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Almost half the men surveyed think they could land a passenger plane. Experts disagree

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guido-carim-junior-1379129">Guido Carim Junior</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-campbell-1414564">Chris Campbell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elvira-marques-1362476">Elvira Marques</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nnenna-ike-1490692">Nnenna Ike</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-ryley-1253269">Tim Ryley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Picture this: you’re nestled comfortably in your seat cruising towards your holiday destination when a flight attendant’s voice breaks through the silence: <blockquote> Ladies and gentlemen, both pilots are incapacitated. Are there any passengers who could land this plane with assistance from air traffic control? </blockquote> If you think you could manage it, you’re not alone. <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2023/01/02/fd798/3">Survey results</a> published in January indicate about one-third of adult Americans think they could safely land a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s guidance. Among male respondents, the confidence level rose to nearly 50%. Can a person with no prior training simply guide everyone to a smooth touchdown? We’ve all heard stories of passengers who saved the day when the pilot became unresponsive. For instance, last year <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbMoyWukjbs">Darren Harrison</a> managed to land a twin-engine aircraft in Florida – after the pilot passed out – with the guidance of an air traffic controller who also happened to be a flight instructor. However, such incidents tend to take place in small, simple aircraft. Flying a much bigger and heavier commercial jet is a completely different game. <h2>You can’t always rely on autopilot</h2> A pilot spends about 90% of their time monitoring autopilot systems and making sure everything is working as intended. The other 10% is spent managing problems, taxiing, taking off and landing. Takeoffs and landings are arguably the most difficult tasks pilots perform, and are always performed manually. Only on very few occasions, and in a handful of aircraft models, can a pilot use autopilot to land the aircraft for them. This is the exception, and not the rule. For takeoff, the aircraft must build up speed until the wings can generate enough lift to pull it into the air. The pilot must <a href="https://youtu.be/16XTAK-4Xbk?si=66yDo5g5I086Q2y2&t=65">pay close attention</a> to multiple instruments and external cues, while keeping the aircraft centred on the runway until it reaches lift-off speed. Once airborne, they must coordinate with air traffic control, follow a particular path, retract the landing gear and maintain a precise speed and direction while trying to climb. Landing is even more complicated, and requires having precise control of the aircraft’s direction and descent rate. <a href="https://youtu.be/u_it9OiTnSM?si=xNZrLB9ZH870LEa3&t=360">To land successfully</a>, a pilot must keep an appropriate speed while simultaneously managing gear and flap configuration, adhering to air traffic regulations, communicating with air traffic control and completing a number of paper and digital checklists. Once the aircraft comes close to the runway, they must accurately judge its height, reduce power and adjust the rate of descent – ensuring they land on the correct area of the runway. On the ground, they will use the brakes and reverse thrust to bring the aircraft to a complete stop before the runway ends. This all happens within just a few minutes. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nyx4NyMrvOs?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Both takeoff and landing are far too quick, technical and concentration-intensive for an untrained person to pull off. They also require a range of skills that are only gained through extensive training, such as understanding the information presented on different gauges, and being able to coordinate one’s hands and feet in a certain way. <h2>Training a pilot</h2> The journey from student to commercial pilot is a long one. It normally starts with a recreational licence, followed by a private licence, and then a commercial licence (which allows them to fly professionally). Even before stepping into a cockpit, the student must study aerodynamics, air law and flight rules, meteorology, human factors, navigation, aircraft systems, and performance and flight planning. They also need to spend time learning about the specific aircraft they will be flying. Once the fundamentals are grasped, an instructor takes them for training. Most of this training is conducted in small, lightweight aircraft – with a simulator introduced briefly towards the end. During a lesson, each manoeuvre or action is demonstrated by the instructor before the student attempts it. Their attempt may be adjusted, corrected or even terminated early in critical situations. The first ten to fifteen lessons focus on takeoff, landing, basic in-flight control and emergency management. When the students are ready, they’re allowed to “go solo” – wherein they conduct a complete flight on their own. This is a great milestone. After years of experience, they are ready to transition to a commercial aircraft. At this point they might be able to take off and land reasonably well, but they will still undergo extensive training specific to the aircraft they are flying, including hours of advanced theory, dozens of simulator sessions and hundreds of hours of real aircraft training (most of which is done with passengers onboard). So, if you’ve never even learned the basics of flying, your chances of successfully landing a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s help are close to zero. <h2>Yet, flying is a skill like any other</h2> Aviation training has been democratised by the advent of high-end computers, virtual reality and flight simulation games such as Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.flightsimulator.com/">Flight Simulator</a> and <a href="https://www.x-plane.com/">X-Plane</a>. Anyone can now rig up a desktop flight simulator for a few thousand dollars. Ideally, such a setup should also include the basic physical controls found in a cockpit, such as a control yoke, throttle quadrant and pedals. Flight simulators provide an immersive environment in which professional pilots, students and aviation enthusiasts can develop their skills. So if you really think you could match-up against a professional, consider trying your hand at one. You almost certainly won’t be able to land an actual passenger plane by the end of it – but at least you’ll gain an appreciation for the immense skill pilots possess.<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/218037/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guido-carim-junior-1379129">Guido Carim Junior</a>, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-campbell-1414564">Chris Campbell</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elvira-marques-1362476">Elvira Marques</a>, Aviation PhD candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nnenna-ike-1490692">Nnenna Ike</a>, Research Assistant, Griffith Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-ryley-1253269">Tim Ryley</a>, Professor and Head of Griffith Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-half-the-men-surveyed-think-they-could-land-a-passenger-plane-experts-disagree-218037">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Airport worker steals half a million dollars of personal items

A trusted worker at Sydney Airport has been jailed for two years after stealing more than $450,000 worth of personal items from airport cargo. The 38-year-old man from Western Sydney, who was a freight handler at the airport, was identified as a potential suspect when the thefts of personal electronic items were first reported in February 2022. Several months later, he was found with $189,000 cash in the boot of his car, according to Australian Federal Police. The AFP then found that a further $261,000 had been transferred into the man’s personal bank accounts, after a number of stolen devices had been “sold, gifted, or kept for personal use”. “This money, which totalled $450,000, was criminal proceeds generated from the sale of the stolen electronic devices,” AFP said. The man was charged with receiving stolen property and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, while his partner, a 45-year-old woman, was charged with two counts of dealing with money or other property reasonable to be suspected of being proceeds of crime under $100,000. The pair pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2023, and on Wednesday the man was sentenced to three years and four months in jail, with a non-parole period of two years. The woman was to an intensive corrections order of 70 hours community service. AFP Sydney Airport Police Commander Morgen Blunden said the pair was “motivated by profit and greed”. “People with trusted access in an airport precinct are critical to the successful operation of Australia’s tourism and trade sectors,” Blunden said. “But the AFP will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who abuse this trust. AFP has zero tolerance for those to abuse their access to air-side operations for their illegal pursuits.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Almost half of Moon missions fail. Why is space still so hard?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gail-iles-761554">Gail Iles</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> In 2019, India attempted to land a spacecraft on the Moon – and ended up painting a kilometres-long streak of debris on its barren surface. Now the Indian Space Research Organisation has returned in triumph, with the Chandrayaan-3 lander <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-counts-down-crucial-moon-landing-2023-08-23/">successfully touching down</a> near the south pole of Earth’s rocky neighbour. India’s success came just days after a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02659-6">spectacular Russian failure</a>, when the Luna 25 mission tried to land nearby and “ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface”. These twin missions remind us that, close to 60 years after the first successful “soft landing” on the Moon, spaceflight is still difficult and dangerous. Moon missions in particular are still a coin flip, and we have seen several high-profile failures in recent years. Why were these missions unsuccessful and why did they fail? Is there a secret to the success of countries and agencies who have achieved a space mission triumph? <h2>An exclusive club</h2> The Moon is the only celestial location humans have visited (so far). It makes sense to go there first: it’s the closest planetary body to us, at a distance of around 400,000 kilometres. Yet only four countries have achieved successful “soft landings” – landings which the spacecraft survives – on the lunar surface. The USSR was the first. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_9">Luna 9</a> mission safely touched down on the Moon almost 60 years ago, in February 1966. The United States followed suit a few months later, in June 1966, with the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/1966-the-real-first-moon-landing-118785850/">Surveyor 1</a> mission. China was the next country to join the club, with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_3">Chang'e 3</a> mission in 2013. And now India too has arrived, with <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/23/india-chandrayaan-3-moon-landing-mission">Chandrayaan-3</a>. Missions from Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, the European Space Agency, Luxembourg, South Korea and Italy have also had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_missions_to_the_Moon">some measure of lunar success</a> with fly-bys, orbiters and impacts (whether intentional or not). <h2>Crashes are not uncommon</h2> On August 19 2023, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced that “communication with the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02659-6">Luna 25 spacecraft</a> was interrupted”, after an impulse command was sent to the spacecraft to lower its orbit around the Moon. Attempts to contact the spacecraft on August 20 were unsuccessful, leading Roscosmos to determine Luna 25 had crashed. Despite more than 60 years of spaceflight experience extending from the USSR to modern Russia, this mission failed. We don’t know exactly what happened – but the current situation in Russia, where resources are stretched thin and tensions are high due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, may well have been a factor. The Luna 25 failure recalled two high-profile lunar crashes in 2019. In April that year, the Israeli <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beresheet">Beresheet lander</a> crash-landed after a gyroscope failed during the braking procedure, and the ground control crew was unable to reset the component due to a loss of communications. It was later reported a capsule containing microscopic creatures called tardigrades, in a dormant “cryptobiotic” state, may have survived the crash. And in September, India sent its own Vikram lander down to the surface of the Moon – but it did not survive the landing. NASA later <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/03/indias-crashed-vikram-moon-lander-spotted-on-lunar-surface">released an image</a> taken by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showing the site of the Vikram lander’s impact. Debris was scattered over almost two dozen locations spanning several kilometres. <h2>Space is still risky</h2> Space missions are a risky business. Just over <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/success-rate-of-lunar-missions-is-a-little-over-50-as-per-nasa-database/articleshow/101774227.cms">50% of lunar missions succeed</a>. Even <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20190002705/downloads/20190002705.pdf">small satellite missions</a> to Earth’s orbit don’t have a perfect track record, with a success rate somewhere between 40% and 70%. We could compare uncrewed with crewed missions: around <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230518-what-are-the-odds-of-a-successful-space-launch">98% of the latter are successful</a>, because people are more invested in people. Ground staff working to support a crewed mission will be more focused, management will invest more resources, and delays will be accepted to prioritise the safety of the crew. We could talk about the details of why so many uncrewed missions fail. We could talk about technological difficulties, lack of experience, and even the political landscapes of individual countries. But perhaps it’s better to step back from the details of individual missions and look at averages, to see the overall picture more clearly. <h2>The big picture</h2> Rocket launches and space launches are not very common in the scheme of things. There are <a href="https://www.pd.com.au/blogs/how-many-cars-in-the-world/">around 1.5 billion cars</a> in the world, and perhaps <a href="https://www.travelweek.ca/news/exactly-many-planes-world-today/">40,000 aeroplanes</a>. By contrast, there have been fewer than <a href="https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/data/derived/launchlog.html">20,000 space launches</a> in all of history. Plenty of things still go wrong with cars, and problems occur even in the better-regulated world of planes, from loose rivets to computers overriding pilot inputs. And we have more than a century of experience with these vehicles, in every country on the planet. So perhaps it’s unrealistic to expect spaceflight – whether it’s the launch stage of rockets, or the even rarer stage of trying to land on an alien world – to have ironed out all its problems. We are still very much in the early, pioneering days of space exploration. <h2>Monumental challenges remain</h2> If humanity is ever to create a fully fledged space-faring civilisation, we must <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/02/space-is-cold-vast-and-deadly-humans-will-explore-it-anyway/">overcome monumental challenges</a>. To make long-duration, long-distance space travel possible, there are a huge number of problems to be solved. Some of them seem within the realm of the possible, such as better radiation shielding, self-sustaining ecosystems, autonomous robots, extracting air and water from raw resources, and zero-gravity manufacturing. Others are still speculative hopes, such as faster-than-light travel, instantaneous communication, and artificial gravity. Progress will be little by little, small step by slightly larger step. Engineers and space enthusiasts will keep putting their brainpower, time and energy into space missions, and they will gradually become more reliable. And maybe one day we’ll see a time when going for a ride in your spacecraft is as safe as getting in your car. <hr /> Correction: a typing error in the original version of this article put the Surveyor 1 mission in 1996, rather than its actual year of 1966.<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/211914/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gail-iles-761554">Gail Iles</a>, Senior Lecturer in Physics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-half-of-moon-missions-fail-why-is-space-still-so-hard-211914">original article</a>.

International Travel

Christmas in July sale: Sleep soundly with these half price mattress deals

When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, the last thing you want is an uncomfortable mattress. Even when you’re getting a bad night’s sleep, the tossing and the turning is just unbearable and we all know you’ll be waking up in a mood. And if you’re putting off getting a great mattress for your back just because it's expensive, it’s your lucky day. For a limited time, Emma Mattress is having a <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas in July sale</a> with many of their popular mattresses reduced to a nice sum. It doesn’t even matter what your sleeping pattern is, <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Mattress</a> has something for everyone and helps with spinal alignment through its patented technology. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out what’s on offer:</a> <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-diamond-hybrid-mattress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Diamond Hybrid Mattress</a> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/orange-bed.jpg" alt="" width="1062" height="705" /> Enjoy a stunning 55 per cent off the <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-diamond-hybrid-mattress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Diamond Hybrid Mattress</a> going for $809.55, down from $1,799.00. The Emma Diamond Hybrid Mattress is a foam and spring hybrid one, featuring the patented technology which will help with your spine. It also has the 7-zone dynamic support on each layer which is sure to help keep you in a deep sleep. A bonus is the machine washable covers so that’s one less thing you need to stress about. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-comfort-mattress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Comfort Mattress</a> You know it’s got to be good when a mattress has won an award and the <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-comfort-mattress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Comfort</a> has done just that. Twice in a row, the Emma Comfort has been dubbed the Top Scoring Mattress 2021 AND 2022 by CHOICE. Emma Comfort Mattress is perfect for all types of sleepers and thanks to the innovative airocell helps regulate body temperature. The high-quality foam also adapts to your body ensuring that your sleep remains uninterrupted. It also has 50 per cent off going for $499.50, down from $999.00. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-boxbed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Signature Bed</a> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/emma-boxbed.jpeg" alt="" width="1337" height="761" /> May as well go all out with this incredible sale and buy a new bed while you’re at it! The <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-boxbed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Signature Bed</a> is extremely easy to assemble with a step-by-step instruction booklet. It is made from the most durable and premium materials and the bed base uses patented FlexiSlats technology giving ultimate support and breathability. The bed is usually sold for $999.00 but thanks to 50 per cent off it is $499.50 for a limited time. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-foam-pillow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Foam Pillow</a> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/emma_foam_pillow.jpeg" alt="" width="1062" height="705" /> The <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-foam-pillow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Foam Pillow</a> is designed to ensure you have the most comfortable headrest. It is also customisable for maximum comfort and designed for any sleeping position. For just $100, this is sure to help you get the best sleep. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-cloud-hybrid-pillow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Cloud Hybrid Pillow</a> The <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-cloud-hybrid-pillow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Cloud Hybrid</a> is described as “Like Sleeping on Cloud-9” and is able to be adjusted in height. The removable memory foam core will work perfectly with those who sleep on their backs, side and even stomach. You’re guaranteed to sleep cool and soundly with its breathable and hypoallergenic design. There is 50 per cent off the Emma Cloud Hybrid Pillow selling for $175.00. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-mattress-topper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Flip Topper</a> The <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-mattress-topper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Flip Topper</a> is a nice addition to your mattress providing you with the necessary comfort for a better night’s sleep. There is extra support thanks to the ZeroGravity foam and extra comfort from the Breathable Airgocell Foam. The UltraDry cover also helps with keeping you at the right temperature all while you’re enjoying your rest. The Emma Flip Topper has been reduced by 25 per cent for $201.75. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-all-seasons-duvet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma All Seasons Duvet</a> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/emma-quilt-_detail-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" /> Made from 100% cotton the<a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-all-seasons-duvet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Emma All Seasons Duvet</a> lives up to its namesake. It will make you want to stay in bed all day, or just that tiny bit longer as it helps you keep warm through those chilly autumn nights and cool in summer. You can save 25 per cent off the duvet which is currently being sold for $179.25. <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-mattress-protector/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Mattress Protector</a> The <a href="https://www.emma-sleep.com.au/emma-mattress-protector/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emma Mattress Protector</a> ensures your mattress is protected from any spills or messes. It will protect you from dust mites and allergens while at the same time is 100% water, moisture and spill proof. Enjoy 25 per cent off the Emma Mattress Protector for $126.75. <em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Editor's note: When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, Over60 may earn a small commission. We do not accept money for editorial reviews, and we only write about products we feel comfortable recommending to our readers. Thank you.

Money & Banking

Millions of Aussies to be eligible for half-price medicines

Massive changes are underway for millions of Aussies as the federal government is moving to cut the cost of prescription medicine. Health minister Mark Butler announced that patients will be able to double the number of scripts they can receive, from one month’s supply to two months. From September 1, general patients will be able to save up to $180 a year if their medicine can be prescribed for 2 months, concession card holders will save up to $43.80 per year on medicine. Under the reform, which is to be included in May’s budget, 320 different medicines treating chronic conditions such as cholesterol, heart disease and hypertension will be dispensed in 60-day doses rather than the current 30. They will still be subject to the current price caps, so instead of paying a maximum of $30 for a 30-day medicine supply, those affected will pay $40 at most for a 60-day supply. One of the ideas behind it is that Aussies won’t have to visit a doctor or pharmacist as often. The federal government said the change will bring Australia into line with other countries, including New Zealand and the UK, where patients already have access to multiple month medicines on a single prescription. "Every year, nearly a million Australians are forced to delay or go without a medicine that their doctor has told them is necessary for their health. "This cheaper medicines policy is safe, good for Australians' hip pockets and most importantly good for their health.” The overhaul of prescriptions has long been supported by the Australian Medical Association and was recommended by the indecent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in 2018. However, pharmacists have opposed the reform, with Pharmacy Guild saying the change would cost community chemists $3.5billion. Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Trent Twomey said the change does little to acknowledge a massive shortage in medications. “I'm all for cost-of-living relief and a cost-of-living measure but this, unfortunately, is just smoke and mirrors,' he told ABC TV. “If you don't have the medicine in stock, how do you give double nothing? Double nothing is still nothing.” Instead, the federal government needed to boost local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals to fix the medicine shortage, Twomey said. Dr Nick Coatsworth also agreed that the new policy could lead to major medication shortages for patients across Australia. “The medication shortage issue is not made up. “This policy could lead to Australians turning up to pharmacies and being turned away for medications they've been on for five-to-10 years,” he told Today. “I'm actually worried about this, it looks good at face value but I knew a lot about supply chains in Covid and Australians probably aren't quite aware of how ropey those supply chains are. “If we start giving people 60 days of medications instead of 30, people will miss out.” Opposition leader Peter Dutton has supported the Pharmacy Guild’s stance in an online video. "Many, particularly older Australians, but families as well, really rely on the relationship with their local pharmacist," he said. "The government's proposal at the moment is going to make it harder for pharmacists to do that work and have that relationship with their patients.” Nationals leader David Littleproud said regional, remote and rural Australians risked being impacted by the changes. "Thousands of Australians who need medications could suffer as a consequence, because doubling scripts for some might mean others miss out," he said. However, the reform has been supported by the Australian Medical Association, a doctor’s body, with vice president Danielle McMullen welcoming the change. “At the time we're talking about so many cost-of-living pressures, this will really ease the burden on patients across Australia,” she told Sunrise. “There are some situations of shortages in medicines at the moment but there will be a staged approach to this announcement to ease the burden on the shortages.” Health Minister Mark Butler said the changes will be launched in three states, each introducing around 100 medications. The first stage will commence on September 1 2023, with the second on March 1 2024, and the final on September 1 2024. Butler said the new prescriptions will reduce how often those living in rural areas need to travel for treatment and shed light on the issue of Aussies delaying or going without medicines they need due to high costs. “Every year, nearly a million Australians are forced to delay or go without a medicine that their doctor has told them is necessary for their health,” he said. “This cheaper medicines policy is safe, good for Australians' hip pockets and most importantly good for their health.” Butler rejected the idea that the scheme will cause widespread shortages, noting only seven medications on the list are currently scarce. From September 1, 60-day scripts will be available for the six million people prescribed the eligible medications. Image credit: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Almost half of Australians don’t know how to talk about inheritance

It’s no secret that having conversations with family about money are often very awkward and difficult to have. However, when it comes to talking about inheritance, these are conversations that can’t be put off. New research has revealed that over 40 percent of Australis are yet to have important and proactive conversations with their loved ones about inheritance, despite 74 percent saying these conversations are necessary. Australia is currently in the midst of the biggest intergenerational wealth transfer in history, with baby boomers set to hand over $3.5 trillion to the next generation. Despite this, the new research shows that 20 percent of people don’t know how to broach the discussion with their families, even though 48 percent of people agree that having the conversation about a legacy before a person passes away will cause less conflict amongst beneficiaries. The research, commissioned by financial educator and communicator Vanessa Stoykov, reveals the compelling need for Australians to be confident and comfortable having conversations with family about money. “The time is now for Australians to become more financially literate and break down unhelpful beliefs about money and talking about it. This is about equipping ourselves with financial skills and independence,” says Ms Stoykov. “It can be tricky to navigate difficult conversations around money, but everyone needs to have a dialogue with their partners, parents, children and grandchildren. This is not just about whether someone is leaving money, but also the financial legacy that you pass on to your children," Ms Stoykov said. "Talking openly to them is a legacy and gift in itself.” Image credits: Getty Images

Retirement Income

Real reason boy struggled to breathe for over half his life

A young boy who from the age of two began to struggle with his breathing must now undergo major surgery after being misdiagnosed by doctors. Marley was just two years old and had a lingering cough, which his parents didn’t think much of until a few years later when it got considerably worse. The young boy was eventually diagnosed with asthma, the treatment for which was expected to help him breathe. Unfortunately, Marley’s condition kept getting worse and his father Jay Enjakovic wanted to get to the bottom of it. Mr Enjakovic explained that his son was playing football and basketball and his health “went downhill pretty quick”. “He couldn’t run out his games, coughing a lot more, bringing a lot of food up, bringing water up every time he ate,” the worried father said on The Today Show. Then, together with his wife Skye, the pair were determined to find out what was wrong with their son, who was struggling for more than half his life. The now eight-year-old was in and out of hospitals when his condition turned critical in December 2021. X-rays of Marley’s oesophagus and trachea were done and it was there the family were shocked to be told that their son possibly had tracheoesophageal fistula. Tracheoesophageal fistula is when the oesophagus is connected to the trachea which makes food, drink and saliva enter from the trachea. Doctors were ready to do a surgery on Marley but were unable to due to the inflammation. They then decided to do another X-ray, which is when they were even MORE shocked to see that something was in fact lodged in the young boy’s throat. “A few hours later I received a phone call to meet his surgeon at recovery where they pulled a piece of plastic, an arts and craft plastic flower, from his airway,” Ms Enjakovic said. “I honestly couldn’t believe it! This was the whole cause of everything! I was relieved I finally had an answer. “We are unsure how long this price of plastic was lodged in his airway, but my guess is at least five years as that’s when we started noticing small issues, which became worse over time.” The flower has since been removed and Marley is due to undergo further surgery to help repair the airway and oesophagus. Images: The Today Show

Body

Mum’s fool-proof hack to dry your clothes in half the time

A clever mum has shared the ultimate laundry tip that will ensure your clothes air-dry in no time. With surging energy bills crippling households, air drying items is a much more efficient way of doing laundry. However, colder winter months can sometimes mean clothes and linen may take days to dry in the fresh air. One mum has found the answer to this problem, sharing her hack on the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/mumswhoclean">Mums Who Clean</a>. "I have recently been staying with my elderly parents. While there, I did some washing for them," she says. "Mum said to me, 'Don't forget to do an additional spin cycle after the cycle has finished.'” "Her response was that it wouldn't take as long for the washing to dry on a cold winter's day when there isn't as much sun.” "And guess what, she was right!" The mum tried it for herself when she got home, saying it helped to dry her clothes in half the time. "Since returning home this week to Sydney and the rain, I tried this on a load of towels (bath sheets) before putting them in the dryer," she says. "Normally, the load would take one and a half to two hours to dry, and they took just under 60 minutes." Other group members were impressed with the hack, with many saying they would give it a go. "Oh wow, I'm going to give this a go!" said one person. Others said they’ve been doing this hack “for years”, and were happy others were going to try the handy tip. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

Couple book non-stop cruises for two-and-a-half years

A couple who missed out on the joys of cruising during lockdown are now bunkering down and cruising non-stop for two-and-a-half years. Jessica and Marty Ansen left Brisbane on Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess on June 16 for the beginning of their exciting adventure. They have previously sailed on 31 cruises with Princess with a whopping 1,173 days at sea and when the resumption of cruises they were ready to get started again. From now until August 2024, the loved up couple will be holidaying on the high seas and on a staggering 53 different cruise ships! “Cruising offers the ultimate holiday experience. You go onboard, you only unpack once, and you have all this amazing entertainment, exceptional food, great company and you can see the world. And, the crew deliver incredible service - that’s why we cruise,” they said. The Ansens booked their two years of back-to-back cruises (795 sea days) - including two round-the-world cruises in 2023 and 2024 – with Brisbane-based family-owned travel agency Clean Cruising. Martine Hero, the Senior Consultant at Clean Cruising, said the Ansens had always been passionate about cruising and were keen to be back on the water again. “For the last two years Marty frequently mentioned all he and Jessica wanted to do was to go cruising again,” he said. “Since the announcement of the resumption of cruising we have had an influx of interest and bookings, including those of the Ansens. “This extended trip has been in the works for a long time, as have those of many other cruisers. “We want to thank our cruise fans for their patience as we get them back doing what they love most.” Image: The Today Show

Cruising

Cut your wait time in half with this sneaky baggage claim trick

One airport worker has shared a handy little tip that could save you the time otherwise spent doing one of the most annoying things – waiting for your luggage at baggage claim. Guests could often wait over 45 minutes for their suitcases to appear, and that is the last thing you’d want to be doing after a 20-hour flight. Thomas Lo Sciuto is a ramp worker and gate agent at a regional airport in the US and said getting your bag early can depend on when you check in. "Your best option is to be one of the last passengers to check your bags," he <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/18722529/travel-expert-luggage-hack-airport/">shared</a> on an online thread. "Bags will always be loaded front to back on the bag carts so if you check in last your bags will be in the last bag cart, which will make them the last on the aircraft, and the first off the aircraft at your destination. "Same logic goes for the other end. If they are the first off the aircraft they will most likely be the first on the bag carts and then the first to be unloaded at baggage claim." Of course, you don't want to risk missing your flight though, so don't leave check in too late simply for the sake of this advice. It comes after a flight attendant revealed a 'sneaky' trick they often use to get <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/flight-attendant-s-hack-to-get-more-carry-on-luggage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">additional carry on baggage</a> on board when they travel. Flight attendant Miguel Muñoz said he "always" does this as a passenger, calling it the 'duty free hack', as duty free bags don't count as carry on baggage. "Ask for one at the duty free shop and you place whatever you want in the shopping bag," he said. Another popular hack to sneak extra items onto the plane that has been doing the rounds on TikTok involves hiding items inside your travel pillow. Image: Getty

Travel Tips

90s RnB immortalised in the Super Bowl halftime show

In an epic salute to 90s hip-hop and RnB music, a selection of industry legends took to the stage at the Super Bowl half time show in California on Sunday. Leading the charge was LA’s finest Dr Dre, who promised big surprises during the set that he reportedly dropped almost $10 million on. The stage was a replica of a Californian neighbourhood, with the performances taking place on the roofs and in different rooms of the enormous set that sat in centre field.As the show began, Dr Dre opened with this 1995 smash hit California Love, which earned a roar from the native West Coast crowd. Joining Dre on stage was his lifelong protege and collaborator Snoop Dogg, before rapper 50 Cent made a surprise appearance with his 2003 anthem In Da Club. The next artist to hit the stage was Mary J. Blige, as she belted out her 2001 hit Family Affair, before launching into her hit track No More Drama.Following Mary J. Blige was a newer rapper on the scene Kendrick Lamar, who shot to fame in the early 2010s after being inspired by his idols on the stage.Lamar popped out of a cardboard box for his performance while being surrounded by dancers who donned “Dre Day” sashes for their epic choreographed dance routine. Last to the stage was rap legend Eminem, who launched into his 2002 epic song Lose Yourself, making the crowd go wild over this motivational anthem.As the performers joined together for a final moment on the stage, the 15 minute performance ended with a standing ovation from the 80,000-strong crowd of the SoFi stadium. The 2022 show was the first year the epic NFL event has fully embraced a hip-hop act for the half time entertainment. "We're gonna open more doors for hip hop artists in the future and making sure that the NFL understands this is what it should have been a long time ago," Dr. Dre said at a press conference before the show."We're gonna show exactly how professional we can be, how dope we can be on stage and how exciting we are going to be to the fans."Check out the performance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdsUKphmB3Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image credits: Getty Images

Music

Rich countries donating half their COVID vaccine supply would be a “win-win”

The message emerging from expert dialogue on the trajectory of COVID is increasingly clear: this show won’t be over until the whole world is vaccinated. The appearance of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/omicron-update-170122/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Omicron</a> on the scene, with <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/son-of-omicron-victoria-detects-a-handful-of-covid-19-sub-variant-cases/095ee479-723b-40a9-a2ca-77e90968d6e7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">son-of-Omicron</a> (the BA.2 sub-variant) hot on its heels, has been a stark reminder that making it through one wave doesn’t mean we’ve weathered the storm – as long as there are under-vaccinated populations, this virus will continue to develop new variants that will sweep across the globe, making vaccine equity crucial to COVID defense.Just how much should we prioritise vaccine sharing over increasing immunity within our own borders? A new <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01289-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modelling study</a> published in Nature Human Behaviour has put firm figures to this tricky question, finding that if high-income countries were to donate up to 46% of their total vaccine supply to low- and middle-income countries, the benefits could include substantial decreases in global mortality and protection against further pandemic waves.Using a mathematical model, the researchers projected the consequences of vaccine inequity over five years, against the backdrop of evolving strains of SARS-CoV-2 and global mobility.The results showed that if we want to get on top of COVID, we’re going to have look beyond short-term immunity gains within our own borders and start playing a globally focused long-game.The model indicated that increasing national vaccination rates through booster programs, such as the controversial <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/fourth-covid-shot-wont-prevent-omicron-infection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four-dose regime</a> being rolled out across Israel, does lead to faster declines in mortality in high-income countries in the first year. But these gains are swallowed up by an increasing vulnerability to infection in subsequent years as the global threat of newly emerging strains grows.Conversely, modelling equitable vaccine allocation strategies showed a substantial curbing of the spread of new strains, providing greater benefits to both high-income and low- and middle-income countries.Regardless of where individual countries stand on the ethics of tending to your own flock ahead of assisting disadvantaged global populations, this model makes it clear that allocating nearly half of high-income countries’ vaccine supplies is, over the longer-term, in their own interest.Addressing vaccine equity is a practical but highly effective variant-suppression measure that could be achieved by immediate and more-generous vaccine donations to low- and middle-income countries, but convincing governments to reframe their national COVID strategies in this global light remains a challenge.As of 31 December 2021, more than nine billion COVID-19 vaccination doses had been administered worldwide – but the distribution of these doses remains highly imbalanced. Over 70% of people in high-income countries are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19; in low-income countries, that number is 4%.Organisations such as COVAX, which is co-led by <a href="https://www.gavi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.gavi.org/">Gavi</a>, <a href="https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax">the WHO</a>, and <a href="https://cepi.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cepi.net/">CEPI</a>, are attempting to tackle the vaccine inequity problem, and announced in January that they had delivered their <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/billionth-covax-dose/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">billionth vaccine dose</a> – an admirable achievement, but well short of their 2 billion dose goal. The organisation cited hoarding and stockpiling by wealthy countries as a key roadblock to their progress. Many high-income countries have access to enough vaccines to vaccinate their populations several times over, leaving some low- and middle-income countries struggling to obtain sufficient supplies to vaccinate their populations even once.But, as the current study makes clear, pandemics pay no heed to borders. Until there is international commitment to global vaccine equity, the waves will continue to crash in.<div id="contributors"><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/combatting-vaccine-inequity-win-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jamie-priest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Priest</a>. Jamie Priest is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of Adelaide.Image: Getty Images</div>

Body

“Really appalling” prediction for half of Australia's aged care

A dire warning has been issued for Australia’s aged care homes, with the CEO of Aged and Community Services Australia <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/aged-and-community-services-australia-warns-half-of-all-aged-care-homes-will-soon-be-hit-with-the-virus/news-story/36bff623338e8828df3236cd855b2377" target="_blank">predicting</a> that Covid will hit half in the coming week. After recording low case numbers over the last several months, the number of aged care facilities with at least two residents or staff members who have tested positive has peaked at 124. In NSW alone, there are 639 active cases of Covid among residents, as well as 728 among staff, as reported by The Daily Telegraph. Currently, the number of deaths in aged care facilities with active cases of Covid stands at 13. Speaking to the ABC on Tuesday, CEO Paul Sadler shared his prediction, adding that the number of cases is likely to grow even further. “I believe there is now a risk that we will have over half of all the aged care homes in Australia with outbreaks, and that number is likely to continue to increase,” he said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Unfortunately my prediction proved accurate. Department of Health data just released show active COVID outbreaks in 1,107 aged care homes across Australia, with over 3,200 residents infected. Exponential rise threatens over half of all aged care homes within days — Paul Sadler (@PaulSadlerCnslt) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulSadlerCnslt/status/1481926122250342402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2022</a></blockquote> Despite the grim outlook, Mr Sadler defended the sector’s rollout of COVID-19 booster shots, saying third doses of the vaccine started within a week of approval. “We were ready to go once ATAGI made that decision, but what happened, of course, was that the Omicron wave began in earnest in early December, and from that point on we’ve been struggling to protect older people,” he said. Dr Kathy Eagar, a Professor of Health Services Research and expert in aged care at the University of Wollongong, said families with loved ones in care should be “really concerned” as cases increase. “I think every family should be really concerned about what’s happening in aged care,” she said. “Forty percent of aged care homes in Australia have a Covid outbreak - that is really appalling.” Though 75 percent of facilities have administered booster shots, Dr Eagar believes it may be too late to be effective at preventing the spread. “Every resident should have had the opportunity [to receive] the dose well before Christmas, and everyone was due well before Christmas,” she said. Mr Sadler’s prediction comes as NSW and Victoria recorded 32 and 18 deaths respectively on Wednesday, with NSW Health’s Dr Kerry Chant warning that the number of deaths would continue to climb as the full impact of last week’s case numbers are felt. NSW recorded its deadliest day on Tuesday with 36 deaths - 33 of whom were over the age of 65. “All three of those under 65 had serious underlying health conditions and of the older people, only a handful - four - had had their boosters,” Dr Chant said. Image: Getty Images

Caring

"Half the time I want to slap him": Ally opens up on Karl

Image: Alana Landsburry and Nine News Almost two years ago Ally Langdon joined Karl Stefanovic on the Today show, and now the 42-year-old is speaking out about her colourful co-star. Ally opened up about what it’s really like to work alongside one of the most divisive names in breakfast TV in a new interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly. In the wake of less-than-flattering claims from Karl’s former Today co-host, Lisa Wilkinson, Ally had this to say about the 47-year-old. “Half the time I want to hug Karl, half the time I want to slap him,” she told the publication. “But so far, there’s never been a moment where I’ve taken him aside in an ad break and say: ‘You went too far.’ If it happens, I’ll pull him up.” Ally seems to have to ‘pull up’ her co-host numerous times a week. Between Karl joking about her being pregnant after taking a rapid Covid test on-air or implying that a recently deceased royal had 10 illegitimate children. At the end of the day, there’s no hard feelings between the two, with Ally calling Karl, her ‘mate’. She said that they ‘feud like brother and sister’ the pair end up chatting on the phone about five times a day.’ Ally, who joined Today from 60 Minutes in January of 2020, described her on-air relationship with Karl as ‘authentic’ and grounded in trust. “We can’t fake our relationship – the audience would see through it – so it plays out naturally. We keep it real and if someone needs a slap down, It’s done with love,” she explained. “Karl’s got my back and I know he’ll never let me fail. I’ve never trusted anyone I’ve worked with as much as him.”

Relationships

Gaming or gambling: study shows almost half of loot boxes in video games constitute gambling

<div class="copy"> The Australian Senate has <a href="http://trade-media.com.au/news/read/australian-senate-passes-motion-investigate-loot-boxes/">passed a motion to investigate</a> whether purchasable random rewards in video games (known colloquially as loot boxes) constitute a form of gambling and whether they are appropriate for younger players. Our recent <a href="https://rdcu.be/ZXTg">paper</a>, which was cited in the senate motion, explores exactly these questions. We found that the loot boxes in almost half (45%) of the 22 games we analysed met the criteria to be considered psychologically similar to gambling, even though they are rated as appropriate for adolescent players under the age of consent for gambling. <h2>What is a loot box?</h2> Loot boxes are digital containers of randomised rewards, and are available in a number of video games. The box may contain rewards ranging from cosmetic items which alter the appearance of in-game characters to functional items that increase the player’s power in some way (for example a gun that fires faster or does more damage). In our research, we sought to answer two questions: are loot boxes like gambling and, if so, what should be done about it? First up, we want to clarify that video games are not evil. Games companies are not evil. Making money from video games is not evil. And playing video games with loot boxes is unlikely to result in young people flocking in great numbers to casinos. However, simultaneously, it may also be true that loot boxes represent a troubling and potentially inappropriate monetisation strategy, with the potential to cause short and long-term harm to some players. Our intent is to educate readers about loot box mechanisms, and promote a reasoned, evidence-based discussion about ethical practice in video games. Loot box rewards may be highly desirable or valuable (for example, a particularly valuable cosmetic item or very powerful weapon), or virtually useless and undesirable (items referred to as “vender trash”). Most importantly, the contents of the box are determined by chance. Some (but not all) loot boxes are purchasable for real money. In some cases, items earned from a loot box can also be “cashed out” for real world money. <h2>The gambling problem</h2> The problem is that spending real money on a chance outcome that results in some people “winning” and others “losing” is fundamental to gambling activities. Thus, we analysed the loot box features in 22 console and PC games released in 2016 and 2017, with a view to understanding how psychologically similar they were to gambling. We used five criteria to distinguish gambling from other risk-taking activities. These have been developed by Nottingham Trent University psychologist <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/social-sciences/mark-griffiths">Mark Griffiths</a> in his work on behavioural addictions and gambling disorders. To be considered psychologically similar to gambling, loot boxes must involve: <ul> <li>an exchange of money or valuable goods takes place</li> <li>an unknown future event determines the exchange</li> <li>chance at least partly determining the outcome</li> <li>non-participation avoiding incurring losses</li> <li>winners gaining at the sole expense of losers.</li> </ul> We took a reasonably strict interpretation of the final criterion; assuming that people only “won” if they gained some form of in-game competitive advantage (for example more powerful weapons). Arguably, this approach ignores the subjective value that might be created by the scarcity of, or player preference for, certain cosmetic items. However, it appeared to us to most closely resemble Griffiths’ intent. Loot boxes in just under half of the games (45%) met all five of Griffiths’ criteria and, thus, could be considered psychologically akin to gambling. All of the loot boxes operated on a variable ratio reinforcement schedule – a technical term for a reward given to a person on average every so many times they engage in a particular behaviour. This type of reward schedule results in people quickly learning new behaviours (for example buying loot boxes) and repeating them often in the hope of receiving a <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1990.tb00220.x">reward</a>. The strategy is effective because the next time a box is opened it might be the “big win”. Perhaps most concerning was the fact that at least five of the games had mechanisms available to on-sell virtual items, allowing players to cash out their winnings (though four of these five had terms and conditions explicitly prohibiting this). The ability to cash out winnings is something that many consider a legal requirement for an activity to be considered gambling. Although the legality of loot boxes is a question for individual regulators and governments, exposure to mechanisms which closely mimic gambling in a psychological sense is concerning to us, especially since all of the games we examined were rated as appropriate for those under the age of consent for gambling. The short and long-term consequences of engaging with these mechanisms are unknown. Plausibly, short-term consequences may include overspending on loot boxes. The potential for long-term consequences also concerns us because males (a <a href="http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/EF2017_Design_FinalDigital.pdf">particularly large group within gamers</a>) exposed to gambling when young are particularly at <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10899-008-9088-6">risk of developing problematic gaming behaviours</a>. <h2>What to do about it</h2> There is cause for hope. Electronic Arts (one of the largest game studios in the world) has recently announced the <a href="https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/no-loot-boxes-anthem-1202838734/">removal of loot boxes</a> from upcoming titles. This suggests the games industry is taking consumer and expert feedback seriously, and may take steps to self-regulate. In our view, this is the optimal solution, given the diverse policy landscapes across the countries in which video games are sold. Where industry is not willing to self-regulate, and loot boxes are most similar to gambling, regulators may need to consider additional steps, although this should be undertaken selectively. Belgium and the Netherlands have <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-25-now-belgium-declares-loot-boxes-gambling-and-therefore-illegal">declared at least some loot boxes to be illegal</a>, while the US and UK have decided that they are <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43906306">not a form of gambling</a>. As noted above, the Australian Senate unanimously supported a vote on the 28th of June to refer an inquiry into the legality of loot boxes in video games to the <a href="http://trade-media.com.au/news/read/australian-senate-passes-motion-investigate-loot-boxes/">Environment and Communications References Committee</a>. Most importantly, we recommend that loot box mechanics should be added to content warnings to give users and parents the information they need to properly assess whether particular games are appropriate for themselves or their children. Ensuring that users can make well informed decisions about the appropriateness of content remains one of the strongest consumer defences. We hope that this work will form the basis for a well-reasoned, evidence-based policy discussion about ethical and sustainable practices in video games. Our intent is not to stigmatise games or gamers, but to spark a discussion about what mechanisms are and are not appropriate for particular audiences, games and the industry more broadly. Image credit: Shutterstock </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/gaming-or-gambling-study-shows-almost-half-of-loot-boxes-in-video-games-constitute-gambling/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and written by The Conversation. </div>

Money & Banking

Half burnt home on sale for insane price

A home in Melbourne’s inner north destroyed by flames has hit the market for a staggering price. The once-quaint property resting in the suburb of Thornbury has become dilapidated, with a sagging roof, holes in the floor and soot-covered walls. However, the house is not being advertised as a knock-down, and has instead been listed for upwards of $1.15 million. Described as a “creative and sustainable development”, the property is being sold as a stand-alone building. The owner, Guiseppe Pepe told 7News there is not much he can do with the home in its current state, after a fire started by a candle sent the home into ruin. “It’s very unique, we don’t come across properties like this all that often,” real estate agent Mark Butera said. “There appears to be quite a bit of soot, but otherwise walking through the property, it is still fairly sturdy.” The California bungalow sits on a block of just 400 square metres - the perfect size for a family wanting to make a home. The house is a sign of just how mighty the property market in Melbourne is, as there may be a shortage of homes but there is no shortage of buyers. With the home set to go to auction on July 31, Butera says Melbourne is “in the hottest market” the city has seen in a long time.

Real Estate

Company speaks out after Sydney dad’s $700,000 dream build ruined

A Sydney dad was left shocked after he saw the family dream home he had sunk $700,000 in. He says he has been left with a bizarre “half-house” that is the result of poor communication on behalf of the building company that was employed to build his dream home. Nepalese man Bishnu Aryal saved $398,950 to purchase a block of land in Edmondson Park where he planned to build the home of his dreams for his family. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840755/halfway-house.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a17fb982196948e0bd60c2ebb5f26285" /> Mr Aryal employed Zac Homes for a custom off-plan build worth $322,400 in 2016 and let the business get to work, saying he “trusted the process”. However, after checking on the house three years later he told A Current Affair he “nearly fainted” after discovering his freestanding build had been turned into a duplex. “Where’s my house? I want the rest of my house. It’s not a freestanding house, it’s not a duplex, it’s half a house. And it looks embarrassing,” he told the program. Zac Homes said the build began as a single freestanding home but claimed it had to be altered to fit with Liverpool Council regulations. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840754/halfway-house-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/56335549485c485e9b583d98448166c2" /> The company claimed Mr Aryal was made aware of the change of plan and even gave him opportunities to pull out of the contract more than once. However, since the A Current Affair episode went to air on Monday night, Zac Homes has decided to release a statement after being bombarded with one-star reviews. They said they were taking to Facebook to “provide some context to the dreadful situation”. “The disagreement that’s causing the holdup is between the certifier and Liverpool City Council and we’re working hard with them both to try and rectify the situation as quickly as possible,” the company said. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840752/halfway-house-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c7e07de081124d49a607d452d4e78c56" /> “The fact is the owners of the lot next door have failed to proceed with building their home and that’s why the certifier has continued to refuse to issue an Occupation Certificate.” Mr Aryal was less than impressed with the explanation though and took to Facebook to claim the building company had been giving “false statements” after his story being made public. “Zac Homes again has given a false statements with the media. This is why I bring this up, their statements has no proof and just making up the imaginary sentences,” he wrote. Zac Homes went on to say they had “done all we can” by conducting on-site meetings with the certifier, going to the council, and lodging a complaint to Fair Trading NSW. The building company have also said they’ve waived a fee of $23,000, along with deferring Mr Aryal’s final payment in order to alleviate some of the family’s stress. “It’s a mess. We know that. Even though this situation hasn’t been caused by us, we are doing what we can to ensure that the right thing is done by Mr Aryal and his family. We feel for them,” the company said. On Monday night, Mr Aryal explained that his family had been given no choice but to move into the house due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic limiting their options.

Real Estate

How to discover your half-a-million-dollar retirement nest egg

Many people are quickly discouraged when they think about retirement. They think it’s all too hard, that they have left it too late and there is no way they are ever going to save enough to live on when they do stop work. Typically, this is because they have overlooked their unseen, unsaved ‘half a million dollar nest egg’. By this of course, I’m referring the Federal Government’s aged pension, which is available to all Australians who reach retirement age, subject to how much money you own outside your own home. It’s a significant back stop for anyone approaching retirement and should be the basis of your retirement plans. Importantly, once you qualify for it, you can’t loose it, its indexed for inflation, its tax free and it will last as long as you do. It is very much your long-lost nest egg. So, for a home owning couple, you can own up to $401,500 in assets in addition to your own home and still qualify for the full age pension, which is currently set at $37,000 a year, paid out each fortnight. To generate the equivalent income privately, you will need to save $500,000 a year and obtain a steady return, year in year out, of 7.5 per cent plus capital gains to ensure your assets keep up with inflation. So even if you think it’s all too late and you have no money set aside for retirement, think again. As an Australian, you effectively have half a million dollars just sitting there, waiting for you. Needless to say, the more money you do own in addition to your own home, beyond $400,000, the less you will receive in terms of the age pension and for those who own more than $800,000, the age pension will cut out completely. However, if you do own your own home and have more than $800,000 in savings, you should be confident you will enjoy financial security throughout your retirement without relying on the age pension. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/1201/why-many-aussies-are-staying-in-the-family-home-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/748719788cb343d288b29a9f0b3de2c1" /> However, the reason it’s so important to keep in mind that the age pension is there through retirement, acting if you like as a safety net, is that it should help you as you approach retirement to avoid taking undue risks with your precious retirement savings. If nothing else, it should help explode the myth that you need a million dollars saved in order to enjoy your later years and with this, help all Australians plan better for a safe and secure retirement knowing they have the age pension to fall back on. When this becomes your starting point, the key questions then become how can I find somewhere to live where I don’t have a mortgage and how much money can I squeeze into super so I have a second income stream in addition to my age pension entitlements? If you look at your retirement from this perspective, you will start seeing it in a very different light and hopefully it will encourage you to really think through your options about how you do choose to live. The age pension should be the cornerstone of your retirement planning if you’re worried you haven’t saved enough. Importantly, if you think you might qualify for an age pension, you should start applying for it early and certainly within a year of when you hope to qualify for it based on your age. This will give you plenty of time to meet with someone from Centrelink and complete all the paperwork they require. Be completely honest with Centrelink and they will help you make the most of your entitlements. Patricia Howard, author of The No-Regrets Guide to Retirement: how to live well, invest wisely and make your money last (Wiley), is a licenced Australian financial adviser. She has a Commerce Degree from the University of Melbourne, holds her own Australian Financial Services Licence and recently passed the FASEA Financial Adviser exam. Find out more at <a href="http://www.patriciahoward.com.au">www.patriciahoward.com.au</a> Note this is general advice only and you should seek advice specific to your circumstances.

Retirement Life

"Ticket to recovery": How to grab your half-priced flights

The Australian Federal Government is trying to encourage Aussies to holiday domestically in tourist spots that are struggling without international visitors. This means hundreds of thousands of heavily discounted airfares will be available due to the $1.2 billion tourism package announced on Wednesday night. “We need to get Australians back in planes, we need to get those planes back in the air, because planes in the air means jobs on the ground,” Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack told the ABC. “This $1.2 billion package is going to support so many businesses and so many, so many workers.” There are expected to be around 46,000 half-price tickets available per week up to a total of 800,000 cheap airfares. Buying a discounted flight is easy, as all you have to do is visit your chosen airline's website from April 1st to take advantage. Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar are rumoured to be the main airlines operating the routes, but smaller carriers are urged to get involved as well. Here's a list of all the potential routes: Kangaroo Island (South Australia) <ul> <li>Adelaide – Kingscote</li> </ul> Avalon (Victoria) <ul> <li>Gold Coast – Avalon</li> <li>Sydney – Avalon</li> </ul> Merimbula (New South Wales) <ul> <li>Melbourne – Merimbula</li> </ul> Broome (Western Australia) <ul> <li>Darwin – Broome</li> <li>Sydney – Broome</li> <li>Melbourne – Broome</li> </ul> Lasseter and Alice Springs (Northern Territory) <ul> <li>Adelaide – Alice Springs</li> <li>Sydney – Uluru</li> <li>Brisbane – Alice Springs</li> <li>Melbourne – Alice Springs</li> <li>Perth – Alice Springs</li> <li>Sydney – Alice Springs</li> <li>Brisbane – Uluru</li> <li>Melbourne – Uluru</li> </ul> Launceston, Devonport and Burnie (Tasmania) <ul> <li>Melbourne – Launceston</li> <li>Sydney – Launceston</li> <li>Brisbane – Launceston</li> <li>Melbourne – Devonport</li> <li>Melbourne – Burnie</li> </ul> Gold Coast (Queensland) <ul> <li>Adelaide – Gold Coast</li> <li>Melbourne – Gold Coast</li> <li>Sydney – Gold Coast</li> <li>Canberra – Gold Coast</li> <li>Avalon – Gold Coast</li> </ul> Tropical North Queensland (Queensland) <ul> <li>Melbourne – Cairns</li> <li>Sydney – Cairns</li> <li>Darwin – Cairns</li> </ul> Whitsundays and Mackay region (Queensland) <ul> <li>Sydney – Proserpine</li> <li>Sydney – Hamilton Island</li> <li>Sunshine Coast (Queensland)</li> <li>Sydney – Maroochydore</li> <li>Melbourne – Maroochydore</li> <li>Adelaide – Maroochydore</li> </ul> Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the package is the "ticket to recovery". "This is our ticket to recovery," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "This package will take more tourists to our hotels and cafes, taking tours and exploring our backyard." However, Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said that the scheme doesn't do enough. It is a very small, very meagre package at best," he told Nine. "I don't think this is going to help at all, really. It is about the borders. Keeping the domestic borders open and getting the international borders open as soon as possible."

Domestic Travel

Samantha Markle's proof against half-sister Meghan

Meghan Markle revealed what happened between herself and her father in a rare insight during the bombshell Oprah interview. She explained that the UK press became "obsessed" with anything from her world and tracked down her father. “Once they did, I remember being told there was a huge headline like, ‘We found him’ or ‘We’ve got him.’ You’re talking about someone’s father,” Meghan said. “And from that point, the tabloids, they moved into the apartment next door and across from him. Descended on this small town. The whole thing brings us to where we are today.” She explained that the press were offering exorbitant amounts of money to give up her fathers address, but she did what she could to protect him from the frenzy. She also spoke about her relationship with her half-sister Samantha Markle, who has launched multiple attacks against Meghan in the press over the years. Some of the claims include calling Meghan a "wealthy narcissist" and saying that if their father passes, it'll be "on her". Meghan spoke about Samantha's book titled The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister, which Samantha promised to expose "hidden truths" about Meghan. “I think it would be very hard to tell all when you don’t know me. I mean, this is a very different situation than my dad, right? When you talk about betrayal, betrayal comes from someone that you have a relationship with,” Meghan told Oprah. “I don’t feel comfortable talking about people that I really don’t know.” Meghan spoke about the name change that Samantha made in order to draw attention to herself as a Markle sister. “She changed her last name back to Markle in – I think she was in her early fifties at that time – only when I started dating Harry,” Meghan said. “So I think that says enough.” Samantha fought back on Fifi, Fev & Nick this morning, saying that the claims were "rubbish". “She had said she hadn’t seen Samantha for 18 years. Well she was at my graduation from my bachelor degree, there was so many photos in the media that are like salience about that and that was 2008 so don’t know about you but 2008 to now is not 18 years,” she said. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840202/haz-megs-arch-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ca13121882a446ba8547dcb7fc99809a" /> Samantha claimed that Meghan was a narcissist and "needs to see a counsellor". She also said she feels "sorry for Harry". “I feel sorry for Harry. He fell victim to her negligence and I will say sociopaths. She pulled him away from his family, all of his friends, the life that he knew,” Samantha told the radio show. “He reminds me of one of those kidnap victims who eventually starts to believe that their life was so horrible and they’re in love with their captor!” Photo credits: Samantha Markle / Twitter

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Samantha Markle's proof against half-sister Meghan

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