Search

Spin cycle disaster: man puts winning Lotto ticket through the wash

In a harrowing tale that's sure to wring out a chuckle or two, a man in his late 20s from Belmont, Western Australia, narrowly escaped laundering his way out of a $2.8 million windfall – after nearly sacrificing his winning lottery ticket to the treacherous depths of his washing machine. It all started innocently enough at the Here's Luck Lottery Centre in Belmont Forum, where our hero – who very sensibly prefers to remain incognito – purchased what would turn out to be a life-changing ticket for the Saturday Lotto. Little did he know, his unassuming trousers would soon become the epicentre of a near-catastrophe. In a classic case of absentmindedness, our hero forgot to take his ticket out of his pants pocket before succumbing to the siren song of laundry day. "I forgot to take the ticket out of my trousers and put it in the washing machine," confessed the forgetful winner. "After five minutes I realised and stopped the washing machine to grab the ticket, fortunately, it was safe." Indeed, it was a race against the spin cycle as the man scrambled to rescue his potential fortune from a soapy demise. "I couldn’t think, I couldn’t sleep, I am still processing the win," he admitted with palpable relief. But our protagonist emerged victorious from this sudsy saga, managing to salvage his ticket just in the nick of time. With a sigh of relief, he made his way to Lotterywest HQ to claim his well-deserved prize. Lotterywest spokesman James Mooney chimed in, highlighting the importance of registering tickets to avoid potential mishaps of this magnitude. "For this player, it all came out of the wash okay, but it’s a reminder for players to register their ticket to prevent what could be a multimillion-dollar mistake," he wisely advised. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

Treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine: what’s the best option for cardio at home?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, refers to any form of rhythmic physical activity that increases your heart rate and breathing so the heart and lungs can deliver oxygen to the working muscles. Essentially, it’s the type of exercise that gets you huffing and puffing – and fills many people with dread. People often do cardio to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30003901/">lose weight</a>, but it’s associated with a variety of health benefits including reducing the risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6481017/">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30191075/">stroke</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707740/">falls</a>. Research shows cardio also improves <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29334638/">cognitive function</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26978184/">mental health</a>. The <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">World Health Organization</a> recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio per week. There are many ways to do cardio, from playing a team sport, to riding your bike to work, to going for a jog. If you’re willing and able to invest in a piece of equipment, you can also do cardio at home. The treadmill, stationary bike and rowing machine are the most popular pieces of cardio equipment you’ll find in a typical gym, and you can buy any of these for your home too. Here’s how to know which one is best for you. <h2>The treadmill</h2> In terms of effectiveness of exercise, it’s hard to look past the treadmill. Running uses most of your major muscle groups and therefore leads to greater increases in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1334197/">heart rate</a> and energy expenditure compared to other activities, such as cycling. As a bonus, since running on a treadmill requires you to support your own body weight, it also helps to build and maintain <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26562001/">your bones</a>, keeping them strong. This becomes even more important <a href="https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/exercise-your-bone-health">as you get older</a> as the risk of developing medical conditions such as osteopenia and osteoporosis – where the density of your bones is reduced – increases. But the treadmill may not be for everyone. The weight-bearing nature of running may exacerbate pain and cause swelling in people with common joint conditions such as osteoarthritis. Also, a treadmill is likely to require greater maintenance (since most treadmills are motorised), and can take up a lot of space. <h2>Stationary bike</h2> The stationary bike provides another convenient means to hit your cardio goals. Setting the bike up correctly is crucial to ensure you are comfortable and to reduce the risk of injury. A general rule of thumb is that you want a slight bend in your knee, as in the picture below, when your leg is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. While cycling has significant benefits for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21496106/">cardiovascular</a> and metabolic health, since it’s non-weight-bearing it doesn’t benefit your <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049507003253">bones</a> to the same extent as walking and running. On the flipside, it offers a great cardio workout without stressing your joints. <h2>Rowing machine</h2> If you’re looking to the get the best cardio workout in the least amount of time, the rowing machine might be for you. Because rowing requires you to use all of your major muscle groups including the upper body, your heart and lungs have to work even harder than they do when <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32627051/">running and cycling</a> to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8325720/">deliver oxygen</a> to those working muscles. This means the energy expended while rowing is comparable to running and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3193864/">greater than cycling</a>. But before you rush off to buy a new rower, there are two issues to consider. First, the technical challenge of rowing is arguably greater than that of running or cycling, as the skill of rowing is often less familiar to the average person. While a coach or trainer can help with this, just remember a good rowing technique should be felt primarily in your legs, not your arms and back. Second, the non-weight-bearing nature of rowing means it misses out on the same bone health benefits offered by the treadmill – although there is some evidence it still can increase bone density <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7551766/">to a smaller degree</a>. Nevertheless, like cycling, this drawback of rowing may be negated by offering a more joint-friendly option, providing a great alternative for those with joint pain who still want to keep their heart and lungs healthy. <h2>So, what’s the best option?</h2> It depends on your goals, what your current health status is, and, most importantly, what you enjoy the most. The best exercise is the one that gets done. So, choose whichever piece of equipment you find the most enjoyable, as this will increase the likelihood you’ll stick to it in the long term.<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/213352/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lewis-ingram-1427671">Lewis Ingram</a>, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-bennett-1053061">Hunter Bennett</a>, Lecturer in Exercise Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saravana-kumar-181105">Saravana Kumar</a>, Professor in Allied Health and Health Services Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/treadmill-exercise-bike-rowing-machine-whats-the-best-option-for-cardio-at-home-213352">original article</a>.

Body

"Coca coila": Robert Irwin rescues a python stuck in a vending machine

Robert Irwin has successfully rescued a carpet python stuck a vending machine at Australia Zoo. The young conservationist took to Instagram to share the moment he rescued the snake with the caption: "So this was a first for me…" The carpet python was visibly stuck behind a few soft drink bottles, and as the vending machine was being opened, the 19-year-old joked, "here's our chance, free Coca Cola!" He then got down to business, trying to coax the snake out while explaining, "what we don't want is for him to go up into the wiring. "We don't want to make him too upset, 'cause we want him to come out nice and smooth," he added as he pulled the snake out of the vending machine. The young conservationist sounded exactly like his late father, Steve Irwin, as he tried to calm down the non-venomous snake. "Keep coming, mate, keep coming. Nearly there buddy, nearly there," he said. As he examined the snake, he pointed out that the snake must have gotten injured before. "This bloke has obviously got a spirit of getting himself caught in weird situations, 'cause he's missing the end of his tail. "We'll relocate this guy," he assured, as the snake wrapped around his arm, Robert wags a finger at him and jokingly says: "don't go in any more vending machines, alright?!" <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/Cw7cZl4hX4C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw7cZl4hX4C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a> </div> </blockquote> Fans were in awe at Robert's striking resemblance to his late dad, and praised him for skills. "God you are the spitting image of the old man. He would be proud as punch," commented one fan. "I can hear his dad, “no more being a naughty boy!”" wrote another. "Call him coca coila," another quipped. "Watching you is like watching your dad many years ago. You're just such an incredible human," commented a fourth. "Your dad must be screaming in the high heavens “that’s my boy” look at him fearless with the snake!" wrote another. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

"Forgotten pizza cook" Pete Evans' wild new look

Former Seven personality Pete Evans has made an unexpected appearance on social media, though many took a moment longer than usual to realise who it was they were looking at in the clip. The former chef and My Kitchen Rules judge was a far cry from the polished persona audiences had come to expect from his days at the helm of the hit cooking competition, roaming through an outdoor kitchen in a ‘Food is Medicine’ t-shirt and unexpected mullet cut. The footage marked a new chapter in Evans’ public fall from grace, and as one account sharing the content wrote, it had “captured a quick raw video of the set up” for a cooking retreat with eight guests and “approx 25 recipes”. It did provide some insight into Evans’ new ‘career’ path, with the chef having turned his back on the entertainment industry in 2020, after 11 years as a household name hosting My Kitchen Rules. His controversial opinions on health - and his mounting support in conspiracy theories as well as his non-scientifics views - had initially turned attention his way, but it was his take on the global COVID-19 pandemic that sealed his fate. Also in 2020, Evans received a $25,000 fine from the TGA for his part in peddling a $15,000 ‘Biocharger’ device with the incorrect claim that it could combat the coronavirus. Evans was quickly removed from social media - namely Facebook and Instagram - for spreading misinformation during the pandemic, and lost 15 different sponsors in just 38 hours after sharing a meme that contained a neo-Nazi symbol with his remaining followers. It was estimated that the latter act alone could cost Evans millions of dollars. In the time since, Evans has purchased a $1 million tourist ‘healing’ retreat close to Byron Bay, where he offers the likes of ‘fasting retreats’ - charging $2250 a head for a “5-day juice, water, and froth fast” with Evans. When news of the venture broke on social media, opinion poured in thick and fast, with most condemning the experience. However, it wasn’t enough to keep Evans from returning to the internet, with the 50-year-old launching his presence on the alternative platform, Telegram, where he shares the likes of detail on his retreats, his experience with bitcoin, anti-vaccination takes, and right-wing political opinion. As one user wrote in response - and on behalf of the majority - to the fresh footage of the disgraced chef, “I won’t have what he’s having”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Obviously vaccines are bad. Not ‘licking toads’ though. That’s cool. Forgotten pizza cook Pete Evans continues to have a normal one. <a href="https://twitter.com/krunchymoses?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krunchymoses</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/petesscience?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@petesscience</a> <a href="https://t.co/a5fDzGIups">pic.twitter.com/a5fDzGIups</a> — Cam (@camliveshere) <a href="https://twitter.com/camliveshere/status/1664565941219508225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote> “This is a hard second-hand cringe,” one said. “And here I was thinking that scone of his couldn't get any more offensive,” another said. “I was wrong.” “So funny, and sad at same time hope he is ok,” one wrote, “but I have had 4 vax, travelled [the] world twice in ]the last 12 months, kept a good job and have healthy friends and fam around me. Pete's approach hmmmm”. And as someone else pointed out., “he seems quite short of breath after placing a few small sticks under the pizza oven. Not a great advert for his lifestyle.” Images: Twitter, Facebook

Food & Wine

Pizza chain's delightfully devilish scheme lets you pay when you die

A delightfully devilish pizza chain is taking the 'buy now, pay later' scheme to the next level, giving customers the chance to pay for their pizza when they die. HELL Pizza is inviting pizza fans to apply for the trial scheme, which involves amending their wills to have their total cost included. The chain has one store in Brisbane, with the rest of its stores located around New Zealand, with customers from both countries able to apply for the scheme, which involves no late fees or penalties. The restaurant will select 666 applicants from each country, who will be invited to sign a real amendment to their wills allowing the cost of their pizza to be collected upon death. According to HELL Pizza CEO Ben Cumming, pizza is one of the simple joys of life, and AfterLife Pay means diners can get their fix without having to dip into the bank account immediately. The scheme emerged after the business was approached by popular 'buy now, pay later' providers who wanted HELL Pizza to offer the service to its customers. The pizza chain's unique AfterLife Pay came as a direct response to this proposal, as a statement against “schemes trapping a growing number of Aussies in spirals of debt”, Cumming said. “We’re seeing a growing number of people using the schemes to buy essential items like food, and we think it’s taking it a step too far when you’ve got quick service restaurants like ours being asked to offer BNPL for what is considered a treat,” he said. “Especially when you consider people are falling behind in their payments and 10.5 percent of loans are in arrears." “AfterLife Pay is a light-hearted campaign that reinforces HELL’s stance on BNPL schemes - you can have your pizza and eat it too without any pesky late fees or penalties.” Applicants can apply for the scheme <a href="https://afterlife.hellpizza.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a>, with the chain's restaurant assuring that you will you won't pay anything for your order until "you're resting six feet under". Image credits: HELL Pizza

Food & Wine

Hilarious hiring sign tells it like it is

A restaurant scorched by unreliable employees has bluntly advertised what they’re searching for with an ad that reads, “Now hiring: non-stupid people.” Santino’s Pizzeria hung the all-caps banner outside its Columbus, Ohio, storefront in jest, according to local news outlet WSYX, but it’s just now come to the attention of the public after a customer posted a photo of it on social media. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/03/PIZZA-SIGN-FULL-HERO.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Jayden Dunigan, whose family owns the pizzeria, told WSYX that the sign was meant to be a joke, explaining the struggle of spending the time and money to train new employees only for them not to turn up. “A lot of the people we’ve hired just don’t want to work,” Dunigan said. “There is no work ethic behind them, so that’s the meaning behind the ‘non-stupid’.” The sign was backed by the online community, with the restaurant receiving plenty of support after the sign went viral on social media. “They are 100 per cent correct,” one person commented. “In addition they should add non-lazy, also!” Another comment read, “Honest hiring practices are always best.” There were a few users who did not see the humour in the sign. “If that’s the first impression you choose to make as a business owner, don’t complain when your employees leave,” one person wrote on Twitter. The restaurant has faced some costly backlash, with the Pizzeria getting calls and pranks. Dunigan told the news outlet than someone called the restaurant to place a fake. Order that was over $100 in response to the sign. “It was about 10 pizzas. We made the order, he called back, he talked down to one of our employees. He said our pizza sucks, and he’s cancelling the order,” Dunigan said about the prankster. Instead of letting the food go to waste, Dunigan said they donated it. “Since we don’t enjoy wasting food here, we always think that someone else in need can enjoy the food,” Dunigan said. Another manager at Santino’s, Heather Stockton, told WBNS, “Instead of judging our signs, why don’t you come judge our pizzas? Our pizzas are really good.” Image credit: Twitter

Money & Banking

Elderly pizza lady receives $390k tip after falling during delivery

Barbara Gillespie was completing a typical Friday night pizza delivery when things took an unexpected turn. The 72 year old had just made her way up a home’s front veranda stairs, arms laden with her pizza boxes, when she stumbled and fell on to a small white chair. The family, whose <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@momofthe5ks/video/7195696356508372266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security camera captured the entire tumble</a>, came outside to see what had happened as the elderly driver was picking herself up from the ground. On shaky legs, Barbara apologised again and again for what had become of the family’s food, telling them that she’d “ruined” it. But the family - otherwise known as the Keighrons - were only concerned about her. “I opened the door and there she is, just laying on the ground trying to get up,” Kevin Keighron said on Good Morning America. “She was more worried about the food than anything else. And I was like, ‘I don't care about the food. I care about you’.” Kevin and his wife, Lacey, described Barbara as being “the sweetest”, and after the incident - which occurred in early February - the pair decided to set up a GoFundMe to give Barbara a “tip” for her hard work. “We would like to bless her by bringing by a ‘tip’ to help her with anything she may need,” Kevin said. “She is an older woman who fell and only cared about the food she dropped. “Let’s show her some kindness and take off some of this burden that our economy is causing the older generations especially!” More than 14,000 people donated, and the fundraiser achieved a whopping $390,000. “We thought we would get her a bigger tip and bring it to her. We never expected to get as much as we did,” Kevin said of their successful campaign. “We were just so excited and thrilled to be able to tell her the next day.” And when taking the surprise to Barbara, Kevin - Lacey, and two of their children - decided to make the grand reveal at her work. They later shared footage of the reunion to their TikTok account. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620.262px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7195971641262755114&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40momofthe5ks%2Fvideo%2F7195971641262755114&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F763d48ec7b5b4f728dcbe02bb60cc22f%3Fx-expires%3D1677142800%26x-signature%3DPCfbQDrxw5It6Ey%252FV9NWSJXsZ6A%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> They have since shared that with the extra funds, Barbara was able to put in her two-week notice and finally enjoy her well-deserved retirement. Barbara said that the generosity of everyone involved was overwhelming, and admitted she was close to giving up on people because some of them can be “so mean.” “And here we got loving, caring people. They care about someone else” she declared, seemingly delighted to have had her mind so thoroughly changed, “about an elderly woman.” Images: TikTok

Money & Banking

Four-year-old gets stuck INSIDE arcade claw machine

A family from Airlie Beach have had quite the shock while dining at their local pub, as their four-year-old became trapped inside a claw game/skill tester vending machine. Young Poppy was trying to retrieve a teddy bear for her sisters. “The girls were just playing outside,” Poppy’s mother Melanie Pike told 7NEWS. Melanie was eating lunch when two of her daughters ran to alert her and their dad about the dilemma at hand. “The next thing, my twin daughters ran inside and said "ah, Mum, Poppy’s stuck in a vending machine,” Melanie said. Once inside, Poppy realised getting out wasn’t so easy, and footage of the moment captures her looking distressed and banging on the glass. While Melanie found the humour in the situation, Poppy’s dad sprung into action with some quick thinking and careful instructions. The four-year-old was able to manoeuvre back out of the machine legs-first, as one of Poppy’s sisters watched on tearfully nearby. “Sit on your bum, lean back,” her dad instructed. “There ya go. That’s why you don’t steal from vending machines,” he said upon freeing her. This isn't the first time a child has crawled into a claw machine desperate for toys – and it surely won't be the last. Images: 7News

Family & Pets

Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do tax your brain

A ping from the pizza company. A couple of pings from your socials. Ping, ping, ping from your family WhatsApp group trying to organise a weekend barbecue. With all those smartphone notifications, it’s no wonder you lose focus on what you’re trying to do do. Your phone doesn’t even need to ping to distract you. There’s <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-28923-001">pretty good</a><a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/691462">evidence</a> the mere presence of your phone, silent or not, is enough to divert your attention. So what’s going on? More importantly, how can you reclaim your focus, without missing the important stuff? <h2>Is it really such a big deal?</h2> When you look at the big picture, those pings can really add up. Although estimates vary, the average person checks their phone <a href="https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30085/1/PubSub7601_Andrews.PDF">around 85 times</a><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/trapped-in-the-net-are-we-all-addicted-to-our-smartphones-20190531-p51t44.html">a day</a>, roughly once every 15 minutes. In other words, every 15 minutes or so, your attention is likely to wander from what you’re doing. The trouble is, it can take <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-long-it-takes-to-get-back-on-track-after-a-distract-1720708353">several minutes</a> to regain your concentration fully after being <a href="https://www.ics.uci.edu/%7Egmark/chi08-mark.pdf">interrupted</a> by your phone. If you’re just watching TV, distractions (and refocusing) are no big deal. But if you’re driving a car, trying to study, at work, or spending time with your loved ones, it could lead to some fairly substantial problems. <h2>Two types of interference</h2> The pings from your phone are “exogenous interruptions”. In other words, something external, around you, has caused the interruption. We can <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_21">become conditioned</a> to feeling excited when we hear our phones ping. This is the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00015.x">same pleasurable feeling</a> people who gamble can quickly become conditioned to at the sight or sound of a poker machine. What if your phone is on silent? Doesn’t that solve the ping problem? Well, no. That’s another type of interruption, an internal (or endogenous) interruption. Think of every time you were working on a task but your attention drifted to your phone. You may have fought the urge to pick it up and see what was happening online, but you probably checked anyway. In this situation, we can become so strongly conditioned to expect a reward each time we look at our phone we don’t need to wait for a ping to trigger the effect. These impulses are powerful. Just reading this article about checking your phone may make you feel like … checking your phone. <h2>Give your brain a break</h2> What do all these interruptions mean for cognition and wellbeing? There’s increasing evidence push notifications are associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853217300159">decreased productivity</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958820300051">poorer concentration</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537116300136">increased distraction</a> at work and school. But is there any evidence our brain is working harder to manage the frequent switches in attention? One study of people’s brain waves <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cin/2016/5718580/">found</a> those who describe themselves as heavy smartphone users were more sensitive to push notifications than ones who said they were light users. After hearing a push notification, heavy users were significantly worse at recovering their concentration on a task than lighter users. Although push notification interrupted concentration for both groups, the heavy users took much longer to regain focus. Frequent interruptions from your phone can also leave you <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563219302596">feeling stressed</a> by a need to respond. Frequent smartphone interruptions are also associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131519301319">increased FOMO</a> (fear of missing out). If you get distracted by your phone after responding to a notification, any subsequent <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2050157921993896">procrastination</a> in returning to a task can also leave you feeling guilty or frustrated. There’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219300883">certainly evidence</a> suggesting the longer you spend using your phone in unproductive ways, the lower you tend to rate your wellbeing. <h2>How can I stop?</h2> We know switching your phone to silent isn’t going to magically fix the problem, especially if you’re already a frequent checker. What’s needed is behaviour change, and that’s hard. It can take several attempts to see lasting change. If you have ever tried to quit smoking, lose weight, or start an exercise program you’ll know what I mean. Start by turning off all non-essential notifications. Then here are some things to try if you want to reduce the number of times you check your phone: <ul> <li> charge your phone overnight in a different room to your bedroom. Notifications can prevent you falling asleep and can repeatedly rouse you from essential sleep throughout the night </li> <li> interrupt the urge to check and actively decide if it’s going to benefit you, in that moment. For example, as you turn to reach for your phone, stop and ask yourself if this action serves a purpose other than distraction </li> <li> try the <a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/take-it-from-someone-who-hates-productivity-hacksthe-pomodoro-technique-actually-works#:%7E:text=The%20Pomodoro%20Technique%20is%20a,are%20referred%20to%20as%20pomodoros">Pomodoro method</a> to stay focused on a task. This involves breaking your concentration time up into manageable chunks (for example, 25 minutes) then rewarding yourself with a short break (for instance, to check your phone) between chunks. Gradually increase the length of time between rewards. Gradually re-learning to sustain your attention on any task can take a while if you’re a high-volume checker. </li> </ul> Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ping-your-pizza-is-on-its-way-ping-please-rate-the-driver-yes-constant-notifications-really-do-tax-your-brain-193952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Technology

The Galactica AI model was trained on scientific knowledge – but it spat out alarmingly plausible nonsense

Earlier this month, Meta announced new AI software called <a href="https://galactica.org/">Galactica</a>: “a large language model that can store, combine and reason about scientific knowledge”. <a href="https://paperswithcode.com/paper/galactica-a-large-language-model-for-science-1">Launched</a> with a public online demo, Galactica lasted only three days before going the way of other AI snafus like Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/24/11297050/tay-microsoft-chatbot-racist">infamous racist chatbot</a>. The online demo was disabled (though the <a href="https://github.com/paperswithcode/galai">code for the model is still available</a> for anyone to use), and Meta’s outspoken chief AI scientist <a href="https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1595353002222682112">complained</a> about the negative public response. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Galactica demo is off line for now. It's no longer possible to have some fun by casually misusing it. Happy? <a href="https://t.co/K56r2LpvFD">https://t.co/K56r2LpvFD</a> — Yann LeCun (@ylecun) <a href="https://twitter.com/ylecun/status/1593293058174500865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote> So what was Galactica all about, and what went wrong? What’s special about Galactica? Galactica is a language model, a type of AI trained to respond to natural language by repeatedly playing a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/magazine/ai-language.html">fill-the-blank word-guessing game</a>. Most modern language models learn from text scraped from the internet. Galactica also used text from scientific papers uploaded to the (Meta-affiliated) website <a href="https://paperswithcode.com/">PapersWithCode</a>. The designers highlighted specialised scientific information like citations, maths, code, chemical structures, and the working-out steps for solving scientific problems. The <a href="https://galactica.org/static/paper.pdf">preprint paper</a> associated with the project (which is yet to undergo peer review) makes some impressive claims. Galactica apparently outperforms other models at problems like reciting famous equations (“Q: What is Albert Einstein’s famous mass-energy equivalence formula? A: E=mc²”), or predicting the products of chemical reactions (“Q: When sulfuric acid reacts with sodium chloride, what does it produce? A: NaHSO₄ + HCl”). However, once Galactica was opened up for public experimentation, a deluge of criticism followed. Not only did Galactica reproduce many of the problems of bias and toxicity we have seen in other language models, it also specialised in producing authoritative-sounding scientific nonsense. Authoritative, but subtly wrong bullshit generator Galactica’s press release promoted its ability to explain technical scientific papers using general language. However, users quickly noticed that, while the explanations it generates sound authoritative, they are often subtly incorrect, biased, or just plain wrong. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I entered "Estimating realistic 3D human avatars in clothing from a single image or video". In this case, it made up a fictitious paper and associated GitHub repo. The author is a real person (<a href="https://twitter.com/AlbertPumarola?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlbertPumarola</a>) but the reference is bogus. (2/9) <a href="https://t.co/N4i0BX27Yf">pic.twitter.com/N4i0BX27Yf</a> — Michael Black (@Michael_J_Black) <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_J_Black/status/1593133727257092097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote> We also asked Galactica to explain technical concepts from our own fields of research. We found it would use all the right buzzwords, but get the actual details wrong – for example, mixing up the details of related but different algorithms. In practice, Galactica was enabling the generation of misinformation – and this is dangerous precisely because it deploys the tone and structure of authoritative scientific information. If a user already needs to be a subject matter expert in order to check the accuracy of Galactica’s “summaries”, then it has no use as an explanatory tool. At best, it could provide a fancy autocomplete for people who are already fully competent in the area they’re writing about. At worst, it risks further eroding public trust in scientific research. A galaxy of deep (science) fakes Galactica could make it easier for bad actors to mass-produce fake, fraudulent or plagiarised scientific papers. This is to say nothing of exacerbating <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/28/ai-students-essays-cheat-teachers-plagiarism-tech">existing concerns</a> about students using AI systems for plagiarism. Fake scientific papers are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00733-5">nothing new</a>. However, peer reviewers at academic journals and conferences are already time-poor, and this could make it harder than ever to weed out fake science. Underlying bias and toxicity Other critics reported that Galactica, like other language models trained on data from the internet, has a tendency to spit out <a href="https://twitter.com/mrgreene1977/status/1593649978789941249">toxic hate speech</a> while unreflectively censoring politically inflected queries. This reflects the biases lurking in the model’s training data, and Meta’s apparent failure to apply appropriate checks around the responsible AI research. The risks associated with large language models are well understood. Indeed, an <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3442188.3445922">influential paper</a> highlighting these risks prompted Google to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-timnit-gebru-ai-what-really-happened/">fire one of the paper’s authors</a> in 2020, and eventually disband its AI ethics team altogether. Machine-learning systems infamously exacerbate existing societal biases, and Galactica is no exception. For instance, Galactica can recommend possible citations for scientific concepts by mimicking existing citation patterns (“Q: Is there any research on the effect of climate change on the great barrier reef? A: Try the paper ‘<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0041-2">Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages</a>’ by Hughes, et al. in Nature 556 (2018)”). For better or worse, citations are the currency of science – and by reproducing existing citation trends in its recommendations, Galactica risks reinforcing existing patterns of inequality and disadvantage. (Galactica’s developers acknowledge this risk in their paper.) Citation bias is already a well-known issue in academic fields ranging from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447395">feminist</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqy003">scholarship</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01770-1">physics</a>. However, tools like Galactica could make the problem worse unless they are used with careful guardrails in place. A more subtle problem is that the scientific articles on which Galactica is trained are already biased towards certainty and positive results. (This leads to the so-called “<a href="https://theconversation.com/science-is-in-a-reproducibility-crisis-how-do-we-resolve-it-16998">replication crisis</a>” and “<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-edit-science-part-2-significance-testing-p-hacking-and-peer-review-74547">p-hacking</a>”, where scientists cherry-pick data and analysis techniques to make results appear significant.) Galactica takes this bias towards certainty, combines it with wrong answers and delivers responses with supreme overconfidence: hardly a recipe for trustworthiness in a scientific information service. These problems are dramatically heightened when Galactica tries to deal with contentious or harmful social issues, as the screenshot below shows. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498098/original/file-20221129-17547-nwq8p.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Screenshots of papers generated by Galactica on 'The benefits of antisemitism' and 'The benefits of eating crushed glass'." /></a><figcaption>Galactica readily generates toxic and nonsensical content dressed up in the measured and authoritative language of science. <a class="source" href="https://twitter.com/mrgreene1977/status/1593687024963182592/photo/1">Tristan Greene / Galactica</a></figcaption></figure> Here we go again Calls for AI research organisations to take the ethical dimensions of their work more seriously are now coming from <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26507/fostering-responsible-computing-research-foundations-and-practices">key research bodies</a> such as the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Some AI research organisations, like OpenAI, are being <a href="https://github.com/openai/dalle-2-preview/blob/main/system-card.md">more conscientious</a> (though still imperfect). Meta <a href="https://www.engadget.com/meta-responsible-innovation-team-disbanded-194852979.html">dissolved its Responsible Innovation team</a> earlier this year. The team was tasked with addressing “potential harms to society” caused by the company’s products. They might have helped the company avoid this clumsy misstep.<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/195445/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Aaron J. Snoswell and Jean Burgess. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-galactica-ai-model-was-trained-on-scientific-knowledge-but-it-spat-out-alarmingly-plausible-nonsense-195445" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Machine learning gives us a dog’s-eye view, showing us how the brains of our best friends interpret the world

Dog’s minds are being read! Sort of. Researchers have used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans of dogs’ brains and a machine learning tool to reconstruct what the pooch is seeing. The results suggest that dogs are more interested in what is happening than who or what is involved. The results of the experiment conducted at Emory University in Georgia in the US are <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3791/64442" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the Journal of Visualized Experiments. Two unrestrained dogs were shown three 30-minute videos. The fMRI neural data was recorded, and a machine-learning algorithm employed to analyse the patterns in the scans. “We showed that we can monitor the activity in a dog’s brain while it is watching a video and, to at least a limited degree, reconstruct what it is looking at,” says Gregory Berns, professor of psychology at Emory. “The fact that we are able to do that is remarkable.” Using fMRIs to study perception has recently been developed in humans and only a few other species including some primates. “While our work is based on just two dogs it offers proof of concept that these methods work on canines,” says lead author Erin Phillips, from Scotland’s University of St. Andrews who conducted the research as a specialist in Berns’s Canine Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. “I hope this paper helps pave the way for other researchers to apply these methods on dogs, as well as on other species, so we can get more data and bigger insights into how the minds of different animals work.” Machine learning, interestingly enough, is technology which aims to mimic the neural networks in our own brains by recognising patterns and analysing huge amounts of data. The technology “reads minds” by detecting patterns within the brain data which can be associated with what is playing in the video. Attaching a video recorder selfie stick placed at dog eye level, the researchers filmed relatable scenes for the canine audience. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p214466-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/technology/machine-learning-dog-see/#wpcf7-f6-p214466-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> Recorded activities included dogs being petted by and receiving treats from people. Scenes with dogs showed them sniffing, playing, eating or walking. Other objects and animals included in the scenes included cars, bikes, scooters, cats and deer, as well as people sitting, hugging, kissing, offering a toy to the camera and eating. <iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6312584526112" width="960" height="540" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Time stamps on the videos helped classify them into objects (such as dog, car, human, cat) and actions (like sniffing, eating, walking). Only two dogs exhibited the patience to sit through the feature-length film. For comparison, two humans also underwent the same experiment. Both species, presumably, were coaxed with treats and belly pats. Machine-learning algorithm Ivis was applied to the data. Ivis was first trained on the human subjects and the model was 99% accurate in mapping the brain data onto both the object and action classifiers. In the case of the dogs, however, the model did not work for the object-based classifiers. It was, however, between 75 and 88% accurate in decoding the action classifiers in the dog fMRI scans. “We humans are very object oriented,” says Berns. “There are 10 times as many nouns as there are verbs in the English language because we have a particular obsession with naming objects. Dogs appear to be less concerned with who or what they are seeing and more concerned with the action itself.” Dogs see only in shades of blue and yellow but have a slightly higher density of vision receptors designed for detecting motion. “It makes perfect sense that dogs’ brains are going to be highly attuned to actions first and foremost,” Berns adds. “Animals have to be very concerned with things happening in their environment to avoid being eaten or to monitor animals they might want to hunt. Action and movement are paramount.” Philips believes understanding how animals perceive the world is important in her own research into how predator reintroduction in Mozambique may impact ecosystems. “Historically, there hasn’t been much overlap in computer science and ecology,” she says. “But machine learning is a growing field that is starting to find broader applications, including in ecology.”  <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=214466&title=Machine+learning+gives+us+a+dog%E2%80%99s-eye+view%2C+showing+us+how+the+brains+of+our+best+friends+interpret+the+world" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/machine-learning-dog-see/" 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/evrim-yazgin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evrim Yazgin</a>. Evrim Yazgin has a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematical physics and a Master of Science in physics, both from the University of Melbourne. Image: Emory Canine Cognitive Neuroscience Lab </div>

Technology

14 ways you’re shortening the life of your washer and dryer

You run the washer/dryer more than you need to “The life of a laundry machine is completely dependent on how often it’s run,” say the tax experts at H&R Block. Try to stick to eight loads a week or less, which they say will “yield an average of a (low) double-digit life,” regardless of the type of machine (front-loading or top-loading, for example). Running only full loads will help to keep your energy bill down. You didn't have your washer/dryer professional installed Proper installation is critical for all laundry machines. For one, they must be installed “level.” Depending on the peculiarities of your floor, that can be more or less complicated. As for dryers, proper venting is critical, and proper venting means selecting the appropriate size and material for your venting tube as well as proper placement of the tube to permit optimal air flow. If you installed your own machines, consider having a professional eyeball your work. You're stuffing your machine Neither washers nor dryers work optimally when overstuffed, and worse, they have to work harder than they should when they’re too full. That increases wear and tear on the machine’s mechanisms such as the washing machine’s central agitator. Plus, if you pack too many clothes into the machine, some detergent residue could be left behind – which will attract more dirt next time you wear the clothes. Using too much detergent Using more detergent than the manufacturer recommends is bad for your washing machine, according to Angie’s List. Using too much soap leads to more suds, which could cause your washer to overflow. Have a high-efficiency washer? They require even less soap to wash clothing properly, so be sure to skimp on the detergent and only use soaps marked safe for HE washers. Washing stuff you shouldn't be washing Hand washing certain items is not just for the sake of said item, but also better for your washing machine, too. Hooks and underwires from lingerie can damage your washing machine’s drum, while zippers can scratch the door of your front-loading machine. Not cleaning out your washing machine's dispensers “When you’re done washing a load of laundry, wipe down the detergent and fabric softener dispensers,” Angie’s List advises. “If you don’t, the build-up could cause a clog.” You should also be washing your washing machine monthly if your owner’s manual recommends it. Not cleaning out the lint from your dryer You should be cleaning the lint out of your lint-catcher every time you run the dryer. Leaving lint in the dryer filter lowers the efficiency of the machine by slowing down the drying process. It can also cause the dryer to overheat and possibly catch fire. Not regularly maintaining your dryer vent Maintaining your dryer vent (the tube that directs moisture and lint out of the dryer drum and out of the house) is crucial to keeping your dryer in good working order. A good rule-of-thumb is to have your dryer vent inspected and cleaned out once per year, according to Ivey Engineering. Overusing dryer sheets “Dryer sheets might make your clothing soft, static-free, and smell fresh, but they have a waxy layer that melts in the dryer,” advises Angie’s List. Using too many can gum up the appliance. But no matter how many dryer sheets you use, you need to be cleaning your lint trap on a regular basis – not just cleaning out the lint but actually removing the lint trap and soaking it in sudsy water every couple of months (or more often if you’re also using fabric softener in the washing machine, which also leaves a residue in the dryer). Leaving stuff in your pockets Gum, tissues, even coins, and paper money can clog your washer drain, and if they don’t fall out of your pockets during the wash cycle, you’ll probably hear and/or see them spinning around the dryer, which isn’t good for your dryer’s inner workings. So empty your pockets before throwing your clothes in the wash for the sake of your laundry machines running smoothly, efficiently and over many years. Not taking clothes out of the washer right away A big problem with washing machines is mould. Mould can lead to a foul-smelling machine, which is definitely going to shorten its life. To avoid mould, take your clean clothes out right away. Bonus points if you also leave the washer door open to allow the machine to air-dry between loads. Drying stuff you shouldn't be drying If you’re planning on drying anything besides clothing, bedding, and towels, check the manufacturer’s instructions to see if you’re actually going to be harming your dryer in doing so. For example, some dryers are not meant to dry rubber, so if you’ve washed your bathroom rug (with a rubber back), don’t dry it in the dryer unless the instructions say it’s OK. Not reading and following the manufacturer's maintenance instructions When Consumer Reports asked laundry machine manufacturers what consumers can do to extend the life of their laundry machines, the same answer kept coming up: follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining the machine. With washing machines, that almost inevitably involves cleaning the washer itself. Many modern washing machines have self-cleaning cycles. Drying the wrong things together Sorting laundry isn’t just for the sake of keeping your whites white. An appliance salesperson Reader’s Digest spoke to told us never to dry “towels with t-shirts.” When we asked him to elaborate, he explained that your dryer works best when it’s drying items of similar weight and that mixing items of significantly different weight can throw off the balance of the machine. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/14-ways-youre-shortening-the-life-of-your-washer-and-dryer?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Garlic pizza

For the perfect starter to any Italian feast, you’ll want to try this garlic pizza. Serves: 6 Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 cups plain flour, sifted</li> <li>2 teaspoons dried yeast</li> <li>1 teaspoon salt</li> <li>1 ¼ cups warm water</li> <li>3 garlic cloves, diced </li> <li>½ cup olive oil, plus extra to brush</li> <li>1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> </ul> Method: 1. Mix flour, yeast and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the centre and gradually pour water and one tablespoon of oil. Using your hands, combine the mixture until dough forms. Place on lightly floured surface and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Store dough in covered bowl and set aside for an hour or until dough has risen in size. 2. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, garlic and rosemary together in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit so flavours infuse. 3. Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease baking trays with olive oil. 4. Divide dough into 6 portions and roll each out to equal-sized discs. Sprinkle with olive oil mixture and bake in oven for 10 minutes or until pizza is crisp and puffed. Cut into wedges and serve with salad. Image: Getty

Food & Wine

Healthy and refreshing breakfast pizza

Enjoy pizza for breakfast with this high-protein recipe that combines Greek yoghurt and plain flour, and is topped with fruit of your choice. Fruit Breakfast Pizza with NUTELLA® Difficulty: ⅔ Time: 40 minutes Serves: 8 people Ingredients: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 cup self-raising flour </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 cup natural Greek yoghurt </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Plain flour </li> </ul> For the Topping: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 4 tbsp Nutella® </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ½ cup fresh kiwifruit, peeled and sliced </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 cup fresh peaches, sliced </li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Preheat the oven to 180℃. Then, in a bowl, combine the flour and yoghurt and bring together to form a big dough ball. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place the ball onto a floured board and knead it for 5-8 minutes. Roll the ball into a pizza base shape, and then cook in the oven for 10 minutes. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Remove pizza base from the oven and allow to cool until just warm. Spread 4 tablespoons of Nutella® evenly across the warm pizza dough, leaving about 1-2cm at the edge as crust </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Top the pizza with sliced fruit and berries, distribute evenly. Then slice the pizza into 8 equal wedges, and tuck in! </li> </ol> Image: Supplied

Food & Wine

Qantas rolls out new self-serve kiosk machines

Qantas will roll out new kiosk machines that will help streamline passengers onto their flight without any headaches. Following the disastrous Easter and ANZAC Day long weekends which saw the Qantas terminal snaking with lines due to staff shortages and delayed flights, the airline bounced at the change. The new self-serve kiosk machines will help make the airport experience faster and easier for customers travelling on domestic flights. The national carrier started a limited trial of the self-serve machines in Terminal 3 at Sydney Domestic Airport and are expected to complete the roll out by June. Other major domestic airports will slowly see them installed by the end of September. Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer Stephanie Tully said the change was due to passengers already checking in online. “We have seen consumer preferences dramatically shift towards digital and being able to manage their own journey, so we’re investing more in our app and airport technology to make travelling easier,” she said. “The existing kiosks were instrumental in reducing queuing for check-in at airport counters when they were introduced more than 10 years ago, and these new kiosks will match the latest technology with customer preferences. “Understandably, our customers want to move through the airport and get to the lounge or boarding gate as seamlessly as possible, and the new kiosks will help speed things up. “We will incorporate feedback from Frequent flyers as the new kiosks are rolled out across the network. “We know that some customers would prefer to speak to a person when they check in, so we’ll continue to have the same number of Qantas team members available in the terminal to help customers with enquiries as well as have check-in desks open.” HOW THE PROCESS WORKS: 1) Check-in online (qantas.com or on the Qantas app) 2) Use new kiosks to print bag tags 3) Drop luggage at auto-bag drops 4) Use digital boarding pass to board flight. Image: Qantas

Travel Trouble

Move over, Iron Chef, this metallic cook has just learned how to taste

In an episode of Futurama, robot Bender wants to be a chef, but has to overcome the not inconsiderable hurdle of being incapable of taste. It was beautiful. Move over, Bender. A new robot has not only been programmed to taste, it has been trained to taste food at different stages of the cooking process to check for seasoning. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, working with domestic appliances manufacturer Beko, hope the new robot will be useful in the development of automated food preparation. It’s a cliché of cooking that you must “taste as you go”. But tasting isn’t as simple as it may seem. There are different stages of the chewing process in which the release of saliva and digestive enzymes change our perception of flavour while chewing. The robot chef had already mastered the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/a-good-egg-robot-chef-trained-to-make-omelettes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">omelette</a> based on human tasters’ feedback. Now, results <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2022.886074" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the Frontiers in Robotics & AI journal show the robot tasting nine different variations of scrambled eggs and tomatoes at three different stages of the chewing process to produce a “taste map”. Using machine-learning algorithms and the “taste as you go” approach, the robot was able to quickly and accurately judge the saltiness of the simple scrambled egg dish. The new method was a significant improvement over other tasting tech based on only a single sample. Saltiness was measured by a conductance probe attached to the robot’s arm. They prepared the dish, varying the number of tomatoes and amount of salt. “Chewed” food was passed through a blender, then tested for saltiness again. <figure class="wp-block-video"><video src="../wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Unchewed-sampling-short.mp4" controls="controls" width="300" height="150"></video><figcaption>This robot ‘chef’ is learning to be a better cook by ‘tasting’ the saltiness of a simple dish of eggs and tomatoes at different stages of the cooking process, imitating a similar process in humans. Credit: Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory, University of Cambridge.</figcaption></figure> “Most home cooks will be familiar with the concept of tasting as you go – checking a dish throughout the cooking process to check whether the balance of flavours is right,” said lead author Grzegorz Sochacki from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “If robots are to be used for certain aspects of food preparation, it’s important that they are able to ‘taste’ what they’re cooking.” The new approach aims to mimic the continuous feedback provided to the human brain in the process of chewing, says Dr Arsen Abdulali, also from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “Current methods of electronic testing only take a single snapshot from a homogenised sample, so we wanted to replicate a more realistic process of chewing and tasting in a robotic system, which should result in a tastier end product.” “When a robot is learning how to cook, like any other cook, it needs indications of how well it did,” said Abdulali. “We want the robots to understand the concept of taste, which will make them better cooks. In our experiment, the robot can ‘see’ the difference in the food as it’s chewed, which improves its ability to taste.” “We believe that the development of robotic chefs will play a major role in busy households and assisted living homes in the future,” said senior Beko scientist Dr Muhammad W. Chugtai. “This result is a leap forward in robotic cooking, and by using machine and deep-learning algorithms, mastication will help robot chefs adjust taste for different dishes and users.” Next on the menu will be training robots to improve and expand the tasting abilities to oily or sweet food, for example. Sounds pretty sweet. <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=190155&title=Move+over%2C+Iron+Chef%2C+this+metallic+cook+has+just+learned+how+to+taste" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robot-machine-learning-taste/" 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/evrim-yazgin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evrim Yazgin</a>. Evrim Yazgin has a Bachelor of Science majoring in mathematical physics and a Master of Science in physics, both from the University of Melbourne. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Technology

An easy and delicious way to meet your protein goal

One shopper has gone viral for claiming to find a $12 snack that’s perfect for those “drunk 2am cravings” or really, a snack at any time of the day or night. The best part? it’s available in your supermarket freezer section. Woolies have launched a ‘FroPro’ Protein Pizza that has 50% less carbs compared to its delicious counterpart. The health-conscious range of pizzas have just hit shelves and are being rolled out at Woolies stores nationwide. “New high protein pizza from Woolies,” <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dyldower/video/7070385220670770433?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1">@dyldower</a> on TikTok captioned a video of the pizza’s pepperoni and ham flavour. His video on the pizza has been viewed more than 124,000 times, with plenty of shoppers excited about the “epic” new product. “They are sooo good!” one person wrote. “Is that at every Woolworths? Keen as to try it,” another said. “This will be a great option for that cheat meal where you don’t want to go too crazy,” one shopper commented. A Woolworths spokeswoman said they were pleased to see the range had already resonated with shoppers. “We’re always looking to expand our range of unique snacks and collaborations that excite customers, so we’re pleased to see the range take off on TikTok. All three major supermarkets have expanded their range in recent years to include more low-carb product options, as well as gluten or lactose-free alternatives for those with dietary restrictions. Image: TikTok

Food & Wine

Fancy a fresh pizza cooked by a robot while you do your weekly groceries?

Sydney shoppers can now get a fresh pizza cooked by a robot while doing their grocery shopping at Aldi. The pizza vending machine is being launched at the supermarket’s North Sydney Corner Store. The completely unique newer style Aldi opened in July last year with products you won’t find at other Aldi stores. The supermarket has exclusively launched Pizzabot, an invention by Bondi start-up Placer Robotics. The company says it is the first pizza vending machine to be designed and manufactured in Australia and delivers premium restaurant-grade wood-fired pizza, cooked in just two minutes. “We understand our shoppers are motivated by quality, value and supporting local, and we are extremely excited by our collaboration with Pizzabot, a true Aussie innovation, to deliver great quality pizza and a unique experience, at the lowest price point,” Aldi Corner Store director Huw Longman said. The pizzas are priced from $8.99, but will only be available for a limited time as part of a trial. Unfortunately for pizza and Aldi lovers across the country, there are no plans to lunch Pizzabot at other stores … for now. Image: Aldi

Food & Wine

Humans v Machine: fake news headlines or real deal?

<div class="copy"> Can you tell whether the title of a scientific article was written by a human or an AI? Because half the time, not even doctors can spot the fake science headline, according to a<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj-2021-067732" target="_blank"> paper</a> published in BMJ. In a study worthy of the silly season, researchers used an AI to generate research paper titles and tested whether readers could tell if they were fake. They took the top titles from 10 years of BMJs Christmas edition – which are often quirkier than normal – to teach an AI to write its own titles. These were then rated by a random sample of doctors from multiple disciplines and countries. They found that AI-generated titles were rated at least as enjoyable (69%) compared to real titles (64%), although the real titles were rated as more plausible (73%) than AI titles (48%). They also found that the AI titles were deemed less scientific if generated at random, but this became less apparent when the titles were then curated by a human. The authors say that this shows how the best results come from an AI and a human working together, where the AI can compensate for human oversights but humans can make the final call. The two AI-generated titles deemed the most plausible were: “The clinical effectiveness of lollipops as a treatment for sore throats” and “The effects of free gourmet coffee on emergency department waiting times: an observational study.” The silliest title generated by the AI was: “Superglue your nipples together and see if it helps you to stop agonising about <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/mediterranean-diet-helps-ed/" target="_blank">erectile dysfunction</a> at work.” The authors note that this demonstrates the AI doesn’t know how to be polite, which limits its real-world application without human help. Image credits: Getty Images </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/ai/fake-science-headline/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Deborah Devis. </div>

Technology

‘Similar to ordering a pizza’: how buy now, pay later apps influence young people’s spending

Young people are often blamed for making <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/moralisers-we-need-you/news-story/6bdb24f77572be68330bd306c14ee8a3">irresponsible choices</a> with money. But the real issue is not whether they eat too many <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2016/oct/18/are-millennials-actually-bad-at-saving-or-are-houses-just-unaffordable?CMP=share_btn_fb">expensive cafe breakfasts</a>. Young Australians today face an uncertain job market, rising university fees and astronomical house prices. Unfortunately, <a href="https://theconversation.com/home-ownership-falling-debts-rising-its-looking-grim-for-the-under-40s-81619">debt</a> is also an inevitable part of their lives. This comes amid a huge rise in the number of “buy now, pay later” apps, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-lending-startups-like-afterpay-make-their-money-86477">AfterPay</a>, and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/costs/ripoff-financial-experts-warn-of-the-dangerous-trap-of-payday-loans/news-story/1471cc4a61594cdb9e7a724a76e534d7">payday loan apps</a>, such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-18/payday-lending-consumer-risk-coronavirus-financial-hardship/12549412">Nimble</a>. It is possible to make purchases online with the the tap of a button, even if you don’t have the money in your account or on your credit card. It is also possible the able to borrow money <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/whats-up-with-payday-loans/7794806">within minutes</a>. To better understand how young people negotiate debt, we interviewed 31 people aged between 18 and 29 in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley area in 2020 and 2021. We asked them how they access credit and their views on different kinds of debt. <h2>Our study</h2> Our participants saw debt as a necessity if they are going to have an acceptable life in the present and plan for the future. As Steph, a 22-year-old university student, said: <blockquote> Large debts like the mortgage, the HECS debt […] things like that I suppose in a sense it’s useful debt. It makes sense and it gets you further by doing it because there’s still an equity in what you’re doing … It follows you not nearly as badly as some other debts. </blockquote> Young people also made distinctions about the way debt feels and how approachable it is. They acknowledged short-term consumer debts may not be “good”, but felt they were also part of being able to buy the things and have the experiences associated with being young. Those we interviewed talked about AfterPay (where you pay off the debt in four installments) as an everyday part of life. As Alexa, a 23-year-old university student, told us: <blockquote> AfterPay is for just those little wants that I don’t want to pay for up front. </blockquote> They also described it as a low-risk and almost friendly way to buy things. This was particularly when compared to a bank. Alice, a 21-year-old sales assistant, put it this way: <blockquote> AfterPay is like, ‘Oh, just pay this off in four quick things and you can have your item. We’ll send it out.’ But then banks are like, ‘If you don’t pay this back, you’re going to get so much interest and it’s going to suck, and you’ll have the sheriffs roll up at your house and you’re going to be sad.’ </blockquote> <h2>Like ordering a pizza</h2> Interviewees attributed some of this friendliness to the process of accessing the money or goods. Mia, a 21-year-old paralegal, described applying for a small loan on the Nimble app: <blockquote> When you apply for the money […] you can track at any point on it. The Nimble app is so similar to ordering a Domino’s pizza […] Whereas a credit card through a banking app, it’s nothing like that […] They send me letters and even opening the mail terrifies me, nothing good comes via snail mail ever. </blockquote> The online, easy nature of these loan services closely relates to how young people engage with information more generally in their lives. In this sense, there is a familiarity and comfort to the way they work. As Mia continues: <blockquote> [It’s] positive, it’s not daunting, it’s informative, it’s instantaneous. The second the money comes out, I get a thank you email and a notification on the app. It’s like, ‘you have this many payments left, this is how much you’ve paid, this is how much you have left to pay, you will still be paid in full by this date’. I don’t have any of that with my credit card. </blockquote> <h2>Familiar tactics</h2> Inteviewees also spoke of how services like AfterPay and short-term loan apps used similar tactics to social media platforms to encourage increased engagement and make the experience feel informal and even social. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429684/original/file-20211102-10001-letons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Young people using their phones and laptops." /> Applying for a loan via an app does not involve ‘scary’ paperwork, according to interviewees. www.shutterstock.com These include “on this day” reminders (such as, “this time last year, you bought this pair of shoes”) and waiting time indicators. There are also <a href="https://theconversation.com/gamification-status-you-score-ten-points-for-reading-this-article-5068">game elements</a>, including “rewards” for early repayments. Interviewees were aware this was manipulative. Lilian (26) works at a chain clothing store and was “rewarded ” for paying off a purchase early. <blockquote> I got this thing the other day saying that my first payment [on a new purchase] is actually going to come out [later] now. Of course, I’ve been rewarded for paying everything off early [before] […] Yeah it’s like it’s delaying it, it’s not an issue now, but it’s going to be an issue in two weeks’ time. </blockquote> <h2>What next?</h2> Our interviewees may see debt as a necessity, but they are also aware they have (some) choices within this. So they prefer to go with providers or platforms that feel less threatening, especially as using “buy now, pay later” services sometimes does not feel like being in debt. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429686/original/file-20211102-25-9gi5ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Young man on his phone with a coffee." /> Young people see debt as an inevitable part of life, according to new research. www.shutterstock.com There is a need for <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/calls-for-tighter-regulation-as-buy-now-pay-later-costs-mount-20210610-p57zuc.html">greater regulation</a> of the ways these products are promoted. It should always be made clear that this is a form of debt, not just a way to pay. Beyond, this, instead of “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2016/oct/18/are-millennials-actually-bad-at-saving-or-are-houses-just-unaffordable?CMP=share_btn_fb">blaming</a>” young people for their spending habits, we need a better understanding of the economy and society they are living and working in. And how debt it is all but inevitable for people on low wages, with poor job security and insecure housing. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-threadgold-167968">Steven Threadgold</a>, Associate Professor, Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-farrugia-243862">David Farrugia</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julia-coffey-129629">Julia Coffey</a>, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julia-cook-869068">Julia Cook</a>, Lecturer in Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-davies-290466">Kate Davies</a>, Human Services Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-senior-1284499">Kate Senior</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> 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/similar-to-ordering-a-pizza-how-buy-now-pay-later-apps-influence-young-peoples-spending-170024">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Spin cycle disaster: man puts winning Lotto ticket through the wash

Treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine: what’s the best option for cardio at home?

"Coca coila": Robert Irwin rescues a python stuck in a vending machine

"Forgotten pizza cook" Pete Evans' wild new look

Pizza chain's delightfully devilish scheme lets you pay when you die

Hilarious hiring sign tells it like it is

Elderly pizza lady receives $390k tip after falling during delivery

Four-year-old gets stuck INSIDE arcade claw machine

Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do tax your brain

The Galactica AI model was trained on scientific knowledge – but it spat out alarmingly plausible nonsense

Machine learning gives us a dog’s-eye view, showing us how the brains of our best friends interpret the world