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Millions warned as dangerous disease spreads in Melbourne

<p>Health authorities have issued an urgent warning to Victorians after multiple people have been admitted to hospital with severe symptoms. </p> <p>Victoria's Department of Health has revealed it is investigating an outbreak of Legionnaires disease after a "significant increase" in cases across Melbourne since Friday.</p> <p>Over just three days, 22 cases of the disease have been confirmed with another six cases suspected.</p> <p>Most of the cases are in adults aged over 40, with many of them requiring hospitalisation and intensive care for severe pneumonia.</p> <p>Health authorities are now searching for the source of the outbreak, as the health department said in a statement, "Legionnaires' disease can cause a chest infection with symptoms of fever, chills, cough, headache and muscle aches and pains. Other atypical symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and confusion."</p> <p>"All cases have visited or reside in metropolitan Melbourne. Those most at risk are adults aged over 40 years, especially people with other medical conditions or immune compromise, or who smoke."</p> <p>The source of the outbreak is not yet known but investigations are underway to determine where it has come from.</p> <p>Legionnaires' disease is spread by breathing in fine droplets of water that contain legionella bacteria, and is not commonly spread from person-to-person or by drinking contaminated water.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/health-alerts/outbreak-of-legionnaires-disease-in-metropolitan-melbourne" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Health</a> is urging anyone who lives in, works in or has visited metropolitan Melbourne and surrounding areas to seek urgent medical care if they develop symptoms.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Caring

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Just 15 centimetres of water can float a car – but we are failing to educate drivers about the dangers of floodwaters

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyra-hamilton-331594">Kyra Hamilton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828"><em>Griffith University</em></a></em></p> <p>Every year in Australia, people driving into floodwaters drown and many more are <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/disaster-tabs-header/flood/">rescued</a>. Do <em>you</em> know what to do when there’s water on the road?</p> <p>We searched all state and territory learner and driver handbooks for information about floodwaters, including signage. Our findings, published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437524000860?via%3Dihub">Journal of Safety Research</a>, are disturbing.</p> <p>Across half of Australia’s states and territories, the driver handbook ignores flooding. That’s a missed opportunity, considering the handbook contains road rules and provides advice on how to navigate safely. While some states fail to provide any flood-related information, others give detailed practical guidance. Only the New South Wales handbook includes explanation of the meaning and purpose of flood signage.</p> <p>This is despite almost all states and territories experiencing vehicle-related flood <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jfr3.12616">deaths</a>, including <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">drowning</a>, between 2001 and 2017. It’s a major problem that is only going to get worse as the climate changes. So our research shows driver education needs to come up to speed, fast.</p> <h2>Why do people drive into floodwaters?</h2> <p>Our previous <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420918301869">research</a> revealed motorists can feel compelled to drive into floodwaters for a range of reasons. These include time pressures such as being late for work or school, or needing to get home to family or pets. Sometimes they feel pressured by their passengers, or motorists behind them on the road, urging them to cross.</p> <p>People also report having been encouraged or instructed as learners to drive into floodwaters. Past experience as a passenger also influences a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823000475">learner driver’s</a> future willingness to drive into floodwaters.</p> <p>So the views of significant others, such as their supervising driver, strongly influence decisions around driving into floodwaters.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZtlXpDBjU1Q?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Avoid driving into floodwaters, for life’s sake.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What we did and what we found</h2> <p>We assessed all publicly available, government-issued learner and driver handbooks (12 documents) across all six Australian states and two territories. We also looked for flood-related signage. We used a method for reviewing online material through a systematic search including in-document key words and imagery.</p> <p>Four jurisdictions provided no information on flooding in the handbook. In the ACT, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, drivers need to look elsewhere for information on floodwaters and driving safety.</p> <p>Only one jurisdiction provided information on flood signage such as depth markers and “road subject to flooding”. Hats off to the <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/Road-User-Handbook-English.pdf">NSW Road User Handbook</a>, which warns:</p> <blockquote> <p>Floodwater is extremely dangerous. Find another way or wait until the road is clear. It’s safer to turn around than to drive in floodwater.</p> </blockquote> <p>For the states and territories that did provide information on floodwaters in the handbook, the content varied.</p> <p>NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory warned against entering floodwaters in a vehicle. They highlighted the dangers and financial penalties associated with driving on closed roads.</p> <p>In the NT and Western Australia, handbooks provided practical information on when and how to cross floodwaters safely, such as how to gauge safe water depth based on vehicle size, and to avoid fast-flowing water.</p> <p>Although well-intentioned, judgements around what constitutes fast-flowing water are subjective and hard for any driver to assess, let alone learner drivers. Even drivers of larger vehicles such as four-wheel drives are regularly involved in flood-related <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">vehicle drowning fatalities</a>.</p> <p>Just <a href="https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/campaigns/15-to-float">45cm</a> of water can float a large 4WD, and considerably less for smaller vehicles.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t4ilUbMXZAQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">A small car can float in just 15cm of water.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Handbooks represent valuable sources of safety information, particularly for new drivers who must learn important road rules to progress from one licence to another. Such graduated driver licensing schemes reduce road traffic injury, particularly among <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437523000385">young people</a>.</p> <p>However, many of these handbooks fail to provide consistent, practical evidence-based information about flooding. There is an opportunity here to support safer driving behaviours.</p> <h2>Safety tips for all drivers</h2> <p>We encourage drivers to follow these safety tips:</p> <ul> <li>avoid driving into floodwaters</li> <li>identify alternative routes, so you have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-roads-become-rivers-forming-a-plan-b-can-stop-people-driving-into-floodwaters-183036">plan B</a></li> <li>familiarise yourself, and any learner drivers in the household or under your care, with the meaning and purpose of flood signage</li> <li>understand the legal consequences of crossing a road closed sign</li> <li>discuss the dangers of driving into floodwaters with learner drivers and help them formulate their own plan B</li> <li>model safe driving for all passengers, including children.</li> </ul> <h2>Time to lift our game</h2> <p>Driving into floodwaters remains the main cause of <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/causal-pathways-of-flood-related-river-drowning-deaths-in-australia/">flood-related drowning</a> in Australia.</p> <p>For our emergency service personnel, driver behaviour, including people ignoring road closed signs, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hpja.181">significantly complicates</a> the already dangerous act of performing a flood rescue.</p> <p>Extreme weather and flooding are likely to become more frequent and intense in the future. That means the chance of being faced with a flooded road is growing. So information about driving during floods is vital for all, from the newly licensed to the experienced driver.</p> <p>We hope our research will encourage all states and territories to include provide practical, evidence-based advice on floods in driver handbooks as soon as possible.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/233116/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health &amp; co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kyra-hamilton-331594">Kyra Hamilton</a>, Associate Professor in Applied Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>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/just-15-centimetres-of-water-can-float-a-car-but-we-are-failing-to-educate-drivers-about-the-dangers-of-floodwaters-233116">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

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Using social media for your holiday ‘inspo’ can be risky and even dangerous – here’s why

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samuel-cornell-1418374">Samuel Cornell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>How do you choose your next travel destination? Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are handy tools for holiday research, full of #inspo for new and beautiful places to go.</p> <p>However, behind those mesmerising selfies, highlights and reels, there’s often a stark reality that isn’t shared. Our <a href="https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e47202">ongoing research</a> shows that dangers abound from social media related misadventures. These include the hidden dangers of getting to the location, as well as the ecological strains on sites that get overcrowded with tourists.</p> <p>Australia, with its breathtaking natural wonders, is no stranger to the downsides of social media tourism. Many people have been injured, needed rescue or even perished when visiting trendy places.</p> <h2>The illusion of safety</h2> <p>Influencers are in the business of presenting the best version of their experiences – not necessarily the safest. Our interviews with influencers who make content of beautiful places in nature, reveal that they see themselves as entertainers more than guides.</p> <p>When it comes to the risks associated with the places they promote, they don’t view safety communication as their responsibility.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools">Figure Eight Pools</a> in New South Wales’ Royal National Park are one potent reminder of how online portrayals and reality don’t always match up. The photos showcase tranquil pools with glistening waters. But many visitors, enticed by these images, have faced the peril of sudden large waves washing over the rock shelf and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-28/call-to-close-access-to-social-media-favourite-figure-8-pools/10853854">even causing injuries</a>.</p> <p>Babinda Boulders, near Cairns in Queensland, is another such location. Wrapped in lush rainforests, this waterhole might seem inviting, but its <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/calls-for-change-aussie-tourist-spot-qld-21-deaths-babinda-boulders-060358597.html">tragic history of drownings</a> speaks volumes – 21 drownings since 1965, and three since 2020.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-962" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/962/4183438c91d92e8e594f9a0700092002547b3c60/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>Despite this, the pull of picturesque posts lures visitors into prohibited and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/grim-truth-about-deadly-queensland-waterhole/news-story/5f02dfcc25edb2978022d41eebed03ca">dangerous areas</a>.</p> <p>Josephine Falls in Queensland has also <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussies-fume-over-dangerous-mistake-at-deadly-waterfall-theres-always-one-064337596.html">experienced numerous incidents</a>, all requiring resource-intensive rescues. Unfortunately, for many visitors, the warnings provided by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service are to no avail – the lure of social media content is simply too strong.</p> <h2>A burden on local infrastructure</h2> <p>Aesthetically pleasing, curated tourism content sets unrealistic expectations. Visitors who want to see the “insta-famous” scenery often find themselves underprepared for the actual experiences, sometimes leading to unsafe choices.</p> <p>Drone shots can be particularly misleading. While they capture expansive vistas from above, they mask the ground-level challenges and dangers.</p> <p><a href="https://www.grampiansguide.com.au/explore-location/37/the-balconies/">The Balconies</a> in the Grampians National Park in Victoria is another infamous spot for taking risky photos for Instagram. To get the photo they came for, tourists must traverse a barrier. The viral content has led ever-increasing numbers of people to these rocks for a shot – risking their lives for the same photo hundreds of others have posted.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-963" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/963/b612524d8c78779f930243d11b92356d3902097e/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>Additionally, geotagging (attaching metadata, such as latitude and longitude coordinates, to a photo) has its merits, offering travellers directions to exact locations. However, it’s a double-edged sword.</p> <p>When a location becomes popular on social media, the influx of visitors can strain local infrastructure. As <a href="https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/jervis-bay-and-shoalhaven/hyams-beach">Hyams Beach</a> in NSW went viral on various platforms, the once-peaceful coastal village grappled with traffic congestion and overwhelmed local resources.</p> <p>Lincoln’s Rock in the Blue Mountains in NSW, once a little-known spot, was transformed by geotagged posts into a magnet for tourists and influencers. Some would engage in risky behaviours at the cliff edge. It’s one of many lookouts that once had few footprints, and is now a popular vista with little infrastructure.</p> <p>Some regional areas simply don’t have the infrastructure or capacity to handle a large influx of tourists. As social media algorithms <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/12/3356">push trending posts even further</a>, once-secluded gems face threats of overtourism.</p> <h2>Be a responsible tourist</h2> <p>While it’s easy to fall prey to the siren call of viral destinations, it’s essential to approach with caution and do proper research before you set out.</p> <p>It’s important to stay aware of your surroundings, especially in natural areas, and not get tunnel vision, or “<a href="https://theconversation.com/metourism-the-hidden-costs-of-selfie-tourism-87865">tourist gaze</a>”.</p> <p>Fortunately, in Australia, national parks provide detailed information about popular locations. They can be relied upon to give accurate information and a true representation of the area, including safety information and guides for great hikes and the best lookouts.</p> <p>All states in Australia have parks agencies that provide this information online (and they’re on social media, too).</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-964" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/964/b56b02bd5c1accfd6f19f18a6e549b4f667c66bf/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <h2>Things to keep in mind</h2> <ol> <li> <p>Social media is a highlight reel. Before diving into that enticing pool or hiking that mountain, do thorough research. Don’t let it be your last swim</p> </li> <li> <p>engage with locals, understand the history, the culture, and importantly, respect the environment</p> </li> <li> <p>it’s also essential to challenge the content we consume and share. By geotagging responsibly and authentically portraying experiences, we can safeguard Australia’s treasures</p> </li> <li> <p>social media is a powerful tool but needs to be wielded wisely. Australia’s natural wonders are worth more than just a fleeting snapshot; they deserve our utmost respect and care.</p> </li> </ol> <p>So, as you scroll through your feed, dreaming of your next escape, remember that every location has a story beyond its pixels. Dive deep, explore responsibly, and treasure the real over the reel. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/216434/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samuel-cornell-1418374"><em>Samuel Cornell</em></a><em>, PhD Candidate, School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-peden-1136424">Amy Peden</a>, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health &amp; co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>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/using-social-media-for-your-holiday-inspo-can-be-risky-and-even-dangerous-heres-why-216434">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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How dangerous is insomnia? How fear of what it’s doing to your body can wreck your sleep

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leon-lack-1142">Leon Lack</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lovato-60684">Nicole Lovato</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p>I (Leon) have recently seen several patients who were concerned their insomnia symptoms would increase their risk for dementia. They were in their 70s and were awakening two or three times a night, which they took to be insomnia. But they were not impaired in the daytime in a way typical of insomnia.</p> <p>Their brief awakenings are normal for most people and <a href="https://theconversation.com/broken-sleep-its-a-rollercoaster-ride-1792">completely harmless</a>. Brief awakenings emerge from the periodic phases of light sleep that occur naturally between the four or five 90-minute deep sleep cycles. If you’re unaware of this “rollercoaster” of 90-minute cycles, you might think such awakenings are a sign of disease. In fact, they are perfectly normal and experienced more as people age when sleep naturally becomes lighter and shorter – <a href="https://theconversation.com/mondays-medical-myth-you-need-eight-hours-of-continuous-sleep-each-night-5643">with no ill effect</a>.</p> <p>Therefore, I reassured them their sleep patters were normal and they did not have insomnia. This requires daytime impairments – fatigue, cognitive problems, mild depression, irritability, distress or anxiety – in addition to night time symptoms.</p> <p>I trust they were reassured, and so they avoided the type of fear and worry that would have triggered a cascade of events leading to insomnia.</p> <h2>Is it really insomnia?</h2> <p>So where did my patients get the notion their sleep symptoms could lead to dementia? Let’s pick apart this tsunami of alarming information.</p> <p>It usually starts with very <a href="https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-018-1623-0">large surveys</a> that find a statistically significant relationship between measures of sleep problems and subsequently developing dementia.</p> <p>First, most of these studies ask participants to report how long they typically sleep. Those reporting less than six hours a night show a small but statistically elevated risk of developing dementia.</p> <p>These studies do not say if people have clinical insomnia diagnosed by a health professional. Instead they rely solely on participants guessing how long they’ve slept, which <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/25/5/559/2750164?login=false">can be inaccurate</a>.</p> <p>The studies would have also included many people without insomnia who are not allowing themselves adequate opportunity for sleep. Perhaps they’d been in the habit of socialising or playing computer games late at night.</p> <p>In other words, we don’t know what proportion of these short-sleepers are simply over-estimating their sleep problems, or restricting their sleep and experiencing chronic sleep loss rather than insomnia.</p> <h2>What do the numbers really mean?</h2> <p>A second problem is with interpreting the meaning of “statistically significant”. This only means the results were unlikely to be due to pure chance. If a single study shows a 20% increased risk of a physical health problem associated with insomnia, how worried should we be? This single finding does not necessarily mean it’s worth considering in our everyday lives.</p> <p>Studies relating insomnia to health risks are also typically inconsistent. For example, although some studies have found small increases in dementia risk with having insomnia, a very <a href="https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/ebmental/26/1/e300719.full.pdf">large UK study</a> did not find any relationship between the amount of sleep or sleeping difficulties and dementia risk.</p> <h2>What’s the context?</h2> <p>A third problem is communicating a balanced perspective to the public about the potential dangers of insomnia. Some in the mainstream media, with the help of the researcher’s institution, will report on studies showing a statistically significant increase in the risk of a frightening disease, such as dementia.</p> <p>But <a href="https://theconversation.com/essays-on-health-reporting-medical-news-is-too-important-to-mess-up-68920">not all media reports</a> ask about how clinically meaningful the risk is, whether there are alternative explanations, or how this result compares with what other researchers have found. So the public is left with no context to temper the scary, “increased risk” narrative. This narrative is then shared on social media, amplifying the scary finding.</p> <h2>Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure</h2> <p>We’ve used dementia as one example of how fears about potential risks to physical health from insomnia arise and are magnified. But we could have used a potential increased risk of obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure. All have been associated with shorter sleep, but researchers are debating whether these links are real, meaningful or related to insomnia.</p> <p>When we looked at the impact of sleep problems on life expectancy, we found <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30529432/">no evidence</a> sleep symptoms alone shorten your life. Only when daytime symptoms such as fatigue, memory problems and distress are included is there a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36016-4">small increased risk</a> of dying prematurely. However, it’s difficult to know if that excess mortality can be explained by undiagnosed heart, kidney, liver or brain disease causing those daytime symptoms.</p> <h2>We should be talking about mental health</h2> <p>However, there is stronger evidence of increased <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-link-between-insomnia-and-mental-illness-49597">mental health</a> problems, especially depression, with insomnia.</p> <p>The typical daytime impairments of fatigue, distress, cognitive impairments and irritability certainly lower the quality of life. Life becomes more of a challenge and less enjoyable. Over time, this can trigger <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-link-between-insomnia-and-mental-illness-49597">hopelessness and depression</a> in some people. This is enough reason to seek help to improve sleep and quality of life.</p> <p>People with these problems should seek help from a health practitioner. The good news is there is an effective, long-term, non-drug treatment with no side effects – cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia <a href="https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2296-13-40">or CBTi</a>. Even better, successful CBTi also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945720303828">decreases</a> symptoms of depression and other mental distress.</p> <p>What is not helpful is unnecessary fear triggered by reports suggesting serious physical health dangers of insomnia. This fear is only likely to increase insomnia rather than mitigate it.</p> <hr /> <p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/212248/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leon-lack-1142"><em>Leon Lack</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-lovato-60684">Nicole Lovato</a>, Associate Professor, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p>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-dangerous-is-insomnia-how-fear-of-what-its-doing-to-your-body-can-wreck-your-sleep-212248">original article</a>.</p>

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Are Australia’s roads becoming more dangerous? Here’s what the data says

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-stevenson-330220">Mark Stevenson</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-thompson-96100">Jason Thompson</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>In 2022, there were nearly <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/road_trauma_2022.pdf">1,200 road crash deaths</a> in Australia – a figure that has remained largely the same over the past decade. However, some states and territories have seen dramatic increases in just the last five years, such as the ACT (100%), Tasmania (59.4%) and Queensland (21.2%).</p> <p>Serious injuries from road crashes have also been <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMGVlZDM0YzQtNWI3Mi00YzAyLWI5YjUtZGQyYzc3YjJmMmY3IiwidCI6ImFhMjFiNjQwLWJhYzItNDU2ZC04NTA1LWYyY2MwN2Y1MTc4NCJ9">on the rise</a>, from 35,000 in 2013 to 39,866 in 2019.</p> <p>These statistics highlight the need for an urgent rethink of road safety policies if we are to achieve Australia’s <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australias-road-deaths-rise-despite-push-to-halve-fatalities-by-2030/vcl7yj50g">target</a> of a 50% decrease in fatalities and a 30% decrease in serious injuries by 2030. We are clearly not on track to meet these targets.</p> <p>People are worth more than statistics, though. And it is not surprising we haven’t seen decreases in road deaths when we rely on strategies first implemented three to four decades ago. Change is needed to prevent the ongoing trauma caused by road crashes to Australian families.</p> <p><iframe id="DTp1X" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/DTp1X/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <h2>Why have road trauma rates not declined?</h2> <p>Australia has long had an international reputation for pioneering road safety measures, such as seat belt restraints, speed management strategies (including speed cameras) and drink-driving laws, among others. In fact, Australia was the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00137361">first country</a> in the world to introduce laws for compulsory seat belt use.</p> <p>These initiatives have been highly successful in reducing road deaths from their peak in 1970, when <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article412001?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=1301.0&amp;issue=2001&amp;num=&amp;view=">3,798</a> were recorded. But in the past two decades, further progress has stalled. We must ask ourselves why.</p> <p>One theory to explain why road deaths may have increased in many states in the past couple of years is the pandemic. The previously empty roads are now congested again, which may have led to impatience and speeding. Or perhaps, some people have seemingly forgotten how to drive safely. However, there is another, perhaps simpler explanation.</p> <p>This chart shows how closely road deaths have tracked with domestic fuel sales in Australia – measured in millions of litres of fuel – since 2019. In simple terms, when driving rates decreased at the beginning of the pandemic, deaths and injuries went down. When driving rates increased again in early 2021, deaths and injuries went up.</p> <p>In fact, there is scant evidence to suggest people’s driving behaviours changed during this time. Our recent unpublished research followed approximately 800 drivers from January 2020 to March 2023 using monitoring systems inside their cars to measure their behaviour. We found no differences in driver behaviours during this time.</p> <p>Rather, there’s a more likely reason why road deaths and injuries continue to be so high: the amount of time we spend driving continues to increase, while our strategies to target the risks associated with driving haven’t changed.</p> <p>Unfortunately, government agencies continue to rely on strategies implemented over the past 20-30 years, which were effective when they were first introduced, but are now subject to the law of diminishing marginal returns. This means continually throwing more resources at existing speed management strategies, for example, will likely only see marginal benefits.</p> <h2>A new approach not focused on cars</h2> <p>There is increasing urgency to investigate and implement new road safety strategies based on emerging technologies and a redesign of our cities instead.</p> <p>For example, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457521003092">recent Australian trial</a> using new driving monitoring technology showed promise in reducing risky driving behaviours that could cause crashes. The monitoring systems provided feedback to the driver (via a smartphone app) and encouraged safer driving using financial incentives akin to insurance premiums. This new strategy is being explored further in three states: New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.</p> <p>Encouraging people to transition from private car trips to public transport is another road safety strategy that has seldom been considered by governments. Rather, the driver, car and road remain the focus.</p> <p>This <a href="https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/nrss/fact-sheets/vision-zero-safe-system">“safe system” approach</a> puts an emphasis on building safe road infrastructure for cars, while ignoring urban design changes that de-emphasise the need for cars. We should be encouraging more people to commute by rail, tram and bus (all lower-risk modes per kilometre travelled), while at the same time delivering safe infrastructure for sustainable transport such as bicycles/e-bicycles or walking.</p> <p>If we continue to tinker with strategies implemented many decades ago, we will never get close to achieving the lofty government targets on road deaths and injuries by 2030.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/213240/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-stevenson-330220"><em>Mark Stevenson</em></a><em>, Professor of Urban Transport and Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-thompson-96100">Jason Thompson</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Melbourne School of Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>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/are-australias-roads-becoming-more-dangerous-heres-what-the-data-says-213240">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Taking an antidepressant? Mixing it with other medicines – including some cold and flu treatments – can be dangerous

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/treasure-mcguire-135225">Treasure McGuire</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>In the depths of winter we are more at risk of succumbing to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7522168/">viral respiratory infections</a> – from annoying sore throat, common cold and sinusitis, to the current resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID.</p> <p>Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection range in severity. They can include fever, chills, muscle or body aches, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, earache, headache, and fatigue. Most antibiotics target bacteria so are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32495003/">not effective</a> for viral infections. Many people seek relief with over-the-counter medicines.</p> <p>While evidence varies, guidelines suggest medicines taken by mouth (such as cough syrups or cold and flu tablets) have a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25420096/">limited but potentially positive</a> short-term role for managing upper respiratory infection symptoms in adults and children older than 12. These include:</p> <ul> <li>paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain or fever</li> <li>decongestants such as phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine</li> <li>expectorants and mucolytics to thin and clear mucus from upper airways</li> <li>dry cough suppressants such as dextromethorphan</li> <li>sedating or non-sedating antihistamines for runny noses or watery eyes.</li> </ul> <p>But what if you have been prescribed an antidepressant? What do you need to know before going to the pharmacy for respiratory relief?</p> <h2>Avoiding harm</h2> <p>An audit of more than 5,000 cough-and-cold consumer enquiries to an Australian national medicine call centre found questions frequently related to drug-drug interactions (29%). An 18-month analysis showed 20% of calls <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26590496/">concerned</a> potentially significant interactions, particularly with antidepressants.</p> <p>Australia remains in the “<a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/topic-areas/mental-health-%20prescriptions#Prescriptionsbytype">top ten</a>” antidepressant users in the <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=HEALTH_PHMC">OECD</a>. More than <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/topic-areas/mental-health-prescriptions">32 million</a> antidepressant prescriptions are dispensed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme each year.</p> <p>Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to manage symptoms of anxiety or depression but are also used in chronic pain and incontinence. They are classified primarily by how they affect chemical messengers in the nervous system.</p> <p>These classes are:</p> <ul> <li><strong>selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)</strong> such as fluoxetine, escitalopram, paroxetine and sertraline</li> <li><strong>serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI)</strong> such as desvenlafaxine, duloxetine and venlafaxine</li> <li><strong>tricyclic antidepressants (TCA)</strong> such as amitriptyline, doxepin and imipramine</li> <li><strong>monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI)</strong> such as tranylcypromine</li> <li><strong>atypical medicines</strong> such as agomelatine, mianserin, mirtazapine, moclobemide, reboxetine and vortioxetine</li> <li><strong>complementary medicines</strong> including St John’s wort, S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) and L-tryptophan</li> </ul> <p>Medicines within the same class of antidepressants have similar actions and side-effect profiles. But the molecular differences of individual antidepressants mean they may have different interactions with medicines taken at the same time.</p> <h2>Types of drug interactions</h2> <p>Drug interactions can be:</p> <ul> <li><strong>pharmacokinetic</strong> – what the body does to a drug as it moves into, through and out of the body. When drugs are taken together, one may affect the absorption, distribution, metabolism or elimination of the other</li> <li><strong>pharmacodynamic</strong> – what a drug does to the body. When drugs are taken together, one may affect the action of the other. Two drugs that independently cause sedation, for example, may result in excessive drowsiness if taken together.</li> </ul> <p>There are many <a href="https://wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pnp.429">potential interactions</a> between medications and antidepressants. These include interactions between over-the-counter medicines for upper respiratory symptoms and antidepressants, especially those taken orally.</p> <p>Concentrations of nasal sprays or inhaled medicines are generally lower in the blood stream. That means they are less likely to interact with other medicines.</p> <h2>What to watch for</h2> <p>It’s important to get advice from a pharmacist before taking any medications on top of your antidepressant.</p> <p>Two symptoms antidepressant users should monitor for shortly after commencing a cough or cold medicine are central nervous system effects (irritability, insomnia or drowsiness) and effects on blood pressure.</p> <p>For example, taking a selective SSRI antidepressant and an oral decongestant (such as pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine) can cause irritability, insomnia and affect blood pressure.</p> <p>Serotonin is a potent chemical compound produced naturally for brain and nerve function that can also constrict blood vessels. Medicines that affect serotonin are common and include most antidepressant classes, but also decongestants, dextromethorphan, St John’s wort, L-tryptophan, antimigraine agents, diet pills and amphetamines.</p> <p><a href="https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker">Combining drugs</a> such as antidepressants and decongestants that both elevate serotonin levels can cause irritability, headache, insomnia, diarrhoea and blood pressure effects – usually increased blood pressure. But some people experience orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure on standing up) and dizziness.</p> <p>For example, taking both a serotonin and SNRI antidepressant and dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) can add up to high serotonin levels. This can also occur with a combination of the complementary medicine St John’s Wort and an oral decongestant.</p> <p>Where serotonin levels are too high, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15666281/">severe symptoms</a> such as confusion, muscle rigidity, fever, seizures and even death have been reported. Such symptoms are rare but if you notice any of these you should stop taking the cold and flu medication straight away and seek medical attention.</p> <h2>Ways to avoid antidepressant drug interactions</h2> <p>There are a few things we can do to prevent potentially dangerous interactions between antidepressants and cold and flu treatments.</p> <p><strong>1. Better information</strong></p> <p>Firstly, there should be more targeted, consumer-friendly, <a href="https://www.webmd.com/interaction-checker/default.htm">online drug interaction information</a> available for antidepressant users.</p> <p><strong>2. Prevent the spread of viral infections as much as possible</strong></p> <p>Use the non-drug strategies that have worked well for COVID: regular hand washing, good personal hygiene, social distancing, and facemasks. Ensure adults and children are up to date with immunisations.</p> <p><strong>3. Avoid potential drug interactions with strategies to safely manage symptoms</strong></p> <p>Consult your pharmacist for strategies most appropriate for you and only use cold and flu medications while symptoms persist:</p> <ul> <li>treat muscle aches, pain, or a raised temperature with analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen</li> <li>relieve congestion with a nasal spray decongestant</li> <li>clear mucus from upper airways with expectorants or mucolytics</li> <li>dry up a runny nose or watery eyes with a non-sedating antihistamine.</li> </ul> <p>Avoid over-the-counter cough suppressants for an irritating dry cough. Use a simple alternative such as honey, steam inhalation with a few drops of eucalyptus oil or a non-medicated lozenge instead.</p> <p><strong>4. Ask whether your symptoms could be more than the common cold</strong></p> <p>Could it be influenza or COVID? Seek medical attention if you are concerned or your symptoms are not improving. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/208662/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/treasure-mcguire-135225">Treasure McGuire</a>, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>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/taking-an-antidepressant-mixing-it-with-other-medicines-including-some-cold-and-flu-treatments-can-be-dangerous-208662">original article</a>.</em></p>

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The hidden dangers of household products

<p>The materials, fabrics and fragrances contained inside our homes are host to thousands of chemicals that may pose a threat to human health.</p> <p>Healthy home expert Nicole Bijlsma says there simply aren’t enough regulations to ensure the products and materials in our homes are safe for consumers.</p> <p>“We have this incredible, unregulated, chemical onslaught in our household products, personal care products, building materials and cleaning products which is why the burden of chemicals is increasing with each generation,” Bijlsma says.</p> <p>“Just because it’s on the supermarket shelf doesn’t mean it’s been tested.”</p> <p>The largely unregulated cleaning product industry is often placed under scrutiny in the fight against chemicals but Bijsma says this issue extends to all areas of the home.</p> <p>“What happens is we wait for the disease to occur in the general population before we look back and realise [the harm]…It’s a stupid system; it doesn’t protect consumers and it certainly does not protect the most vulnerable in our society– our children and the unborn fetus.”</p> <p>Only through thorough research can consumers determine where their products are being sourced, under what conditions they’ve been made and the impact they may have on health. Even then there are gaps.</p> <p>Imported items are not under the same regulations as those made in New Zealand.</p> <p>“A lot of the products, especially furnishings, you can’t load with formaldehyde but if you import them from Asia as most people do, they’re going to be loaded with chemicals…Bijlsma says. </p> <p>Bijlsma advises going back to basics when selecting materials and products, reducing the chemical load, choosing natural fibres and buying home made.</p> <p>“The big problem is most chemicals in building materials and household products have never been tested for their impact on human health,” Bijlsma says.</p> <p>Creating a healthy home is of the utmost importance to homeowner Irena Bukhshtaber, who has recently extended her  home to be 100 per cent sustainable and hypoallergenic.</p> <p>“Because our industry standards are so high, usually it’s a local product too…Watch out for imports, from floorboards to air-conditioning, as there’s no way to guarantee what they say on the label unless the seller can guarantee provenance or knows the company.”</p> <p>Despite the time-consuming research process (three years) of renovating the home to a healthy standard Bukhshtaber says the outcome has been worth the effort.</p> <p>“How difficult is it to live with sick or tired family members? How hard is it to live your values? If the outcome is positive then it’s not difficult, but it is time consuming and does require you to spend time researching, calling and discussing with suppliers.”</p> <p>To keep her costs down when renovating, Bukhshtaber advises determining the elements of a home that matter most to you, whether this be using recycled materials, limited chemicals, high-quality design, ethical manufacturing or buying New Zealand made.</p> <p>“None of these things are mutually exclusive but you do need a hierarchy in mind as no one has unlimited budget,” Bukhshtaber says.</p> <p><em>Written by Amelia Barnes. First appeared on</em> <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Domain.com.au.</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

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Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by 2030s, say scientists – this would have global, damaging and dangerous consequences

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-bamber-102567">Jonathan Bamber</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a></em></p> <p>The Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by the 2030s, even if we do a good job of reducing emissions between now and then. That’s the worrying conclusion of a new study in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38511-8">Nature Communications</a>.</p> <p>Predictions of an ice-free Arctic Ocean have a long and complicated history, and the 2030s is sooner than most scientists had thought possible (though it is later than some had wrongly forecast). What we know for sure is the disappearance of sea ice at the top of the world would not only be an emblematic sign of climate breakdown, but it would have global, damaging and dangerous consequences.</p> <p>The Arctic has been experiencing climate heating <a href="https://theconversation.com/arctic-is-warming-nearly-four-times-faster-than-the-rest-of-the-world-new-research-188474">faster than any other part of the planet</a>. As it is at the frontline of climate change, the eyes of many scientists and local indigenous people have been on the sea ice that covers much of the Arctic Ocean in winter. This thin film of frozen seawater expands and contracts with the seasons, reaching a minimum area in September each year.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=184&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=184&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=184&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=232&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=232&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530136/original/file-20230605-19-mdh85y.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=232&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Animation of Arctic sea ice from space" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Arctic sea ice grows until March and then shrinks until September.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esnt/2022/nasa-finds-2022-arctic-winter-sea-ice-10th-lowest-on-record">NASA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>The ice which remains at the end of summer is called multiyear sea ice and is considerably thicker than its seasonal counterpart. It acts as barrier to the transfer of both moisture and heat between the ocean and atmosphere. Over the past 40 years this multiyear sea ice has shrunk from around <a href="http://polarportal.dk/en/sea-ice-and-icebergs/sea-ice-extent0/">7 million sq km to 4 million</a>. That is a loss equivalent to roughly the size of India or 12 UKs. In other words, it’s a big signal, one of the most stark and dramatic signs of fundamental change to the climate system anywhere in the world.</p> <p>As a consequence, there has been considerable effort invested in determining when the Arctic Ocean might first become ice-free in summer, sometimes called a “blue ocean event” and defined as when the sea ice area drops below 1 million sq kms. This threshold is used mainly because older, thicker ice along parts of Canada and northern Greenland is expected to remain long after the rest of the Arctic Ocean is ice-free. We can’t put an exact date on the last blue ocean event, but one in the near future would likely mean open water at the North Pole for the first time in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10581">thousands of years</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=712&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=712&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=712&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=895&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=895&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530138/original/file-20230605-29-9uuhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=895&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Annotated map of Arctic" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The thickest ice (highlighted in pink) is likely to remain even if the North Pole is ice-free.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2015/05/new-tools-for-sea-ice-thickness/">NERC Center for Polar Observation and Modelling</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>One problem with predicting when this might occur is that sea ice is notoriously difficult to model because it is influenced by both atmospheric and oceanic circulation as well as the flow of heat between these two parts of the climate system. That means that the climate models – powerful computer programs used to simulate the environment – need to get all of these components right to be able to accurately predict changes in sea ice extent.</p> <h2>Melting faster than models predicted</h2> <p>Back in the 2000s, an assessment of early generations of climate models found they generally <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2007GL029703">underpredicted the loss of sea ice</a> when compared to satellite data showing what actually happened. The models predicted a loss of about 2.5% per decade, while the observations were closer to 8%.</p> <p>The next generation of models did better but were <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2012GL052676">still not matching observations</a> which, at that time were suggesting a blue ocean event would happen by mid-century. Indeed, the latest <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-i/">IPCC climate science report</a>, published in 2021, reaches a similar conclusion about the timing of an ice-free Arctic Ocean.</p> <p>As a consequence of the problems with the climate models, some scientists have attempted to extrapolate the observational record resulting in the controversial and, ultimately, incorrect assertion that this would happen <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/21/arctic-will-be-ice-free-in-summer-next-year">during the mid 2010s</a>. This did not help the credibility of the scientific community and its ability to make reliable projections.</p> <h2>Ice-free by 2030?</h2> <p>The scientists behind the latest study have taken a different approach by, in effect, calibrating the models with the observations and then using this calibrated solution to project sea ice decline. This makes a lot of sense, because it reduces the effect of small biases in the climate models that can in turn bias the sea ice projections. They call these “observationally constrained” projections and find that the Arctic could become ice-free in summer as early as 2030, even if we do a good job of reducing emissions between now and then.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=394&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=394&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=394&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=495&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=495&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530365/original/file-20230606-21-usmovg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=495&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Walruses on ice floe" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Walruses depend on sea ice. As it melts, they’re being forced onto land.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">outdoorsman / shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>There is still plenty of uncertainty around the exact date – about <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016GL070067">20 years or so</a> – because of natural chaotic fluctuations in the climate system. But compared to previous research, the new study still brings forward the most likely timing of a blue ocean event by about a decade.</p> <h2>Why this matters</h2> <p>You might be asking the question: so what? Other than some polar bears not being able to hunt in the same way, why does it matter? Perhaps there are even benefits as the previous US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/politics/pompeo-sea-ice-arctic-council/index.html">once declared</a> – it means ships from Asia can potentially save around 3,000 miles of journey to European ports in summer at least.</p> <p>But Arctic sea ice is an important component of the climate system. As it dramatically reduces the amount of sunlight absorbed by the ocean, removing this ice is predicted to further accelerate warming, through a process known as a positive feedback. This, in turn, will make the Greenland ice sheet <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014GL059770">melt faster</a>, which is already a major contributor to <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021RG000757">sea level rise</a>.</p> <p>The loss of sea ice in summer would also mean changes in <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/ccp6/">atmospheric circulation and storm tracks</a>, and fundamental shifts in ocean biological activity. These are just some of the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021RG000757">highly undesirable consequences</a> and it is fair to say that the disadvantages will far outweigh the slender benefits.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-bamber-102567">Jonathan Bamber</a>, Professor of Physical Geography, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a></em></p> <p><em>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/arctic-ocean-could-be-ice-free-in-summer-by-2030s-say-scientists-this-would-have-global-damaging-and-dangerous-consequences-206974">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"Most dangerous spy in US history" dies in jail

<p>The USA’s most notorious FBI agent has been found dead in his top security prison cell at the age of 79. </p> <p>Prison officials confirmed the news of Robert Hanssen’s passing, more than 20 years after he received a life sentence for selling classified US material throughout the 1980s and 1990s. </p> <p>While no cause of death has been revealed, a statement from the Bureau of Prisons revealed that staff at the facility took life-saving measures after Hanssen was found unresponsive in his cell, to no avail. </p> <p>Hanssen - who is now regarded as one of the most dangerous spies in US history - sold thousands of documents in exchange for the diamonds and cash over the course of his deception. According to the FBI, by the time of his arrest, Hanssen had received the value of more than $1.4 million. </p> <p>He first launched his career with the FBI in 1976, and it was only a few years before he began spying for the Soviet Union, sending classified information - on everything from human resources to counterintelligence - to the Soviet Union and Russia under the alias ‘Ramon Garcia’. </p> <p>It is believed that he was able to cover for himself through his role in the FBI’s New York counterintelligence department, where he was tasked with tracking down his own kind - spies. </p> <p>“As a result of his assignments, Hanssen had direct and legitimate access to voluminous information about sensitive programs and operations,” the FBI explained at the time. “As the complaint alleges, Hanssen effectively used his training, expertise and experience as a counterintelligence Agent to avoid detection, to include keeping his identity and place of employment from his Russian handlers and avoiding all the customary ‘tradecraft’ and travel usually associated with espionage.”</p> <p>Neither the FBI or CIA caught on to the fact there was a mole working within the system for years, but did eventually secure “original Russian documentation of an American spy”, according to the FBI and Forbes. </p> <p>According to reports, not even Hanssen’s Russian handlers knew his true identity, and he was not at the top of any suspect list. By all appearances, he lived a frugal life among Washington’s conservative Catholics, with a wife and six children. </p> <p>But Hanssen was caught in suburban Virginia at a ‘dead drop’, and his arrest came in 2001. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of espionage, and was consequently sentenced to life behind bars without parole for “espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, and attempted espionage”.</p> <p>“I apologise for my behaviour,” Hanssen said during his sentencing. “I am shamed by it.</p> <p>“I have opened the door for calumny against my totally innocent wife and children. I’ve hurt so many deeply.”</p> <p><em>Images: FBI</em></p>

Legal

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“It’s really dangerous”: Former MAFS star's jarring claims about show

<p>A former participant of Nine’s <em>Married At First Sight</em> has appeared on a rival network to drop some jarring claims about the reality TV show.</p> <p>Tayla Winter, who was paired up with Hugo Armstrong on the series left <em>Sunrise</em> hosts David Kochie and Natalie Barr in disbelief with her chilling warning about how “dangerous” and “scary” the format is for the participants.</p> <p>Winter 27, explained how she had expected “a really fun experience” going into it.</p> <p>“I thought I’d meet a lot of people, we could party in Sydney – I was on a bit of a break from work – and potentially meet someone that was really nice,” she said.</p> <p>“For me, the worst case scenario in my head was, I still come out with a lot of friends. I could never have imagined what it was actually like.”</p> <p>Barr then asked her whether she’d “warn people not to go on MAFS” in the future.</p> <p>“I think it’s really dangerous,” Winter responded.</p> <p>“I know that some of my castmates are really struggling.</p> <p>“I’ve been struggling … I hope that people just understand what it’s really like and that’s why I’m trying to spread a bit of awareness about it because … I truly believe someone will end their life over this show one day.”</p> <p>Her response clearly stunned Barr, who then told her, “Oh, wow, that’s a serious claim. We’re sorry that happened to you.”</p> <p>Winter’s relationship with Armstrong saw some of the most dramatic scenes on the 2023 season of <em>MAFS</em>, with the bride storming out of a commitment ceremony and declaring she was going back to (Tasmania) after a heated conversation with her TV partner.</p> <p>The abrupt exit came after Armstrong allegedly called Winter the “C-word” during a vulgar spat which was overheard in an accidental “butt dial”.</p> <p>Winter eventually returned to the experiment to give him “a second chance,” but was rejected by Armstrong and the couple announced their split to their castmates that night.</p> <p>Winter told <em>Sunrise</em> that she was given “a bad edit” which had left her vulnerable to constant online trolling and abuse.</p> <p>“The way the (editing) is done is unethical,” she told the hosts.</p> <p>“Going into the show, I had no idea how controlled it would be. There is a lot of manipulation and coercive control and it’s pretty scary once you’re over there (on set).</p> <p>“You’re not in your home state, you’re surrounded by all of these camera crews, all these people you don’t know.</p> <p>“It’s quite intimidating and you say and do things under a really high-pressure environment.</p> <p>“You quickly regret those things that you do and that you said.”</p> <p>When Barr highlighted that reality shows are renowned for being heavily edited, Winter hit back with bold claims about producers.</p> <p>“You build trust and what you think is a really strong relationship with (producers) and it’s all fake,” she said.</p> <p>“There’s a lot of pressure to say things and do things that you don’t feel comfortable with.</p> <p>“I slept on the couch the entire time throughout the experiment and it wasn’t seen that Hugo had the bed.</p> <p>“But they needed that narrative to suit what character they wanted from me and what character they wanted from Hugo.”</p> <p>A spokesperson from Nine informed news.com.au that the network takes its duties concerning the “health and wellbeing” of the show’s participants “extremely seriously”.</p> <p>“All participants have access to the show psychologist during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended,” they said.</p> <p>“Nine also have an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support.</p> <p>“This service gives participants access to clinicians who have been specifically engaged to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it, it does not end.</p> <p>“Nine provides all participants with ongoing support for the duration of the show and we monitor all participant’s social media accounts so that we are aware of and manage any negative commentary. We are very proactive in this space, and care for the health and wellbeing of the participants.</p> <p>“As a result of the level of interest in the participant’s personal lives and volume of commentary on every post, Nine manages all individual MAFS social accounts with their permission, as an extra measure of protecting them from negativity.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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Prince Harry’s "dangerous paparazzi pursuit" called into question

<p>Photo agency Backgrid has spoken out against claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi after attending an awards ceremony in New York.</p> <p>"At BACKGRID USA Inc., we value transparency and ethics in journalism, which include providing fair and factual responses to claims," Backgrid's statement reads.</p> <p>"We are aware of Prince Harry's statement regarding an alleged 'near catastrophic car chase' involving himself, Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night.”</p> <p>"We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night's events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle,” the statement continues.</p> <p>"It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.”</p> <p>Backgrid went on to say that according to the accounts given to them by the freelance photographers, they were covering Harry and Meghan’s time in New York City, which included a potential dinner following the awards ceremony.</p> <p>"They had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras. A few of the photos even show Meghan Markle smiling inside a cab," the statement says.</p> <p>"The photographers report that one of the four SUVs from Prince Harry's security escort was driving in a manner that could be perceived as reckless,” it says.</p> <p>"The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police," Backgrid reports in the statement.</p> <p>"We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security detail had a job to do, and we respect their work," it continues.</p> <p>"We do, however, want to point out that according to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near crashes during this incident. The photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point.”</p> <p>The alleged car chase occurred on May 17 after the trio attended the Women in Vision Awards, hosted at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.</p> <p>"Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement.</p> <p>"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers.</p> <p>"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety.</p> <p>"Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved.”</p> <p>It was alleged the incident involved a half-dozen vehicles with blacked out windows and included some individuals driving the footpath, running red lights and reversing down a one-way street.</p> <p>The New York Police Department (NYPD) released a short statement, dubbing it a “transport challenge”.</p> <p>"The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," they said.</p> <p>"There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging.</p> <p>"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard.”</p> <p>New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was yet to receive a full briefing but labelled the pursuit as “reckless and irresponsible”, comparing it to Princess Diana’s 1997 death in a Paris car crash after being chased by paparazzi.</p> <p>"You shouldn't be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city, and I think all of us, I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mum died," Adams told reporters when asked about the incident.</p> <p>"It's clear that the paparazzi want to get the right shot, they want to get the right story, but public safety must always be at the forefront," Adams said.</p> <p>A member of the Sussexes’ security team, Chris Sanchez, referred to the incident as “chaotic” in an interview with <em>CNN’s</em> Max Foster.</p> <p>"I have never seen, experienced anything like this," he said. "What we were dealing with was very chaotic. There were about a dozen vehicles: cars, scooters and bicycles.”</p> <p>He also said the couple were scared but relieved when they returned to the apartment where they were staying, which is believed to be a friend’s private residence.</p> <p>"The public were in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal," Sachez said.</p> <p>A local law enforcement source also corroborated some of the Sussexes’ reports to<em> CNN</em>.</p> <p>They said a group of paparazzi in cars, motorcycles and scooters followed the trio as they left the ceremony, where Meghan had accepted an award from the Ms Foundation, alongside Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown.</p> <p>Footage on social media showed Harry, Meghan and Ragland all leaving the Manhattan venue through the public exit, with lights flashing intensely as they got into a waiting SUV with cheering crowds behind barriers waving them off.</p> <p>Another video posted by <em>TMZ</em> saw the couple in a yellow New York City cab, stuck in traffic several blocks away from the venue, as photographers recorded them through the windows. The taxi was being escorted by NYPD vehicles with flashing lights.</p> <p>However, the taxi driver Sukhcharn Singh seemingly refutes the claims of a “near catastrophic car chase”.</p> <p>Singh told <em>The Washington Post</em> he drove "Harry, Meghan, an older Black woman and one security guard" for a brief period, believed to be about 10 minutes.</p> <p>“I don’t think I would call it a chase,” Singh said. “I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn’t like a car chase in a movie.</p> <p>“They were quiet and seemed scared but it’s New York – it’s safe.”</p> <p>Singh did confirm the trio were being followed.</p> <p>“They kept following us and were coming next to the car. They took pictures as we stopped and were filming us.”</p> <p>When asked by the <em>BBC</em> if there was a “near-catastrophic chase”, he said, “I don’t think that’s true. I think that’s all exaggerated.”</p> <p>Singh later spoke on Piers Morgan’s <em>Sky News Australia</em> program <em>Uncensored</em> and gave more insight into what happened when the royals and Ms Ragland got into his cab.</p> <p>He said they were about to inform him of their destination address before paparazzi surrounded his vehicle, which was being followed by a police escort.</p> <p>“Prince Harry and his wife and another lady jumped into my cab. And they seemed very nervous,” he said.</p> <p>“We went a block, we were blocked by a [garbage] truck and then all of a sudden paparazzi just came out of nowhere and flashes just went off.</p> <p>“They were just about to say the location where they were going to go but then the paparazzis came and the security guard said, ‘Hey listen – just circle back to the precinct’.”</p> <p>Singh said he spent about 15 minutes with the royals who paid him a $US50 tip on top of the $US17 fare.</p> <p>“I’ve had other celebrities in my cab as well but this one, they completely surrounded the car and just went crazy with the camera,” he said.</p> <p>“We just went around the block and two cars were tailing us, behind us, with the camera and that was it.</p> <p>“I don’t know what they went through, right, because I only had interaction with them for 15 minutes and they seemed very nervous when they were in my cab.”</p> <p>When asked whether it was a two-hour car chase, Singh responded, “That must have happened before me.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“Kids are not accessories”: Influencer slammed for putting baby in danger

<p dir="ltr">Influencer Camila Coelho has been slammed for putting her 7-month-old in danger, after posting multiple photos and a video of her standing with her infant son on a Paris balcony. </p> <p dir="ltr">Coelho, who boasts over 9 million followers on Instagram, has remained silent on the backlash, despite worried followers telling her to stop. </p> <p dir="ltr">The first photo was posted on February 27 with the caption: "Kai’s first time in PARIS. so happy to be back (for PFW) & spend my birthday tomorrow here with him and hubby!" </p> <p dir="ltr">In the photo Coelho can be seen wearing a ribbed pink turtleneck jumper, a matching pink coat and boots and a denim miniskirt.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her adorable son, donning an all-grey outfit, was pictured standing on the edge of the balcony with Coelho’s arms around him. </p> <p dir="ltr">The fashion blogger’s followers immediately condemned her actions, with one saying: "Please remove these photos! Kids are not accessories!" </p> <p dir="ltr">“Babies and balconies don’t go together. People will naturally get triggered. You are my favourite fashion blogger and I’m sure you were in control, but there will be other wannabe bloggers who will try to recreate this image and potentially put their babies at risk. It takes a second for an accident to happen. It’s not worth the risk or pic,” commented another. </p> <p dir="ltr">“How far can you go for likes? Yes, you are in Paris and yes, you have a view. No need to put a baby on the edge of a balcony,” wrote another.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIkwcGNRZP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <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 style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIkwcGNRZP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by CAMILA COELHO (@camilacoelho)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In the same series of photos, Coelho can be seen lifting her baby up and holding him a little too close to the edge. </p> <p dir="ltr">“For the sake of his life it’s not necessary to lift him up on the edge of the balcony,” commented a follower. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Really? So dangerous just for a photo,” commented another. </p> <p dir="ltr">A few days later, Coelho added fuel to the fire by posting a video from the same balcony, where she is seen sipping tea on a chilly morning with Kai perched in her arms, close to the edge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her followers couldn’t help but express their disappointment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Dear Camila, I love you as a woman, how you act in everything, but this is now the second time that you come into the picture with Kai on the edge balcony,” wrote one follower. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Disappointing....I'm starting to think you're just trolling people. but of course everything for the many likes," wrote another. </p> <p dir="ltr">The video has since been deleted, but the photos are still up on Coelho’s Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Protest is dangerous, but feminists have a long history of using humour, pranks and stunts to promote their message

<p>Protest was dangerous in feminism’s formative years.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/overview/startsuffragette-/">suffragettes</a> in the United Kingdom initially began by trying to persuade and educate to win women the right to vote. </p> <p>When that didn’t work they became frustrated – and, by 1903, radical.</p> <p>By the 1910s, they adopted militant tactics, with women on hunger strikes being force-fed in prison. </p> <p>It climaxed in 1913 when Emily Wilding Davidson, holding the suffragette flag, stepped in front of the horse of King George V at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qkU_imbFoE">Epsom Derby</a>. </p> <p>Her funeral, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EIFDSb7tWc">reportedly</a> watched by 50,000 people, gave a global profile to the women’s right-to-vote campaign.</p> <p>But while protest was very dangerous for first-wave feminists, subsequent Western activists often adopted pranks.</p> <p>There is an adage that feminists and women aren’t funny. However, the history of activism reveals humour as a successful strategy for change.</p> <p>Here are four great contemporary feminist pranks that demonstrate the power of humour for advocacy.</p> <h2>1. A chain reaction</h2> <p>On March 31 1965, feminist activists Rosalie Bogner and Merle Thornton walked into Brisbane’s Regatta hotel, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/curious-brisbane-when-was-the-ban-on-women-drinking-in-public/9518222">chaining themselves</a> to the foot rail of the front bar.</p> <p>They were protesting the exclusion of women from Queensland public bars. </p> <p>The police were called, smashed the padlock, and told them to leave. They refused.</p> <p>After some bemused and sympathetic men gave them glasses of beer, the officer gave up, telling the women to have “a good time” and “don’t drink too much”. </p> <p>They inspired women nationally to do the same. Laws had changed across Australia by the early 1970s. </p> <p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/curious-brisbane-when-was-the-ban-on-women-drinking-in-public/9518222">According to</a> historian Kay Saunders, it was the “beginning of second-wave feminism” in Australia.</p> <h2>2. Guerrilla Girls</h2> <p>In 1985, the New York activist group Guerrilla Girls began their quest to counter the art world’s sexism, racism and inequality. They used gorilla masks to remain anonymous and emphasise that the message was paramount, not the activist. </p> <p>Guerrilla Girls famously erected posters and placed stickers protesting the lack of women in art galleries, asking “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uKg7hb2yoo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Humour and statistics enhanced awareness, got people involved, and illuminated issues such as how few women of colour have their work exhibited. </p> <p>Since the Guerrilla Girls began four decades ago, their messages have continued to spread and hold institutions accountable. They have expanded their mission to important causes such as poverty and war, while continuing to change the art world’s attitudes and to merging art and politics. </p> <p>But the gender imbalance in art galleries is still a global issue. This is currently being countered with initiatives such as the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/">Know My Name</a> campaign and efforts to write women <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-21/australian-women-artists-national-gallery-of-australia/12890818">back into art history</a>.</p> <h2>3. Switcheroo</h2> <p>In 1993 the Barbie Liberation Organization <a href="https://beautifultrouble.org/">undertook</a> a Christmas prank, swapping the voice boxes of 50 Barbie and G.I. Joe dolls. </p> <p>G.I. Joe now said “I love to shop with you” or “Let’s plan our dream wedding”. Barbie hollered “Dead men tell no lies” or “Attack!”.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cxiDlJ7nfLo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>With an aim to teach children about stereotypes, the <a href="https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/barbie-liberation-organization/">spectacle</a>made a huge media splash for the cause.</p> <p>The tactic is known as “shop-dropping”. The activist bought, altered and then dropped the dolls back on the shelves. </p> <p>The organisation arranged for children to comment to the media on gender stereotyping, and the press reported there were hundreds of dolls instead of just 50.</p> <p>Although impact is hard to measure, the prank created unprecedented media attention leading to the visibility of the organisation’s issues based video. It questioned the status quo regarding what girls can do and should think, promoting social change in exposing how toys shape ideology. </p> <p>It revealed the impact of gender stereotypes and their insidious sexism; the way war toys are role models; and the need for playthings to be more inclusive and diverse. </p> <p>Mattel, the company that makes Barbie, did not react, but later released toys indicating it had received the message. These include the <a href="https://creations.mattel.com/collections/barbie-inspiring-women-series#?page=1">Inspiring Women series</a> featuring the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Fitzgerald and Jane Goodall.</p> <h2>4. Sausage fest!</h2> <p>At the 2016 Australian Film Institute’s premier event, the AACTA Awards, protesters from Women in Film and Television NSW blocked the red carpet dressed as sausages and chanting “end the sausage party”. </p> <p>The event was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&amp;v=562946123902893">livestreamed on Facebook</a> after security gave them access, thinking they were part of the event.</p> <p>The women <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/07/protesters-gatecrash-aacta-awards-red-carpet-chanting-end-the-sausage-party">were protesting</a> for a quota system to improve the number of women working in the film and television industries. </p> <p><a href="https://www.wiftaustralia.org.au/nsw-advocacy">They wanted</a> to highlight a lack of feature film judging transparency, the low proportion of nominations for women, and how few films were directed and driven by female creatives. </p> <p><a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/1ee452a2-3567-4398-86c3-56535f7d9827/screen-australia-proportion-of-women-in-creative-roles-all-formats-2021-2.jpg?ext=.jpg">Only 20%</a> of Australian-funded feature films have a female director. AACTA does not fund films and it is therefore the broader industry that urgently needs to lift female participation.</p> <p>Since the sausage prank, AACTA entry forms also ask about the diversity of the filmmakers, triggering producers to reflect on inclusion in their films.</p> <p>AACTA has also changed its eligibility rules, engaging with Women in Film and Television to expand eligibility beyond just films that received a theatrical release.</p> <p>This reduced barriers to entry; opportunities for women and diverse filmmakers are more frequently in independent or low-budget sectors, which don’t always attain release in commercial cinemas. This change in eligibility was <a href="https://www.filmink.com.au/public-notice/aacta-feature-film-eligibility-policy-changes-new-online-video-award-announced/">reported</a> as allowing greater inclusion and diversity. </p> <p>Recognition across society has come from a long line of feminist pranksters. But slow progress means there is still a long way to go to achieve equality and equity.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/protest-is-dangerous-but-feminists-have-a-long-history-of-using-humour-pranks-and-stunts-to-promote-their-message-199298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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Cruise navigates world's most dangerous route

<p>Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity has successfully completed its controversial voyage through the treacherous Northwest Passage, a route inaccessible 100 years ago.</p> <p>The Northwest Passage is a sea route connecting the northern Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, via waterways that extend through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The route has traditionally been blocked by ice, but global warming has changed this and many sections of the water which were previously too tricky to cross can now be navigated.</p> <p>For 32 days the 1,000 passengers and 600 crew aboard the Crystal Serenity witnessed sights few others have seen over the 7,000 natural miles of remote Arctic waterways and as the ship arrived in New York the voyage was hailed as a success.</p> <p>Captain Birger J. Vorland told <em>Cruise Critic</em>, “The voyage was very successful, and there were no surprises. There was actually less ice than we anticipated… I never felt the enthusiasm wane. Everything clicked. I never experienced an atmosphere like this before in my 38 years at sea.”</p> <p>So what’s next for cruising in this part of the world?</p> <p>Well, the Crystal Serenity is set to sail the Northwest Passage again in the summer of 2017, and other lines have signalled their intent to try their hand at this itinerary.</p> <p>But not everybody’s happy.</p> <p>Bernie MacIsaac of Nunavut's Department of Economic Development, the region most hit by the influx of cruise passengers, contends clear restrictions must be in place.</p> <p>MacIsaac said, “The [territory] is considering new marine tourism regulations that would mitigate some of the impacts of larger ships like the Crystal Serenity. A size limit and a number should be included. We cannot do a 1,000-passenger ship for three days in a row. There just aren't that many people here. We're not going to fly in drum dancers.”</p> <p>Daniel Skjeldam, head of the Norway-based Hurtigruten cruise, also called for size limits, so ships no bigger than 500 passengers could visit. Skjeldam said, “This has to do with safety — search and rescue – but also to do with the small communities that you come in to.</p> <p>“We are concerned about the impact they have on these villages.”</p> <p>Crystal Cruises spokeswoman Molly Morgan contended enough had been done to consult the locals when the company began planning the historic voyage three years ago.</p> <p>Morgan said, “Crystal team members made multiple trips to the region to collaborate with the local communities and ensure that, as a company, we were well educated on the culture, history and ecosystem that makes up this delicate region.”</p> <p>What’s your take? Do you think it’s wrong to be sending massive cruise liners through that sensitive part of the world? Share your thoughts in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image: YouTube / Crystal Cruises</em></p>

Cruising

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17 things you need to throw out ASAP

<p><strong>Dangers in the home</strong></p> <p>You wouldn’t think old pancake mix, spices, or makeup could be a problem – but they have the potential to make you very sick. Remove the dangers from your household with this handy guide.</p> <p><strong>Off-brand phone chargers</strong></p> <p>You may be tempted to buy that cheapy model at the airport, but studies show this can pose dangers to your expensive smartphone.</p> <p>Ken Shirriff of How-To Geek took a dozen chargers and put them to the test. He found that most off-brand chargers provided inconsistent power, leading to battery damage.</p> <p><strong>Old pancake mix</strong></p> <p>According to experts at DoesItGoBad.com, packaged pancake mixes (along with many other cake mixes) can be toxic in certain circumstances.</p> <p>It’s a breeding ground for hard-to-spot mould and bacteria, which can be fatal for allergy sufferers. If it is past the “best by” date on the label, toss that expired box or bag right away.</p> <p><strong>Dried flowers </strong></p> <p>Pets tend to chew on things they aren’t supposed to – and that can be dangerous if you have dried flower arrangements lying around. According to The Nest, the issue is twofold: The flowers themselves pose a threat, and so do the materials used to make the flower arrangements.</p> <p>Many plants are toxic to both dogs and cats, and these materials can cause serious intestinal blockages or even acute poisoning.</p> <p><strong>Expired makeup</strong></p> <p>Yes, beauty products do go bad. Even worse – they can cause breakouts, skin parasites, infections, and loss of vision if not disposed of at the proper time.</p> <p>While it may be difficult to toss away our precious samples, old makeup can serve as a breeding ground for germs, harbouring nasty bacteria that can wreak some serious damage.</p> <p><strong>Wire hangers</strong></p> <p>Keeping your clothes on flimsy metal for too long can damage your favourite pieces. Maeve Richmond, a home organisation expert and founder of Maeve’s Method, tells Well and Good: “Wire hangers truly are too thin."</p> <p>"Not only can they cause awkward stretch marks on clothes, but they will bend over time, causing unsightly bunch-ups in our closets, and our clothing to hang at funny angles.”</p> <p><strong>Old dish sponges</strong></p> <p>A study published in Scientific Advances reveals that the most bacteria-riddled thing in your house is your kitchen sponge. Their porous nature and liquid-absorbing abilities make them the ideal living space.</p> <p>Even if you’re practicing proper hygiene – soaping and rinsing the sponge regularly – it won’t be enough. Experts recommend replacing your kitchen sponge weekly.</p> <p><strong>Stale spices</strong></p> <p>Most people choose to believe spices can last forever – they don’t. A report from the FDA notes that common imported spices are contaminated with salmonella at twice the rate of all other imported foods, including coriander, oregano, basil, sesame seeds and black pepper.</p> <p>If you want to avoid an unexpected bout of food poisoning, make sure to clean out your pantry regularly.</p> <p><strong>Cheap jewellery</strong></p> <p>Those bargain deals are too good to be true: A non-profit organisation called The Ecology Centre ran tests on 99 pieces of jewellery that were purchased from 14 different discount stores.</p> <p>They found that over half of the jewellery – all of which cost less than ten dollars – had high levels of toxic chemicals; 27 of the pieces had lead levels that exceeded the safe limit (300 ppm) for children’s products.</p> <p><strong>Air freshener</strong></p> <p>You may be a fan of the way they make your house or car smell, but air fresheners can contain serious toxins called phthalates – and many don’t even list them as an active ingredient. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, those toxins can easily affect hormones and reproductive health, especially in children.</p> <p>Side effects for men included lower testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts, and lower sperm quality.</p> <p><strong>Plastic containers</strong></p> <p>Tupperware, Gladware, Snapware, you name it – everyone has a collection of plastic containers. They’re great for storing leftovers, but studies show these can contain high levels of bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxin frequently found in plastics.</p> <p>Even in low doses, it can have a significant impact on hormonal balance and the brain. Make sure to never use plastic containers in the microwave unless they are labelled microwave safe. Try using glass or stainless steel containers instead.</p> <p><strong>Fabric sprays</strong></p> <p>While they might protect your couches and chairs from stains, many of these sprays contain questionable chemicals that can contaminate the air in your house.</p> <p>The National Consumer Affairs Centre of Japan found fluorine resin in four of seven major spray brands. The size of the particles was enough that inhaling the spray would pose a significant health risk.</p> <p><strong>Old contact lens case</strong></p> <p>If you’re neglecting the case you store your contacts in, you’re risking an eye infection according to optometrist Reecha Kampani, OD.</p> <p>She advises throwing out your solution daily and replacing the lens case once every three months. Using a case for too long can add to pathogen build-up, leading to potential scarring and vision loss.</p> <p><strong>Old electronics</strong></p> <p>How many old mobile phones do you have cluttering up drawers? How about out-dated laptops stacked in the closet? You need to get rid of them because they’re chock full of toxic stuff, like arsenic, lead and cadmium, that erode over time.</p> <p>The lithium batteries in old electronics can also burst, creating a potential fire risk. Just be sure to dispose of them safely – they shouldn’t be placed in your bin.</p> <p><strong>Old bras</strong></p> <p>Bras shift and stretch over time – and this is more than an aesthetic nuisance: You won’t get the support you need from that worn-out underwire.</p> <p>According to the HuffPost, a bra’s lifespan could be only up to eight months. If the band is stretched and not fitting as well as it should, it may be time for a new one.</p> <p><strong>Old non-stick cookware</strong></p> <p>Non-stick pots and pans are made using a carcinogenic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which starts emitting toxic fumes every time you cook.</p> <p>This kind of cookware is associated with harmful side effects to the liver, thyroid, and immune system in general, according to the EPA. Go for stainless steel, glass, ceramic, or iron pots and pans instead.</p> <p><strong>Oven cleaner</strong></p> <p>Most of these cleaners contain highly corrosive chemicals that can cause redness and burns if they come in contact with the skin.</p> <p>Don’t worry, you can always use alternatives like baking soda paste instead. Simply combine baking soda and water to create a safe oven cleaner.</p> <p><strong>Clogged air filters</strong></p> <p>Some studies suggest that a poorly maintained A/C system can become contaminated and be harmful to your health. Their findings note that moisture-related HVAC components, such as cooling coils and humidification systems, can trigger symptoms like upper and lower respiratory problems, eye and skin irritation, headaches and fatigue.</p> <p>Older filters are more prone to contamination, so be sure to change them every 30-60 days.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/home-tips/17-things-you-need-throw-out-asap?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Shooting of Imran Khan takes Pakistan into dangerous political waters

<p>The attempted assassination of Imran Khan on November 3 has ushered Pakistan into another stage of political instability, with increased likelihood of further political violence.</p> <p>Imran <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63496202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has accused</a> Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Sanaullah Khan and Major General Faisal of masterminding the attack. He has demanded these three be removed from their positions immediately. Failure to act, he <a href="https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1588188079277232128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588188079277232128%7Ctwgr%5Ed5b3fd04e3131208521e14afe9946af45900de42%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenews.com.pk%2Flatest%2F1006350-asad-umar-blames" target="_blank" rel="noopener">communicated through Asad Umer</a>, a senior member of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), would result in demonstrations across the whole country, and “things would not continue as they have been”.</p> <p>The PTI’s Asad Umer said that two days ago, he had contacted Imran regarding threats to his safety. But Imran had stated: “We are engaged in jihad and we only need to trust Allah at this stage.” Building on this equivalence of the so-called “long march” with “jihad”, the PTI issued a <a href="https://twitter.com/Asad_Umar/status/1588399510614839296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1588399510614839296%7Ctwgr%5E409bdb0bd9b63211810994ae51e1b298768da215%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenews.com.pk%2Flatest%2F1006554-live-updates-day-8-pti-long-march-imran-khan-firing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call for demonstrations</a> to start after Friday prayers on November 4.</p> <p>The Pakistan government <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1006384-attack-on-imran-widely-condemned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has responded</a> by condemning the assassination attempt. But <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1006384-attack-on-imran-widely-condemned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minister Rana Sanaullah also told the PTI</a>: “It is [a] law of nature: those who ignite fire may also burn in it.” The national government has also demanded “the Punjab government constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the attack”.</p> <p>Others have raised questions about the security extended to the former prime minister in the province of Punjab, where a PTI government is in power.</p> <p>Conspiracy theories about the shooting also abound, including claims on social media that the attack was <a href="https://twitter.com/younus_bhoon/status/1588399845307711488?s=20&amp;t=8c-lFy8oci8NGVAhcmNxxw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">orchestrated by PTI</a> to boost support for Imran. Only a few days ago, the former international cricketer turned politician had launched a second march within five months for haqiqi azadi (real freedom). Others accuse “external powers” of fomenting instability in the wake of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/2/xi-jinping-assures-pakistani-pm-of-china-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit to China</a>, where he met President Xi Jinping and revived the momentum for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).</p> <p>Then there is the <a href="https://www.24newshd.tv/03-Nov-2022/attacker-says-was-angry-because-music-was-being-run-during-prayer-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported admission</a> by the alleged assassin that he was motivated by religious fervour, as Imran’s march would not cease playing music even during the calls to prayer. Reminiscent of the grounds on which Mumtaz Qadri <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35684452" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assassinated</a> the then governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, this explanation, with all its inconsistencies, locates the attempt outside the scope of political machinations.</p> <p>The reaction among Imran’s supporters has been swift. There have been demonstrations in all provinces of the country, with people <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFtMyPEJZYQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chanting the attack</a> had “crossed the red line” and they would lay their lives for Imran. This outpouring of support for Imran and anger towards the government has catapulted the country into increased instability, with the future now very uncertain.</p> <p>In the past, the instability might have been reined in by the Pakistan military, which has traditionally acted as custodian of law and order in the country. During the 75 years of Pakistan’s existence, the military has intervened directly or indirectly in politics when the country experienced instability. Even if its intervention was not approved of, politicians and society generally remained complacent and managed to work withing the framework outlined by the military.</p> <p>But in contemporary Pakistan, given the extent of political and social polarisation that has descended to a level not witnessed in the country’s history, the military may not be able to play this role. Already, Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa has claimed the <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/world/pakistan-army-chief-general-bajwa-to-retire-in-5-weeks-top-3-names-here-exclusive-6215221.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military would remain neutral</a>.</p> <p>Even if instability persists and the military decided to intervene, the reaction of Imran’s supporters would be very different from how people reacted to previous military interventions. The assassination attempt on Imran has removed a lot of self-imposed censorship by people.</p> <p>While people demonstrated outside the office of the Corps Commander of Peshawar, others have been recorded chanting that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ga_22EwLXKg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the uniform is behind acts of terrorism and hooliganism</a>. In the past, such comments were only openly made by Pashtoon Tahhafuz Movement (movement for the protection of Pashtoons).</p> <p>But now, such comments also allude to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63372440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent killing</a> in Kenya of Pakistani journalist Ashraf Sharif, who had been a vocal critic of the military’s involvement in politics. It has been claimed the killing was orchestrated with the direct involvement of the military — a claim that prompted the director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to give a press conference refuting these claims.</p> <p>Such expressions of anger and open opposition to the military leadership would suggest the military would avoid direct interference. One possible avenue could be of imposing <a href="https://www.geo.tv/latest/430050-explainer-what-is-governors-rule-and-is-punjab-moving-towards-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">governor rule</a> in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but even that is unlikely to tamper the anger being felt by Imran’s supporters.</p> <p>Pakistan is fast moving into uncharted political terrain.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/shooting-of-imran-khan-takes-pakistan-into-dangerous-political-waters-193937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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"They’re making money off tragedy": Netflix’s Dahmer series shows the dangers of fictionalising real horrors

<p>Netflix’s recent series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has stirred <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63088009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversy</a> over its apparent glamorisation of a serial killer and perceived insensitivity towards the families of Dahmer’s victims.</p> <p>In contrast to more journalistic true crime entertainment (<a href="https://theconversation.com/true-crime-entertainment-like-the-teachers-pet-can-shine-a-light-on-cold-cases-but-does-it-help-or-hinder-justice-being-served-189787" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which has its own issues</a>), the dramatisation and fictionalisation of real-life crimes, such as Dahmer, has drawn a wave of criticism for re-traumatising victims and their loved ones, and glorifying criminals.</p> <h2>Artistic license or sensationalist schlock?</h2> <p>Whether presenting itself as an accurate retelling or merely “inspired by true events” – there is always going to be some artistic license when transforming a complex true crime story into a movie or TV series.</p> <p>While changes from real life to screen are often relatively minor, such as having multiple police officers represented by one fictionalised detective, others can significantly misrepresent events.</p> <p>Anne Schwartz, the journalist who broke the original Dahmer story, has called the recent Dahmer Netflix series “not a helpful representation”. In an interview with the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/anne-e-schwartz-jeffrey-dahmer-autopsy-polaroids-b2194855.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Independent</a>, Schwartz criticised the caricatured depiction of law enforcement in the series. She also took aim at key plot elements, such as having key witness Glenda Cleveland (played by Niecy Nash) live next door to Dahmer, rather than in the building next door (as in real life).</p> <p>Other dramatisations of real-life crimes have gone much further, adding sensationalist – and even downright supernatural – elements to true events.</p> <p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7976208/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Haunting of Sharon Tate</a>, written and directed by Daniel Farrands and released in 2019, was universally panned by critics and audiences alike for graphically depicting the real life murder of actress Sharon Tate by the Manson family.</p> <p>In the film, Tate (played by Hilary Duff) has apparent premonitions of her murder in her dreams, with the film ending with a meeting of Manson’s victims in the afterlife. Film critic Owen Gleiberman <a href="https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-haunting-of-sharon-tate-review-hilary-duff-1203179977/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the film “pure, unadulterated cheeseball exploitation” opining that it “goes out of its way to turn the Manson murders into schlock horror”.</p> <h2>Re-traumatising victims and their families</h2> <p>Victims of crime and their loved ones are frequently angered and re-traumatised when their real-life stories become fodder for public consumption.</p> <p>The families of homicide victims are particularly disadvantaged when encountering inaccurate or insulting depictions of their loved ones, given legal protections of reputation, such as claims in defamation, don’t apply if the person defamed is deceased.</p> <p>Some of the families of Dahmer’s victims have expressed outrage at the Netflix series, noting that they were never approached about the show’s release. Rital Isbell, whose brother was murdered by Dahmer, had her heart-breaking victim impact statement dramatised in the series without her knowledge or consent. She called the series “harsh and careless” in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/rita-isbell-sister-jeffrey-dahmer-victim-talks-about-netflix-show-2022-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piece</a> in Insider expressing that “It’s sad that they’re just making money off of this tragedy”.</p> <p>The question of who benefits from depictions of real-life crimes is an important one, with large studios and streaming platforms earning millions while victims and their families are often left to bear the consequences of increased public attention.</p> <p>Australian films haven’t been immune to this tension between artistic freedom and the wishes of victim’s families. The 1997 Australian film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118735/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blackrock</a>, directed by Steven Vidler and adapted from a play by Nick Enright was clearly <a href="http://www.textjournal.com.au/oct09/brien.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inspired by</a> (although denied by Enright) the real-life rape and murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl <a href="https://7news.com.au/original-fyi/crime-story-investigator/leigh-leigh-remembering-murdered-14-year-old-stockton-girl-30-years-on-c-535209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leigh Leigh</a> in 1987. Leigh’s family were highly critical upon the film’s release finding the depiction exploitative and accusing the filmmakers of “feasting on an unfortunate situation”.</p> <h2>Making celebrities out of serial killers</h2> <p>The rise of online “fandoms” surrounding real-life killers is an increasingly documented phenomena likely tied to the increased pop culturalisation of true crime.</p> <p>Social media site Tumblr has a variety of dedicated fan accounts for history’s monsters, with everyone from serial killer Richard Ramirez to school shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold getting special treatment.</p> <p>Researcher Andrew Rico sees such fandoms as partially motivated by an urge to <a href="https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shock and scandalise</a> the public, but notes they also indicate the tabloid depiction of criminals such as schools shooters has led to a form of dark celebrity. This is supported by the work of doctoral student Sasha Artamonova, who views dark fandoms as a kind of “<a href="https://www.academia.edu/32699599/Rebels_with_a_Cause_School_Shooters_Fandom_as_a_Form_of_Counterculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counter-culture</a>” movement rallying against moral norms.</p> <p>The Dahmer Netflix series has <a href="https://uk.style.yahoo.com/why-hollywood-obsessed-casting-teen-134800169.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received criticism</a> for casting Evan Peters as Jeffery Dahmer, given his status as a teen heartthrob who rose to fame in creator Ryan Murphy’s far more lighthearted horror series American Horror Story. The Gen Z populated TikTok is full of fan videos of his depiction of Dahmer.</p> <p>Similar criticism was levelled at another Netflix series Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile which cast Highschool Musical star Zac Efron as serial rapist and murderer Ted Bundy.</p> <p>An unhealthy obsession with serial killers is, of course, nothing new – Jeffery Dahmer received <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Dahmer-Letters-Milwaukee-Cannibal/dp/B0B72T273N" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many positive letters</a> and even marriage proposals while incarcerated.</p> <p>However, some worry the recent trend of casting attractive celebrities as serial killers could have flow on effects. One writer in Odyssey <a href="https://www.theodysseyonline.com/hollywood-romanticizes-serial-killers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that “young and impressionable youth of today might find themselves empathising with and falling for people who are actually dangerous”.</p> <p>Whether such concerns are prescient or a textbook example of moral panic remains to be seen.</p> <p>Ultimately, there will always be an audience for stories of the murderous and macabre, with fascination in the darker side of life an incredibly common human impulse.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/theyre-making-money-off-tragedy-netflixs-dahmer-series-shows-the-dangers-of-fictionalising-real-horrors-192006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Netflix</em></p>

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Dentist slams dangerous “aesthetic” teeth hacks

<p dir="ltr">A dental surgeon has slammed a series of online hacks that show people attempting their own DIY dental work to achieve the perfect smile. </p> <p dir="ltr">Prominent Queensland dental surgeon Dr Heath Fraser has argued against grim TikTok viral trends that have people trying to whiten and straighten their teeth at home, saying these “tips” can cause serious damage. </p> <p dir="ltr">Among the worst offenders was a woman who filmed herself filing down her teeth using a nail file and promoted the tactic as a cheap way to get a straight smile. </p> <p dir="ltr">The bizarre video amassed thousands of views, with copycat users claiming they had also tried the hack and experienced no lasting damage. </p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Fraser, however, revealed people who filed their teeth could be setting themselves up for “invasive procedures such as fillings, crowns, veneers and even root canal treatment to resolve the erosion issue”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He described filing teeth as “highly irresponsible” and explained that “once tooth enamel has been removed it is impossible to regenerate”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even when performed in the dental chair by a professional, patients run the risk of eroding their tooth enamel,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other problematic “hacks” saw millions of TikTok users exposed to highly dangerous teeth whitening methods involving the use of household cleaners and hydrogen peroxide as a teeth scrub.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Fraser said there were enormous consequences for people who used these products on their teeth, saying they posed “irreversible risks to the health of your teeth”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other users were desperate to straighten their teeth, as they shared how they tried using elastic hair bands in place of braces.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Fraser condemned the method, as one video racked up millions of views promoting the use of elastic bands. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Using elastic bands may work to move your teeth, but not in the aesthetic way you probably desire. The thin, tight elastic bands used by users on social media can penetrate the gum, severely damaging the soft tissue in your mouth which may ultimately lead to serious irreversible damage, including your tooth falling out from the root,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Fraser reminded people that for any dental work, attending a dentist is always the safest and most effective option. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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Australia has a new bushfire danger rating system

<p>Australia has a new bushfire danger rating system.</p> <p>Fire danger ratings describe the potential level of danger should a bushfire start. They provide people with information so they can take action to protect themselves and others from the potentially dangerous impacts of bushfires.</p> <p>The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (or AFDRS) has in many ways been a project more than 50 years in the making – only now it’s replacing the modelling originally developed in the 1960s with more precise scientific understandings of fuel sources, fire and human behaviours.</p> <p>The new system will extend to the way information is delivered to the public. While many roadside signs will be refreshed, some jurisdictions will instead use more modern communications like the internet and social media to relay information to their communities.</p> <p>So how does a sixty-year-old system – and the science behind it – get an overhaul?</p> <h2>The science behind the new fire danger ratings</h2> <p>While the public sees a colour-coded dial on a road sign, or catches an emergency update on the radio, there is a substantial body of scientific modelling underlying a system which covers one of the world’s largest countries by area.</p> <p>One of the most important changes to the AFDRS science is the expansion of vegetation models used to predict fire behaviour.</p> <p>Previously, the system considered just two types of vegetation – grassland and forest.</p> <p>Now, it’s eight.</p> <p>Grassland and forest remain, but the models have been refined and expanded to include grassy woodlands, spinifex, shrubland, mallee heath, button grass and pine forest.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/fire-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>The left map of Australia shows how fire modelling has seen Australia for the best part of sixty years, the right indicates how the nation will be viewed from September 1.</p> <p>That, says Dr Stuart Matthews, a principal project officer at NSW Rural Fire Service who led the science update for AFDRS, is because Australia is a land of more than just sweeping grassplains and expansive gum forests.</p> <p>“There’s very diverse range of vegetation across the whole country and pretending it’s all either grasslands or open, dry sclerophyll forest just isn’t an accurate representation,” says Matthews.</p> <p>The eight new vegetation models include the ability to consider 22 different fuel types.</p> <p>Creating a system that uses four times as many models is an involved process – one that has covered almost a decade of research, prototyping and public engagement. And the science goes beyond the expansion of vegetation analysis.</p> <p>Working closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to understand weather and climate patterns, the atmospheric science and reporting provided to both the AFDRS and the wider public has been updated to reflect the new vegetation modelling.</p> <h2>How the science moves the dial</h2> <p>Fire authorities use sophisticated systems to determine the rating for any given point in time.</p> <p>These systems – which are to be used nationally – divide the Australian landmass into 2.25 square kilometre units and analyses the fuel source within them.</p> <p>These units also reflect data on when the last time fuel in the region was burnt-through.</p> <p>Combined with the latest forecasts for areas from the weather bureau, information is placed into the fire behaviour model appropriate for the area. The system then creates a textual description of what a burning fire in that area would do, including its rate of spread, heat intensity and flame height.</p> <p>This description is then transferred to a series of tables which converts the description into a numerical value.</p> <p>This value aligns to a rating category on the Fire Behaviour Index, a ‘stepped’ indicator that allows authorities to prepare systems and resourcing to respond in the event of a fire.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/fire-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>This index effectively guides local authorities’ actions on days of fire risk.</p> <p>For the public, it’s the guide to moving the dial on road signs.</p> <p>There are five categories on the behaviour index: no rating, moderate, high, extreme and catastrophic.</p> <p>Until the end of August 2022, the scale includes ratings like ‘low-moderate’, ‘very high’, and ‘severe’ – these have been retired.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/fire-3.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>The ‘no rating’ acts as the “parking bay” for the roadside needle, advising the public of the lowest risk conditions.</p> <p>But there’s science behind that too.</p> <p>‘No rating’ days align to conditions appropriate for a controlled, prescribed burn.</p> <p>“For instance, in forest, prescribed burnings are normally done at a heat output of about 750 kilowatts per metre,” says Matthews.</p> <p>“So, in forests, if the prediction coming out of the model was that intensity would be less than 750kW, it would be classified in the ‘no rating’ range.”</p> <p>Anything above 750kW in a forest community would force authorities to ‘grade up’.</p> <h2>System overhauled, but we won’t need to wait sixty years for the next update</h2> <p>The previous fire rating system was developed by CSIRO scientist A. G. McArthur in the 1960s.</p> <p>And while familiar characteristics have been transferred to the new project, the ‘back end’ processes and science were rigid.</p> <p>Rigid enough that the system has been largely unchanged for the six decades since it was first implemented.</p> <p>In contrast, the new AFDRS is designed to be updated as new science comes to hand.</p> <p>It’s also informed by real world, operational knowledge and experience.</p> <p>This, says Matthews, provides authorities with more precision in fire preparation and response.</p> <p>“It’s a really big change from the old system, where none of the rating levels had an established and agreed meaning,” he says.</p> <p>“In the McArthur work, they were set up as a suppression difficulty measure, but that was never ‘tied down’ and everyone had their own interpretation of what that meant, which made it really hard to assess how the system was working. It was poorly defined.</p> <p>“It’s taken sixty years to get to where we are and one of the obstacles, from a science point-of-view, was that the system was fixed. You couldn’t make incremental changes to it.</p> <p>“With the new system, we’ve built it in a modular way, and clearly broken down the different parts of the system so we can upgrade and change things if we need to.”</p> <p>An important element of the bushfire rating system is to be able to indicate the impact of a possible bushfire in words a landowner might understand.</p> <hr /> <p>The Country Fire Service (South Australia) describes a ‘Catastrophic Level’ bushfire as:</p> <ul> <li>The worst conditions for a bush or grass fire.</li> <li>If a fire starts and takes hold, it will be extremely difficult to control. It will take significant fire fighting resources and cooler conditions to bring it under control.</li> <li>Spot fires will start well ahead of the main fire and cause rapid spread of the fire. Embers will come from many directions.</li> <li>Homes are not designed or constructed to withstand fires in these conditions.</li> <li>The safest place to be is away from bushfire prone areas.</li> </ul> <p>Dr Matthews points out that the messaging for consequences will continue to be based on fire behaviour and known elements like flame heights, fuel loads, wind speed and spotting.</p> <p>“We are building a case for funding for more research to improve the accuracy in the future of the fire impact.“</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/australian-fire-danger-rating-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Matthew Agius.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Country Fire Authority (CFA)</em></p>

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