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Why it’s still a scientific mystery how some can live past 100 – and how to crack it

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/richard-faragher-224976">Richard Faragher</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-brighton-942">University of Brighton</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nir-barzilai-1293752">Nir Barzilai</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-3638">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a></em></p> <p>A 35-year-old man <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18544745/">only has a 1.5% chance of dying in the next ten years</a>. But the same man at 75 has a 45% chance of dying before he reaches 85. Clearly, ageing is bad for our health. On the bright side, we have made unprecedented progress in understanding the fundamental mechanisms that control ageing and late-life disease.</p> <p>A few tightly linked biological processes, sometimes called the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23746838/">“hallmarks of ageing”</a>, including our supply of stem cells and communication between cells, act to keep us healthy in the early part of our lives – with <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-secret-to-staying-young-scientists-boost-lifespan-of-mice-by-deleting-defective-cells-54068">problems arising as these start to fail</a>. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34699859/">Clinical trials are ongoing</a> to see if targeting some of these hallmarks can improve <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31542391/">diabetic kidney disease</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29997249/">aspects of</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33977284/">immune function</a> and age-related <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30616998/">scarring of the lungs</a> among others. So far, so good.</p> <p>Unfortunately, big, unanswered questions remain in the biology of ageing. To evaluate what these are and how to address them, the <a href="https://www.afar.org/">American Federation For Aging Research</a>, a charity, recently convened a series of <a href="https://www.afar.org/imported/AFAR_GeroFuturesThinkTankReport_November2021.pdf">meetings for leading scientists and doctors</a>. The experts agreed that understanding what is special about the biology of humans who survive more than a century is now a key challenge.</p> <p>These centenarians <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/18826/number-of-hundred-year-olds-centenarians-worldwide/">comprise less than 0.02% of the UK population</a> but have exceeded the life expectancy of their peers by almost 50 years (babies born in the 1920s typically had a life expectancy of less than 55). How are they doing it?</p> <p>We know that centenarians live so long because they are unusually healthy. They remain in good health for about 30 years longer than most normal people and when they finally fall ill, they are only sick for a very short time. This <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27377170/">“compression of morbidity”</a> is clearly good for them, but also benefits society as a whole. In the US, the medical care costs for a centenarian in their last two years of life <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_198.pdf">are about a third of those of someone who dies in their seventies</a> (a time when most centenarians don’t even need to see a doctor).</p> <p>The children of centenarians are also much healthier than average, indicating they are inheriting something beneficial from their parents. But is this genetic or environmental?</p> <h2>Centenarians aren’t always health conscious</h2> <p>Are centenarians the poster children for a healthy lifestyle? For the general population, watching your weight, not smoking, drinking moderately and eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27296932/">increase life expectancy by up to 14 years</a> compared with someone who does none of these things. This difference <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5801/ldselect/ldsctech/183/18305.htm#_idTextAnchor012">exceeds that seen</a> between the least and most deprived areas in the UK, so intuitively it would be expected to play a role in surviving for a century.</p> <p>But astonishingly, this needn’t be the case. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21812767/">One study</a> found that up to 60% of Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians have smoked heavily most of their lives, half have been obese for the same period of time, less than half do even moderate exercise and under 3% are vegetarians. The children of centenarians appear no more health conscious than the general population either.</p> <p>Compared to peers with the same food consumption, wealth and body weight, however, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29050682/">they have half the prevalence of cardiovascular disease</a>. There is something innately exceptional about these people.</p> <h2>The big secret</h2> <p>Could it be down to rare genetics? If so, then there are two ways in which this could work. Centenarians might carry unusual genetic variants that extend lifespan, or instead they might lack common ones that cause late-life disease and impairment. Several studies, including our own work, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32860726/">have shown</a> that centenarians have just as many bad genetic variants as the general population.</p> <p>Some even carry two copies of the largest known common risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease (APOE4), but still don’t get the illness. So a plausible working hypothesis is that centenarians carry rare, beneficial genetic variations rather than a lack of disadvantageous ones. And the best available data is consistent with this.</p> <p>Over 60% of centenarians have genetic changes that alter the genes which regulate growth in early life. This implies that these remarkable people are human examples of a type of lifespan extension observed in other species. Most people know that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28803893/">small dogs tend to live longer than big ones</a> but fewer are aware that this is a general phenomenon across the animal kingdom. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26857482/">Ponies can live longer than horses</a> and many strains of laboratory mice with dwarfing mutations <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29653683/">live longer than their full-sized counterparts</a>. One potential cause of this is reduced levels of a growth hormone called IGF-1 – although human centenarians <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28630896/">are not necessarily shorter than the rest of us</a>.</p> <p>Obviously, growth hormone is necessary early on in life, but there is increasing evidence that high levels of IGF-1 in mid to late life <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18316725/">are associated with increased late-life illness</a>. The detailed mechanisms underlying this remain an open question, but even among centenarians, women with the lowest levels of growth hormone <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24618355/">live longer than those with the highest</a>. They also have better cognitive and muscle function.</p> <p>That doesn’t solve the problem, though. Centenarians are also different from the rest of us in other ways. For example, they tend to have good cholesterol levels – hinting there may several reasons for their longevity.</p> <p>Ultimately, centenarians are “natural experiments” who show us that it is possible to live in excellent health even if you have been dealt a risky genetic hand and chose to pay no attention to health messages – but only if you carry rare, poorly understood mutations.</p> <p>Understanding exactly how these work should allow scientists to develop new drugs or other interventions that target biological processes in the right tissues at the right time. If these become a reality perhaps more of us than we think will see the next century in. But, until then, don’t take healthy lifestyle tips from centenarians.<!-- 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/172020/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/richard-faragher-224976">Richard Faragher</a>, Professor of Biogerontology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-brighton-942">University of Brighton</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nir-barzilai-1293752">Nir Barzilai</a>, Professor of Medicine and Genetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-3638">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</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/why-its-still-a-scientific-mystery-how-some-can-live-past-100-and-how-to-crack-it-172020">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Retirement Life

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New rules to crack down on dodgy taxi practices

<p>New technology is being rolled out on Wednesday, which will make it more difficult for taxi drivers to overcharge their customers. </p> <p>The country's largest taxi payment provider, Cabcharge, is introducing a new system which will link  cab drivers' payment terminals with their meters. </p> <p>The move has been made in attempt to crack down on dodgy taxi practices. </p> <p>Under the current system the two are not connected, so dishonest drivers may disregard the distance and fee on the meter and input a higher sum on their payment terminals, charging customers more money. </p> <p>The crack down has been approved Australia's most extensive taxi network which includes operators such as 13cabs, Silver Service and Black & White Cabs. They are also encouraged to display a sticker that says "We proudly accept Cabcharge."</p> <p>Speaking to<em> 2GB </em>on Monday, Nick Abrahim the CEO of NSW Taxi Council said that the technology was "welcomed news", which will help strengthen customer trust. </p> <p>"We want people, whether they're going to a sporting event or a concert or whatever it is, not even to worry about the transport issues. We want them to go out and make sure they're having a good time," he said. </p> <p>"The majority of drivers are out there, they want to do the right thing they want to look after passengers, but we know there are a handful of those drivers that unfortunately think they can flout the law and get away from it... [this] sends a strong message to that handful of drivers."</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helena-blumen-1231899">Helena Blumen</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-3638">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a></em></p> <h2>The big idea</h2> <p>Social ballroom dancing can improve cognitive functions and reduce brain atrophy in older adults who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. That’s the key finding of my team’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2022-0176">recently published study</a> in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.</p> <p>In our study, we enrolled 25 adults over 65 years of age in either six months of twice-weekly ballroom dancing classes or six months of twice-weekly treadmill walking classes. None of them were engaged in formal dancing or other exercise programs.</p> <p>The overall goal was to see how each experience affected cognitive function and brain health.</p> <p>While none of the study volunteers had a dementia diagnosis, all performed a bit lower than expected on at least one of our dementia screening tests. We found that older adults that completed six months of social dancing and those that completed six months of treadmill walking improved their executive functioning – an umbrella term for planning, reasoning and processing tasks that require attention.</p> <p>Dancing, however, generated significantly greater improvements than treadmill walking on one measure of executive function and on processing speed, which is the time it takes to respond to or process information. Compared with walking, dancing was also associated with reduced brain atrophy in the hippocampus – a brain region that is key to memory functioning and is particularly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also know that this part of our brain can undergo neurogenesis – or grow new neurons – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0611721104">in response to aerobic exercise</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/unmbhUvnGow?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Research shows those who regularly dance with a partner have a more positive outlook on life.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>While several previous studies suggest that dancing has beneficial effects <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa270">on cognitive function in older adults</a>, only a few studies have compared it directly with traditional exercises. Our study is the first to observe both better cognitive function and improved brain health following dancing than walking in older adults at risk for dementia. We think that social dancing may be more beneficial than walking because it is physically, socially and cognitively demanding – and therefore strengthens a wide network of brain regions.</p> <p>While dancing, you’re not only using brain regions that are important for physical movement. You’re also relying on brain regions that are important for interacting and adapting to the movements of your dancing partner, as well as those necessary for learning new dance steps or remembering those you’ve learned already.</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>Nearly 6 million older adults in the U.S. and 55 million worldwide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2019.01.010">have Alzheimer’s disease</a> or a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia">related dementia</a>, yet there is no cure. Sadly, the efficacy and ethics surrounding recently developed drug treatments <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2022.2129858">are still under debate</a>.</p> <p>The good news is that older adults can potentially <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6">lower their risk for dementia</a> through lifestyle interventions, even later in life. These include reducing social isolation and physical inactivity.</p> <p>Social ballroom dancing targets both isolation and inactivity. In these later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a better understanding of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214211005223">indirect effects of COVID-19</a> – particularly those that increase dementia risk, such as social isolation – is urgently needed. In my view, early intervention is critical to prevent dementia from becoming the next pandemic. Social dancing could be a particularly timely way to overcome the adverse cognitive and brain effects associated with isolation and fewer social interactions during the pandemic.</p> <h2>What still isn’t known</h2> <p>Traditional aerobic exercise interventions such as treadmill-walking or running have been shown to lead to modest but reliable improvements in cognition – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617707316">particularly in executive function</a>.</p> <p>My team’s study builds on that research and provides preliminary evidence that not all exercise is equal when it comes to brain health. Yet our sample size was quite small, and larger studies are needed to confirm these initial findings. Additional studies are also needed to determine the optimal length, frequency and intensity of dancing classes that may result in positive changes.</p> <p>Lifestyle interventions like social ballroom dancing are a promising, noninvasive and cost-effective path toward staving off dementia as we – eventually – leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind.<!-- 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/194969/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/helena-blumen-1231899">Helena Blumen</a>, Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-3638">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</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/kick-up-your-heels-ballroom-dancing-offers-benefits-to-the-aging-brain-and-could-help-stave-off-dementia-194969">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Mind

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The BMI isn’t all its cracked up to be

<p>The obsession people have with weight is nothing new. But as the relationship between science and weight evolves, health professionals are increasingly advocating for a shift away from one of the most often used tools as an individual measure of health.</p> <div class="copy"> <p>The Body Mass Index – or BMI – has been used for the past half century as a standard measurement tool for weight and obesity. It’s calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.</p> <p>This produces a figure which is indexed on a spectrum of weight ranges. A BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, above 25 is overweight, and above 30 is obese.</p> <p>The latest episode of <em>Debunks</em>, a new podcast from Cosmos, investigates how useful the BMI actually is for assessing health.</p> <p>Health advocacy bodies, health insurers and government departments all make reference to the BMI as being a globally recognised standard for weight classification.</p> <p>Most – but not all – <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/bmi-overweight-obese-healthy-deaths/">acknowledge that the tool is imperfect</a>. Its <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/body-mass-index-miscalculation/">simple arithmetic</a> is based on a system devised by 19th-century Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, who was an early pioneer of the social sciences and the use of data to understand human trends.</p> <p>The so-called ‘Quetelet Index’ was first described in 1832 as a means of trying to identify a calculation for the average man, first by conducting cross-sectional studies of infants and then adults.</p> <p>The need to consider weight as an indicator for health, mortality and morbidity, saw scientists trial several measurements before settling on Quetelet’s formula and rebranding it as the BMI in 1972.</p> <p>The problem? The BMI was largely based on studies of Anglo-Saxon populations. This is one of the biggest limitations often recognised by health groups. The Australian Department of Health, for instance, notes that a healthy BMI range is generally lower for people of Asian backgrounds, and higher for those of Polynesian backgrounds.</p> <p>But ethnicity isn’t the only limiting factor. Age and pregnancy status also play a part. Even athletes with more lean muscle (which weighs more than fat) might also find the standard BMI doesn’t capture their health status accurately.</p> <p>Diets and lifestyles have also shifted from the 19th century Belgian standard, and even from those of 50 years ago. Health professionals have long supported a shift away from the BMI being used as a rolled gold indicator of individual health, and medical professionals are beginning to take a wider view of patient health.</p> <p>“There has been a recent change in the position from the [US] National Academies of Nutrition and Dietetics surrounding BMI and there are shifts in the guidelines around BMI for medical diagnosis,” Dr Emma Beckett, a molecular nutritionist at the University of Newcastle, tells <em>Debunks</em>.</p> <p>The same goes for other measurements like waist-to-hip ratios and waist circumference. These metrics are often used by researchers conducting large population studies, but they don’t necessarily explain a person’s ‘health picture’.</p> <p>“Because we measure them in so many of our research studies, people mistakenly believe they are the most important markers of health and it’s just not true. Health is so much more complicated,” Beckett says.</p> <p>“The ‘normal’ [BMI] category is the one with the lowest health risks, but it doesn’t mean being in that category means you have no health risks and it doesn’t mean if you just get yourself into that category and change nothing else, there are no health risks.”</p> <p>On the latest series of Debunks, a podcast from Cosmos and 9Podcasts, find out how weight – and measurements like the BMI – are much more complicated than they might seem.</p> <p><iframe title="Weight: Should you care about your BMI?" src="https://omny.fm/shows/debunks/weight-should-you-care-about-your-bmi/embed" width="100%" height="180" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <div><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/the-bmi-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="null">Cosmos</a>. </em></div> </div>

Body

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Is cracking your knuckles bad for you?

<p><strong>Snap. Crackle. Pop. </strong></p> <p>No, it’s not the cereal, it’s tribonucleation, the technical term for cracking your knuckles. Whether done out of habit, stress or just because it feels good, you’ve likely been warned by someone who means well (or has just had enough of the sound) that it will give you arthritis.</p> <p>But their warning doesn’t have much merit, according to most medical professionals.</p> <p>One doctor was so eager to prove his nagging family wrong that he cracked the knuckles in his left hand at least 36,500 times (by his count) for over 50 years while leaving his right hand untouched. Dr Donald Unger, an allergist, did this in the name of science, though he seems to have been at least as motivated by an eventual “I told you so”. Publishing his findings in a letter to the scientific journal Arthritis &amp; Rheumatology in 2004, he said that “There was no arthritis in either hand, and no apparent differences between the two hands.”</p> <p>His findings are, of course, anecdotal, although often cited by professionals in the field. But do they mean that there are no side effects to cracking your knuckles (or other parts of your body for that matter)?</p> <p><strong>Is cracking your knuckles bad for you?</strong></p> <p>“As best we understand, it seems to be neutral,” says Dr Erin Brown, a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia. “There’s not a lot of research about this,” he adds, but “other studies have not found that it’s associated with arthritis.”</p> <p>Despite this, the popping noise can be disconcerting/annoying for some. What is the sound we hear when someone cracks a knuckle or other joint? It has to do with gas bubbles that form in the synovial fluid, which lubricates your joints, when two solid surfaces (i.e. your bones) move apart temporarily, creating a sort of suction.</p> <p>There’s been some debate over the years over whether the sound happens when that gas bubble bursts or when it’s formed. Recent studies using MRIs show that these little gas bubbles persist even after the ‘pop’ has been heard, suggesting that it’s the creation of the bubbles that makes the noise.</p> <p><strong>Listen up!</strong></p> <p>And if you’re one of the people irritated by the sound, that could be because mathematicians have found that the sound produced by cracking your knuckles can reach up to 83 decibels, which is louder than the average radio and similar to city traffic from inside a car.</p> <p>Whether you love it or hate it, up to 45 percent of you do it, and many describe a feeling of relief from doing so. Some of that could be because after a joint is cracked, there’s a slightly increased range of motion, so you feel more flexible.</p> <p>Of course, there are some things to watch—er, listen—out for.</p> <p><strong>Should I be worried about hearing other bones crack?</strong></p> <p>“As you get older, a lot of us have knees or something else that creaks. You sit down and you get up and you can hear them snapping and cracking. That’s a different thing,” says Dr Brown. “That is the bones actually rubbing against each other, and that can be a sign of wear and tear.”</p> <p>He also mentions that while he’s never seen it, there have been odd cases where someone can dislocate a joint when it pops out of place. But when it comes to basic knuckle cracking, however, Dr Brown assures us that if it feels okay, we’re free to keep doing it.</p> <p>Still, if you’re cracking any part of your body, heed the doctor’s orders – if it “doesn’t feel right, then it’s probably worth having assessed because it could be something else.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/is-cracking-your-knuckles-bad-for-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Body

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This common condition could be the cause of your heel pain

<p>When it comes to our feet, heel pain is one of the most common complaints. According to a 2017 report by podiatry groups My Foot Dr and Balance Podiatry, almost half of people wake up with heel and foot pain at least once a week.</p> <p>If you’re one of them, you’re probably wondering why you’re in so much pain. You might think it’s bruising, but the most common cause of chronic heel pain is actually a condition known as plantar fasciitis.</p> <p>Characterised by a sharp pain that feels like a pencil poking your heels, plantar fasciitis occurs when the fibrous tissue of the foot has been over-stretched, causing inflammation and pain.</p> <p>“Too many cases of heel pain are passed off as bruising or wrongly attributed to heel spurs or Achilles tendonitis,” Sydney-based podiatrist Dr Brenden Brown, founder of A Step Ahead Foot + Ankle Care, explains. “Addressing heel pain really does start with getting the right diagnosis.</p> <p>“Many people suffering from heel pain ignore their condition – hoping rest and time will cure it. Every day I see patients who have put up with their heel pain for months, years even. Unfortunately the ‘zero action approach’ will just prolong the pain.”</p> <p>So, how is plantar fasciitis treated? Well, there’s a number of treatment methods.</p> <p>First, avoid the temptation to go barefoot. “Walking around without shoes puts additional strain on the plantar fascia (the fibrous ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot, from the heel bone to the toes) – particularly first thing in the morning, when the muscles and tissues are tight.”</p> <p>The same goes for thongs, fashionable footwear and other unsupportive shoes, which may only make the issue worse. Instead, Dr Brown recommends “a shoe with a firm shell and a small amount of structured cushioning”. Additionally, the shoe should never bend in the middle.</p> <p>Next, you need to focus on strengthening rather than stretching, which may worsen your pain. “There’s an increasing body of evidence to support strengthening exercises and isometric holds,” Dr Brown says. “These are relatively easy to perform; they don’t require fancy equipment but they help strengthen the plantar.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D8ApCyO9gGc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Ultimately, if you’re experiencing any type of foot pain, it’s essential to seek help.</p> <p>“Choose a practitioner who understands heel pain and is open to new approaches,” Dr Brown recommends. “Ask the right questions to find out whether they’re experienced in dealing with this particular type of foot pain. You can ask: Is this something you treat often? How many patients do you see a day with heel pain? What’s your success rate?”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Body

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ATO cracks down on landlords submitting dodgy tax returns

<p>The Australian Taxation Office (ATM) has plans to crack down on landlords submitting dodgy tax returns after an interview found nine in 10 made mistakes and wrongfully claimed expenses.</p> <p>Those working at home, including those who run home-based businesses and people who earn via short-term rental sites like Airbnb or Stayz, will also be under the thumb this year to file returns correctly, in a new bid to eliminate tax fraud.</p> <p>The review comes in the wake of a major funding boost to the ATO, announced in the 2023 federal budget, which saw an $89.6 million injection.</p> <p>The ATO claims there was a tax gap of $9 billion in the 2019-2020 financial year.</p> <p>Taxpayers paid 94.4 per cent of the whole amount theoretically owed to the Commonwealth, with deductions for rental expenses, including those incorrectly claiming negative gearing deductions, contributing $1.4 billion to the gap.</p> <p>Australian Tax Commissioner Tim Loh said the ATO will be taking action in 2023.</p> <p>"We encourage rental property owners and their registered tax agents to take extra care this tax time and review their records before lodging their return," Loh reportedly told <em>The Age</em>.</p> <p>"You can only claim interest on a loan used to purchase a rental property to earn rental income – don't forget, if your loan also includes a private expense, such as for a new car or a trip to Bali, you can only claim an interest deduction for the portion relating to producing your rental income.”</p> <p>Loh warned Australians who work from home and advised against the “copy and paste" tax return method.</p> <p>He said, ” We know a lot of people are working back in the office more compared to last year”, and the method the ATO uses to calculate working from home expenses has now changed.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Puzzle-cracking Matthew McConaughey fans could win tickets to meet him

<p dir="ltr">If you consider yourself a sleuth or a puzzlemaster you could have a chance to meet Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey when he touches down in Australia for an “off-grid” concert.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans hoping to see the <em>Dallas Buyers Club</em> actor at next month’s concert will need to identify the exclusive, secret location from a series of cryptic poems that will be shared on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">Attendees of the concert, which will be headlined by Boy &amp; Bear, will be selected by the Aussie rock band.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-840c7e80-7fff-0519-3a62-0f7ca669d2c1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">McConaughey shared the news with fans in a statement, encouraging hopefuls to trust their instincts.</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/reel/CkJqaBSh4-6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/reel/CkJqaBSh4-6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Wild Turkey Australia (@wildturkeyau)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Trusting yourself, your instincts and spirit are the key to discovery and will always lead you down the right path in life, or a road up north,” the 52-year-old said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For this reason, Wild Turkey and Boy &amp; Bear are challenging Aussies to let go of the monotony of the last few years and let yourselves discover again.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Discovery Series Acoustic Session fuels this spirit. However, it's more than discovery; it's for the love of the wilderness, and the enjoyment of bourbon and, most of all, music.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So, sit back, check into the words and Trust Your Spirit – I'll be waiting patiently to congratulate those who take on the journey.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a clip shared on social media, McConaughey described the event as a “very special evening out in nature”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Each of the clues will be posted on Wild Turkey’s official Instagram page.</p> <p dir="ltr">McConaughey has been involved with the bourbon brand since 2016, when he came on as its Creative Director and became the “chief storyteller”, according to the Wild Turkey website.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wild Turkey has the history and qualities of a brand that depicts the dedication of someone to do something their own way – even if that way isn’t always the most popular,” McConaughey says on the site.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to help share their unique story.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-624508ed-7fff-371f-a062-e0a09cca888f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @officialmcconaughey (Instagram)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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US comedian cracks cruel ‘jokes’ about rollercoaster victim Shylah Rodden

<p dir="ltr">A US comedian has cracked a series of distasteful jokes about Shylah Rodden, the Melbourne woman who was hit by a rollercoaster last month.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 26-year-old suffered severe facial and brain injuries after being struck by the 70 km/h Rebel Coaster Ride at the Royal Melbourne Show, and she remains in hospital in a serious condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is believed she had walked onto the tracks to retrieve her phone when she was hit.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, comedian Anthony Jeselnik seemed to find the situation quite funny while discussing the accident with NFL Network analyst Gregg Rosenthal on their podcast, <em>The Jeselnik &amp; Rosenthal Vanity Project</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This story is absolutely hilarious to me,” Jeselnik said during the episode, titled ‘Your Luck Is Like A Rollercoaster, Baby-Baby’.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I bet no one could believe it. I bet she feels dumb.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Rosenthal then explained how Ms Rodden had only just re-learned how to walk when she was struck, having been involved in a car crash in January 2021 that saw her car collide with a truck and flip over, with Jeselnik bursting into laughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now you’re wondering why is this funny to us?” Jeselnik said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Walking onto a rollercoaster track is a bad idea. If you drop your cell phone, ask someone who works there to get your phone for you. Do not jump onto the rollercoaster tracks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’d gotten hit by a car a few years ago, had to go through physical therapy to be able to walk again. To celebrate learning to walk again… she goes to an amusement park and immediately gets hit by a rollercoaster</p> <p dir="ltr">“Can you be forgiven because you haven’t been walking around that much that you don’t really know how to walk, and so you think walking onto rollercoaster tracks are fine?</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s bad luck but rollercoasters only go in two directions. It’s hard to get hit by them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A car, ok anything could have happened, maybe you’re in the street, maybe the car jumped the kerb.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A rollercoaster, that’s your fault every single time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeselnik’s comments come amid a growing number taking to social media to criticise Ms Rodden’s actions in the lead-up to the accident, with some claiming that she isn’t a victim and deserves to be in intensive care.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, a friend of Ms Rodden has appealed for prayers for the young woman, who he described as having a “heart of gold”.</p> <p dir="ltr"> “Please pray for Shylah Rodden. Shylah Rodden is one of my best friends [and has a] heart of gold. Shyla has always been there for me and is always there for anyone, not just her friends,” Mr Nawar wrote on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She has suffered a horrible accident at the Melbourne Show and was put in a induced coma. I don’t know her current status but please ask anyone who sees this to make a small prayer for her and her family, even if it’s [as] small as please God help them heal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Shylah and her family lost their son/brother a few months ago and were all still grieving. I saw the pain this had on Shylah.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6e63ddfe-7fff-8163-f54e-c4deff582289"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: YouTube / Facebook</em></p>

News

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Incredible teenage boy cracks coded coin in hours, but he isn’t the first

<p dir="ltr">Within hours of its release to the general public, a 14-year-old boy had cracked the codes hidden on <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/coins-covered-in-coded-clues-will-test-your-spy-skills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a coin released by an Australian intelligence agency</a> - but some had solved them days earlier, due to an unusual legal rule.</p> <p dir="ltr">A 50-cent coin celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) was released last Thursday containing four levels of codes with hidden messages.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the puzzles were already being discussed online ten days earlier, with some codes already being solved by August 20.</p> <p dir="ltr">This was due to requirements on the Australian Government to include the characters featured on the coin in legislation, available online, before the coin was made available to purchase on September 1.</p> <p dir="ltr">As well as a celebration of the agency’s history, it’s hoped the coin will act as a kind of recruitment drive and attempt to raise the profile of the ASD among the general public, with the agency planning to recruit another 1,900 people over the next decade as part of a $9.9 billion expansion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Richard Bean, a research fellow at the University of Queensland who solved the coin’s puzzles within two hours of getting his hands on it, said the move was about attracting those interested in a career with the ASD.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The kind of people who would sit down and solve this kind of code on the coin, they're the kind of people the ASD wants to attract — innovative thinkers to solve difficult problems in cryptography in both an offensive and defensive sense," Dr Bean said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"So solving other nation's codes and protecting Australian government communications security.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's about attracting the right candidates and putting the ASD in their mind, instead of having to go out in traditional recruitment channels."</p> <p dir="ltr">But let’s go back to our teenage whiz kid.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the Tasmanian boy’s identity hasn’t been revealed, it’s clear he has talent and instinct according to Distinguished Professor Willy Susilo, who also directs the Institute of Cybersecurity and Cryptology at the University of Wollongong.</p> <p dir="ltr">“[What] is very important is actually not about whether you can crack the code or not, [what] is important is the thinking behind it, how to solve this kind of puzzle,” he told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-05/how-to-solve-spy-australian-signals-directorate-50-cent-coin/101405266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To me, I think to get a person who, especially in this case, is 14 years old, can crack the code within just one or two hours is actually incredible in my opinion.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That really is the kind of skill needed in the Australian Signals Directorate." </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3c09a93f-7fff-0213-b8af-6fb92c5ceeed"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ASD</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Indian airline cracks the code to halving disembark times

<p dir="ltr">A low-cost Indian airline has come up with a game-changing solution to get passengers off planes quicker during disembarking. </p> <p dir="ltr">A lot of planes rely on one door at the front of the plane to get travellers off the aircraft when they arrive at their destination.</p> <p dir="ltr">This often means passengers at the back of the plane have to let hundreds of others off the plane before they get the chance to disembark in an orderly fashion. </p> <p dir="ltr">To combat the wait, some airlines, including Virgin Australia and Qantas-owned Jetstar, regularly allow passengers to disembark from a set of stairs at the rear of the plane. </p> <p dir="ltr">But India’s largest carrier IndiGo has gone one step further and has introduced a third door for passengers to exit through.</p> <p dir="ltr">They have utilised the door in the middle of the plane, which is only ever used in an emergency, as another exit for passengers. </p> <p dir="ltr">The carrier reckons it could almost halve the time it takes to get passengers off the plane from up to 13 minutes to a mere seven minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The new Three-Point Disembarkation process will be carried out from two forward and one rear exit ramp, making IndiGo the first airline to use this process,” an IndiGo spokesman told India’s <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indigo-introduces-process-for-faster-de-boarding-of-passengers-101659598634339.html">Hindustan Times</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">A video uploaded by Indian business journalist Sumit Chaturvedi shows the new process with passengers leaving an IndiGo Airbus A320 aircraft via the various ramps.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indian carrier Indigo today introduced a new Three Point Disembarkation <br />which it claims will enable its customers to exit the aircraft faster than before. The new process <br />will be carried out from two forward and one rear exit ramp. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiGo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChhaviLeekha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChhaviLeekha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiGo6E?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiGo6E</a> <a href="https://t.co/n7Xajg8dk0">pic.twitter.com/n7Xajg8dk0</a></p> <p>— Sumit Chaturvedi (@joinsumit) <a href="https://twitter.com/joinsumit/status/1555098794609455104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“An A320 aircraft usually takes around 13 minutes for its passengers to de-board the aircraft. However, the new process will make the drill faster and will reduce the disembarkation time from 13 minutes to seven minutes,” an IndiGo spokesman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">As well as being a major bonus for anxious passengers who are eager to make a swift exit from the plane, the changes could also greatly help the airline. </p> <p dir="ltr">The quicker passengers can leave the plane, the shorter the turnaround time to get it back in the air with more fare-paying passengers on board.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the revolutionary change exciting many, others are sceptical at the airline’s claims. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ben Schlappig of US aviation blog<a href="https://onemileatatime.com/news/indigo-deplaning-a320-three-doors/"> One Mile At A Time </a>questioned if all the claimed time savings would occur in real-life settings. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The process of actually getting out the door is one bottleneck, but I’d think that getting down the aisle is another thing that takes time, and that’s still an issue, even with a second door in the front.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-9300df50-7fff-1f10-f327-9cda09fc8532"></span></p>

Travel Tips

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This $2 fix will save your feet next time you wear heels

<p dir="ltr">Heels might make us look great and feel confident, but they can come at a cost to our hardworking feet, namely aches, pains, and even blisters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rachel Clinkard, who works at family-run shoe retailer Charles Clinkard, is all too familiar with this situation - and she’s got an easy fix she swears works wonders.</p> <p dir="ltr">She says that all you need is a $2 roll-on deodorant, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/bargain-29p-hack-stop-your-27221303" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mirror</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Clinkard claims that by applying some deodorant to the areas of your feet you think will rub while in heels, it will create a barrier between your skin and the shoe and help to prevent chafing.</p> <p dir="ltr">This hack can replace bandaids, plasters and other products like gel inserts.</p> <p dir="ltr">With deodorant going a long way, each application will be significantly cheaper than many of the alternatives too. Plus they smell great too! </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-150a6878-7fff-0fe5-6738-709a4e71e7c5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Kate Middleton cracks a crossword on the spot

<p dir="ltr">Kate Middleton has shown off her skill as a cruciverbalist - someone who enjoys and is skilled at crossword-solving - in a surprise encounter with a stumped student.</p> <p dir="ltr">The duchess was waved down during a royal visit to the University of Glasgow by 21-year-old Jack Baird, with a newspaper in hand and the hope that she could help him solve a tricky royal-related question, according to the <em><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/word-perfect-kate-cracks-the-times-crossword-jw3ffhzr3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Times</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The statistics undergraduate told the <em>Times </em>he was stuck on “seven down”, which asked for two words for the “sovereign's annual allowance”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fcd09ad6-7fff-9395-999e-e6eb65ce9cdd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t get the second word. I gave it to Kate and asked her as I’m sure she would have known,” Baird later told the newspaper.</p> <p dir="ltr">After he handed her the paper, which was May 8’s edition of the <em>Times</em>, Kate told him the answer: ‘Civil List’.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Duchess of Cambridge completed a crossword puzzle at the University of Glasgow. Jack Baird was stuck on 7 down:’Forerunner of the Sovereign Grant,the funding provided to support the official duties of The Queen'.Kate knew:Civil List,of course! (tip of the 👑 <a href="https://twitter.com/MattSunRoyal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattSunRoyal</a> ) <a href="https://t.co/GmwV2wKU20">pic.twitter.com/GmwV2wKU20</a></p> <p>— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) <a href="https://twitter.com/RE_DailyMail/status/1524415326536237056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“She was very excited,” Baird continued. “It didn’t look like she was going to get it for a moment.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She looked thrilled. I think she thought, ‘I wouldn’t live this down if I get this wrong’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The student said he was “so chuffed” and would frame the page containing the non-cryptic Jumbo Crossword.</p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the interaction was totally spontaneous and that he didn’t even know the royal couple would be on campus.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d4c3a217-7fff-b0a5-ba5b-23ed152d46d1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d been studying in the library for exams and saw a group of people out here and wondered what was going on,” he said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">So lovely to see so many people at the University today - it was buzzing! <a href="https://t.co/z8bv40LbDN">pic.twitter.com/z8bv40LbDN</a></p> <p>— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1524448734951657472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Duke and Duchess had come to the university to meet with students and professors to discuss mental health support, especially during COVID-19 and exam periods.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, they attracted such a large crowd of students that they later took to Twitter to apologise for not meeting them all.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-acf35488-7fff-c8e3-b40a-9011cbaffea5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“So many students! Sorry if we missed you,” they wrote on their official Kensington Royal Twitter account, shared alongside a clip of them chatting with the crowd.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">So many students! Sorry if we missed you. <a href="https://t.co/dqoupFsWS4">pic.twitter.com/dqoupFsWS4</a></p> <p>— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1524418612420919298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In another post, the couple shared a series of photos of themselves sitting with students and faculty to discuss mental health.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Exam season can be a challenging time for students of all ages,” the <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1524448437240012800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a> read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The support offered by universities, as well as the understanding and empathy of its students, has given us a real insight to the importance &amp; value of talking about mental wellbeing #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bad11cc5-7fff-e098-7309-1306fa64f662"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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"It would've cracked him in the head!" Ed Sheeran's near miss with Elton John

<p dir="ltr">Ed Sheeran has revealed the near miss he had with his friend Elton John while they were shooting the music video for their joint song<span> </span><em>Merry Christmas</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing on Apple Music’s<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPbqSs6Bwt8" target="_blank"><em>Zane Lowe Show</em></a>, Sheeran recalled how he “almost killed” John with a heavy bell while the pair were filming.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh, mate. I almost killed him with a bell on the video,” Sheeran <a rel="noopener" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/ed-sheeran-almost-killed-elton-john-filming-christmas-music-video/fdebb07d-ae6e-4b98-8099-cef46d9fd017" target="_blank">said</a> during the interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m dressed up as sort of sexy Santa Claus and I kick a present, but the present had a big metal bell on top of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I showed him the footage of it today because we slowed it down and the bell flew past his head and would’ve cracked him in the head.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh my God, the horror that went through my body when it was flying through the air.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXJlwiXDfYi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXJlwiXDfYi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The<span> </span><em>I’m Still Standin’<span> </span></em>singer also shared the clip on his social media account, with the caption, “Better luck next time, @teddysphotos 😂”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The festive video sees Sheen, 30, and John, 74, parody several famous Christmsa music videos, including Mariah Carey’s<span> </span><em>All I Want for Christmas is You</em><span> </span>and Wham!’s<span> </span><em>Last Christmas</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since its release last week,<span> </span><em>Merry Christmas</em><span> </span>has topped the UK Big Top 40 list, marking John’s third Big Top 40 number one track this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is also the third holiday song Sheeran and John have written together.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @teddysphotos (Instagram)</em></p>

Music

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What’s happening when our joints crack?

<div> <div class="copy"> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ve all had the experience of standing up and hearing a loud pop in our back or hip, or trying to tiptoe through the house only to have our foot make a cracking sound each time we take a step. So what’s happening in our joints when this happens, and is it a bad sign?</span></p> <p>What if we purposefully crack our knuckles? Will we get arthritis like our parents used to tell us?</p> <p>The noise we hear when our joints pop is likely to be due to movement of the tendon over bone. Tendons attach muscles to bones and are a bit like elastic bands that stretch over joints. It is thought tendons can make a popping noise when they move quickly across a joint.</p> <p>When a joint moves, the position of the tendon changes relative to the joint. Sometimes the tendon will shift its position slightly, causing it to make that popping sound as it snaps back to its normal place. This noise is quite normal whether it’s loud or soft, or happens frequently or not.</p> <p>The chronic degeneration of joint cartilage, known as osteoarthritis, leads to stiffness and reduced mobility of the joint. When this cartilage is damaged the surfaces of the bones rub against each other during movement, causing pain.</p> <p>Many factors contribute to arthritis, and people experience joint pain for many possible reasons, including genetics, age, weight and previous injury.</p> <p>Several causes of osteoarthritis have been identified and preventative strategies need to be developed. But, as far as the question of a causal link between joint cracking and osteoarthritis, there doesn’t appear to be any compelling evidence.</p> <p>If you’ve experienced any pain or swelling of the joint when it cracks, this should be assessed by a doctor as there may be abnormalities in the joint structures such as loose cartilage or an injury to ligaments. If the joint locks or gets stuck when it cracks this may also be an indication of an underlying problem and should also be assessed by a doctor.</p> <h2>Is cracking my knuckles bad for me?</h2> <p>Knuckle cracking is a habitual behaviour involving manipulation of the finger joints. For a long time, it has been suggested cracking your knuckles will increase the likelihood of developing arthritis later in life. Although this idea has persisted across generations, only in recent decades has any research looked scientifically at the question of the consequences of knuckle cracking.</p> <p>Synovial fluid is a substance found in the cavities of joints. It has a consistency similar to egg white and its purpose is to lubricate the joint to reduce friction during movement.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1129752/" target="_blank">Early research suggested</a> when the joint is extended the pressure within the joint is greatly reduced, causing gases dissolved in the synovial fluid to form microscopic bubbles or cavities. Eventually, joint fluid rushes into the areas of low pressure and the larger bubbles collapse, or pop, producing that familiar sound.</p> <p>In 2015, <a rel="noopener" href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0119470" target="_blank">a group of researchers from Canada</a> used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the mechanisms of knuckle cracking. They concluded knuckle cracking occurs as a result of formation of space in the synovial fluid in the form of bubbles rather than the collapse of the bubbles due to synovial fluid rapidly filling the space, debunking the previously held notion.</p> <p>Donald L. Unger was a medical doctor who was curious about the long-term effects of knuckle cracking, so he cracked the knuckles of one hand only for 60 years. He found there was no difference in the amount of arthritis between his hands at the end of this time.</p> <p>There has been some formal research on the topic. An <a rel="noopener" href="http://ard.bmj.com/content/49/5/308" target="_blank">early paper from 1990</a> found cracking the knuckles over a long period was associated with swelling and reduced grip strength in some people. However, the authors found no difference in arthritis of the hands between people who habitually cracked their knuckles and those who didn’t.</p> <p>A <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21383216" target="_blank">2011 study</a> assessed radiographs of people, aged 50 to 89 years, according to the frequency of their knuckle-cracking behaviour. Again, the prevalence of osteoarthritis of the hands was similar between people who cracked their knuckles often and those who did so rarely.</p> <p>So knuckle cracking doesn’t cause any harm and equally has no apparent benefit. To quote a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1129752/" target="_blank">study</a> on habitual knuckle cracking:</p> <p>The chief morbid consequence of knuckle cracking would appear to be its annoying effect on the observer.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-lavender-219133" target="_blank"></a><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> </div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/whats-happening-when-our-joints-crack-and-is-it-bad/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by The Conversation.</em></p> </div> </div>

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Cracking the code of unbreakable phone screens

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>Unbreakable phone screens might seem too good to be true, but some chemical engineers reckon they’ve cracked the secret, developing a new material that combines glass with nanocrystals to make a resilient screen that would produce high-quality images in phones, LEDs and computers.</p> <p>The breakthrough substance could even be used to make phone screens that double as solar panels.</p> <p>The technology revolves around <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/overcoming-atomic-level-perovskite-defects/" target="_blank">perovskites</a>: nanometre-sized crystals that have a range of exciting electrical properties, making them prime candidates for better solar cells, LEDs and touchscreens.</p> <p>While perovskites have had a few early commercial successes, their physical properties have mostly stopped them from getting far out of the lab.</p> <p>“The stability of perovskites is the most difficult challenge which has hindered their commercialisation,” says Professor Lianzhou Wang, a materials scientist at the University of Queensland and co-author on a paper describing the research, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf4460" target="_blank">published</a> in <em>Science.</em></p> <p>Lead author Dr Jingwei Hou, also from UQ, says the material is “super sensitive to almost everything – oxygen, water, gas, temperature, and even sensitive to light.</p> <p>“I think it’s a fantastic material, but it doesn’t really make sense if we want to use it on a solar panel, or display, if it’s sensitive to light.”</p> <p>The researchers have overcome this sensitivity by figuring a way to encase lead-halide perovskites in glass.</p> <p>“We created a lot of very small, nano-sized pores within the glass,” explains Hou. “That offers a very nice host material environment for the perovskite.</p> <p>“If we just put those very small nanocrystals within the pores, they will be not only stabilised against all of the external environment…it also makes the perovskite somewhere between 100 to 1000 times more efficient.”</p> <p>At the level of nanometres, the material resembles a chocolate chip cookie. “The perovskite nanocrystals are the chocolate chips, and the glass surrounds them,” says Hou.</p> <p>The material is also much more durable than normal glass. “Conventional glass is so brittle [because] it’s really dense. If you zoom in and look at the molecular structure, it’s silicon, aluminium, oxygen – very densely packed atoms,” says Hou.</p> <p>“Once you apply any pressure or any mechanical force to it, there’s no way to get it relaxed, and that’s what leads to the breakage of chemical bonds.”</p> <p>The pores, on the other hand, allow the glass to absorb more stress.</p> <p>“This is really a kind of platform technology,” says Hou. “The pore size can be tuned, the chemistry can be tuned. So that means it can be used to host a different type of perovskite.”</p> <p>In the paper, the international team of researchers – who are based at the University of Leeds and the University of Cambridge in the UK, and Université Paris-Saclay in France – demonstrate several different types of “lead halide perovskite and metal-organic framework glasses”, all of which they’ve been able to create.</p> <p>As well as their potential applications in screens and LEDs, the glasses could be used to make higher-quality X-ray images and more efficient solar panels.</p> <p>“We’re looking at trying to combine a solar panel with a display,” says Hou.</p> <p>“Think about mobile phones, for example – when you use it, it will become a display. When you don’t use it, put it in the sunlight, it will charge the battery. So it’s one device for two functions.”</p> <p>Manufacture of the material is scalable, according to Hou, and the researchers are currently looking at building prototype devices with it.</p> <p>“We’re really confident that we’ll be able to generate devices in the next stage,” says Hou.</p> <p>“We are also looking for some industrial collaborators who are really interested in bringing this exciting material into the real world.”</p> <em>Image credits: Shutterstock            <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=171112&amp;title=Cracking+the+code+of+unbreakable+phone+screens" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication -->          </em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/unbreakable-phone-screens/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian.</em></p> </div> </div>

Technology

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Hidden Aussie beach cracks the top 10 in the world

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Sydney-based content creator has gone viral for his footage from beaches that are very definitely off-the-beaten track.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adam Rikys shares clips on </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@adamrikys/video/6985683756568808706?lang=en&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tiktok</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> where he drops a pin on a new location in Australia using Google maps, then zooms in with stunning images of the beach, proving we’re a country full of hidden beachy treasures.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one of his latest videos, the creator chooses Turquoise Bay in Western Australia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Found in Cape Range National Park near Exmouth, Turquoise Bay was ranked as the sixth best beach in the world in Trip Advisor’s 2021 Travellers’ Choice Awards earlier this year.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLqMB0vJg2E/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLqMB0vJg2E/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Perth is OK! (@perthisok)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With its crystal clear waters and white sand, it’s easy to see why it scored a top spot.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the area is prone to strong currents, with inexperienced swimmers advised to take caution.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Venture Wanderer / Instagram, Hike Australia / Instagram</span></em></p>

Domestic Travel

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"Quite alarming!": Queen cracks joke about new statue

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>The Queen has made her audience laugh after cracking a joke about a new statue unveiled in her honour.</p> <p>Her Majesty spoke to South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, Governor Hieu Van Le and sculptor Robert Hannaford to view the statue that has been installed in the grounds of the government house in Adelaide.</p> <p>Video footage of the conversation released by Buckingham Palace shows that the sudden unveiling surprised the Queen, who made a quick joke.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL46ghGH_tC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL46ghGH_tC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>After seeing the statue so suddenly, she joked that “it must be quite alarming to suddenly see it out of the window - you’d think, gracious, has she arrived unexpectedly!”</p> <p>She was also presented with a scale model of the statue, which she thanked the sculptor for and said "I'm glad it's not quite as big as the original statue!".</p> <p>A palace statement said Her Majesty was also “briefed by the Governor and Premier on developments in the region, including the vaccination rollout to key workers, the response to Covid-19 and the lifting of restrictions in South Australia.</p> <p>“The Queen also heard from the Governor about the recovery from drought and bushfires in the area at the start of 2020, and from the Premier about how cooperation between health services, police, government - and the resilience of the Australian people - has been instrumental in their frontline response to the pandemic."</p> </div> </div> </div>

International Travel

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Australia’s drive-ins: where you can wear slippers, crack peanuts, and knit ‘to your heart’s content’

<p>We have seen many changes in Australian’s consumption of media during isolation.</p> <p>There has been an <a href="https://thinktv.com.au/news/bvod-viewing-surges-to-monthly-record-as-more-advertisers-embrace-online-tv/">increase</a> in television viewing; cinemas were <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/coronavirus-australia-orders-cinemas-close-1203541732/">forced</a> to close (although some have crafted a <a href="https://athome.lidocinemas.com.au/page/what-is-at-home/">new approach</a>); Hollywood release dates were <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/coronavirus-movie-release-calendar">postponed</a> or shifted to <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/g31871914/movies-streaming-early-coronavirus/">streaming</a>.</p> <p>Across the world, there was also another surprising change: a resurgence of the drive-in. Attendance in South Korea <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2020/mar/26/south-korea-booming-drive-ins-in-pictures">boomed</a>. In Germany, you could attend a <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/german-club-holds-drive-in-rave-to-circumvent-coronavirus-restrictions-2658551">drive-in rave</a>. In America, there was even drive-in <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-strip-club-offers-drive-thru-service-during-us-lockdown-11986446">strip-clubs</a>.</p> <p>With rules against “unnecessary travel”, Australia’s drive-in cinemas were forced to close. With a heightened sense of personal need to social distance, even as more cinemas across Australia start to reopen, is it time for the drive-in to shine again?</p> <p><strong>The beginning</strong></p> <p>The drive-in phenomenon <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110223234709/http:/www.babyboomercentral.com.au/icons_driveins.htm">began</a> in the United States. Richard M. Hollingshead Junior, whose family owned a chemical plant in New Jersey, initially commenced tests in his driveway in 1928, before opening a drive-in on June 6 1933.</p> <p>It ran for only three years, but was the start of a trend that spread throughout the country – and then the world.</p> <p>Australia’s first drive-in would not open for another 20 years.</p> <p>The first drive-in in Australia, the Skyline, opened February 17 1954, in Burwood, Victoria, with the musical comedy <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043882/">On the Riviera</a>. The first night created <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49416937">traffic jams</a>, as <a href="https://maas.museum/inside-the-collection/2016/02/09/remembering-australias-drive-ins/">2,000 cars</a> vied to gain access to the 600 spaces.</p> <p>The Argus dedicated a <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/1766401">two-page feature</a> to the opening, calling it:</p> <p><em>probably the most interesting development in entertainment here since the advent of sound pictures, the drive-in theatre provides the ultimate in relaxation and comfort for movie patrons.</em></p> <p>Unlike the cinema, said The Argus, there was no need to dress-up: slippers and shorts were fine. Drive-in patrons could smoke, crack peanuts, and knit “to your heart’s content”.</p> <p>Not everyone was happy with the introduction of the drive-in in their neighbourhood. Later that same year, a resident of Ascot Vale <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23431367?searchTerm=drivein&amp;searchLimits=l-decade=195">wrote</a> to The Argus against a local screen:</p> <p><em>Surely the experience of people in the Burwood district should be sufficient to prevent similar mistakes being made in other districts. The place for these latest improvements in our cultural life is well beyond outer boundaries.</em></p> <p><strong>The rise …</strong></p> <p>Within a year from the opening of the Burwood Skyline, another three drive-ins in Victoria and one South Australia opened. Within 10 years, the number reached 230 across the country. At its <a href="https://maas.museum/inside-the-collection/2016/02/09/remembering-australias-drive-ins/">peak</a> there were 330 drive-ins in Australia.</p> <p>The uptake and success of drive-ins in Australia corresponded with the <a href="https://chartingtransport.com/2011/08/07/trends-in-car-ownership/">increase</a> in car ownership in Australia. As more people owned cars, the whole family – even kids in pyjamas – could jump in and enjoy a night out. Parents didn’t need to find a babysitter, nor worry about their kids disturbing other patrons.</p> <p>I have fond memories of growing up during the 1980s and 90s in Shepparton, Victoria, and attending the <a href="https://www.myshepparton.com.au/drive-in-theatre.html">Twilight Drive-in Theatre</a>. I vividly remember the large white screen at the front with the playground directly underneath, and the kiosk in the middle of the lot. And who can forget the large <a href="https://collection.maas.museum/object/160821">speaker</a> you had to attach to the window?</p> <p>But, like many, the Twilight Drive-in closed to make way for a shopping centre.</p> <p><strong>… and the fall</strong></p> <p>There is no one villain we can point to in the downfall of drive-in popularity.</p> <p>In the 1970s, there was a new addition to TV: colour. Australia had one of the the <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/223584982?q=Invention+to+Institution%3A++A+Comparative+Historical+Analysis+of+Television+across+Three+National+Sites&amp;c=book&amp;sort=holdings+desc&amp;_=1591659253520&amp;versionId=249549460">fastest</a> uptakes of colour television, taking a third of the time compared to the United States to reach a 60% saturation rate. The rise of the VCR in the 1980s allowed even greater flexibility in viewing films at home.</p> <p>Daylight savings was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-18/daylight-saving---still-arguing-about-it-50-years-on/10265160">also introduced</a> in the 1970s, restricting the hours drive-ins could operate during the summer.</p> <p>Drive-ins were affordable to run because they were generally on the suburban fringe. As Australia’s cities grew, land value <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=gWuMYKzvnOEC&amp;printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&amp;q=drive%20land&amp;f=false">also increased</a>; using this land for a cinema was a less attractive proposition than development.</p> <p>There are now just 16 drive-ins running across Australia, and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/15/drive-in-movie-theaters-have-revived-in-the-coronavirus-pandemic.html">only 30</a> in the United States – down from their peak of over 4,000.</p> <p><strong>A viral resurgence?</strong></p> <p>The Yatala Drive-in on the outskirts of the Gold Coast <a href="https://mailchi.mp/fivestarcinemas.com.au/movies-are-back-on-yatala-drive-in-open-this-weekend?e=a03cb88b05">reopened</a> in early May. More recently, the Lunar Drive-in in Dandenong reopened on June 1. Even in the pouring Melbourne rain – normally a sure sign people will stay away – the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/movies/australia-s-drive-ins-have-the-chance-to-shine-even-in-pouring-rain-20200601-p54yfh.html">audience came</a>.</p> <p>As our lives begin to return to “normal”, and more states and territories allow people to return to indoor cinemas, will drive-in attendance continue? I hope so. Experiencing media across different screens provides us with new experiences and new memories which can be far greater than just the film on the screen.</p> <p>Drive-ins offer us a glance into Australian history, a hit of nostalgia, and, of course, the simple act reviving our love of the silver screen.</p> <p><em>Written by Marc C-Scott. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-drive-ins-where-you-can-wear-slippers-crack-peanuts-and-knit-to-your-hearts-content-139876">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Movies

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Police crack down on mums breastfeeding in public

<p>A young mother breastfeeding her child was recorded on camera being approached by police enforcing social distancing rules.</p> <p>Officers have taken to patrolling parks and beaches across the Sydney region and sending home those sitting in public spaces.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7835446/coogee-beach-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ac1e0f63ccbf4993aa12f4893c5cc925" /></p> <p>Channel 9 cameras captured police approaching a mother breastfeeding her baby, a man reading a newspaper alone and two young tradies eating their lunch in an effort to enforce the new strict measures placed on NSW citizens.</p> <p>Coogee beach had several patrol cars monitoring the eastern suburb along with a police helicopter circling over the water.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7835447/coogee-beach-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f3853aadb9d547a2a8c8cb76226ad7d2" /></p> <p>One officer spoke to two young mothers sitting closely together in active wear alongside their prams with their babies in their hands – with one who was breastfeeding.  </p> <p>On Wednesday morning, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said officers would “show discretion” while policing the state’s tough new lockdown laws.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7835448/coogee-beach.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7d4c7a5be7bc4596a6a2051630b52656" /></p> <p>“Police have been enforcing these laws and I know ... there has been criticism of police, which I don't accept. I accept the criticism of my leadership,” Commissioner Fuller went on to say, admitting there are many “what-if” situations people are still trying to wrap their heads around.</p> <p>Fuller says this new transition would be “challenging” for many people across the state, but added the adaption is absolutely necessary in this uncertain climate.</p>

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