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Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Probably not

We’ve long suspected that children are “smarter” than us and can learn much faster than adults - but now science has confirmed it as all but true and explained why. A new study has found that children learning something new experience a rapid boost in GABA, a brain messenger that helps to stabilise newly-learned material, while adults don’t. “Our results show that children of elementary school age can learn more items within a given period of time than adults, making learning more efficient in children,” Takeo Watanabe, a professor in cognitive and linguistic sciences, said. With previous research only looking at changes in levels of GABA at a single time-point that wasn’t at a specific time in relation to learning, the scientists set out to measure the levels of GABA in children and adults before, during and after undergoing visual training. They found that learning something visually triggered an increase in GABA in the visual cortex - the area of the brain that processes information - in children that lasted for several minutes after the training ended. But, this increase wasn’t observed in adults, with no changes in GABA levels seen at all. This suggests that children’s brains respond to learning in a way that enables them to learn more quickly and stabilise information faster. “It is often assumed that children learn more efficiently than adults, although the scientific support for this assumption has, at best, been weak, and, if it is true, the neuronal mechanisms responsible for more efficient learning in children are unclear,” Professor Watanabe said. With this finding also suggesting that the concentration of GABA would rapidly increase in children’s brains as a result of training, which would allow for the new information learnt to rapidly stabilise, the team also tested whether this would be true. “In subsequent behavioural experiments, we found that children indeed stabilised new learning much more rapidly than adults, which agrees with the common belief that children outperform adults in their learning abilities,” Dr Sebastian Frank, a cognitive neuroscientist and the study’s first author, explained. “Our results therefore point to GABA as a key player in making learning efficient in children.” He said that their results imply that the increased levels of GABA help children outperform adults despite having poorer cognitive control and attention. “Although children’s brains are not yet fully matured and many of their behavioural and cognitive functions are not as efficient as in adults, children are not, in general, outperformed in their abilities by adults,” Professor Watanabe added. “On the contrary, children are, at least in some domains such as visual learning, superior in their abilities to adults.” The researchers said their findings should be explored further in future studies, particularly looking at differences in how the different brain regions mature, as well as how GABA levels affect other types of learning, such as reading and writing. They published their findings in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Current Biology</a>. Image: Getty Images

Mind

6 ways doodling can make you smarter, happier and more productive

Doodling and attention Like a perpetually active toddler, the human brain constantly demands stimulation. When you’re in a setting that’s noticeably devoid of stimuli (say, on a long plane ride, or in an ultra-boring meeting) your brain compensates by creating its own stimulation in the form of daydreams. And while zoning out is a fine way to pass the time, it’s a dismal way to absorb information. Doodling, on the other hand, engages the brain’s planning and concentration centres just enough to keep you living in the moment – and according to some researchers, it may be even more effective for retaining information than active listening. In one study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, subjects who monitored a monotonous phone message for names of party guests recalled 29 percent more information later if they were doodling during the call. Meanwhile, in a 2012 study of science students who were asked to draw what they learned during lectures and reading sessions, doodlers not only retained more information, but also reported more enjoyment and engagement with the material. Doodling and memory In general, multitasking lowers cognitive performance on tasks, makes you think harder than you have to, and decreases productivity. However, recent experiments out of Waterloo University suggest that doodling might be an exception. In a series of tests, subjects were given 40 seconds to either draw a word in detail or write it by hand as many times as they could. When quizzed later, doodlers recalled more than twice as many words as writers did. Give this a try in your next meeting: Don’t just write down the crucial points – draw them. Doodling and mindfulness So, doodlers, your pen is moving and your brain is engaged – do you feel the zen yet? According to Jesse Prinz, a philosophy professor at City University of New York Graduate Center, doodling keeps participants in a state of “pure listening” that borders on meditation. “Doodling helps hit that sweet spot between listening too much and listening too little,” Prinz says. “It keeps you in a state where your mind can’t wander, and your mind can’t also reflect or think more deeply about what you’re hearing… it’s to such a great extent that if I do not doodle, I find myself having difficulty concentrating.” With your mind so engaged, it becomes hard not to feel yourself in the present moment. And with meditation comes relaxation. Doodling and your mood Beyond the kindergarten wisdom that drawing is just plain fun, there may be psychological forces improving your mood when you put doodles to paper. The key: keep it positive. In a 2008 study where participants were asked to either draw something that was making them unhappy (to “vent” their emotions) or something that made them happy, those who focused on the positive showed a greater short-term elevation in mood than those who vented. So when you doodle through your next boring meeting, draw yourself on a train to your dream holiday location instead of drawing your blowhard boss tied to tracks. Doodling and creativity This may seem like a no-brainer, but creative acts lead to creative thinking. Take this case study from a 2014 paper published at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology: An architecture student hit a creative block while designing a new kindergarten building. To ease his mind, the student began habitually doodling his own signature, larger and larger. As the doodles grew in size, the student began seeing an outline for the building in the negative spaces between the letters of his name. The doodle soon became the architectural sketch on which he based his building. Doodling and stress Creative activities have been proven across dozens of studies to reduce stress, decrease negative emotions, and even improve the health of people who participate in them. The end product doesn’t even have to be a masterpiece; as the great doodling philosopher Charles Schulz wrote, “the joy is in the playing.” In no form of art is this more true than doodling, a game where your brain talks to itself by using your hand as a medium. There is no concern for the end product, or who else might see it. Relax in the fact that a doodle is just a little present from you, for you. Written by Brandon Specktor. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/6-ways-doodling-can-make-you-smarter-happier-and-more-productive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a>

Mind

Older people slower but smarter than young’uns

<div> <div class="copy"> Human intelligence is wired to peak at different stages of life – and it turns out the brain saves some goodies for the golden years, American scientists found. The ability to think quickly and recall information, known as “fluid intelligence”, was long thought to reach its pinnacle at around 20 years old, followed by a slow, unrelenting decline. But the picture’s more complicated than that. A pair of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Massachusetts General Hospital collected online IQ and memory tests from more than 48,000 participants, which measured around 30 aspects of intelligence, including digit memorisation, visual search and assembling puzzles. “We were mapping when these cognitive abilities were peaking, and we saw there was no single peak for all abilities. The peaks were all over the place,” study co-author Joshua Hartshorne described. Where raw speed in processing information peaked around the age of graduating high school, short-term memory improved until age 25 and didn’t decline until age 35. But the ability to evaluate other people’s emotional states didn’t peak until the 40s and 50s, the data showed. And the most stellar performers in vocabulary intelligence were participants in their late 60s or early 70s. “At any given age, you’re getting better at some things, you’re getting worse at some other things, and you’re at a plateau at some other things,” Hartshorne explained. “There’s probably not one age at which you’re peak on most things, much less all of them.” The authors attribute these late intelligent blooms to today’s better education, more jobs that require reading and better intellectual stimulation for older people. How the brain rewires intelligence at a molecular level remains unclear, but previous studies indicated changes in gene expression and brain structure could play a role, the authors point out. “You see these lifespan patterns that we don’t know what to make of,” said study co-author Laura Germine. “The brain seems to continue to change in dynamic ways through early adulthood and middle age.” The researchers are continuing their studies using the online quizzes, now with added brain-probing tasks designed to test social and emotional intelligence, language skills and executive function. “We took the existing theories that were out there and showed that they’re all wrong. The question now is: What is the right one? To get to that answer, we’re going to need to run a lot more studies and collect a lot more data,” Hartshorne said. Want to see how your own brain stacks up? Take the team’s tests at <a rel="noopener" href="http://gameswithwords.org/" target="_blank">gameswithwords.org</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="http://testmybrain.org/" target="_blank">testmybrain.org</a>. Image credit: Shutterstock This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/older-people-slower-but-smarter-than-younguns/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and written by Viviane Richter. </div> </div>

Retirement Life

Shaming people for flying won’t cut airline emissions – we need a smarter solution

“Fake news”, the chief executive of Lufthansa <a href="https://simpleflying.com/lights%20ansa-ceo-flight-shaming-fake-news/">has called it</a>. But his counterpart at Air France calls it the airline industry’s “<a href="https://fortune.com/2019/11/18/flight-shame-air-france-anne-regail/">biggest challenge</a>”. So does the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50481107">president of Emirates</a>: “It’s got to be dealt with.” What they’re talking about is “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/flygskam-swedish-flying-shame-environment/11297138">flight shame</a>” – the guilt caused by the environmental impacts of air travel. Specifically, the carbon emissions. It’s the reason teen climate-change activist Greta Thunberg refused to fly to New York to address the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September, taking a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-29/swedish-teen-greta-thunberg-un-summit-new-york-boat-arrival/11459966">14-day sea voyage</a> instead. In Thunberg’s native Sweden, flight shame (“flygskam”) has really taken off, motivating people to not take off. Last year 23% of Swedes reduced their air travel to shrink their carbon footprint, according to a <a href="https://www.wwf.se/pressmeddelande/wwfs-klimatbarometer-allt-fler-valjer-bort-flyg-och-kott-och-kvinnorna-gar-fore-3241404/">WWF survey</a>. Swedish airport operator Swedavia <a href="https://www.swedavia.com/about-swedavia/swedavias-newsroom/">reported</a> passenger numbers at its ten airports in October were down 5% on the previous year. The potency of this guilt is what put Lufthansa’s head, Carsten Spohr, on the defensive at <a href="https://simpleflying.com/lufthansa-ceo-flight-shaming-fake-news/">an aviation industry conference</a> in Berlin in November. “Airlines should not have to be seen as a symbol of climate change. That’s just fake news,” he declared. “Our industry contributes 2.8% of global CO₂ emissions. As I’ve asked before, how about the other 97.2%? Are they contributing to global society with as much good as we do? Are they reducing emissions as much as we do?” Does he have a point? Let’s consider the evidence. How bad are aviation CO₂ emissions? The <a href="https://theicct.org/publications/co2-emissions-commercial-aviation-2018">International Council on Clean Transportation</a> (the same organisation that exposed <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-volkswagen-got-caught-cheating-emissions-tests-by-a-clean-air-ngo-47951">Volkwagen’s diesel emissions fraud</a>), estimates commercial aviation accounted for 2.4% of all carbon emissions from fossil-fuel use in 2018. So it’s true many other <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/change-of-co2-eq-emissions-2#tab-dashboard-01">sectors contribute more</a>. It is also true airlines are making efforts to reduce the amount of carbon they emit per passenger per kilometre. Australia’s aviation industry, for example, has reduced its “emissions intensity” by <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/environmental/emissions/files/Managing-the-Carbon-Footprint-of-Australian-Aviation.pdf">1.4% a year</a> since 2013. However, the ICCT estimates growth in passenger numbers, and therefore total flights, means total carbon emissions from commercial aviation have ballooned by 32% in five years, way faster <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/sep/19/airlines-co2-emissions-rising-up-to-70-faster-than-predicted">than UN predictions</a>. On that trajectory, the sector’s total emissions could triple by 2050. Alternatives to fossil fuels A revolution in aircraft design could mitigate that trajectory. The International Air Transport Association suggests the advent of hybrid electric aircraft propulsion (similar to how a hybrid car works, taking off and landing using electric power) by about 2030-35 could reduce fossil fuel consumption by up to 40%. Fully electric propulsion after that could eliminate fossil fuels completely. Even with the advent of electric airliners by mid-century, the huge cost and <a href="https://www.bts.gov/content/average-age-aircraft">long lifespan of commercial jets</a> means it could still take decades to wean fleets off fossil fuels. A shorter-term solution might be replacing fossil fuels with “sustainable aviation fuels” such as biofuels made from plant matter. But in 2018 just <a href="https://www.iea.org/commentaries/are-aviation-biofuels-ready-for-take-off">15 million litres of aviation biofuel</a> were produced – less than 0.1% of total aviation fuel consumption. The problem is it costs significantly more than standard kerosene-based aviation fuel. Greater use depends on the price coming down, or the price of fossil fuels going up. Pricing carbon This brings us to the role of economics in decarbonising aviation. An economist will tell you, for most goods the simplest way to reduce its consumption is to increase its price, or reduce the price of alternatives. This is the basis of all market-based solutions to reduce carbon emissions. One way is to impose a tax on carbon, the same way taxes are levied on alcohol and tobacco, to deter consumption as well as to raise revenue to pay the costs use imposes on society. The key problem with this approach is a government must guess at the price needed to achieve the desired reduction in demand. How the tax revenue <a href="https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/research/report/distributional-implications-carbon-tax">is spent</a>is also crucial to public acceptance. In France, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-fuel-tax-rise-is-dead-so-why-are-the-yellow-vests-protests-escalating-in-france">opposition to higher fuel taxes</a> led the government to instead announce an “<a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/france-airline-eco-tax">eco-tax</a>” on flights. This proposed tax <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/france-eco-tax-flights-criticised-airlines-activists-190709143311915.html">will range from</a> €1.50 (about A$2.40) for economy flights within the European Union to €18 (about A$29.30) for business-class flights out of the EU. Among those who think this price signal is too low to <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/plane-tax-eco-france-sweden">make any real difference </a> is Sam Fankhauser, director of the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/">Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment</a> in London. Trading and offsets Greater outcome certainty is the reason many economists champion an emissions trading scheme (also known as “cap and trade”). Whereas a tax seeks to reduce carbon emissions by raising the price of emission, a trading scheme sets a limit on emissions and leaves it to the market to work out the price that achieves it. One advantage economists see in emissions trading is that it creates both disincentive and incentives. Emitters don’t pay a penalty to the government. They effectively pay other companies to achieve reductions on their behalf through the trade of “carbon credits”. The European Union already has an <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en">emissions trading scheme</a> that covers flights within the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Glossary:European_Economic_Area_(EEA)">European Economic Area</a>, but it has been criticised for limiting incentives for companies to reduce emissions because they can cheaply buy credits, such as from overseas projects such as tree-planting schemes. This led to the paradox of scheme delivering a reported <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/allowances/aviation_en">100 million tonnes</a> of “reductions/offsets” from Europe’s aviation sector between 2012 and 2018 even while the sector’s emissions <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate/trends-and-projections-in-europe/trends-and-projections-in-europe-2019/the-eu-emissions-trading-system">increased</a>. A better solution might come from a well-designed international trading scheme. The basis for this may be the global agreement known as the <a href="https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Pages/default.aspx">Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation</a>. Already 81 countries, representing three-quarters of international aviation activity, have <a href="https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Pages/state-pairs.aspx">agreed to participate</a>. What seems clear is that guilt and voluntary action to reduce carbon emissions has its limits. This is suggested by the data from Sweden, the heartland of flight shame. Behind the 5% reduction in passenger numbers reported by Swedavia is a major difference between domestic passengers (down 10%) and international passengers (down just 2%). That might have something to do with the limited travel alternatives when crossing an ocean. For most of us to consider emulating Greta Thunberg by taking a sailboat instead, the price of a flight would have to be very high indeed. Written by Duygu Yengin and Tracey Dodd. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/shaming-people-for-flying-wont-cut-airline-emissions-we-need-a-smarter-solution-127257">The Conversation.</a>

Travel Tips

How to shop smarter and save big

I truly believe that all of us can shop smarter. Just take a bit of time before shopping to plan what you need, during shopping to ensure you get everything (and prevent another trip, which incurs costs on fuel) and after shopping to make sure your goods are stored correctly so they will last until you cook and eat them. Here are some tips: <ul> <li>Keep your shopping list somewhere where you will see it all the time and then remember to take it with you when you shop. I keep mine on a spreadsheet open on my computer (because I’m on the computer all day) – but I used to keep it on my fridge door. (I attached some old magnets to the back so it would stay there.) You can also keep it in your phone if you prefer; that way you will be less likely to leave it at home!</li> <li>Pay attention to unit prices. Since 2009 it’s been compulsory for every supermarket in Australia to provide a unit price for every item so that shoppers can quickly compare costs. Unit pricing breaks the cost of a product into a unit of weight, volume or number. For example, chocolate will have a unit price per 100 g, milk a unit price per litre and a bulk pack of breakfast bars or drinks might list an ‘each’ price.</li> <li>In most cases, the larger the size or amount, the smaller the unit price. For example, the unit price of a 1-litre carton of milk might be $1.20 per litre, yet for a 2-litre carton it might be $0.90 per litre.</li> <li>Don’t always assume that you are getting a good deal when buying in bulk. Sometimes it is actually cheaper to buy multiples of the smaller packs. So always check the unit price before you purchase.</li> <li>Pay cash instead of using a card. (Use the internet to work out how much your items will cost before you go.) It forces you to keep to your budget.</li> <li>Take a calculator (or use your phone) and add up what you are spending as you go.</li> <li>Never shop when you are hungry (I know you’ve heard it before, but it makes a huge difference.)</li> <li>Try not to shop with young children – it’s distracting for you and stressful for everyone (especially if they’re hassling you nonstop to buy toys or sweets and you’re not giving in!). If shopping with preschoolers is unavoidable, give them a special ‘job’ to do (putting stuff in the trolley), or put them in the trolley with a colouring book.</li> <li>Bring your own bottle of water and sip it to get you past the chocolate, soft drink and snack aisles. Better yet, don’t even go down them!</li> <li>Avoid shopping at peak times (Saturday mornings and 3–5 p.m. weekdays).</li> <li>Never shop at eye level – that’s where the supermarket promotes the product with the highest profit share. Brands pay a premium to have their products at eye-level for people who don’t care too much about what they’re buying and just want to grab it and go. Check out the bottom shelf, then the top.</li> <li>But the truly best place of all to find the cheapest items is at the ends of the aisles. This is where the supermarket places bulk items that they want to get rid of quickly – and they will sell them at close to cost price. Take advantage of this – especially with staple items.Check out the clearance section. It’s often a messy, uncoordinated pile, which discourages most shoppers – but don’t let it discourage you. If you are patient enough to weed through this section you may just find an item or two on your list.</li> <li>The only time to stray from your budget is when you encounter an unexpected sale on staple items that you just can’t go past.</li> <li>If you keep to your budget, give yourself a small, inexpensive treat as a reward (or just put a couple of dollars in a piggy bank to save up for something just for you).</li> <li>And the biggest hint of them all: check your receipt. Supermarkets make mistakes all the time. If you find an error, they will often refund you the cost of the entire item, not just the error, so by checking for mistakes, you could get a few items for free!</li> </ul> This is an edited extract from The $50 Weekly Shop Weekday Dinners by Jody Allen, published by Penguin Random House and available now, RRP $24.99 Written by Jody Allen. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/wyza-life/how-to-shop-smarter-and-save.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Legal

Hackers are getting smarter by targeting councils and governments

In recent weeks, <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/city-of-johannesburg-held-for-ransom-by-hacker-gang/">Johannesburg’s computer network was held for ransom</a> by a hacker group called Shadow Kill Hackers. This was the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49125853">second time</a> in three months a ransomware attack has hit South Africa’s largest city. This time, however, hackers didn’t pose the usual threat. Rather than denying the city <a href="https://www.hkcert.org/ransomware.hk/ransomware-basic.html">access to its data</a>, the standard blackmail in a ransomware attack, they threatened to publish it online. This style of attack, known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware#Leakware_(also_called_Doxware)">leakware</a>, allows hackers to target more victims in a single attack – in this case the city’s citizens. The latest Johannesburg attack was the second leakware attack of this type ever recorded, and a similar attack could hit Australia soon. And although our current cyberattack defences are more advanced than many countries, we could be taken by surprise because of the unique way leakware operates. A new plan of attack During the Johannesburg attack, city employees received a computer message saying hackers had “compromised all passwords and sensitive data such as finance and personal population information”. In exchange for not uploading the stolen data online, destroying it and revealing how they executed the breach, the hackers demanded four bitcoins (worth about A$52,663) - “a small amount of money” for a vast city council, they said. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299645/original/file-20191031-187903-1ykyg4q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299645/original/file-20191031-187903-1ykyg4q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The hacker group operated a Twitter account, on which they posted a photo showing the directories they had access to. ShadowKillGroup/twitter In this case, access to data was not denied. But the threat of releasing data online can put enormous pressure on authorities to comply, or they risk releasing citizens’ sensitive information, and in doing so, betraying their trust. The city of Johannesburg decided <a href="https://coingeek.com/we-shall-not-pay-the-ransom-johannesburg-tells-hackers/">not to pay the ransom</a> and to restore systems on its own. Yet we don’t know whether the data has been released online or not. The attack suggests cybercriminals will continue to experiment and innovate in a bid to defeat current prevention and defence measures against leakware attacks. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299644/original/file-20191031-187898-hhld2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299644/original/file-20191031-187898-hhld2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> This login screen message was displayed on computers in Johannesburg following the attack. pule_madumo/twitter Another notable leakware attack happened a decade ago against the US state of Virginia. <a href="https://www.govtech.com/security/Cyber-Criminal-Demands-10-Million.html">Hackers stole</a> prescription drug information from the state and tried obtaining a ransom by threatening to either release it online, or sell it to the highest bidder. When to trust the word of a cybercriminal? Ransomware attack victims face two options: <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361372316300367">pay, or don’t pay</a>. If they choose the latter, they need to try other methods to recover the data being kept from them. If a ransom is paid, criminals will often decrypt the data as promised. They do this to encourage compliance in future victims. That said, paying a ransom <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/paying-the-coverton-ransomware-may-not-get-your-data-back/">doesn’t guarantee the release or decryption of data</a>. The type of attack experienced in Johannesburg poses a new incentive for criminals. Once the attackers have stolen the data, and have been paid the ransom, the data still has extractive value to them. This gives them <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1707.06247.pdf">duelling incentives</a> about whether to publish the data or not, as publishing it would mean they could continue to extort value from the city by targeting citizens directly. In cases where victims decide not to pay, the solution so far has been to have strong, separate and updated <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3331981/how-to-protect-backups-from-ransomware.html">data backups</a>, or use one of <a href="https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/index.html">the passkeys available online</a>. Passkeys are decryption tools that help regain access to files once they’ve been held at ransom, by applying a repository of keys to unlock the most common types of ransomware. But these solutions don’t address the negative outcomes of leakware attacks, because the “<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/bm/Documents/risk/cayman-islands/2017%20Deloitte%20-%20Taking%20data%20hostage%20-%20The%20rise%20of%20ransomware.PDF">hostage</a>” data is not meant to be released to the victim, but to the public. In this way, criminals manage to innovate their way out of being defeated by backups and decryption keys. The traditional ransomware attack Historically, <a href="https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4337/ransomware">ransomware attacks denied users access to their data, systems or services</a> by locking them out of their computers, files or servers. This is done through obtaining passwords and login details and changing them fraudulently through the process of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing">phishing</a>. It can also be done by encrypting the data and converting it to a format that makes it inaccessible to the original user. In such cases, criminals contact the victim and pressure them into paying a ransom in exchange for their data. The criminal’s success depends on both the value the data holds for the victim, and the victim’s inability to retrieve the data from elsewhere. Some cybercriminal groups have even developed complex online “<a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3173698/ransomware-customer-support-chat-reveals-criminals-ruthlessness.html">customer support</a>” assistance channels, to help victims buy cryptocurrency or otherwise assist in the process of paying ransoms. Trouble close to home Facing the risk of losing sensitive information, companies and governments often pay ransoms. This is <a href="https://www.synergetic.net.au/ransomware-attacks-on-the-rise-in-australia/">especially true</a> in Australia. Last year, 81% of Australian <a href="https://www.synergetic.net.au/ransomware-attacks-on-the-rise-in-australia/">companies</a> that experienced a cyberattack were held at ransom, and 51% of these paid. Generally, paying tends to <a href="http://www.rmmagazine.com/2016/05/02/ransomware-attacks-pose-growing-threat/">increase the likelihood</a> of future attacks, extending vulnerability to more targets. This is why ransomware is a rising global threat. In the first quarter of 2019, <a href="https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/assets/reports/rp-quarterly-threats-aug-2019.pdf">ransomware attacks went up by 118%</a>. They also became more targeted towards governments, and the healthcare and legal sectors. Attacks on these sectors are now more lucrative than ever. The threat of leakware attacks is increasing. And as they become more advanced, Australian city councils and organisations should adapt their defences to brace for a new wave of sophisticated onslaught. As history has taught us, it’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/01/systems-shut-down-in-victorian-hospitals-after-suspected-cyber-attack">better to be safe</a> than sorry.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126190/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roberto-musotto-872263">Roberto Musotto</a>, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre Postdoctoral Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brian-nussbaum-874786">Brian Nussbaum</a>, Assistant Professor at College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-at-albany-state-university-of-new-york-1978">University at Albany, State University of New York</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hackers-are-now-targeting-councils-and-governments-threatening-to-leak-citizen-data-126190">original article</a>.

Technology

Bees are smarter than we thought and can learn more if they're trained the "right way"

Bees are pretty good at maths – as far as insects go, at least. We already know, for example, that they can count up to four and even <a href="https://theconversation.com/bees-join-an-elite-group-of-species-that-understands-the-concept-of-zero-as-a-number-97316">understand the concept of zero</a>. But in a new study, <a href="https://jeb.biologists.org/content/222/19/jeb205658">published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology</a>, we show honeybees can also understand numbers higher than four – as long as we provide feedback for both correct and incorrect responses as they learn. Even our own brains are less adept at dealing with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subitizing">numbers greater than four</a>. While we can effortlessly estimate up to four items, processing larger numbers requires more mental effort. Hence why when asked to count, a young child will sometimes <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027706002137">answer with “1, 2, 3, 4, more”</a>! If you don’t believe me, try the test below. The various colour groupings representing 1-4 stars are easy to count quickly and accurately. However, if we try estimating the number of all stars at once by ignoring colours, it requires more concentration, and even then our accuracy tends to be poorer. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295960/original/file-20191008-128661-me98r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> For numbers of elements ranging from 1-4, as represented here in different colours, we very efficiently process the exact number. However, if we try estimating the number of all stars at once by ignoring colour, it requires a lot more cognitive effort. This effect isn’t unique to humans. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-008-0140-9">Fish</a>, for example, also show a threshold for accurate quantity discrimination at four. One theory to explain this is that counting up to four isn’t really counting at all. It may be that many animals’ brains can innately recognise groups of up to four items, whereas proper counting (the process of sequentially counting the number of objects present) is needed for numbers beyond that. By comparing the performance of different animal species in various number processing tasks we can better understand how differences in brain size and structure enable number processing. For example, honeybees have previously been shown to be able to count and discriminate <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-008-0159-y">numbers up to four</a>, but not beyond. We wanted to know why there was a limit at four – and whether they can go further. Best bee-haviour Bees are surprisingly good at maths. We recently discovered that bees can learn to <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-taught-bees-a-simple-number-language-and-they-got-it-117816">associate particular symbols with particular quantities</a>, much like the way we use numerals to represent numbers. Bees learn to do this type of difficult task if given a sugary reward for choosing the correct association, and a bitter liquid for choosing incorrectly. So if we were to push bees beyond the four threshold, we knew success would depend on us asking the right question, in the right way, and providing useful feedback to the bees. We trained two different groups of bees to perform a task in which they were presented with a choice of two different patterns, each containing a different number of shapes. They could earn a reward for choosing the group of four shapes, as opposed to other numbers up to ten. We used two different training strategies. One group of ten bees received only a reward for a correct choice (choosing a quantity of four), and nothing for an incorrect choice. A second group of 12 bees received a sugary reward for picking four, or a bitter-tasting substance if they made a mistake. In the test, bees flew into a Y-shaped maze to make a choice, before returning to their hive to share their collected sweet rewards. Each experiment conducted with a single bee lasted about four hours, by which time each bee had made 50 choices. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296142/original/file-20191009-3846-1t5w4gl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296142/original/file-20191009-3846-1t5w4gl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Bees were individually trained and tested in a Y-shaped maze where a sugar reward was presented on the pole directly in front of the correct stimulus. Author provided The group that only received sweet rewards could not successfully learn to discriminate between four and higher numbers. But the second group reliably discriminated the group of four items from other groups containing higher numbers. Thus, bees’ ability to learn higher number discrimination depends not just on their innate abilities, but also on the risks and rewards on offer for doing so. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296143/original/file-20191009-3860-qstnbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296143/original/file-20191009-3860-qstnbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Bee’s-eye view of either four or five element displays that could be discriminated. Inserts show how we normally see these images. Our results have important implications for understanding how animals’ brains may have evolved to process numbers. Despite being separated by 600 million years of evolution, invertebrates such as bees and vertebrates such as humans and fish all seem to share a common threshold for accurately and quickly processing small numbers. This suggests there may be common principles behind how our brains tackle the question of quantity. The evidence from our new study shows bees can learn to process higher numbers if the question and training are presented in the right way. These results suggest an incredible flexibility in animal brains, of all sizes, for learning to become maths stars.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124887/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jair-garcia-387799">Jair Garcia</a>, Research fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scarlett-howard-423771">Scarlett Howard</a>, Postdoctoral research fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-de-toulouse-iii-paul-sabatier-2447">Université de Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/bees-can-learn-higher-numbers-than-we-thought-if-we-train-them-the-right-way-124887">original article</a>.

Home & Garden

Weird brain exercises that help you get smarter

Giving your brain new experiences will keep it healthier. Try these mini mental workout exercises to prevent memory loss and sharpen your mind. Giving your brain new experiences that combine physical senses – vision, smell, touch, taste and hearing – with emotional “sense” stimulates more connections between different brain areas, causes nerve cells to produce natural brain nutrients that dramatically help memory and makes surrounding cells stronger and more resistant to the effects of aging. Try these brain exercises during your morning routine or your down time and see if you feel the difference. Brush teeth with your non-dominant hand Research has shown that using the opposite side of your brain (as in this exercise) can result in a rapid and substantial expansion of in the parts of the cortex that control and process tactile information from the hand. Brain exercise: Brush, and don’t forget to open the tube and apply toothpaste in reverse, too. Shower with your eyes closed Your hands will probably notice varied textures of your own body you don’t “see,” and will send messages back to your brain. Brain exercise: Try using just your tactile senses (although, use common sense to avoid burn or injury). Locate the taps solely by feel, and adjust the temperature. Then wash, shave and so on with your eyes shut. Switch around your morning activities Brain imaging studies show that novel tasks exercise large areas of the cortex, indicating increased levels of brain activity in several distinct areas. This activity declines when the task becomes routine and automatic. Brain exercise: Get dressed after breakfast, walk the dog on a new route or change your TV or news station. Even watching a kids’ program like Sesame Street, for example, may arouse the brain to notice how much of what you take for granted is explored in depth by children. Turn familiar objects upside down (literally) When you look at things right-side up, your left “verbal” brain quickly labels it and diverts your attention elsewhere. When they’re upside down, your right brain networks kick in, trying to interpret the shapes, colours and relationships of a puzzling picture. Brain exercise: Turn pictures of your family, your desk clock or an illustrated calendar upside down. Switch seats at the table In most families, everyone has his or her “own” seat, but your brain benefits from new experiences. Brain exercise: Switch seats to change whose position you occupy, who you relate to, your view of the room and even how you reach for salt and pepper. Make a new connection with your nose You probably don’t remember when you “learned” to associate the smell of coffee with the start of a day. However, by linking a new odour – say, vanilla, citrus or peppermint – to an activity, you’ll alert new neural pathways. Brain exercise: Keep an extract of your favourite scent near your bed for a week. Open it and inhale when you first wake up, and then again as you bathe and dress. Open the car window The hippocampus, an area of your brain that processes memories, is especially involved in associating odours, sounds and sights to construct mental maps. Brain exercise: Try to identify new smells and sounds on your route. Opening the windows provides these circuits with more raw material. Play with spare change Because our brains regularly rely on visual cues to distinguish between objects, using touch to identify subtly different things increases activation in cortical areas that process tactile information and leads to stronger synapses. (Similarly, adults who lose their sight learn to distinguish Braille letters because their brain devotes more pathways to processing fine touch.) Brain exercise: Place a cup full of coins in your car’s drink holder. While at a stoplight, try to determine the denominations by feel alone. You can also put coins in your pocket, and identify them when you stop at a corner. Play “10 Things” Forcing your brain to think of alternates to the everyday will help keep it strong. Brain exercise: Someone hands you an ordinary object, and you must demonstrate 10 different “things” that the object might be. Example: A fly swatter might be a tennis racket, a golf club, a fan, a baton, a drumstick, a violin, a shovel, a microphone, a baseball bat or a canoe paddle. Scan at the supermarket Stores are designed to have the most profitable items at eye level, and when you shop you don’t really see everything there. Brain exercise: Stop in any aisle and look at the shelves, top to bottom. If there’s something you’ve never seen before, pick it up, read the ingredients and think about it. You don’t have to buy it to benefit; you’ve broken your routine and experienced something new. Do an art project in a group Art activates the nonverbal and emotional parts of the cerebral cortex. When you create art, you draw on parts of your brain interested in forms, colours and textures, as well as thought processes very different from the logical, linear thinking that occupies most of your day. Brain exercise: Ask each person to draw something associated with a specific theme like a season, an emotion or a current event. Make more social connections during your day Scientific research has repeatedly proved that social deprivation has severe negative effects on overall cognitive abilities. Brain exercise: Thirsty? Buy a drink from a person rather than a vending machine. Need gas? Pay the clerk at the counter rather than just swiping your credit card at the pump. Read differently When we read aloud or listen to reading, we use very different brain circuits than when we read silently to ourselves. Brain exercise: Read aloud with your partner or a friend, alternating roles of reader and listener. It may be slow to get through a book, but as a bonus you’ll spend quality time together. Eat unfamiliar foods Your olfactory system can distinguish millions of odours by activating unique combinations of receptors in your nose. There’s a direct link to the emotional centre of your brain, so new odours may evoke unexpected feelings and associations. Brain exercise: Choose a cuisine unfamiliar to you, and browse the variety of novel vegetables, seasonings and packaged goods. Written by Lawrence C. Katz, PhD and Manning Rubin. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/14-weird-brain-exercises-that-help-you-get-smarter?slide=all">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, h<a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">ere’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Legal

6 ways to make your dog smarter

<div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> Just like humans, a dog’s intelligence can be increased through education and training. Well-trained dogs are smarter, better behaved and more fun. In reality, seeming ‘smart’ often simply reflects ‘training’ so you’ll need to invest time in training and communicating with your dog. Veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren shares her expert tips to help make your dog a clever canine. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">1. Early training</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> The earlier you start training your puppy, the more likely you are to achieve results. A little bit of training, several times a day, will make a big difference. Don’t forget to keep it informal and fun. Contrary to popular belief, you can teach an old dog new tricks, so if you have an older dog it’s still worth investing the time. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">2. Associate words with rewards</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> It’s possible for dogs to understand a range of vocabulary similar to that of a two-year-old child. You can teach your dog to associate words with behaviours, activities and items by using positive reinforcement and rewards. It’s not surprising that most dogs clearly understand words like ‘treat’, ‘toy’ and ‘walk’, because whenever they hear those words they are rewarded with food, a game or an outing. Your dog will constantly pick up on words and signals, so use this to your advantage and increase the effect with suitable rewards. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">3. Use hand signals</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> Dogs by nature enjoy responding to visual cues, and seem to have adapted to comprehend human visual communication. Pointing is a great example, as you can point to a toy and your dog will pick it up. Dogs are one of the few animals that understand that gesture. Back up your voice commands with hand signals and you will find your dog responds quickly and enthusiastically. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">4. Regular training</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> Short bursts of regular training throughout your dog’s life will give great results. Training can be brief and spontaneous, as what’s important is that it’s regular. Run through a few simple commands with your dog before you give them their dinner. It’s a time when they’ll be really keen to respond. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">5. Make your dog work for their food</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> Dogs love to eat, so get them to work for their food by using a portion of your dog’s daily diet for fun games. You can make treasure hunts with kibble, use food-dispensing toys or play hide and seek with treats. All these activities will keep them stimulated, entertained and their brains active. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">6. Trick training</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> Dogs that learn to perform cool tricks always look smart. Apart from being entertaining, trick training will help take your relationship with your dog to a new level. Start with simple tricks such as ‘speak on command’ and ‘roll over’ and gradually increase the repertoire. There’s no doubt trick training is fun and rewarding for both dogs and owners. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even">Interactive brain games</div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> A game of fetch is fun, but there’s not much thinking involved. Interactive brain games tire your dog out, decrease boredom and strengthen the bond between you. Try these: <ul> <li>Hide and seek – We all played this game as a child but you can also play it with your dog. Get someone to hold your dog while you hide somewhere. Get your helper to call ‘go find’ and encourage your dog to find you. Your dog should be able to find you by scent. If you need to you can also call your dog to give extra help.</li> <li>Treasure Hunt – Stimulate your dog by getting him to use his nose to find hidden treasure. Begin by putting your dog in a sit-stay position, then hide a treat or favourite toy where it is obvious. You can even let him watch you hide it. Then give him the release cue to go find the toy. Reward your dog when he finds the hidden treasure. Once your dog understands the game, ramp up the difficulty by hiding the treasure in another room or have someone in your household hide it.</li> <li>Cup Game – Have your dog watch while you place a treat under one of two opaque cups. Give your dog the cue to turn over the cup to get the treat. When he understands the game, make it more challenging by alternating the cup under which you place the treat. </li> </ul> Written by Dr Katrina Warren and Diane Godley. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/6-ways-make-your-dog-smarter">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Mind

5 ways to be smarter with your super

Super is the centrepiece of retirement planning but all too often, it is left to linger in the background instead of being given the attention it deserves. After all, with your money and retirement lifestyle at stake, it’s worth finding ways to streamline your super and to take advantage of opportunities to make it work harder for you. These five tips will help you get started. 1. Maximise tax advantages As employees, we often treat our super as something our employer takes care of, and a cursory glance at our annual statement may be the only attention we give it. What you might not know is that recent changes to tax incentives have created potential opportunities to give your super a real boost. As of July 2017, employees can make tax-deductible (concessional) super contributions on top of the compulsory contributions their employers make. This effectively means that the government is making a potentially huge contribution to your retirement benefits through the tax system — an opportunity simply too big to ignore. Another way for employees to use the tax system to enhance their super is through salary sacrificing. This is a formal arrangement you make with your employer to direct some of your pre-tax salary toward super contributions, thereby reducing your salary for tax purposes. Choosing whether you should make deductible contributions or salary sacrifice will depend on your individual circumstances, so consult a financial adviser to help make the right choice. 2. Advantages of after-tax contributions While making concessional contributions is a great way to boost your super using the tax system, there are limits on the level of contribution you can make each year and still receive concessional treatment. If you are approaching retirement, you may want to load your super beyond these concessional limits. Fortunately, you can make after-tax (non-concessional) contributions to do this. While these contributions don’t benefit from tax deductibility, they do have the significant advantage of avoiding the 15 per cent contributions tax, so that the full value of your contribution reaches your superannuation account. Consult a financial adviser to help determine how you can best balance your pre and post-tax super contributions, and stay within the limits for optimal tax efficiency. 3. Consolidate and save If your super is spread across multiple accounts due to changes in employment over the years, chances are you could be frittering away valuable retirement savings in unnecessary costs. You pay administration and other fees on each super account you have, and may also have multiple insurance premiums deducted from those accounts. The solution is to consolidate your super into one fund. To do this, you first need to find out how much you have in each account, and identify if you have any lost or forgotten super accounts. Seek assistance from a financial adviser to assist with this, as well as consolidating those accounts into one fund to increase cost efficiencies and better focus your investment strategy. 4. Access government support If you are a low or middle-income earner, there are government schemes in place that can significantly improve your super situation. For example, you may be able to make non-concessional contributions of up to $1000, and qualify for a government co-contribution of up to $500 toward your super. This scheme is currently available to anyone who earns less than $51,813 (for the 2017-2018 financial year). Another option is the spouse contribution scheme, which allows you to contribute up to $3000 to your spouse’s super account and receive a tax rebate of 18 per cent (up to a maximum $540) if your spouse earns less than $37,000. The rebate amount tapers off if your spouse earns more than $37,000 and they become ineligible once they reach $40,000. 5. Review your insurance in super Having proper levels of life and disability insurance is a foundational principle of any personal financial plan. Your super may include insurance cover, but is the amount appropriate for your needs? As you go through stages of life, your cover needs can vary dramatically and in later years, you may end up with more insurance than you need. The only way to determine the right level of cover is to have a proper insurance needs analysis done. Engage a qualified financial adviser to perform this for you — it could mean having a greater proportion of your super contributions going toward your retirement rather than being lost on unnecessary premiums. What are your top tips for getting your super in shape? Let us know in the comments below. This article was republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/money/financial-planning/five-ways-to-be-smarter-with-your-super.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Retirement Life

Are YOU smarter than average? Take this general knowledge quiz

Do you have a good grasp of general knowledge? A new <a href="https://www.playbuzz.com/terrystein10/score-14-15-and-your-intellect-is-in-the-99th-percentile#eightieth" target="_blank">Playbuzz</a> quiz puts your intellect to the test with questions from nature, music, mathematics, literature and astronomy. The quiz maker claims if you score 14 out of the 15 questions it puts your intellect in the 99th percentile – or at least places you above the average IQ. So, how many can you get right? Take the test below. <div class="playbuzz" data-id="30fdb265-8be2-45d7-91fb-72c9e41d3039" data-show-info="false" data-comments="false" data-show-share="false"></div>

Mind

13 smarter ways to book your next holiday

How many times have you felt as though you’ve covered all the bases in your holiday planning, only to arrive at your destination and bump into someone who managed to book the same trip for half price? The good news is the trick to getting the best price is no secret, more a matter of knowing where to look (and sometimes when). Use these top tips to make planning your next holiday even easier. 1. Clear your browser history and cookies The internet is a marvelous invention – but it’s also a way that companies can track your every move. Clear your browser history and cookies and websites won’t know what you’ve searched before, so they’ll give you brand new deals. Otherwise, you may find that you only see higher prices targeted at you. 2. Go direct to the hotel Third party booking sites (like Expedia or Hotels Combined) always claim to have the cheapest prices. But you may be surprised to find that going direct to the hotel – either online or by phone – can actually get you the best deal. Be old fashioned and give it a try. 3. Sign up for flight alerts You can’t possibly monitor all the websites and their constantly changing prices when trying to book a flight. Sign up for alerts, either through Google or direct through the sites themselves, and let them do the hardwork for you. They will let you know when a price drops or a new deal becomes available for your chosen route. 4. Try mystery hotel deals If you’re prepared to have a little faith in a booking engine, you can end up checking in to a gorgeous hotel that was well outside your budget. The site will guarantee the location and standards, then you’ll just wait to be pleasantly surprised. 5. Get the right app Your mobile phone is a travel booking whizz. You can sign up for apps that will monitor flight prices, book your hotel room, help you plan activities or keep your whole itinerary organised digitally. 6. Book flights for solo travellers You don’t have to travel solo, but it can be better to book that way. If a flight only has one discounted ticket left but you want to book for two (or more), all passengers will pay the higher price. Book one at a time and get the last seats at the lower prices. 7. Sign up for coupons Put yourself on the mailing list for hotel groups or car hire companies and keep an eye on your inbox. Many will periodically send through discount coupons or special offers to members that you won’t find anywhere else. 8. Put all your points together It’s amazing how many different reward programs we join and then forget about it. Go through them all, transfer or pool all your points to the one account and then use them for some real purchasing power. 9. Be creative with your flights A simple roundtrip flight from your home to your destination might not be the best way to go. You could save money by booking two cheap one way flights (one there, one back), choose a connecting flight or land at an alternate airport close by. You could save big. 10. Book with a bot Those (sometimes annoying) little chat bots that pop up in the corner of booking sites could actually be your new best friend. The simple interface will be able to give you streamlined information and are trained to find the best options at the right price. 11. Get more out of a stopover Don’t think of a stopover as a waste of time or an annoying pause before your ‘real holiday’ begins. Most airlines will let you stay for a couple of days for no extra charge, so now is the time to add in a new destination you might never have thought of. 12. Take advantage of bonus credit card offers Most banks offer great bonus deals when you sign up to a new credit card, with as much as 100,000 frequent flyer points on offer – which can get you a long way. Do some research, sign up and get the points, then just cancel the card before you get into debt. 13. Try before you buy with VR The glossy travel brochure has been superseded by the latest in interactive technology – virtual reality. Many travel agents, cruise companies and tourist boards have creates special VR films that you can view and immerse yourself in before you book, so you know exactly what’s in store.

Travel Tips

Are you smarter than an 8-year-old?

A US mum has shared a photo of a maths question from her third-grade child’s homework to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/79rc0f/this_3rd_grade_math_problem/" title="www.reddit.com">Reddit</a> – and it’s left the internet collectively scratching their heads. Not only does it appear that the child’s homework is insanely long (there’s at least 45 questions!) but it seems the maths query in question doesn’t actually have a clear answer. Question 44 reads: “Janell had 15 marbles. She lost some of them. How many does Janell have now?” <img width="441" height="331" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/07bd39c6a4cd1361bccd4582d2e50c9d" alt="What does this mean?" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Neither mum Dusty Sappington, who posed the photo of the question, nor the 800 internet users who commented could say for sure what the correct answer is. One popular comment suggested that the correct answer is “< 15” (less than 15). However, if you want to be technical, the answer isn’t absolutely correct as it would include negative numbers of marbles — which would be impossible. So the real answer is closer to “0 < x < 15”. Even so, it’s unlikely the third grade teacher would have set such a difficult question so perhaps the answer is, as some commentators suggested, is simply “some”. What’s more likely though is the teacher who set the homework left out the vital information in the question. Perhaps they need to find their own marbles? The mother updated Reddit saying her daughter has yet to receive the marked homework back. “I haven’t found out the answer, but hope to see her graded paper soon,” she wrote.

Mind

First-born siblings are more likely to be successful

There’s a constant, sniping battle waging in most families. It’s usually taking place parallel to the fight over which child is the favourite, and it seems just as difficult to determine a winner: which child is smartest. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Edinburgh, has shown that first-born children develop superior thinking skills compared to their younger siblings. This development, the researchers posit in the Journal of Human Resources, is a result of greater levels of mental stimulation from parents. The study, carried out by economists, used data from the US Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which was collected by the US Bureau of Statistics. Their examinations showed that as early as age one, first-born children scored higher than their siblings in IQ tests. The study assessed close to 5,000 children every two years – from pre-birth through until the age of 14. First-borns were shown to score better in a range of tests, including reading, names, picture vocabulary, matching letters, and reading single words aloud. While looking at the results of the tests, the researchers took into consideration environmental factors such as family background, economic conditions, as well as parental behaviours towards the children. It was found that are less likely to offer mental stimulation to later-born children – including activities like reading, playing musical instruments, and craft. Researchers also showed that mothers tended to take higher risks during later pregnancies – risks like smoking while pregnant. The results seem to explain the “birth order effect” – a phenomenon wherein a family’s earlier-born children earn better wages and achieve higher levels of education in their lifetime. Interestingly, despite the imbalance in mental stimulation, the study concluded that the children received the same level of emotional support from their parents – no matter the order of birth. Have you ever noticed a difference in the intelligence of your children?

Family & Pets

There’s a smarter way to get cling wrap out of a box

Plastic wrap can often become a real headache, sticking to itself and coming off the roll poorly. But, did you know there’s a smarter way to get it out of the box? Instead of just pulling the plastic out of the box willy-nilly, punch in the tabs on the side. Not only will this hold the roll in place, but it will make it much easier to pull the plastic wrap out evenly, which will also help prevent plastic wrap becoming tangled. The picture below shows how this process works: <img width="431" height="970" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/27831/cling-wrap-trick-in-text.jpg" alt="Cling Wrap Trick In Text" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Image credit: Pinterest / Today Were you aware of this simple, yet effective trick? Do you have any other tips to make life easier around the home? Let us know in the comments section below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/toxic-items-in-your-home/">10 toxic items in your home that might surprise you</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/04/does-your-kitchen-need-a-plastic-detox/">Does your kitchen need a plastic detox?</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/04/kitchen-tricks-that-that-will-save-you-money/">8 kitchen tricks that that will save you money</a>

News

Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for

Dog lovers have been saying it forever but now research is backing up their claims. Dogs are highly intelligent creatures. Over the past decade, research into canine intelligence has revealed that dogs are capable of quite a range of emotions and varying levels of social intelligence, with experts estimating that the average dog has the intelligence level of a two-and-half-year old. They can read our cues, emotionally connect with their owners and even display jealousy and studies are now finding that the brightest dogs may actually be capable of learning hundreds of words. While the research is still in its infancy, the results are promising. Using technologies such as MRI along with behavioural experiments have found out the following about the humble pooch. <ol> <li>Dogs are adept at reading people, often better than chimps – In experiments, dogs appear capable of interpreting human stares and nods, reading people to obtain information.</li> <li>Dogs can learn hundreds of words – Dogs vary in their ability to remember things but some breeds of dog with particularly good memories can be trained to remember and respond to more than 1000 words.</li> <li>Dogs pay attention to our words, not just our tone – Many people assume can only process the tone of their speech but in reality, research suggests that their brains are processing actual words as well.</li> <li>Dogs are emotionally connected to their owners – In an amazing experiment, dogs were given a rag soaked in their owner’s scent to sniff. This was shown to actively spike their caudate nucleus otherwise known as the reward centre involved in emotional attachment.</li> <li>Dogs can feel acute jealousy</li> </ol> There are of course limits to a dog’s intelligence with many of their abilities stemming from the evolutionary history of dogs. Dogs love humans, are great at reading us and eager to please but that doesn’t mean they can always tell right from wrong and respond to scenarios in an intelligent way. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/tips-on-moving-house-with-pets/">Tips on moving house with pets</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/why-cats-like-boxes/">Why do cats like boxes?</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/how-pets-tell-you-what-they-want/">How pets tell you what they want</a>

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