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World’s longest treasure hunt ends as Golden Owl finally unearthed in France

After more than three decades of mystery and intrigue, the world’s longest-running treasure hunt has come to a thrilling conclusion with the discovery of the elusive Golden Owl. Valued at approximately $240,000, the treasure had captivated the imaginations of thousands since it was first buried in France in the early 1990s. The hunt began with the publication of the now-famous book, On the Trail of the Golden Owl, written by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” and illustrated by artist Michel Becker. The 1993 book challenged readers to solve a series of intricate riddles and clues, which, when deciphered, would reveal the owl’s secret location. Despite years of painstaking attempts to crack the mystery, the Golden Owl remained hidden for decades, surviving even its creator. Hauser passed away in 2009, leaving the prize still buried. Michel Becker, who took over the management of the hunt, delivered the long-awaited news on October 3 via an online announcement that sparked a frenzy among treasure hunters: “A potential winning solution is currently being verified.” Two hours later, he confirmed: “Don’t go digging! We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night.” The treasure hunt’s <a href="https://goldenowlhunt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official website was also updated with the announcement</a>, bringing an end to a search that has been both thrilling and, for some, overwhelming. The obsession and madness behind the search For over 30 years, the Golden Owl hunt transcended being just a hobby for many treasure hunters and became an all-consuming obsession. While some enjoyed it as a leisurely pursuit, others were driven to extreme lengths – financially, emotionally and mentally. The search for the owl has been linked to personal crises, including financial ruin and broken marriages. At least one individual reportedly ended up in an asylum due to their fixation on solving the hunt’s riddles. The toll wasn’t limited to individuals. Searchers caused considerable disruption across France, digging unauthorised holes in public and private lands. In one eastern French village, the local mayor was forced to plead with hunters to stop digging around its chapel, while in other cases, searchers brought power tools to banks and even considered destroying structures in the hopes of unearthing the treasure. The Golden Owl’s elusive clues On the Trail of the Golden Owl contained a complex series of 11 riddles, each paired with a painting by Becker. The riddles, combined with maps, colours and hidden details, challenged readers to work out the owl’s hidden location. Before his death, Hauser revealed three crucial elements to solving the puzzle: The use of maps: Hunters needed to work with maps to narrow down the search area and use a specific map to pinpoint the final zone. A “mega trick”: This was the key to using the sequence of riddles to locate the final area where the owl was hidden. A final hidden riddle: Once in the final zone, hunters had to uncover one last riddle to lead them to the exact spot of the treasure. Joyous celebration among treasure hunters The treasure-hunting community was overjoyed when the news broke, with many expressing their disbelief and excitement. “Finally – liberated!” exclaimed one fan on the hunt’s Discord forum. Another added, “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.” As of now, the exact location of the owl’s discovery and the identity of the finder remain undisclosed. However, Becker hinted at the complexity involved in concluding this monumental hunt. “Tons of emotions to manage for all those who are responsible for managing the end of this episode and complex logistics to put in place,” he said in a statement on October 6. For now, the Golden Owl, a treasure that has held a generation of sleuths in its grasp, has been unearthed. Yet, the fascination with its story will undoubtedly linger for years to come. Images/Illustrations: Michel Becker

International Travel

From maxing out to slowing down, how much do heart rates vary across sports?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-peoples-1556509">Gregory Peoples</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> A classic image of the Olympics and Paralympics is an athlete at the end of a race struggling for breath, their heart obviously racing. But at the other end of the scale are athletes such as archers and shooters, who need to slow their heart rates down as much as possible. Athletes in speed and endurance events regularly push their heart rate to the maximum. But these athletes usually have low heart rates at rest. What causes our heart rates and respiratory (breathing) rates to change so much, and is this healthy? <h2>When heart rates and respiratory rates rise</h2> If you are still and calm as you read this, your heart is probably beating 60–100 times per minute and you are likely breathing 12–20 times per minute. These are the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-should-my-heart-rate-be-and-what-affects-it-98945">normal ranges for a resting adult</a>. During physical activity when muscles are contracting, the muscles need more oxygen to provide them with energy to work. To deliver this extra oxygen (<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-is-blood-red-229121#:%7E:text=Haemoglobin%20is%20like%20a%20red,oxygen%2C%20our%20blood%20is%20red.">carried in our blood</a>), our heart pumps blood faster. In other words, our heart rate increases. We also breathe faster to get more oxygen into our lungs to be delivered to the exercising muscles. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3YOap5k0R_8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Your resting heart rate can tell you plenty about your health and fitness.</figcaption></figure> <h2>How fast can our heart rate get during exercise?</h2> Aerobic means “with oxygen”. In <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7050-aerobic-exercise">aerobic exercise</a> (“cardio”) you use large muscles repetitively and rhythmically. For example, walking, running, cycling, swimming and rowing. Muscles that are contracting during aerobic exercise use a lot of energy and need ten times <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4551211/">more oxygen than at rest</a>. High intensity aerobic events that involve large muscles or the entire body cause the highest heart rates. An <a href="https://www.heartonline.org.au/resources/calculators/target-heart-rate-calculator">estimate</a> of maximum heart rate (beats per minute) is 220 minus your age. This equates to 195 beats per minute for a 25-year-old – close to the average age of the Australian Olympic team of 26.5 years. Athletes competing in Olympic events of endurance or speed will reach their maximum heart rate. You can usually only maintain maximum heart rate for a few minutes. But in a 2000-metre rowing race, the rowers maintain intense effort at close to maximum heart rate for 6–8 minutes. This is one of the toughest events for the heart. It’s no wonder rowers often collapse in the boat <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-68731840">as they cross the finish line</a>. Highly trained endurance athletes can have a maximum heart rate higher than expected for their age. <a href="https://olympics.com/en/athletes/eliud-kipchoge">Eliud Kipchoge</a> from Kenya is considered the greatest marathon runner of all time. During his <a href="https://au.coros.com/stories?world-record">world record run</a> in the 2022 Berlin marathon, he ran with a heart rate of around 180 beats per minute for almost the entire race. <h2>How does breathing change with exercise?</h2> Our breathing changes with exercise to increase oxygen uptake from the air. At low-to-moderate intensity exercise, you start to take deeper breaths. This brings in more air and oxygen with each breath. However, there is a limit to how much the chest can expand. With higher intensity exercise, respiratory rate increases to increase oxygen intake. Elite athletes can breathe <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818249/">more than 50 times</a> per minute. This is driven by <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-breathwork-and-do-i-need-to-do-it-231192">our diaphragm</a>, the most important muscle of breathing. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-28/paris-olympics-grace-brown-cycling-gold-medal-australia/104151466">Grace Brown</a>, Olympic gold medal cyclist in Paris, <a href="https://inscyd.com/article/grace-brown-olympic-gold-physiology/">breathes close to a maximal oxygen uptake</a> when she is cycling at high intensity. <h2>Some athletes need to slow things down</h2> Archery and shooting athletes perform better with a lower heart rate. They time their shots to be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3580727/#:%7E:text=Results%20showed%20that%20the%20champion,both%20during%20diastole%20and%20systole">between heart beats</a> when the body is the most still. This is easier with a slower heart rate, with more time between beats. Archers consciously lower their heart rate <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6441821/">prior to shooting</a> by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6721071/">slowing their breathing</a>. Other Olympians use <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10224217/#:%7E:text=For%20practicing%20slow%20and%20deep,minutes%20before%20starting%20the%20exercise.">breathing techniques</a> to calm pre-race anticipation and high heart rates. Slowing the breath, <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-breathwork-and-do-i-need-to-do-it-231192">especially the exhale</a>, is the best way to lower your heart rate. Beta-blockers also reduce heart rate, by blocking adrenaline. This is why they are on the <a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list">prohibited substances list</a> of the World Anti-Doping Agency. <h2>What about resting heart rates?</h2> Athletes often have a <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/is-a-low-heart-rate-worrisome">low resting heart rate</a>, around 40-50 beats per minute, and slower during sleep. Some are even lower – five time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain famously had a resting heart rate of <a href="https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/miguel-indurain-vs-your-body-34288">28 beats per minute</a>. Legendary US swimmer Michael Phelps is the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/michael-phelps-olympic-medals-record-how-many-gold-swimmer-world-record">most successful Olympian</a> of all time – he had a resting heart rate of <a href="https://www.reanfoundation.org/low-resting-heart-rate-and-lifespan/#:%7E:text=Studies%20on%20Athletes%20and%20Low%20Resting%20Heart%20Rate&text=It%20could%20also%20hint%20at,BPM%20throughout%20his%20professional%20career">less than 40 beats per minute</a>. Regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise makes the <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/athletes-heart-rate">heart stronger and more efficient</a>. A stronger heart pumps more blood per beat, which means it doesn’t need to beat as often. Exercise also <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12477376/">increases vagus nerve</a> activity to the heart and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms4775">slows down</a> the heart’s pacemaker cells. These both reduce heart rate. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6306777/">A large review</a> found endurance training and yoga were the best exercises to reduce resting heart rate. But training needs to be maintained to keep resting heart rate low. When elite athletes reduced their training volume by half during COVID lockdown, their <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2970">resting heart rate increased</a>. <h2>What does this mean for our health?</h2> A slower resting heart rate is linked to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6306777/">longer life expectancy and reduced death from cardiovascular disease</a>. Indeed, <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/4/206">a study</a> of more than 8,000 Olympians from the United States found they lived longer than the general population. So it is healthy to do activities that increase your heart rate in the short-term, whether as an Olympian or Paralympian competing, or a fan with your heart racing watching a gold medal event.<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/235594/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-peoples-1556509">Gregory Peoples</a>, Senior Lecturer - Physiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</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/from-maxing-out-to-slowing-down-how-much-do-heart-rates-vary-across-sports-235594">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Dr Michael Mosley's wife shares heart-breaking tribute to her late husband

Dr Michael Mosley's widow has shared a heart-breaking tribute to her late husband just weeks after his untimely death. Mosley first went missing while holidaying with his wife, Dr Clare Bailey, on the island of Symi on June 4th, and was tragically found dead five days later. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Dr Bailey thanked the public for the “wonderfully supportive messages” and revealed that her family misses the father of four “so much.” “The outpouring of love from so many people has meant a huge amount to me and my family,” she wrote alongside a photo of her late husband. “I’m going to be quiet for a while. I’m sure you will understand. But I will be back here soon." Sharing her plans for the future, she added, “I very much want to continue with the work that gave Michael and myself so much joy and such a sense of purpose.” “Once more thank you so much for respecting my family’s privacy so kindly. Michael was an amazing man. Thank you for seeing that too. We miss him so much.” Dr Mosley was a popular TV talking head in the UK and in Australia, who regularly appeared on chat shows and presented documentaries about diet and exercise. Michael and Clare married in 1987 and share four adult children – sons, Dan, Alex and Jack, and daughter, Kate. Image credits: Instagram

Caring

Dr Michael Mosley's heartbreaking final interview

One of Dr Michael Mosley's heartbreaking last interviews has resurfaced, as he discussed his wishes to grow old just weeks before his untimely death. The body of the 67-year-old health expert and TV personality was found in Greece four days after he was reported missing, with his wife sharing the news of his death on Sunday. Mosley had vanished after embarking on a walk while on holiday on the island of Symi, and after taking a wrong turn, succumbed to the challenging hike in extreme temperatures, with his <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/michael-mosley-s-cause-of-death-revealed-in-autopsy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">autopsy</a> declaring he died of natural causes. Now, a conversation that the father-of-four had with The Telegraph on April 30th has resurfaced, in which Mosley talked about how eager he was to live a long and healthy life after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged 55, having lost his father Bill from complications related to diabetes at 74. “I had seen what happened to my father,” Mosley told the UK publication. “He hadn’t seen his grandkids grow up. I thought, that’s not a road I want to go down.” Elsewhere in the interview, Dr Mosley, who has three adult sons and an adult daughter, was optimistic about his future, saying he had no intentions of slowing down. “I’m 67 and a lot of my mates are now retired,” he said. “Neither I nor Clare have any intention of giving up work. Why would you give up? Now in my mid-to-late 60s, I am quite happy to go on writing and giving public speeches and making telly and podcasts.” Dr Mosley was a respected and beloved figure in the medical and television community. Known for his insightful health advice and engaging personality, he had a significant impact on many lives. His adventurous spirit and dedication to promoting health and well-being will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Michael Mosley used science communication to advance health and wellbeing. We can learn a lot from his approach

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirsten-adlard-684475">Kirsten Adlard</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Overnight, we learned of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-09/michael-mosley-body-found-greek-island-clare-bailey-mosley/103957382">tragic passing</a> of Michael Mosley, who went missing last week while on holiday on the Greek island of Symi. The British celebrity doctor was a household name in many countries, including Australia. Mosley was well known for his television shows, documentaries, books and columns on healthy eating, weight management, physical activity and sleep. During the days he was missing and once his death was confirmed, media outlets have acknowledged Mosley’s <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/michael-mosley-tv-doctor-death-b2558717.html">career achievements</a>. He is being celebrated for his connection to diverse public audiences and his unrelenting focus on science as the best guide to our daily habits. <h2>From medicine to the media</h2> Mosley was born in India <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8770jyz6vvo">in 1957</a> and was sent to England at age seven to attend boarding school. He later studied philosophy, politics and economics at the <a href="https://michaelmosley.co.uk/biog/">University of Oxford</a>. After a short stint in investment banking, Mosley opted to train in medicine at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Rather than forging a career in clinical practice, <a href="https://michaelmosley.co.uk/biog/">Mosley</a> started working at the BBC in 1985 as a trainee assistant producer. In the decades that followed, Mosley continued to work with the BBC as a producer and presenter. Mosley became a popular public figure by applying his medical training to journalism to examine a breadth of health and wellbeing topics. In 1995, following his documentary on <a href="https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/baf970949e3a46a992ae52420395a7c2">Helicobacter pylori</a>, a bacterium that causes ulcers in the stomach, the British Medical Association named him <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2kczjZKp8sGSDxSxKYzxsyr/michael-mosley">medical journalist of the year</a>. His other television work on diet, weight management, exercise and sleep earned him <a href="https://www.emmys.com/bios/michael-mosley">Emmy</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0608839/awards/">BAFTA</a> (the British Academy of Film and Television Arts), and <a href="https://rts.org.uk/tags/michael-mosley">Royal Television Society</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2kczjZKp8sGSDxSxKYzxsyr/michael-mosley">award nominations</a>. Over the past decade, Mosley published <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Fast-Diet-Original-Revised-Research/dp/1780722370/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.75_akcxo8tanyLrD4CVMwd1lCTliHyckSLPU2W7K4HmdPqRlVqvMbKWKkJ6CPCsrFsAw4Vfw5SWOYkl_Y8ah4yNCSjQksdT3ByCSHhiycNB9AB5h6vVUqB99okxDDWPaXUCwD-CZMzHZDvAjuAotTN">several books</a> on <a href="https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Fastexercise-Michael-Mosley-Peta-Bee-With/9781476759982?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=ps&utm_campaign=AU&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw34qzBhBmEiwAOUQcF3wd7d1bj8KMFeEtKS6ZU7py5rRzjiycZhcsMbSEQ9lXhjEBcY4GRxoCwgIQAvD_BwE">exercise</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/8-Week-Blood-Sugar-Diet-Recipe/dp/1925456595/ref=sr_1_7?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.75_akcxo8tanyLrD4CVMwd1lCTliHyckSLPU2W7K4HmdPqRlVqvMbKWKkJ6CPCsrFsAw4Vfw5SWOYkl_Y8ah4yNCSjQksdT3ByCSHhiycNB9AB5h6vVUqB99okxDDWPaXUCwD-CZMzHZDvAjuAotTNxxkW3">healthy eating</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Fast-800-Australian-New-Zealand/dp/B07MPRQWJP/ref=sr_1_8?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.75_akcxo8tanyLrD4CVMwd1lCTliHyckSLPU2W7K4HmdPqRlVqvMbKWKkJ6CPCsrFsAw4Vfw5SWOYkl_Y8ah4yNCSjQksdT3ByCSHhiycNB9AB5h6vVUqB99okxDDWPaXUCwD-CZMzHZDvAjuAotTNxxkW">intermittent fasting</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Weeks-Better-Sleep-life-changing-improved/dp/1761425927/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.75_akcxo8tanyLrD4CVMwd1lCTliHyckSLPU2W7K4HmdPqRlVqvMbKWKkJ6CPCsrFsAw4Vfw5SWOYkl_Y8ah4yNCSjQksdT3ByCSHhiycNB9AB5h6vVUqB99okxDDWPaXUCwD-CZMzHZDvAj">sleep</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Just-One-Thing-Changes-Transform/dp/B0BJVRP94X/ref=sr_1_9?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.75_akcxo8tanyLrD4CVMwd1lCTliHyckSLPU2W7K4HmdPqRlVqvMbKWKkJ6CPCsrFsAw4Vfw5SWOYkl_Y8ah4yNCSjQksdT3ByCSHhiycNB9AB5h6vVUqB99okxDDWPaXUCwD-CZMzHZDvAjuAotTNxxk">behaviour change</a>. He sold millions of copies of his books around the world, including at least <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/p/mosley-1mil-sales">one million</a> in Australia and New Zealand. Alongside his wife, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, he recently embarked on a <a href="https://michaelmosley.co.uk/live/">live theatre show tour</a>, yet another vehicle to bring his key messages to audiences. <h2>A trusted voice</h2> Mosley became a trusted voice for health and wellbeing throughout his journalistic career. His television program <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04j9gny">Trust Me, I’m a Doctor</a> drew on his medical qualifications to discuss health and wellbeing credibly on a public platform. His medical training also inferred credibility in examining the scientific literature that underpins the topics he was communicating. At the same time, Mosley used simple terminology that captured the attention of diverse audiences. For many of Mosley’s outputs, he used himself as an example. For instance, in his <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy/episodes/downloads">podcast series</a> Just One Thing and <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Just-One-Thing-Changes-Transform/dp/B0BJVRP94X/ref=sr_1_9?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.75_akcxo8tanyLrD4CVMwd1lCTliHyckSLPU2W7K4HmdPqRlVqvMbKWKkJ6CPCsrFsAw4Vfw5SWOYkl_Y8ah4yNCSjQksdT3ByCSHhiycNB9AB5h6vVUqB99okxDDWPaXUCwD-CZMzHZDvAjuAotTNxxk">companion book</a>, Mosley self-tested a range of evidence-based behavioural habits (while also interviewing subject-matter experts), covering topics such as eating slowly, yoga, listening to music, cooking, gardening and drinking green tea. His focus on intermittent fasting and high-intensity training was fuelled by his <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-08/how-dr-michael-mosley-popularised-intermittent-fasting/103952408">diagnosis of type 2 diabetes</a>, and his work on sleep health was based on his experience <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/sleep-revolution-michael-mosley/okmv5o7qe">with chronic insomnia</a>. At the most extreme end of the spectrum, Mosley <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25968755">infested himself with tapeworms</a> in the pursuit of exploring their effects on the human body. By using himself as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/jun/09/michael-mosley-favourite-health-tip-slow-deep-breathing">human guinea pig</a>, he fostered a connection with his audience, showing the <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-personal-touch-using-anecdotes-to-hook-a-reader">power</a> of personal anecdotes. <h2>Some controversies along the way</h2> Despite his notable career achievements, Mosley received ongoing criticisms about his work due to differing opinions within the medical and scientific communities. One key concern was around his promotion of potentially risky diets such as intermittent fasting and other restrictive diets, including the 5:2 diet and low-carb diets. While <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946909/">some evidence</a> supports intermittent fasting as a way to improve metabolic health and enable weight management, Mosley was criticised for not fully acknowledging the potential risks of these diets, such as a potential to lead to <a href="https://clindiabetesendo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40842-023-00152-7">disordered eating</a> habits. His promotion of low-carb diets also raised concerns that his work added to a diet-focused <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/lose-a-stone-in-21-days-channel-4-criticism-eating-disorder-food-relationship-beat-a9656531.html">culture war</a>, ultimately to the detriment of many people’s relationship with food and their bodies. More broadly, in his efforts to make scientific concepts simple and accessible to the general public, Mosley was sometimes criticised for overgeneralising science. The concern was that he didn’t properly discuss the nuance and tension inherent in scientific evidence, thereby providing an incomplete synthesis of the evidence. For example, Mosley conceptualised the <a href="https://thebloodsugardiet.com">blood sugar diet</a> (a low-carbohydrate Mediterranean-style diet), which was <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/health-68452019">criticised</a> for lacking a strong grounding in scientific evidence. Similarly, <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/article/smoke-and-mirrors-the-truth-about-vaping-nmpf3przr">associating his name with e-cigarettes</a> may have drawn unhelpful attention to the topic, irrespective of the underlying details. <h2>What can we learn from Mosley?</h2> Overall, Mosley has been objectively successful in communicating scientific concepts to large, engaged audiences. Mosley showed us that people want to consume scientific information, whether through the news media, social media, podcasts or books. His passion and persistence in using science to promote health and wellbeing have likely supported public health efforts across the globe.<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/231934/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirsten-adlard-684475">Kirsten Adlard</a>, Supervisor of Engagement, Communication, and Outreach, Centre for Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial 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/michael-mosley-used-science-communication-to-advance-health-and-wellbeing-we-can-learn-a-lot-from-his-approach-231934">original article</a>. </div>

Caring

Michael Mosley's cause of death revealed in autopsy

The sudden and tragic death of renowned TV doctor Michael Mosley has left his fans and family in deep sorrow. New details from an initial autopsy report reveal the beloved health expert likely died of natural causes during a challenging trek on the Greek island of Symi. Mosley disappeared on a Wednesday afternoon after bidding farewell to his wife on Saint Nikolas Beach. He inadvertently took a wrong turn, embarking on a gruelling two-hour hike in intense heat. According to The Sun, he tragically collapsed near a beach bar at Agia Marina, just a few metres away from safety. His body was discovered five days later by a television crew from Greece's ERT public channel. The initial autopsy indicated that Mosley most likely succumbed to natural causes at around 4pm on the day he went missing. The scorching temperatures, exceeding 40°C in the rocky terrain, contributed to the arduous conditions he faced. The post-mortem examination revealed no external injuries that could have caused his death. The position of his body suggested that he had sat down to rest against a wall before losing consciousness and passing away. CCTV footage captured Mosley walking slowly through the mountainous area, indicating exhaustion. His last recorded sighting was at 2pm in Pedi, implying he had been navigating the rough terrain for nearly two hours. The grainy footage showed him collapsing near a wall and barbed wire fence, just 100m from the beach resort and shoreline. Despite extensive search efforts, including drones, helicopters and specially trained dogs, Mosley’s body was not found until five days later. The condition of his body made it challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of death, but it was clear he was extremely close to reaching safety before he collapsed. The search for Dr Mosley mobilised the small island community of Symi, with 2600 residents and numerous volunteers talking part. His wife, Dr Claire Bailey, expressed her profound grief in a heartfelt statement. “I don’t know quite where to begin with this,” she said. “It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband. “We had an incredibly lucky life together. We loved each other very much and were so happy together. I am incredibly proud of our children, their resilience and support over the past days. “My family and I have been hugely comforted by the outpouring of love from people from around the world. It’s clear that Michael meant a huge amount to so many of you. “We’re taking comfort in the fact that he so very nearly made it. “He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen by the extensive search team. “Michael was an adventurous man, it’s part of what made him so special. “We are so grateful to the extraordinary people on Symi who have worked tirelessly to help find him. “Some of these people on the island, who hadn’t even heard of Michael, worked from dawn till dusk unasked. We’re also very grateful to the press who have dealt with us with great respect. “I feel so lucky to have our children and my amazing friends. Most of all, I feel so lucky to have had this life with Michael.” Dr Mosley was a respected and beloved figure in the medical and television community. Known for his insightful health advice and engaging personality, he had a significant impact on many lives. His adventurous spirit and dedication to promoting health and well-being will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial / Facebook

Caring

"No trace": Desperate search continues for Dr Michael Mosley

The search for Dr Michael Mosley has ramped up after he disappeared while on holiday in the Greek islands. The British health expert, known for popularising intermittent fasting for weight loss, was on holiday with his family on the island of Symi when he seemingly vanished without a trace on Wednesday. Mosley, 67, set off on a hike along St Nicholas Beach on the island in the early afternoon but failed to return and was reported missing by his wife Dr Clare Bailey. The search for the doctor has now expanded, as Channel 7 reporter Mylee Hogan explained on Sunrise on Friday. “This morning the search has now expanded — they have called in crews from other islands to help,” Hogan said. “Those crews have come in on helicopter, they have drones, and dogs as well, to try to locate him." Authorities believe he may have been affected by the heat during his walk, as Hogan said, “They are working on the theory he may have been impacted by the heat and fallen.” “The area they’re searching where he was walking is only a 3km distance, but it is quite rugged, so they are trying to focus on that area (the walking track).” According to a report in the <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2024/06/06/tv-dr-michael-mosley-goes-missing-symi-greece-search-launched-20984105/?ico=top-stories_home_top" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">UK’s Metro</a> news outlet, a resident claimed it was “impossible” to get lost on the island. Symi Mayor Eleftherios Papakalodoukas reinforced the sentiment, telling BBC News, “It is a very small, controlled area, full of people. So if something happened to him there, we would have found him by now.” Senior police spokesperson Constantina Dimoglidou previously told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13499989/Mail-columnist-Michael-Mosley-missing-Greece-Symi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">Daily Mail</a> that ongoing searches had so far been unsuccessful. “We have now asked the fire brigade to assist in the operation in case he may have slipped, tripped, fallen, or even bitten by a snake, remaining injured somewhere,” he said. “There is just no trace of him. None whatsoever and that means that for us at least, every potential scenario is being investigated.” Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial

News

Quaden Bayles' blockbuster new role

A young Indigenous boy with dwarfism, who captured hearts after an emotional plea to his school bullies went viral, has been offered a role in the new Mad Max movie. Quaden Bayles, an 11-year-old Queensland boy with achondroplasia, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/quaden-bayles-puts-vicious-rumours-of-fake-age-to-rest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went viral in 2020</a> after his mother live-streamed a video on Facebook following the latest cruel bullying incident. The heartbreaking video, in which Quaden asks for a knife so he can kill himself, captured the world’s attention and Quaden received support from celebrities like Australia’s A-listers such as Hugh Jackman, Mark Hamill and Jon Bernthal. The boy’s anguish was also seen by Oscar-winning Australian filmmaker George Miller, who invited Quaden to appear in his upcoming film Three Thousand Years of Longing, which is due for release next month. Miller was so impressed with Quaden’s performance in the film, which also stars Hollywood heavyweights Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, that he invited him to appear as an extra in his next film Furiosa. Furiosa is set to be the fifth instalment in the Mad Max franchise and a prequel to 2015’s smash hit Mad Max: Fury Road. “It was good for us and it was good for him,” Miller told Good Weekend magazine. “And he did such a good job that he’s got a small role in Furiosa.” Due for release in 2024, Furiosa will star Anya Taylor-Joy and Australia’s Chris Hemsworth, and is expected to focus on the origins of Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa character, who was introduced in the six-time Academy Award winning Mad Max: Fury Road. Image credits: Getty Images / Supplied

Movies

"I had no choice": Tragic reason why F1 boss took his own life

The heartbreaking reason why F1 boss Max Mosley committed suicide has been revealed. The 81-year-old was found dead with “significant injuries consistent with a gunshot wound”, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18101716/max-mosley-shot-himsel-terminal-cancer-diagnosis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> reported. On Tuesday, the Westminster Coroner in London heard that Mosley had shot himself when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Following his terminal diagnosis, Mosley was told that he had “weeks” to live, and there was no cure for his chronic bladder and bowel pain. He was offered palliative care. Mosley was found dead lying in a pool of his blood with a double-barreled shotgun in between his knees on May 24, 2021. Outside on his bedroom door was a note that read: “Do not enter, call the police”. Police had also found a suicide note on the bedside table that was covered in blood. The only words they could make out were, “I had no choice”, the court heard. “It was obvious he had used the shotgun on himself and endured a life-ending injury. It’s clear he had injuries not compatible with life,” the coroner said. Mosley was referred to Dr Rasha Al-Quarainy, a consultant in palliative care from the Central and North West London NHS Trust, a month before his suicide. She told the courts that Mosley’s B-cell Lymphoma was “inoperable” and that he hadn’t mentioned any suicidal thoughts. “On the contrary he said that he had plans to renovate their home in Gloucestershire that wasn’t going to be finished until July. “He was still seeking treatment possibly in the US, possibly in the UK, and some other matters he spoke to me about.” Dr Christopher McNamara, a consultant haematologist, who had been treating Mosley since 2019, said he had spoken about his life. “He emailed me on 22 May 2021, these were questions about the management of the condition. He had accepted this would not be cured,” Dr McNamara said in court. “He was extremely upset as his quality of life was poor and left him uncomfortable. “He had expressed ideas of committing suicide to myself and other members of the team previously. “He never expressed a plan of doing this and all he said was that the problem was his wife would not accept this.” Image: Getty

Caring

Learn about our fastest-growing chronic disease with Dr Michael Mosley

Renowned doctor and trusted medical journalist Dr. Michael Mosley is back on our televisions screens to tackle Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease, type 2 diabetes. Called Australia's Health Revolution with Dr. Michael Mosley, this new TV show premieres soon on Wednesday 13 October at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand. In the show, Dr Mosley tackles some of our misconceptions about just how healthy Australians are and he embarks on a confronting journey alongside eight brave Australians. Eating his way into, and out of, ill health Working with proud Gomeroi man and exercise physiologist Ray Kelly, Dr Mosley puts his own body on the line to demonstrate the latest science and he shows us just how fast you can eat your way into, and out of, ill health. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SciXE-e1mXo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> To demonstrate this, Dr. Mosley follows an average Australian diet and in just two weeks, his blood sugar levels become pre-diabetic and he pushes his blood pressure worryingly high - highlighting the root of Australia’s obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic, at a time where almost 200 Australians are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every day. Dr Mosley isn’t on this journey alone. He and Ray meet with eight brave Australians diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes who dream of getting their health back and turning their lives around. Together with Ray, Dr Mosley guides the participants through drastic diet and lifestyle adjustments rather than medicine, in an attempt to reverse the effects of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Can they kick start a ‘Health Revolution’ and empower a nation to take ownership of its health? Dr Michael Mosley has said we’ve become too complacent about the dramatic surge in rates of type 2 diabetes, driven by weight gain: “If we’re going to tackle our obesity epidemic, then we need to understand how our bodies work so we can reverse the damage we are doing,” he adds. “I was really shocked by how quickly my weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels rose when I started eating far more ultra-processed foods, the sort of diet many Australians follow. I want to show people simple ways we can all improve our health, and that every bit counts. “I hope people are surprised and perhaps alarmed when they watch this show – I want it to challenge what you think you know about food and health, and I hope it illustrates just how deadly increased blood sugars can be. But also, how we can beat it,” he said. Now is an important time to be healthy Celia Tait, Executive Producer Artemis Media said of the show: “There has never been a more important time to be healthy. Now, as we grapple with the complexity of living amidst a pandemic, it’s all the more important to share the latest science around type 2 diabetes reversal. “We take heart and inspiration from Dr Michael Mosley, Ray Kelly and the participants whose stories we follow and who show us how to live a healthier life,” she added. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bf113418f44947df97b023103ec2efa6" />Supportive programming from NITV In addition to the SBS broadcast, NITV will air a suite of supportive programming which explores the type 2 diabetes epidemic in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. At 8:35pm on Wednesday 13 October on Living Black, Karla Grant speaks with Dr Michael Mosley about what fired his passion to take the fight against type 2 diabetes globally and gets the answers on why the disease is so prolific in Indigenous communities. Australia's Health Revolution with Dr. Michael Mosley will be available to stream on <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/">SBS On Demand,</a> with subtitled versions available in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. The TV show is an Artemis Media production for SBS with principal production investment from Screen Australia in association with SBS. You can join the conversation at #AusHealthRevolution Image and video: SBS TV

Discover the fascinating history behind 6 superstitions

Ever wondered about the origins of common superstitions? Discover why raw onion is believed to ward against baldness, why four-leafed clovers are considered lucky and much more. Author <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fsearch.ep%3Fauthor%3DMax%2520Cryer">Max Cryer</a> investigates in the fascinating book <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fsuperstitions-max-cryer%2Fprod9781925335170.html">Superstitions and we we have them</a> from <a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com.au/Superstitions.html">Exisle Publishing</a>. 1. The superstitions behind umbrellas The name is descended from the Latin diminutive umbra,meaning shade or shadow. For many centuries umbrellas were soley for protection from the sun. It wasn’t until the 1700s that it seemed to occur to anyone they could also protect from rain. Naturally superstition gathered around them. The most common of them was not to open an umbrella inside the house - something bad will come of it. Nor must it ever be laid - even unfurled - on a bed or table. And any woman yet unmarried who drops her umbrella must wait for someone else to pick it up. If she retrieves it herself, she will never wed. 2. The superstition behind our beds For those who are unmarried, a suspicion might offer some help. It concerns ‘turning’ or ‘making’ a bed each day: If one day you would be wed, Turn your bed from foot to bed. Married or not, the susperstitious abide by the belief that whatever side of the bed you get into a night is the side you must get out of in the morning. Not doing so will cause disruption. In fact, the belief resulted in the saying that someone disgruntled ‘got out the wrong side of the bed’. (However, any potential disruption caused by inadvertently getting out on the ‘wrong’ side can be adverted by putting one’s socks on the right foot first, then the left.) The jury is still out on the ancient and vexed superstition regarding getting out of bed ‘backwards’. One school of thought decrees it is to be back luck, but the opposition says it is good luck. It’s probably best avoided by getting out of bed frontwards. 3. The superstitions behind baldness In spite of extensive advertising claims to the contrary, most men afflicted by baldness find the condition irreversible. An American superstition claims that baldness can be delayed by cutting the existing hair very short, then singeing the cut ends. Another superstition claims that when a man starts to go bald, he can slow the process by stuffing cyclamen leaves up his nose. And sprinkling parsley seeds on the head three times a year is also believed to help. Three other cures have come to us from ancient traditions - albeit two of them might be rather difficult to obtain: <ul> <li>Rubbing with raw onion might help, but it is best done when you’re going to be alone for a while. After rubbing, smear with honey.</li> <li>Believed to be more effective is a poultice of goose dung.</li> <li>Best of all - if you can get it - herbalist William Bullein’s Bulwarke of Defence against all Sickness(published in 1562) offers the best preventative: poultices made of fat from the body of a bear. </li> </ul> 4. The superstitions behind peas If your peas don’t come from frozen in a bag from the supermarket, but are actually shelled out of their pods within the household,watch out for any pod which contains either just one pea - or nine, for good luck will then come to you. And if the pod which housed nine peas is rubbed on a wart, it will cure it. . . or so the superstition says. 5. The superstitions behind garlic As far back as Ancient Egypt, garlic has been credited as a protection against a wide range of problems - and not just for its notable flavour. At least two versions of its origin ignore that it is just a plant, allium sativum, a tasty and aromatic member of the onion family. Early Egyptians perceived garlic as a gift from the gods, but post-biblical mythology decreed that it grew where Satan’s left food trod as he was evicted fom the Garden of Eden (the print of his right foot gave rise to ordinary onions). Supstition has credited garlic with various powers: protecting sailors from storms and shipwreck; giving soldiers courage; protecting miners from evil underground demons; if placed under the pillows of babies, protecting them overnight; and as a household garlands to protect against illness, witches, robbers and vampires. The perceived connection between vampires and garlic was slow in reaching the English language. The first vampire story in English, The Vampyre by John Polidori (1819) makes no mention of garlic. Irish author Bram Stocker’s later vampire novel, Dracula (1897), introduced the powerful effects between vampires and what they greatly fear: daylight - and garlic. But as a protection it had been widely used for long before that - against toothache, sunstroke, leprosy, even bed-wetting. Medical research can identify a genuine physical condition called alliumphobia - a powerful dislike, even fear of garlic. And there is a medical theory that some people simply must not each garlic because it causes disorder in certain blood types. Scholars point out that this condition, and its necessary repudiation of anything to do with garlic, may be a contributing factor to the legend of vampires and their avoidance of garlic. The vampire legends were believed historically in southern Slavic countries and Romania, where an eye was kept on those who rufused to eat garlic. Consequently, superstition decreed that cloves of garlic be placed in the mouths of the deceased before they were buried, to ward off any passing vampies.Do you avoid walking under ladders because you think it is bad luck? 6. The superstitions behind four-leafed clover A four-leafed clover has superstition going into a spin. Find one, and you’ll be able to see fairies and recognise evil spirits, which will give you the ability to tell who is secretly a witch. Carry it with you and evil spells will bounce right off you, and in your house the milk won’t turn sour. If a young woman puts the precious leaf inside her shoe, the first man she meets after stepping out will be her future husband, or (this suspicion has a let-out clause) if that’s not the case, it will be someone of the same name. It has been estimated that in nature, there may be one four-leaf clover approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers. When found, each of the four leaves has a duty to fulfil; the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck. Note: It is perhaps worth adding that in recent years horticulturalists have successfully developed a clover plant with four leaves exclusively, so the purchase of a ‘four-leave-clover kit set’ will enable you to grow as many as you like. This is an extract from Max Cryer's <a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com.au/Superstitions.html">Superstititions and why we have them, Exisle Publishing</a>. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fsuperstitions-max-cryer%2Fprod9781925335170.html">Get your copy here!</a> Written by Max Cryer. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/discover-the-fascinating-history-behind-6-superstitions.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Art

Two fatal crashes in six months: The 40 airlines STILL flying the new Boeing 737 MAX

Tragedy has struck after a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed six minutes after takeoff, leaving no survivors. Mourners have gathered to remember the 157 victims, which included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, eight Americans, and seven British nationals. Occurring only a few short months after the devastating Lion Air crash in October - which also killed all 189 people on board – questions have been raised over the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX model, which is the plane that was involved in both incidents. Minutes into the journey, the experienced pilot of the Ethiopian flight claimed to be facing difficulties and was given clearance to turn the plane around, but unfortunately, was too late as the plane went plummeting south. When the Boeing 737 MAX was introduced in 2017, it was considered to be a pioneer in narrow-body airliners. It was commended for its advanced aerodynamics and fuel-efficient engines. The brand new addition to the Boeing series became the quickest selling plane in the model's history, with a total of 219,737 MAX aircrafts being ordered since its release. But the success was short-lived, as the crash of Lion Air Flight JT610 in October raised alarm bells over the safety of the jet. Killing all 189 people on board, the disaster was the first time a 737 MAX was involved in a major incident. In November, Boeing issued a safety bulletin for airlines currently operating its 737 MAX airliner. It revealed a terrifying reality, where the plane’s sensors can cause the aircraft to enter into a sudden dive, reported <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-07/boeing-is-said-close-to-issuing-safety-bulletin-on-737-max-jets" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>. “On November 6, 2018, Boeing issued an Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB) directing operators to existing flight crew procedures to address circumstances where there is erroneous input from an AOA sensor,” read the company’s statement. But despite the cautionary tale, there are still 40 airlines using the Boeing 737 MAX to transport passengers from point A to point B. Here are the 40 airlines that fly the Boeing 737 MAX: 1. Norwegian Air 2. Air China 3. SpiceJet 4. Southwest Airlines 5. Icelandair 6. FlyDubai 7. Air Italy 8. TUI 9. LOT Polish Airlines 10. AeroMexico 11. Oman Air 12. SmartWings 13. Aerolineas Argentinas 14. Lion Air 15. Corendon Airlines 16. China Southern 17. Ethiopian Airlines 18. Air Canada 19. Garuda Indonesia 20. United Airlines 21. American Airlines 22. Xiamen Airlines 23. WestJet 24. Turkish Airlines 25. SCAT Airlines 26. China Eastern 27. Shanghai Airlines 28. Shenzhen Airlines 29. Jet Airways 30. OK Airways 31. GOL 32. SilkAir 33. S7 Siberia Airlines 34. Copa Airlines 35. Lucky Air 36. Sunwing Airlines 37. Hainan Airlines 38. Mauritania Airlines International 39. Shandong Airlines 40. 9 Air Will you be flying with any of these airlines in the future? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Trouble

Cassandra Thorburn suffers new heartbreak: “We are devastated”

Cassandra Thorburn has shared a touching photo on Instagram of her father, the journalist Max Thorburn, holding her hand. Beside it, is a retro photo of him as a young man. He passed away yesterday after battling cancer, aged 72. She captioned the image with: “A journalism career spanning over 50 years in TV, newspapers and radio. A role model to many and my biggest supporter. Thank you for being the beloved poppy to my children and my Dad. Max Thorburn 27/4/1946 - 18/10/2018.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpEA5zjhHq3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BpEA5zjhHq3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A journalism career spanning over 50 years in TV, newspapers and radio. A role model to many and my biggest supporter. Thank you for being the beloved poppy to my children and my Dad. Max Thorburn 27/4/1946 - 18/10/2018</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/cassthorburn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Cassandra Thorburn</a> (@cassthorburn) on Oct 17, 2018 at 10:28pm PDT </div> </blockquote> In an interview with the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6289411/Cassandra-Thorburn-shares-heartfelt-tribute-father-Max-passes-away.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>, the 47-year-old told of her family’s devastation at the loss of their father and grandfather, and paid tribute to the life lessons he taught her. “My dad’s passing is a loss to so many. I was just blessed to be his daughter and my children had the most incredibly devoted poppy,” said Thorburn. “What more can be said? He fought hard for 3 years and the last six months have been excruciating. We are devastated.” “My dad taught me to accept life is full of imperfect people, including ourselves, and to approach each day as an opportunity to do better. If you hurt someone be man enough to admit it and make amends. True gifts.” Thorburn thanked those who have supported her in a post on Facebook in the aftermath of the death of her father, who was also a councillor in Mildura, Victoria. “Thank you for all the messages and calls of love and support,” she said. “A man who made a difference passed today. A man who was also just Dad and Poppy and was so deeply loved. My Achilles heel will always be with me.” The devastating loss comes after a difficult few years for Thorburn with her much publicised split with Karl Stefanovic, co-host of Today, in 2016.

News

Dr Michael Mosley: 10 steps to a younger brain and sharper memory

Science journalist, author and TV presenter Dr Michael Mosley has shared his ten-point plan with the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5929577/Dr-MICHAEL-MOSLEYs-5-2-diet-recipes.html">Daily Mail</a> to keeping a youthful mind, and perhaps even staving off dementia. 1. Check how well your brain is ageing Test yourself with Dr Michael Mosley’s own questionnaire to determine your “brain age”. Answer yes or no to following statements: <ul> <li>I eat a mainly Mediterranean- style diet. This is one that is low in sugar and processed foods, but rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, oily fish – such as salmon or mackerel – and olive oil.</li> <li>I’ve been tested and I don’t have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.</li> <li>I don’t smoke.</li> <li>I drink 14 units of alcohol or less a week.</li> <li>I exercise most days.</li> <li>I do something sociable, with friends or family, at least once a week.</li> <li>None of my immediate relatives developed signs of significant memory loss or dementia before the age of 80.</li> <li>I’ve had my blood pressure tested and it is normal.</li> <li>I don’t have any obvious sleep disorders, such as snoring or sleep apnoea, and I get at least seven hours’ sleep every night.</li> <li>I don’t have a significant problem with stress or depression.</li> </ul> Now add up how the number of yes answers you gave, with Dr Mosley’s advice below: 0-3: You probably have a brain age that is about ten years more than your actual age. You are at increased risk of early memory loss and developing some form of dementia. You need to work on the sort of lifestyle changes I am about to recommend as soon as possible. 4-7: Not bad, but not great. There is still some way to go – and you will benefit from following my advice. 8-10: You are doing well, but do keep reading. This article contains further tips on ways to keep your brain young. 2. What is your blood sugar level? Having persistently high blood sugar levels is bad for your brain, says Dr Mosely, adding that “being type 2 diabetic adds about ten years to your brain age and doubles your risk of developing dementia.” 3. Get some quality shut-eye It’s no surprise getting some quality sleep helps rejuvenate the mind and body. “Scientists have recently discovered that during deep sleep channels open in the brain which flush the toxins out,” writes Dr Mosely. 4. Exercise Moving your body is a good way of boosting your brain power. A recent study found that regular walkers have brains that look two years younger than the brains of those who are sedentary. 5. Quit your vices If you’re a smoker, the best thing you can do for your brain is to quit. Cutting down on alcohol intake will also help with the guidelines recommending you not drink more than 14 units a week. 6. Change your diet Get your brain in tip top shape by changing what you eat – and how you eat. Dr Mosely writes: “Numerous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is also the ultimate brain diet – the version I advocate is low in starchy, easily digestible carbs, but packed full of disease-fighting vitamins and flavonoids found in olive oil, fish –especially oily varieties – nuts, fruit and vegetables.” 7. Test your hearing Going deaf often leads to social isolation, a major risk factor for developing dementia. As humans are social creature, regular social interactions are good for our brains. 8. Take up a hobby Learning a new skill does wonders for your brain. <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/5-new-hobbies-to-try-now/">Click here</a> for some great suggestions, but anything fun, sociable and a bit mentally demanding will work. 9. Feed your gut bacteria Dr Mosely writes: “There is mounting evidence that the microbiome, the 2 lb to 3 lb of microbes that live in our guts, have a profound effect on our mental health. A recent study found that people with Alzheimer’s have much higher levels of bad bacteria that cause inflammation, a process that can lead to dementia, and lower levels of the ‘good guys’, the bacteria that reduce inflammation.” 10. Avoid air pollution Researchers from Edinburgh University’s Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre recently reviewed dozens of studies that looked at potential environmental triggers and tentatively concluded that air pollution might be one of them.

Mind

Meet Mel Gibson’s lookalike son!

Mel Gibson became a Hollywood heartthrob the instant he appeared on the silver screen in the Mad Max series. Now, there’s a whole new Gibson on the scene and he looks just like his handsome dad in his younger years. Louie Gibson, a 29-year-old filmmaker, told the <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/louie-gibson-son-of-mel-you-are-who-you-are/news-story/7f5f20be5777ab36bf3e95e613ea0b8a" target="_blank">Daily Telegraph</a> he was very much aware of his striking resemblance to Mel. “I’m not as ugly as that guy,” he joked. “I say I’m a lot better looking than him.” <img width="499" height="345" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/44591/gibson_499x345.jpg" alt="Gibson" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The filmmaker made his feature length debut this year with critically-acclaimed horror film Happy Hunting, revealing he funded the movie through his own production company rather than relying on his dad. “I’d like to be given my own shot to be myself and I think if you go about and do that, people will see that for what it is worth,” Louie explained. “If they don’t, f*** them.” Louie is one of Mel’s seven children with ex-wife Robyn. He has another daughter (Lucia, born 2009) with Russian pianist Oksana Grigorieva and a son (Lars Gerard, born 2017) with former equestrian vaulter Rosalind Ross. What do you think about Louie's striking resemblance to his famous dad Mel Gibson? Tell us in the comments below.

Movies

Cricket legend Max Walker passes away aged 68

It’s a sad day for the world of cricket and the sporting world in general, with the announcement of the passing of Max Walker at the age of 68. Walker’s passing was confirmed this morning, after it was announced the former sports commentator and Test cricketer had succumbed to a two year battle with cancer. Walker made his Australian Test debut in 1972 and went on to feature in 34 Tests for Australia, as well as 70 first-class games for Victoria. <img width="500" height="353" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/28073/max-walker-in-text_500x353.jpg" alt="Max -Walker -In -Text" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Walker during his playing days. Former team-mate Kerry O'Keeffe tweeted: "So sad...melanoma...gentle man ...gentle inswingers...won Tests...won series...decent...respectful...vale T Foot!" After retiring from cricket in 1982, he worked as a commentator. You might remember Walker’s work on the ABC, or as a presenter on Channel 9 where he hosted both the Sunday Footy Show and Nine’s Wide World of Sports. In 2011, Walker was named a Member of the Order of Australia to honour service, not just to the world of cricket, but to the community through his active social work. It’s evident that Australia has lost one of our most iconic sporting personalities. He will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. Related links: <a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/09/5-most-iconic-australian-sporting-venues/">5 most iconic Australian sporting venues</a> <a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/04/mcg-melbourne-greatest-stadium-in-world/">Is the MCG the world’s greatest stadium?</a><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/09/5-most-iconic-australian-sporting-venues/"></a> <a href="/news/news/2016/09/golfing-great-arnold-palmer-passes-away-aged-87/">Golfing great Arnold Palmer passes away, aged 87</a>

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