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Bubsie rides again: A century-old journey retraced across Australia

A century ago, a humble 5-horsepower car named "Bubsie" made history by becoming the first motor vehicle to circumnavigate the Australian continent. Now, a century later, its spirit roars back to life as a devoted team of enthusiasts prepares to retrace its entire 17,500km journey – in a painstakingly restored replica of the original 1923 Citroën 5CV. The year was 1925. With little more than swags, spare tyres and unwavering faith, 22-year-old Seventh-day Adventist missionary Nevill Westwood and his friend Greg Davies set off from Perth in a tiny yellow car. They had a simple mission: deliver literature to the remote outback. What they accomplished was far more profound: a trailblazing voyage across Australia, at a time when roads were scarce and courage was the only constant. Through flooded riverbeds, makeshift tracks and across the sun-scorched Nullarbor, the young men pressed on. With knees jammed beneath the steering wheel, they bounced across the nation in what Westwood affectionately dubbed "Bubsie". The 5CV was small, simple and entirely unsuited for such a grand expedition – yet it carried them across six states, through monsoonal downpours and desolate plains, forging a path for motoring history. Now, exactly 100 years since that audacious journey, a new crew is preparing to retrace their route in a meticulously restored 1923 Citroën 5CV. The project, dubbed <a href="https://rightaroundaustralia.tij.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Right Around Australia</a>, is led by the faith-based media group The Incredible Journey and has brought together passionate motoring enthusiasts from across the country. Warren May, a car restorer from Western Australia, joined the project in mid-2023 and quickly immersed himself in the mammoth task of rebuilding a vehicle worthy of the original Bubsie. After months of searching, the team found the perfect base: a rare 1923 Citroën 5CV owned by collector Paul Smyth. "It was 102 years old – and in rough shape," Mr May <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-18/bubsie-citroen-circumnavigation-1925-retraced-in-2025/105257744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the ABC</a>. “We had to fabricate a lot of new panels because it was just so old.” The motor, miraculously, was still in good shape. But the bodywork was another story. What followed was a year-long restoration odyssey, with over 1,000 hours of labour, rust cut away and replaced, and every nut and bolt sandblasted and repainted. With the help of friends Colin Gibbs and Graham Tyler, the team brought the little French car back to life – ready to relive one of Australia’s great adventures. The replica has been touring Australia since early 2025, and this June, it will officially begin retracing Bubsie’s route. Starting from Bickley, Western Australia – where Westwood once lived – the car will travel thousands of kilometres, mostly by trailer but driving short stretches through regional towns and historic locations. “It’s about commemorating the courage and determination of those early explorers,” said event organiser Kevin Amos. “Nevill and Greg didn’t have highways. Sometimes they had no roads at all. They literally bush-bashed their way across the country.” Indeed, from the Kimberley to Mount Isa, their journey was defined by improvisation and grit. When they came to the Fitzroy River in northern WA, locals rigged a pulley system to carry Bubsie across. In the Northern Territory, they slid through mud and monsoon rains. They stopped to help others – including a stranded trio near the Nullarbor, who were out of water and near death. Westwood gave them water, fixed their car, and saved their lives. For the modern team, this centennial journey isn’t just about honouring history – it’s about reliving a story of quiet faith and mateship. Dr Laura Cook, curator at the National Museum of Australia where the original Bubsie now rests, said Westwood’s photographs and letters provide a vivid, almost daily account of the 1925 expedition. “His story is more than just a motoring milestone,” she said. “It captures the spirit of a generation who dared to push boundaries. These weren’t professional drivers – they were people of vision and courage.” By December 1925, after six gruelling months, Westwood rolled back into Perth – completing the first full circumnavigation of Australia by car. His companion Greg had returned home early to resume nursing studies, but Westwood pressed on alone. When he returned from overseas the next year, he tracked Bubsie down (it had been sold) and bought it back. Today, Bubsie is more than a car. It’s a symbol of Australia’s pioneering spirit. And as its modern twin prepares to hit the road once more, that legacy rolls forward – not in horsepower, but in heart. So keep an eye out for Bubsie's twin as it rolls through your town, and history comes alive. Images: National Museum of Australia / Right Around Australia

Domestic Travel

Murder charge laid after death of 19-year-old ironwoman

A 53-year-old man has been charged with the murder of 19-year-old ironwoman <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/beloved-aussie-athlete-found-dead-at-just-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audrey Griffin</a>, nearly a month after her body was discovered in a creek on the NSW Central Coast. Griffin’s body was found partially submerged in Erina Creek near The Entrance Road in Erina around 3:45pm on March 23 – the same day she was reported missing following a night out with friends. At the time, her death was not considered suspicious. However, a renewed police investigation and subsequent inquiries shifted the course of the case, culminating in the man’s arrest in Sydney on Monday April 21. The breakthrough came just three days after police released an image of a man they were seeking to speak with in relation to the case. The man was taken into custody and transported to Surry Hills Police Station, where he was charged with murder. In addition, he faces 11 domestic violence charges that are unrelated to the murder. Police will allege the man was involved in a physical altercation with Griffin prior to her death. He was refused bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court. Audrey Griffin was a promising young athlete and beloved member of the surf lifesaving community. Her death has sent shockwaves through the local community and beyond. Police have not ruled out further charges as investigations continue. Images: Facebook

Legal

Beloved Aussie athlete found dead at just 19

A tragic loss has shaken the Australian sports community following the discovery of 19-year-old triathlete Audrey Griffin’s body in a New South Wales creek. Griffin, a beloved athlete from the Central Coast, was found partially submerged in Erina Creek on March 23 - a discovery that came just weeks after she had competed in the ANZCO Foods Half Ironman event in Taupo, New Zealand. NSW Police confirmed Griffin’s body was located between the Punt Bridge and Pateman Road in Green Point, near Gosford. She was last seen at around 2am at the Gosford Hotel on Sunday morning, with her disappearance reported later that day. Authorities then found her body at around 5pm. A police spokesperson stated, “Following inquiries, police attended a creek along the Central Coast Highway, where they located the body of the woman in the water. A crime scene was established, and inquiries into the incident are underway by officers attached to the Brisbane Water Police District. A report will be prepared for the Coroner.” Reports indicate that Griffin was fully clothed when found, and a preliminary autopsy has listed drowning as the cause of death. Despite initial concerns, The Central Coast Express Advocate reported that her family was informed that her death is not being treated as suspicious. Griffin was an active member of the Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club, Terrigal Sharks Rugby League Club and a former vice-captain of Central Coast Sports College. However, her passion for triathlons stood out, with Seven News reporting that she completed the Half Ironman on March 1 in a time of 6:40:32, securing 23rd place in her age group. A makeshift memorial has been established near the creek, with flowers and messages of love from those who knew her. Friends and loved ones took to social media to share heartfelt tributes. One person wrote, “A beautiful girl and treasured by a lot of people! Always had a smile on her face. We will miss you. Rest peacefully.” Another friend posted, “She touched the hearts of so many people and always had a smile. Her laugh was contagious, and her goofy self always made us laugh.” As the investigation continues, the local community remains in mourning over the tragic loss of a young athlete with a promising future. Images: Facebook

Caring

Neighbours axed ... again!

Well, here we go again. Beloved Aussie soap Neighbours is being axed – again – after production company Fremantle failed to strike a new deal with Amazon. The show, which has already cheated death once, will stop production this summer, with its final-ever (no, really, we mean it this time) episode airing at the end of the year, according to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/33479098/neighbours-axed-again-amazon-two-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>. This comes just two years after Amazon swooped in to rescue the show from the TV graveyard following its initial cancellation. In a move that delighted fans and brought a few nostalgic tears to the eyes of those who grew up watching Ramsay Street’s endless drama, Amazon announced in late 2022 that Neighbours would return in a multi-year deal. For those who remember the first final episode (which, in hindsight, now seems like a premature farewell party), it was an emotional send-off, featuring the triumphant return of some of Australia’s biggest stars, including Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce. The soap, which first hit screens in 1985, appeared to be signing off for good. But then – plot twist! Just a few months later, Amazon decided Neighbours wasn’t dead after all and revived it with a refreshed production, bringing Ramsay Street back to life in 2023. Fans rejoiced. Nostalgia surged. And once more, the fictional Melbourne suburb found itself caught up in affairs, family feuds and, presumably, an alarming number of dramatic misunderstandings. However, the drama behind the scenes has proven just as turbulent as on-screen. Last year, Amazon pulled the plug on Freevee – the service that was airing Neighbours worldwide – and merged it into Prime Video. And now, after two years of streaming, it seems the show has once again reached the end of the road. (Or should that be cul-de-sac?) So, is this really the final farewell? Or will Neighbours pull off another miraculous resurrection down the line? Given its track record, we wouldn’t bet against it. After all, soap operas are famous for unexpected comebacks – and Ramsay Street has already proven it’s got more lives than Harold Bishop. For now, though, fans might want to start emotionally preparing themselves for another round of tearful goodbyes, at least until someone else decides to give Neighbours yet another fresh start. Image: Instagram

Readers response: What’s a travel memory that’s made you feel connected to past generations or history?

We asked our readers to share their favourite travel stories that made them reflect on travellers that came before them, and if they have ever felt connected to past generations or history in certain locations. Here's what they said. Yve T Plus Kaiser Kody - Egypt! Walking in the footsteps of the ancients, amazing aura. Such a wonderful history and the architecture was mind-blowing. Gail Ladds - Visiting Gallipoli last year. My Grandfather was in one of the landings and fought there. Putting my feet in the water had me crying and thinking how horrific it must have been for all of them. Anna-Therese Eastment - Quietly touching the walls of the Coliseum, and waiting to hear their whispers of history. Not the salacious ones - but the hopes and dreams of the wall builders themselves. The reply I heard was that those were fundamentally along the lines of the hopes and dreams we hold today. Sorry for the long splurge, but in the midst of all that busyness I truely felt the threads that linked us across the eons. Awesome. Denise Ryan - Skibbereen in West Cork, Ireland where my father’s family came from many generations ago. Lorraine Hodder - England. Both my paternal and maternal families originated there. I felt a real affinity with it. Jim Janush - Having a photo myself taken in 1993 on a seat in Kaunas, Lithuania, at the same place where my father had his photo taken in 1943. Ralph G Smith - Visiting the beaches of Normandy and the World War One battlefields in France! Marilyn Thomson - Walking in Tipperary, knowing my ancestors walked the same tracks and fields before coming to Australia. Bob Brownley - Standing at the empty site in Govan, Glasgow on which the house stood in which my mother was born in 1902. Steven Schulze - Cebu, Philippines at the statue of Magellan, then China, entombed warriors, Forbidden City and Great Wall. Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

19-year-old dies after battle with rare genetic condition

TikTok star Beandri Booysen has died at the age of 19, her mother confirmed in a heartbreaking <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19b59a3bfL/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tribute</a>. Booysen died following a battle with Progeria – a rare genetic condition that causes children to age prematurely. According to the Mayo Clinic, children battling the condition typically have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years. In a tribute shared to Facebook, her mother said that Booysen was "one of South Africa's most beloved and inspiring young women" and said she "radiated hope and joy" despite her battle. "In Loving Memory of Beandri Booysen," the post began. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Beandri Booysen, one of South Africa's most beloved and inspiring young women." The 19-year-old had more than 278,000 followers on her original TikTok account, becoming a symbol of awareness for the rare genetic condition and inspiring people worldwide. "Beandri was not only known for her vibrant personality and infectious laugh but also as the last surviving individual in South Africa living with Progeria – a rare genetic condition that causes children to age prematurely. "Despite the challenges she faced, Beandri radiated hope and joy. She became a symbol of awareness for Progeria and other special needs, using her unique spirit to inspire thousands of people worldwide." "The Booysen family kindly requests privacy during this profoundly difficult time as they mourn the loss of their beloved Beandri. Further details regarding the memorial service will be shared in due course," she added. Followers were quick to share their condolences to her heartbroken family, with one writing: "So sad. What an inspiration she was. Fly high with the angels sweet girl." "Rest in peace and without pain Beandri," another added. Images: Facebook

Caring

Black Friday sales are on again. To score a genuine bargain, it helps to go in with a plan

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/park-thaichon-175182">Park Thaichon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sara-quach-175976">Sara Quach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> November 29th was Black Friday, the official beginning of one of the biggest sales events of the year. With so many consumers still feeling the cost-of-living pinch, it’s expected to once again bring bargain hunters out in droves. While some sales have already started, market research company Roy Morgan <a href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/black-friday-sales-a-winner-this-christmas-as-cost-of-living-continues-to-bite">estimates</a> Australian shoppers will spend a record $6.7 billion over the four-day shopping window. That’s up more than 5% on last year. For Australians, it’s one of three big annual sales events. The others take place at the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-you-should-know-before-you-start-chasing-bargains-at-the-eofy-sales-232568">end of each financial year (EOFY)</a> and on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-boxing-day-evolved-from-giving-christmas-leftovers-to-servants-to-a-retail-frenzy-219507">Boxing Day</a>. Despite being a recent entrant to Australia, Black Friday has quickly become one of the most important shopping days of the year. For consumers, navigating these sales and dodging the marketing tricks played by retailers is no mean feat. Here’s what you should know. <h2>What exactly is Black Friday?</h2> Black Friday as a major sales event originated in the United States. It falls on the day after Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. A four day sales window then typically runs over the weekend after Thanksgiving, including “Cyber Monday” – a similar event that was set up more recently to encourage online shopping. But as you might have noticed, this official start date doesn’t prevent retailers from discounting products earlier, something many do. Australians don’t officially celebrate Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, the sales event has gained significant traction here over the past decade or so. This was initially driven by big US companies operating here, such as Apple and Amazon. But it was soon adopted and ultimately embraced by Australia’s own big retailers. Some Australian retailers now say Black Friday has already <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/bigger-than-boxing-day-the-rise-and-rise-of-black-friday-sales-20231117-p5ekwo.html">overtaken Boxing Day</a> to become their most important sales event, a standing it could well cement further this year. It’s been a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonbird1/2023/11/20/le-black-friday-how-an-american-tradition-spread-round-the-world/">similar story</a> across much of the world. Countries including Canada, Brazil, France and the UK all now mark the occasion with their own big sales events. <h2>How do big sales work?</h2> Black Friday and other big sales events are designed to create a sense of urgency. They lean heavily into the phenomenon known as <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cb.1885">fear of missing out</a> – called FOMO for short. Retailers know that shoppers feel the pressure to buy when they think they might miss out. This is called <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/jfmm-03-2023-0082/full/html">scarcity marketing</a>. Retailers have ways of creating artificial scarcity, which can pressure us to make purchase decisions that aren’t in our best interests. You’ve probably seen phrases in stores and online such as “only two left!” or “today only”. These tactics are designed to make you act. The extent of savings can also depend on retailers’ dynamic pricing tactics. Many businesses use algorithms to adjust discounts in real time based on customer demand, inventory levels and competitor trends. Popular items may start with small discounts, while less popular products get larger price cuts to attract interest. <h2>How to be a savvy shopper</h2> With these factors in mind, there are a few strategies that can help you you keep a clear head. One tactic is to create a shopping list and understand the importance of sticking to predetermined purchase decisions and a predetermined budget. Prioritise needs over impulsive wants. For example, if you need to replace an old keyboard amid a big sale, set a budget before you start looking, and try to avoid buying an entirely new computer just because it’s discounted in-store. Shoppers should prepare for fluctuating prices, while being cautious of tactics such as artificially inflated “fake” discounts, where original prices are exaggerated to make savings seem more appealing. Our previous <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/apjml-07-2021-0475/full/html?casa_token=A3V3IU0s1GkAAAAA%3A84uQk1cv03fh5C6gJrIeOuLPrztKhU4gacoPupelIWtOBZCnqSbmFKz4OjBaL60790I-O011Itd9C63vCGJ_hDSJFuVeiwe3YaiSftT6nUzpzxDYHYkdGQ">research</a> has shown price promotion can trigger customer emotions such as surprise and lead to anticipated regret, influencing their purchase decisions. <h2>Go in with a plan</h2> Another tactic is to do some window shopping in the days or weeks beforehand. This allows you to check and research the products you’re interested in. Note down their non-sale prices for future reference. Create a list of where to buy, along with a few alternatives. For shoes and clothing, try things on if you can and note down your size. That can help you act quickly once the sales go live. And in the excitement of all the sales, don’t forget: if you don’t actually want or need anything, there’s always the option of not shopping at all.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244509/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/park-thaichon-175182">Park Thaichon</a>, Associate Professor of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sara-quach-175976">Sara Quach</a>, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-friday-sales-are-on-again-to-score-a-genuine-bargain-it-helps-to-go-in-with-a-plan-244509">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

How to rewire your brain to feel good on Monday

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cristina-r-reschke-1413051">Cristina R. Reschke</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanta-burke-315263">Jolanta Burke</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> If you hate Mondays, you’re most certainly in good company. After a couple of days off, many of us have difficulty settling back into our routines and work duties. You may even have dread and anxiety that seeps into the weekend in the form of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-tackle-the-sunday-scaries-the-anxiety-and-dread-many-people-feel-at-the-end-of-the-weekend-187313">Sunday scaries</a>”. You can’t always change your schedule or obligations to make Mondays more appealing, but you may be able to “reprogram” your brain to think about the week differently. Our brains love predictability and routine. Research has shown that lack of routine is associated with <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0003122418823184">decline in wellbeing and psychological distress</a>. Even though the weekend heralds a leisurely and pleasant time, our brain works hard to adjust to this sudden change to a routine. The good news is that the brain does not need to make too much effort when adjusting to the weekend’s freedom and lack of routine. However, it’s a different story when coming back to the less pleasant activities, such as a to-do list on Monday morning. One way to adjust to post-weekend change is introducing routines that last the whole week and have the power to make our lives <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167218795133">more meaningful</a>. These may include <a href="https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/routines-made-and-unmade">watching your favourite TV programme, gardening</a> or going <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22976286/">to the gym</a>. It is helpful to do these things at the same time every day. Routines improve our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16448317/">sense of coherence</a>, a process that allows us to make sense of the jigsaw of life events. When we have an established routine, be it the routine of working five days and taking two days off or engaging in a set of actions every day, our lives become <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167218795133">more meaningful</a>. Another important routine to establish is your sleep routine. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-021-00400-z">Research shows</a> that keeping consistent sleep time may be as important for enjoying Mondays as how long your sleep lasts or its quality. Changes in sleep patterns during weekends trigger <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4543">social jetlag</a>. For instance, sleeping in later than usual and for longer on free days may trigger a discrepancy between your body clock and socially-imposed responsibilities. This is linked to higher stress levels on Monday morning. Try to keep a set time for going to bed and waking up, avoid naps. You might also want to create a 30 minute “wind-down” routine before sleep, by turning off or putting away your digital devices and practising relaxation techniques. <h2>Hacking your hormones</h2> Hormones can also play a role in how we feel about Mondays. For instance, cortisol is a very important multifunction hormone. It helps our bodies to control our metabolism, regulate our sleep-wake cycle and our response to stress, among other things. It is usually released about an hour before we wake up (it helps us feel awake) and then its levels lower until the next morning, unless we’re under stress. Under acute stress, our bodies release not only cortisol, but also adrenaline in preparation for fight or flight. This is when the heart beats fast, we get sweaty palms and may react impulsively. This is our amygdala (a small almond-shaped area in the base of our brains) hijacking our brains. It creates a super fast emotional response to stress even before our brains can process and think whether it was needed. But as soon we can think – activating the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the area for our reason and executive thinking – this response will be mitigated, if there is no real threat. It is a constant battle between our emotions and reason. This might wake us up in the middle of the night when we’re too stressed or anxious. It shouldn’t be surprising then that cortisol levels, measured in saliva samples of full-time working individuals, tend to be higher on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the lowest levels reported on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824866/">Sundays</a>. As a stress hormone, cortisol fluctuates daily, but not consistently. On weekdays, as soon as we wake up, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-18151-008">cortisol levels soar</a> and variations tend to be higher than on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11324714/">weekends</a>. To combat this, we need to trick the amygdala by training the brain to only recognise actual threats. In other words, we need to activate our prefrontal cortex as fast as possible. One of the best ways to achieve this and lower overall stress is through relaxation activities, especially on Mondays. One possibility is mindfulness, which is associated with a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23724462/">reduction in cortisol</a>. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722/full">Spending time in nature</a> is another method – going outside first thing on Monday or even during your lunch hour can make a significant difference to how you perceive the beginning of the week. Give yourself time before checking your phone, social media and the news. It’s good to wait for cortisol peak to decrease naturally, which happens approximately one hour after waking up, before you expose yourself to external stressors. By following these simple tips, you can train your brain to believe that the weekdays can be (nearly) as good as the weekend.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199236/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cristina-r-reschke-1413051">Cristina R. Reschke</a>, Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences & Funded Investigator in the FutureNeuro Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanta-burke-315263">Jolanta Burke</a>, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Positive Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rcsi-university-of-medicine-and-health-sciences-788">RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-rewire-your-brain-to-feel-good-on-mondays-199236">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

Legal battle could separate Molly the Magpie and carers again

Molly the Magpie and her friends Peggy and Ruby the Staffies captured hearts around the world with their unlikely friendship. In March, the trio were separated from each other, following <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/tears-started-rolling-first-glimpse-of-molly-the-magpie-shared-by-carers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaints </a>that his owners, Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, didn't hold a wildlife permit. After 45 days apart, Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) granted them a licence with <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/first-pics-of-molly-the-magpie-reunion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special conditions</a> so Molly could return home to her adoptive family. But now their licence to keep Molly has been called into question, threatening to separate them again, according to A Current Affair. "Four years ago yesterday, when we came across a little magpie, who would have thought we'd be standing in front of the Supreme Court here in Brisbane," Wells said. Mortensen and Wells don't even know who is challenging the Queensland government's decision to reunite the magpie with the family, as the wildlife support volunteer and magpie specialist chose to remain anonymous. "Molly's 100 per cent, and always has been, our focus, his well being... and we just want to just move on and just get over, get on with it," Mortensen said. The applicant will stay anonymous as they contest the government's decision to grant them the licence to care for Molly. "Every time we're in the public sight and things like that, it raises awareness for people to get out there and try and do something to help wildlife and become involved," Mortensen added. "That's what we want to try and do is get get as many people involved as we possibly can in helping wildlife." Image: A Current Affair/ Instagram

Legal

Readers response: How do you feel about online shopping compared to traditional in-store shopping?

When it comes to shopping for things we want and need, many people have a preference over whether they shop in a physical store or online. We asked our readers which they prefer when shopping for food, clothes or anything else their hearts desire, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Ellen Polsen - Why would one buy online? I like to feel and see the things I purchase, particularly garments, as fabrics today are mostly rubbish. Jennie Craven - I do a little of each. But usually use stores that I know or brands where the sizing is correct for me. I always use a payment system that I understand. Gail Ladds - I love online shopping! I often forget that I’ve bought something then get a nice surprise when it arrives lol. Debra Coats - Online is okay when you cant go to the store. I did online shopping for about 8 months after open heart surgery but when i was given the all clear to shop and drive, I was in my element as its a moment of getting out of the house and seeing others around me. Karen Peardon - I have done some online shopping (mainly craft supplies) only because I have been very ill for months but I love in-store shopping more. Retail therapy!! Christine Whyte - Have not and will not ever do it, very old school and too wary of the dangers out there, besides I like getting out and choosing for myself. Helga Bonello - I like to see feel and touch products before I buy. Online scammers are a worry, besides we need a reason to go out and be sociable. Olimpia Palumbo - My family does on line shopping and usually end up with the worst fruit and sometimes the wrong items. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Retirement doesn’t just raise financial concerns – it can also mean feeling unmoored and irrelevant

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marianne-janack-681018">Marianne Janack</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hamilton-college-2966">Hamilton College</a> Most discussions of retirement focus on the financial aspects of leaving the workforce: “<a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/EBSA/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/publications/top-10-ways-to-prepare-for-retirement.pdf">How to save enough for retirement</a>” or “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/when-can-i-retire">How do you know if you have enough money for retirement</a>?” But this might not be the biggest problem that potential retirees face. The deeper issues of meaning, relevance and identity that retirement can bring to the fore are more significant to some workers. Work has <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/03/work-revolution-ai-wfh-new-book/673572/">become central to the modern American identity</a>, as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/atlantic-editions/">journalist Derek Thompson bemoans</a> in The Atlantic. And some theorists have argued that work shapes what we are. For most people, as business ethicist <a href="https://www.luc.edu/quinlan/faculty/algini.shtml#:%7E:text=About,the%20Society%20for%20Business%20Ethics.">Al Gini</a> argues, one’s work – which is usually also one’s job – <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203950555">means more than a paycheck</a>. Work can structure our friendships, our understandings of ourselves and others, our ideas about free time, our forms of entertainment – indeed our lives. I <a href="https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/our-faculty/directory/faculty-detail/marianne-janack">teach a philosophy course about the self</a>, and I find that most of my students think of the problems of identity without thinking about how a job will make them into a particular kind of person. They think mostly about the prestige and pay that come with certain jobs, or about where jobs are located. But when we get to <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/">existentialist philosophers</a> such as <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sartre/">Jean-Paul Sartre</a> and <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauvoir/">Simone de Beauvoir</a>, I often urge them to think about what it means to say, as the existentialists do, <a href="https://philosophynow.org/issues/115/On_Being_An_Existentialist">that “you are what you do</a>.” How you spend 40 years of your life, I tell them, for at least 40 hours each week – the time many people spend at their jobs – is not just a financial decision. And I have come to see that retirement isn’t just a financial decision, either, as I consider that next phase of my life. <h2>Usefulness, tools and freedom</h2> For Greek and Roman philosophers, <a href="https://search.worldcat.org/title/Work-what-it-has-meant-to-men-through-the-ages/oclc/780872063">leisure was more noble than work</a>. The life of the craftsperson, artisan – or even that of the university professor or the lawyer – was to be avoided if wealth made that possible. The good life was a life not driven by the necessity of producing goods or making money. Work, Aristotle thought, was an obstacle to the achievement of the particular forms of excellence characteristic of human life, like thought, contemplation and study – <a href="https://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.7.vii.html">activities that express</a> the <a href="https://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.8.viii.html">particular character of human beings</a> and are done for their own sake. And so, one might surmise, retirement would be something that would allow people the kind of leisure that is essential to human excellence. But contemporary retirement does not seem to encourage leisure devoted to developing human excellence, partly because it follows a long period of making oneself into an object – something that is not free. German philosopher Immanuel Kant distinguished between the value of objects and of subjects by the idea of “use.” Objects are not free: They are meant to be used, like tools – their value is tied to their usefulness. But rational beings like humans, who are subjects, are more than their use value – <a href="https://search.worldcat.org/title/5796114">they are valuable in their own right</a>, unlike tools. And yet, much of contemporary work culture encourages workers to think of themselves and their value <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bullshit-Jobs/David-Graeber/9781501143335">in terms of their use value</a>, a change that would have made both Kant and the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers wonder why people didn’t retire as soon as they could. <h2>‘What we do is what we are’</h2> But as one of my colleagues said when I asked him about retirement: “If I’m not a college professor, then what am I?” Another friend, who retired at 59, told me that she does not like to describe herself as retired, even though she is. “Retired implies useless,” she said. So retiring is not just giving up a way of making money; it is a deeply existential issue, one that challenges one’s idea of oneself, one’s place in the world, and one’s usefulness. One might want to say, with Kant and the ancients, that those of us who have tangled up our identities with our jobs have made ourselves into tools, and we should throw off our shackles by retiring as soon as possible. And perhaps from the outside perspective, that’s true. But from the participant perspective, it’s harder to resist the ways in which what we have done has made us what we are. Rather than worry about our finances, we should worry, as we think about retirement, more about what the good life for creatures like us – those who are now free from our jobs – should be.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233963/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marianne-janack-681018">Marianne Janack</a>, John Stewart Kennedy Professor of Philosophy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hamilton-college-2966">Hamilton College</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/retirement-doesnt-just-raise-financial-concerns-it-can-also-mean-feeling-unmoored-and-irrelevant-233963">original article</a>. </div>

Retirement Income

I’m feeling run down. Why am I more likely to get sick? And how can I boost my immune system?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sathana-dushyanthen-1169328">Sathana Dushyanthen</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> It has been a long winter, filled with many viruses and cost-of-living pressures, on top of the usual mix of work, study, life admin and caring responsibilities. Stress is an inevitable part of life. In short bursts, our stress response has evolved as a survival mechanism to help us be more alert in <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-cant-blame-all-your-health-issues-on-high-cortisol-heres-how-the-hormone-works-203162">fight or flight situations</a>. But when stress is chronic, it weakens the immune system and makes us more vulnerable to illnesses such as the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/can-stress-make-you-sick#:%7E:text=The%20common%20cold&text=Inflammation%20has%20been%20linked%20to,to%20the%20cold%2Dcausing%20germs.">common cold</a>, <a href="https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/abstract/1999/03000/psychological_stress,_cytokine_production,_and.9.aspx">flu</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smi.3017">COVID</a>. <h2>Stress makes it harder to fight off viruses</h2> When the immune system starts to break down, a virus that would normally have been under control starts to flourish. Once you begin to feel sick, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4465119/">stress response</a> rises, making it harder for the immune system to fight off the disease. You may be sick more often and for longer periods of time, without enough immune cells primed and ready to <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-16996-1_6">fight</a>. In the 1990s, American psychology professor Sheldon Cohen and his colleagues conducted a number of <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/common-cold-project/">studies</a> where healthy people were exposed to an upper respiratory infection, through drops of virus placed directly into their <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199108293250903">nose</a>. These participants were then quarantined in a hotel and monitored closely to determine who became <a href="https://theconversation.com/stress-less-it-might-protect-you-from-covid-153361">ill</a>. One of the most important factors predicting who got sick was prolonged psychological <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620942516">stress</a>. <h2>Cortisol suppresses immunity</h2> “Short-term stress” is stress that lasts for a period of minutes to hours, while “chronic stress” persists for several hours per day for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964013/#:%7E:text=Therefore%2C%20a%20major%20distinguishing%20characteristic,weeks%20or%20months%20%5B9%5D.">weeks or months</a>. When faced with a perceived threat, psychological or physical, the hypothalamus region of the brain sets off an alarm system. This signals the release of a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and <a href="https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/msb.20209510">cortisol</a>. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/616892/original/file-20240903-18-blrqoz.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Human brain illustration" /><figcaption>The hypothalamus sets off an alarm system in response to a real or perceived threat. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/hypothalamus-causes-vasoconstriction-illustration-medical-brain-435142264">stefan3andrei/Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> In a typical stress response, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S147149060300173X">cortisol levels</a> quickly increase when stress occurs, and then rapidly drop back to normal once the stress has subsided. In the short term, cortisol suppresses inflammation, to ensure the body has enough energy available to respond to an <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00245/full">immediate threat</a>. But in the longer term, chronic stress can be harmful. A Harvard University study <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2796097">from 2022</a> showed that people suffering from psychological distress in the lead up to their COVID infection had a greater chance of experiencing long COVID. They <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2796097">classified</a> this distress as depression, probable anxiety, perceived stress, worry about COVID and loneliness. Those suffering distress had close to a <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2796097">50% greater risk</a> of long COVID compared to other <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-stressed-out-before-you-get-covid-increases-your-chances-of-long-covid-heres-why-190649">participants</a>. Cortisol has been shown to be high in the most severe cases of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7102614/">COVID</a>. <h2>Stress causes inflammation</h2> <a href="https://stories.uq.edu.au/imb/the-edge/inflammation/what-is-inflammation/index.html">Inflammation</a> is a short-term reaction to an injury or infection. It is responsible for trafficking immune cells in your body so the right cells are present in the right locations at the right times and at the right <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12026-014-8517-0">levels</a>. The immune cells also store a memory of that threat to respond faster and more effectively the next <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-stressed-out-before-you-get-covid-increases-your-chances-of-long-covid-heres-why-190649">time</a>. Initially, circulating immune cells detect and flock to the site of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni1275">infection</a>. Messenger proteins, known as pro-inflammatory cytokines, are released by immune cells, to signal the danger and recruit help, and our immune system responds to neutralise the <a href="https://stories.uq.edu.au/imb/the-edge/inflammation/what-is-inflammation/index.html">threat</a>. During this response to the infection, if the immune system produces too much of these inflammatory chemicals, it can trigger symptoms such as nasal congestion and runny <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620942516">nose</a>. <h2>What about chronic stress?</h2> Chronic stress causes persistently high cortisol secretion, which remains high even in the absence of an immediate <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-cant-blame-all-your-health-issues-on-high-cortisol-heres-how-the-hormone-works-203162">stressor</a>. The immune system becomes desensitised and unresponsive to this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661816307435">cortisol suppression</a>, increasing low-grade “silent” inflammation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (the messenger proteins). Immune cells become exhausted and start to <a href="https://www.fxmedicine.com.au/blog-post/adrenal-immune-connection">malfunction</a>. The body loses the ability to turn down the inflammatory <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620942516">response</a>. Over time, the immune system changes the way it responds by reprogramming to a “<a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2021/april/how-stress-can-stop-immune-cells-in-their-tracks">low surveillance mode</a>”. The immune system misses early opportunities to destroy threats, and the process of recovery can take <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-stressed-out-before-you-get-covid-increases-your-chances-of-long-covid-heres-why-190649">longer</a>. <h2>So how can you manage your stress?</h2> We can actively strengthen our immunity and natural defences by managing our <a href="https://theconversation.com/stuck-in-fight-or-flight-mode-5-ways-to-complete-the-stress-cycle-and-avoid-burnout-or-depression-218599">stress levels</a>. Rather than letting stress build up, try to address it early and frequently by: 1) Getting enough sleep Getting enough sleep reduces <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132857/">cortisol levels</a> and inflammation. During sleep, the immune system <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4939-6578-6_12">releases</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/sleep-wont-cure-the-coronavirus-but-it-can-help-our-bodies-fight-it-134674">cytokines</a>, which help fight infections and inflammation. 2) Taking regular exercise Exercising helps the lymphatic system (which balances bodily fluids as part of the immune system) circulate and allows immune cells to monitor for threats, while sweating flushes <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-exercise-boost-immune-system">toxins</a>. Physical activity also lowers stress hormone levels through the release of positive brain <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7387807/">signals</a>. 3) Eating a healthy diet Ensuring your diet contains enough nutrients – such as the B vitamins, and the full breadth of minerals like magnesium, iron and zinc – during times of stress has a positive impact on overall stress <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22782571">levels</a>. Staying hydrated helps the body to flush out <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-strong-immune-system-helps-ward-off-colds-and-flus-but-its-not-the-only-factor-99512">toxins</a>. 4) Socialising and practising meditation or mindfulness These activities increase endorphins and serotonin, which improve mood and have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949834123000351">anti-inflammatory effects</a>. Breathing exercises and meditation stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms down our stress responses so we can “reset” and reduce <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4940234/">cortisol levels</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237456/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sathana-dushyanthen-1169328">Sathana Dushyanthen</a>, Academic Specialist & Lecturer in Cancer Sciences & Digital Health| Superstar of STEM| Science Communicator, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-feeling-run-down-why-am-i-more-likely-to-get-sick-and-how-can-i-boost-my-immune-system-237456">original article</a>. </div>

Body

REVIEW: Feel supported and comfortable through every stride with ASICS

Finding the right sports shoe can be a challenge, whether you’re an avid runner, Sunday afternoon walker, or just want the extra support when going from A to B. Then there’s the added difficulty of your foot shape, and finding what works best for you and your circumstances, and when there are so many sports shoes on the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. One of those many brands are ASICS, who are a much loved and trusted staple in the world of activewear for both your body and feet. In July, ASICS announced the launch of their new shoe the GEL-KAYANO 31: a classic shoe in the ASICS range with updated and advanced comfort and support to help you move easier. I was lucky enough to try out the GEL-KAYANO 31, and as one of the many people who have long struggled to find the right shoes for me, these shoes were one hell of a treat. While the GEL-KAYANO shoes are marketed as a “running shoe”, the only running I do is when I’m sprinting to the bus, so as a regular park walker, I put my new shoes to the test. From walking 20 minutes to the shops, to going for an hours-long stroll through the park these shoes did not let me down. The new technical engineered upper material (the bit of the shoe that hugs your ankle) sits a lot higher than other sports shoes, making this shoe so supportive, as you truly feel enclosed and in control. The PureGEL technology, which is designed to improve softness and shock absorption to reduce the impact on your joints and keep you moving comfortably, is second to none, after all my walks my feet felt comfortable, cool, and ready to walk even further. The GEL-KAYANO 31 also features FF BLAST PLUS ECO foam to deliver a softer landing through your movement and energised cushioning to keep you feeling comfortable on harder surfaces. And while I may not fall into the over sixty age as many of you reading this, my dodgy hip and knee would have me feeling very differently, and through my mild mobility issues, these shoes took the pressure off my joints and supported every step. ASICS have also updated the shoe’s outsole with a HYBRID ASICSGRIP rubber material, as the shoe helps provide better traction throughout your movement, to strengthen the shoe’s stability, helping you feel more comfortable for longer. And if that wasn’t enough, ASICS shoes are the only brand of sports footwear to be recommended by Sports Medicine Australia, who are instrumental in working with the brand to address specific biomechanical requirements. Junichiro Tateishi, General Manager of Product Function Research Department, at ASICS said, “We believe the GEL-KAYANO™ 31 shoe not only provides the stability the shoe is famous for, but also delivers a truly impressive level of comfort to help runners go further. We are also proud that GEL-KAYANO™ 31 shoe continues to display its CO2e emissions, printed on its insole as 10.6kg per pair, which shows ASICS’ ongoing commitment to transparency regarding the CO2e emissions, so that runners can feel confident about their choices when purchasing the GEL-KAYANO™ 31 shoe.” “The GEL-KAYANO is a legendary running shoe for a reason, and we’re excited to see how fans of the series enjoy this added comfort when they try the shoe. Our hope is that it helps everyone feel comfortable, confident and uplifted,” said Tateishi. The <a href="https://www.asics.com/au/en-au/gel-kayano-31/p/AOP_1012B670-300.html">GEL-KAYANO 31</a> shoe is available now for men and women from <a href="https://www.asics.com/au/en-au/">ASICS</a> retail, online stores and official ASICS stockists for $280 AUD. If you’re in the market for a long-lasting, supportive, stylish and comfortable pair of walking/running shoes, the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 31 will revolutionise the way you move, keeping you supported with every stride. Image credits: Supplied

Beauty & Style

I’ve been sick. When can I start exercising again?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ken-nosaka-169021">Ken Nosaka</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> You’ve had a cold or the flu and your symptoms have begun to subside. Your nose has stopped dripping, your cough is clearing and your head and muscles no longer ache. You’re ready to get off the couch. But is it too early to go for a run? Here’s what to consider when getting back to exercising after illness. <h2>Exercise can boost your immune system – but not always</h2> Exercise <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523821/">reduces the chance</a> of getting respiratory infections by increasing your immune function and the ability to fight off viruses. However, an acute bout of endurance exercise may temporarily increase your susceptibility to upper respiratory infections, such as colds and the flu, via the short-term suppression of your immune system. This is known as the “open window” theory. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20839496/">study</a> from 2010 examined changes in trained cyclists’ immune systems up to eight hours after two-hour high-intensity cycling. It found important immune functions were suppressed, resulting in an increased rate of upper respiratory infections after the intense endurance exercise. So, we have to be more careful after performing harder exercises than normal. <h2>Can you exercise when you’re sick?</h2> This depends on the severity of your symptoms and the intensity of exercise. Mild to moderate exercise (reducing the intensity and length of workout) may be OK if your symptoms are a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing and minor sore throat, without a fever. Exercise may help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion. However, if you try to exercise at your normal intensity when you are sick, you risk injury or more serious illness. So it’s important to listen to your body. If your symptoms include chest congestion, a cough, upset stomach, fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches, avoid exercising. Exercising when you have these symptoms may worsen the symptoms and prolong the recovery time. If you’ve had the flu or another respiratory illness that caused a high fever, make sure your temperature is back to normal before getting back to exercise. Exercising raises your body temperature, so if you already have a fever, your temperature will become high quicker, which makes you sicker. If you have COVID or other contagious illnesses, stay at home, rest and isolate yourself from others. When you’re sick and feel weak, don’t force yourself to exercise. Focus instead on getting plenty of rest. This may actually shorten the time it takes to recover and resume your normal workout routine. <h2>I’ve been sick for a few weeks. What has happened to my strength and fitness?</h2> You may think taking two weeks off from training is disastrous, and worry you’ll lose the gains you’ve made in your previous workouts. But it could be just what the body needs. It’s true that almost all training benefits are <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2019/04000/sports_training_principles.2.aspx">reversible</a> to some degree. This means the physical fitness that you have built up over time can be lost without regular exercise. To study the effects of de-training on our body functions, researchers have undertaken “bed rest” studies, where healthy volunteers spend up to 70 days in bed. They <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00415.2017">found</a> that V̇O₂max (the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use during maximal exercise, which is a measure of <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7050-aerobic-exercise">aerobic</a> fitness) declines 0.3–0.4% a day. And the higher pre-bed-rest V̇O₂max levels, the <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00415.2017">larger</a> the declines. In terms of skeletal muscles, upper thigh muscles <a href="https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00363.2020">become smaller by</a> 2% after five days of bed rest, 5% at 14 days, and 12% at 35 days of bed rest. <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00363.2020">Muscle strength declines more</a> than muscle mass: knee extensor muscle strength gets weaker by 8% at five days, 12% at 14 days and more than 20% after around 35 days of bed rest. This is why it feels harder to do the same exercises after resting for even five days. But in <a href="https://iaaspace.org/product/guidelines-for-standardization-of-bed-rest-studies-in-the-spaceflight-context/">bed rest studies</a>, physical activities are strictly limited, and even standing up from a bed is prohibited during the whole length of a study. When we’re sick in bed, we have some physical activities such as sitting on a bed, standing up and walking to the toilet. These activities could reduce the rate of decreases in our physical functions compared with study participants. <h2>How to ease back into exercise</h2> Start with a lower-intensity workout initially, such as going for a walk instead of a run. Your first workout back should be light so you don’t get out of breath. Go low (intensity) and go slow. Gradually increase the volume and intensity to the previous level. It may take the same number of days or weeks you rested to get back to where you were. If you were absent from an exercise routine for two weeks, for example, it may require two weeks for your fitness to return to the same level. If you feel exhausted after exercising, take an extra day off before working out again. A day or two off from exercising shouldn’t affect your performance very much.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233130/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ken-nosaka-169021">Ken Nosaka</a>, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-been-sick-when-can-i-start-exercising-again-233130">original article</a>. </div>

Body

I feel sick. How do I know if I have the flu, COVID, RSV or something else?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/natasha-yates-1213624">Natasha Yates</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> You wake with a sore throat and realise you are sick. Is this going to be a two-day or a two-week illness? Should you go to a doctor or just go to bed? Most respiratory illnesses have very similar symptoms at the start: sore throat, congested or runny nose, headache, fatigue and fever. This may progress to a dry cough. Best case scenario is that you have “<a href="https://lungfoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Factsheet-Common-Cold-Mar2016.pdf">a cold</a>” (which can be any one of hundreds of viruses, most commonly rhinovirus), which is short-lived and self-limiting. But some respiratory illnesses can be much more serious. Here is a brief guide to some important bugs to know about that are circulating this winter, and how to work out which one you have. <h2>Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)</h2> For most people an RSV infection will feel like “a cold” – annoying, but only lasting a few days. However, for babies, older adults and people with immune issues, it can lead to <a href="https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/bronchiolitis/">bronchiolitis</a> or pneumonia, and even become life-threatening. RSV isn’t seasonal, which means you are just as likely to get it in summer as in winter. However, it is highly contagious so we noticed it <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32986804">disappearing almost completely</a> during COVID lockdowns. There is now a <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/covid-19-rapid-antigen-self-tests-are-approved-australia-ifu-406813.PDF">rapid-antigen test (RAT) for RSV</a> which also checks for influenza and COVID, and is the best way of finding out if RSV is what is causing symptoms. Recently, a preventative immune therapy has become available for high risk babies (<a href="https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-monoclonal-antibody-factsheet">nirsevimab</a>) and there are also <a href="https://ncirs.org.au/ncirs-fact-sheets-faqs-and-other-resources/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-frequently-asked">vaccines for higher risk adults</a>. Nirsevimab is also available to all babies for free in <a href="https://www.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/N_R/Respiratory-syncytial-virus-RSV-immunisation">Western Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/immunisation/paediatric-rsv-prevention-program">Queensland</a>. But there are no specific treatments. Adults who get it simply have to ride it out (using whatever you need to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351611">manage symptoms</a>). Babies and higher risk patients need to present to an emergency department if they test positive for RSV and are also looking or feeling very unwell (this might mean rapid shallow breathing, fevers not coming down with paracetamol or ibuprofen, a baby not feeding, mottled-looking skin, or going blue around the mouth). If a patient has developed a bronchiolitis or pneumonia, they may need to be hospitalised. <h2>Influenza</h2> Once you have had the “true flu” (influenza), you will find it frustrating when people call their sniffly cold-like symptoms a “flu”. Influenza infections generally start with a sore throat and headache which quickly turns into high fevers, generalised aches and excessive fatigue. You feel like you have been hit by a truck and may struggle to get out of bed. This can last a week or more, even in people who are generally fit and healthy. Influenza is a major public health issue internationally, with 3–5 million cases of severe illness and <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(seasonal)">290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths annually</a>. People who are at <a href="https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/influenza-flu">greater risk of complications</a> from influenza include pregnant women, children under five, adults aged 65 and over, First Nations peoples, and people with chronic or immunosuppressive medical conditions. For this reason, annual vaccination is <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine">recommended and funded</a> for vulnerable people. Vaccination is also readily available for <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/immunisation-contacts">all Australians who want it</a>, through pharmacies as well as medical clinics, usually at a cost of less than A$30. In <a href="https://www.vaccinate.initiatives.qld.gov.au/what-to-vaccinate-against/influenza#:%7E:text=The%20flu%20vaccine%20is%20free,.qld.gov.au">some states</a>, it’s free for all residents. Influenza is seasonal, with definite peaks in the winter months. This is why vaccines are offered from early autumn. If you think you may have influenza, there are now home-testing RATs: all current influenza RATs are in combination with COVID RATs, as the symptoms overlap. Treatment for most people is to manage symptoms and try to avoid spreading it around. Doctors can also <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-think-i-have-the-flu-should-i-ask-my-gp-for-antivirals-210457">prescribe antivirals</a> to vulnerable patients; these work best if started within 48 hours of symptoms. <h2>COVID</h2> It has been less than five years since COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, started to spread around the world in pandemic proportions. Although COVID is no longer a <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/ahppc-statement-end-of-covid-19-emergency-response">public health emergency</a>, it still causes <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/deaths-due-covid-19-influenza-and-rsv-australia-2022-may-2024">more deaths than influenza and RSV combined</a>. Unlike RSV and influenza, only those <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/covid-19/protect-yourself-and-others/high-risk-groups">aged over 70</a> are in a high-risk age group for COVID. Other <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html">factors besides age</a> may put you at higher risk of becoming very unwell when infected by this virus. This includes having other respiratory diseases (such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD), diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, obesity or heart disease. Unlike most respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 tends to set off inflammation beyond the respiratory system. This can involve a range of other organs including the heart, kidneys and blood vessels. Although most people are back to their usual work or study after a week or two, a significant proportion go on to experience extended symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog and mood changes. When these last <a href="https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/statewide-programs/critical-intelligence-unit/post-acute-sequelae">more than 12 weeks</a>, without any other explanation for symptoms, it’s called <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/covid-19/post-covid-symptoms-long-covid">long COVID</a>. COVID vaccines can prevent serious illness and have been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38282394/">monitored</a> for several years now for their safety and effectiveness. Current vaccination recommendations are <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-statement-on-the-administration-of-covid-19-vaccines-in-2024?language=en">based on age and immune status</a>. It’s worth discussing them with your doctor if you are unsure whether you would benefit or not. <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/covid-19/oral-treatments">Antivirals</a> can treat COVID in higher-risk people who contract it, whether vaccinated or not. Specific advice about what to do if you test positive on a RAT will vary according to your current state guidelines and workplace, however the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/covid-19/testing-positive">general principles</a> are always: avoid spreading the virus to others, and give yourself time to rest and recover. <hr /> <iframe id="ConNR" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ConNR/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <hr /> <h2>What if it’s not one of those?</h2> So you’ve done your combined RSV/flu/COVID RAT and the result is negative. But you still have symptoms. What else could it be? More than 200 different viruses can cause cold and flu symptoms, including rhinovirus (mentioned above), adenovirus and sometimes even <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2130424/">undefined pathogens</a>. If an illness progresses to a cough which will not go away, and/or you start coughing up sputum, this could be a bacterial infection, such as pertussis (whooping cough), streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae or moraxella catarrhalis. So it’s worth <a href="https://www.racgp.org.au/getattachment/0a637812-c8f0-45a2-af9c-fa215b64f8e4/attachment.aspx">getting assessed by a GP</a> who may do a chest Xray and/or <a href="https://www.rcpa.edu.au/Manuals/RCPA-Manual/Pathology-Tests/M/MCS-sputum">test your sputum</a>, particularly if they suspect pneumonia. You also may also start out with what is clearly a viral infection but then get a secondary bacterial infection later. So if you are getting more unwell over time, it’s worth getting tested, in case antibiotics will help. However, taking antibiotics for a purely viral illness will not only be useless, it can contribute to harmful <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/consumers/antibiotic-resistance-the-facts">antibiotic resistance</a> and give you unwanted side effects.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/234266/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/natasha-yates-1213624">Natasha Yates</a>, General Practitioner, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-feel-sick-how-do-i-know-if-i-have-the-flu-covid-rsv-or-something-else-234266">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Stormy seas ahead: Why confidence in the cruise industry has plummeted

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-holland-969445">Jennifer Holland</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-suffolk-3830">University of Suffolk</a> The cruise industry has weathered many storms, including fairly regular brushes with disease. Outbreaks of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/norovirus/norovirus.htm">norovirus</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294517/">H1N1</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/world/americas/measles-scientology-cruise-ship.html">measles</a> have all happened in the not too distant past. Despite this, a cruise has traditionally been regarded as a safe holiday – the kind where you don’t have to worry about a thing. COVID-19 has changed this. Cruise ships were a hotbed of transmission during the early stages of the pandemic, particularly the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined for six weeks in Japan in spring 2020. It had over <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1632">700 confirmed cases</a>, and for a period was the world’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/feb/20/coronavirus-live-updates-diamond-princess-cruise-ship-japan-deaths-latest-news-china-infections?page=with:block-5e4ea39f8f0811db2fafb3ec#block-5e4ea39f8f0811db2fafb3ec">leading COVID-19 hotspot</a> after China. Coverage of this and other ships’ outbreaks has taken its toll. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259019822100035X">Research</a> that I conducted with colleagues in Australia shows that the pandemic has changed how people think of cruise holidays. We surveyed over 600 people in the UK and Australia, both cruisers and non-cruisers, to ask them about their willingness to cruise and future travel intentions, to explore how COVID-19 has affected perceptions of travel and cruise risks. Nearly 45% of interviewees had less belief than before the pandemic that cruise lines are transparent and honest about safety or health issues. Respondents were also fearful of going on a cruise, with 47% saying they don’t trust cruise lines to look after them if something goes wrong. This is staggering for an industry that depends on repeat customers. We further found that 67% of people are less willing to cruise as a result of the pandemic, while 69% said they feel less positive about cruising now. What’s most surprising is that even repeat cruisers said they feel nervous about cruising as a result of the pandemic, with this emotion coming up repeatedly in the survey’s open-ended questions. This is a gamechanger. Until now, loyal cruisers have always come back, with previous disease outbreaks having <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261517716300309">little</a> <a href="http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_7_July_2013/2.pdf">impact</a>. <h2>What went wrong?</h2> When the pandemic began, cruise ships immediately suffered high infection rates among passengers and crew. During the first wave, thousands were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/stranded-at-sea-cruise-ships-around-the-world-are-adrift-as-ports-turn-them-away">stranded onboard</a> ships as they were held in quarantine or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160738320302103?via%3Dihub">refused entry to ports</a> as borders closed. By the end of April 2020, <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article241640166.html">over 50 cruise ships</a> had confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 65 deaths had occurred among passengers and crew. The story of one ship – the Ruby Princess – gained particular attention. Its passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney in mid-March, with a number carrying the virus. The ship would go on to be linked to more than <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-53802816">900 COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths</a>. The state of New South Wales later launched a <a href="https://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/assets/dpc-nsw-gov-au/publications/The-Special-Commission-of-Inquiry-into-the-Ruby-Princess-Listing-1628/Report-of-the-Special-Commission-of-Inquiry-into-the-Ruby-Princess.pdf">public inquiry</a> into the ship’s outbreak and found that the state’s ministry of health made a number of serious errors in allowing passengers to get off. It didn’t take long for cruises to be depicted as <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-24/virus-explosion-in-australia-exposes-cruise-ships-hidden-menace">places of danger and infection</a>, particularly in Australia. Lots of information about COVID-19 on cruise ships was published, especially about the <a href="https://cruiseradio.net/the-cruise-ship-story-mainstream-media-got-wrong/">Ruby Princess</a>, grabbing the <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=Ruby%20Princess">public’s attention</a>. Undoubtedly, this amplified people’s perceptions of risk around cruise holidays. Our study found that the many stories on COVID-19 also reminded the public of previous illnesses and outbreaks onboard cruise ships. Given the high intensity of media interest in Australia, we weren’t surprised to find that perceived risks were higher there compared with the UK, with willingness to cruise lower. This suggests that there could be regional differences in how difficult it is for the industry to recover after the pandemic. <h2>What happens next?</h2> Most respondents in the study said they would wait until it was safe to cruise again – and there’s probably a long way to go on changing the current perception of cruise ships as giant incubators of disease. It’s doubtful pent-up demand from loyal cruisers will be enough to fill cruise ships to capacity – which is critical for <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057%2Fs41278-020-00158-3">long-term economic viability</a> – and so <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-cruise-industry-really-recover-from-coronavirus-144704">financial uncertainty</a> grows. The pandemic has been <a href="https://cruising.org/-/media/Facts-and-Resources/Cruise-Industry-COVID-19-FAQs_August-13-2020">catastrophic</a> for the industry so far, with financial losses of US$50 billion (£36 billion), 1.17 million job losses, 18 cruise ships sold or scrapped and at least <a href="https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/cmv-becomes-the-third-cruise-line-to-go-out-of-business-in-a-month">three cruise lines stopping trading</a>. Before the pandemic, a new cruise ship was built <a href="https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/golden-age-med-ports-need-prepare-new-generation-large-ships">every 47 days</a>, and off the back of the industry’s robust growth over the past two decades another <a href="https://cruising.org/en-gb/news-and-research/research/2020/december/state-of-the-cruise-industry-outlook-2021">19 ships</a> are due to enter operation in 2021, despite demand very likely to have fallen. To recover, the industry will need to address people’s perceptions of risk, which our research shows have heightened. Risk perception has a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/004728759803700209">significant influence</a> on holiday decision-making, and it will be even more critical post-COVID. In the wake of the pandemic, would-be cruisers will need to think about health protocols, outbreak prevention plans, onboard sanitation procedures, social distancing measures and health screenings. Also, they’ll need to consider the implications of potential outbreaks during the cruise. These could result in being quarantined in their cabin, needing to access healthcare, or even the cruise being terminated. All of this creates uncertainty, which adds to perceptions of risk. The industry will need to provide reassuring answers on all of these points to entice holidaymakers back onboard. Cruise companies will also need to convince customers that they are trustworthy and accountable, given the concerns about honesty and transparency raised by our research. Overall, the sector has been devastated by the pandemic. Possibly no other area of tourism has been as widely affected. A return to the robust growth enjoyed previously is unlikely for many years, if ever. But for there to be any chance of this happening, the industry must understand how the pandemic has affected people’s perceptions of cruises and address their concerns.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152146/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-holland-969445">Jennifer Holland</a>, Lecturer in Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-suffolk-3830">University of Suffolk</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/stormy-seas-ahead-confidence-in-the-cruise-industry-has-plummeted-due-to-covid-19-152146">original article</a>. </div>

Cruising

15,000 squares, 500 hours, 19 months: how I used embroidery to make sense of Australia’s catastrophic fires

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tracey-clement-1518268">Tracey Clement</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> I slip the needle through a small loop of black thread, pull it tight and snip. Done. I have just tied off the very last stitch on an embroidered scroll that has taken me more than 500 hours across 19 months to complete. All of my artwork is extremely labour-intensive. But I have to admit, this is a bit excessive, even for me. It’s not surprising that I have been asked more than once “why not just outsource the labour?” and even “what is the point?” I always sigh and think enviously of plumbers. I am 100% sure hardworking tradies are never asked to justify the point of their work. Why do I work so hard? There is no one easy answer, it’s different every time. The labour intensity of my processes adds time into the equation and this both carries meaning and can change the meaning of the work as it goes on (and on and on). I always learn something unexpected. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590597/original/file-20240426-17-sg7esy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A finger points to a knot on the back of a messy abstract embroidery done in black, red, orange and yellow" /></a><figcaption>The last stitch! Tracey Clement</figcaption></figure> I put my little scissors down and, before busting out the bubbles, I snap a picture for Instagram because #selfpromotion, but also because this is news, albeit of a very slow-breaking kind. This is what I’ve learned after stitching for seemingly endless hours: while no news may be good news, “slow news” is even better. My embroidered scroll is titled Impossible Numbers. It started as my attempt to memorialise <a href="https://wwf.org.au/what-we-do/australian-bushfires/in-depth-australian-bushfires">the estimated 3,000,000,000 non-human lives lost</a> in the devastating bushfires of 2019–20, a number impossible to actually comprehend. <h2>Doomscrolling an emergency</h2> During that long and awful summer Sydney was often shrouded in an eerie orange haze. You could smell smoke. Ash fell. But, like many Australians, I experienced the worst of it by <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/doomscrolling">doomscrolling</a> fast news. I was both horrified and fascinated by images of fires so huge and hot they generated their own weather, by pictures of houses reduced to smoking skeletal outlines that somehow remained standing, by headlines comparing the fires to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/31/mallacoota-fire-mayhem-armageddon-bushfires-rage-victoria-east-gippsland">armageddon</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/30/australia-must-prepare-for-future-shaped-by-extreme-climate-bushfire-royal-commission-report-warns">the apocalypse</a>. This hyperbolic language implies we are locked in a war of good versus evil. Even headlines in the vein of “Firefighters battle blazes” pit us (people) against them (the forces of nature). And in the heat of the moment the language of war feels right. <a href="https://traceyclement.com/2020/04/21/apocalypse-now">I’ve succumbed to it myself</a>. But it is dangerous. This language reinforces the idea we can dominate nature; it frames the fires as a conflict that we can end by winning. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1800&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590572/original/file-20240426-21-7mbf5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1800&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A hand holds a phone taking a picture of a long abstract embroidery in black, red, orange and yellow." /></a><figcaption>Viewing the world through the phone. Tracey Clement</figcaption></figure> I will admit watching a goat-toting woman <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/scott-morrison-got-bushfire-welcome-he-deserved-says-liberal-mp/11838476">berate a sitting prime minister</a> left me with a short-lived, but mildly satisfying, feeling of shared righteous indignation. But mostly doomscrolling just fuelled my sorrow and left me feeling impotent as, inevitably, the fast news cycled on to the next crisis (and the next, and the next). <h2>Slowing it down</h2> In October 2022, I finally stopped trying to process the bushfires, and all their terrifying implications, through the fast-news language of war. I picked up a needle instead. Of course 3,000,000,000 stitches would be too many, even for me, so I decided to stitch a grid of some 15,000 squares, which I filled with innumerable stitches – a nod to the endless stream of pixels that usually deliver our news. I started wanting to honour the 3 billion dead, that impossible number, but after months of stitching I realised I was “writing” a kind of slow-news story. It may sound ridiculous, but this tactic has been used before. The <a href="https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry">Bayeux Tapestry</a> is a slow-news story that documents the Norman conquest of England through embroidery. It took years to stitch, and some 950 years later it is still in circulation. As an alternative to doomscrolling easily digestible fast-news stories of good triumphing (or not) over evil, I have created an actual fabric scroll which depicts a stylised firestorm building in intensity until it becomes all-consuming. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=799&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=799&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=799&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1004&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1004&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590574/original/file-20240426-16-lk14qm.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1004&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A middle-aged white woman peeks out from behind a very long abstract embroidery in black, red, orange and yellow." /></a><figcaption>The artist with Impossible Numbers. Tracey Clement</figcaption></figure> Despite mimicking pixels, Impossible Numbers is resolutely handmade. It is too messy, too crude, to be anything else. It is bleedingly obvious (and there was blood) the will of a person is inextricably stitched into this image of devastating fire. Human labour is literally entangled in this artwork; it shows us as part of the picture, part of nature. And this is good news Impossible Numbers doesn’t have a victorious ending, or any ending at all. The scroll is not fully unrolled. There is no end in sight: the story isn’t over, it’s ongoing. In this way it points to the future; a future in which we are not fighting nature. And this is good news too. If you don’t have a spare 500 hours to process the news into slow news, don’t worry. By the time I finally tied my last knot, I found I had transformed my fear and rage into something tangible, something both magnificent and beautiful (if I do say so myself), no longer about me. It is now a slow-news story that is no longer about a particular event; something everyone can share. This is why I do the work. Impossible Numbers is on display as part of <a href="https://www.casulapowerhouse.com/prizes/the-blake-art-prize">The Blake Prize</a> at the Casula Powerhouse, Sydney, until July 7. <hr /> This article is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-art-work-126611">Making Art Work</a>, our series on what inspires artists and the process of their work.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227907/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tracey-clement-1518268">Tracey Clement</a>, Lecturer in Visual Art and McGlade Gallery Director, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> Image credits: Instagram This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/15-000-squares-500-hours-19-months-how-i-used-embroidery-to-make-sense-of-australias-catastrophic-fires-227907">original article</a>. </div>

Art

"Never again": Bondi stabbing victim’s mother shares heartbreaking plea

The tragic events of April 13th at Westfield Bondi Junction shook the nation to its core. Among the victims of this senseless act was Jade Young, a 47-year-old architect, described by her mother Elizabeth as "glorious" and "hardworking". Her life was abruptly taken while shopping for a birthday present with her daughter. At a memorial service held in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, hundreds gathered to pay their respects to Jade. At the request of Jade's heart-broken mother, Elizabeth, mourners adorned themselves in bright colours, a vibrant tribute to a woman described as "dearly loved and irreplaceable". Elizabeth's words cut through the sombre air, pleading for attention not only to her daughter's memory but to the pressing issues that led to her untimely demise. “I would like you to listen, I want Australia to listen,” Elizabeth said. “Jade Young was attacked and killed outright in front of her daughter.” As part of her tribute, Elizabeth then made a poignant call for action. “Never again do I want to read the words tragic or tragedy associated with the perpetrator of the murder of my daughter,” she said. “He came prepared, he had intention. He was a killer ... making a shopping centre the most dangerous place on earth for Jade. “I want Jade’s girls to grow up believing there is security, goodness and love in the world. I want politicians both federal and state to address the gaps in mental health care to make it a safer for our girls and all Australians.” It's a wish echoed by countless families who have been touched by tragedy and who long for a safer, more compassionate society. The outpouring of support following Jade's passing speaks volumes about the impact she had on those around her. Her colleagues at Georgina Wilson Associates, where she dedicated over a decade of her life, shared heartfelt messages of grief and disbelief. "Jade was family," they wrote, a sentiment that resonates with all who had the privilege of knowing her. In the wake of this tragedy, the generosity of strangers has shone brightly, with over $235,000 donated to support Jade Young's husband and daughters. It's a testament to the kindness and compassion that exist within our communities, a glimmer of hope in the face of darkness. Images: GoFundMe

Family & Pets

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‘Girl math’ may not be smart financial advice, but it could help women feel more empowered with money

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ylva-baeckstrom-1463175">Ylva Baeckstrom</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kings-college-london-1196">King's College London</a> If you’ve ever calculated cost per wear to justify the price of an expensive dress, or felt like you’ve made a profit after returning an ill-fitting pair of jeans, you might be an expert in <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/girl-maths-tiktok-trend-its-basically-free-b1100504.html">“girl math”</a>. With videos about the topic going viral on social media, girl math might seem like a silly (<a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/girl-math-womens-spending-taken-seriously">or even sexist</a>) trend, but it actually tells us a lot about the relationship between gender, money and emotions. Girl math introduces a spend classification system: purchases below a certain value, or made in cash, don’t “count”. Psychologically, this makes low-value spending feel safe and emphasises the importance of the long-term value derived from more expensive items. For example, girl math tells us that buying an expensive dress is only “worth it” if you can wear it to multiple events. This approach has similarities to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/modernportfoliotheory.asp">portfolio theory</a> – a method of choosing investments to maximise expected returns and minimise risk. By evaluating how each purchase contributes to the shopping portfolio, girl math shoppers essentially become shopping portfolio managers. <h2>Money and emotions</h2> People of all genders, rich or poor, feel anxious when dealing with their personal finances. Many people in the UK do not understand pensions or saving enough to <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/workplacepensions/articles/pensionparticipationatrecordhighbutcontributionsclusteratminimumlevels/2018-05-04">afford their retirement</a>. Without motivation to learn, people avoid dealing with money altogether. One way to find this motivation, as girl math shows, is by having an emotional and tangible connection to our finances. On the surface, it may seem that women are being ridiculed and encouraged to overspend by using girl math. From a different perspective, it hints at something critical: for a person to really care about something as seemingly abstract as personal finance, they need to feel that they can relate to it. Thinking about money in terms of the value of purchases can help create an <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/every-time-i-use-my-card-my-phone-buzzes-and-that-stops-me-shopping-ps0fjx6nj">emotional relationship</a> to finance, making it something people want to look after. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GPzA7B6dcxc?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>The girl math we need</h2> Women are a consumer force to be reckoned with, controlling <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridgetbrennan/2015/01/21/top-10-things-everyone-should-know-about-women-consumers/#7679f9d6a8b4">up to 80%</a> of consumer spending globally. The girl math trend is a demonstration of women’s mastery at applying portfolio theory to their shopping, making them investment powerhouses whose potential is overlooked by the financial services industry. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/28/women-paid-less-than-men-over-careers-gender-pay-gap-report">Women are disadvantaged</a> when it comes to money and finance. Women in the UK earn on average £260,000 less than men during their careers and the retirement income of men is twice as high as women’s. As I’ve found in <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-and-Finance-Addressing-Inequality-in-the-Financial-Services-Industry/Baeckstrom/p/book/9781032055572">my research</a> on gender and finance, women have lower financial self-efficacy (belief in their own abilities) compared to men. This is not helped by women feeling patronised when seeking financial advice. Because the world of finance was created by men for men, its language and culture are <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-and-Finance-Addressing-Inequality-in-the-Financial-Services-Industry/Baeckstrom/p/book/9781032055572">intrinsically male</a>. Only in the mid-1970s did women in the UK gain the legal right to open a bank account without a male signature and it was not until 1980 that they could apply for credit independently. With the law now more (<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/03/02/pace-of-reform-toward-equal-rights-for-women-falls-to-20-year-low">but not fully</a>) gender equal, the financial services industry has failed to connect with women. Studies show that 49% of women are <a href="https://www.ellevest.com/magazine/disrupt-money/ellevest-financial-wellness-survey">anxious about their finances</a>. However they have not bought into patronising offers and <a href="https://www.fa-mag.com/news/gender-roles-block-female-financial-experience--ubs-says-73531.html">mansplaining by financial advisers</a>. This outdated approach suggests that it is women, rather than the malfunctioning financial system, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/16/women-are-not-financially-illiterate-they-need-more-than-condescending-advice">who need fixing</a>. Women continue to feel that they do not belong to or are able to trust the world of finance. And why would women trust an industry with a <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2019">gender pay gap</a> of up to 59% and a severe lack of women in senior positions? Girl math on its own isn’t necessarily good financial advice, but if it helps even a handful of women feel more empowered to manage and understand their finances, it should not be dismissed.  <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ylva-baeckstrom-1463175">Ylva Baeckstrom</a>, Senior Lecturer in Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kings-college-london-1196">King's College London</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/girl-math-may-not-be-smart-financial-advice-but-it-could-help-women-feel-more-empowered-with-money-211780">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Michael Slater hit with 19 charges over alleged domestic violence

Michael Slater, a former Australian Test cricketer is being held in police custody after being charged with more than a dozen offences over alleged domestic violence. Slater, 54, had his case briefly heard in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday. It was reported by the ABC that he did not appear and no plea was entered. The charges include domestic violence offences of unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation. The 19 charges relate to offences allegedly committed on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast between December 5, 2023 and April 12 2024. Slater was also charged with breaching bail and and 10 counts of contravening a domestic violence order. He was then remanded in custody, with his case mentioned in the same court on Tuesday afternoon. During that second hearing, Slater collapsed in court after failing in his bid for freedom over an alleged domestic violence incident. Upon learning that his bid for bail had been refused, the former cricket great placed his head in his hands then collapsed while being led back to the cells by Corrective Services staff. Slater made his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour and played 74 tests for Australia. He amassed 5,312 runs and played 42 one-day internationals. Since retiring from cricket in 2004, he has had a successful TV commentary career. Image: Getty

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