Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, ANU, Australian National University

Some 560 days have passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We have repeatedly been reminded about the awfulness of war – the senseless waste of human life and indiscriminate misery caused by the imperial delusions of a self-interested leader.

But the war has also been revealing in other ways. It has repeatedly defied expectations about its scope, impact and duration.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the mistaken belief that he could conquer much of Ukraine in a few days highlighted the depth of his hubris. Since then, his decision to continue the onslaught has revealed the ongoing practical costs to the Russian military.

Now, Moscow’s attempt to meet those costs is also showing how the world is beginning to split along broad, albeit fuzzy, lines of competition that could resonate beyond the Ukraine war.

Russia’s war depends on ammunition

Putin’s problem is a simple one. His forces are running out of ammunition – specifically 155mm and 122mm artillery shells, plus 120-mm mortar rounds. The Russian army relies heavily on them: massive artillery fire is central to its military doctrine.

According to an authoritative report by the Royal United Services Institute, Russia fired a whopping 12 million shells at Ukrainian targets in 2022. Despite a more disciplined approach prompted by dwindling war stocks, it is still likely to go through 7 million rounds in 2023.

Russia’s domestic manufacturing capacity – at around 2.5 million shells per year – makes this usage rate clearly unsustainable, with the war set to enter its third year.

An additional complication is the problem of barrel erosion. Artillery guns gradually warp with use and need to be replaced regularly.

So, if Russia is unable to make up the shortfall between what it is firing and what it can produce, its forces will be unable to blunt Ukraine’s counteroffensive for much longer. This makes Russia’s painstakingly constructed “Surovikin Line” (its defensive network of minefields, trenches and tank traps) likely to be more quickly overrun.

Read more:
‘Ukraine is unlikely ever to return to the Russian Empire’: in a new book, Mark Edele unpacks what’s at stake in a bloody war

Limited help, so far, from the BRICS

However, finding new ammunition suppliers is tricky. They must have the capability to quickly produce large volumes of shells that match Russian guns. They also need access to explosive energetic materials, especially the base materials for RDX (also known as hexogen) and TNT, the main ingredients in military-grade explosives.

But there are additional limits to the types of suppliers Russia can realistically seek out. Any nation that provides Moscow with ammunition would end up in dangerous diplomatic waters since the US and the broader West have threatened sanctions against those who aid Russia’s war effort.

As such, Russia’s search for ammunition partners has turned up a hodgepodge of aggrieved, ambitious and opportunistic nations. Many of these can be found in the BRICS grouping (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which is loosely in favour of a “multipolar” (read: not solely US-dominated) world.

Of the BRICS members, Brazil has been designated by the US as a “major non-NATO ally”. It has ruled out selling arms to Russia, but also to Ukraine.

Although China calls Russia its “no limits” partner, it has also reportedly turned down requests to provide Moscow with munitions. But questions remain about its provision of dual-use technologies and electronics to Moscow, not to mention body armour and armoured personnel carriers.

The South African company Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has recently announced new deals to supply ammunition to both NATO and non-NATO countries.

But President Cyril Ramaphosa had to publicly deny sending Russia shipments of weapons after the US ambassador to South Africa accused his government of doing so. In a report released in September, an independent commission found “no evidence” that a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition before departing Cape Town in late 2022.

And while India has traditionally been heavily dependent on Russia for its military equipment, New Delhi reacted uneasily after Moscow announced in March it would be unable to meet its arms delivery commitments due to the war.

Other partners emerging

Beyond the BRICS, North Korea has been the most promising candidate to meet Russia’s ammunition needs, since it can mass produce 155mm artillery shells.

Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will reportedly hold a summit in Vladivostok this month, which would follow a visit by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to Pyongyang in July.

This has sent the worrying signal that Russia is preparing to abandon its participation in UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. The sanctions ban the trade of military equipment and high-end technologies.

Given Moscow’s critical need for arms, North Korea will find itself in the unusual position of having the upper hand if the meeting goes ahead. These negotiations could easily progress from simple financial transactions to the provision of Russian systems for North Korea’s nuclear, guided missile and submarine programs.

Iran is another important piece of Russia’s armaments puzzle. It has already supplied Moscow with numerous Shahed 136 kamikaze drones and hundreds of thousands of artillery shells.

And in April, the Egyptian government was forced to deny accusations it intended to secretly ship some 40,000 rockets to Russia to “avoid problems with the West”.

What this means for global competition

What these nations have in common is that they are all either hostile to the United States, ambivalent towards it, or prepared to have a bet both ways.

Both Iran and Egypt were invited to join the BRICS group last month, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Ethiopia.

BRICS is by no means a well-developed organisation. It is geographically disparate and has no charter or secretariat to steer a coherent agenda for its work.

But it is reflective of the gradual coming together of nations favouring alternatives to the rules-based order, who tend to equate it with US hegemony. And, like any emergent rival bloc, what it lacks in architecture, it makes up for in potential. Adjusted for purchasing power, the BRICS overtook the G7 in 2023 in terms of total share of global GDP, although its members still lag far behind the G7 members on measures like GDP per capita.

Read more:
Brics expansion: six more nations are set to join – what they’re buying into

Russia’s ammunition woes have certainly reinforced its desire to woo the BRICS. That alone is unlikely to send shivers down the spines of Western policy planners. Yet, it is a reminder that Moscow is continually seeking to counter Western influence where it can, especially in countries where it perceives it to be vulnerable.

It has also been doing so through the presence of the Wagner group in the resource-rich areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. And Russia eagerly promotes anti-West narratives in places where they resonate among sections of society, like South Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Importantly, the same tactics are being adopted by China, albeit in a more muted form.

While Russia’s ammunition woes seem to be an isolated affair, how it seeks to mobilise support among like-minded nations is important.

The more it looks for support in areas where Western influence is muted or tenuous, the broader the competition will become between those favouring a US-led international order and others interested in exploring alternatives.

And on that basis, Russia’s war in Ukraine takes on even greater significance. Instead of a conflict that fits within clear regional boundaries, it is increasingly becoming a war with global ramifications.

Matthew Sussex has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Fulbright Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Lowy Institute and various Australian government departments and agencies.

– ref. As Russia woos nations to support its war in Ukraine, will fault lines deepen around the globe? – https://theconversation.com/as-russia-woos-nations-to-support-its-war-in-ukraine-will-fault-lines-deepen-around-the-globe-212865

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carmel Hobbs, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Tasmania

Australian teens need adults to help them recognise red flags for potentially abusive relationships.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates 2.2 million adults have been victims of physical and/or sexual violence from a partner since the age of 15. Almost 1 in 3 Australian teens aged 18–19 report experiences of intimate partner violence in the previous year.

But physical, sexual, or psychological abuse in teen intimate relationships remains an invisible issue. The First National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children fails to mention it at all and
Australia lacks youth-specific domestic violence support services.

We know teens are experiencing intimate partner violence that is putting their lives in danger. But they are dependent on informal networks for assistance. Abuse can impact all parts of their lives and their age and stage of development make them even more vulnerable to its effects.

I interviewed 17 young people about their experiences of teen intimate partner violence from when they were under 18. They wanted support and insight from the adults around them.

‘I hadn’t experienced a proper relationship before’

Limited relationship experience can prevent young people identifying red flags for intimate partner violence. Interviewee Elise said:

As a young teen, I hadn’t experienced a proper relationship before; I just kind of thought this is how it is.

While physical and sexual violence cross clear lines, Australian teens report difficulty recognising more subtle forms of violence and control, such as emotional and technology-facilitated abuse.

Read more:
The government has released its action plans to end violence against women and children. Will they be enough?

7 red flags that can happen early

Young people identified red flags in their past intimate relationships and described how difficult it was to see them in the moment. On their own these behaviours and actions may not be problematic. For example, spending lots of time together is a relatively normal part of a new intimate relationship.

But concern should arise when these behaviours become part of a pattern. They can become integrated into everyday life, making them difficult to recognise – and they can escalate over time. Here are some examples of red flags for teen intimate relationships that can begin a pattern of violence and abuse:

1. being together all the time, using technology to monitor location when not together and a sense of always “being on call”

2. sharing passwords to social media accounts or devices (or setting up shared profiles)

3. turning up unannounced or “as a surprise”

4. saying “I love you” very early in the relationship, talking about living together or having children. This is sometimes called “love bombing”

5. showering with gifts and grand gestures

6. contacting someone’s friends or family to find out where they are

7. framing controlling behaviours as “care” or “concern”.

Young person Gina said:

We had a joint Facebook [account], because I wasn’t allowed to really talk to people without him seeing it […] He had to have the password.

Ingrid’s partner framed control as care:

He’d just perpetually check where I am, and then sometimes he’d just turn up […] He’d be like, ‘I’m just checking that you’re safe.’

If a teen begins to feel like their autonomy and freedom to make choices are being restricted, it is a clear cause for concern. Jamie said:

I didn’t have contribution into simple things like what movie to watch.

Sam felt like they had to spend time with their partner, even if they didn’t want to:

I’d spend hours […] just watching them play video games, because I didn’t feel like I could go and do something else […] And I hate video games.

Read more:
Think you might be dating a ‘vulnerable narcissist’? Look out for these red flags

6 red flags that suggest escalation

Increasingly problematic (but still difficult to see) behaviours include:

1. framing the relationship as unique or fated, such as saying the partner is the only person who truly understands them and nobody else could ever “love you like I do”

2. isolating a partner by making it difficult for them to spend time with others

3. assuming sexual activity will happen because “they are in a relationship”

4. framing feelings of jealousy as evidence of love

5. “suggesting” how they should dress or look or encouraging exercise or diet changes

6. insults passed off as “just a joke”.

Read more:
‘I couldn’t escape. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to’: confusing messages about consent in young adult fantasy fiction

How can you help?

Research shows parents are in a unique position to support teens to foster healthy relationships. Interviewee Addison was among those asking for guidance:

Anybody that can see the relationship [has] red flags. Anybody that is worried for me, I want them to tell me.

Safe and reliable adults can act as role models, ensure safety, involve professionals and empower teens to build safe and healthy relationships.

We can do this by building trusting, open relationships with the teens in our lives, giving them a chance to talk and listening without judgement. If your teenager does not want to talk to you, help them find another person to talk to instead. It’s important to remember they may not respond the way we hope, but providing support and talking about relationships can decrease the risk of them ending up in an abusive relationship.

And we need a national plan to prevent and respond to teen intimate partner violence. It is not the responsibility of teens or their families to solve this issue.

If you suspect your teen is in an abusive relationship, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) for advice and information. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact 000.

Read more:
Stuck in a ‘talking stage’ or ‘situationship’? How young people can get more out of modern love

Anglicare Tasmania funded the original research project where data for this article was collected.

– ref. 7 red flags your teen might be in an abusive relationship – and 6 signs it’s escalating – https://theconversation.com/7-red-flags-your-teen-might-be-in-an-abusive-relationship-and-6-signs-its-escalating-212536

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruno Vicari Stefani, CERC Fellow, Solar Technologies, CSIRO

Solar panel technology has made enormous progress in the last two decades. In fact, the most advanced silicon solar cells produced today are about as good as the technology will get.

So what’s next? Enter “tandem solar cells”, the new generation in solar technology. They can convert a much greater portion of sunlight into electricity than conventional solar cells.

The technology promises to fast-track the global transition away from polluting sources of energy generation such as coal and gas. But there’s a major catch.

As our new research shows, current tandem solar cells must be redesigned if they’re to be manufactured at the scale required to become the climate-saving technology the planet needs.

The solar story so far

A solar cell is a device that turns sunlight into electricity. One important measure when it comes to solar cells is their efficiency – the proportion of sunlight they can convert into electricity.

Almost all solar panels we see today are made from “photovoltaic” silicon cells. When light hits the silicon cell, electrons inside it produce an electric current.

The first silicon photovoltaic cell, demonstrated in 1954 in the United States, had an efficiency of about 5%. That means that for every unit of the Sun’s energy the cell received, 5% was turned into electricity.

But the technology has since developed. At the end of last year, Chinese solar manufacturer LONGi announced a new world-record efficiency for silicon solar cells of 26.81%.

Silicon solar cells will never be able to convert 100% of the Sun’s energy into electricity. That’s mostly because an individual material can absorb only a limited proportion of the solar spectrum.

To help increase efficiency – and so continue to reduce the cost of solar electricity – new technology is needed. That’s where tandem solar cells come in.

A promising new leap

Tandem solar cells use two different materials which absorb energy from the Sun together. In theory, it means the cell can absorb more of the solar spectrum – and so produce more electricity – than if just one material is used (such as silicon alone).

Using this approach, researchers overseas recently achieved a tandem solar cell efficiency of 33.7%. They did this by building a thin solar cell with a material called perovskite directly on top of a traditional silicon solar cell.

Traditional silicon solar panels still dominate manufacturing. But leading solar manufacturers have signalled plans to commercialise the tandem cell technology.

Such is the potential of tandem solar cells, they are poised to overtake the conventional technology in coming decades. But the expansion will be thwarted, unless the technology is redesigned with new, more abundant materials.

Read more:
Is it worth investing in a battery for your rooftop solar? Here’s what buyers need to know (but often can’t find out)

The problem of materials

Almost all tandem solar cells involve a design known as “silicon heterojunction”. Solar cells made in this way normally require more silver, and more of the chemical element indium, than other solar cell designs.

But silver and indium are scarce materials.

Silver is used in thousands of applications, including manufacturing, making it highly sought after. In fact, global demand for silver reportedly rose by 18% last year.

Likewise, indium is used to make touchscreens and other smart devices. But it’s extremely rare and only found in tiny traces.

This scarcity isn’t a problem for tandem solar technology yet, because it hasn’t yet been produced in large volumes. But our research shows this scarcity could limit the ability of manufacturers to ramp up production volumes in future.

This may represent a substantial roadblock in tackling climate change. By mid-century, the world must install 62 times more solar power capacity than is currently built, to enable the clean energy shift.

Clearly, a major redesign of tandem solar cells is urgently needed to enable this exponential acceleration of solar deployment.

Read more:
How to maximise savings from your home solar system and slash your power bills

Ramping up the transition

Some silicon solar cells don’t use indium and require only a small amount of silver. Research and development is urgently needed to make these cells compatible with tandem technology. Thankfully, this work has already begun – but more is needed.

A scarcity of materials is not the only barrier to overcome. Tandem solar cells must also be made more durable. Solar panels we see everywhere today are generally guaranteed to produce a decent amount of electricity for at least 25 years. Perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells don’t last as long.

Solar power has already shaken up electricity generation in Australia and around the world. But in the race to tackle climate change, this is only the beginning.

Tandem solar cell research is truly global, conducted within a range of countries, including Australia. The technology offers a promising way forward. But the materials used to make them must be urgently reconsidered.

Read more:
Despairing about climate change? These 4 charts on the unstoppable growth of solar may change your mind

Bruno Vicari Stefani receives funding from the CSIRO Research Office.

Matthew Wright receives funding from UK Research and Innovation.

– ref. Solar panel technology is set to be turbo-charged – but first, a few big roadblocks have to be cleared – https://theconversation.com/solar-panel-technology-is-set-to-be-turbo-charged-but-first-a-few-big-roadblocks-have-to-be-cleared-210723

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Freeman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Newcastle

That’s getting a bit wild, kids! Why don’t you play something quieter?

How often have you found yourself saying something like this to your children as they’re rolling around on the lounge room floor?

Even if they are smiling and clearly having fun, as parents, we often worry that someone will get hurt or it will turn into aggression, and ultimately, tears.

As a family and child psychology researcher, parents often ask me why children engage in this type of rough-and-tumble play. What is it? Is it good for them? Should I be stopping it?

The short answers are: it’s fun, it’s good for their development and you can encourage a good quality rough play session with a few boundaries.

Read more:
Are your squabbling kids driving you mad? The good/bad news is, sibling rivalry is ‘developmentally normal’

What is rough-and-tumble play?

Rough-and-tumble play is a type of energetic physical play that involves wrestling and chasing in a playful manner.

Parents often refer to it as “roughhousing”, “rumbling” or “play-fighting”.

An interesting thing about rough-and-tumble play is it is not unique to humans. In fact, it’s seen in almost all mammals, from rodents, to wolves, to bears and non-human primates.

Have you ever sat and watched a litter of puppies in their first four to six weeks of life? All they do is eat, sleep and rough-and-tumble play. When a behaviour is seen across numerous species, it suggests the behaviour plays a functional role in development.

There are developmental benefits

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of this type of play is physical development.

Children develop balance, coordination, strength and agility through play fighting, wrestling and rolling around on the floor together or with a parent.

This style of play provides opportunities for children to explore and understand their bodies’ capabilities and limitations. One of our studies on father-child rough-and-tumble play showed children who engaged more frequently in this style of play had a lower injury risk than children who didn’t play like this often. This supports the idea that rough-and-tumble play helps teach children about their physical limits.

Rough-and-tumble play also helps children to develop their social and nonverbal communication skills. In a good bout of roughhousing, children engage in negotiation and cooperation with each other – they learn how to initiate the play, set boundaries and respect the boundaries of their play partner.

Most of this is done nonverbally. Children learn to read their play partner’s signals, such as their facial expressions and body language – are they leaning into the play or pulling away from it? Are they smiling or grimacing?

Read more:
Kids learn valuable life skills through rough-and-tumble play with their dads

Managing emotions

Children also learn how to manage their emotions and self-regulate through this type of play. Think about all the emotions a child may go through while wrestling with their sibling. There might be:

• excitement at the thought of winning and the opportunity to be loud and boisterous

• frustration their sibling is stronger and it’s hard to pin them down or wriggle out from under them

• enjoyment of the bond they are sharing with their sibling

• and maybe a little bit of fear if they get a bit too wild and Mum or Dad breaks it up, or they accidentally knock something over.

Experiencing all these emotions and learning how to navigate them helps children develop emotional resilience.

Helping cognition

Rough-and-tumble play is also related to cognitive development. In one of our recent studies, we showed children who do more rough-and-tumble play have better working memory ability and fewer working memory problems.

Working memory is a cognitive function that allows us to hold and manipulate a small amount of relevant information.

If I gave you a maths problem (such as 4 + 6 – 2) and asked you to solve it in your head, you would be using your working memory (the answer is 8, by the way!). Similarly, if I told you the rules of a rough-and-tumble game, like “sock wrestle”, you would have to keep those rules in mind while playing the game and at the same time trying to win.

How can you encourage good play?

Given all these benefits, how should you encourage good quality rough-and-tumble play?

Most importantly, you want to keep it safe.

Ideally, rough-and-tumble play should happen in large open spaces. Having a designated playmat is a good idea, as is moving the coffee table out of the way if you get a chance before the play starts.

You should also make sure all players actually want to play. Setting some rules around what types of contact are off-limits – no hitting, kicking or biting is a good place to start.

You also want to allow enough time so everyone wears themselves out.

It’s a nice idea to have a signal the kids use to indicate the play is over and which helps build a warm and loving connection – a handshake, high-five or hug, whatever works in your house.

Emily Freeman receives funding from the Hunter Medical Resarch Institute, Department of Health and Aged Care, and the University of Newcastle.

– ref. ‘That’s getting a bit wild, kids!’ Why children love to play-fight and why it is good for them – https://theconversation.com/thats-getting-a-bit-wild-kids-why-children-love-to-play-fight-and-why-it-is-good-for-them-212967

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Song Shi, Associate Professor School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney

When China cracked down on money leaving the country in 2017, some Sydney home prices fell 3%, while in other suburbs the restrictions had next to no impact.

This finding – from research Xunpeng Shi and I recently published in the journal Housing Studies – shows Chinese investors have had some effect on local house prices. However, our research also shows the impact has been much less – and less widespread – than many Australians think.

We found the only Sydney suburbs in which Chinese buyers appeared to have had a strong impact on prices were those with large concentrations of Chinese residents.

Getting money out of China used to be easy

Australia’s rules make it harder for foreigners to buy Australian homes, among other things limiting purchases to new dwellings and vacant land.

But until 2017, it was fairly easy to get money out of China.

Among the channels commonly used were AliPay, WeChat, UnionPay, credit cards and underground banks specialising in foreign exchange and holding properties on behalf of Chinese citizens.

On December 30 2016, the People’s Bank of China published an order entitled Administrative Measures on Reporting for Large-Value Transactions and Suspicious Transactions, limiting foreign currency conversions to US$50,000 per person and explicitly banning the purchase of foreign properties.

It came into effect on July 1 2017.

Tighter controls made buying Sydney property harder

Before the order, in 2016, Chinese overseas direct foreign investment in Australia totalled US$11.5 billion.

By 2019 it had slid to US$2.4 billion.

A real estate agent specialising in the Sydney CBD high-end dwellings was quoted in 2020 as saying Chinese buyers dominated the market between 2013 and 2017, but bought only one or two in 2018.

Our study used this rare natural experiment to estimate the effect Chinese buyers had had on Sydney home prices.

We did this by comparing what happened to prices in the suburbs with a high concentration of Chinese owners to what happened in those with few Chinese owners.

To do so, we split Sydney’s 678 suburbs into “Chinese” and “non-Chinese”, based on their populations in the 2016 Census.

Prices fell 3% in these suburbs – with little impact elsewhere

We compared prices 18 months before and 18 months after the change, using a number of different cutoff points to define “Chinese” and “non-Chinese” suburbs.

We found China’s restrictions pushed down prices in what we defined as Sydney’s “Chinese” suburbs by around 3%. In contrast, the restrictions had next to no impact on prices in other suburbs.

This remained the case when we checked our results against the ten most “Chinese” suburbs identified by the publication Sydney Suburb Reviews: Haymarket, Carlingford, Chippendale, Zetland, Chatswood, Ultimo, Eastwood, Rhodes, Burwood, and Hurstville.

It also remained the case when we took into account other changes in Australian foreign investment rules during the period.

Overall, Chinese buyers had a limited impact

Our findings have important implications. They suggest ongoing concerns about Chinese capital and Chinese investors driving up Australian home prices and exacerbating affordability problems are overstated.

Foreign investment should be welcomed to the extent that it helps boost Australia’s housing supply. Our study found its effect on housing affordability is marginal and limited to particular suburbs.

Read more:
Think curbing overseas migration will end the housing crisis? It won’t – and we can’t afford to do it

Song Shi receives funding from Australia-China Relations Institute at University of Technology Sydney. Song Shi has an honorary appointment of ACRI Research Associate.

– ref. How much did Chinese investors drive up Sydney home prices? It’s less than you might think – https://theconversation.com/how-much-did-chinese-investors-drive-up-sydney-home-prices-its-less-than-you-might-think-212186

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

In his relatively brief time as prime minister, Anthony Albanese has had very extensive contact with US President Joe Biden. According to the prime minister’s office, Albanese has had four formal meetings with him, plus two Quad meetings, and several other less formal discussions. They’ll rub shoulders again at the G20 this weekend in India.

Biden will also host Albanese for a state visit to Washington next month.

The relationship between the Labor government and the US is close, as is that, it seems, between the two leaders. But one, relatively modest (in Australian eyes), Albanese request – for the Americans to drop their bid to extradite Julian Assange – has fallen on firmly blocked ears.

Later this month, a delegation of federal parliamentarians is to travel to Washington to lobby, ahead of the Albanese visit. Its composition reflects how the issue spans the political spectrum. It includes former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Tony Zappia (Labor), Alex Antic (Liberal), Monique Ryan (independent), and Peter Whish-Wilson and David Shoebridge, both from the Greens.

The trip is being privately financed by the Assange campaign. Crowd-funding attracted more than 800 donors and raised some A$65,000 to cover the trip.

The parliamentarians will lobby members of congress and seek meetings with the State Department and the Department of Justice. Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, will no doubt be busy arranging appointments. The group is also set to talk with non-government organisations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.

The Assange story is well known.

His WikiLeaks’ publication in 2010 of a trove of US intelligence about American activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaked by then-intelligence officer Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning, was highly damaging for the Americans. The material was widely published internationally, including in Australia.

Assange took long-term refuge for years in the embassy of Ecuador in London. Finally he was thrown out of there; for years he has been in a British prison, fighting through the court system to try to prevent his extradition.

Albanese says the Assange affair has gone on too long; since Labor was elected, hopes for progress on his repatriation have waxed and waned.

Read more:
A rocky diplomatic road: Julian Assange’s hopes of avoiding extradition take a blow as US pushes back

A bad sign came earlier this year when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at a press conference in Australia with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, said he understood Australians’ sensitivities but declared it was “very important that our friends here understand our concerns about this matter”.

The actions that he has alleged to have committed risked very serious harm to our national security, to the benefit of our adversaries, and put named human sources at grave risk – grave risk – of physical harm, and grave risk of detention.

More positive sentiments from the US embassy in Canberra came to nothing.

By any logic, the US has undercut its own case against Assange by its treatment of Manning, who was pardoned by President Barack Obama. On that precedent, surely, leniency should be extended to Assange.

Moreover, a distinction should be made between the leaking of official material and the publication of the material, which goes to media freedom.
Joyce argues on another front: “extraterritoriality is a very dangerous precedent”.

Julian Assange did not commit a crime in Australia – in fact he was given a Walkley [for WikiLeaks’ journalism]. He is not a citizen of the United States. He was not present in the United States when something was done in breach of US law.

If the Americans can extradite an Australian to America after an affront to one of their laws, even though he is not a citizen and never committed a crime in America, how long before the Chinese ask for the same?

Read more:
A new book argues Julian Assange is being tortured. Will our new PM do anything about it?

Simon Jackman, an expert in US politics at the University of Sydney, says it is good the delegation is going, as it shows the breadth of support for action. But he stresses the difficulty of making progress with the Americans.

Among the obstacles are the strong feelings about Assange in the US national security establishment, and the political situation Biden is facing.

Jackman says the Assange matter has become conflated, in the national security context, with the Edward Snowden affair – the case of a National Security Agency contractor who leaked a large volume of Five Eyes information, which arguably had far more damaging fallout than the 2010 leak.

Snowden is now in Russia, having escaped the US justice system – which has probably made the national security establishment even more determined to pursue Assange, Jackman says.

There is also strong feeling against Assange among some Democrats, in the wake of the WikiLeaks publication of emails that harmed Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid.

Labor MP Julian Hill has highlighted a further serious complication in appeals for Biden to act. The Justice Department is spearheading the pursuit of Assange. Biden, over a long period, has been strong in his rhetoric about not interfering with that department. Australia is asking him to go back on that principle – and at a time when the department is acting against Donald Trump.

More than logic or justice, the Assange affair has become a matter of raw American politics. It is the worst of times to be making representations. With the presidential election looming next year, with a massive challenge facing the Democrats, Biden will not want to do anything to provoke his base.

Assange’s cause is, it seems – at least so far – something to which the US-Australia official friendship does not stretch.

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

– ref. View from The Hill: Australia’s bid for Julian Assange’s freedom presents formidable problems for Joe Biden – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-australias-bid-for-julian-assanges-freedom-presents-formidable-problems-for-joe-biden-213152

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

Artificial intelligence (AI) relies on its creators for training, otherwise known as “machine learning.” Machine learning is the process by which the machine generates its intelligence through outside input.

But its behaviour is determined by the information it is provided. And at the moment, AI is a white male dominated field.

How can we ensure the evolution of AI doesn’t further encroach on Indigenous rights and data sovereignty?

AI risks to Indigenous art

AI has the ability to generate art, and anyone can “create” Indigenous art using this machine. Even before AI, Aboriginal art has widely been appropriated and reproduced without attribution or acknowledgement, particularly for tourism industries.

And this could worsen with people now being able to generate art through AI. This is an issue not just experienced by Indigenous people, with many artists affected by their art styles being misappropriated.

Indigenous art is embedded with history and connects to culture and Country. AI-created Indigenous art would lack this. There are also implications for financial gain bypassing Indigenous artists and going to the producers of the technology.

Including Indigenous people in creating AI or deciding what AI can learn, could help minimise exploitation of Indigenous artists and their art.

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What is Indigenous data sovereignty?

In Australia there is a long history of collecting data about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But there has been little data collected for or with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal scholars Maggie Walter and Jacon Prehn write of this in the context of the growing Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty is concerned with the rights of Indigenous peoples to own, control, access and possess their own data, and decide who to give it to. Globally, Indigenous peoples are pushing for formal agreements on Indigenous Data Sovereignty.

Many Indigenous people are concerned with how the data involving our knowledges and cultural practices is being used. This has resulted in some Indigenous lawyers finding ways to integrate intellectual property with cultural rights.

Māori scholar Karaitiana Taiuru says:

If Indigenous peoples don’t have sovereignty of their own data, they will simply be re-colonised in this information society.

How mob have been using AI

Indigenous people are already collaborating on research that draws on Indigenous knowledges and involves AI.

In the wetlands of Kakadu, rangers are using AI and Indigenous knowledges to care for Country.

A weed called para grass is having a negative impact on magpie geese, which have been in decline. While the Kakadu rangers are doing their best to control the issue, the sheer size of the area (two million hectares), makes this difficult.

Collecting and analysing information about magpie geese and the impact of para grass using drones is having a positive influence on goose numbers.

Projects like these are vital given the loss of biodiversity around the globe that is causing species extinctions and ecosystem loss at alarming rates. As a result of this collaboration thousands of magpie geese are returning to Country to roost.

This project involves Traditional land owners (collectively known as Bininj in the north of Kakadu National Park and Mungguy in the south) working with rangers and researchers to help protect the environment and preserve biodiversity.

By working with Traditional Owners, monitoring systems were able to be programmed with geographically-specific knowledge, not otherwise recorded, reflecting the connection of Indigenous people with the land. This collaboration highlights the need to ensure Indigenous-led approaches.

In another example, in Sanikiluaq, an Inuit community in Nunavut, Canada, a project called PolArtic uses scientific data with Indigenous knowledges to assess the location of, and manage, fisheries.

Changing climate patterns are affecting the availability of fish, and this is another example where Indigenous knowledges are providing solutions for biodiversity issues caused by the global climate crisis.

Indigital is an Indigenous-owned profit-for-purpose company founded by Dharug, Cabrogal innovator Mikaela Jade. Jade has worked with traditional owners of Kakadu to use augmented reality to tell their stories on Country.

Indigital is also providing pathways for mob who are keen to learn more about digital technologies and combine them with their knowledges.

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Future challenges and opportunities for Indigenous inclusion

Although AI is a powerful tool, it is limited by the data which inform it. The success of the above projects is because AI was informed by Indigenous knowledges, provided by Indigenous knowledge holders who have a long held ancestral relationship with the land, animals and environment.

Research indicates AI is a white male-dominated industry. A global study found 12% of professionals across all levels were female, with only 4% being people of colour. Indigenous participation was not noted.

In early June, the Australian government’s Safe and Responsible AI in Australia discussion paper found racial and gender biases evident in AI. Racial biases occurred, the paper found, in situations such as where AI had been used to predict criminal behaviour.

The purpose of the study was to seek feedback on how to lessen potential risks of harm from AI. Advisory groups and consultation processes were raised as possibilities to address this, but not explored in any real depth.

Indigenous knowledges have a lot to offer in the development of new technologies including AI. Art is part of our cultures, ceremonies, and identity. AI-generated art presents the risk of mass reproduction without Indigenous input or ownership, and misrepresentation of culture.

The federal government needs to consider Indigenous Knowledges informing the machine learning informing AI, supporting data sovereignty. There is an opportunity for Australia to become a global leader in pursuing technology advancement ethically.

Dr Peita Richards is the recipient of an Office of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Postdoctoral Grant (project number 202308) funded by the Australian Government.

Bronwyn Carlson tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.

– ref. Indigenous knowledges informing ‘machine learning’ could prevent stolen art and other culturally unsafe AI practices – https://theconversation.com/indigenous-knowledges-informing-machine-learning-could-prevent-stolen-art-and-other-culturally-unsafe-ai-practices-210625

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Howard, Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

Everybody loves bees, but their cousins the wasps often provoke a far less friendly reaction. The much-maligned insects often inspire fear, disgust or even the “kill it with fire” response.

The stereotypical wasp is the angular, angry-looking vespid with black and yellow stripes known as the European wasp (Vespula vulgaris). It has a reputation for aggression, stinging multiple times and contributing little to society. But that’s just one of more than 100,000 known wasp species with a wide range of appearances, many of which don’t even sting.

In our work with wasps, we have found these innocent insects have done little to deserve our scorn. In fact, they have surprisingly complex minds and can play important ecological roles.

Our latest study, published in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, shows European wasps have impressive abilities to learn visual tasks in different ways depending on how we train them. It adds to a growing body of research about what wasp’s minds can do – including recognising human faces and learning other complex tasks.

Read more:
Are they watching you? The tiny brains of bees and wasps can recognise faces

How to train a wasp

European wasps are central-place foragers, which means they will remember and return to a profitable food source – be that sugar, meat or your soft drink at a BBQ. This behaviour allows us to train individual wasps to return to our experiment throughout a day.

We offer the wasps sugar water, and then place an identification dot on each individual. A wasp will then continue returning to participate in experiments as long as we are offering a sugary reward.

The wasps in our study were enthusiastic volunteers who would fly some distance to participate. In our experiments, wasps needed to undergo ten trials to learn a visual task, and then a further ten trials without reward to test if they had learnt.

Wasps received sugar water for correct choices in learning, and continually returned to the experiment to finish all the trials.

What did the wasps learn?

We trained wasps to discriminate between two different hues of blue cards. The colours are quite similar to wasp vision, so it is a tricky task.

We evaluated three ways of training wasps to determine how they learned best.

First, we used absolute conditioning to train the wasps to discriminate between the colours. In this method, wasps were given sugar on the card of the correct colour without seeing the other colour. We introduced cards of the other colour as well to test whether the wasps could discriminate between the two.

The second training method was appetitive differential conditioning. In this approach, both colours of card were present during training. Wasps were rewarded for landing on the correct colour and received no outcome if they landed on the incorrect colour.

The third training framework was appetitive-aversive differential conditioning, where wasps were provided with a sugar reward for landing on the correct colour and tasted a bitter liquid when they landed on the incorrect colour. Again, both colours were present during learning.

With absolute conditioning, the wasps failed to successfully identify the correct colour in tests. However, when trained with either the appetitive or appetitive-aversive differential conditioning, they did pass the colour test.

This result tells us it was important for wasps to view and compare both colours simultaneously to enable learning. Their learning was actually best when there was a sweet reward on one colour and a bitter liquid on the other.

What else do we know about wasp intelligence?

Scientists are becoming increasingly interested in wasp intelligence.

One recent study showed two species of hornets (a kind of wasp) could learn to discriminate between two colours when one colour was associated with sugar water. The hornets could then reverse that learning when the rewarding colour was switched. This reverse learning task is challenging for small brains to solve.

Other studies have shown paper wasps have evolved specialised abilities for learning faces. One species of paper wasp can differentiate among normal wasp face images more rapidly and accurately than non-face images or manipulated faces. This allows for a comparison between how facial recognition may have evolved in small insect brains compared to larger primate brains.

Researchers have also shown that wasps (and bees) can learn to discriminate between images of human faces.

The role of wasps in pollination and pest control

Wasps play an important role in many ecosystems by controlling pests and pollinating flowers. Many Australian orchids, for example, rely on wasps for pollination – as do hundreds of other plant species.

However, wasp pollination has been relatively poorly studied. While the economic value of pollination by bees and other insects has been well researched, the extent of wasp contributions to crop production is currently unknown.

Many wasps eat critters we consider pests, such as bugs, spiders, cockroaches and flies. Indeed, some species of wasp are sold commercially as pest control agents.

Why we respect wasps

Despite their poor public image, wasps display intelligence, and can be useful in agriculture if well managed.

We hope our new work will allow people to appreciate the complexity, intelligence, and value of these misunderstood animals and the importance they can have in the environment. Additionally, as wasps can learn to recognise faces, perhaps being nice to them is a good strategy.

Scarlett Howard has received funding from the Australian Government, RMIT University, Fyssen Foundation, L’Oreal-UNESCO, Australian Academy of Sciences, Hermon Slade Foundation, Deakin University, and Monash University. She has been affiliated with Pint of Science Australia and Triple RRR.

Adrian Dyer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the USAF AOARD, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

– ref. Many people hate wasps, but they’re smarter than you might think – and ecologically important – https://theconversation.com/many-people-hate-wasps-but-theyre-smarter-than-you-might-think-and-ecologically-important-212706

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dulani Jayasuriya, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, University of Auckland

On the eve of the Rugby World Cup kicking off, there have already been whispers of teams spying on each other. Inevitable gamesmanship, perhaps, but there’s no doubt cheating in sport is a problem authorities struggle to combat.

Our new machine learning model could be a game changer when it comes to detecting questionable behaviour and unusual outcomes – especially the practice of match fixing.

Currently, the act of altering match outcomes for personal or team gain is largely picked up through abnormalities in sports betting markets. When bookmakers notice unusual odds or changes in the betting line, they alert regulators.

But this approach is limited and often fails to identify all match fixing, particularly in less popular sports or leagues. Here is where machine learning can help.

Essentially a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning acts as a digital probe: mining sports data, revealing hidden patterns, and flagging unusual events. Machines can delve into team performance and unexpected fluctuations, exploring all facets of sports events.

Using AI to spot unusual activity

As part of our research, we introduced the concept of “anomalous match identification”, which involved identifying irregular outcomes in games, no matter what the underlying causes might be.

There could be various factors at play, from strategic losses for future advantage – such as the practice of “tanking” in the US National Basketball league (NBA) – to marketing tactics to boost ticket sales, or just a day of poor performance.

Our research model allows us to flag unusual game results and turn them over to regulators for deeper investigation. By leveraging machine learning, we can spot abnormal matches by comparing our predictions with the actual game results.

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When we discuss anomalies in sports, we’re talking about matches that stand out from the norm.

While match fixing – deliberate manipulation of results for gain – is one possible explanation for unusual game results, it’s not the only one. Recognising the many reasons behind unusual match results can also help improve our understanding of the complexities of sports.

In the face of an unusual or unexpected result, spectators and officials may ask themselves: was this the result of an unforeseen strategy or are there other influences at play?

Learning from basketball

Our research methodology involved training machine learning algorithms to discover patterns between specific past events and subsequent game results.

Once these relationships are established, the algorithms can forecast likely future match outcomes. The discrepancies between these predictions and the actual results can flag potentially abnormal matches.

To test our model, we looked at whether there were any out-of-the-ordinary matches in the 2022 NBA playoffs. We built models using data from 2004 to 2020 to forecast match outcomes and then compared what the machine predicted with actual game results.

We found several anomalies in the 2022 playoffs, particularly in a series of games between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. In their seven matches against each other in May 2022, Dallas won four games and Phoenix won three.

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According to the data, the anomalies in the 2022 playoffs included a 0.0000064 probability of the Suns and Mavericks actually playing against each other in the semi-final series of NBA’s Western Conference – which includes 15 teams.

We also identified several players with performances during the playoffs that were particularly abnormal based on the data from their previous games.

This is not to say there was any match fixing involved. Rather, our results flag games and players that could then be followed up by regulators if match fixing was a concern – which it was not, this was simply an example to test the model.

This approach to spotting anomalies within a series of matches can be applied across many sports.

Scrutinising a significant number of anomalies can offer valuable insights into unusual match events, helping regulatory bodies and sports organisations conduct thorough investigations and uphold fair competition.

Encouraging trust in sports

Though our study concentrates on specific sports, the principles and techniques can expand to other arenas.

The study shows that machine learning can be utilised to help safeguard the integrity of sports competitions, and to assist regulatory bodies, sports organisations and law enforcement agencies maintain fairness and public trust.

But as we embrace the potential of machine learning, we must also navigate the ethical implications and ensure its transparent use.

The future of sports may well see artificial intelligence become the fans’ ally, helping ensure a level playing field where talent excels, and spectators revel in the authenticity of sporting events.

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. Machine learning can level the playing field against match fixing – helping regulators spot cheating – https://theconversation.com/machine-learning-can-level-the-playing-field-against-match-fixing-helping-regulators-spot-cheating-209392

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Drew Dawson, Director, Appleton Institute, CQUniversity Australia

Last night you probably slept for seven to eight hours. About one or two of these was likely in deep sleep, especially if you’re young or physically active. That’s because sleep changes with age and exercise affects brain activity. About three or four hours will have been spent in light sleep.

For the remaining time, you were likely in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. While this is not the only time your brain is potentially dreaming – we also dream during other sleep stages – it is the time your brain activity is most likely to be recalled and reported when you’re awake.

That’s usually because either really weird thoughts or feelings wake you up or because the last hour of sleep is nearly all REM sleep. When dreams or your alarm wake you, you’re likely coming out of dream sleep and your dream often lingers into the first few minutes of being awake. In this case you remember it.

If they’re strange or interesting dreams, you might tell someone else about them, which may further encode the dream memory.

Dreams and nightmares are mysterious and we’re still learning about them. They keep our brains ticking over. They wash the thoughts from the day’s events at a molecular level. They might even help us imagine what’s possible during our waking hours.

What do scientists know about REM sleep and dreaming?

It’s really hard to study dreaming because people are asleep and we can’t observe what’s going on. Brain imaging has indicated certain patterns of brain activity are associated with dreaming (and with certain sleep stages where dreams are more likely to occur). But such studies ultimately rely on self-reports of the dream experience.

Anything we spend so much time doing probably serves multiple ends.

At the basic physiological level (indicated by brain activity, sleep behaviour and studies of conciousness), all mammals dream – even the platypus and echidna probably experience something similar to dreaming (provided they are at the right temperature). Their brain activity and sleep stages align to some degree with human REM sleep.

Less evolved species do not. Some jellyfish – who do not have a brain – do experience what could physiologically be characterised as sleep (shown by their posture, quietness, lack of responsiveness and rapid “waking” when prompted). But they do not experience the same physiological and behavioural elements that resemble REM dream sleep.

In humans, REM sleep is thought to occur cyclically every 90 to 120 minutes across the night. It prevents us from sleeping too deeply and being vulnerable to attack. Some scientists think we dream in order to stop our brains and bodies from getting too cold. Our core body temperature is typically higher while dreaming. It is typically easier to wake from dreaming if we need to respond to external cues or dangers.

The brain activity in REM sleep kicks our brain into gear for a bit. It’s like a periscope into a more conscious state, observing what’s going on at the surface, then going back down if all is well.

Some evidence suggests “fever dreams” are far less common than we might expect. We actually experience far less REM sleep when we have a fever – though the dreams we do have tend to be darker in tone and more unusual.

Spending less time in REM sleep when we’re feverish might happen because we are far less capable of regulating our body temperature in this stage of sleep. To protect us, our brain tries to regulate our temperature by “skipping” this sleep stage. We tend to have fewer dreams when the weather is hot for the same reason.

A deep-cleaning system for the brain

REM sleep is important for ensuring our brain is working as it should, as indicated by studies using electoencephalography, which measures brain activity.

In the same way deep sleep helps the body restore its physical capacity, dream sleep “back-flushes” our neural circuits. At the molecular level, the chemicals that underpin our thinking are bent out of shape by the day’s cognitive activity. Deep sleep is when those chemicals are returned to their unused shape. The brain is “washed” with cerebrospinal fluid, controlled by the glymphatic system.

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At the next level, dream sleep “tidies up” our recent memories and feelings. During REM sleep, our brains consolidate procedural memories (of how to do tasks) and emotions. Non-REM sleep, where we typically expect fewer dreams, is important for the consolidation of episodic memories (events from your life).

As our night’s sleep progresses, we produce more cortisol – the stress hormone. It is thought the amount of cortisol present can impact the type of memories we are consolidating and potentially the types of dreams we have. This means the dreams we have later in the night may be more fragmented or bizarre.

Both kinds of sleep help consolidate the useful brain activity of the day. The brain also discards less important information.

Random thoughts, rearranged feelings

This filing and discarding of the day’s activities is going on while we are sleeping. That’s why we often dream about things that happen during the day.

Sometimes when we’re rearranging the thoughts and feelings to go in the “bin” during sleep, our level of consciousness allows us to experience awareness. Random thoughts and feelings end up all jumbled together in weird and wonderful ways. Our awareness of this process may explain the bizarre nature of some of our dreams. Our daytime experiences can also fuel nightmares or anxiety-filled dreams after a traumatic event.

Some dreams appear to foretell the future or carry potent symbolism. In many societies dreams are believed to be a window into an alternate reality where we can envisage what is possible.

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What does it all mean?

Our scientific understanding of the thermoregulatory, molecular and basic neural aspects of dreaming sleep is good. But the psychological and spiritual aspects of dreaming remain largely hidden.

Perhaps our brains are wired to try and make sense of things. Human societies have always interpreted the random – birds wheeling, tea leaves and the planets – and looked for meaning. Nearly every human society has regarded dreams as more than just random neural firing.

And the history of science tells us some things once thought to be magic can later be understood and harnessed – for better or worse.

Para penulis tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi di luar afiliasi akademis yang telah disebut di atas.

– ref. The science of dreams and nightmares – what is going on in our brains while we’re sleeping? – https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-dreams-and-nightmares-what-is-going-on-in-our-brains-while-were-sleeping-210901

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Williams, Lecturer – Visual Arts, University of Wollongong

Through her poetically constructed images, Hoda Afshar illuminates a world overshadowed by history and atrocity. Yet we never see despair: we see defiance, comradeship, reinvention and a search for how photography can activate new ways of thinking.

Afshar was born in Iran and migrated to Australia in 2007. She began her practice as a documentary photographer in Tehran, having originally been attracted to acting.

Staging and creative intervention would become significant features of her work.

Even in her early, nominally “documentary” series, you can sense an embracing of the ambiguity of the still image, and an interest in composing a reality more vivid (and perhaps genuine) than dispassionate reportage might be capable of.

Afshar is now one of Australia’s most significant photo media artists, so it’s a surprise that Hoda Afshar: A Curve is a Broken Line at the Art Gallery of New South Wales is her first major survey exhibition.

What unites her materially diverse work is a concern with visibility: who is denied it, what is made visible by media, and how photography can reveal, overlook and manipulate truth.

Much of her work addresses critical humanitarian issues of our time: war, statelessness, diaspora, oppression, corruption. She challenges stereotypes. We don’t see passive victims or closed narratives: we are introduced to new perspectives that might lead us to reappraise the world we inhabit.

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Familiarity and distance

The exhibition is made up of six bodies of work, the first of which began with the passing away of her father in Iran.

In the exodus, I love you more (2014–) is a portrait of her home country formed by experiences of familiarity and distance. The artist is both at home and searching, like an outsider. Images suggest at times an intimate proximity, and at others a separation akin to the one made by raising a camera to your eye.

Afshar examines her experience of migration and, she tells me, seeks to “dismantle the idea of there being one way of seeing Iran”.

The final image in this series shows the erasure of a woman’s face in a painted Persian miniature.

In the adjoining room, the new series In turn (2023) is a suite of large, framed photographs of Iranian women based in Australia. Many images show them as they tenderly braid one another’s hair. These women are unidentifiable, apart from artist and activist Mahla Karimian, who appears airborne with a pair of flying doves.

This work was catalysed by the women-led protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman arrested in September 2022 for not following Iran’s strict female dress codes. The uprising filled the streets with women chanting “Women, Life, Freedom!” and “Say her name!” in fearless defiance of authorities, who responded with murderous retaliation.

Afshar was observing her homeland from afar. She says she wanted to “share voices the media was ignoring”. She was inspired by social media images of women plaiting each other’s hair in public: a rebellious act that echoes a practice of female Kurdish fighters preparing for battle.

But the images aren’t violent. They’re quietly peaceful, showing solidarity in grief, hope and determination. In making this “visual letter” to her Iranian sisters, Afshar has risked long-term exile from her country of birth.

Resolute defiance

Much of Afshar’s work fearlessly tells stories that have been hidden or misrepresented.

Remain (2018) was made in collaboration with asylum seekers detained on Manus Island.

This work is made up of a series of austere, absorbing portraits and a large-scale two-channel video installation.

We see men imprisoned in a place that would otherwise resemble paradise. We hear their voices recounting experiences of trauma and displacement. But, with Afshar, they co-create performative, narrative-evoking works that avoid degrading cliches of victimhood.

The most widely recognised image in this series is a portrait of Kurdish Iranian writer and filmmaker Behrouz Boochani, who chose to be pictured alongside fire. Smoke and flames echo the ardent strength of his gaze. This strength allowed him to emerge a free man after six years of incarceration.

In Behold (2016), once more we see acts of resolute defiance by people performing for the camera. Afshar was invited by a group of gay men to observe re-enacted gestures of protection and intimacy outlawed in most of the Middle East.

Unable to freely express their love in society, they disclose and affirm it for Afshar and her lens.

Agonistes (2020) pays homage to a group of Australian whistleblowers who appear as a Greek chorus of heroic truth tellers.

Created through a complex process of photographic recording and 3D printing that conjures lifelike detail, the portraits look like sculpted marble busts. But this rendering leaves the eyes blank, and captions describing the corruption revealed by each figure don’t divulge their names.

Afshar maintains her practice of disclosing truth while protecting those who have the courage to tell it.

Being alive is breaking

Speak the wind (2015–22) returns us to Iran, to the Strait of Hormuz, where “ill winds” are said to blow. African slaves were brought here over centuries, a trade only stopped in the 1920s.

Afshar’s photographs and video imagery explore a place haunted by history. We see the outward manifestations of an invisible wind (dramatically carved rock formations, ripples in water, flowing fabric). Shrouded figures bow on the dry earth, seeking cure from possession by malicious spirits.

Afshar investigates to what extent we are captives of history (in Australia we must grapple with the legacy of colonisation). In making this lyrical work, Afshar again collaborated with local people, some who made drawings of “wind spirits” they said they had encountered.

The title of the exhibition was inspired by lines in a poem by Kaveh Akbar:

a curve is a straight line broken at all its points so much
of being alive is breaking.

Hoda Afshar’s work addresses conflict, injustice, mobility and the often fragile state of being alive. It reminds us that dominant powers can be challenged by exposing truth and envisioning something new.

Read more:
Friday essay: 10 photography exhibitions that defined Australia

Hoda Afshar: A Curve is a Broken Line is at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until January 21 2024.

Tom Williams 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. How photography can reveal, overlook and manipulate truth: the fearless work of Australian Iranian artist Hoda Afshar – https://theconversation.com/how-photography-can-reveal-overlook-and-manipulate-truth-the-fearless-work-of-australian-iranian-artist-hoda-afshar-211994

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacob Maher, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide

Do you buy plants online? You might be breaking the law without even knowing it.

We found hundreds of different invasive plants and prohibited weeds advertised on a popular online marketplace.

For the first time, our research has exposed the frequent, high volume trade in pest plants across Australia.

State and territory governments are adopting our automated surveillance approach to help regulate the online trade in plants and other wildlife. Biosecurity officers can receive automatic alerts for suspected illegal trade, rather than manually monitoring websites or relying on reports from the public.

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What’s the problem and why all the fuss?

Certain plants are prohibited in Australia because they are harmful to our unique natural environment and agricultural industries. These weeds can threaten native species, fuel severe fires and choke rivers.

Weeds are also a social and cultural threat for First Nations people, because they can compete with traditional food and medicine plants, causing them to decline.

Overall, invasive plants are estimated to have cost Australia A$200 billion since 1960.

Weeds that are controlled under state and territory laws are referred to as “noxious” or declared plants. Each state and territory has different laws prohibiting the sale and cultivation of these declared plants.

Compliance is generally high within the horticultural industry, save for the occasional high profile blunder. The main problem for Australia is the widespread invasive plant trade on public online marketplaces.

Trade of ornamental plants, which are the kinds popularly grown in homes and gardens, is the major current pathway enabling invasion and spread of weeds into new areas. They’re travelling long distances, to homes in new places.

Invasive cacti and ornamental pond plants are among the most frequently advertised plants, but many are banned from sale and distribution in Australia.

Internet trade has historically been tricky to monitor and regulate, which has led to a variety of invasive species being widely traded.

Read more:
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Scraping the web

We used specialised software called “web scrapers” to monitor trade on a public classifieds website. These automated web tools can be used to rapidly harvest information from advertisements. This allowed us to detect thousands of advertisements for weeds over a 12-month period.

We found 155 declared plant species traded on one website, and we suspect there could be more.

Prickly pear cacti were among the most frequently traded declared plants. This is concerning given their history in Australia. In the 1920s, about 25 million hectares of land became unusable due to prickly pear invasion.

Aquatic weeds were another popular group. That includes water hyacinth, which is the world’s most widespread invasive alien species according to a recently published global assessment.

We found some sellers advertised uses for the declared plants they were trading, including for food and medicinal properties.

Aquatic weeds were often stated to have water-filtering properties and provide habitat for fish. Those traits make Amazon frogbit a popular choice for aquariums and ponds, but if the weed enters creeks and rivers it can have devastating consequences.

Read more:
Buying bugs and beetles, or shopping for scorpions and snails? Australia’s pet trade includes hundreds of spineless species

Everyone can do their bit

Better surveillance is not the only solution. Public awareness is key to reducing invasive plant trade. We can all make informed decisions about the plants we buy.

A significant hurdle is a phenomenon called “plant blindness”. People tend to find plants harder to recognise than animals. We found many weeds sold using generic names such as lily, cactus or pond plant. Some people may not even know the true identity of a plant they are selling, let alone that it is a weed and illegal to trade.

Another complication is the fact that laws differ between states. Plants that might be legal for an interstate trader, might still be illegal for you to buy. This is why caution should be taken when sending or receiving plants by post. Always check your local regulations before buying or selling a plant online. You can find out what is declared on your state or territory’s biosecurity website or on Weeds Australia.

Online marketplaces must also cooperate with local policies. These platforms should be enforced to self-regulate trade and include measures to prevent illegal advertisements from being posted in the first place. Failure to act may result in significant penalties from governments. Last year the Brazilian government fined Meta for failing to remove illegal wildlife trade from Facebook and WhatsApp.

For now, monitoring tools such as the web scrapers we have developed will help to prevent some weeds escaping backyards and into bushland. As plant lovers, it’s important to be mindful of the plants we choose to buy and keep.

Read more:
Lickable toads and magic mushrooms: wildlife traded on the dark web is the kind that gets you high

Jacob Maher receives funding from the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.

Phill Cassey receives funding from the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions and the Australian Research Council.

– ref. Exposing Australia’s online trade in pest plants – we’ve found thousands of illegal advertisements – https://theconversation.com/exposing-australias-online-trade-in-pest-plants-weve-found-thousands-of-illegal-advertisements-212647

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Legge, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Australian National University

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has released a draft feral cat management plan.

Its aim is to reduce the devastating impact of cats on Australian wildlife, with a focus on protecting the most at-risk species from extinction.

Cats kill over 6 million native animals in Australia each day, and are challenging to manage.

The plan has a ten-year horizon with an estimated cost of A$60 million in the first five years. It could be a major step towards achieving Australia’s global commitments to end extinctions.

Read more:
‘Gut-wrenching and infuriating’: why Australia is the world leader in mammal extinctions, and what to do about it

Why manage cats?

Unless we control the impact of cats, many native wildlife populations will continue to decline. Some will be driven to extinction, a sad and irreversible outcome for future generations and the ecosystems these species are part of.

Cats are versatile and highly effective predators. A large male cat can kill animals up to about 4kg – nearly as big as the cat itself.

Since they arrived in Australia with Europeans, cats have spread across 99% of the country. Only some islands and specially constructed fenced conservation areas are cat-free.

Many native animal populations can’t cope with sustained hunting pressure from cats. Impacted species include more than 200 of Australia’s nationally listed threatened species and 37 migratory species.

One in ten of the mammal species present when cats arrived are now extinct. Cats played a major role in most of those 34 extinctions. And they continue to drive population declines and regional extinctions of susceptible species.

Cats also carry and spread a range of diseases. One of these, toxoplasmosis, can cause sickness, behavioural impairment and death in other mammals and birds. This disease, which is entirely dependent on cats, can also have serious consequences for livestock and human health.

Read more:
Toxoplasmosis: how feral cats kill wildlife without lifting a paw

A strategic response

The government’s new Threat Abatement Plan aims to co-ordinate national efforts to reduce the impacts of feral cats on native wildlife. It follows extensive consultation with Indigenous ranger groups and First Nations organisations around the country, with members of the national Feral Cat Taskforce, and with threatened species and cat management experts.

Since cats occur just about everywhere, affect so many species and are elusive and hard to control, the plan is strategic: it prioritises the places and species for which controlling cats will have the greatest benefits.

Some significant successes have been achieved over the past decade or so, and the plan builds on those.

What are the priorities?

The plan’s objective is to improve outcomes for threatened and cat-susceptible native species, including numbats, bettongs, bandicoots and island-nesting seabirds.

Building from recent successes, it includes priorities for eradicating cats from islands and from within fenced conservation areas, because cats cannot quickly recolonise these areas. These projects are critical for native species, such as stick-nest rats and mala (rufous hare-wallaby), that can’t persist even with a very low density of cats.

The plan also prioritises ongoing cat control in areas with important populations of threatened species that are highly vulnerable to cats, but which can persist as long as cat numbers are kept low.

This approach is valuable for species such as rock wallabies, which live in relatively small, well-defined areas, and for mammals of south-west Australia, which can be protected from cats and foxes by annual poison baiting.

Read more:
This critically endangered marsupial survived a bushfire – then along came the feral cats

Improving habitat management can also help reduce cat impacts across very large areas. For example, improving habitat in northern Australian tropical savannas, through better management of fire and livestock, can reduce cat impacts and increase native mammal populations. Cats hunt most efficiently in sparsely vegetated areas, so better cover provides more shelter for native wildlife.

In southern Australia, reducing rabbit populations also reduces cat numbers by removing an easy food source. This then relieves some of the predation pressure on native animals.

Read more:
The mystery of the Top End’s vanishing wildlife, and the unexpected culprits

What else is in the plan?

The plan proposes reforms of laws and regulations for pet and feral cats in all states and territories. For example, the plan includes actions to make laws on pet cat management more consistent across the country and to encourage responsible pet ownership. This means desexing cats and keeping cats contained so they can’t harm wildlife or produce kittens that end up as feral cats.

Read more:
Herding cats: councils’ efforts to protect wildlife from roaming pets are hampered by state laws

Many of Australia’s last strongholds for threatened species that are vulnerable to cats, such as great desert skinks, bilbies and night parrots, are in Indigenous Protected Areas and other Indigenous-managed land. The plan outlines practical support that Indigenous rangers want to help them manage cats.

Over the past few decades, we have learned much about the impacts of cats and how best to manage them. But we are still a long way from cost-effective, continent-scale solutions to protect native wildlife. The plan identifies the need for new applied research and the development and testing of effective control tools.

Who’s responsible?

Success will depend on focusing and enhancing the already significant efforts of governments, Indigenous and non-Indigenous land managers, environmental non-government organisations, industry, community groups, researchers and the public.

The Australian government will help to deliver the plan by co-ordinating actions and making strategic investments in management and research activity.

Read more:
One cat, one year, 110 native animals: lock up your pet, it’s a killing machine

Be part of the solution

Every Australian who cares about our unique wildlife has an interest in cat management.

Cat owners can help by desexing their pet and keeping it indoors or in a cat run at all times.

Landowners can help by removing refuse that helps support feral cat colonies and by managing habitat so native animals can thrive.

And make sure your local, state and federal government members know how much you care about native wildlife.

The plan is available for public comment until December 11. Have a look, and have your say.

Sarah Legge receives funding from the Australian Research Council. In the past she has received funding for cat research from the Australian Government. She is a member of the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee, and the Feral Cat Taskforce, and contributed to the drafting of the new cat threat abatement plan. She is a scientific advisor to the Invasive Species Council, and to several on-ground cat management projects (e.g. Christmas Island cat eradication project; Wild Deserts Project). She is a member of the Biodiversity Council.

Jaana Dielenberg is part of the Biodiversity Council and is employed by The University of Melbourne. She is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and Invertebrates Australia. Many of the findings reported in this article came from research by the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, which Jaana Dielenberg was a part of.

John Woinarski is a Director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and has undertaken research on the impacts of cats, in part funded by the Australian government. He is also a member of the national Feral Cat Taskforce, and the BIodiversity Council.

– ref. 10-year feral cat plan brings us a step closer to properly protecting endangered wildlife – https://theconversation.com/10-year-feral-cat-plan-brings-us-a-step-closer-to-properly-protecting-endangered-wildlife-212976

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter O’Sullivan, Professor of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Curtin University

If you haven’t had lower back pain, it’s likely you know someone who has. It affects around 40% of adults in any year, ranging from adolescents to those in later life. While most people recover, around 20% go on to develop chronic low back pain (lasting more than three months).

There is a common view that chronic low back pain is caused by permanent tissue damage including “wear and tear”, disc degeneration, disc bulges and arthritis of the spine. This “damage” is often described as resulting from injury and loading of the spine (such as bending and lifting), ageing, poor posture and weak “core” muscles.

We’re often told to “protect” our back by sitting tall, bracing the core, keeping a straight back when bending and lifting, and avoiding movement and activities that are painful. Health practitioners often promote and reinforce these messages.

But this is not based on evidence. An emerging treatment known as cognitive functional therapy aims to help patients undo some of these unhelpful and restrictive practices, and learn to trust and move their body again.

Read more:
Having ‘good’ posture doesn’t prevent back pain, and ‘bad’ posture doesn’t cause it

People are often given the wrong advice

People with chronic back pain are often referred for imaging scans to detect things like disc degeneration, disc bulges and arthritis.

But these findings are very common in people without low back pain and research shows they don’t accurately predict a person’s current or future experience of pain.

Once serious causes of back pain have been ruled out (such as cancer, infection, fracture and nerve compression), there is little evidence scan findings help guide or improve the care for people with chronic low back pain.

In fact, scanning people and telling them they have arthritis and disc degeneration can frighten them, resulting in them avoiding activity, worsening their pain and distress.

It can also lead to potentially harmful treatments such as opioid pain medications, and invasive treatments such as spine injections, spine surgery and battery-powered electrical stimulation of spinal nerves.

Read more:
Opioids don’t relieve acute low back or neck pain – and can result in worse pain, new study finds

So how should low back pain be treated?

A complex range of factors typically contribute to a person developing chronic low back pain. This includes over-protecting the back by avoiding movement and activity, the belief that pain is related to damage, and negative emotions such as pain-related fear and anxiety.

Addressing these factors in an individualised way is now considered best practice.

Best practice care also needs to be person-centred. People suffering from chronic low back pain want to be heard and validated. They want to understand why they have pain in simple language.

They want care that considers their preferences and gives a safe and affordable pathway to pain relief, restoring function and getting back to their usual physical, social and work-related activities.

An example of this type of care is cognitive functional therapy.

What is cognitive functional therapy?

Cognitive functional therapy is about putting the person in the drivers’ seat of their back care, while the clinician takes the time to guide them to develop the skills needed to do this. It’s led by physiotherapists and can be used once serious causes of back pain have been ruled out.

The therapy helps the person understand the unique contributing factors related to their condition, and that pain is usually not an accurate sign of damage. It guides patients to relearn how to move and build confidence in their back, without over-protecting it.

It also addresses other factors such as sleep, relaxation, work restrictions and engaging in physical activity based on the person’s preferences.

Cognitive functional therapy usually involves longer physiotherapy sessions than usual (60 minutes initially and 30-45 minute follow-ups) with up to seven to eight sessions over three months and booster sessions when required.

Read more:
Ouch! The drugs don’t work for back pain, but here’s what does

What’s the evidence for this type of therapy?

Our recent clinical trial of cognitive functional therapy, published in The Lancet, included 492 people with chronic low back pain. The participants had pain for an average of four years and had tried many other treatments.

We first trained 18 physiotherapists to competently deliver cognitive functional therapy across Perth and Sydney over six months. We compared the therapy to the patient’s “usual care”.

We found large and sustained improvements in function and reductions in pain intensity levels for people who underwent the therapy, compared with those receiving usual care.

The effects remained at 12 months, which is unusual in low back pain trials. The effects of most recommended interventions such as exercise or psychological therapies are modest in size and tend to be of short duration.

People who underwent cognitive functional therapy were also more confident, less fearful and had a more positive mindset about their back pain at 12 months. They also liked it, with 80% of participants satisfied or highly satisfied with the treatment, compared with 19% in the usual care group.

The treatment was as safe as usual care and was also cost-effective. It saved more than A$5,000 per person over a year, largely due to increased participation at work.

What does this mean for you?

This trial shows there are safe, relatively cheap and effective treatments options for people living with chronic pain, even if you’ve tried other treatments without success.

Access to clinicians trained in cognitive functional therapy is currently limited but will expand as training is scaled up.

The costs depend on how many sessions you have. Our studies show some people improve a lot within two to three sessions, but most people had seven to eight sessions, which would cost around A$1,000 (aside from any Medicare or private health insurance rebates).

Read more:
Why does my back get so sore when I’m sick? The connection between immunity and pain

Peter O’Sullivan is a Director and consults at bodylogic.physio. He receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

JP Caneiro is a Director and consults at bodylogic.physio. He has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Mark Hancock received NHMRC funding for grants paid to his university, including for the RESTORE study of cognitive functional therapy.

Peter Kent’s employing institution (Curtin University) received funding from Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (grant number 1145271) for the clinical trial mentioned in this article.

– ref. What is cognitive functional therapy? How can it reduce low back pain and get you moving? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-cognitive-functional-therapy-how-can-it-reduce-low-back-pain-and-get-you-moving-207009

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney

We know more people drown in summer. It’s the perfect time to visit the beach, river or local pool. Aussies love hitting the water to cool down.

But the connection between drowning and heatwaves in Australia has not been explored until now. Our new research, published today in the journal Injury Prevention, is the first to examine this link.

We found drowning risk during heatwaves was highest for males, older people and teenagers. But people of all ages were more likely to die from swimming or bathing in the heat. Drowning risk increased during low-intensity heatwaves and was higher still during severe heatwaves, but dropped back a little during extreme heatwaves, though the risk remained higher than usual.

Based on our findings, we want to raise awareness of drowning risk ahead of predicted heatwaves. We also offer strategies people can use to reduce their risk of drowning.

Read more:
‘Drowning for love’ – 5 ways to protect your life while you’re trying to rescue someone in trouble in the water

Drowning and climate change

Drowning deaths are at an generational high in this country. Fatalities are the highest they’ve been since 1996.

A range of factors contribute to this upward trend, including climate. Drowning is inextricably linked to climate drivers such as extreme rainfall, as seen in the tragic flood emergencies across northern New South Wales. In 2021-22, 13% of drowning deaths in Australia were flood-related.

Overseas, warmer winters have led to an increase in drowning deaths in typically ice-covered regions, due to ice instability.

What we did

Using data from both the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Bureau of Meteorology we looked at Queensland between 2010 and 2019. We examined the “incidence rate ratio” of drowning on a heatwave day compared to a non-heatwave day.

This means we compared the 248 non-heatwave drowning deaths and 603,892 non-heatwave days, with the 92 heatwave drowning deaths occurring on 191,420 heatwave days. In this way, we sought to identify any increased risk of drowning.

Queensland is a vast state that experiences wide variations in climate, so it’s a good case study.

What we found

We identified a 17% greater risk of drowning during a heatwave, compared to non-heatwave days. Within this though, there are variations.

Men were 22% more likely to drown during a heatwave than during non-heatwave days, compared to 5% for women. People 65 and over were 36% more likely to drown on heatwave days. This was higher than children and teenagers (24% more likely) and 20-64-year olds (7% more likely).

There was also a difference in terms of the activities we are doing in the water.

Drowning risk during heatwaves was highest for swimming and bathing-related drowning with a 28% increase compared to a non-heatwave day.

The risk of drowning due to a water transport-related incident (such as boating) was 27% lower during a heatwave.

The level of risk varies

We also found the link between heatwaves and drowning risk is not linear, meaning risk doesn’t necessarily climb as the temperature does. As heatwave intensity increases, so does drowning risk but only to a point. While risk rises from 17% during low-intensity heatwaves to 26% during severe heatwaves, risk of drowning reduced to just 9% during extreme heatwaves (the highest intensity).

Our results suggest hotter temperatures see more people in the water and therefore exposure to risk of drowning increases. For those with pre-existing medical conditions exacerbated by the heat, this likely also contributes to drowning risk.

Read more:
‘Your first emotion is panic’: rips cause many beach drownings, but we can learn from the survivors

Staying safe this summer

It’s important to communicate the increased drowning risk ahead of predicted heatwaves, just as we do ahead of other peak periods for drowning such as public and school holidays. It is also vital to educate people on simple strategies they can take to reduce their risk of drowning.

Some advice is pertinent regardless of the temperature. These include encouraging people to swim between the flags at patrolled beaches, supervising young children around the water, and wearing a lifejacket when boating or rock fishing.

But other safety messaging may be even more relevant during heatwaves. Alcohol intoxication dramatically increases drowning risk and our previous research on alcohol consumption at rivers shows a clear link between excessive drinking and the air temperature. That is, the hotter it is, the more people drink.

And given drowning risk increases for people with particular medical conditions, such as epilepsy and cardiac conditions, it is important to be mindful of the increased risk to health that is present during a heatwave, even before entering the water.

What it means for those who keep us safe

Our research findings also have important implications for those who provide supervision around water, such as pool lifeguards and surf life savers.

During heatwaves, patrols could be staggered, starting earlier, with a break in the middle of the day, and extending longer into the evening, particularly with the sun setting later and warmer temperatures continuing into the night.

Extra resources are likely to be needed during low and severe heatwaves, but not necessarily heatwaves which reach extreme levels, as there appears to be a change in people’s behaviour and thus reduced drowning risk.

Those who respond to drowning emergencies must also prepare for more drowning incidents during heatwave conditions. Our excess mortality calculations identify heatwaves contributed to an additional 13 drowning deaths between 2010 and 2019.

Action on climate change is urgently needed for a range of reasons, including drowning risk. With global heat records being broken, Australia needs to be prepared for a potentially cruel summer and if you’re planning to hit the water, we urge you to be safe.

Read more:
The 8 deadly days of Christmas: how to stay safe from drowning in Australia this summer

Amy Peden is an honorary Senior Research Fellow with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia and is the co-founder of the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group. She receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Hannah Mason receives funding from the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science.

Jemma King is affiliated with the Australian Health Promotion Association and holds an executive position with the Queensland Branch.

Richard Franklin receives funding from Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science, Agrifutures, and Queensland Government Fire and Emergency Services. He is affiliated with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia as a Volunteer Board Member and Senior Research Officer, Kidsafe as President and Board member, Farmsafe Australia as a Board Member, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine as a Board Member, and the Public Health Association of Australia as Co-Convenor of the Injury Prevention Special Interest Group.

– ref. Drowning risk increases during heatwaves in unexpected ways – here’s how to stay safe this summer – https://theconversation.com/drowning-risk-increases-during-heatwaves-in-unexpected-ways-heres-how-to-stay-safe-this-summer-212095

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Day, Senior research fellow, University of Tasmania

Woodside Energy this week announced it would start seismic testing for its Scarborough gas project off Australia’s west coast, before reversing the decision in the face of a legal challenge from Traditional Owners.

Seismic testing is highly controversial in marine environments. The federal regulator (the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) is currently examining a proposal for seismic testing in the Otway Basin in Bass Strait, which conservationists say has attracted more than 30,000 public submissions.

Seismic testing is also mooted as part of the “PEP11” (Petroleum Exploration Permit 11) off the coast of New South Wales, from Manly to Newcastle.

As marine biologists with research expertise in this field, here we give a roundup of the latest evidence on the effects of seismic surveys. It shows there are many potential harms to marine life, and many unanswered questions.

Read more:
Underwater noise is a threat to marine life

What are seismic surveys?

Marine seismic surveys are used to search for oil and gas, places to stash greenhouse gases, and potential locations for wind farms.

The surveys use air guns to generate sound signals. These sound signals are intense (loud, at high decibel levels) and “impulsive” (sharp, like a balloon popping). In the open ocean, sound waves can be detected thousands of kilometres from the source.

The sound can penetrate more than ten kilometres into the earth beneath the seafloor. The way the signals reflect off different layers of the seabed can identify geological structures, including those that contain mineral deposits such as oil and gas. The sound signals bounce back to acoustic receivers (hydrophones) towed behind the survey vessel on cables known as streamers.

During a survey, sound signals are generated every four to ten seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Surveys can last for weeks or months, and cover thousands of square kilometres of ocean. The proposal to study the Otway Basin, for example, covers 45,000 square km.

Seismic surveys and marine life

The ability to fully examine the effects of seismic surveys in mammals is limited, because invasive methods are not logistically possible or ethically acceptable.

But there is a long history of research on whales and dolphins, given their reliance on sound to communicate, find food and navigate.

Observations of marine mammals show intense sound signals such as those from seismic surveys can affect hearing ability, either temporarily or permanently, depending on the intensity, range and duration of exposure.

Noise pollution can mask communications, causing whales either to sing more loudly or to stop singing altogether, which can affect social structure and interaction. Seismic surveys can also alter the presence and abundance of marine mammal prey.

What about fish?

Fish also show a range of responses to seismic testing. Some fish exhibit physical damage to hearing organs and signs of stress.

Fish behaviour may also change. Some leave regular feeding or breeding areas, which raises concerns over effects to fishing grounds or impacts on important prey species. It’s also uncertain whether the fish will be able to find suitable alternative habitats if they are displaced in the long term.

Others may “habituate” or become accustomed to exposure, raising the risk of more extensive damage by spending more time in the survey area.

Scallops, lobsters and plankton

Despite invertebrates making up around 92% of marine species, the impact of marine noise on these creatures has only recently been studied. This has shown a potential for harm.

In the valuable southern rock lobster fishery, off the coasts of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, seismic air gun exposure damaged the sensory organ that provides a sense of gravity and balance, similar to the human inner ear. Affected lobsters also had impaired ability to right themselves when placed upside down, a reflex that underpins important behaviours such as escaping predators.

Scallops showed more severe impacts, with up to four times higher death rates and a range of other sub-lethal effects including altered behaviour, impaired physiology and a disrupted immune system. As this animal already suffers high levels of mortality naturally and due to fishery activity, this extra pressure could be of considerable concern.

Invertebrates also make up a large proportion of the zooplankton community, a broad group of very small animals carried by ocean currents. They are food for a wide range of marine life, from other zooplankton to small fish and whales.

In the first experimental exposure to a seismic air gun, a large proportion of zooplankton died. Overall abundance decreased significantly, at distances up to 1.2km from the air gun.

Confirming this result, another recent study of zooplankton found exposure to seismic air guns 50 metres away resulted in increased mortality immediately after exposure. The plankton continued to die off or suffer impaired development for several days. These effects, particularly in the case of exposure that is repeated over the course of months within a single area, have the potential to severely impact the plankton populations that underpin marine food webs.

Read more:
Australian humpback whales are singing less and fighting more. Should we be worried?

Difficulties in predicting impacts

While the handful of available studies shows exposure to seismic surveys can harm animals, our ability to understand or predict what happens in the wild is still very limited.

Part of the problem is conflicting results. For example, in one case, seismic survey exposure had no impact on the types of fish found in an area or their behaviour. And a separate study of scallops found no mortality after seismic exposure. These studies conflict with the results we described earlier, which happens commonly in science and highlights the need for ever more detailed research.

Only a few animal species have so far been investigated, making it hard to tell how other animals might be affected by seismic testing. There are also limitations to the methods of studies that reduce our ability to understand the real-world impacts, such as housing animals in captivity after exposure.

Sound behaves very differently in water than in air. Water is more dense, allowing sound to travel faster, farther and with less of a drop in intensity. Comparisons between the “loudness” of sounds in air and water are not straightforward.

While mounting evidence shows seismic surveys can harm a range of marine animals, there is so much still to learn.

Read more:
Australia has introduced a new bill that will allow us to ship carbon emissions overseas. Here’s why that’s not a great idea

Ryan Day has received funding and/or research contributions from the Australian Government through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Beach Energy, CGG, ConocoPhillips, Origin Energy, the CarbonNet Project, the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.

Jayson Semmens has received funding and/or research contributions from the Australian Government through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Beach Energy, CGG, ConocoPhillips, Origin Energy, the CarbonNet Project, the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.

Robert McCauley receives funding from industry and Government to study impacts of seismic on marine fauna, which over his career includes: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC); Beach Energy; CGG; University of Tasmania; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Australian Petroleum Production Exploration Association (APPEA); Bureau Offshore Energy and Minerals (BOEM, USA); Joint Industry Program (JIP); Woodside Energy; Origin Energy; Santos; Apache Energy (now Quadrant); and Roc Oil.

– ref. Whales stop singing and rock lobsters lose their balance: how seismic surveys can harm marine life – https://theconversation.com/whales-stop-singing-and-rock-lobsters-lose-their-balance-how-seismic-surveys-can-harm-marine-life-211207

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyssa Clare Milton, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sydney

Outside school hours care – also known as “school-aged care”, “OOSH” or “afters” – is booming.

As of 2020, it was the fastest-growing childcare sector in Australia. As of 2022, it catered to 486,310 primary school children.

Enrolments have surged by 111% over the past 20 years, as more mothers have worked as they raise their children.

However, there is a lack of consistency in quality. About 14% of services fall short of the national quality standards for these services, and only 11% are exceeding them.

Our new research shows how designing activities with children and their communities can help improve the quality of these services.

What is outside school hours care?

School hours tend to be between about 8.45am and 3.15pm, meaning many families need extra care for their children. For many, outside school hours care is an essential service.

Services run before school, after school and during school holidays. Often they are located on school grounds.

There are nearly 5,000 such services around Australia, each with individual working hours and fees. The average cost as of 2021 was A$7.85 per hour, and many families qualify for government childcare subsidies to reduce this rate.

Children are usually given food, and choose between planned and spontaneous activities such as games, crafts, reading and self-directed play. But it can also involve extracurricular activities in STEM (such as work with LEGO or computing), dance, drama, music and sport.

Read more:
As fees keep climbing, this is why competition isn’t enough to deliver cheaper childcare

Why quality is important

Services are usually delivered by not-for-profit organisations and private companies, but can also be run by parents via a school’s P&C committee.

All providers must be approved by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. High-quality services see staff reflecting on how to improve what they do and having meaningful engagement with families and the wider community.

Since students can potentially spend more than 10,000 hours in outside school hours care throughout their primary years, this is a big opportunity to support Australian children.

A 2021 Griffith University report for the New South Wales Department of Education emphasised how these services should be “more than just convenient care”. They have potential to be a significant part of children’s education and development beyond formal schooling.

Our program

Since 2016, the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre and not-for-profit service provider Uniting NSW/ACT have been researching how children’s wellbeing can be supported through outside school hours care.

Together with children and their communities, we have co-designed the “Connect Promote and Protect Program”. This encourages children, their educators and volunteers to create activities that broaden their experiences, promote social connections, and enhance their wellbeing.

Involving children in this way is not a new idea. The United Nations has long viewed children as competent humans with the right to contribute to decisions that affect their lives. The national framework for school-age care also notes the importance of listening to children.

In our program, children are given opportunities to generate ideas via voting, surveys, small group workshops and conversations. Then they decide on an activity and can help run it.

The activities have ranged from a robotics program, to knitting beanies for people experiencing homelessness, drama sessions to build confidence in acting and public speaking, and lawn bowls at a local club to improve coordination skills and community connections.

Services are provided with training and resources, and typically run the program one day a week for two terms. It is designed so there are no extra costs for families.

Read more:
Fewer than 1 in 5 students who are behind in Year 3 catch up and stay caught up

Our new study

Our new study evaluated our program in five services in public and private primary schools across Sydney.

For example, one service chose a “woodwork cafe” to develop woodworking skills. Trained volunteers from the local community supported children in building their own chicken coop at the after-school site.

A volunteer brought a chicken for an initial visit so children could interact with and learn about chickens before baby chickens arrived. Another family provided two baby chickens and an incubator for hatchlings.

The process was documented with updates and photos, enhancing children’s and their family’s engagement and excitement. This also included information on how pets can promote wellbeing, and links to community resources about children’s wellbeing.

As one child told us:

when you do this activity everyone is running to do it.

An increase in kindness

Four services in our study collected quantitative data. After the program – which required group work and cooperation – we found children across these four services showed an increase in kindness, and there was a reduction in problems such as bullying.

This was measured by the standard “strengths and difficulties questionnaire” used by psychologists and educators. For example, at the start of the program, 55.6% of children had the highest possible score for prosocial behaviours (doing something to benefit someone else), which increased to 71.6% after the program.

Educators told us about children working together and helping each other. One parent observed children “being patient to hear each one out as well”. Another educator explained how they saw children taking ownership and “really speaking up”. They added:

We’ve really seen that change in dynamic of that communication now [of children saying] ‘Hey, this is my [service]. This is the program that I want to do’.

The also spoke of seeing better engagement from children who did not usually participate in activities. One service manager said high-quality after-school programs could “capture” children who were facing issues with regular school:

we can create a space in an [after-school service] that supports […] and engages those children. It gives them a sense of belonging [so] they know that they matter.

Educator benefits

Educators also reported a greater sense of community and wellbeing at work. This is important, as staff satisfaction and wellbeing is a crucial element of a high-quality program. We know staff turnover and churn in the sector is high.

Educators in our study spoke of how the process of co-design with children helped them develop new ways of engaging with children. As one educator educator reported:

I really connected in a different way for the first time.

Beyond babysitting

Our research underscores the need to ensure services are more than just a convenience or a place to babysit children while their parents finish work.

Government and policymakers need to invest more heavily in these services, so training and programs can be delivered to promote the wellbeing of children, educators and their wider communities — ultimately enhancing the quality of these essential services.

The Connect, Promote, and Protect Program has an executed intellectual property agreement between the University of Sydney (Alyssa Milton and Ian Hickie) and Uniting NSW.ACT.

Ian Hickie is the Co-Director, Health and Policy at the Brain and Mind Centre (BMC) University of Sydney. He is the Chief Scientific Advisor to, and a 3.2% equity shareholder in, InnoWell Pty Ltd. that pursues transformation of mental health services internationally through the use of innovative technologies.

Karen Thorpe receives funding from the Australian Research Council as a chief investigator in the ARC centre of Excellence for children and Families across the life course and as an ARC Laureate Fellow. She is affiliated with the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth as a board member and Beyond Blue as a member off the National Advisory Council for Be You.

Tom McClean is Head of Research and Social Policy at Uniting NSW/ACT.

– ref. Nearly 500,000 Australian kids go to after school care – it needs to be more than a babysitting service – https://theconversation.com/nearly-500-000-australian-kids-go-to-after-school-care-it-needs-to-be-more-than-a-babysitting-service-212195

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Iain White, Professor of Environmental Planning, University of Waikato

He was, said George Bernard Shaw, “one of those heroic simpletons who do big things whilst our prominent worldlings are explaining why they are Utopian and impossible”.

The celebrated playwright was referring to the ideas of Ebenezer Howard, the creative force behind the idea of “garden cities” in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; new urban centres that Howard argued would have the best of town and country, but without the problems.

There’s a reminder of that somewhat backhanded compliment in the recent news of a Silicon Valley consortium named Flannery Associates buying land with a view to creating a new city in northern California’s Solano County. The controversial project is named after the investment vehicle’s parent company, California Forever.

The parallels between contemporary utopian thinking and Howard’s ideas from more than a century ago are readily apparent. The notion of something like California Forever may appear cutting edge, but it is part of the historical foundations of current planning systems.

Indeed, the science-fiction writer H.G. Wells – a futurist whose own ideas would resonate with many in Silicon Valley – was so attracted to Howard’s ideas that he joined the Garden City Association to support their creation.

Garden city visions

Any kind of new city model tends to reflect the politics of its founders. The vision and plans stretch beyond the built form to picture a preferred lifestyle, and interactions with nature and each other.

The artist’s renderings accompanying the California Forever project depict an attractive, harmonious landscape familiar to utopian thinking: plentiful parks, open spaces and sustainable energy.

Read more:
What is a garden city – and why is money being spent on building them?

It encapsulates a politics of urban living that also emphasises the need to recast our relationships with nature. As such, these ideas also involve a large dose of social engineering. They are not just about creating a new built environment, they envision a new kind of society that’s better than the current one.

But the garden cities that were eventually developed were a far cry from Howard’s initial vision. In fact, his ideas from over a hundred years ago make those from Silicon Valley look distinctly dated.

For Howard, it was as much about social reform and organisation as city planning. He advocated for local production and relatively self-contained settlements to reduce the need to travel, as well as innovative ways of treating waste that echo current circular economy thinking.

Planning and profit

Even less like the investment logic behind California Forever, Howard also imagined a city that could challenge some of the precepts of capitalism.

Given the significant deprivation and social divide between haves and have-nots, he advocated that land in garden cities could be organised cooperatively to share wealth and reduce poverty.

Read more:
How should we design cities to make the most of urban ecosystems?

The need to attract investors was one of the reasons Howard’s ambitious politics eroded. To purchase land on that scale requires significant capital, and the providers of that capital would no doubt be looking for a return.

Should California Forever materialise, history would caution us that there may be a similar gap between rhetoric and reality. While Howard’s ideas were partially implemented in places like Letchworth, the focus was more on the built environment than social justice or sustainability.

Howard moved into the new city, but his influence was marginalised by the need to accommodate shareholder interests.

While we don’t know how California Forever has been pitched to investors, it’s a fair assumption it is also shaped by the profit motive: buying cheaper agricultural land, rezoning for housing and development, drawing in state funding for infrastructure, and seeing the land rise in value.

While the images appear sustainable, long-distance commuting may be a problem given the nature of the labour market in California, as might expectations of genuine community involvement in the project. Utopian schemes have long been critiqued for their tendency towards authoritarianism – a charge not unfamiliar to the tech sector in recent times.

Read more:
How do we get urban density ‘just right’? The Goldilocks quest for the ‘missing middle’

Howard’s ideas were also criticised as anti-urban. Shouldn’t we seek to improve existing cities rather than abandon and start anew, possibly to create a gentrified enclave?

For the tech sector, too, there is a recurring utopian trend that seeks to escape – whether to moon colonies or new cities – rather than use its vast wealth and influence to address current urban problems.

Progress and planning

But, ultimately, it’s encouraging to see groups like the Silicon Valley investors advocate for the benefits of good urban planning and what it can provide future generations. The bigger problem is that current planning systems aren’t anything like as progressive.

In many countries, similarly powerful investors routinely criticise urban planning as creating “red tape”, increasing the costs of development, or stopping markets from acting “efficiently”.

Yet the kind of city building represented by California Forever requires greater regulatory power and the kind of political ambition that was more common a century ago. And it raises the question of whether projects like this should be left to the private sector.

At the very least, perhaps, such initiatives provide an opportunity to reassess the potential of urban planning and cast a light on current societal problems. Howard’s utopian vision was designed to solve the problems of his time: exploitative landlords, slums, polluted cities and extreme disparities of wealth.

Whether or not California Forever is built, the reasons behind the idea demonstrate that while history may not repeat, it does sometimes rhyme.

Iain White receives funding from the National Science Challenge: Resilience to Nature’s Challenges – Kia manawaroa – Ngā Ākina o Te Ao Tūroa. He also receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Endeavour Fund to research issues connected to flood risk mapping and better decision making, and from Toka Tū Ake Natural Hazards Commission to research how to better incorporate risk into future settlement planning.

– ref. Silicon Valley investors want to create a new city – is ‘California Forever’ a utopian dream or just smart business? – https://theconversation.com/silicon-valley-investors-want-to-create-a-new-city-is-california-forever-a-utopian-dream-or-just-smart-business-213062

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

A few days ago, the furore over the government’s rejection of Qatar Airways’ bid for more flights into major cities was all about cheaper tickets and additional seats.

Now the issue has doubled back to become, apparently, at least in part about the mistreatment of the Australian women who were hauled off a flight in 2020 and subjected to invasive body searches, after a newborn was found abandoned in Doha Airport.

Five of the women have a legal case on foot. It is back in the Federal Court on Friday for the 21st time.

Transport Minister Catherine King, in yet another attempt to explain, or dodge explaining, her rejection of the Qatar application, said on radio on Thursday morning that the 2020 incident “wasn’t a factor in the decision, but it was certainly context for the decision”.

This is as baffling as most of the other explanations King and other government members have given. Isn’t “context” a “factor”?

Well yes, it seems. Only an hour or so earlier, at a crack-of-dawn news conference at Canberra airport, where she released a green paper on aviation policy, King suggested the 2020 incident was a factor, although “there was no one factor that influenced my decision in relation to the national interest”. She argued: “I don’t think it’s helpful for me to point to any one factor.”

On Thursday night on the ABC, she did spell out some factors – what was happening in the aviation market, capacity coming back into the market, jobs.

While initially it was thought the 2020 incident might have been a reason behind the decision, King had subsequently indicated that it was not, finally settling on this nebulous concept of the “national interest” to justify the government’s stance.

But the 2020 incident has hung there in the background of the controversy. On July 10, the day she made the decision, King wrote to the five women, who had contacted her strongly opposing the additional access, to assure them Qatar was not being considered for more flights.

In their letter the women had said the airline was “not fit to carry passengers around the globe let alone to major Australian airports”.

“When you are considering Qatar Airways’ bid for extra landing rights, we beg you to consider its insensitive and irresponsible treatment of us,” they wrote. “We implore you to instead consider an airline that will uphold human rights.”

On Monday this week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong had a phone conversation with the prime minister of Qatar.

Wong has said that in the call, which she initiated, they discussed bilateral matters, as well as multilateral issues ahead of the United Nations UN General Assembly meeting later in the month. They did discuss the 2020 incident; they did not canvass the flights matter. That seems extraordinary. After all, the Qatar government owns Qatar Airways and flights involve country-to-country agreements.

Could this resurrection of the 2020 incident be one way of seeking to neutralise an issue that has been debated – to the Albanese government’s detriment – in terms of limiting competition?

King insists she made the decision herself. She says she consulted colleagues, whom she doesn’t name. She has fudged when probed about what her department recommended. She said she told Anthony Albanese of the decision before it became public later in July, but stonewalled when pressed in parliament for the date on which she informed the prime minister.

Before the attention focused on King, Albanese was copping the heat, because the decision was seen to be in line with his perceived closeness to former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (who quit prematurely this week, as part of that airline’s attempt to quell public anger at it).

King, from the left, is one of the longest-serving House of Representative members, having won the Victorian seat of Ballarat in 2001 from the Coalition. She was briefly in the ministry in 2013, at the tail end of the former Labor government.

Transport wouldn’t have been King’s first choice of portfolio. She was shadow health minister (she had a background in health policy) for two terms under Bill Shorten, and looked forward to being health minister after the election Labor thought it would win in 2019. The unexpected loss meant major changes in the frontbench under Albanese, which saw King moved to infrastructure, transport and regional development.

King will survive this imbroglio, but the affair is salutary for the Albanese government.

Much of the trouble over the Qatar decision comes from public anger about Qantas and its poor service and arrogant attitude. The rejection of the Qatar flights, which benefited Qantas, became a lightning rod. The government failed to pick up on the strength of feeling about Qantas – if it had, Albanese might not have appeared with Joyce at the airline’s recent event to back the Voice, including with travel assistance for “yes” campaigners.

The Qatar matter shows the government can’t just expect to fob off questions by invoking generalities such as the “national interest”. It also reaffirms the point that while parliament’s question time is mostly useless, it can on occasion expose the weaknesses of a minister under pressure.

Finally, there is a lesson here about the role of cabinet. King might argue such decisions are “routine” and say she consulted (unspecified) colleagues, but the matter would have been better taken to cabinet. A cabinet discussion can tease out competing arguments for and against a decision, and reinforce a government’s case. In her defence in parliament, King tried to make a virtue of ministerial autonomy, but it doesn’t always serve a government.

Thanks to its own bungling, the government on Tuesday facilitated the Senate setting up an inquiry this week that will do a deep dive into its mishandling of the Qatar affair.

Nationals senate leader Bridget McKenzie proposed the inquiry. The government got the Greens onside to vote against it, by accommodating their push for another inquiry – into the Middle Arm export facility in the Northern Territory.

But it neglected to attempt to peel off other crossbenchers until the very last moment. McKenzie had already done the rounds. On Thursday, the government did manage to tweak the terms of reference to look back into some of the Coalition’s years.

Courtesy of the inquiry, a good deal more is expected to emerge about this imbroglio.

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. Grattan on Friday: Transport Minister Catherine King struggles to find a landing strip amid Qatar turbulence – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-transport-minister-catherine-king-struggles-to-find-a-landing-strip-amid-qatar-turbulence-213076

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Tiller, Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser – Public Health Genomics, Monash University

Genetic tests can provide life-saving information. They can help diagnose disease, enable access to preventive care, prompt early screening and treatment, and guide patients’ therapeutic options.

In Australia, life insurance companies can legally use the results of genetic tests to discriminate. They can decline to provide life insurance coverage, increase the cost of premiums, or place exclusions on an individual’s cover. This is known as “genetic discrimination”.

This week, a number of federal parliamentarians argued for a ban on genetic discrimination by life insurance companies. This follows recommendations from our research team for legislative reform so Australians don’t forego important genetic tests for fear of this discrimination.

Read more:
Australians need more protection against genetic discrimination: health experts

Why would you have a genetic test?

We don’t choose our genetic risk factors. They exist from birth, can’t be changed, and are often passed down from parents to children, causing generations of disease.

Genetic testing can, in some cases, stop the generational curse of genetic disease through prevention and early intervention.

One of the most well-known examples is testing for changes in the BRCA1 gene – which significantly increases risks of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

Angelina Jolie, who carries the BRCA1 gene mutation, famously wrote in the New York Times in 2013 about her decision to have surgeries to drastically reduce her chance of developing cancer.

How is this discrimination currently allowed?

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) prohibits discrimination on a number of different bases, including genetic risk factors.

However, there is a specific carve-out in the Act that allows life insurers to discriminate in ways other entities are prohibited from doing.

This means companies providing insurance for death, income protection, and disability can discriminate on the basis of genetic risk of disease. Other companies that provide risk-rated insurance (where insurers assess an individual’s risk factors and change coverage or premiums based on this risk) can also use genetic test results to discriminate. This includes travel insurance.

Health insurance, however, is not risk-rated. This means a health insurer is not allowed to decline cover or change the cost of premiums based on any risk factors, including genetic risk factors.

Protections are needed

Fears of insurance discrimination deter many people from having genetic testing or participating in genetic research. For this reason, numerous other countries have banned the use of genetic results by insurance companies.

Canada did so in 2017. Its Act prohibits entities (including insurance companies) from collecting or using genetic results to discriminate against individuals.

Insurance industry bodies frequently raise claims that banning the use of genetic results will increase the cost of premiums, making them unaffordable.

Before the Canadian Act was introduced, its Privacy Commissioner commissioned an actuarial expert and economic analyst to consider what impact this ban might have on the Canadian insurance industry.

Both experts concluded the impact of Canada’s ban would be negligible in the medium term, and the Privacy Commissioner welcomed the Act as an “important step for privacy and human rights”.

Genetic testing is likely to expand

At the moment, only people with a strong personal or family history of certain diseases are eligible for publicly funded genetic testing.

However, research projects such as the DNA Screen study are piloting the offer of DNA screening to the whole population.

Read more:
Should I get my DNA tested? We asked five experts

DNA Screen is offering testing to 10,000 young Australians (18-40 year olds) for genetic risk factors for cancer and heart disease, which can be prevented or treated early.

However, we have to tell people when they sign up about potential life insurance discrimination, and many of them change their minds about being part of our study.

As genetic testing offers may expand to the whole population in the future, every person being offered genetic testing will have to consider the implications for their life insurance.

The long road to legislating protections

Following parliamentary recommendations to ban the use of genetic results by life insurers in 2018, the life insurance industry introduced a partial, self-regulated moratorium on using genetic results in 2019.

We had concerns about its terms and the fact that it was self-regulated, with no government oversight. So we gathered views from health professionals, consumers, researchers and financial advisers.

We found the the industry moratorium did not meet the expectations of the parliamentary recommendations. Overwhelmingly, patients, the general public, health professionals and genetic researchers believed legislation on this issue was required. Our final report, released in June, recommends the Australian government introduce a legislative prohibition on the use of genetic test results in insurance underwriting.

This week, federal MP Josh Burns, Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, took the first step by introducing a motion, for the parliament to consider policy reform on this issue.

This was supported by five other federal MPs, including from the coalition and independents. As Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost explained:

Australians should be able to make these decisions based on their health needs, not financial ones, and we have the opportunity to make that a reality… self-regulation is clearly not sufficient to protect our interests. I believe legislation is required.

Separate speeches by MP Dr Daniel Mulino and Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing Ged Kearney this week also supported the motion.

Ms Kearney spoke about several constituents who have shared their concerns about this issue, and also called for policy changes. She noted the benefits for life insurance companies if people can get genetic testing and are able to take preventive action, to become “better risks”.

The Treasury Department, and Stephen Jones MP (Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister) are now considering the appropriate policy solution, together with the Department of Health and Ageing and the Attorney-General’s Department. There is no timeline for this legislation to be introduced, but this urgent policy change must be prioritised by the current government.

Read more:
Population DNA testing for disease risk is coming. Here are five things to know

Jane Tiller received funding from the Commonwealth Government’s Genomic Health Futures Fund to complete this research

Paul Lacaze received funding from the Commonwealth Government’s Genomic Health Futures Fund to complete this research.

– ref. Life insurers can charge more or decline cover based on your genetic test results. New laws must change this – https://theconversation.com/life-insurers-can-charge-more-or-decline-cover-based-on-your-genetic-test-results-new-laws-must-change-this-212183

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

Over recent months, support for the Voice has fallen from a clear majority to a minority. With polling day set for October 14, the “yes” and “no” camps are battling it out to capture those still undecided.

In this podcast, Redbridge Group’s Kosmos Samaras joins The Conversation to dig into the research on voters’ attitudes. Redbridge, consultants on political communications, has been doing both quantitative polling on the Voice and focus group research (it is not working for any of the players in the referendum).

“It’s looking pretty grim for the ‘yes’ campaign,” Samaras says, with the drivers behind the public’s hesitation to the Voice “complex and diverse across the country”.

Cost of living pressures and financial pressures in people’s homes are a factor. It makes people less willing to pay attention to issues that are not of direct concern to them.

Australians with a university degree are more likely to be vote “yes”. Australians who speak another language at home other than English are more likely to vote “yes”, and age, of course. Those over the age of 34 are the largest supporters of the “yes” proposition. The other side of that coin is individuals who are older and don’t have a university degree. They’re generally in the outer suburbs and regions of this country [and intend to] vote “no”.

Samaras strongly believes that Yes23 made a “critical” error of judgement when it partnered up with embattled Qantas to promote the Voice, saying that currently Australians’ trust in major brands is at an all-time low.

It goes a long way to explaining how the yes proposition has lost its political authenticity amongst those voters that we’ve been talking about, mainly in outer suburban regions. They are very sceptical of the successful end of Australia, that is corporates, the likes of Qantas.

Australians overwhelmingly have this enormous mistrust of energy retailers, banks, they think they’re getting fleeced when it comes to the cost of living at the supermarket. All of that is mixing in a pot and the “yes” campaign made a number of critical errors by basically partnering up with the corporate end of our society.

It’s something that the corporate world needs to work on and rebuild that social licence with Australians. But at the moment it’s probably one of the lowest I’ve seen in a long time.

Samaras is adamant a majority of those voting “no” are in favour of Constitutional recognition, just hesitant about the executive government clause in the question being put to voters.

There’s a lot of empathy and compassion there [for Indigenous people], and it doesn’t matter which age groups, which part of Australia that we are sitting in and talking to people. It’s heartening as a researcher to actually say that sort of feedback.

However, the confusion has been a very significant player when it comes to creating that doubt, that cynicism. And as I said before, with the loss of political authenticity for the referendum.

Samaras issues a stark warning to all sides of politics ahead of the referendum.

There’s an important point there because there is some danger there for the Albanese government amongst what I would define as progressive young people, that if this goes down and they are strong supporters of Aboriginal people in this country, they will have a view that all this trauma has occurred for nothing and they’ll be looking for someone to blame.

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

– ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Redbridge’s Kosmos Samaras on what the public are saying about the Voice – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-redbridges-kosmos-samaras-on-what-the-public-are-saying-about-the-voice-213074

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanessa Barolsky, Research Associate, Deakin University

This article mentions ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and contains references that feature antiquated language.

Truth-telling is a key demand in the Uluru Statement and is seen as a vital step for both the Voice to Parliament and a Treaty. However, there has been ongoing debate as to whether historical injustices against First Nations peoples need to be addressed today.

Wiradjuri and Wailwan lawyer Teela Reid posed a question in a 2020 essay, is Australia ready to Gari Yala (speak truth) and reckon with its past?

We recently conducted a study to investigate this question by looking at First Nations community truth-telling practices. Our study found these communities have shown significant leadership in truth-telling, often without resources or support. Importantly, they have invited non-Indigenous people to also take part in truth-telling.

Truth-telling can take the form of memorial and commemorative events, repatriation of remains and cultural artefacts, the renaming of places, and the creation of public artworks and healing sites. A recent example is the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s truth-telling commission. Yoorrook released the truth-telling report this week, providing 46 recommendations for reforms into Victoria’s justice and child protection systems.

We found when non-Indigenous people participated in truth-telling with First Nations communities, it helped build a deeper shared understanding of the past and the achievements of First Nations peoples. This is why truth-telling is a collective social responsibility and non-Indigenous Australians are crucial participants.

But there is still much work to do. Many important historical events and First Nations achievements remain largely unrecognised. Sustained funding and support and the recognition of Australia’s difficult historical truths are crucial.

Read more:
First Nations people have made a plea for ‘truth-telling’. By reckoning with its past, Australia can finally help improve our future

Our research findings

Our research focused on documenting community truth-telling that reclaimed First Nations sovereignty and self-determination, as well as recognising colonial violence. We did in-depth investigations through 25 case studies, including ten in which we held yarning interviews with community organisers. These interviews helped shed new light on rich and diverse ways to engage with the truths of colonial history.

In the MacArthur region of New South Wales, reconciliation group Winga Myamly worked to make sure the 1816 Appin massacre on Dharawal Country is recognised and commemorated annually.

In the massacre, at least 14 (likely more) Aboriginal men, women and children were killed by members of a British Army regiment. The regiment chased the group to nearby cliffs at Cataract Gorge where many jumped to their deaths.

The 2019 commemoration brought together Dharawal Elder Aunty Glenda Chalker, a descendent of Giribunger, one of the survivors of the massacre, and Sandy Hamilton, descended from Stephen Partridge, who served with the regiment that carried out the attack.

In Portland, Victoria, a towering gum leaf sculpture, Mayapa Weeyn (meaning “make fire”) was erected near the site of the Convincing Ground massacre. This is where between 20 and 200 members of the Kilcarer Gunditj clan were killed by British whalers.

The sculpture recognises all 59 Gunditjmara clans, many of whom were killed during the Eumeralla Wars that followed the Convincing Ground massacre. Gunditjmara Elder Walter Saunders, who designed the sculpture, spent two years building it and talking with local residents in an informal process of truth-telling.

In Tasmania, the Mannalargenna Day Festival commemorates Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway leader Mannalargenna. Mannalargenna tried to negotiate to save the lives of Aboriginal people in Tasmania who had been devastated by the Black War during the 1830s.

Our study found truth-telling is more effective when it occurs through immersive experiences. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural practices, such as smoking ceremonies, walking on Country, storytelling and personal engagements with survivors, contributed to healing, dialogue and a deeper shared understanding of history.

Through these events Indigenous people deepened their connections to community, history and Country and non-Indigenous people learned about these connections from them. The increasing attendance at events such as the Appin massacre memorial, the Mannalargenna Day Festival and similar commemorations is evidence of the impact of this type of truth-telling.

Read more:
‘Why didn’t we know?’ is no excuse. Non-Indigenous Australians must listen to the difficult historical truths told by First Nations people

Why is truth-telling important?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long called for Australia’s history to be told truthfully. The local truth-telling activities we have documented are examples of how communities have responded to this desire. They emphasise the importance of supporting communities to tell their stories, rather than government directing how truth-telling occurs.

While truth-telling does not guarantee reconciliation, the participants in our study stressed that meaningful reconciliation cannot occur without it. They emphasised the importance of reconciliation between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities because for some people these relationships have never existed, or are in need of repair.

Truth-telling is also crucial for political and social transformation. For example, the Queensland government is using truth-telling to help inform the path to Treaty. In Victoria, the Yoorrook Justice Commission is investigating historic and ongoing injustices experienced by First Nations peoples, alongside ongoing Treaty negotiations.

Read more:
What is NAIDOC week? How did it start and what does it celebrate?

Community truth-telling can demonstrate the power of Indigenous identity and self-determination. It can also counter past attempts to erase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from Australian history.

Truth-telling highlights the crucial roles and contributions of First Nations peoples. Their acts of bravery and sacrifice, resistance against colonialism and contributions to communities.

Although some local governments have played a key role in supporting truth-telling, more support for local initiatives is required. National proposals, such as a national recognition of Mabo Day and a formal remembrance for frontier conflicts, have the potential to create a better environment for truth-telling.

Vanessa Barolsky received funding to conduct research on community truth-telling from Reconciliation Australia, Deakin University and the Centre for Inclusive and Resilient Societies.

Yin Paradies receives funding to conduct research on community truth-telling from Reconciliation Australia, Deakin University and the Centre for Inclusive and Resilient Societies.

– ref. Why is truth-telling so important? Our research shows meaningful reconciliation cannot occur without it – https://theconversation.com/why-is-truth-telling-so-important-our-research-shows-meaningful-reconciliation-cannot-occur-without-it-197685

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deren Pillay, Researcher and Advanced Trainee in Public Health Medicine, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania

Australia is holding its collective breath ahead of a bushfire season that may bring a return of the smoke linked to 400 deaths and 4,500 hospitalisations and emergency department visits during the 2019–20 Black Summer fires.

Air pollution is the world’s single greatest environmental cause of preventable disease and premature death. In Australia, it’s linked to more than 3,200 deaths a year at an estimated cost of A$6.2 billion.

These impacts are increasing due to climate change and an ageing population, among other factors. Scientists at the Centre for Safe Air (an NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence) have launched a report today on the many benefits of safer air for Australians, to mark the United Nations’ International Day of Clean Air.

The report summarises the extensive evidence on the health impacts of air pollution for Australians. This pollution consists of both airborne particles (also called particulate matter) and gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. The report also explains why co-ordinated national leadership is needed to make our air safer.

Read more:
Air pollution: most national limits are unsafe for human health – new WHO guidelines

Why invest in clean air?

Here are ten reasons Australia should invest in safer air.

1. Air pollution increases non-communicable diseases

Heart disease, stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes, lung diseases and cancer are all leading causes of illness and death for Australians. Air pollution increases the risk of all these conditions in the community.

2. Air pollution makes communicable diseases worse

Air pollution increases the risk of respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19, and may increase their severity.

Read more:
Air pollution can increase the risk of COVID infection and severe disease – a roundup of what we know

3. Air quality affects our health throughout life

Air pollution can affect the growth, development and overall health of unborn babies. Later in life it adds to the risk of developing non-communicable diseases.

4. It adds to health inequities

Action on air pollution represents a powerful opportunity to reduce health inequities in Australia. Some of the most vulnerable people in our society are at higher risk of worse health outcomes from air pollution exposure. They include older adults, pregnant people and unborn babies, children, people with pre-existing chronic conditions, socially disadvantaged populations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Lessening air pollution reduces inequity.

5. Climate change and pollution make each other worse

Climate change is leading to more frequent and severe bushfires. In turn, severe bushfires are influencing the global climate and weather systems. Reducing air pollution is vital for mitigating climate change because they share common drivers such as fuel combustion.

Read more:
Wildfire smoke and dirty air are also climate change problems: Solutions for a world on fire

6. Clean-air policies have many co-benefits

Policies to reduce air pollution from burning fossil fuels have many health, environmental and social benefits. Measures range from decarbonising our energy and transport systems, greening our cities and improving urban and housing design to bushfire prevention strategies. Reducing air pollution improves social, environmental and economic wellbeing.

7. The impacts are increasing

Population growth and ageing, urbanisation and increasing transport and energy demands add to the risks for air quality, climate change and population health. This is why timely interventions are needed.

8. Economic costs are high and underestimated

Australian estimates to date have placed annual mortality costs of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution at A$6.2 billion. However, existing economic analyses of air pollution largely fail to account for the costs of other air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide from vehicle traffic, and non-health costs like labour, productivity, welfare and other societal impacts.

Read more:
Air quality near busy Australian roads up to 10 times worse than official figures

9. Return on investment is high

Every dollar spent generates returns in the forms of lower health costs, healthier people and longer lives. Soon-to-be-published research at the Centre for Safe Air has found reducing the average population exposure to fine airborne particles (PM2.5) by a modest and highly achievable 5% could save more than 360 lives and A$1.6 billion a year.

10. Small improvements produce large gains

The rate of increase of many air-pollution-related health outcomes is steeper at lower concentrations, tapering off at higher levels of pollution. For Australia, this means any small improvements, even to levels below current national air quality standards, will deliver measurable health and economic benefits.

Read more:
Imagine the outcry if factories killed as many people as wood heaters

All of us have a right to clean air

Air pollution and its adverse health effects are linked to how we generate energy, how we heat our homes, our transport systems and our climate. No single policy will adequately tackle the problem of air pollution. Therefore, effective policy measures and regulation must take into account the diverse sources, settings and populations that are more at risk from air pollution.

Currently, responsibility for air pollution policy falls between the health and environment portfolios. Policies are often needed in the environment, planning and transport sectors where health expertise and input are limited, whereas air pollution impacts and public health responses reside in the health sector.

Safe air is a shared resource and a fundamental human right. Air pollution affects everyone – co-ordinated national leadership on safe air will benefit all Australians.

Bin Jalaludin receives funding from the NHMRC and the ARC.

Bill Dodd and Deren Pillay 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. 3,200 deaths a year: 1 of many reasons air pollution in Australia demands urgent national action – https://theconversation.com/3-200-deaths-a-year-1-of-many-reasons-air-pollution-in-australia-demands-urgent-national-action-212973

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University

As artificial intelligence becomes mainstream, its infiltration into children’s lives is causing tremendous anxiety. The global panic around AI’s co-option of children’s play and cultures has manifested unpredictably.

Earlier this year, a Swiss comedian created a film trailer for an imagined remake of the beloved children’s story Heidi using the AI tool Gen-2.

Heidi’s more than 25 film and television retellings (including the most famous 1937 version starring Shirley Temple) are key to cultural archetypes of childhood innocence. The viral AI-generated version sparked headlines for being a godless abyss, nightmare fuel and absolutely soulless and detached from humanity.

This isn’t the first time AI has been used to re-imagine representations of childhood through the creation of cultural artefacts. Researchers trained a deep learning algorithm using children’s books by Dr Seuss, Maurice Sendak and others, with the resulting storybook images described as an apocalyptic nightmare and visions from hell.

When a technology worker used ChatGPT and Midjourney to create a children’s book, he received death threats.

M3GAN and AI dolls

One of the most successful horror films of 2022, M3GAN, depicts the disturbing results of a grieving girl’s friendship with an ultra-lifelike AI-powered doll.

A clip of M3GAN dancing (her face expressionless as her body emulates moves from youth dance trends on social media) went viral to an extent the director called “unbelievable.” M3GAN strikes a cultural chord, embodying our discomfort with how AI co-opts and twists children’s culture.

The Artifice Girl (2022) depicts an AI-generated nine-year-old designed to lure predators online, highlighting debates about AI ethics. Reviewer Sheila O’Malley compared this to Blade Runner (1982), asking:

If a memory is implanted into an android’s brain, a ‘personal’ memory of a childhood that never happened, then isn’t that memory a real thing to the android? The android can’t tell the difference. It feels real. At a certain point, what is or is not ‘real’ is irrelevant. This is when things get unsettling, and The Artifice Girl sits in that very unsettling place.

AI tools sit uncomfortably with our imaginings of childhood. The constellation of play, games, stories and toys that constitutes children’s social worlds is symbolic of innocence, naivety and freedom from the darkest burdens of adult life.

Childhood studies link mythologies of freedom and innocence to faith in humanity. When AI tools pervert children’s culture, they spark our deepest fears about AI’s inhuman modes of intelligence.

AI’s ability to mimic human creators, while hallucinating and twisting reality, gives us reason to worry.

The long history of childhood techno-phobia

Cultural anxieties about AI’s infiltration of children’s culture continue a long history of pop cultural preoccupations with dangerous interactions between children and technologies that cannot be trusted.

With Poltergeist (1982), the world was enthralled by five-year-old Carol Anne’s haunting statement, “They’re here…” She was listening to poltergeists through the family’s television.

This resonated with parents concerned with children’s screen time, as well as video games, Dungeons and Dragons and Satanic ritual abuse. Carol Anne’s television fixation reflects the terrifying potential of technology to unsettle family life.

Read more:
M3gan review: an animatronic doll is out to destroy the nuclear family – much to fans’ delight

Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic Frankenstein, like M3GAN, depicts a young girl dangerously entranced by embodied technology. In its 1931 film adaptation, we see Frankenstein’s monster meeting seven-year-old Maria, who overcomes her initial shock, asks him to play and meets an untimely end.

Come Play (2020) depicts young Oliver who befriends a monster through an app, with deadly screen-time results. Where Poltergeist imagines consequences from too much television, Come Play echoes parents’ fears of losing their children to smartphones and gaming, such as Minecraft.

AI is a lightning rod for fear

M3GAN’s embodied AI reflects the current wave of concern. In May, AI companies made headlines when they linked AI to potential human extinction. While experts dismissed these claims, perceptions of AI as a significant threat echoes the horrors of AI depicted in film.

One example is 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), in which HAL 9000 takes control of the spaceship to protect the mission. Many other films depict out-of-control AI, including WestWorld (1973), Tron (1982), Terminator (1984), The Matrix (1999), I.Robot (2004), Moon (2009), Ex Machina (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). These films resonate today, as AI seems poised to replace human workers.

The idea we can create autonomous technologies that may eradicate humanity prompts what researchers call “moral panic”. This is contagious fear, amplified by the media, and fixated on looming threats to social stability. New media often give voice to youth, challenging norms and exacerbating generational divides, further contributing to recurring moral panics.

While filmmakers highlight AI’s potential threats, today’s tools struggle to generate coherent knitting patterns or recipes that aren’t poisonous. AI’s real threats to children include its ability to present misinformation in convincing ways and replicate social biases. The climate change impacts of AI are troubling, as is the lack of transparency and privacy concerns.

While we shouldn’t be swept up by moral panics, children’s use and understanding of AI should be addressed. UNICEF is embedding children’s rights into global AI policy and the World Economic Forum has released an AI for children toolkit.

While horror stories shed light on our anxieties about children’s technology use, and our imaginings of children’s play and culture, we don’t need to recoil in fear.

Lisa M. Given receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology.

Jessica Balanzategui receives funding from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.

Sarah Polkinghorne receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. Is AI coming for our kids? Why the latest wave of pop-cultural tech anxiety should come as no surprise – https://theconversation.com/is-ai-coming-for-our-kids-why-the-latest-wave-of-pop-cultural-tech-anxiety-should-come-as-no-surprise-212869

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoffrey Roberts, Graduate Researcher, La Trobe University

For more than three decades, China has struggled to contain criticism of its human rights record. It faced a storm of outrage over the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and condemnation of its mass incarceration of Muslim Uyghurs in recent years. Each time, the Chinese government has had to deal with the diplomatic fallout of its own repression.

To deflect this criticism, Chinese diplomats and propagandists have promulgated a series of different claims.

On the one hand, they have tried to rally developing countries behind the idea that the “right to subsistence” trumps concerns over other human rights.

Other times, the government has justified its dictatorship as an expression of traditional Chinese “Confucian values”. These emphasise the importance of duty and social harmony over individual rights.

Now, however, the government has formed a coherent ideological strategy in response to this criticism. China is seeking not merely to resist but to dismantle a foundational idea of the post-Cold War international order – the universality of human rights.

Read more:
Explainer: who are the Uyghurs and why is the Chinese government detaining them?

A new approach cloaked in ‘democratic’ values

The government’s new strategy is called the “Global Civilisation Initiative”. And it’s become a major weapon in the Chinese party-state’s foreign propaganda arsenal.

The initiative was first announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March. It complements two previously announced (and similarly named) diplomatic tools: the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative.

Together, these intentionally vague concepts are designed to expand China’s influence over international institutions and norms. They also advance Xi’s plan for the “great renewal of the Chinese nation”.

In announcing the Global Civilisation Initiative, Xi put forth lofty ideals about creating a “global network for inter-civilisational dialogue and cooperation” based on “common values of humanity”, such as “justice, democracy and freedom.”

Since then, these themes have been widely echoed by China’s media outlets and its foreign propagandists.

The truth, however, is the initiative represents a kind of modern-day tribute system in which an all-powerful China sits atop a hierarchy of like-minded states from the Global South.

In exchange for kowtowing to Beijing, the Chinese government offers developing countries lucrative trade and investment opportunities and the ability to emulate its authoritarian political model.

A selective approach to human rights

China’s new initiative could have significant repercussions for human rights.

First, in contrast to the respect for universal human rights in the liberal international order, China’s strategy calls for a cultural relativist approach based on each country’s “national conditions and unique features.”

In other words, there shouldn’t be a universal standard of human rights at all.

Instead, each country should develop human rights protections according to its own culture and traditions. As China’s former foreign minister, Qin Gang, said earlier this year:

There is no one-size-fits-all model in the protection of human rights.

This approach is problematic because it allows governments to apply international human rights standards selectively. It also offers a smokescreen for China’s own human rights violations.

A network of despots with similar views

A second way the Global Civilisation Initiative threatens human rights is by promoting greater collaboration between illiberal and authoritarian regimes.

In announcing the initiative, Xi made the point of differentiation between China and Western democracies clear:

The [Chinese Communist Party] will continue to safeguard international fairness and justice and promote world peace and stability. In advancing modernisation, China will neither tread the old path of colonisation and plunder, nor the crooked path taken by some countries to seek hegemony once they grow strong.

To promote this new strategy, Chinese officials have also been using benign-sounding language, such as “dialogue”, “cooperation” and “common prosperity”.

The Chinese state media even leaned on the ancient Silk Road as proof China has long “embodied the spirit of cooperation, mutual learning and mutual benefit”.

The aim is to build a broad coalition of countries seeking an alternative to the Western-led international order. In this new Chinese-led model, countries refrain from imposing their own values on one another. Interference in internal affairs is also strictly prohibited.

Read more:
How China is remaking the world in its vision

Again, this strategy can provide a smokescreen for China. It creates a global network of like-minded regimes whose diplomats can shield Beijing’s human rights abuses from scrutiny and criticism in international forums. They can also vote in support of Beijing’s resolutions at the United Nations.

In return, adhering to the Global Civilisation Initiative can provide greater space for illiberal governments to pursue their own goals and punish political opponents without fear of condemnation.

As a self-serving instrument for the projection of China’s power and influence, the success of the Global Civilisation Initiative will depend on its level of buy-in from developing states. In a world in which democracy and human rights are in decline and authoritarianism is on the rise, this may be readily forthcoming.

Geoffrey Roberts 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. China’s concerning new strategy on human rights: unite the world behind a ‘selective’ approach – https://theconversation.com/chinas-concerning-new-strategy-on-human-rights-unite-the-world-behind-a-selective-approach-212007

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arjuna Dibley, Head of Sustainable Finance Hub, The University of Melbourne

Last month, a significant victory for climate change was won behind closed doors. In 2020, Katta O’Donnell, then a 23-year-old student at the University of Melbourne, launched a world-leading class action lawsuit against the Commonwealth government.

O’Donnell alleged that she and other investors in Australian-issued bonds had been misled because the government failed to disclose how climate change might impact their investments.

Sovereign bonds allow governments to borrow money, from which, on top of taxes, they can fund expenditures and programs. Historically, investors consider sovereign bonds issued by stable economies such as Australia a safe bet.

Because our economy is large and our economic, political and legal institutions stable and mostly free from corruption, investors can be fairly certain that Australian governments will repay their debts.

This has created steady demand for Australian sovereign bonds, making them a reliable way for our governments to fund policy programs and respond to economic shocks. But O’Donnell’s lawsuit broadly questioned whether sovereign bonds were really safe for investors once the economic impacts of climate change were taken into account.

Her lawyers argued that the Commonwealth government should disclose the way climate change posed both “physical” and “transition” risks to the economy.

The first are financial risks that climate scientists say will impact Australia’s economy due to changes to the climate and the rise in extreme weather events. The second kind of risk emerges from changes in global demand for our fossil fuel exports.

Read more:
‘A wake-up call’: why this student is suing the government over the financial risks of climate change

O’Donnell’s lawyers also suggest that investors increasingly expect governments to try to manage their climate risks.

They point to the 2019 decision by Sweden’s Central Bank, Sveriges Rijksbank, to divest its holdings in Queensland and Western Australian bonds, because they are “not known for good climate work”, as an example of investors taking these risks seriously.

In March 2021 the Commonwealth sought to have the claim struck out, alleging it was not clear what risks should be disclosed.

At that time, few government bond prospectuses issued around the world referred to climate risks. However, Justice Murphy of the Federal Court decided to keep the legal action on foot because he saw an “informational asymmetry” between the government and investors regarding the nature of climate risks.

Following the election of the Albanese government, the Commonwealth decided not to contest the case in court, but to seek mediation.

Under the terms of the settlement, agreed on August 7 and to be approved by the court next month, the government will likely acknowledge on the Treasury website that climate change presents a risk to the country’s “economy, regions, industries, and communities”, and that there is uncertainty around the global transition to net zero emissions.

The government’s decision to disclose climate risks is no surprise. It is already taking steps to better understand and report on how climate change will affect the economy. Beyond taking policy measures to support the transition to a “net zero” economy, it has tasked Treasury with developing a national sustainable finance strategy.

It has also asked some large listed companies to analyse and disclose their climate-risk exposure, and is developing a legal framework – called a “taxonomy” – to better regulate sustainable finance.

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s new governor, Michele Bullock, also said in a recent speech that the economic implications of climate change could affect the stability of the financial system.

The settlement is significant because, for the first time, an AAA-rated government will recognise climate change as a systemic risk that can affect the value of its bonds. Large sovereign investors and credit-rating agencies are already focusing on how climate change impacts a country’s ability to repay, and pricing this information into its loans.

All this is creating pressure for governments like ours to better understand and disclose climate risks when they borrow money.

But climate risk disclosure in sovereign bonds is not enough. Governments are qualitatively different entities to companies, from which these disclosure practices evolved.

Companies are more able than governments to rid themselves quickly of polluting assets, acquire new clean resources, or change the location of their operations. Investors can engage with companies on climate change through annual general meetings, but they struggle to influence governments on climate change (although some are trying to develop strategies for doing so).

Read more:
Better than net zero? Making the promised 1.2 million homes climate-friendly would transform construction in Australia

So while the recent case is a reminder for government issuers to consider how climate change will impact government bond repayment obligations, their challenge isn’t solved by better disclosure practices.

Nevertheless, Australian governments should continue their plans to better understand and disclose climate risks.

Moreover, under instruments such as Sustainability Linked Sovereign Bonds, governments can set climate-related performance targets, such as lowering carbon emissions by 10% by 2025. A government that does not meet these predetermined targets could be subject to an increase in its interest rate, or another penalty.

These instruments create an incentive for governments to achieve real emission reductions, which is the only activity that will ultimately address climate risk in the economy.

Arjuna Dibley is a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Development, a Board Member of Environmental Justice Australia and a Board Member of Carbon Plan.

– ref. How one student forced the government to admit the economic risks of climate change – https://theconversation.com/how-one-student-forced-the-government-to-admit-the-economic-risks-of-climate-change-212856

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meg Elkins, Senior Lecturer with School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University

Are you spending more and more time at work doing paperwork and filling in forms rather than the thing you were trained and hired for? Does this busy work often seem to resist rational purpose or questioning? Does it kill your productivity, initiative, motivation and, frankly, your self-worth and sanity?

If any of this sounds familiar, you are experiencing a classic dilemma of the 21st-century workplace. The unique and irreplaceable human qualities for which workers are increasingly hired tend to clash badly with the rules designed to reign in their worst excesses.

This insight is part of recent research that applies behavioural science to bureaucracy. But more than that, the research also suggests how to design rules for employees in a way that suits human psychology.

Although stories of creeping bureaucracy abound in many industries, evidence – and our own experience – suggests nowhere has the problem of red tape exploded as much as it has in universities.

Staff complain the time they have for teaching and research is being eaten up by filling in forms and writing reports of questionable value. But this gripe goes beyond the inefficiency of bureaucratic excess. Some rules demotivate because they are interpreted as patronising.

Read more:
Reform Australian universities by cutting their bureaucracies

Red tape in the academy

Academic bureaucracy is proliferating. At Yale University, for example, the number of managerial and professional staff has risen three times faster than the number of undergraduates since 2003. In Australia, leading research universities say the cost of complying with “unnecessary, redundant and duplicative regulation” has doubled since 2013.

Factors contributing to this, as identified by a 2022 UK government inquiry, include external demands for assurance that research is being done according to funding terms and conditions; risk-averse cultures leading to unnecessary hierarchies of approval; and growth in organisational size leading to more layers of management.

But while universities may be the most chronic examples, red tape is increasing in most workplaces. In the United States, the number of managers, supervisors and support staff has grown at more than twice the rate of other jobs since the 1980s – and the shift to hybrid and remote work is likely to compound this trend, as managers institute procedures to keep workers accountable.

As management experts Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini wrote in their 2020 book Humanocracy:

bureaucracy has been growing, not shrinking – a fact that is correlated, we believe, with the worrying slowdown in global productivity growth, a phenomenon that bodes for living standards and economic opportunity.

How did it come to this? And how can organisations with bloated bureaucracies go about cutting their red tape?

The perils of scientific management

While all organisations need processes to run, increasing bureaucracy has led to a proliferation of what economic anthropologist David Graeber pithily termed “bullshit jobs”:

Huge swathes of people, in Europe and North America in particular, spend their entire working lives performing tasks they secretly believe do not really need to be performed. The moral and spiritual damage that comes from this situation is profound. It is a scar across our collective soul.

This helps explain why productivity is slowing and worker engagement is declining, with so many dissatisfied with their jobs.

One problem is many managers are trained in “scientific management,” which aims to improve efficiency by encouraging individuals not to problem-solve but to focus instead on performing simple, repetitive tasks as effectively as possible.

But people aren’t cogs in machines. Rather, they relate to their organisations on a personal level. Bureaucracy undermines that relationship.

Unnecessary bureaucracy signals to workers that they are not to be trusted. This suggests an uncaring and low-quality relationship, to which the natural human response is to want to quit the relationship – either overtly, by resigning, or quietly, by simply making less effort.

Beating the bureaucratic urge

The good news is there are ways to turn the tide of red tape.

“Defenders of the status quo will tell you that bureaucracy is the inevitable correlate of complexity,” write Hamel and Zanini, “but our evidence suggests otherwise.”

We know many examples of good practice from our own experience. Some universities have lean teams tasked with cutting red tape. In others, senior managers regularly visit the proverbial campfires. Some vice-chancellors retain teaching duties to stay in touch with changing demands. Leaders can glean much about the impact their middle managers’ rules have by engaging with the rank and file.

Canadian tech firm Shopify has created a meeting calculator to quantify the true cost of meetings. It also eliminated all reoccurring meetings with three or more people. As a result, the average Shopify employee now spends 14% less time meetings compared with this time last year. It serves as a reminder that time is money and there may be other ways to get things done.

Read more:
What is red tape and why is it a problem for small firms?

For any manager who is nervous about the prospect of giving workers more autonomy and fewer forms to fill in, here are some words of reassurance from Google’s former human resources chief, Lazlo Bock:

Give people slightly more trust, freedom, and authority than you are comfortable giving them. If you’re not nervous, you haven’t given them enough.

Research suggests managers who trust their employees elicit higher engagement and performance, and less burnout among their staff.

As Christian Hunt, former head of behavioural science at investment bank UBS, explains:

If we hire people because they’re smart, then it’s probably not a good idea to treat them in a manner that suggests we think the opposite.

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. Red tape can strangle your key asset as an employee: your motivation – https://theconversation.com/red-tape-can-strangle-your-key-asset-as-an-employee-your-motivation-209320

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joseph Lizier, Associate Professor of Complex Systems, University of Sydney

Getting in sync can be exhilarating when you’re dancing in rhythm with other people or clapping along in an audience. Fireflies too know the joy of synchronisation, timing their flashes together to create a larger display to attract mates.

Synchronisation is important at a more basic level in our bodies, too. Our heart cells all beat together (at least when things are going well), and synchronised electrical waves can help coordinate brain regions – but too much synchronisation of brain cells is what happens in an epileptic seizure.

Sync most often emerges spontaneously rather than through following the lead of some central timekeeper. How does this happen? What is it about a system that determines whether sync will emerge, and how strong it will be?

In new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we show how the strength of synchronisation in a network depends on the structure of the connections between its members – whether they be brain cells, fireflies, or groups of dancers.

The science of sync

Scientists originally became interested in sync to understand the inner workings of natural systems. We have also become interested in designing sync as a desired behaviour in human-made systems such as power grids (to keep them in phase).

Mathematicians can analyse sync by treating the individuals in the system as “coupled oscillators”. An oscillator is something that periodically repeats the same pattern of activity, like the sequence of steps in a repetitive dance, and coupled oscillators are ones that can influence each other’s behaviour.

It can be useful to measure whether a system of oscillators can synchronise their actions, and how strong that synchronisation would be. Strength of synchronisation means how well the sync can recover from disturbances.

Take a group dance, for example. A disturbance might be one person starting to get some steps wrong. The person might quickly recover by watching their friends, they might throw their friends off for a few steps before everyone recovers, or in the worst case it might just cause chaos.

Synced systems are strong but hard to unravel

Two factors make it difficult to determine how strong the synchronisation in a set of coupled oscillators could be.

First, it’s rare for a single oscillator to be in charge and telling everyone else what to do. In our dance example, that means there’s neither music nor lead dancers to set the tempo.

And second, usually each oscillator is only connected to a few others in the system. So each dancer can only see and react to a few others, and everyone is taking their cues from a completely different set of dancers.

This is the case in the brain, for example, where there is a complex network structure of connections between different regions.

Real complex systems like this, where there is no central guiding signal and oscillators are connected in a complex network, are very robust to damage and adaptable to change, and can more easily scale to different sizes.

Read more:
Electricity flow in the human brain can be predicted using the simple maths of networks, new study reveals

Stronger sync comes from more wandering walks

One drawback of such complicated systems is for scientists, as they are mathematically difficult to come to grips with. However, our new research has made a significant advance on this front.

We have shown how the network structure connecting a set of oscillators controls how well they can synchronise. The quality of sync depends on “walks” on a network, which are sequences of hops between connected oscillators or nodes.

Our maths examines what are called “paired walks”. If you start at one node and take two walks with randomly chosen next hops for a specific number of hops, the two walks might end up at the same node (these are convergent walks) or at different nodes (divergent walks).

We found that the more often paired walks on a network were convergent rather than divergent, the worse the synchronisation on the network would be.

When more paired walks are convergent, disturbances tend to be reinforced.

In our dancing example, one person making the wrong steps might lead some neighbours astray, who may then lead some of their neighbours astray and so on.

These chains of potential disturbances are like walks on the network. When those disturbances propagate through multiple neighbours and then converge on one person, that person is going to be much more likely to copy the out-of-sync moves than if only one of their neighbours was offbeat.

Social networks, power grids and beyond

So networks with many convergent walks are prone to poorer synchronisation. This is good news for the brain avoiding epilepsy, as its highly modular structure brings a high proportion of convergent walks.

We can see this reflected in the echo chamber phenomenon in social media. Tightly coupled subgroups reinforcing their own messages can synchronise themselves well, but may fall far out of step with the wider population.

Our results bring a new understanding to how synchronisation functions in different natural network structures. It opens new opportunities in terms of designing network structures or interventions on networks, either to aid synchronisation (in power grids, say) or to avoid synchronisation (say in the brain).

More widely, it represents a major step forward in our understanding of how the structure of complex networks affects their behaviour and capabilities.

Read more:
Synchrony with chaos – blinking lights of a firefly swarm embody in nature what mathematics predicted

Joseph Lizier received funding from the Australian Research Council which partially funded this research.

– ref. Fireflies, brain cells, dancers: new synchronisation research shows nature’s perfect timing is all about connections – https://theconversation.com/fireflies-brain-cells-dancers-new-synchronisation-research-shows-natures-perfect-timing-is-all-about-connections-212708