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Could my glasses be making my eyesight worse?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-armitage-399647">James Armitage</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-hockley-1517162">Nick Hockley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> So, you got your eyesight tested and found out you need your first pair of glasses. Or you found out you need a stronger pair than the ones you have. You put them on and everything looks crystal clear. But after a few weeks things look blurrier without them than they did before your eye test. What’s going on? Some people start to wear spectacles for the first time and perceive their vision is “bad” when they take their glasses off. They incorrectly interpret this as the glasses making their vision worse. Fear of this might make them <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140513-do-glasses-weaken-your-eyesight#:%7E:text=A%20study%20from,they%20are%20right%3F">less likely to wear their glasses</a>. But what they are noticing is how much better the world appears through the glasses. They become <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2576117X.2022.2033588">less tolerant</a> of a blurry world when they remove them. Here are some other things you might notice about eyesight and wearing glasses. <h2>Lazy eyes?</h2> Some people sense an increasing reliance on glasses and wonder if their eyes have become “lazy”. Our eyes work in much the same way as an auto-focus camera. A flexible lens inside each eye is controlled by muscles that let us <a href="https://www.aao.org/museum-eye-openers/how-does-eye-focus">focus on objects</a> in the distance (such as a footy scoreboard) by relaxing the muscle to flatten the lens. When the muscle contracts it makes the lens steeper and more powerful to see things that are much closer to us (such as a text message). From the age of about 40, the lens in our eye <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-lose-our-hearing-and-vision-as-we-age-67930">progressively hardens</a> and loses its ability to change shape. Gradually, we lose our capacity to focus on near objects. This is called “<a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/presbyopia">presbyopia</a>” and at the moment there are no treatments for this lens hardening. Optometrists correct this with prescription glasses that take the load of your natural lens. The lenses allow you to see those up-close images clearly by providing extra refractive power. Once we are used to seeing clearly, our tolerance for blurry vision will be lower and we will reach for the glasses to see well again. <h2>The wrong glasses?</h2> Wearing old glasses, the wrong prescription (or even someone else’s glasses) won’t allow you to see as well as possible for day-to-day tasks. It could also cause <a href="https://headaches.org/readers-mail-glasses-causing-headache/">eyestrain and headaches</a>. Incorrectly prescribed or dispensed prescription glasses can lead to vision impairment in children <a href="https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2126392">as their visual system is still in development</a>. But it is more common for kids to develop long-term vision problems as a result of <a href="https://www.cera.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Healthy-Young-Eyes-Guide-ACC.pdf">not wearing glasses when they need them</a>. By the time children are about 10–12 years of age, wearing incorrect spectacles is less likely to cause their eyes to become lazy or damage vision in the long term, but it is likely to result in <a href="https://www.cera.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Healthy-Young-Eyes-Guide-ACC.pdf">blurry or uncomfortable vision</a> during daily wear. <a href="https://goodvisionforlife.com.au/">Registered optometrists in Australia</a> are trained to assess refractive error (whether the eye focuses light into the retina) as well as the different aspects of ocular function (including how the eyes work together, change focus, move around to see objects). All of these help us see clearly and comfortably. <h2>What about dirty glasses?</h2> Dirty or scratched glasses can give you the impression your vision is worse than it actually is. Just like a window, the dirtier your glasses are, the more difficult it is to see clearly through them. <a href="https://www.optometry.org.au/wp-content/uploads/GVFL/Brochure_PDFs/Care-for-Glasses-2018-A4-single-page-final.pdf">Cleaning glasses regularly</a> with a microfibre lens cloth will help. While dirty glasses are not commonly associated with eye infections, some research suggests dirty glasses can <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0207238">harbour bacteria</a> with the remote but theoretical <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6628431/#:%7E:text=59%2C60%5D.-,S.,39%2C40%2C41%5D.">potential to cause eye infection</a>. To ensure best possible vision, people who wear prescription glasses every day should clean their lenses at least every morning and twice a day where required. Cleaning frames with alcohol wipes can <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0207238">reduce bacterial contamination by 96%</a> – but care should be taken as alcohol can damage some frames, depending on what they are made of. <h2>When should I get my eyes checked?</h2> <a href="https://goodvisionforlife.com.au/faqs/">Regular eye exams</a>, starting just before school age, are important for ocular health. Most prescriptions for corrective glasses <a href="https://www.ahpra.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD16%2F20156&dbid=AP&chksum=676U2aH1QM4XJ6ICVAVaKg%3D%3D">expire within two years</a> and contact lens prescriptions often expire after a year. So you’ll need an eye check for a new pair every year or so. Kids with ocular conditions such as progressive myopia (short-sightedness), strabismus (poor eye alignment), or amblyopia (reduced vision in one eye) will need checks at least every year, but likely more often. Likewise, people over 65 or who have known eye conditions, such as <a href="https://goodvisionforlife.com.au/vision-problems/glaucoma/">glaucoma</a>, will be recommended more frequent checks. An <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6706420/">online prescription estimator</a> is no substitute for a full eye examination. If you have a valid prescription then you can order glasses online, but you miss out on the ability to check the fit of the frame or to have them adjusted properly. This is particularly important for multifocal lenses where even a millimetre or two of misalignment can cause uncomfortable or blurry vision. Conditions such as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/diabetes-vision-loss.html#:%7E:text=Diabetic%20retinopathy%20is%20caused%20when,vision%20or%20stopping%20blood%20flow.">diabetes</a> or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525980/">high blood pressure</a>, can affect the eyes so regular eye checks can also help flag broader health issues. The vast majority of eye conditions can be treated if caught early, highlighting the importance of regular preventative care.<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/225169/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-armitage-399647">James Armitage</a>, Associate Professor in Vision Science, Optometry Course Director, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-hockley-1517162">Nick Hockley</a>, Lecturer in Optometric Clinical Skills, Director Deakin Collaborative Eye Care Clinic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</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/could-my-glasses-be-making-my-eyesight-worse-225169">original article</a>.

Body

UFO sightings: 15 most chilling sightings in history

“Unexplained aerial phenomena” When it comes to extra-terrestrial life and making contact with those from outer space, everyone has an opinion. Some think it’s all a hack, some are open to speculate, and others still are entirely taken with the tales and stories as old as time, cameras poised and tinfoil hats at the ready (one of many crazy conspiracy theories). UFOs have fascinated and confused us for years as each new flying saucer or hovercraft sighting makes national news and splits us into two camps. While it’s easy to debunk individual stories, it’s much harder to argue with the US Department of Defense. In videos leaked back in 2007 and 2017, the Pentagon has aimed to “clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real.” In the video, unidentified objects are seen spinning and hovering in the air and above the water while two navy pilots remark in shock and confusion over the two oblong, disk-shaped “objects.” Whether you’re a believer or a sceptic, UFO sightings bring out a little wonder (and a little fear!) in all of us. Take a look at these sightings and stories and make of it what you will. Most importantly, keep looking to the sky. Betty and Barney Hill It’s only fair that we begin with one of the most famous UFO and alien abduction cases in history: the Betty and Barney Hill case. The two were driving on a road in the US state of New Hampshire at night when a bright light seemed to start following them. When they eventually got home, it was daylight, their clothes were dirty and ripped, their watches had stopped working – and they couldn’t remember a thing. During sessions with a psychiatrist, they later recalled being probed and violated by aliens during an abduction. The case was investigated by Project Blue Book, a now declassified UFO secret. The Melbourne 350 More than 300 students and teachers of Westall High School in Melbourne, Australia saw an unbelievable sight on April 6, 1966, shares the New York Post. They were all looking incredulously at five planes that were attempting to corner and capture a UFO. This went on for a while before the UFO zipped away, out of sight. It is reported that the headmaster of the school and even strange men in black suits told the students and teachers never to say anything about it, even though it was witnessed by hundreds of people. Zimbabwe children and the end of the world In September of 1994, several UFOs allegedly hovered near a school in Ruwa, Zimbabwe, reports Vanity Fair. The children who observed these UFOs were terrified when they were asked to explain what had happened. They described beings with big heads, no nose (just two holes), no mouth, and long black hair. The children said they were dressed in dark suits and communicated telepathically. “‘I think it’s about something that’s going to happen,’” said one little girl. ‘What I thought was maybe the world’s going to end. They were telling us the world’s going to end. I don’t even know. It just popped up in my head. He never said anything. He talked just with his eyes.’” <div class="slide-image" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Rendlesham Forest Incident Known as “Britain’s Roswell,” the Rendlesham Forest Incident is one of the most famous UFO reports. The reason? Because the witnesses involved in the December 1980 event were, in fact, US military personnel and considered highly credible witnesses. They reported seeing an alien aircraft zoom through the forest. When they went to go check it out, it seemed as though strange hieroglyphics were written all over the craft. It turns out that this was most likely a prank played on the US soldiers by the British military. The O’Hare International Airport saucer On November 7, 2006, US United Flight 446 was about to depart from Chicago’s O’Hare International airport, when a dozen United Airlines employees spotted an odd metallic craft hovering over the gate. The employees reported that it hung in the air for several minutes before finally shooting up at breakneck speed into the clouds. The strangest part? The UFO did not register on the airport’s radar, despite all the witnesses. The FAA declined to investigate, chalking it up to a “weather phenomenon.” The Frederick Valentich Disappearance Australian pilot Frederick Valentich was flying over the Bass Strait when he encountered something that he couldn’t identify, according to News.com.au. He got on his radio to notify air control that there was a strange vessel the likes of which he had never seen before, circling him, as if taunting him. “It is hovering and it is not an aircraft,” were the last words Valentich said before he and his plane disappeared forever. Robert Matthews and missing time According to CBS Reality, an Airman named Robert Matthews got off of a bus in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, to report for his first tour of duty back in 1966. Matthews saw strange lights appearing in the deserted area where the bus driver had told him to call and wait for a truck to pick him up and take him to base. Afraid, he used a payphone to call the base a second time, what he thought was five minutes later. The person who answered the phone told him that the truck had arrived to pick him up five minutes after he got off the bus, but that the driver couldn’t find Matthews. In actuality, an hour separated those two phone calls. This phenomenon is called “missing time” and is commonly associated with alien abduction cases. The Broad Haven Primary School drawings The BBC reports that in 1977, a group of school children from the Broad Haven Primary School claimed to have seen a UFO near their playground. The teachers of the school refused to believe them, but when the children were separated and asked to draw pictures of the experience, they all came up with the same drawing of a flying saucer. Barbara Lamb and the lizard man A woman named Barbara Lamb, a psychotherapist who observed crop circles, claimed that a reptilian figure appeared in her house one day, reports Vanity Fair. He was tall and had piercing yellow eyes. Normally not fond of snakes and lizards, the reptile appeared friendly and welcoming to Lamb, so she reached out to touch his hand. Then the lizard man vanished as suddenly as he appeared. Fred Crisman and Harold Dahl In 1947, Harold Dahl was out on the Puget Sound in Washington State, USA with his son and his dog. History.com recounts that Dahl saw six strange aircraft overhead, one of which fell an estimated 450 metres out of the sky and into the water below. The metal debris hurt his son and killed his dog. Dahl told his supervisor at work, Fred Crisman, what had happened and Crisman came and verified it for himself. Soon afterward, a man in a black suit supposedly came to Dahl and warned him not to speak of the incident again – it is said that this incident inspired the movie Men in Black. The Washington Merry-go-Round A 1952 incident where seven unidentified objects appeared over secure air space near the US Pentagon was captured on film. The crafts were registered on radar, and jets were immediately sent to investigate these suspicious, strange crafts. However, when the American jets approached that air space, those seven objects disappeared from the radar. When the jets landed, the objects returned to the radar screen once more. President Harry S. Truman was notified and Airforce Intelligence Director General Sanford held a press conference saying that there were reports “made by credible observers of relatively incredible things. It’s this group of observations that we are attempting to resolve.” There was no resolution. Japan Airlines Flight 1628 In 2001, former FAA official John Callahan told a conference of high ranking officials that in 1986, Japan Airlines Flight 1628 was on its way from Paris to Tokyo when crew members spotted several UFOs. In a television documentary, the American Heroes Channel reports that the JAL crew called in multiple UFOs surrounding the plane, including one that was four times their own size. They made an emergency landing in Anchorage, Alaska, where the ground crew confirmed the sighting. The Muscarello Exeter incident It was 1965 in Exeter, New Hampshire, USA, when a hitchhiker named Norman Muscarello saw five strange red flashing lights in the woods. As TV station WMUR recounts, the source of the lights suddenly came towards him at a frightening speed. Muscarello dove into a ditch to avoid being hit before flagging down a motorist. The police investigated the area, and they, too, saw the same aircraft with the same bright red lights speed off out of sight. Today, the event is celebrated with a yearly Exeter UFO Festival. A Knock on Rick Sorrells's Door In 2008, an unfathomably large aircraft hovered above Stephenville, Texas, USA. Many people in the community saw it, and according to the Mutual UFO Network, a pilot named Steven Allen reported that the unusual aircraft was flying at an estimated 4,800 kilometres per hour and was being chased by fighter jets. Then, a man named Rick Sorrells said he saw the same thing while hunting. Later, Sorrells says a strange man knocked on his door and said, “‘Son we have the same calibre weapons you have, but we have more of them. You need to shut your mouth about what you saw.” Richard French and the Drowned UFOs In the 1950s, it was Lieutenant Colonel Richard French’s job to explain away UFO phenomena for the government. There was only one problem: Lt. Col. French actually saw alien ships with his own eyes, reports the Daily Mail. At a Citizen Hearing on Disclosure in 2013, the then-83-year-old man told the truth for the first time about what he saw as a young man in the waters of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada: two UFOs that had crashed and sunk in the water, and aliens trying to fix them. They succeeded and took off. He didn’t mention UFOs in his report at the time. How’s that for a freaky government cover-up? Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/15-most-chilling-ufo-sightings-ever-recorded?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </div>

International Travel

Rare sighting as famous friends step out in support of Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox has been joined by a host of his famous friends for a screening of his upcoming documentary. The new documentary explores the Back to the Future star's ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease, and the changes in his life and condition as he gets older. In a show of support for the actor, his celebrity mates joined together for a screening of Still at New York's Lincoln Center. Among the famous faces was actress Meg Ryan, who has not been spotted in public for more than six months. The former rom-com queen, best known for starring roles in films like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, lives a more quiet life outside of the spotlight these days. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr1TCUeO8e3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr1TCUeO8e3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracy Pollan (@tracy.pollan)</a> </div> </blockquote> Ryan hasn’t appeared on screen since the 2015 film Ithaca, which she also directed. However, she is plotting a return to screens later this year, with Ryan starring in and directing the film What Happens Later, which is currently in production. Ryan was among a star-studded group of famous friends supporting J. Fox for the premiere of his doco, with stars including Bill Murray, Denis Leary, Joan Jett, Katie Couric, Mariska Hargitay, and Debra Messing. The screening of the documentary comes after Michael J. Fox <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/i-m-not-gonna-be-80-michael-j-fox-s-tragic-admission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that his battle with the disease is getting more difficult. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“I’m not gonna be 80,” he said in a preview for an upcoming episode of the American current affairs program CBS Sunday Morning, according to Page Six. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">In the clip, Journalist Jane Pauley tells Fox that he has “not squandered” but that his condition will eventually “make the call” as to when it’s his time to go. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“Yeah, it’s, it’s banging on the door,” the actor said. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher.” <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Image credits: Instagram

Caring

Chatbots set their sights on writing romance

Although most would expect artificial intelligence to keep to the science fiction realm, authors are facing mounting fears that they may soon have new competition in publishing, particularly as the sales of romantic fiction continue to skyrocket. And for bestselling author Julia Quinn, best known for writing the Bridgerton novel series, there’s hope that “that’s something that an AI bot can’t quite do.” For one, human inspiration is hard to replicate. Julia’s hit series - which went on to have over 20 million books printed in the United States alone, and inspired one of Netflix’s most-watched shows - came from one specific point: Julia’s idea of a particular duke. “Definitely the character of Simon came first,” Julia told BBC reporter Jill Martin Wrenn. Simon, in the Bridgerton series, is the Duke of Hastings, a “tortured character” with a troubled past. As Julia explained, she realised that Simon needed “to fall in love with somebody who comes from the exact opposite background” in a tale as old as time. And so, Julia came up with the Bridgerton family, who she described as being “the best family ever that you could imagine in that time period”. Meanwhile, Simon is estranged from his own father. Characterisation and unique relationship dynamics - platonic and otherwise - like those between Julia’s beloved characters are some of the key foundations behind any successful story, but particularly in the romance genre, where relationships are the entire driving force. It has long been suggested that the genre can become ‘formulaic’ if not executed well, and it’s this concern that prompts the idea that advancing artificial intelligence may have the capability to generate its own novel. ChatGPT is the primary problem point. The advanced language processing technology was developed by OpenAI and was trained using the likes of internet databases (such as Wikipedia), books, magazines, and the likes. The BBC reported that over 300 billion words were put into it. Because of this massive store of source material, the system can generate its own writing pieces, with the best of the bunch giving the impression that they were put together by a human mind. Across the areas of both fiction and non-fiction, it’s always learning. However, Julia isn’t too worried about her future in fiction just yet. Recalling how she’d checked out some AI romance a while ago, and how she’d found it “terrible”, she shared her belief at the time that there “could never be a good one.” But then the likes of ChatGPT entered the equation, and Julia admitted that “it makes me kind of queasy.” Still, she remains firm in her belief that human art will triumph. As she explained, “so much in fiction is about the writer’s voice, and I’d like to think that’s something that an AI bot can’t quite do.” And as for why romantic fiction itself remains so popular - and perhaps even why it draws the attention of those hoping to profit from AI generated work - she said that it’s about happy endings, noting that “there is something comforting and validating in a type of literature that values happiness as a worthy goal.” Images: @bridgertonnetflix / Instagram

Books

Vinyl record sales keep spinning and spinning – with no end in sight

Over the past decade, vinyl records have made a major comeback. People purchased US$1.2 billion of records in 2022, a 20% jump from the previous year. Not only did sales rise, but they also surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1988, according to <a href="https://www.riaa.com/2022-year-end-music-industry-revenue-report-riaa/">a new report</a> from the Recording Industry Association of America. Who saw that coming? I certainly didn’t. In the mid-1990s, I sold off my family’s very large collection of records over my wife’s protests. I convinced her we needed the space, even if the buyer was picking up the whole stash for a song. Back then, of course, there were far fewer options for listening to music – it was years before <a href="https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9986-the-year-in-streaming-2016/">on-demand streaming</a> and <a href="https://www.shockwave-sound.com/blog/music-on-the-move-a-short-history-of-mobile-listening/">smartphones</a>. <a href="https://www.bu.edu/questrom/profile/jay-zagorsky/">I now teach at a business school</a> and <a href="http://businessmacroeconomics.com/">follow the economy’s</a> latest trends. Sales of records have been increasing since 2007, and the data shows the vinyl record industry’s rebound still has not peaked. Last year, the music industry sold 41.3 million albums, more than in any year since 1988. This resurgence is just one chapter in a broader story about the growing popularity of older technologies. Not only are <a href="http://www.the-standard.org/life/vinyl-records-making-a-comeback-after-30-years-of-being-behind-cds/article_9108143e-3bdd-11ea-be0d-97edd557218b.html">LP records coming back</a>, but so are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2018/09/24/sales-are-booming-manhattan-typewriter-store-mostly-thanks-young-people-tom-hanks/">manual typewriters</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/24/board-game-popularity/">board games</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-so-many-gen-z-ers-drawn-to-old-digital-cameras-198854">digital cameras from the late 1990s and early 2000s</a>. There are many <a href="https://blog.technavio.com/blog/reasons-behind-upsurge-vinyl-record-sales">theories about why records</a> are <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/music/why-is-vinyl-making-a-comeback">making a comeback</a>. Most of them miss the point about their appeal. <h2>Why records and not CDs?</h2> One suggestion is that sales have been spurred by <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p057l522">baby boomers</a>, many of whom <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/11/09/the-pace-of-boomer-retirements-has-accelerated-in-the-past-year/">are now entering retirement</a> and are eager to tap into the nostalgia of their youth. Data shows this theory is not true. First, the <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/vinyl-albums">top-selling vinyl albums right now are current artists</a>, not classic bands. As of this writing, <a href="https://illustrationchronicles.com/jamie-hewlett-gorillaz-and-the-enduring-evolution-of-pop">Gorillaz, a band formed in the late 1990s</a>, was at the top of the vinyl charts. Second, <a href="https://www.riaa.com/reports/2021-u-s-consumer-music-profile-musicwatch-inc/">data from the recording industry</a> shows the most likely person to buy a LP record is in Gen Z – people born from 1997 to 2012. Another theory is that records are cheap. While that might have been true in the past, today’s vinyl records command a premium. “Cracker Island,” the Gorillaz album that is currently topping the vinyl sales charts, <a href="https://usstore.gorillaz.com/products/cracker-island-standard-vinyl">lists for almost $22</a> – twice the cost of the CD. Plus, subscribing to an online service like Spotify for 15 bucks a month gives you access to millions of tracks. A third explanation for the resurgence is that <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/does-vinyl-really-sound-better/">people claim records have better sound quality</a> than digital audio files. Records are analog recordings that capture the entire sound wave. Digital files are sampled at periodic intervals, which means only part of the sound wave is captured. In addition to sampling, many <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/what-data-compression-does-your-music">streaming services and most stored audio files compress the sound</a> information of a recording. <a href="https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/data-compression/lossy/mp3/concept.htm">Compression allows people</a> to put more songs on their phones and listen to streaming services without using up much bandwidth. However, <a href="https://electronics.sony.com/hi-res-audio-mp3-cd-sound-quality-comparison">compression eliminates some sounds</a>. While LP records are not sampled or compressed, they do <a href="https://www.perfectvinylforever.com/faq">develop snap, crackle and popping sounds</a> after being played multiple times. Records also skip, which is something that doesn’t happen with digital music. If you’re really going for quality, CDs are usually a superior digital format because <a href="https://www.gearpatrol.com/tech/audio/a731474/reasons-to-buy-cds/">the audio data is not compressed</a> and has much better fidelity than records. Yet even though CDs are higher quality, <a href="https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/">CDs sales have been steadily falling</a> since their peak in 2000. <h2>The ultimate status symbol</h2> In my view, the most likely reason for the resurgence of records was identified by an economist over a century ago. In the late 1890s, <a href="https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Veblen.html">Thorstein Veblen</a> looked at spending in society and wrote an influential book called “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class">The Theory of the Leisure Class</a>.” In it, he explained that people often buy items as a way to gain and convey status. One of Veblen’s key ideas is that not everything in life is purchased because it is easy, fun or high quality. Sometimes harder, more time-consuming or exotic items offer more status. A cake is a great example. Say you offer to bring a cake to a party. You can buy a bakery-made cake that will look perfect and take only a few minutes to purchase. Or you could bake one at home. Even if it’s delicious, it won’t look as nice and will take hours to make. But if your friends are like mine, they’ll gush over the homemade cake and not mention the perfect store-bought one. Buying and playing vinyl records is becoming a status symbol. Today, playing music is effortless. Just shout your request at a smart speaker, like Siri or Alexa, or touch an app on your smartphone. Playing a record on a turntable takes time and effort. Building your collection requires thoughtful deliberation and money. A record storage cube alongside an accompanying record player also makes for some nice living room decor. And now I – the uncool professor that I am – find myself bemoaning the loss of all of those albums I sold years ago. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/vinyl-record-sales-keep-spinning-and-spinning-with-no-end-in-sight-201444" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Post apocalypse: the end of daily letter deliveries is in sight

Australia Post is seeing red. A lot of it. After posting a razor-thin profit of $23.6 million in the last six months of 2022, it anticipates a loss for the full 2022-23 financial year – only the second time since being corporatised in 1989. The last loss was in 2014-15, following a $190 million investment in “transformational reform” of Australia Post’s letters business. At the time, it expressed confidence those <a href="https://auspost.com.au/annualreport2015/docs/australia-post-annual-report-2015.pdf">efficiency improvements</a> would allow it “to maintain a five-day-a-week delivery”. Now it is pessimistic. With the ongoing collapse in demand for letter delivery, it sees only more losses ahead. That’s a huge problem, because Australia Post has two main obligations, enshrined in federal legislation. It is required to operate on commercial principles – that is, the federal government wants it to deliver a dividend – while also meeting strict <a href="https://auspost.com.au/about-us/corporate-information/our-organisation/customer-commitment-and-service-charter">community service obligations</a>. Those obligations – established in 1989 and <a href="https://www.transparency.gov.au/annual-reports/australian-postal-corporation/reporting-year/2019-20-78">last reviewed in 2019</a> – require delivering letters to 98% of all Australian addresses five days a week, and in more remote areas to 99.7% of addresses at least twice a week, generally within two days of posting. The Morrison government <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2020L00579">temporarily relaxed</a> those obligations between May 2020 and June 2021 so Australia Post could divert resources to its parcel delivery services as online shopping boomed during the pandemic. Now the organisation wants those community service obligations reduced permanently. <h2>Cost of service obligations</h2> Meeting the obligations cost $348.5 million in 2021-22, says a federal government discussion paper on “<a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/postal-services-modernisation-discussion-paper.pdf">postal services modernisation</a>” published this month. It says they “are no longer financially sustainable and are not well targeted at the needs of Australians due to changes brought about by the digitisation of the economy”. It’s hard to disagree. The numbers are incontrovertible. The hundreds of millions of dollars a year being lost on letter delivery will only get bigger. People just don’t need a daily postal service like they used to. <h2>In the red, and dying</h2> In the 2021-22 financial year, Australia Post made a slim profit of $55 million on revenues of $8.97 billion. That’s a 0.6% profit margin, far below the 8.5% average within the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/industry-overview/australian-industry/latest-release">transport services sector</a>. The surplus was due only to its parcel-delivery business, which grew about 12% in 2021-22 after four years of growing at more than 20%. Letters now account for less than 20% of Australia Post’s revenue. The discussion paper notes letter volumes in Australia is now less than half what they were in 2008. This is not as severe as countries such as New Zealand or Denmark, but worse than Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. Government agencies and businesses now account for 97% of mail sent. Overall volume will decline as they move to cheaper, more efficient online methods. Even major postal events like election campaigns are likely to disappear, with postal voting replaced by <a href="https://101blockchains.com/blockchain-in-voting/">digital technology</a>. <h2>What can be done?</h2> The discussion paper flags a range of possible responses. One is to charge higher prices. Britain’s Royal Mail, for example, has raised postage prices by <a href="https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/cymraeg/amdanom-ni/about-us1/media/press-releases/citizens-advice-responds-to-royal-mail-raising-stamp-prices/">64% over the past five years</a>. Australia Post increased the rate for standard letter delivery from A$1.10 to A$1.20 in January, which the discussion paper notes is significantly less than the average of $2.08 for OECD countries. Higher prices may boost profit for a year or two, but in the longer term will just accelerate the transition to non-postal methods. Another option is investing in more efficient sorting technology, particularly automation. The French and German postal services are doing this. But Australia Post has already made huge investments in efficiencies, and doing more will cost the federal government money – something it won’t want to do given the budget position. <h2>What about local post offices?</h2> Another option is to reduce Australia Post’s network of post offices, of which there are more than 4,300. This number is tied to another community service obligation: that no one live further than 2.5km from a post office in a metropolitan area, or 7.5km in a non-metropolitan area. The discussion paper notes Australia has more post offices than supermarkets. They cost $1.3 billion to operate in 2021-22. These provide posting, pickup, banking, transaction and retail services. But their need is diminishing as all things are progressively digitised. An argument could be made that some, at least in metropolitan areas, could be replaced with smart lockers for parcel pick-up. But that’s likely to be politically contentious, with less financial gain, than the most obvious choice – to scrap the community service obligation to deliver post five days a week. New Zealand’s postal service did this in 2013, moving to delivery every other day. Sweden did so in 2020 as a trial, with the intention of making it permanent. Some will miss the daily service. But most of us won’t. As the relaxation to deliveries every second day showed during the COVID period, it is likely most people won’t even notice. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/post-apocalypse-the-end-of-daily-letter-deliveries-is-in-sight-201094" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Money & Banking

Idyllic Sydney beach evacuated after several shark sightings

Swimmers have been called to leave the water after a school of sharks have been spotted cruising close to the shore at the popular Sydney beach on Tuesday morning. It is understood that up to 15 hammerheads got within metres of swimmers at Palm Beach, prompting an alarm to be raised around 1pm. The beach was shut and flags taken down as lifeguards monitored the situation from the water on jet skis and from the sand. Swimmers have since been able to return to the water at Palm Beach. The sighting comes a week after another hammerhead shark was spotted at the same iconic beach. Australia has not recorded a human fatality from an attack by a hammerhead shark, according the Australian Marine Conservation Society website. The event has renewed debate on the use of shark nets in NSW, with some saying sightings should not cause alarm. There are 15 shark nets on the Northern Beaches between Palm Beach and Manly. “With all the new drones that the beach patrols have these days they can monitor the sharks, shark nets only tangle up other sea life,” one person said on social media. “Sharks being sharks in their own environment, who would have thought?” another said. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Brittany Higgins' accused sets sights on Lisa Wilkinson

Bruce Lehrmann has hired one of Australia's top defamation lawyers to go after Lisa Wilkinson, the ABC, The Project, and other media outlets for their coverage of Brittany Higgins' trial. The news of the defamation lawsuits comes just days after it was announced that Higgins' case against Lehrmann would be <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/brittany-higgins-speaks-publicly-for-first-time-since-dropped-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a>. Sydney defamation lawyer Mark O’Brien, whose law firm represented Ben Roberts-Smith VC in his defamation battle with Fairfax/Nine newspapers, has confirmed on Wednesday that he has now joined the former Liberal staffer's legal team. Lawyers examine a large volume of media reports and public speeches over the last two years, including Higgins' address at the National Press Club alongside former Australian of the Year Grace Tame earlier this year. Mr Lehrmann was not named in original media reports but his legal team are examining whether he was nevertheless able to be identified, giving him grounds to sue for defamation of his character. The former Liberal staffer was not named until August, 2021 when he was charged by police with one count of sex without consent. He pleaded not guilty, and has always maintained his innocence throughout the high profile case. The Sydney law firm O’Brien Legal is examining the original interview broadcast by The Project and Lisa Wilkinson’s public statement about the case and potential respondents including producers of The Project, Roving Enterprises, owned by comedian Rove McManus; and Network Ten and its parent company Paramount. Consideration is also being given to media outlets that broadcast live or published in full Ms Higgins statement outside court following the collapse of the first trial based on juror misconduct. Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

Legal

What you need to know about cataracts

As we age a number of people will suffer from cataracts, which Vision Australia describes as, “a clouding of the clear lens in the eye and is one of the leading causes of vision impairment.” While the most common form of cataract is associated with ageing, not everyone develops cataracts as they get older, however, everyone should be aware of the condition, its symptoms and who is most at risk. In some cases you can find out in advance if you’re at risk of developing cataracts and then find out how to keep it at bay, if possible. “There are a number of symptoms that can be experienced by those with cataracts, and signs which can indicate their presence,” Specsavers tell Over60. Here we’ve listed the most common ones. Symptoms In its early stages a cataract may not cause vision problems. However some of the common signs associated with advanced cataracts include: <ul> <li>Blurred vision</li> <li>Hazy vision</li> <li>Glare sensitivity</li> <li>Distortion or double vision in the affected eye</li> <li>A feeling of looking through a veil or curtain</li> </ul> Those most at risk Those most at risk include people who have: <ul> <li>A family history of the eye condition</li> <li>Diabetes</li> <li>An injury to the eye</li> <li>Exposed their eyes to sunlight without protection over a long period</li> <li>Smoked for a period of time</li> </ul> In any case, “A full eye examination is the best way to determine whether someone has cataracts and to eliminate more urgent causes of these or any other symptoms,” Specsavers caution, continuing, “If you experience any changes in vision you should visit your optometrist or medical practitioner.” Image credits: Getty Images

Body

The truth about computers and your eyesight

Do you ever find that at the end of the day your eyes are bloodshot, dry or fuzzy? It could be because you are your addicted to you digital devices. Here’s what you need to know. An increasing reliance on technology including laptops, tablets, smart phones and so on has given rise to a new health condition called computer vision syndrome (or CVS), which is effecting many Australians of all ages. Including a number of eye and vision-related problems, CVS is a result of prolonged use of digital devices. While they’re not thought to be permanent, symptoms of CVS are generally unpleasant and can cause some discomfort. Furthermore, CVS is also thought to be having an impact on the incidence of myopia (short-sightedness) with a study conducted by the National Eye Institute in the USA reporting the prevalence of near-sightedness increasing by around 66 per cent over the past 30 years in America. Whether for work or pleasure, the dramatic rise in ownership of smartphones and tablets coupled with modern day trends that involve doing more and more things from these devices (paying bills, shopping, research), is causing our eye muscles to work harder and for longer periods. There are ways to can prevent or at least limit any problems created by a digital device obsession. Keep an eye out for… You’ve probably experienced at least one of the common symptoms of computer vision syndrome which include: <ul> <li>Eyestrain</li> <li>Headaches</li> <li>Blurred vision</li> <li>Dry eyes</li> <li>Neck and shoulder pain</li> </ul> These symptoms may be caused by other factors such as uncorrected vision needs, glare, poor lighting, improper posture, etc. You should always consult an eye care professional who will be able to diagnose computer vision syndrome through an eye exam. What you can do to save your sight… With these simple practices, you can reduce, or even prevent the effects of computer vision syndrome: <ul> <li>Make sure the lighting in the room is comfortable on the eyes, and prevents you from staring into glare on the computer screen</li> <li>Position the computer screen so that your head is in a naturally comfortable position while working</li> <li>Take breaks. A few minutes away from the computer can go a long way when it comes to your eyes. Think of it similarly to the way you take stretch breaks for your arms and back.</li> <li>Make sure your seat is comfortable. A comfortable chair with support for your neck and back will help you avoid neck and shoulder strain commonly associated with computer vision syndrome.</li> </ul> Image: Getty

Body

Illegal fishers and wayward sharks are in the sights of new multispectral imaging

The oceans are warming. Reefs are dying. Fish are on the move. As a result, sharks and illegal fishers are scouring Australia’s coast in search of an increasingly elusive catch, and that, says ESpy Ocean founder Ian Dewey, is having an immense impact on everything from regional tourism to ocean ecologies. Illegal fishers, like sharks, are elusive predators. Their survival depends on being fast, silent and unexpected. They’re threatening a $1.6-billion regional Australia industry. Sharks also aren’t behaving the way they used to. They’re turning up in unexpected places, at unexpected times, which can result in tragedy. “Everyone says use drones or dirigibles to spot them,” Dewey says. “But everyone knows that when we’re on the beach in our string bikinis and Speedos, the last thing we want is a drone above us.” With dark fleets of illegal fishing boats turning off their tracking systems to breach international boundaries, time is of the essence in addressing the problem, just as it is with wayward sharks. “Both are increasing problems,” Dewey says. “I only know in terms of the illegal fishing missions that we’ve been involved in, but invariably there are people around protected areas on a daily basis”. Traditional spotter aircraft can’t cope, and using satellites to track vessels isn’t anything new. What is new is multispectral imaging. A regular camera captures an image on just three channels red, green and blue (RGB) – generating a crisp image of the visible spectrum if the weather is clear. A multispectral image has up to 110 different frequencies, ranging from ultraviolet to microwave. This imaging technology is nothing new. What is new is applying machine learning to identifying what it “sees”. “So it was a matter of working out what we can do through clouds in all kinds of weather, preferably right on dawn,” says Dewey. “I just started going through what frequencies can do what and – if we are looking for a boat – what the hell’s it gonna look like?” It’s a similar story for sharks – what multispectral signatures do different species give, at what depth, under what conditions, at what time? Dewey says the potential to extract such detail from hyperspectral imaging is enormous. It can identify what a boat is made from, what sort of paint has been used (and how old it is), and what equipment is on the deck. “All these things mean that your picture is different to every other boat in the ocean,” he says. “If we see you today, we can see you tomorrow, match those frequencies, and say – we got you!” ESpy demonstrated the potential of the technology for New South Wales Fisheries over the last Easter long weekend. Suitable satellites were identified, access to their hyperspectral cameras was secured, and patrol vessels were stationed in strategic locations waiting for a call to action. “Our system is incredibly fast, which gives us the edge,” Dewey says. “Generally, our system allows boats to be caught red-handed. That makes it so much easier where the courts are concerned.” The shark-spotting challenge is a more recent project. ESpy is in initial discussions with NSW Fisheries and the University of South Australia’s Industrial AI Research Centre to develop techniques to spot the predators first thing in the morning and use established behavioural patterns to predict where they could move during the day. While trespassing trawlers present a major issue, the deadliest offender is often someone much closer to home. One dragnet can strip an ecosystem of everything from algae and small crustaceans to dolphins and turtles, leaving damage that can take years to recover. “Our big problem in Australia is the little guy who throws out a net once or twice,” Dewey says. “He’s generally local, or at least from within 100-or-so kilometres. But he’s got a high risk of being caught, so he just wants to get in and take as much as possible as quickly as possible.” <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=195119&title=Illegal+fishers+and+wayward+sharks+are+in+the+sights+of+new+multispectral+imaging" width="1" height="1" />This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/oceans/espy-oceans-tracking-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jamie Seidel. Image: Shutterstock <div id="cosmos-link-back"></div>

Travel Trouble

Uluru turns into a waterfall in “rare and magical” sight

A rare bout of rain <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/northern-territory/uluru-turn-into-waterfall-amid-heavy-rain-in-region/news-story/d7ab44457590e77dfb3740e5d3c78f25" target="_blank">has turned</a> Uluru into a series of waterfalls, with footage emerging of the wondrous sight. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park shared a series of images and videos showing the transformation, after the area received 22 mm of rain earlier in the week. Though that might not sound like a lot of rain, Parks Australia said the area’s average rainfall is just under 300 mm — meaning it received seven percent of its annual rain in a single night. Parks Australia shared the “rare and magical” moment on social media, with one video capturing both the amazing sight and the sounds of burrowing frogs calling to each other. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVxAxD2Fr3C/?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> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVxAxD2Fr3C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (@seeuluru)</a> </div> </blockquote> “For most of the year these frogs are underground, avoiding hot and dry conditions,” Parks Australia explained in the caption. “They emerge after rain to breed, feed and return underground to evade perishing in the harsh weather conditions. “They continue to call for the next day or so, especially in the early morning and at dusk.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845319/uluru1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8baae45cf4da4585969de90e41e13193" /> Image: @seeuluru / Instagram But it isn’t the first time this kind of moment has been witnessed. Last year, the area received 30mm of rain — the biggest downpour in three years — which created a series of waterfalls that poured over Uluru. Following the most recent deluge, Parks Australia confirmed that the weather has since cleared. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV1KPZ9htok/?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> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV1KPZ9htok/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (@seeuluru)</a> </div> </blockquote> “At about 5.30pm last night the skies lifted and it was clear that the Irish are right and there is a treasure at the rainbow,” the organisation wrote on Thursday, alongside a trio of photos capturing a double rainbow stretched across Uluru. Image: @seeuluru / Instagram

Domestic Travel

Cleo Smith sightings

Police are continuing to call on the public to report sightings of missing four-year-old Cleo Smith after receiving more than 200 from around the country. The officer leading the search, Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde of the Major Crime Division, said the possible sightings had been investigated but were found to be “unfruitful”. “I want to thank the public for calling that information in and that’s been national as well, so there’s been some of those in other states,” Wilde <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/wa/cleo-smith-search-takes-new-turn-as-wa-police-receive-more-than-200-reported-sightings-of-the-missing-girl-c-4357503" target="_blank">said</a> on Thursday afternoon. “Other policing jurisdictions have helped us and been there, and followed those leads through for us. “We’re very grateful for that.” <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845177/cleo-smith1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/00f703b533524a1da1c08b96bfffe57c" /> Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde is leading the search for Cleo. Image: 7NEWS Wilde said current investigations into the little girl’s whereabouts had proved “challenging”, but police were “hopeful and confident” they could solve the case. The search for Cleo has seen locals in Carnarvon, the wider community, interstate police, and international agencies such as the FBI assist in attempting to locate her, after she went missing from the Blowholes campsite on October 16. More than 100 campers who were at the site around the time of her disappearance have been interviewed by police, who are asking anyone else who was in the vicinity around that time to come forward. Though Wilde didn’t give any specifics regarding the investigation, he said it was “progressing” through a “system of elimination”. He also reiterated that Cleo’s parents weren’t suspects, and that visits to the family home were routine parts of the investigation. When asked about how Cleo’s parents were, he said they were “coping”. “Understandably, they’re upset. It’s been a difficult time for them,” he said. “Fortunately, they’re looked after by family and friends. Given the circumstances, they’re holding up.” Wilde also said that ash samples taken from burnt-out campfires at the campground were for “forensic opportunity” purposes, and may prove useful at a later date. He said the entire team was “very motivated” and “very grateful” for the assistance they have received in their investigation. Image: @elliejaydee23 / Instagram

News

Spot the snake that's hiding in plain sight

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> In a very busy garage cluttered with several hanging hoses, looped power cords, ropes and other “snake-like” objects, it’s no surprise that many couldn’t find it. “I can see two,” wrote one Facebook user. “Far left wall hanging down off hook or tool and far left back corner....am I correct or just bad vision?” “Snakes like warm tight spots,” wrote another user. “Next to the fluoro box on [left hand side] is good for it. “Is this one of those ‘there’s no snake’ and you are messing with us?” another added. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fposts%2F1523786294476645&width=500&show_text=true&height=465&appId" width="500" height="465" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> Many were left stumped, but one user drew a snake into the photograph and said they found one. “Took me a while of zooming but I found it,” another person said. Yet another commented, “Near the black saw handle” . . . which was a very close guess indeed. The snake was hidden in a corner on top of a saw, which is under the clothes line in the garage. Followers of the page enjoyed the game! “It’s great to play this but every time I can’t find it which makes me a bit concerned if I had to do it in real life,” one joked. If you haven’t been able to find it, scroll below to see where it is. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840073/snakeclose1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e59b9e65a444c0abb0d2a613785f1d9" /> <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840072/snakeclose2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4c104e8f508a4f7092bd96184ef8b8b3" /> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

Australian journalist held in Chinese detention with no near end date in sight

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has said that the reasons behind detaining high-profile Australian journalist Cheng Lei in Beijing have not been made clear by Chinese authorities. Mr Birmingham told Today that the Federal Government is offering consular support to Cheng and her family. "We are doing everything we can in providing her and her family with assistance through what is no doubt a difficult time for them,” he said. Mr Birmingham confirmed the Federal Government had been made formally aware of her being in detention by authorities on August 14. However they have not revealed why the television anchor with Chinese state-run channel CGTN was being held. "But we will continue to work to ensure that the right assistance is provided to give her and her family every support," Mr Birmingham said. Australian consular officials spoke with Cheng at the detention facility via video link last Thursday. The detention is likely to further the strain on the already fraught relationship between Canberra and Beijing. The communist state is now investigating Australian wine makers over what it calls fair trading practices. However Mr Birmingham has said that Australia's values "are not for sale". <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837611/daily-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0dba36f7df504e8c80344f28ddf1f719" /> Trade Minister Simon Birmingham "Our government has been very clear that our values are not for sale. We will always defend our interests and Australia's security interests in particular." He said Australia desired to have a "constructive relationship" with China. "We have different systems of government. We bring different approaches to those systems of government but we respect their sovereignty and we simply ask for that to be reciprocated." Cheng has not been charged with any crime but is under "residential surveillance at a designated location" in Beijing, the ABC has reported. Residential surveillance is essentially detention without legal access. It can last up to six months before a suspect is formally arrested or charged. "We ask that you respect that process and understand there will be no further comment at this time,” authorities have stated. Cheng has been working with CGTN since 2012. She has reported on Asian affairs in China since 2002. She has reported major Chinese events including Beijing's 2008 Olympics and Shanghai's 2010 World Expo.

News

Hiding in plain sight: Bizarre $10 note conspiracy theory

A cohort of Australian conspiracy theorists has claimed they found “proof” of an organised coronavirus conspiracy on the $10 note. Some “COVID-19 truthers” said the sign of a global conspiracy is featured on the Australian $10 banknote in the form of a gold reflective illustration. “The new $10 Australian note complete with corona virus symbols. You can’t make this up!” one Facebook post read. The coronavirus conspiracy movement, which has led to small protests in Sydney and Melbourne in recent weeks, reportedly believe the pandemic is an orchestrated effort by billionaires and governments to force vaccinations on the general population. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836144/embed.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/867ee92f4dd04f68bdf656e11078bd70" /> The Reserve Bank said the $10 note feature is an illustrated version of Bramble Wattle. “Tilt the banknote to see a rolling colour effect, which is visible on both sides of the banknote,” the Reserve Bank said on its website. “The feature appears on each denomination of the Next Generation Banknotes series, with a different type of wattle depicted in the design on each banknote. In this instance, the design framing the feature is a designer’s interpretation of Bramble Wattle.” Katie Attwell from the University of Western Australia said conspiracies receive “worrying” level of traction because of the uncertainty the general public is facing. “The general public is uncertain, afraid, and experiencing cognitive impairment from the strain of it all,” Attwell wrote on <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-anti-vaxxers-arent-a-huge-threat-yet-how-do-we-keep-it-that-way-138531">The Conversation</a>. “Governments overseas, most notably the US government, have failed dismally in responding efficiently to COVID-19. This has the potential to devastate citizens’ trust. “In this volatile cocktail, the distinction between what is ‘bats**t crazy’ and what is worryingly plausible starts to break down.” In a <a href="https://10daily.com.au/news/a200519xdyqc/one-in-eight-australians-believes-bill-gates-is-responsible-for-coronavirus-and-wow-20200519">recent survey of 1,073 Australians</a>, one in eight said they believe Microsoft founder Bill Gates is somehow responsible for the coronavirus and the 5G wireless network is spreading the disease. “For those who reject these premises, it’s hard to understand how conspiracists sustain this alternative reality. But for those with long histories of rejecting government and expert authority, it’s completely conceivable,” Attwell said. “Many of those who reject vaccines, or strenuously object to COVID-19 health measures, are influenced by interconnected social groups with clear identities.” Attwell said it might be best to “quietly ignore” lockdown protesters to stop the spread of misinformation, “like a parent walking away from their child’s supermarket tantrum”. “When we walk away from a child having a tantrum in a supermarket, we are also saving them from themselves – even if they can’t appreciate it.”

Money & Banking

Posting about politicians? The NSW Police Force may have you in their sights

A Blue Mountains man was arrested <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6328433/fixated-persons-unit-investigates-winmalee-man/" target="_blank">in August last year</a>, over allegations that he’d been harassing the local mayor and a NSW Labor MLC. The 37-year-old was charged with a number of offences, including <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/domestic-and-personal-violence-act/stalking-or-intimidation/">stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm</a> and <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/criminal-code-act/use-carriage-service-to-menace-harass-or-cause-offence/">using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence</a>. The charges related to claims the man had been making<a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/false-sexual-assault-allegations-ruin-lives/"> false allegations about sexual assault</a> and child abuse. And this decade-long intimidation campaign was carried out via email, social media, text and phone messages. The investigation leading to the arrest was carried out by detectives from the NSW Police Force Fixated Persons Unit, which is a specialist investigation team comprised of police officers and government mental health workers that was formed in the wake of the Lindt café siege. Identifying pre-criminals The Fixated Persons Unit commenced operations <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/4627585/new-police-unit-deals-with-obsessed-individuals-video/" target="_blank">on 1 May 2017</a>. NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller referred to the Martin Place shootings, when announcing its formation. And he said it would target “lone actors”, who are obsessed with public figures, as well as ideologies or beliefs. The state’s top cop outlined that the unit would focus on non-terrorist suspects, who threaten public officials. However, the unit also has a focus on proactively locating individuals <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-26/police-strike-force-to-target-people-who-make-violent-threats/8472280" target="_blank">vulnerable</a> to becoming involved in this sort of behaviour before it develops. And that’s where the scope of these operations becomes worrying. If detectives aren’t responding to reports of threatening behaviour being carried out by fixated persons, then how are they locating those who pose a potential threat? At the time the unit was formed, NSW police said it had up to <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/up-to-50-wouldbe-extremists-assessed-by-new-police-fixated-persons-unit-20170426-gvsldb.html" target="_blank">50 people</a> on its radar who could potentially be targeted, which included one man who’d fallen short of the law due to shouting anti-war slogans during the minute’s silence on Anzac Day in Martin Place. And by October 2017, it was reported that <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/10/05/cops-and-health-professionals-can-decide-if-youre-too-obsessed-with-a-public-official/?fbclid=IwAR0MrgLNBOAoHvqutMTXWjm-aMg0qB06f5g5FJgXGsMWuVh2zAQxYDDVh1U" target="_blank">six people</a> in this state had been charged in relation to the unit. A Blue Mountains man was arrested <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6328433/fixated-persons-unit-investigates-winmalee-man/" target="_blank">in August last year</a>, over allegations that he’d been harassing the local mayor and a NSW Labor MLC. The 37-year-old was charged with a number of offences, including <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/domestic-and-personal-violence-act/stalking-or-intimidation/">stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm</a> and <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/criminal-code-act/use-carriage-service-to-menace-harass-or-cause-offence/">using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence</a>. The charges related to claims the man had been making<a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/false-sexual-assault-allegations-ruin-lives/"> false allegations about sexual assault</a> and child abuse. And this decade-long intimidation campaign was carried out via email, social media, text and phone messages. The investigation leading to the arrest was carried out by detectives from the NSW Police Force Fixated Persons Unit, which is a specialist investigation team comprised of police officers and government mental health workers that was formed in the wake of the Lindt café siege. Identifying pre-criminals The Fixated Persons Unit commenced operations <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/4627585/new-police-unit-deals-with-obsessed-individuals-video/" target="_blank">on 1 May 2017</a>. NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller referred to the Martin Place shootings, when announcing its formation. And he said it would target “lone actors”, who are obsessed with public figures, as well as ideologies or beliefs. The state’s top cop outlined that the unit would focus on non-terrorist suspects, who threaten public officials. However, the unit also has a focus on proactively locating individuals <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-26/police-strike-force-to-target-people-who-make-violent-threats/8472280" target="_blank">vulnerable</a> to becoming involved in this sort of behaviour before it develops. And that’s where the scope of these operations becomes worrying. If detectives aren’t responding to reports of threatening behaviour being carried out by fixated persons, then how are they locating those who pose a potential threat? At the time the unit was formed, NSW police said it had up to <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/up-to-50-wouldbe-extremists-assessed-by-new-police-fixated-persons-unit-20170426-gvsldb.html" target="_blank">50 people</a> on its radar who could potentially be targeted, which included one man who’d fallen short of the law due to shouting anti-war slogans during the minute’s silence on Anzac Day in Martin Place. And by October 2017, it was reported that <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/10/05/cops-and-health-professionals-can-decide-if-youre-too-obsessed-with-a-public-official/?fbclid=IwAR0MrgLNBOAoHvqutMTXWjm-aMg0qB06f5g5FJgXGsMWuVh2zAQxYDDVh1U" target="_blank">six people</a> in this state had been charged in relation to the unit. The future crime regime “The creation of this unit forms part of the reengineering process for the NSW Police Force moving forward,” commissioner Fuller told reporters. Although, he didn’t elaborate on what that actually meant. However, one could posit that this “reengineering” is a further step into the realm of policing future crimes, or what NSW police refers to as <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/systemic-unlawfulness-an-interview-with-dr-vicki-sentas-on-police-powers/">proactive policing</a>. This is part of a global trend towards trying to sniff out criminals before they commit any offences as its seen as being more cost effective. An example of this is the NSW police <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-future-crime-program-an-abuse-of-power/">Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP)</a>, which is a secret list of individuals subjected to intensified monitoring due to their assessed potential to commit crimes in the future. Those on the list don’t even have to have been convicted of a crime in the past. And while these developments are occurring, <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/predicting-and-preventing-crime-an-interview-with-ctdss-dr-roman-marchant/">there’s research being carried</a> out with the aim of being able to predict the level of criminality present in urban areas by analysing socioeconomic factors, so as to better allocate policing resources to prevent crime before it happens. Of course, as yet, no one has turned up to parliament with a bill that puts thoughtcrimes on the law books. However, proactively locating individuals before they perpetrate any criminal acts certainly sounds a lot like Orwell’s dystopian vision. “The creation of this unit forms part of the reengineering process for the NSW Police Force moving forward,” commissioner Fuller told reporters. Although, he didn’t elaborate on what that actually meant. However, one could posit that this “reengineering” is a further step into the realm of policing future crimes, or what NSW police refers to as <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/systemic-unlawfulness-an-interview-with-dr-vicki-sentas-on-police-powers/">proactive policing</a>. This is part of a global trend towards trying to sniff out criminals before they commit any offences as its seen as being more cost effective. An example of this is the NSW police <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-future-crime-program-an-abuse-of-power/">Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP)</a>, which is a secret list of individuals subjected to intensified monitoring due to their assessed potential to commit crimes in the future. Those on the list don’t even have to have been convicted of a crime in the past. And while these developments are occurring, <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/predicting-and-preventing-crime-an-interview-with-ctdss-dr-roman-marchant/">there’s research being carried</a> out with the aim of being able to predict the level of criminality present in urban areas by analysing socioeconomic factors, so as to better allocate policing resources to prevent crime before it happens. Of course, as yet, no one has turned up to parliament with a bill that puts thoughtcrimes on the law books. However, proactively locating individuals before they perpetrate any criminal acts certainly sounds a lot like Orwell’s dystopian vision. Written by Paul Gregoire. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/posting-about-politicians-the-nsw-police-force-may-have-you-in-their-sights/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a>

Technology

Posting about politicians? The NSW police force may have you in their sights

A Blue Mountains man was arrested <a href="https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6328433/fixated-persons-unit-investigates-winmalee-man/">in August last year</a>, over allegations that he’d been harassing the local mayor and a NSW Labor MLC. The 37-year-old was charged with a number of offences, including <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/domestic-and-personal-violence-act/stalking-or-intimidation/">stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm</a> and <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/criminal-code-act/use-carriage-service-to-menace-harass-or-cause-offence/">using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence</a>. The charges related to claims the man had been making<a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/false-sexual-assault-allegations-ruin-lives/"> false allegations about sexual assault</a> and child abuse. And this decade-long intimidation campaign was carried out via email, social media, text and phone messages. The investigation leading to the arrest was carried out by detectives from the NSW Police Force Fixated Persons Unit, which is a specialist investigation team comprised of police officers and government mental health workers that was formed in the wake of the Lindt café siege. Identifying pre-criminals The Fixated Persons Unit commenced operations <a href="https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/4627585/new-police-unit-deals-with-obsessed-individuals-video/">on 1 May 2017</a>. NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller referred to the Martin Place shootings, when announcing its formation. And he said it would target “lone actors”, who are obsessed with public figures, as well as ideologies or beliefs. The state’s top cop outlined that the unit would focus on non-terrorist suspects, who threaten public officials. However, the unit also has a focus on proactively locating individuals <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-26/police-strike-force-to-target-people-who-make-violent-threats/8472280">vulnerable</a> to becoming involved in this sort of behaviour before it develops. And that’s where the scope of these operations becomes worrying. If detectives aren’t responding to reports of threatening behaviour being carried out by fixated persons, then how are they locating those who pose a potential threat? At the time the unit was formed, NSW police said it had up to <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/up-to-50-wouldbe-extremists-assessed-by-new-police-fixated-persons-unit-20170426-gvsldb.html">50 people</a> on its radar who could potentially be targeted, which included one man who’d fallen short of the law due to shouting anti-war slogans during the minute’s silence on Anzac Day in Martin Place. And by October 2017, it was reported that <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/10/05/cops-and-health-professionals-can-decide-if-youre-too-obsessed-with-a-public-official/?fbclid=IwAR0MrgLNBOAoHvqutMTXWjm-aMg0qB06f5g5FJgXGsMWuVh2zAQxYDDVh1U">six people</a> in this state had been charged in relation to the unit. The future crime regime “The creation of this unit forms part of the reengineering process for the NSW Police Force moving forward,” commissioner Fuller told reporters. Although, he didn’t elaborate on what that actually meant. However, one could posit that this “reengineering” is a further step into the realm of policing future crimes, or what NSW police refers to as <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/systemic-unlawfulness-an-interview-with-dr-vicki-sentas-on-police-powers/">proactive policing</a>. This is part of a global trend towards trying to sniff out criminals before they commit any offences as its seen as being more cost effective. An example of this is the NSW police <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-police-future-crime-program-an-abuse-of-power/">Suspect Target Management Plan (STMP)</a>, which is a secret list of individuals subjected to intensified monitoring due to their assessed potential to commit crimes in the future. Those on the list don’t even have to have been convicted of a crime in the past. And while these developments are occurring, <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/predicting-and-preventing-crime-an-interview-with-ctdss-dr-roman-marchant/">there’s research being carried</a> out with the aim of being able to predict the level of criminality present in urban areas by analysing socioeconomic factors, so as to better allocate policing resources to prevent crime before it happens. Of course, as yet, no one has turned up to parliament with a bill that puts thoughtcrimes on the law books. However, proactively locating individuals before they perpetrate any criminal acts certainly sounds a lot like Orwell’s dystopian vision. Written by Paul Gregoire. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/posting-about-politicians-the-nsw-police-force-may-have-you-in-their-sights/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</a>

Art

Food fraud is hidden in plain sight

The globalization of the food chain has resulted in increased complexity and diminished transparency and trust into how and where our foods are grown, harvested, processed and by whom. Furthermore, recurring incidents of <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4014182/food-fraud-avoiding-fake-product/">food fraud</a> remind us that some of those involved in the food chain are exploiting this complexity. Today, consumers are at an <a href="https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2019/02/20/Fragmented-global-supply-chains-have-led-to-an-increase-in-food-fraud">increased risk</a> of buying lower-quality food than what they paid for, or worse, eating food with unsafe ingredients or undeclared allergens. Historically, food chain transparency and trust was established between the shopper and the farmer or fishmonger, green grocer, butcher, milkman and baker. Dutch scholar <a href="https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/governing-chinas-food-quality-through-transparency-a-review">Arthur Mol</a> argued that this personal interaction enabled face-to-face transparency, which built trust. Before modern supermarkets, a local village or town grocery store stocked up to 300 items grown or processed within a 240-kilometre (150-mile) radius. In comparison, our post-modern supermarkets carry an <a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/supermarket-facts">average of 33,000</a> items that travel 2,400 kilometres or more. The Canadian government is poised to tackle that problem by announcing <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6435463/buy-canadian-promotional-campaign/">a Buy Canadian food campaign.</a> While the extent of global food fraud is difficult to quantify, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suggests <a href="https://inspection.gc.ca/food-safety-for-industry/information-for-consumers/food-safety-system/food-fraud/eng/1548444446366/1548444516192">food fraud</a> affects 10 per cent of commercially sold food. Various academic and industry sources suggest that globally, food fraud ranges from US$10 billion to $49 billion. This is likely a conservative range considering estimates of <a href="https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/cracking-down-on-fake-steak-with-invisible-trackable-barcodes-20180810-h13t3n">fake Australian meats</a> alone and sold worldwide are as high as AUD$4 billion, or more than US$2.5 billion. If you add the sales of fake wines and alcohol, adulterated honey and spices, mislabelled fish and false claims of organic products, wild-caught fish or grain-fed meat, the numbers, and risks, increase significantly. Are Canadian regulations adequate? Regulations are in place to protect Canadians. The Safe Food for Canadians Act (known <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2018-108/index.html">as the SFCR</a>) and the <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-27/page-2.html#h-234067">Food and Drug Act</a> work together to protect Canadian consumers from food safety and food fraud risks. The SFCR states that food businesses must have preventative controls in place as well as product traceability records to ensure imported products meet Canadian laws. A provision of the Food and Drug Act states: “No person shall sell an article of food that (a) has in or on it any poisonous or harmful substance; (b) is unfit for human consumption; (c) consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance; (d) is adulterated; or (e) was manufactured, prepared, preserved, packaged or stored under unsanitary conditions.” Another section of the act declares: “No person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety”. But are the regulations being enforced? The CFIA is very active in food fraud prevention and detection. In July 2019, the agency received $24.4 million in new <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/food-inspection-agency/news/2019/07/government-of-canada-prevents-nearly-12800kg-of-adulterated-honey-from-entering-the-canadian-market.html">food fraud funding</a> after announcing that 12,800 kilograms of adulterated honey was blocked from entering the Canadian market. Honey adulteration is the process of cutting pure honey with fillers and cheaper sweeteners, including corn syrup. The CFIA has several enforcement instruments it can apply to offenders including <a href="https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/accountability/compliance-and-enforcement/amps/fact-sheet/eng/1547233099837/1547233100149">administrative monetary penalties</a>, <a href="https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/accountability/compliance-and-enforcement/licences/eng/1324052022644/1324052753628">licence suspension or cancellation</a> and <a href="https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/prosecution-bulletins/eng/1298575869119/1299852705293">criminal prosecution</a>. Is food fraud the same as consumer fraud? No. Canada is recovering from a significant consumer fraud incident where some of the most trusted brands colluded for more than a decade to fix the price of bread in what’s <a href="https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/04335.html">often termed breadgate</a>. This was a breach of the <a href="https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/04267.html">Canadian Competition Act</a>. Canada was one of the first countries in the world with a formal Competition Act, initiated in 1889. While breadgate’s egregious breach of trust shocked Canadians, consumers are known to have short memories and to quickly forgive. The protection of insiders acting as whistle-blowers in the food industry is critically important to expose both consumer fraud and food fraud. However, most food fraud detection requires the use of advanced high-tech methods. In 2017, the University of Guelph’s Biodiversity Institute, in partnership with the CFIA, received $320,000 in <a href="https://news.uoguelph.ca/2017/09/u-g-cfia-collaboration-gets-320000-investment/">federal funding</a> to develop better genomics and DNA bar-coding tools, including portable devices. DNA bar-coding allows researchers to match animal and plant DNA against a reference database to identify a species. Mislabelled fish, sausage The partnership has published a number of research papers uncovering food fraud and <a href="https://news.uoguelph.ca/2019/02/persistent-seafood-mislabeling-persistent-throughout-canadas-supply-chain-u-of-g-study-reveals/">revealing the mislabelling of fish</a> species in Canadian restaurants and grocery stores, an area of the institute’s research that now spans more than a decade. In January 2019, the institute <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996919300304?via%3Dihub">published a paper</a> entitled “Re-visiting the occurrence of undeclared species in sausage products sold in Canada” as a followup to a previous study that showed a <a href="https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/guelph/20-of-tested-sausages-contained-mislabeled-meat-u-of-g-study-1.3532113">20 per cent mislabelling rate for sausages</a>. The followup indicated 14 per cent of the 100 sausages tested still contained meat DNA that was undeclared on the label. Even more concerning for the public is that many types of food fraud and mislabelling have gone undetected. New technology and methods of testing still has to catch up. As social media amplifies recurring high-profile incidents of food fraud, trust in our global food supply chains remains a concern. For the foreseeable future, much of Canada’s food fraud remains hidden in plain sight, sitting right there on our grocery store shelves. Written by John G. Keogh. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/fish-sausage-even-honey-food-fraud-is-hidden-in-plain-sight-130186">The Conversation.</a>

Legal

Puma-sized cat sightings in NSW prompt investigation

The New South Wales state government has launched an investigation into sightings of a puma-sized cat in the Hunter Valley. Maitland woman Bev Fraser told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-20/hunter-valley-big-cat-sighting-nsw-dpi-investigates/11877970">ABC</a> she could not believe her eyes when she spotted a panther-sized big cat in a paddock next to her home. “It was too large to be an overgrown domestic cat – just a 50-kilo sort of animal sitting on my fence post,” Fraser said. She estimated the cat’s size based on the fence post on which it was sitting. “This cat had climbed up on a fence post and was sitting on a substantial fence post staring down into the undergrowth,” she said. “It was obviously hunting something, looking and concentrating obviously as cats do. I am now hesitant to go down there.” Fraser said she could not get closer than about 120 metres before the animal sensed her presence. “You know, it was 100 or so metres away, and that is a huge animal, and so I am still very convinced that is was a very large cat, but what variety I have no idea.” Hunter Valley man Chris O’Neill has also reported a sighting of a puma-sized cat about 30 kilometres from Fraser’s place. O’Neill said he was driving home for dinner last Thursday when he saw “a very big creature”. “A black feline cat-like creature, was kind of running under or near a truck and it was the same size as the wheel,” he told the ABC. “So it was a very big creature and its movement was cat-like but it certainly wasn’t a domestic cat.” The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) told the ABC it had launched an investigation into the feline sightings and would refer the report to either the NSW Police, the land manager, or the Livestock Health and Pest Authority.

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