inappropriate behaviour.

We ran a separate national survey and found that just 35–38% of participants reported their experiences of sexual harm to venue staff or police. Most didn’t report because they believed this kind of behaviour was “normal” in nightclubs, didn’t think staff would take their complaints seriously, felt embarrassed, or were worried that they’d be blamed.

What can be done about it?

Preventing sexual harm in nightclubs and bars cannot and should not rely entirely on individuals managing their own risk.

Governments also need to take sexual harm in nightlife seriously. Introducing minimum lighting standards would be one step forward.

Most workplaces need to meet basic lighting standards for safety. Nightclubs should not be exempt. This doesn’t mean switching on harsh, bright lights, but rather ensuring visibility is high enough for staff and security to identify and respond to harm. This could be achieved with coloured lighting or aiming lights at risky areas such as dancefloors and bar queues.

Governments could trial these requirements in high-risk venues, where reports of sexual harm are consistently high. This would target high-risk venues, while encouraging low-risk venues to maintain and strengthen their existing safety practices.

Venue operators, staff and security need to be more accountable for preventing and responding appropriately to sexual harm in their establishments. Venue owners have the power to create safer spaces if they choose to. They can do this by building prevention and intervention into their venue design and management.

Consistent training and clear response procedures can help ensure reports are taken seriously and acted on. When reports are taken seriously, and the person engaging in this unwanted behaviour receives consequences (such as having the police be called or being removed from the venue), this sends a clear message that sexual harm will not be tolerated.

Recent moves in Victoria and New South Wales to add sexual harassment prevention training to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) program is a positive step and a practical way to reach hospitality workers.

However, it should not be seen as a standalone solution to nightlife sexual harm. RSA requirements are often poorly enforced, with many intoxicated patrons still being served. The training needs proper oversight and should be rigorously evaluated to determine if it actually reduces sexual harm.

A night out shouldn’t come with the expectation of sexual harm. Better regulation, oversight and accountability are key to making nightclubs and bars safer.

The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, sexual assault.

LGBTQ+ people who have experienced sexual violence can call the Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline on 1800 497 212.

Kira Button received funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Nicholas Taylor receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Cancer Council, VicHealth, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, the Northern Territory government, and the Queensland government.

Peter Miller receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Northern Territory Government and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. He has previously received grants from NSW Government, National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, Cancer Council Victoria, Queensland government and Australian Drug Foundation. Prof Miller is employed as a consultant to Scopus and Elsevier publishers to fulfil his role as the Psychology Subject Chair on the Content Selection Advisory Board. This involves a retainer, flights and accommodation. He has acted as a paid expert witness on behalf of a licensed venue and a security firm.

– ref. Half of women at nightclubs recently faced sexual comments, groping, or forced kissing – new study – https://theconversation.com/half-of-women-at-nightclubs-recently-faced-sexual-comments-groping-or-forced-kissing-new-study-266364

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Hartland, Adjunct Associate Professor, Lincoln University, New Zealand

As a geochemist studying New Zealand’s freshwater systems, I’ve spent years tracking the subtle chemical shifts in our rivers and lakes.

But nothing prepared me for the rapid transformation unfolding in the Waikato River since the invasion of the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea, also known as the freshwater gold clam).

First detected in May 2023 in Lake Karāpiro, a reservoir lake on the Waikato, this bivalve is now altering the river’s chemistry in ways that could jeopardise drinking water for up to two million people, disrupt hydroelectric power and undermine decades of ecosystem restoration efforts.

Our team’s work reveals how these clams are depleting essential minerals like calcium from the water, impairing arsenic removal during treatment and signalling a rapid escalation with broader impacts ahead.

Native to eastern Asia, the gold clam can self-fertilise and spreads via contaminated gear, birds or floods. Climate change will likely accelerate its invasion.

The problem is already spreading quickly beyond the Waikato River. A recent detection in a Taranaki lake has led to waterway closures. And warnings for the Whanganui River underscore the urgent need for national vigilance.

A silent invasion with big consequences

The Waikato River stretches 425 km from Lake Taupō to the Tasman Sea, powering nine hydroelectric dams and supplying drinking water to Auckland, Hamilton and beyond.

It’s a taonga (cultural treasure) central to Māori identity and the subject of a landmark restoration strategy, Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, that aims to revive the river’s mauri (life force).

In late 2024, arsenic levels in treated Waikato water briefly exceeded safe limits of 0.01 milligrams per litre (mg/L), triggering alarms at treatment plants. Investigations ruled out typical culprits such as geothermal spikes. Instead, our analysis points to the clams.

By filtering water and building calcium carbonate shells, the clams are drawing down dissolved calcium by 25% below historical norms. But calcium is crucial for water treatment processes because it helps bind and remove contaminants such as arsenic.

Our modelling estimates the clams are forming up to 30 tonnes of calcium carbonate daily in Lake Karāpiro alone. This suggests lake-wide densities averaging around 300 individuals per square metre. 2025 surveys show hotspots with up to 1,134 clams per square metre.

The result? Impaired arsenic removal. Without stable calcium, flocs (clumps of particles) don’t form properly, letting arsenic slip through.

While the exceedances were short-lived and contained through quick adjustments, they exposed vulnerabilities in a system optimised for historically consistent river chemistry.

How the clams are changing the river

The gold clam isn’t just a filter-feeder; it’s an ecosystem engineer. Each clam can process up to a litre of water per hour, sequestering calcium for shells while releasing ammonia and bicarbonate.

Our data from 2024-2025, collected at multiple sites, show these shifts are most pronounced in deeper waters. Statistical tests confirm patterns absent in pre-invasion records.

Longer residence times in the reservoir lake (up to seven days) exacerbate the issue. Faster flushing correlates with higher growth rates, as clams ramp up activity. But prolonged retention in warmer months can lead to hypoxia (low oxygen), with the potential to trigger mass die-offs that release toxins or mobilise sediment-bound arsenic.

These changes threaten more than water treatment. Clams could biofoul dam intakes and reduce hydroelectric efficiency in a river that generates 13% of New Zealand’s power (25% at peak). Native species like kākahi (freshwater mussels) face competition and shifts in nutrient cycling could fuel algal blooms, clashing with restoration goals.

Climate risks and stressors in a warming world

Amid these ongoing changes, climate projections indicate that hot, dry events – such as prolonged heatwaves or droughts – are likely to become more frequent. Such conditions could reduce river flows and elevate water temperatures, lowering dissolved oxygen levels and creating low-oxygen zones.

If clam densities continue to rise exponentially, a mass die-off might occur. This would release pulses of ammonia and organic matter that further deplete dissolved oxygen. This, in turn, could promote arsenic mobilisation from sediments and harmful algal blooms in nutrient-enriched, stagnant waters.

This could necessitate supply restrictions for affected communities. Ecologically, it might kill fish and disrupt native biodiversity. Economically, it could interrupt industries reliant on the river.

From the Waikato to a nationwide threat

The invasion isn’t contained. The clam, which can produce up to 70,000 juveniles annually, thrives in warm, nutrient-rich waters. It is notoriously hard to eradicate once established.

In mid-November, the Taranaki Regional Council confirmed the gold clam in Lake Rotomanu. Just days later, warnings were issued to boaties on the Whanganui River, urging rigorous “check, clean, dry” protocols.

Without intervention, the clams could reach other systems, including the Clutha or Waitaki, and compound pressures on New Zealand’s already stressed freshwaters.

Our research highlights the need for integrated action. Monitoring should expand, incorporating environmental DNA for early detection and calcium isotope tracing to pinpoint clam impacts. Water providers could trial calcium dosing during peak growth periods.

But solutions must honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. Collaboration with iwi and blending mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) with science, such as using tikanga indicators for water health, is essential. Biosecurity measures including gear decontamination campaigns are critical to slow spread.

This invasion intersects with New Zealand’s evolving water policy framework, particularly the Local Water Done Well regime which replaced the repealed Three Waters reforms in late 2023.

Councils are now implementing delivery plans and focusing on financial sustainability and infrastructure upgrades. The Water Services Authority Taumata Arawai continues as the national regulator, enforcing standards amid an estimated NZ$185-260 billion infrastructure deficit.

Recent government announcements propose further streamlining, including replacing regional councils with panels of mayors or territories boards, while encouraging amalgamations to simplify planning and infrastructure delivery. These changes aim to make local government more cost-effective and responsive to issues such as housing growth and infrastructure funding.

But a hot or dry event could test the effectiveness of water policy, potentially straining inter-council coordination for shared resources such as the Waikato River and highlighting gaps in emergency response.

Globally, the gold clam has cost billions in damages. New Zealand can’t afford to wait. By acting now, we can protect Te Awa o Waikato and safeguard water security for generations.

Adam Hartland receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment via grant LVLX2302.

– ref. Gold clam invasion in NZ threatens drinking water for millions of people – https://theconversation.com/gold-clam-invasion-in-nz-threatens-drinking-water-for-millions-of-people-270444

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Peng, Lecturer in Accounting, The University of Queensland

Too many superannuation funds are still failing to provide sufficient support to retirees, three years after being urged to lift standards, Australia’s top regulators have warned.

This failure to prepare comes despite the massive demographic wave of Australians already in or about to enter retirement.

A new report from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) reveals the industry’s response has been slow, uneven and, in the regulators’ words, merely “incremental”.

The report shows a widening gap between the best and worst funds. For a growing number of Australians, this failure isn’t a future problem – it’s affecting their lives right now.

The retirement wave is here

The scale of the shift is breathtaking. More than 1.6 million Australians are already drawing a pension from their super, with another 2.5 million set to retire in the next decade.

With more than A$4.3 trillion in members’ savings invested across the super system, the 1.6 million retired members account for about $575 billion in assets.

Another statistic from the report is particularly staggering: one in five super funds already has half of its members in, or approaching, retirement.

Yet the review found many trustees are still designing services for people accumulating savings during their working lives, not those spending savings in retirement.

In October, ASIC raised concerns about “glaring” gaps in communications, saying funds were sending generic messages aimed at workers, with little tailored help for retirees.

Support for vulnerable groups, including First Nations members and those with low financial literacy, was largely absent.

The challenge is spending, not saving

For decades, the super system’s mantra was simple: save, save, save. The more complex challenge is helping people spend those savings confidently.

Without clear guidance, many retirees are understandably cautious. They withdraw too little, living more frugally than they need to.

Data shows fewer than half of pensioners draw down on their retirement savings, and more than 40% are net savers — turning Australia’s compulsory superannuation system into a massive inheritance scheme. Others spend too aggressively and face poverty later in life.

The regulators are clear: helping retirees spend appropriately is central to the purpose of the “retirement income covenant” introduced in 2022. The new laws aimed to provide an easier transition to retirement and to increase the range of retirement products.

But the latest review found one in five funds provide no guidance on drawdown strategies beyond the legal minimum, leaving members to make high-stakes decisions alone.

A lottery for retirees

The report highlights a dangerous divide. A small group of leading funds are making progress:

• offering better digital tools
• developing sophisticated retirement income products
• providing targeted guidance and advice.

But many others are lagging far behind, offering little more than basic calculators and generic information. The result is an inconsistency across the system, where a member’s experience depends entirely on which fund they belong to – the very inequity the covenant was designed to prevent.

Measuring busywork, not wellbeing

While almost every fund claims to have improved its understanding of members, few can demonstrate whether this has actually led to better outcomes for retirees.

The regulators said many funds still rely on “activity-based” metrics, such as website visits or webinar attendance. They are not measuring what truly matters: whether retirees have adequate and sustainable income, and whether they feel financially secure.

This distinction is critical. ASIC’s Moneysmart research shows only one-third of Australians approaching retirement feel confident they will be financially comfortable. In a compulsory super system, that widespread uncertainty is concerning.

What needs to happen now

The regulators have made it clear that funds must move faster. The covenant was never intended to be a compliance box-ticking exercise, but a fundamental shift towards improving members’ lives in retirement.

This requires a multi-layered transformation. First, funds must pivot from simply collecting data to actively using it to identify where members struggle and what support they genuinely need, moving beyond generic reports to personalised insights.

Second, communication must evolve into a lifelong conversation. Guidance can’t stop at the retirement date; it must be practical, tailored, and continue as members age. As ASIC has urged, this means developing relevant communications for people in their 70s and 80s, not just those on the cusp of retiring.

Ultimately, funds must shift their focus from measuring activity to measuring wellbeing. The true test of a fund’s strategy isn’t webinar attendance, but whether its members feel confident and have a sustainable income.

This outcomes-based approach must also be inclusive, ensuring support is accessible and effective for all members, including First Nations communities and other vulnerable groups who have been largely overlooked.

A system at a crossroads

Australia’s superannuation system is at a pivotal moment. It must transition from a wealth-accumulation machine to the nation’s retirement income provider.

Millions of Australians are now relying on their super fund to guide them through the most financially complex stage of their lives. The latest findings show that, three years after being put on notice, too many funds are not yet meeting that responsibility.

The message for the super industry is simple: supporting retirees is no longer a future priority. As the regulators have made clear, it is the immediate priority, and the time for incremental improvement is over.

Natalie Peng 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. Many super funds are still failing retirees, even as millions prepare to stop work – https://theconversation.com/many-super-funds-are-still-failing-retirees-even-as-millions-prepare-to-stop-work-270786

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Lecturer, Digital Communication, RMIT University

From alien hive minds, to a Fremantle-based crime caper, and a festive heist, this month’s screen picks feature leading characters at their messiest and most spirited.

Vince Gilligan’s Plur1bus offers a darkly comic exploration of what makes us human (while tapping into our fears about AI). Or on a lighter note, we have two fresh entries to the Christmas movie genre – both with their own chaotic twist.

If you’re after something more local, there’s a new series exploring how art shapes our understanding of the wartime years or a crime show set under the blue skies of Western Australia. So grab a cuppa and get stuck in!

Reckless

SBS On Demand

When we meet them driving home from a family wedding late one night, it’s clear siblings Charlie (Hunter Page-Lochard) and June (Tasma Walton) already have a pretty dysfunctional relationship.

But things come to a head when Charlie accidentally hits and kills a man, and June insists they try and cover up the whole thing. They have too much to lose if they come clean, she argues. There’s really no choice but to act recklessly.

Other characters won’t let the siblings’ secret lie. One standout is the magnetic (and often hilarious) private investigator Roddy (Clarence Ryan), who has chosen this case to climb out of a drunken stupor and prove himself.

Written and executive produced by Kodie Bedford and directed by Beck Cole – both Indigenous creators – this four-part series purposefully leans into and succeeds in representing flawed and complicated contemporary First Nations characters.

I didn’t find myself hoping the siblings would get away with their crime, especially as they grew more desperate and foolish in their efforts to cover it up. Yet they are relatable. You can understand why June is so headstrong and defensive when you meet her wife Kate (Jane Harber), who is paranoid about past indiscretions and tracks June’s phone.

The series is also worth watching just for for the blue skies, local pubs and ocean views of Fremantle, a part of Australia we rarely get to see onscreen.

– Alexa Scarlata

Read more:
Dodgy characters, dangerous twists: Reckless is the new crime series putting Freo on the map

After the Hunt

Prime Video

Maggie (Ayo Edebiri) is a queer, millennial, black woman (coded Gen-Z at times) who is portrayed to be at best a mediocre student or at worst a plagiarist. Her PhD supervisor and mentor, Alma (Julia Roberts), struggles with pressures of modern academia: teaching, publishing and campus politics. Her remedies are copious amounts of red wine and (illegal) pain prescription pills.

With tenure just in sight, Maggie files an accusation of sexual assault against Hank (Andrew Garfield), Alma’s close colleague and confidante. Generational conflict plays out on Yale’s Beinecke Library plaza where Alma calls out Maggie’s “accidental privilege” and performative modes of “discomfort” through a lens of identity politics.

But Maggie’s family are benefactors to Yale and, with dwindling government support, private philanthropy keeps the lights on. In these new campus films the university itself is a key character – and its traits are found wanting.

In After the Hunt, a new entry in the Dark Academia genre, the phrase “the crisis of higher education” – typically a news heading – is repurposed as character dialogue. The Dean tells Alma “optics” matter most.

While Agnes and Alma ultimately succeed in their tenure as professors, it feels a hollow victory.

– Alex Munt

Read more:
‘Dark Academia’ romanticises a gothic higher education aesthetic. The modern institution is ethically closer to grey

Jingle Bell Heist

Netflix

Jingle Bell Heist – one of the latest additions to the Netflix Christmas movie boom kicked off by likes of The Princess Switch (2018) and The Christmas Chronicles (2018) – holds its own against these other classics of the streaming era.

Its premise is interesting and original (but not too interesting and original, which can be a problem for a Christmas film). And it is sustained by a carefree, goofily upbeat tone that embraces the dagginess of the genre, with enough sentimentality to thaw the frostiest of hearts without inducing reflux.

Sophia (Olivia Holt) is a cheerful American shopgirl in an upmarket London department store frequented by the kinds of people who differentiate between types of cashmere. The store is owned by the crooked, Scrooge-like Mr Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz). Sophia doesn’t mind lifting cash from the odd wallet and moonlights as a bar wench, but all the hard work and larceny are for a good cause: her sick mother needs a bone marrow transplant sooner than the NHS waitlist will allow.

When tech-wiz Nick (Connor Swindells) – a criminal and father with a heart of gold – approaches her about knocking over Sterling’s personal safe, an entirely predictable, but nonetheless satisfying, string of events is set into motion. While it’s no Reindeer Games (2000), Jingle Bell Heist is surprisingly well-made. It’s an effectively low-key British Christmas caper comedy, with Holt delightful as the lead.

And if you dig a little deeper, it also explores the cost of living pressures people face in a neoliberal metropolis.

– Ari Mattes

Plur1bus

Apple TV

In Vince Gilligan’s new show, Plur1bus, an alien-made “virus” comes to Earth and begins to infect everyone. While the infected are physically untouched, they are stripped of emotion and individual consciousness. They become part of a single “hive mind”. (This plot might sound familiar if you’ve seen Don Siegel’s 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers).

In episode one we meet Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a cynical, alcoholic romance novelist living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After an alien DNA sequence infects almost everyone on Earth, Carol ends up as one of 11 unaffected survivors in the whole world. The infected become entirely happy and helpful – seemingly harmless. Carol might be the last miserable person left alive.

Plur1bus almost asks to be read as allegory. Viewers have been quick to point out eerie similarities with concerns about artificial intelligence (AI). Gilligan packs the show with images of all human innerness and knowledge massed into a single entity. With the exception of Carol and some fellow survivors, every character is, in a sense, no character at all – just the outer appearance of an individual, behind which lies a fabricated synthesis of everyone else.

What does it mean to be moved by signs of feeling coming from a being that is not a person at all? What does it mean to outsource our expressions of self to an inhuman consciousness? What would we become?

Fortunately, with Plur1bus, we can appreciate a depth of inventive insight that remains, for now, only human.

– Elliott Logan

Read more:
Vince Gilligan’s sci-fi series Plur1bus taps into our greatest fears about AI

IT: Welcome to Derry

HBO Max

It: Welcome to Derry is an entertaining and well-made prequel to Andy Muschietti’s recent two-part film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 novel, which follows a group of friends as they attempt to defeat an evil cosmic entity that emerges every 27-ish years to feed off the fears of the people of Derry, Maine.

Like the original, It: Welcome to Derry focuses on a ragtag bunch of outsiders, played by some immensely talented young actors, as they try to understand and contain the evil. The show is clear in its tone and intentions, turning up the pastel-toned nostalgia of small-town America, circa 1960, to the point of near parody.

In contrast, real-world horrors swirl around the group: entrenched racism against Black and Indigenous Americans, Cold War paranoia, adolescent cruelty, isolation, and grief. We also get to see the films’ backstory fleshed out in a creative and satisfying manner.

Certain elements do feel a bit repetitive, drawing from a now-familiar playbook in streaming horror, such as the combination of the “kids on bikes” trope and period nostalgia.

Nonetheless, Muschietti’s more-is-more take on visceral horror set pieces means that some elements are genuinely unsettling. Pennywise the killer clown (played again by Bill Skarsgård) takes his time in showing up. While you wait, watch out for some wonderfully monstrous pickle jars (yes, that’s right) in episode two.

– Erin Harrington

A Merry Little Ex-Mas

Netflix

It’s always a delight to see Alicia Silverstone light up the screen. In Netflix’s latest Christmas offering, A Merry Little Ex-Mas, she brings both energy and gravitas to the role of Kate – recently divorced woman whose children are on the verge of adulthood, and who is ready to turn her back on an unfulfilling past and begin a new chapter.

Kate is frustrated about the sacrifices she’s had to make while her ex-husband, Everett (Oliver Hudson), pursued his career as a doctor. She is also resentful that Everett has already found a new love with the glamorous Tess (Jameela Jamil). But soon that frustration turns to jealousy, and Kate begins to long for the life she’s on the verge of giving up, with predictable “romantic” results.

Some of the funniest moments in the film come from the side characters: Everett’s dads who run a hardware store; Kate’s daughter’s boyfriend who loves Harry Potter a little too much; and Kate’s very handsome love interest, Chet, who works at the Christmas tree market.

But A Merry Little Ex-Mas does attempt a surprisingly feminist resolution: Kate (rather than Tess) reaps the benefits of Everett’s recognition of his past errors, and her fresh start, with Everett, begins to look more like the life she’d originally planned.

A Merry Little Ex-Mas is a surprisingly watchable and funny Christmas treat.

– Jessica Gildersleeve

When The War is Over

ABC iView

This five-part series from the ABC explores how art and war work together – or more importantly, what art has taught us about war. Hosted by actor and art enthusiast Rachel Griffiths, it is a beautiful and expectedly sad series, but the education it provides is vital. Covering Gallipoli, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Changi and the Australian Wars, the consistent theme, as Griffiths repeats, is about how “art serves as resistance”.

While there’s no need to watch the episodes in order, each one tends to draw you in to explore more. While much of the official histories of the events tend to be male-dominated, the series’ balanced inclusion of female artists and perspectives shows how art helps to uncover the depth of war’s impact, including families left behind, or those who lived with soldiers who returned home broken.

The episode on Vietnam unpacking the anthems “Khe Sanh” and “I Was Only 19” is particularly impactful, as is episode five on the Australian Wars and the continued presence of First Nations perspectives that have yet to be more widely understood.

While academics might see this as media studies 101, for general audiences it is a reminder of the value of popular arts in shaping how and what we know (or think we know) about war. As Griffiths says, these artists are “war heroes without weapons but with just imagination”.

– Liz Giuffre

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

– ref. Christmas capers, a creepy clown and war-time stories: what we’re watching in December – https://theconversation.com/christmas-capers-a-creepy-clown-and-war-time-stories-what-were-watching-in-december-270879