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No gavels, no hearsay and lots of drinking: a law expert ranks legal dramas by their accuracy

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293">Dale Mitchell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a> From Elle Woods in Legally Blonde to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10383441.2015.1087367">Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk</a>, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird to Denny Crane in Boston Legal, our popular culture is often where we first see and witness legal practice. Sometimes this comes via the silver screen, other times television. But it would be wrong to think that all we see on legal television shows is accurate – even when it claims to capture reality. Most legal dramas are terrible at capturing the realities of law. <h2>Not accurate: Law(less) and (dis)Order</h2> Law and Order (1990-) innovated television drama by showcasing both the investigation of a crime by police, and then its prosecution in court. With its multiple spin-offs, including Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-) and the shortlived Law and Order: Trial by Jury (2005-2006) (which had the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolG65V1Dx8">best theme song of all the series</a>), the Law and Order franchise is a televisual legal juggernaut. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aolG65V1Dx8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> As with most serials, Law and Order presents the criminal justice system as moving quicker than you can say dun dun. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The mean duration of criminal law matters in Australian higher courts was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">almost one year</a> (50 weeks) across 2021-22. While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s5.html">procedural rules in civil matters</a> require courts to facilitate the “just and efficient resolution of disputes at minimum expense”, in criminal law, speed and efficiency must not be prioritised over accuracy: a person’s liberty is at stake. Most criminal matters do not proceed to a full trial as an accused will often plead guilty to the charges. As a result, the matter proceeds to sentencing without prosecutors needing to prove the offence. The rates of this occurring are quite alarming. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">Data across 2021-22</a> reveals over 75% of defendants in Australian courts entered a guilty plea, and almost four in five criminal convictions (79%) resulted from a guilty plea. <a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1705761/32_1_8.pdf">Research suggests</a> defendants plead guilty for a variety of reasons, including to avoid the cost of a trial and to receive a lesser sentence. <a href="https://theconversation.com/pandemic-pushed-defendants-to-plead-guilty-more-often-including-innocent-people-pleading-to-crimes-they-didnt-commit-165056">Data from the United States</a> suggests the pressures of the pandemic led to innocent people pleading guilty to crimes they didn’t commit. If Law and Order was a more accurate reflection of criminal law, matters would proceed immediately to sentencing due to guilty pleas. And should an accused be found guilty, a chunk of their sentence would be reduced by time served awaiting trial. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60GV5lv8h3o?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: Suits</h2> Suits (2011-19) centres around law firm partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and his mentorship of Mike Ross (Patrick Adams) – the “lawyer” who never graduated law school and provides legal advice thanks to his photographic memory. This is, obviously, a brutal ethical breach for all involved, and clearly fraud. In Australia, law students who present themselves to be lawyers are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-07/law-graduate-jacob-reichman-fined-posing-solicitor-gold-coast/7824324">subject to sanctions</a> by the Legal Services Commission. They can <a href="https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/35821-fake-lawyer-cops-suspended-jail-sentence">cause harm to clients</a> who have hired their services. And the Legal Admissions Board may <a href="https://www.qlsproctor.com.au/2020/11/chief-justice-wants-answers-before-considering-lawyer-impersonators-bid-to-become-legal-practitioner/">deny their entry</a> into the profession. (Spoilers) Ross is eventually sentenced to two years in prison for this fraud, a similar sentence to <a href="https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/almID/1202786675709/">a recent case in the United States</a>, but he only serves three months before solving a crime and earning early release. More unrealistic than this early release is that Ross does fairly quickly thereafter gain admission to the profession, which seems unlikely to occur so soon after such an act of fraud. While Suits has left its mark(le) on the popular imagination of law, it fails to address one of the primary duties of civil litigation: the duty of disclosure. The MacGuffin-ing of law is common in TV serials. It’s the “smoking gun” found on the day of the trial, or for the lawyers in Suits, the random document which shows up during the trial to turn the case - dramatically presented by our protagonists as they flail into court armed with this data sans ethics. This is not quite accurate. In adversarial legal systems like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, civil litigation rules <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s211.html">require parties</a> to disclose to one another all documents in their possession or control which are directly relevant to a matter in dispute. This is a continuing duty, so if you discover such a document at any time during the case, it must be disclosed. While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s212.html">exceptions</a> based on various privileges may apply, this essentially means civil litigation must be run in an “all cards on the table” manner. Randomly producing undisclosed material at trial requires the leave of the court and may result in orders of contempt and <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s225.html">cost penalties</a>. It’s not like the lawyers of Suits have ever really been concerned about ethics, though. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wUh9jomHZp4?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: How to Get Away with Murder(ing rules of evidence)</h2> While most lawyers would support making it a criminal offence to critique Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (2014-20) presents one of the most common offences within legal dramas: the haphazard approach to rules of evidence. Annalise Keating (Davis) and her ragtag team of morally illiterate law students (although I never see them studying?!?!) manipulate people to obtain evidence and then dramatically prompt witnesses on the stand to read this information into the record, or otherwise “sneak” it into the trial. This is not accurate. And it ignores the basic reality that so much of legal practice is about not just obtaining evidence, but ensuring that evidence is admissible in court. One of the most important rules of evidence deals with <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ea199580/s59.html">hearsay evidence</a>. A court cannot allow evidence to be considered if its reliability is unable to be interrogated. Witnesses can only present evidence that they saw, heard or perceived themselves. Unless an exception to the hearsay rule applies, such evidence would be inadmissible. Like in Suits, these approaches to presenting evidence may have serious implications. This poor trial management results in <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp074.pdf">delays to criminal trials.</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rMB_Gw5-T-I?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Fisk</h2> Fisk (2021-) follows Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanagan), an established contract lawyer whose personal dramas lead her to move to the boutique Melbourne probate law firm of Gruber and Gruber (played by Marty Sheargold and Julia Zamero). Fisk excels in showing the importance of lawyer-client relations and the word-of-mouth that sustains much of small legal practice. It’s the anti-Suits, and Fisk is more powerful for it. The discussions of wills and estates and most basic legal principles in Fisk are mostly sound – and the show doesn’t need to get into “legalese” as matters are resolved out-of-court. This is a distinct reality of law: litigation is a last resort. Forms of <a href="https://www.qls.com.au/Practising-law-in-Qld/ADR/Alternative-Dispute-Resolution/Types-of-Alternative-Dispute-Resolution-(ADR)">alternative dispute resolution</a>, including mediation, negotiation and conciliation, have become the primary way of resolving legal disputes. Fuelled by <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/alternative-dispute-resolution/civil-dispute-resolution-act-2011">legislative changes</a> which require the exhaustion of alternative dispute resolution measures before proceeding to litigation, and a pursuit of reduced costs, the drama of trial is not something anyone should yearn for. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N1Qt0Wo1gGo?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Rake</h2> Cleaver Greene, a character said to be loosely based on the career of a Sydney barrister, shows us the absolute madness of work as a “<a href="https://nswbar.asn.au/the-bar-association/senior-counsel#:%7E:text=Senior%20counsel%20are%20barristers%20who,a%20QC%20or%20queen's%20counsel.">silk</a>”. Rake excels at showing the reality of law. The show raises interesting and accurate questions of law (yes, it is true there is no <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/18992/1/2011006119.pdf">explicit offence</a> of cannibalism in New South Wales) and presents Australian court process accurately. Thankfully, there’s not a gavel in sight. <a href="https://www.survivelaw.com/post/941-working-hardly-random-facts-about-the-gavel">Australian courts do not use gavels</a>, and their presence in legal dramas in Australian and UK courts shows a lack of attention to detail. The presence of the gavel as a symbol of justice is <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/NSWBarAssocNews/1994/17.pdf">an entirely American invention</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWWI2EdOssk?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Rake is accurate, in part, because the site of drama is rarely the courtroom, but rather Greene’s personal life. The accuracy of that element for law I will leave up to the jury. But with a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13218719.2013.822783">2014 study</a> finding 35% of lawyers engaged in hazardous or harmful drinking and another showing <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-15/study-finds-high-rates-anxiety-depression-in-legal-profession/11412832">high rates of anxiety and depression</a> in the legal profession, the evidence is compelling.<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/212880/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293">Dale Mitchell</a>, Lecturer in Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</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/no-gavels-no-hearsay-and-lots-of-drinking-a-law-expert-ranks-legal-dramas-by-their-accuracy-212880">original article</a>.

Legal

Rescued sailor speaks after being adrift for months with his dog

Australian sailor Timothy Shaddock has spoken up about the three months he spent lost at sea with nothing but his dog Bella. The 54-year-old was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in the Pacific Ocean after a helicopter spotted his incapacitated catamaran 1900 km from land. When he was found by the Maria Delia crew, which is part of the Grupomar fleet, Shaddock and his dog were in a “precarious” state after surviving three months without provisions and shelter. Shaddock, who was sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia lost contact because his boat’s electronic system was damaged during rough seas. When the helicopter first discovered him, they threw him a drink and flew away before returning with the tuna trawler to rescue him. This was his first contact with humans since early May. Despite the horrifying ordeal and the fear of not being able to survive an impending hurricane, the sailor remained positive and said that he enjoyed being out at sea. "I did enjoy being at sea. I enjoyed being out there," he told reporters during a news conference in Manzanillo, Mexico on Tuesday, after he safely made it back to land. "But when things get tough out there, you know, you have to survive. And then when you get saved, you feel like you want to live. So, I'm very grateful." Shaddock said that he passed the time by fixing things and tried to stay positive by going into the water to “just enjoy” it. The sailor survived on a diet of raw fish after the storm knocked out his electronics and ability to cook. “I did a lot of fishing,” Shaddock said. “There was a lot of tuna sushi.” The emaciated sailor who survived was immediately given food, water and medication upon being rescued. In one of the photos shared by the Grupomar, a thin and bearded Shaddock was pictured in the boat's cabin with a blood pressure cuff around his arm and a huge smile on his face despite the entire ordeal. In a few others, Bella was pictured lying on the deck and receiving pats for being the bravest pup. Shaddock expressed his gratitude for his loyal companion. “Bella found me in Mexico, she’s Mexican. She is the spirit of the middle of the country, and she wouldn’t let me go,” he said. “She’s amazing, that dog is something else. “I’m just grateful she’s alive. She’s a lot more brave than me.” He revealed that the hardest part of surviving was the fatigue, but this incident will not stop him from going into the ocean in the future. “I’ll always be in the water, I don’t know how far out in the ocean I’ll be,” he said. Images: ABC News/ 9news/ Facebook

Travel Trouble

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> The discovery and rescue of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/four-missing-colombian-children-found-alive-jungle-sources-2023-06-10/">four young Indigenous children</a>, 40 days after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed in the remote Colombian rainforest, was hailed in the international press as a “<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/06/11/miracle-in-the-jungle-colombia-celebrates-rescue-of-children-lost-in-amazon-rainforest_6030840_4.html">miracle in the jungle</a>”. But as an anthropologist who has spent more than a year living among the Andoque people in the region, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/100474974/Amazonian_visions_of_Visi%C3%B3n_Amazon%C3%ADa_Indigenous_Peoples_perspectives_on_a_forest_conservation_and_climate_programme_in_the_Colombian_Amazon">conducting ethnographic fieldwork</a>, I cannot simply label this as a miraculous event. At least, not a miracle in the conventional sense of the word. Rather, the survival and discovery of these children can be attributed to the profound knowledge of the intricate forest and the adaptive skills passed down through generations by Indigenous people. During the search for the children, I was in contact with Raquel Andoque, an elder maloquera (owner of a ceremonial longhouse), the sister of the children’s great-grandmother. She repeatedly expressed her unwavering belief the children would be found alive, citing the autonomy, astuteness and physical resilience of children in the region. Even before starting elementary school, children in this area accompany their parents and elder relatives in various activities such as gardening, fishing, navigating rivers, hunting and gathering honey and wild fruits. In this way the children acquire practical skills and knowledge, such as those demonstrated by Lesly, Soleiny, Tien and Cristin during their 40-day ordeal. Indigenous children typically learn from an early age how to open paths through dense vegetation, how to tell edible from non-edible fruits. They know how to find potable water, build rain shelters and set animal traps. They can identify animal footprints and scents – and avoid predators such as jaguars and snakes lurking in the woods. Amazonian children typically lack access to the sort of commercialised toys and games that children in the cities grow up with. So they become adept tree climbers and engage in play that teaches them about adult tools made from natural materials, such as oars or axes. This nurtures their understanding of physical activities and helps them learn which plants serve specific purposes. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A youg girl holding up an insect as her family works alongside" /><figcaption>A local Indigenous girl on an excursion to gather edible larvae. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Activities that most western children would be shielded from – handling, skinning and butchering game animals, for example – provide invaluable zoology lessons and arguably foster emotional resilience. <h2>Survival skills</h2> When they accompany their parents and relatives on excursions in the jungle, Indigenous children learn how to navigate a forest’s dense vegetation by following the location of the sun in the sky. <figure class="align-left zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Map of the Middle Caqueta region of Colombia." /></a><figcaption>Map showing where in Colombia the four lost children are from. Gadiel Levi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Since the large rivers in most parts of the Amazon flow in a direction opposite to that of the sun, people can orient themselves towards those main rivers. The trail of footprints and objects left by the four children revealed their general progression towards the Apaporis River, where they may have hoped to be spotted. The children would also have learned from their parents and elders about edible plans and flowers – where they can be found. And also the interrelationship between plants, so that where a certain tree is, you can find mushrooms, or small animals that can be trapped and eaten. <h2>Stories, songs and myths</h2> Knowledge embedded in mythic stories passed down by parents and grandparents is another invaluable resource for navigating the forest. These stories depict animals as fully sentient beings, engaging in seduction, mischief, providing sustenance, or even saving each other’s lives. While these episodes may seem incomprehensible to non-Indigenous audiences, they actually encapsulate the intricate interrelations among the forest’s countless non-human inhabitants. Indigenous knowledge focuses on the interrelationships between humans, plants and animals and how they can come together to preserve the environment and prevent irreversible ecological harm. This sophisticated knowledge has been developed over millennia during which Indigenous people not only adapted to their forest territories but actively shaped them. It is deeply ingrained knowledge that local indigenous people are taught from early childhood so that it becomes second nature to them. It has become part of the culture of cultivating and harvesting crops, something infants and children are introduced to, as well as knowledge of all sort of different food sources and types of bush meat. <h2>Looking after each other</h2> One of the aspects of this “miraculous” story that people in the west have marvelled over is how, after the death of the children’s mother, the 13-year-old Lesly managed to take care of her younger siblings, including Cristin, who was only 11 months old at the time the aircraft went down. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Three Indigenous people in western clothes stood under trees in front of a wide building." /><figcaption>Iris Andoque Macuna with her brother Nestor Andoque and brother-in-law Faustino Fiagama after the two men returned from the search team. Iris Andoque Macuna., Author provided</figcaption></figure> But in Indigenous families, elder sisters are expected to act as surrogate mothers to their younger relatives from an early age. Iris Andoke Macuna, a distant relative of the family, told me: <blockquote> To some whites [non-Indigenous people], it seems like a bad thing that we take our children to work in the garden, and that we let girls carry their brothers and take care of them. But for us, it’s a good thing, our children are independent, this is why Lesly could take care of her brothers during all this time. It toughened her, and she learned what her brothers need. </blockquote> <h2>The spiritual side</h2> For 40 days and nights, while the four children were lost, elders and shamans performed rituals based on traditional beliefs that involve human relationships with entities known as dueños (owners) in Spanish and by various names in native languages (such as i'bo ño̰e, meaning “persons of there” in Andoque). These owners are believed to be the protective spirits of the plants and animals that live in the forests. Children are introduced to these powerful owners in name-giving ceremonies, which ensure that these spirits recognise and acknowledge relationship to the territory and their entitlement to prosper on it. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Woman in pink t-shirt sat on chair inside." /><figcaption>Raquel Andoke, a relative of the missing children and friend of the author. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> During the search for the missing children, elders conducted dialogues and negotiations with these entities in their ceremonial houses (malocas) throughout the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Middle-and-Lower-Caqueta-River-region-State-of-Amazonas-Colombia-Map-from_fig1_255580310">Middle Caquetá</a> and in other Indigenous communities that consider the crash site part of their ancestral territory. Raquel explained to me: <blockquote> The shamans communicate with the sacred sites. They offer coca and tobacco to the spirits and say: “Take this and give me my grandchildren back. They are mine, not yours.” </blockquote> These beliefs and practices hold significant meaning for my friends in the Middle Caquetá, who firmly attribute the children’s survival to these spiritual processes rather than the technological means employed by the Colombian army rescue teams. It may be challenging for non-Indigenous people to embrace these traditional ideas. But these beliefs would have instilled in the children the faith and emotional fortitude crucial for persevering in the struggle for survival. And it would have encouraged the Indigenous people searching for them not to give up hope. The children knew that their fate did not lie in dying in the forest, and that their grandparents and shamans would move heaven and earth to bring them back home alive. Regrettably, this traditional knowledge that has enabled Indigenous people to not only survive but thrive in the Amazon for millennia is under threat. Increasing land encroachment for agribusiness, mining, and illicit activities as well as state neglect and interventions without Indigenous consent have left these peoples vulnerable. It is jeopardising the very foundations of life where this knowledge is embedded, the territories that serve as its bedrock, and the people themselves who preserve, develop, and transmit this knowledge. Preserving this invaluable knowledge and the skills that bring miracles to life is imperative. We must not allow them to wither away.<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/207762/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, PhD researcher in Anthropology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (Paris)., <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-traditional-indigenous-education-helped-four-lost-children-survive-40-days-in-the-amazon-jungle-207762">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Caring

"Get my voice back": Kathy Griffin's intense pre-op drama

Kathy Griffin has shared footage of her pre-operation appointment before she undergoes vocal cord surgery in an effort to save her voice. The American comedian took to TikTok to show fans the process of her surgeon sticking a camera scope up her nose and through to her vocal cord to get a clearer view of the damage. "First step is the numbing spray. Then the scope goes up the nose, down into the vocal cords!" she explained with captions. "As you can see, the left chord is paralyzed.” After she was instructed to make noises to test the cords, Griffin is seen following the doctor’s orders and watching her vocal cord movement on the screen. Griffin reflected post-operation in the same clip, with the 62-year-old lying in a recovery bed following the surgery. <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7242029180651687214&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40kathygriffin%2Fvideo%2F7242029180651687214&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F202ea4a9813e435c92a1c6996f018c11_1686166329%3Fx-expires%3D1686236400%26x-signature%3D%252Bk5fTTtG0O6jMWR7Pnky9ekvIlw%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> "I just had my latest surgery on my left vocal cord, because I want to be in good shape for my big Vegas show," she said. "This is just part of my recovery post-lung cancer surgery," she added. "I'm cancer-free, so anyway a little scratchy today, but I'll be in good shape.” "I so appreciate you guys following along on my journey to get my voice back after lung cancer,” Griffin captioned the video, also sharing it to her Instagram. Griffin had part of her lung removed in 2021 after being diagnosed with lung cancer and was in remission four months later. Her latest hospital visit comes after she revealed her diagnosis of “complex PTSD” in early 2023. Griffin shared her diagnosis in a TikTok in April, asking her followers for recommendations on how to cope with anxiety and depression. "Let's talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly," she said. "You can laugh or whatever, but I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it's called an extreme case." Image credit: TikTok

Caring

How to survive in 8 terrifying travel emergencies

It’s every traveller’s worst nightmare to be caught in an emergency while on holiday overseas, and while it’s a rare occurrence, it’s still something everyone needs to be cautious of. So, we’ve got eight life-saving tips from the experts themselves, and trust us, you’ll want to commit them to memory. 1. Falling from a cruise ship It’s estimated that just 20 people fall from cruise ships annually, but it’s still important to be prepared. “Everyone who falls unexpectedly into cold water wants to follow the same instinct, to swim hard and to fight the cold water,” explains ocean safety organisation RNLI. “But when people fight it, chances are, they lose. If you find yourself unexpectedly in the water, do as little as possible, and float.” 2. Avalanches Snow lovers around the world dread the “A” word, but it is possible to survive one. If caught in the path of one, the Association of British Travel Agents advise skiing sideways to try and remain on the surface of the slide. Then, ditch the poles and “swim” in the direction of the slide and try to grab hold of a tree. Always carry a locator beacon with you to aid the efforts of search and rescue. 3. Quicksand Quicksand is made up of waterlogged sand or clay which may appear solid but liquefies upon impact. Stay calm and avoid making any quick movements, as you could create air pockets which will only pull you deeper into the ground. Shed any extra weight (e.g. backpacks, hats), then lean backwards and spread out – more surface area means you’ll be lighter. From there, move sideways until you reach terra firma. 4. Rip currents These are found on most surf beaches and can pull swimmers out to sea at a speed of up to 8km per hour. The RNLI advise against fighting the rip, instead treading water and conserving energy until the current grows weak enough for you to swim back to shore. Another option is following the current, which will take you in a semi-circle. Wait until you reach a weaker point, then swim back to shore. 5. Safari attacks Stuck in the presence of a lion? Avoid the temptation to turn and run. Instead, make direct eye contact and back away very slowly. If it’s a leopard, do the opposite – avoid any eye contact and hope they lose interest. With elephants, simply stand your ground and try to look brave. Buffalos are almost impossible to outrun, so your best bet is to climb a tree. 6. Lost on a hike Adventure blogger <a href="http://hikingdude.com/default.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hiking Dude</a> recommends sticking by the acronym STOP when lost. Stop exactly where you are, think (try to retrace your steps, but do not move unless you’re sure you know where you’re going), observe how much daylight (and supplies) you have left and pay attention to any weather changes, then plan a route back to a safe place. Unless you’re absolutely confident, it’s best to stay put. 7. Snake bite If you encounter a snake, back away very slowly and choose a different route. If it seems to be following you, stamp on the ground – the vibrations should drive it away. If bitten, ensure the affected area is moved lower than your heart (this will slow the spread of venom) and get to the closest hospital. If possible, try to remember (or even photograph) the snake – this will help doctors identify the required anti-venom. 8. Plane crash If you’re unfortunate enough to be caught in a plane emergency, there are two immediate hurdles – surviving the impact of the crash, then surviving what follows – fire, smoke and drowning. Get the oxygen mask on immediately (20 seconds is enough to make you lose consciousness) and abandon your belongings. According to a simulation conducted using a Boeing 727, it’s actually safer to book a cheap seat at the back, as the front of the plane will bear the most impact. Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Tips

How to survive the cruise ship buffet

Every few months another horror story appears in the news of an entire cruise ship struck down by norovirus. It happens even on the most expensive lines with perfect health and safety records. And the finger is generally pointed at the self serve, all you can eat buffet. Stay healthy on your next cruise with these tips. Wash your hands This seems like a no brainer, but the main culprit for many outbreaks on ships is people who haven’t washed their hands correctly. Use soap and water whenever you can and make use of the auto-dispensers of hand sanitisers that are scattered throughout the shop – especially on the way into the restaurants. If you don’t like the really astringent feel of these products bring your own antiseptic with you – Aesop make a great one that’s only around $10 a bottle. Cooked to order Breakfast generally begins at 7am so unless you’re one of the first up there, there’s a good chance that a lot of that food has been sitting around for a while. Eggs are the thing to be most careful about here. Scrambled eggs have often only been partially cooked in the kitchen and then finish cooking in the warming tray, which has potential disaster written all over it. Go for an omelette or fried eggs cooked to order so you know it’s been freshly prepared. Same goes for lunch. Many buffets will do pasta or stir fries cooked fresh (or at least put together in front of you) so you can avoid the warmed over dishes that have been sitting in the bain-marie for hours. Stay fresh Fresh, uncooked vegetables (like salads) are generally considered one of the more dangerous options on any buffet. There’s the questionable quality of the water they’ve been washed in coupled with the fact that there is no heat from the cooking process to kill any nasty bugs. Once again, freshness is key here. Go to lunch early so the salads have just come from the fridge or watch for when they refill the station. Many ships also have a separate café where a chef will make you up a salad from separate fresh ingredients. You can be sure these haven’t been sitting in soggy dressings for too long and that other passengers haven’t been poking at them. Don’t go crazy A lot of people who become unwell on a cruise might not actually have any kind of gastro; they’ve just overindulged. In the face of all that food it’s tempting to go a little crazy with rich dishes, lots of meat and double desserts. This can be a big shock to your system that’s usually used to eating just some cereal for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch. It’s your holiday so you should definitely indulge, but try to be sensible. Pace yourself, save the blowouts for one meal a day and try to eat some healthy stuff too. Image credits: Getty Images

Cruising

Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

A Sydney cafe has responded after being slammed for their $10.90 side of avocado. Little Jack Horner, situated right in front of Coogee Beach, also charges $11.90 for halloumi and $9.90 for a side of bacon, all of which are meant to be shared. Cafe owner BJ McHatton spoke to 9Honey about the avocado side dish that made waves. "The smashed avocado is portioned at almost one and a half avocados, as well as containing other ingredients to make it a dish, not just an avocado in a bowl," he said of the dish. "The price of avocados does fluctuate, two months ago we were paying double what we are today," he said, adding that the venue works with local providers who go to the market daily to provide them with quality produce. "Of course, this comes at a higher cost that allows us to have a quality offering for our customers.” He pointed out that this is the first price increase in 10 years, with "the hospitality industry as a whole all the way from the suppliers to the actual venues himself have seen prices explode over the last 12 months.” McHatton added that the cafe is in a prime location, with live music five nights a week, 160 indoor plants that are professionally cared for, and their efforts to support local teams, clubs, schools and charities all contribute to their prices. "Obviously, running a business of this size, and in this destination has a lot of associated expenses. All of this has to be taken into account when we set prices for our products.” Despite increased media coverage, McHatton says they haven’t received any backlash. "Obviously being on a few radio stations and covered by a few news stations it has generated some interest on those stories. However, after reading the comments, most of them are supportive. Most people genuinely seem to understand how hard running a business is the associated cost to come with running a business," he told 9Honey. However, he expressed disappointment at the Google reviews that were allegedly left overnight by people who had never been to the cafe. "[It's] disappointing that people will go to the trouble of leaving a review having never actually experienced the venue. If anyone has ever been to our place, they know it's a lot more about an experience, which includes the food than just the food and the price," McHatton said. Other reviewers have dubbed the food “grossly overpriced”, with one reviewer revealing their Easter lunch of two breakfasts and fruit juice was almost $100. Another added that the prices were "pushing close to that of what you would expect for dinner," though they did say the food "was great". Image credit: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

“You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive”: Man rescued after 31 days in the jungle

A Bolivian man has survived 31 days in the Amazon jungle. Jhonattan Acosta, 30, was hunting in northern Bolivia when he was separated from his four friends. He told United TV he drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms and insects while hiding from jaguars and peccaries, a type of pig-like mammal. Acosta was finally found by a search party made up of locals and friends a month after he went missing. “I can’t believe people kept up the search for so long,” he said in tears. “I ate worms, I ate insects, you wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive all this time.” He also ate wild fruits similar to papayas, known locally as gargateas. “I thank God profusely, because he has given me a new life,” he said. His family said they will still have to string all the details together regarding how Acosta got lost and how he managed to stay alive but will ask him gradually as he is still psychologically damaged after the experience. There has also been significant physical changes. Acosta lost 17kg, dislocated his ankle and was severely dehydrated when he was found, but according to those who found him, he was still able to walk with a limp. “My brother told us that when he dislocated his ankle on the fourth day, he started fearing for his life,” Horacio Acosta told Bolivia’s Página Siete newspaper. “He only had one cartridge in his shotgun and couldn’t walk, and he thought no one would be looking for him anymore.” As for his encounters with wild animals in the jungle, including a jaguar, his younger brother said that his brother used his last cartridge to scare off a squadron of peccaries. After 31 days, Acosta spotted the search party about 300m away and limped through thorny bushes, shouting to draw attention to him. Acosta’s brother, Haracio, said that he was found by four local people. “A man came running to tell us they’d found my brother,” he said. “It’s a miracle.” Acosta has since decided to give up hunting for good. “He is going to play music to praise God,” Haracio said. “He promised God that, and I think he will keep his promise.” Image credit: BBC News

Travel Trouble

Double Olympic champ survives plane crash

David Rudisha, a double Olympic champion in middle distance running, is reportedly very lucky to be alive after walking away unharmed following a plane crash in his home country of Kenya. The light airplane, which was carrying 33-year-old Rudisha and five other passengers, came down in Kajiado county in southeast Kenya on Saturday, with images showing it lying upside-down in a paddock. Rudisha later described it as a "scary episode". Rudisha won gold medals in the 800m at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, as well world titles in 2011 and 2015, setting a world record (1min 40.91sec) in the 2012 London Olympics final. “All was well close to seven or eight minutes into the flight when the engine of the plane suddenly went quiet,” the he told Kenya’s The Daily Nation. "[The pilot] saw some clear space where he tried to land the plane, but one of its wings hit a tree as the plane started to spin before landing on the rocky field. "The pilot did an incredible job to keep the plane afloat and stable for long.” Rudisha also survived a car accident in Kenya in 2019 when a tyre burst and his SUV collided with a bus. Image: Twitter

Travel Trouble

10 great tips for surviving challenging moments in relationships

While it can be tempting to turn tail and run when the going gets tough, studies have shown time and time again that taking a deep breath and trying to work through your issues gives you the best chance of salvaging and maintaining your relationship. Here are our top 10 tips for working it through when times get tough. <ol> <li>Remove your emotions from the equation – It may be tricky but an emotionally charged conversation never ends well. If you’re feeling furious, try and put a pause on things till you’ve calmed down.</li> <li>Forget right or wrong – Delegating parties as “right” or “wrong” is a great way of ensuring arguments remain unresolved. It’s important to bot take responsibility for your actions.</li> <li>Walk the high road – Work out what works best for you as an individual couple. It’s all about equality and contentment in your own circumstances.</li> <li>Be humble, always – We all make mistakes. Reminding or gloating over the ones your partner makes never ends well.</li> <li>Agree to disagree – A healthy relationship will often have topics where each party holds a differing view to the other. This is normal and can be a great vehicle for discussion. It’s important though that you both value and respect the others opinion, even if it differs from your own.</li> <li>Be mindful of others – Difficult conversations are best held in private, away from those whose input may be unhelpful.</li> <li>Consider all your options – If you’re facing an issue as a couple, remember to consider all your options for a resolution. This often requires some brainstorming and partnering together to find a positive solution.</li> <li>Don’t rush into a decision – If you’re struggling to reconcile what you think with certain actions, take a step back and sleep on it.</li> <li>Stay optimistic – Approaching a discussion positively can make the process much easier.</li> <li>Review and consolidate – When you reach a conclusion, reaffirm it a few times before agreeing to move on.</li> </ol> Image: Getty

Relationships

One of Australia’s last surviving ‘Rats of Tobruk’ passes away aged 102

Dennis Davis, a World War II veteran and one of Australia’s last surviving ‘Rats of Tobruk’ has passed away aged 102. Mr Davis was one of 14,000 diggers who held out against German and Italian forces in the 241-day siege on Libya’s Tobruk port in 1941. The Aussie soldiers, along with another 5,000 allied soldiers, were dubbed the ‘Rats of Tobruk’ for their efforts over the eight-month campaign. After falling ill in the days before Anzac Day this year, Mr Davis secured a leave pass from the hospital so that he could still attend an Anzac ceremony at Sydney’s Town Hall, where he laid a wreath in honour of his fellow veterans. “It was harder to get out of the hospital than it was to get out of the army,” he joked to his family, according to the Australian Remembrance Foundation. During Channel 7’s ‘Lest We Forget’ concert tribute to the ANZACs earlier this year, Mr Davis was the subject of a Veteran’s Tribute, before he laid the wreath at the Town Hall Anzac Day service. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oaq3RS9Rffk?start=904&end=1174" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> On Monday, August 15, Mr Davis attended a ceremony at the cenotaph in Sydney’s Martin Place with fellow veterans to mark the 77th Victory in the Pacific Day. The foundation announced Mr Davis’ passing on Thursday, August 18, as reported by the AAP. <a href="https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/stories-service/veterans-stories/dennis-daviss-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">His story</a> is also included in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs stories of service program, which shares the experiences of veterans to support education in Australia’s military history. After migrating from London to Australia, Mr Davis enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1940, serving in the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo during WWII. Following his involvement in the Seige of Tobruk and battles at El Alamein, Mr Davis was sent to serve in a newly formed ski unit. On his return to Australia, he married his fiancé Margaret before departing again to serve in New Guinea and Borneo. Mr Davis was finally discharged in November 1945 and returned to his job at the tax office. He was married to Margaret for 61 years before she passed away in 2004, and they are both survived by two children, seven grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. Image: Veterans’ Foundation (Facebook)

Caring

“Come to the theatre!”: Why the survival of the arts post-Covid relies on us

The Covid-19 pandemic - and the lockdowns that were introduced to curb its spread - has taken a wide-ranging toll on individuals, companies, and even entire industries – with the field of creative arts no exception. For instance, even as many of us have returned to a mask-free existence that comes close to our pre-pandemic lifestyles, those working on Opera Australia’s latest season of productions are still following strict precautions – just so that the show can go on. <a href="https://opera.org.au/artist/shaun-rennie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shaun Rennie</a>, assistant director of Il Trovatore, tells OverSixty that while a “more relaxed” view of Covid is great for audiences, catching the virus can be particularly devastating for those putting on the show. “It's a really interesting time in the arts, because I sort of feel that, for the most part, the rest of the world has become much more relaxed about COVID, and is getting on with things and has a lot less fear around COVID, or even going out, or catching it,” he says. “That’s great, because audiences are confident and then coming back. “The challenge is that in the arts, if Covid does get into a company, it can still be really devastating. And so I still find there’s quite a bit of a disconnect between my life outside the theatre and coming into work.” <a href="https://opera.org.au/artist/warwick-doddrell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warwick Doddrell</a>, assistant director of La Traviata, was the staging director for Turandot at the start of 2022 and says they didn’t expect to have to face a Covid outbreak. “With Turandot at the start of the year … we thought that COVID was kind of over, naively,” Doddrell recalls. “But then very quickly we started to lose people. And just by the nature of how the state government policies and work and health recommendations were at the time, it was all very serious, [with] very serious impacts on [the] rehearsal schedule, so we would lose days at a time because we had to do … all the risk management. So we would lose multiple days at a sudden notice. “For us, that meant we had to be really adaptive. And we had to suddenly try to get through as much content as we possibly could at a bare minimum kind of level because … this might be the only day that we have to do Act Three. So let's do Act Three as best we possibly can. Let's get to the end. So that at least next time we've got you, people have some idea of where they're going and what the story is that they're telling, even if it's not as detailed as perhaps we would like it to be. But that there is something there; that there is some semblance of a story that we're telling.” Mask-wearing, daily RATs (Rapid Antigen Tests), and even keeping the cast members, musicians, and crew separate between productions are normal aspects of work now, says <a href="https://opera.org.au/artist/shane-placentino/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shane Placentino</a>, revival director for Madama Butterfly. “It's become the norm to test every day, to wear a mask, to sanitise your hands, to wash your hands, all those sorts of things, and that's impacted everyone from makeup and hair especially, and wardrobe, mechanists, stage crew, and orchestra,” he says. Having worked as revival director and choreographer for The Merry Widow, which marked the return of operas to the stage in 2021, Placentino says the rules that were initially met with some resistance are now routine, with the emphasis on reducing the risk of clusters and ensuring that audiences feel safe enough to come back and watch live performances. “We're finding that more and more people are coming back to live theatre,” Placentino says. “I think people are feeling comfortable now that the majority of the population are vaccinated or at least double vaccinated.” With many of us turning to streaming entertainment during lockdown, Placentino says it’s shown that the demand for the arts has still been there throughout. “It seemed to be a mix of people that were craving to come back and see live theatre. The thing that I found quite interesting during those lockdowns was how much streaming of the arts, through social media and internet and on TV, there was quite a lot of access to the arts,” he says. “Companies around the world gave access to productions that had been filmed or videoed and I thought that really indicated that people want to come back. They're just waiting for it to be safe – or safer.” Coming out of the lockdowns, Doddrell believes there’s an appetite for the arts but that companies have had to become more flexible and adaptable, which can come with some new costs. “I think it's going to be interesting to see [what] long, major or lasting changes this has on the industry,” he says. “Particularly because a lot of smaller companies, smaller work now had to have understudies and covers and such things, which was never something smaller companies did before, but now it's kind of your requirements. And it just makes things more expensive. And … if those costs are going to be permanent for the foreseeable future… that will drive up the cost of tickets … I think it's a really tricky situation. Because obviously, theatre is quite expensive compared to some of the other entertainment options people have these days. “And so I think the last thing we want is for prices to go out in such a way that it keeps audiences away.” Interestingly, many industry members were forced to find alternative work at the onset of the pandemic as show after show simply shut down – and yet many haven’t returned despite the curtains rising once more. “We have lost a lot of people in the industry at all levels,” Doddrell says. “People who couldn't just make it work, you know, so they had to find other jobs, they had to move on to something else, and they haven’t come back, which is, you know, good for new people to come in. But it's also [meant that] we've lost a lot of knowledge and a lot of expertise and a lot of history from people who've just had to move on.” Placentino says audiences continuing to come and watch operas, musicals and other live events as they return is crucial for people to come back to working in the arts and for these events to continue. “Initially, [attendance] numbers weren't as high as pre-COVID levels, but we're finding that now it's getting stronger and stronger. And obviously we hope that people feel really safe to come to the theatre and that they do,” Placentino explains. “The more the audience comes to see us, the more people we can employ. That's what we want to happen… so come to the theatre!” Image: Jeff Busby

Domestic Travel

Heat yourself, not your house: how to survive winter with a 15℃ indoor temperature

How high should you put the heating up over winter? If you don’t mind the bills and ecological impact, you have the encouragement of the World Health Organization to keep the house warm. They recommend an indoor temperature of <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/275839/WHO-CED-PHE-18.03-eng.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least 18°</a>, declaring that you face health risks at lower temperatures. This advice is echoed by the <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/households/household-guides/seasonal-advice/winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian government</a>. The tone of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some reports</a> is monitory and severe. Based on these instructions, anyone would feel a reflex to bump up the thermostat. But before you brace for the bill-shock amid soaring energy prices, consider a different approach. Some people cope positively with the freeze and others face deep winter with panic. Given the range of psychological responses, I can only imagine there would be a difference in how people’s health would fare. If I’m full of dread at the prospect of feeling chilly, this stress could aggravate existing health issues. It is entirely possible to avoid heating your entire house to 18℃ to stay warm. If you view your cold house as a project, you can take pleasure in the power of staying warm in your modern cave, while remembering that we evolved to withstand the cold with fewer options than we have today. Staying warm in a cold house Over the last couple of winters, I’ve discovered many strategies for comfortable living at lower room temperatures. To add to traditional methods such as multiple layers of clothing and physical activity, there are now excellent appliances to fend off the chill. Personal heating devices have become rightly popular, such as electrical heated throw rugs to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/90022948" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warm your clothing</a> rather than ambient air. These new devices – think a more flexible electric blanket – are extremely efficient. Canberra energy efficiency enthusiast David Southgate found using these devices rather than heating the air <a href="https://southgateaviation.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/2019-annual-report-v2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut his heating bill</a> by 95%. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472222/original/file-20220704-18-sz6rcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="electric throw" /></a><figcaption>Electric throw rugs and other personal heating devices are gaining popularity. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Personally, I have found adequate clothing makes a temperature of 15℃ acceptable. In fact, dressing warmly poses more risk of overheating with low levels of activity. It’s satisfying to create your own warmth rather than rely on artificially supplied warmth. You start to notice thermodynamic properties of clothing that you’d never appreciate by relying on a thermostat. If you wear a hooded gown, you’ll find not only that your ears are warm from being covered, but your uncovered face becomes flushed. That’s because warmth generated by your body wafts upward to escape through the aperture of the hood. As a result, the air that you breathe is also warm. When it comes to clothing, we can equate warmth simply with insulation. In turn, we assess the insulating qualities of textiles with their thickness or <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/warmest-materials-fabrics-winter-clothing/101155486" target="_blank" rel="noopener">air-trapping abilities</a>. We often tend to overlook the design of the clothing, which plays a key role in funnelling body warmth to exposed skin. The archetype of the hood was known two millennia before thermostats in both Greece (the garments μαφόρτης and κάλυμμα) and Rome (the garments cucullus, lacerna and tunica palliolata). They’re just as effective today. Wearing a cowl won’t warm up your hands; but if the rest of you is warm – especially your feet – your exposed hands will benefit by the circulation. For anyone unconvinced by this assurance, fingerless gloves are a backstop. The way medical science has catastrophised indoor temperatures lower than 18℃ wouldn’t be so bad if it were only incurious and unimaginative. Alas, there are alarming ecological consequences of a population believing that they’ll automatically get sick in the cold. Carbon emissions from domestic heating are significant. You get a picture from gas bills in Queensland, which go up 1.4 times from summer to winter. In colder states, the figure is <a href="https://www.energycouncil.com.au/analysis/winter-energy-bills-avoid-a-shock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much higher</a>: 3.5 times in Victoria and 5.2 times in nippy Tasmania. We have to scrutinise if we really need our thermostats pegged at 18℃. Before we accept recommendations on indoor temperatures by medical authorities, we need to know if the science has grappled with different experiences of cold. Future research must distinguish between people in a cool room who feel cold and miserable or feel protected against cold by a range of practical measures. Understanding the effect of these variables is urgent, because current authoritative guidance pushes us into heating our houses more than we have to. For most of the world, that means burning fossil fuel.<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/185587/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-nelson-1355694" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Nelson</a>, Honorary Principal Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/heat-yourself-not-your-house-how-to-survive-winter-with-a-15-indoor-temperature-185587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Home Hints & Tips

Schoolgirl reveals how she survived Texas massacre

An 11-year-old girl has recalled the moment she survived the horrific Texas school shooting which saw her classmates and teacher shot dead. Miah Cerrillo, a fourth grader at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas spoke to lawmakers in a pre-recorded interview at the House of Representatives committee on Wednesday. She explained how she smeared her dead classmate’s blood on her and played dead to avoid being shot by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos on May 24. "He... told my teacher 'good night' and then shot her in the head. And then he shot some of my classmates and the whiteboard," Miah said. Miah then grabbed her dead teacher’s mobile phone and dialled 911 - which has since seen police’s response <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/texas-police-admit-wrongdoing-following-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily criticised</a> for not doing anything while they were being attacked. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NOOIN48HnxE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> The fourth grader fears that another mass shooting would occur at her school and called for “more security”. Gunman Salvador was armed with a gun when he stormed Robb Elementary School on May 24 and shot dead 19 children and two teachers. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw admitted that the tactical decisions made during the response to the events leading up to the shooting were wrong. “From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision. There’s no excuse for that,” he said. “A decision was made that this was a barricaded subject situation, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for a tactical team with the equipment to go ahead and breach the door and take on the subject at that point. “That was the decision, that was the thought process at that particular point in time.” According to audio evidence from the time of the shooting, Ramos fired almost 100 shots inside classrooms 111 and 112 about 11.30am. Two minutes later, three officers entered the school from the same back door Ramos came in from. About 12.03pm, there were at least 19 officers standing in the hallways but it was only at 12.50 pm that police used a key from the janitor to open the classroom doors. It was then they shot Ramos dead. Images: YouTube

News

Bridgerton – how period dramas made audiences hate the corset

When you think of a corset, you might imagine period drama dames sucking in as they cling onto a bedpost as a feisty lady’s maid aggressively laces them in. Nextflix’s hot Regency inspired drama Bridgerton features similar such tortuous scenes. In the run up to the show’s second season, Simone Ashley, who plays the new heroine Kate Sharma, complained to Glamour Magazine about the <a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/simone-ashley-bridgerton-interview-2022">horrors of wearing a corset</a>. She claimed that her corset caused her “a lot of pain” and “changed her body”. In the first season, Prudence Featherington (played by Bessie Carter) was tight-laced into a corset. Prudence’s mother urges her daughter on: “I was able to squeeze my waist into the size of an orange-and-a-half when I was Prudence’s age”. Rather unnecessary, when regency gowns fall from an under-bust empire line, which obscures the waist. Unlike their later Victorian counterparts, regency corsets focused on enhancing a lady’s assets, not shrinking her waist. This scene is ubiquitous in period dramas, from Elizabeth Swan fainting in Pirates of the Caribbean, to Rose DeWitt Bukater unable to breath in Titanic, and, of course, Mammy’s iconic line, “Just hold on, and suck in!”, as Scarlet O’Hara clings to a bedpost in Gone with the Wind. It may be on screen shorthand for the restricted lives of historical women, but it stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of historical corsets and women alike. After centuries of women (and some men) wearing corsets to support and shape the body, it was Victorian men who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNwTqanp0Aw">taught us to hate corsets</a>. Corset-related health issues were a myth, constructed by doctors, to promote their own patriarchal perspectives. So, you might be surprised to hear that period dramas are perpetuating Victorian misogyny. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FZ7r2OVu1ss?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Medicine, misogyny, and the corset The list of medical complaints that 19th-century doctors attributed to the corset seem unending. Constipation, pregnancy complications, breast cancer, postpartum infection and tuberculosis were all blamed on the corset. One Victorian doctor, Benjamin Orange Flower, author of the 1892 pamphlet <a href="https://archive.org/details/fashionsslaves00flow">Fashion’s Slaves</a>, claimed that “if women will continue this destructive habit, the race must inevitably deteriorate”. As science has developed, the medical root of these illnesses has been identified, and the corset’s culpability disproved. The corset offers an example of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/13/the-female-problem-male-bias-in-medical-trials">gender bias within medical research</a>. The many ailments of <a href="https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discover/2016/04/22/inside-georges-breeches-the-health-of-george-iv/">George IV</a>, one of the many men to wear a corset in the 19th century, were never blamed on his corset wearing. Some corsets were even specifically designed to be healthy and supportive. Lingerie company Gossards published <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Corsets_from_a_Surgical_Viewpoint.html?id=hztGtwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y">Corsets from a Surgical Perspective</a> in 1909, which promoted the flexibility and supportive possibilities of the corset, which could “preserve the lines demanded by fashion, but without discomfort or injury”. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/file-20220330-5868-a1x92v.jpg" alt="Regency stays sought to shape women’s breasts by separating and lifting them. V&A" width="754" height="1005" /> Regency stays sought to shape women’s breasts by separating and lifting them. Image: <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138889/stays-unknown/?carousel-image=2010EE8174">V&A</a> But the hourglass shape of the late 19th-century period was not what women of the regency desired. They were only interested in their breasts, as <a href="https://www.yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300218725">Hilary Davidson has shown</a>. Breasts needed to be lifted and separated into two round orbs. Regency corsets (or “stays” as they were known) were often <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138889/stays-unknown/">short, always soft, and never heavily boned</a>. Their purpose was bust support, never restriction. I wonder what regency women would have thought of modern bras with straps that pinch and underwire that rubs. Historical corsets were ingenious, light and bendy. Whalebone (which is baleen from the mouth of a whale, and is not actual bone) is wonderfully flexible, and moulds to the body beneath it – and many corsets were simply reinforced with cotton cording. Corsets reduced back pain from bad posture and <a href="https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/staff-pick-pregnancy-corset/">had expanding portions for pregnancy</a>. Historical myth making The problem then in the depiction of corsets in period dramas is not “historical accuracy”, an idea <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br_tGCadJPE">widely debunked by historians</a>, including Bridgerton’s own <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/period-dramas-should-not-be-judged-on-historical-accuracy-say-historians/">historical advisor</a>. Bridgerton’s costumes are joyously reminiscent of designer <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/80018036">George Halley</a>’s highly embellished and brightly coloured empire line fashion designs from the 1960s. Bridgerton’s costumes are historically inspired fantasy. Bridgerton is to Regency England what Game of Thrones is to the Wars of the Roses, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is a fantastical reimagining, creatively inspired by the past. The idea that its costumes should be “historically accurate”, or that such an aspiration is even possible, is not what is at stake here. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qYNCws-a6CQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> This is an issue of historical fallacy. Women of the past had agency over their bodies and how they were dressed. They were clever about how they achieved the fashionable proportions, padding out the <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O354882/bustle-pad-unknown/">hips</a> and <a href="https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/bust-improver-6003412">bust</a>, rather than reducing the waist. Like the show’s famed dressmaker, Madame Delacroix, many of the professionals dressing them were themselves women. We strip away that agency and ingenuity when we assume historical women were passive dolls, dressed up and cinched in by a patriarchal society. For historical women, corsets were a support garment, which allowed them to follow the fashionable silhouette without having to diet, exercise, or have cosmetic surgery. It would be a refreshing change to see period dramas embrace this feminist history of the corset, instead of falling back on a misogynistic stereotype.<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/180267/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/serena-dyer-1127384">Serena Dyer</a>, Lecturer in History of Design and Material Culture, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/de-montfort-university-1254">De Montfort University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/bridgerton-how-period-dramas-made-audiences-hate-the-corset-180267">original article</a>. Image: @bridgertonnetflix (Instagram)

Beauty & Style

“I was floored”: Mother-in-law poses as husband to announce pregnancy online

A pregnant woman has asked the internet whether she was justified in losing her temper after her mother-in-law announced her pregnancy behind her and her husband’s back - all while pretending to be the husband. Taking to Reddit’s ‘Am I The A**hole’ thread, the 23-year-old woman explained that her pregnancy wasn’t planned, and that since she and her husband still hadn’t decided whether they would go through with the pregnancy, that they wouldn’t tell anyone until they did. But the husband told his mother about their pregnancy news, making her swear not to tell anyone either. “He didn’t tell her we aren’t sure about it but just to stay quiet,” the woman wrote. “Well, she begged and begged that she announce it on Facebook under the guise of using our permission but I said absolutely not, and lied and said my husband and I wanted to announce it ourselves later if we decide to go through with it. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/https___prod23.static9.net_.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="290" /> Image: Reddit “Just a day ago I found out she logged into my husband’s Facebook account and dropped the bomb (made the announcement and yes she pretended to be my husband!) behind our back.” The woman explained how “floored” she was by her mother-in-law’s actions and that she called her to confront her. “I called her and she said she figured if she made the announcement using one of our social media accounts then we won’t mind and it’d still look like we made the announcement,” the woman continued. “But like I stated earlier, we’re still trying to make a decision. I lost my temper and yelled at her which made her cry. I said she overstepped and messed up completely then hung up.” Her husband then became upset and yelled about her “poor treatment and abuse” towards his mother. “I told him it violated our privacy and put us in more pressure to finally make a decision for the baby since the family are now calling to say ‘congratulations’,” she wrote. “He said that it was his fb (Facebook account) so none of my privacy was ‘violated’ and that I shouldn’t have yelled and hurt her feelings and made her cry no matter what, period.” The husband asked her to apologise and that they’d “talk about the pregnancy later”, but she didn’t answer and wouldn’t go with him to his mother’s house to “grovel with apologies”. Asking the forum whether she was in the wrong, she was met with numerous answers supporting her and some that questioned whether she should get a divorce. “Think hard about whether you want to be tied to this family for the next 18 years,” one person said. “Is your husband going to yell at you and side with his mom every time you disagree about your kid? Termination and say you miscarried is one option. Sounds like your husband’s family is trying to force your hand. This marriage sounds over already tbh (to be honest).” Another commented: “Like she so clearly crossed a line and the fact that neither of them see it that way is very concerning.” "Yes...why does she have his FB (Facebook) password?" another queried. "Sounds like she also has other SM (social media) passwords as well. This is so odd and a HUGE red flag. Add the fact that he feels mommy did nothing wrong and wife needs to apologize? I see an awful future ahead." Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

“An embarrassment”: Ben Fordham weighs in on Will Smith drama

Will Smith has publicly apologised to Chris Rock for <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-slap-heard-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slapping him</a> on-stage at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” Smith wrote in a screenshot shared on Instagram on Tuesday. “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. “I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.” <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/CbqmaY1p7Pz/?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/CbqmaY1p7Pz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)</a> </div> </blockquote> The apology comes after the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the organisation that awards the Oscars, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/could-will-smith-lose-his-oscar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> Smith’s behaviour and said they would investigate the incident. Others have also been quick to weigh in on the situation, with radio host Ben Fordham questioning how Smith was able to stay in the audience and go on to receive an award. Speaking on 2GB, Fordham questioned why Smith hadn’t faced any repercussions after he “belted (Rock) in the face”. “The best the Academy could do was send out a pathetic tweet … You absolutely condoned it. You let him return to his seat. You didn’t kick him out and you then handed him an award,” Fordham <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/awards/oscars/double-standards-ben-fordham-lashes-out-over-will-smiths-oscars-slap/news-story/ab86b57d23709fc4e9da0b9a7801af56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “The double standards are extraordinary. “They lecture everyone else about how to behave, but when the bad behaviour happened on their stage it was a case of see no evil, hear no evil. “The Academy Awards are an embarrassment. They preach one thing and they do the opposite.” The radio host and journalist acknowledged why Smith would have been upset, while also pointing out that Smith initially laughed at the joke until he saw his wife’s reaction. “If that was said about my wife, I would have struggled to stay in my seat,” Fordham admitted. “I wouldn’t have belted anyone, but I can understand how rage could build when you see something like this happen to someone you love.” The slap has also prompted the resurfacing of footage showing Smith behaving similarly and slapping a ‘reporter’ in 2012. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Y’all must’ve forgot <a href="https://t.co/OhGHFCOAbT">pic.twitter.com/OhGHFCOAbT</a> — Jiles (@Jiles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jiles/status/1508276702258024452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote> The star <a href="https://www.scoopwhoop.com/entertainment/oscar-2022-will-smith-slapped-reporter-for-kissing-him-old-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> slapped Ukrainian prankster Vitali Sediuk, who was posing as a reporter when he attempted to kiss Smith. Luckily, the 2012 incident ended in apologies from the prankster - who went on to repeat the stunt with other celebrities - but the run-in between Rock and Smith hasn’t gone as smoothly. Rock’s joke during the awards ceremony referred to Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head. She was diagnosed with alopecia (the medical term for baldness) in 2018 and has since spoken out about her experience losing her hair. Image: Getty Images

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Australia’s longest-running soap ends

Hailed as one of Australia’s longest-running TV dramas, Neighbours will come to an end after 37 years on air. The TV soap that gave national sweethearts like Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce and Liam Hemsworth a name around the globe, ended its streak after failing to secure another UK broadcaster. In a statement on their social media, Neighbours announced the devastating news to fans. “We are so sorry to say that after nearly 37 years and almost 9000 episodes broadcast we have to confirm that Neighbours will cease production in June,” the statement read. “Following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK and despite an extensive search for alternative funding, we simply have no option but to rest the show.” The team thanked their loyal fans and promised to end the show on an “incredible high”. “To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team. “We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours.” The news comes just weeks after Channel 5, the British production company that aired the show in the UK since 2008, announced it won’t do so anymore. The final episodes are expected to air in September 2022. Image: Instagram

Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?

Around the world, populations of many beloved species are declining at increasing rates. According to one <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/30/world-plant-species-risk-extinction-fungi-earth">grim projection</a>, as many as 40% of the world’s species may be extinct by 2050. Alarmingly, many of these declines are caused by threats for which few solutions exist. Numerous species now depend on conservation breeding programs for their survival. But these programs typically do not encourage species to adapt and survive in the wild alongside intractable threats such as climate change and disease. This means some species can no longer exist in the wild, which causes major downstream effects on the ecosystem. Consider, for example, how a coral reef would struggle to function without corals. What if there was another way? My colleagues and I have developed an intervention method that aims to give endangered species the genetic features they need to survive in the wild. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411140/original/file-20210714-13-1bf7ccv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="bleached coral with fish" /> Genetically altering coral may help them survive in a warmer world. Rick Stuart-Smith <h2>Bringing theory into practice</h2> Over generations, natural selection enables species to adapt to threats. But in many instances today, the speed at which threats are developing is outpacing species’ ability to adapt. This problem is especially apparent in wildlife threatened by newly emerging infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis in amphibians, and in climate-affected species such as corals. The toolkit my colleagues and I developed is called “targeted genetic intervention” or TGI. It works by increasing the occurrence or frequency of genetic features that impact an organism’s fitness in the presence of the threat. We outline the method in a recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534721003384">research paper</a>. The toolkit involves <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/artificial-selection">artificial selection</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00175/full">synthetic biology</a>. These tools are well established in agriculture and medicine but relatively untested as conservation tools. We explain them in more detail below. Many tools in our TGI toolkit have been discussed in theory in conservation literature in recent decades. But rapid developments in genome sequencing and synthetic biology mean some are now possible in practice. The developments have made it easier to understand the genetic basis of features which enable a species to adapt, and to manipulate them. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442166/original/file-20220124-19-xc82dx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="frog on wet rock" /> Some animal species cannot adapt in time to survive threats such as disease. Shutterstock <h2>What is artificial selection?</h2> Humans have long used artificial (or phenotypic) selection to promote desirable characteristics in animals and plants raised for companionship or food. This genetic alteration has led to organisms, such as domestic dogs and maize, that are dramatically different from their wild progenitors. Traditional artificial selection can lead to outcomes, such as high inbreeding rates, that affect the health and resilience of the organism and are undesirable for conservation. If you’ve ever owned a purebred dog, you might be aware of some of these genetic disorders. And when it comes to conservation, determining which individuals from a species are resistant to, say, a deadly pathogen would involve exposing the animal to the threat – clearly not in the interests of species preservation. Scientists in the livestock industry have developed a new approach to circumvent these problems. Called genomic selection, it combines data from laboratory work (such as a disease trial) with the genetic information of the animals to predict which individuals bear genetic features conducive to adaptation. These individuals are then chosen for breeding. Over subsequent generations, a population’s ability to survive alongside pervasive threats increases. Genomic selection has led to disease-resistant salmon and livestock that produce more milk and better tolerate heat. But it is yet to be tested in conservation. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442161/original/file-20220124-27-11vyq0z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="cows in green field" /> Artificial selection has been used to develop traits that humans desire in livestock. Shutterstock <h2>What is synthetic biology?</h2> <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Synthetic-Biology">Synthetic biology</a> is a toolkit for promoting change in organisms. It includes methods such as transgenesis and gene editing, which can be used to introduce lost or novel genes or tweak specific genetic features. Recent synthetic biology tools such as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting/">CRISPR-Cas9</a> have created a buzz in the medical world, and are also starting to gain the <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/48408">attention</a> of conservation biologists. Such tools can accurately tweak targeted genetic features in an individual organism – making it more able to adapt – while leaving the rest of the genome untouched. The genetic modifications are then passed on to subsequent generations. The method reduces the likelihood of unintended genetic changes that can occur with artificial selection. Synthetic biology methods are currently being trialled for conservation in multiple species around the world. These include the <a href="https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/resistance.htm">chestnut tree</a> and black-footed <a href="https://neo.life/2021/05/cloning-wildlife-and-editing-their-genes-to-protect-them-and-us/">ferrets</a> in the United States, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/gene-editing-is-revealing-how-corals-respond-to-warming-waters-it-could-transform-how-we-manage-our-reefs-143444">corals</a> in Australia. I am working with researchers at the University of Melbourne to develop TGI approaches in Australian frogs. We are trialling these approaches in the iconic southern corroboree frog, and plan to extend them to other species if they prove effective. Worldwide, the disease chytridiomycosis is devastating frog populations. Caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, it has led to the extinction of about <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus">90 frog species</a> and declines in as many as 500 others. Many frog species now rely on conservation breeding for their continued survival. No effective solution for restoring chytrid-susceptible frogs to the wild exists, because the fungus cannot be eradicated. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442155/original/file-20220124-23-cebr8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="gloved hand removed portion of DNA strand" /> CRISPR technology could potentially be used to edit the genes of endangered species. Shutterstock <h2>Looking ahead</h2> As with many conservation approaches, targeted genetic intervention is likely to involve trade-offs. For example, genetic features that make a species resistant to one disease may make it more susceptible to another. But the rapid rate of species declines means we should trial such potential solutions before it’s too late. The longer species are absent from an ecosystem, the greater the chance of irreversible environmental changes. Any genetic intervention of this type should involve all stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples and local communities. And caution should be taken to ensure species are fit for release and pose no risk to the environment. By bringing the concept of TGI to the attention of the public, government, and other scientists, we hope we will spur discussion and encourage research on its risks and benefits.<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/175226/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tiffany-kosch-1304685">Tiffany Kosch</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-endangered-species-can-no-longer-survive-in-the-wild-so-should-we-alter-their-genes-175226">original article</a>. Image: Melbourne Zoo

Travel Trouble

Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

Image: TikTok Donating a kidney to somebody in need is not an easy decision. But when a young woman named Colleen had the chance to change her boyfriend’s life six years ago, she didn’t think twice about donating the vital organ. In a series of viral videos, the TikTok star explained how she made the decision to have the procedure to save his life according to The Sun. When they first got together, Colleen said her boyfriend had been upfront about how he’d been struggling with chronic kidney disease since the age of 17. This meant he had to be on dialysis and his kidneys functioned at just 5% at average capacity. She explained: “I decided to get tested to see if we were a match because I didn’t want to watch him die.” Luckily for the couple, the surgeries went well and both parties recovered. But while you’d naturally assume the man would be eternally grateful to his girlfriend for what she did for him, he then cheated on her seven months later. In a follow-up video, Colleen explained how her ex-boyfriend told her he was going to Las Vegas for a bachelor party with some guys in his church. At the time, the TikToker was in a busy exam period and trusted her boyfriend completely so didn’t think anything of it. Until he turned up on her doorstep and confessed to cheating. “A lot of arguments later, I eventually forgave him and gave him a second chance,” she said. However, three months later the now ex brutally dumped Colleen over the phone. She claims he said: “If we are meant for each other, God will bring us back together in the end.” Unfortunately, the break-up only got messier from there, when her ex told her: “You only donated your kidney to look good”.

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Australia’s longest-running soap ends

Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?

Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

No gavels, no hearsay and lots of drinking: a law expert ranks legal dramas by their accuracy

Rescued sailor speaks after being adrift for months with his dog

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

"Get my voice back": Kathy Griffin's intense pre-op drama

How to survive in 8 terrifying travel emergencies

How to survive the cruise ship buffet

Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

“You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive”: Man rescued after 31 days in the jungle

Double Olympic champ survives plane crash

10 great tips for surviving challenging moments in relationships

One of Australia’s last surviving ‘Rats of Tobruk’ passes away aged 102

“Come to the theatre!”: Why the survival of the arts post-Covid relies on us

Heat yourself, not your house: how to survive winter with a 15℃ indoor temperature

Schoolgirl reveals how she survived Texas massacre

Bridgerton – how period dramas made audiences hate the corset

“I was floored”: Mother-in-law poses as husband to announce pregnancy online

“An embarrassment”: Ben Fordham weighs in on Will Smith drama

Australia’s longest-running soap ends

Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?

Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

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