Glass Wings Blog: January 2023

China wants more people to eat potatoes – how changing national diets could help fix our global food crisis

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 11:57:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/china-wants-more-people-to-eat-potatoes-how-changing-national-diets-could-help-fix-our-global-food-crisis-podcast-196159>

"How do you get a country to change its national diet? That’s what China has
been trying by introducing potato as a staple as part of an effort to improve
food security. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, we talk to three

(More...)

Labor’s proposal to fix broken environmental protection system comes with big question marks

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 11:58:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/11/labor-proposal-to-fix-australias-broken-environmental-protection-system-could-revolutionise-sector>

"It doesn’t get the attention other issues do, but fixing Australia’s broken
environment protection system deserves a place high on a list of the biggest
challenges facing the Albanese government.

(More...)

Online safety: what young people really think about social media, big tech regulation and adults ‘overreacting’

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 11:59:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/online-safety-what-young-people-really-think-about-social-media-big-tech-regulation-and-adults-overreacting-196003>

Don’t say ‘just don’t go online’ because adults wouldn’t do that if
something happened in the real world. If you got followed home, it’s not
like [they would say]: “Hey, stop leaving the house.” Help the person

(More...)

Prices that change by the second: why shopping around for deals online isn’t always worth it

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 12:00:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/12/prices-that-change-by-the-second-why-shopping-around-for-deals-online-isnt-always-worth-it>

"Have you ever shopped around online to find the best possible deal, clicked
the checkout button, walked away smug at your sleuthing – only to find someone
else got the same thing from the same place for an even cheaper price?

(More...)

The Year Tech Bro Lunacy Was Exposed

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 12:01:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://rushkoff.medium.com/the-year-tech-bro-lunacy-was-exposed-fe220426397b>

"I think 2022 will be remembered as the year we finally saw the billionaire
tech bro narrative for what it is: an insane fantasy held by adult children
with too much money and too much power too early in their lives for them to do

(More...)

‘Complete elation’ greeted Plibersek’s big plans to protect nature - but hurdles litter the path

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:43:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/complete-elation-greeted-pliberseks-big-plans-to-protect-nature-but-hurdles-litter-the-path-196287>

"Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced a much-anticipated
overhaul of Australia’s national environment law. The plan is rich with welcome
new policies – but the path to change is littered with hurdles.

(More...)

Jimmy Lai has been China's target for decades. Now a small change to Hong Kong's legal tradition could see him jailed for life

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:44:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-13/jimmy-lai-trial-in-hong-kong-starts-this-week/101754544>

'In Hong Kong, many still remember the shocking scene of their beloved media
mogul Jimmy Lai heading to court to face charges of foreign collusion.

(More...)

Why the Age of American Progress Ended

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:45:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/science-technology-vaccine-invention-history/672227/>

"If you were, for whatever macabre reason, seeking the most catastrophic moment
in the history of humankind, you might well settle on this: About 10,000 years
ago, as people first began to domesticate animals and farm the land in

(More...)

Thousands more Australians died in 2022 than expected. COVID was behind the majority of them

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:46:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/thousands-more-australians-died-in-2022-than-expected-covid-was-behind-the-majority-of-them-196281>

"Last month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released a report of
mortality statistics. It showed that from January to July 2022, there were 17%
more deaths (16,375) than the average expected for these months.

(More...)

Women are 50–75% more likely to have adverse drug reactions. A new mouse study finally helps explain why

Sun, 1 Jan 2023 19:47:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/women-are-50-75-more-likely-to-have-adverse-drug-reactions-a-new-mouse-study-finally-helps-explain-why-195358>

"Compared to men, we know much less about how women experience disease.

Biomedical research helps us understand the timeline of diseases and how we can

(More...)

Will AI decide if you get your next job? Without legal regulation, you may never even know

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 06:16:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/will-ai-decide-if-you-get-your-next-job-without-legal-regulation-you-may-never-even-know-196282>

"The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated decision-making
tools in recruitment is on the rise among Australian organisations. However,
research shows these tools may be unreliable and discriminatory, and in some

(More...)

Twitter is Going Great!

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 06:18:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://twitterisgoinggreat.com/

"… and definitely is not run to stroke Elon Musk’s delicate ego"

Via David "Kahomono" Frier.

(More...)

‘An arts engagement that’s changed their life’: the magic of arts and health

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 06:19:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/an-arts-engagement-thats-changed-their-life-the-magic-of-arts-and-health-196212>

"In 2007, a life-changing encounter at South Australia’s Flinders Medical
Centre became the catalyst and symbol for a national arts and health movement.

(More...)

Hotel booking sites actually make it hard to get cheap deals, but there’s a way around it

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 06:20:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/hotel-booking-sites-actually-make-it-hard-to-get-cheap-deals-but-theres-a-way-around-it-196460>

"Booking a place to stay on holidays has become a reflex action.

The first thing many of us do is open a site such as Wotif, Hotels.com or

(More...)

Generators ‘as important as armour’ to Ukraine surviving winter, says Zelenskiy

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 06:21:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/13/ukraine-winter-zelenskiy-generators>

"Generators are as important as armour in helping Ukraine survive Vladimir
Putin’s energy terror this winter, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told an emergency
conference in Paris convened to coordinate infrastructure and humanitarian aid

(More...)

50 Weirdest Stock Photos You Won’t Be Able To Unsee

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 12:32:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.demilked.com/stock-photos-weird-funny-wtf/

"Stock photos are made to be sold but it’s impossible to think anyone would buy
these.

(More...)

Without Indigenous leadership, attempts to stop the tide of destruction against nature will fail

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 12:33:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/without-indigenous-leadership-attempts-to-stop-the-tide-of-destruction-against-nature-will-fail-196208>

"At the crucial COP15 nature summit in Canada, almost 200 countries are
reckoning with the world’s extraordinary loss of the variety of life. Climate
change, mining, urban development and more are threatening Earth’s biodiversity

(More...)

The Crisis Report — 10

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 12:35:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://smokingtyger.medium.com/the-crisis-report-10-ea342423083c

"The world has now warmed 1.3°C.

This is hotter than it has been for over 3 million years.

(More...)

‘Why can’t anyone make a decision?’ My first time as a D&D Dungeon Master

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 12:38:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/dec/13/first-time-as-a-d-and-d-dungeon-master-dungeons-and-dragons>

"Four bedraggled adventurers stand together on the shore of a desolate island,
shivering in the evening mist. They don’t know each other, and their motives
for being here are unclear. But as they make stilted conversation they see,

(More...)

‘Hardly seen as human at all’: will fantasy ever beat its dwarfism problem?

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 12:39:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/13/fantasy-dwarfism-problem>

"When I was young, the on-screen representation of fantasy dwarves was hard to
watch. Seeing people who look like me with their faces painted orange in Willy
Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
, merrily singing as they worked away their lives

(More...)

To clean up Australia’s power grid, we’re going to need many thousands more skilled workers – and fast

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 19:33:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/to-clean-up-australias-power-grid-were-going-to-need-many-thousands-more-skilled-workers-and-fast-195906>

"To get Australia’s grid 82% powered by renewables by 2030 is a huge increase.
At present, the electricity powering eastern and southern states is around 33%
renewable.

(More...)

We’re entering a new phase of COVID, where we each have to assess and mitigate our own risk. But how?

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 19:33:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/were-entering-a-new-phase-of-covid-where-we-each-have-to-assess-and-mitigate-our-own-risk-but-how-195912>

"The Australian government’s latest COVID management plan, released yesterday,
maps how the nation will learn to live with COVID. This means transitioning
from the emergency phase of the pandemic response, to responding to it in a

(More...)

The BEST Used Electric Cars To Buy Right Now!

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 19:34:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np_6HwliceQ

"Looking to make the switch to electric but put off by the high sticker prices?
Go second hand! Jack takes you through his picks for the most enticing used
electric cars on sale today, ranging from the bargain basement grocery-getters

(More...)

San Diego’s Frozen Zoo Is Bringing Species Back from the Brink

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 19:35:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/theres-hope-for-endangered-animals-at-the-frozen-zoo/>

"Nature conservationists and animal activists all over the globe have the cell
phone number of Marlys Houck in San Diego. “I keep my cell phone on the
nightstand, always on,” the trim, blonde researcher says. “I’m always on call.”

(More...)

Everyone’s having a field day with ChatGPT – but nobody knows how it actually works

Mon, 2 Jan 2023 19:35:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/everyones-having-a-field-day-with-chatgpt-but-nobody-knows-how-it-actually-works-196378>

"ChatGPT is the latest and most impressive artificially intelligent chatbot
yet. It was released two weeks ago, and in just five days hit a million users.
It’s being used so much that its servers have reached capacity several times.

(More...)

What If Extinction Wasn’t Forever?

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 04:06:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-if-extinction-wasnt-forever/

"“My biceps has become pretty muscular,” Barbara Durrant jokes before pushing
an ultrasound wand into the rectum of a female rhinoceros named Wallis.
Durrant’s arm disappears up to her shoulder. “My record in finding an ovary is

(More...)

How Neighbors in the Borderlands Fought Back Against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s Illegal Wall — and Won

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 04:08:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://theintercept.com/2022/12/14/doug-ducey-border-wall-protest/

"Michael and Christie Brown resisted putting a barrier around their beloved
desert home for years, but the nights were getting too dangerous. It was a
question of safety. They needed a fence.

(More...)

Inside the world’s biggest tech bazaars

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 04:11:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://restofworld.org/2022/tech-markets/

"Flashing LED displays, the major-key jingles of arcade games, the low buzz of
cathode-ray monitors. Most cities have a technology district. In function, they
might exist to sell and fix devices; in practice, they channel the rhythm of

(More...)

Sydney-Melbourne railway could be affordably upgraded to slash travel times to six hours, expert says

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 04:11:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/15/sydney-melbourne-rail-track-upgrade-is-cheaper-quicker-way-to-slash-journey-times-says-expert>

"The Sydney to Melbourne train journey could be slashed from 11 hours down to
just six, and at a fraction of the cost of high-speed rail plans, if sections
of the track were upgraded for medium-speed rail, a train expert says.

(More...)

Australia needs much more solar and wind power, but where are the best sites? We mapped them all

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 04:12:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-much-more-solar-and-wind-power-but-where-are-the-best-sites-we-mapped-them-all-196033>

"Renewable energy’s share of Australia’s main electricity grid has more than
doubled from 16% to 35% in five years, and the federal government wants this
figure to reach 82% by 2030.

(More...)

Climate activist Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco reveals why she was prepared to risk jail time

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 12:50:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/14/climate-activist-deanna-violet-coco-reveals-why-she-was-prepared-to-risk-jail-time>

"Deanna “Violet” Coco never imagined that she would end up in jail.

Three years ago Coco was an entrepreneur, living in Sydney and running an

(More...)

A major ‘fusion breakthrough’ was just officially announced in the US. But what does it actually mean?

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 12:51:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/a-major-fusion-breakthrough-was-just-officially-announced-in-the-us-but-what-does-it-actually-mean-196474>

"For the first time, scientists in the US have confirmed a fusion energy
experiment achieved net gain. This means releasing more energy than it takes to
initiate, demonstrating the physical basis for producing fusion energy in a

(More...)

‘Green Banks’ Are Turning Climate Action Dreams into Realities

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 12:52:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/green-banks-are-turning-climate-action-dreams-into-realities/>

"Five years ago, when Clauditta Curson became a first-time homebuyer, she was
shocked by the “astronomical” utility bills she received for her
1,200-square-foot house. The 60-year-old adult daycare aide in Hamden,

(More...)

K-pop: The rise of the virtual girl bands

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 12:54:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63827838

'Since releasing their debut single I'm Real in 2021, K-pop girl group
Eternity have racked up millions of views online.

(More...)

Why Society Hates Creative People (And What To Do About It)

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 12:56:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9avVhZrMOc

"Why do companies hate creativity? They might say they value innovative or
divergent thinking, but realistically, most businesses rely on repeatable,
formulaic results. Society also places an emphasis on convenience over

(More...)

Spotting plastic waste from space and counting the fish in the seas: here’s how AI can help protect the oceans

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 19:38:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/spotting-plastic-waste-from-space-and-counting-the-fish-in-the-seas-heres-how-ai-can-help-protect-the-oceans-196222>

"You’ve seen the art AI image generators can create, and you may have played
with natural language AI chatbots. You’ve benefited from artificial
intelligence tools recommending you music and suggesting your next streaming

(More...)

Cities Take on a New Front in the Climate Battle: Meat Eating

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 19:39:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/plant-based-treaty-meat-consumption-climate-change/>

"The leafy southern British town of Haywards Heath is far from short of green
credentials, with its pretty floral gardens, tranquil wooded trails and
tree-lined Conservation Area of Muster Green.

(More...)

Why fusion ignition is being hailed as a major breakthrough in fusion – a nuclear physicist explains

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 19:40:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/why-fusion-ignition-is-being-hailed-as-a-major-breakthrough-in-fusion-a-nuclear-physicist-explains-196475>

"American scientists have announced what they have called a major breakthrough
in a long-elusive goal of creating energy from nuclear fusion.

(More...)

Second-hand tech booms as shoppers look for bargains

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 19:41:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63779342

'"We're lucky, to be a family with two full-time working adults. Still, we're
turning the thermostat down and putting extra jumpers on. We've switched to
budget supermarkets to save money."

(More...)

Albanian migration has spurred a generation of artists to reflect on issues of identity and belonging

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 19:42:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/albanian-migration-has-spurred-a-generation-of-artists-to-reflect-on-issues-of-identity-and-belonging-196417>

"There’s been a great deal of xenophobia directed at Albanian immigrants to the
UK recently. It’s easy to argue that Albanians are being scapegoated for the
current crisis in Britain’s migration system. But prejudice against Albanians

(More...)

Why I’m righting the wrongs of my early research and sharing my scientific data with local communities

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 04:14:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/why-im-righting-the-wrongs-of-my-early-research-and-sharing-my-scientific-data-with-local-communities-191713>

"“You know what’s wrong with scientific power? It’s a form of inherited wealth.
And you know what assholes congenitally rich people are.” That’s how filmmaker
Michael Crichton put it in Jurassic Park nearly 30 years ago. The problem of

(More...)

Arctic Report Card 2022: The Arctic is getting rainier and seasons are shifting, with broad disturbances for people, ecosystems and wildlife

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 04:15:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/arctic-report-card-2022-the-arctic-is-getting-rainier-and-seasons-are-shifting-with-broad-disturbances-for-people-ecosystems-and-wildlife-196254>

"In the Arctic, the freedom to travel, hunt and make day-to-day decisions is
profoundly tied to cold and frozen conditions for much of the year. These
conditions are rapidly changing as the Arctic warms.

(More...)

COVID: what we know about new omicron variant BF.7

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 04:16:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/covid-what-we-know-about-new-omicron-variant-bf-7-196323>

"Since the COVID variant omicron emerged in late 2021, it has rapidly evolved
into multiple subvariants. One subvariant, BF.7, has recently been identified
as the main variant spreading in Beijing, and is contributing to a wider surge

(More...)

Hypertension, diabetes, stroke: they kill more people than infectious diseases and should get a Global Fund

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 04:16:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/hypertension-diabetes-stroke-they-kill-more-people-than-infectious-diseases-and-should-get-a-global-fund-195479>

"Noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular
conditions account for 41 million deaths each year. That’s more than 70% of all
deaths globally. Most of these deaths (77%) are in low-income and middle-income

(More...)

TB is once again the deadliest disease in Africa - what went wrong

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 04:17:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/tb-is-once-again-the-deadliest-disease-in-africa-what-went-wrong-195996>

"Effective tuberculosis (TB) treatment has been available for the past 60
years. But TB remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious
agent. It ranks above HIV and AIDS and others. This is partly because of the

(More...)

Aboriginal people have spent centuries building in the Darling River. Now there are plans to demolish these important structures

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:45:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/aboriginal-people-have-spent-centuries-building-in-the-darling-river-now-there-are-plans-to-demolish-these-important-structures-195966>

"Apart from managing the land, Indigenous people have also managed waterways,
including the Murray River and the Darling/Baaka River, for thousands of years.

(More...)

One weird trick to make monopolies self-destruct

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:48:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://doctorow.medium.com/one-weird-trick-to-make-monopolies-self-destruct-c4892b74b0d9>

"Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2020 novel Ministry For the Future was a
groundbreaking work: it’s the tale of a detailed, plausible transition from a
world on a collision course with civilization-ending climate catastrophe to one

(More...)

25 Famous Authors Share Their Worst Moments

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:50:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.boredpanda.com/authors-worst-book-signing-twitter/

"While it would be unfair to say that nobody showing up at your [insert event
name here] is the worst feeling in the world—believe you me, there are far
worse—it’s still definitely somewhere up there.

(More...)

Testing the stress levels of rescued koalas allows us to tweak their care so more survive in the wild

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:50:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/testing-the-stress-levels-of-rescued-koalas-allows-us-to-tweak-their-care-so-more-survive-in-the-wild-196224>

"Koalas have adapted to Australia’s rugged terrains. But bushfires, land
clearing and other extreme threats can mean they suffer prolonged stress – and
this has a significant effect on their wellbeing.

(More...)

Americans bought at least 150m guns in decade since Sandy Hook shooting

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 11:51:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/15/americans-bought-150m-guns-decade-sandy-hook-shooting>

"Americans bought an estimated 150m guns in the past decade, as a drumbeat of
mass shootings and other violence has convinced more people that owning a gun
for self-defense will make them safer.

(More...)

Breaking bones in childhood more than doubles the odds of it happening again as an adult, study finds

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 20:12:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/breaking-bones-in-childhood-more-than-doubles-the-odds-of-it-happening-again-as-an-adult-study-finds-195008>

"Breaking a bone in childhood is not just a rite of passage. It could be a
warning sign of future fracture risk and osteoporosis.

(More...)

Patients Are Being Left High And Dry When Medical Implant Makers Implode

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 20:14:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/15/patients-are-being-left-high-and-dry-when-medical-implant-makers-implode/>

"Techirt has long discussed how in the modern era, the things you buy aren’t
actually the things you buy. And the things you own aren’t actually
the things you own. Things you thought you owned can be downgraded, bricked,

(More...)

The dawn of AI has come, and its implications for education couldn’t be more significant

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 20:15:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-dawn-of-ai-has-come-and-its-implications-for-education-couldnt-be-more-significant-196383>

"The release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot has given us a glimpse into the future
of teaching and learning alongside artificial intelligence.

(More...)

Putin preparing major offensive in new year, Ukraine defence minister warns

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 20:16:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/15/ukraine-says-putin-is-preparing-major-offensive-in-new-year>

"Senior Ukrainian officials say Vladimir Putin is preparing for a major new
offensive in the new year, despite a series of humiliating battlefield setbacks
for Russia in recent months.

(More...)

Space - Magic Fly (French Rel. 1977)

Wed, 4 Jan 2023 20:17:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5_4jI306Eg

Via Muse, who wrote "So much work went into this segment for a TV show: large
space biplane, sophisticated costumes, and fairly precise choreography. We
don’t see dance routines like this on television, or even in movies, much these

(More...)

Can you name a single character from Avatar? What is a ‘forgotbuster’ and is Avatar one of them?

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 04:13:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/can-you-name-a-single-character-from-avatar-what-is-a-forgotbuster-and-is-avatar-one-of-them-192005>

"James Cameron’s Avatar 2: The Way of Water, is released worldwide today.
It’s the long-awaited sequel to Avatar (2009), also directed by Cameron, and
has cost an enormous amount of money to make.

(More...)

Electricity generated by burning native Australian timber no longer classified as renewable energy

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 04:15:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/16/electricity-generated-by-burning-native-australian-timber-no-longer-classified-as-renewable-energy>

"Electricity generated by burning native forest wood waste will no longer be
allowed to be classified as renewable energy under a regulatory change adopted
by the Albanese government.

(More...)

As South Korea abolishes its gender ministry, women fight back

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 04:17:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63905490

'When Yuna turned up for her first day at work, as a clerk at a major bank, she
was not expecting the tasks she would be assigned. First was to make lunch for
her team. Later, she was ordered to take the hand towels from the men's toilet

(More...)

Why the Future Is Unravelling

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 04:19:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://eand.co/why-the-future-is-unravelling-54facfe26f11

"Think about the world today. The question that seems to be running through
society is this: how did the future unravel? Why? Where do I go now? Belong?
What do I do?

(More...)

Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 11:52:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/15/dismantling-sellafield-epic-task-shutting-down-decomissioned-nuclear-site>

"If you take the cosmic view of Sellafield, the superannuated nuclear facility
in north-west England, its story began long before the Earth took shape. About
9bn years ago, tens of thousands of giant stars ran out of fuel, collapsed upon

(More...)

What Comes Next for the Most Empty Downtown in America

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 11:53:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/17/business/economy/california-san-francisco-empty-downtown.html>

"The coffee rush. The lunch rush. The columns of headphone-equipped tech
workers rushing in and out of train stations. The lanyard-wearing visitors who
crowded the sidewalks when a big conference was in town.

(More...)

99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn't Hear About in 2022

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 11:54:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://futurecrunch.com/goodnews2022/

"Most people won't miss 2022.

It was a year defined by a lingering pandemic, rampant inflation, unstable

(More...)

The Myth of the Secret Genius

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 11:59:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://brianklaas.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-the-secret-genius

"If he’s super rich, he must be a super genius.

That conclusion is a cognitive mistake many continue to make when they

(More...)

Not Big Brother, but close: a surveillance expert explains some of the ways we’re all being watched, all the time

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 12:00:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/not-big-brother-but-close-a-surveillance-expert-explains-some-of-the-ways-were-all-being-watched-all-the-time-194917>

"A group of researchers studied 15 months of human mobility movement data taken
from 1.5 million people and concluded that just four points in space and time
were sufficient to identify 95% of them, even when the data weren’t of

(More...)

After the floods: Eugowra awaits the insurance payouts that may not come

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 19:36:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/19/after-the-floods-eugowra-awaits-the-insurance-payouts-that-may-not-come>

"Vicki and John Crow don’t describe what happened to Eugowra as a flood. “It
was a 5ft (150cm) wall of water, being pushed by a freight train, going at 100
miles an hour,” Vicki says. “It picked up houses and just moved them.”

(More...)

Phosphorus supply is increasingly disrupted – we are sleepwalking into a global food crisis

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 19:37:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/phosphorus-supply-is-increasingly-disrupted-we-are-sleepwalking-into-a-global-food-crisis-196538>

"Without phosphorus food cannot be produced, since all plants and animals need
it to grow. Put simply: if there is no phosphorus, there is no life. As such,
phosphorus-based fertilisers – it is the “P” in “NPK” fertiliser – have become

(More...)

Children born today will see literally thousands of animals disappear in their lifetime, as global food webs collapse

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 19:37:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/children-born-today-will-see-literally-thousands-of-animals-disappear-in-their-lifetime-as-global-food-webs-collapse-196286>

"Climate change is one of the main drivers of species loss globally. We know
more plants and animals will die as heatwaves, bushfires, droughts and other
natural disasters worsen.

(More...)

Wool swimsuits used to be standard beachwear – is it time to bring them back?

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 19:38:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/wool-swimsuits-used-to-be-standard-beachwear-is-it-time-to-bring-them-back-195103>

"Woollen swimwear, popular a century ago, might soon make a splash on
Australian beaches again.

(More...)

Queensland police killings show the threat posed by conspiracy theories – how should police respond?

Thu, 5 Jan 2023 19:39:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/queensland-police-killings-show-the-threat-posed-by-conspiracy-theories-how-should-police-respond-196642>

"The killing of two police officers and a good samaritan, as well as the
wounding of two other officers in Wieambilla, Queensland, has sent shockwaves
through Australia.

(More...)

Ten Years Later, The EU Orphan Works Directive Is Officially A Failure – Just As The Copyright Industry Intended

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 05:15:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/16/ten-years-later-the-eu-orphan-works-directive-is-officially-a-failure-just-as-the-copyright-industry-intended/>

"Every so often, Techdirt writes about the long-standing problem of orphan
works, the huge collection of older creations that are out of circulation and
have no obvious owners. Arguably, they should be called “hostage works”, since

(More...)

A Clever Song About Not Being Able to Do Anything Because of a ‘Cat on My Lap’

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 05:17:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://laughingsquid.com/cat-on-my-lap/

"Several humans have matched videos of their precious lap time with their cats
to a clever song by Morgan Morse that makes excuses for not attending to their
responsibilities (and even to emergencies) solely because they have a cat on

(More...)

What is a name microaggression and could you be doing it without knowing?

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 05:17:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-name-microaggression-and-could-you-be-doing-it-without-knowing-196272>

"In our recent study of 150 non-English speaking background migrants and
refugees living in Australia, nearly 80% revealed using their birth names in
their CVs led to fewer call-backs or no response at all.

(More...)

Thinking of buying a battery to help power your home? Here’s what you need to know

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 05:19:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-buying-a-battery-to-help-power-your-home-heres-what-you-need-to-know-192610>

"Batteries are undoubtedly part of our energy future. Should you put one in
your home now to store solar output, manage your energy use and cut costs? It
really depends on what you want to achieve.

(More...)

Over the holidays, try talking to your relatives like an anthropologist

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 05:19:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/over-the-holidays-try-talking-to-your-relatives-like-an-anthropologist-195637>

"How is it possible to spend so much time with your parents and grandparents
and not really know them?

(More...)

The Energy Department’s fusion breakthrough: It’s not really about generating electricity

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 12:09:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://thebulletin.org/2022/12/the-energy-departments-fusion-breakthrough-its-not-really-about-generating-electricity/>

"This week’s headlines have been full of reports about a “major breakthrough”
in nuclear fusion technology that, many of those reports misleadingly
suggested, augurs a future of abundant clean energy produced by fusion nuclear

(More...)

How the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a surprisingly bright, complex and element-filled early universe

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 12:10:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-the-james-webb-space-telescope-has-revealed-a-surprisingly-bright-complex-and-element-filled-early-universe-podcast-196649>

"If you want to know what happened in the earliest years of the universe, you
are going to need a very big, very specialized telescope. Much to the joy of
astronomers and space fans everywhere, the world has one – the James Webb Space

(More...)

The problem isn’t AI, it’s requiring us to work to live

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 12:10:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://jamesblaha.medium.com/the-problem-isnt-ai-it-s-requiring-us-to-work-to-live-3cb4a4b468e9>

"In the middle of the 20th century, large gas stations in the US began to be
built based on a new self-service model. Since the early 1900s gas station
attendants had always come out to pump gas for each customer. Small gas

(More...)

Oil Set to Become as Obsolete as Landlines, Experts Warn

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 12:12:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theenergymix.com/2022/12/18/oil-set-to-become-as-obsolete-as-landlines-experts-warn/>

"With all signs pointing to a clean energy “juggernaut” that will leave slow
adopters in the dust, Canada needs to plan for a drastic drop in oil demand,
say experts from the International Institute for Sustainable Development

(More...)

HUMAN_FALLBACK

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 12:13:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-44/essays/human_fallback/

"The recruiter was a chipper woman with a master’s degree in English.
Previously she had worked as an independent bookseller. “Your experience as an
English grad student is ideal for this role,” she told me. The position was at

(More...)

With COVID on the rise again, here are some simple steps to help us socialise safely during the holidays

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 19:31:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/with-covid-on-the-rise-again-here-are-some-simple-steps-to-help-us-socialise-safely-during-the-holidays-196570>

"New Zealand’s third wave of COVID infections will likely reach its peak during
the holiday period and stretch well into 2023.

(More...)

‘Crucial’ Cop15 deal includes target to protect 30% of nature on Earth by 2030

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 19:32:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/19/cop15-deal-includes-target-to-protect-30-of-nature-on-earth-by-2030-aoe>

"Ministers and environmental groups have praised the ambition of the deal
reached at Cop15, which includes a target to protect 30% of the planet for
nature by the end of the decade and places emphasis on Indigenous rights.

(More...)

How closely monitoring households’ energy data can unleash their solar outputs and (possibly) make them more money

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 19:33:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-closely-monitoring-households-energy-data-can-unleash-their-solar-outputs-and-possibly-make-them-more-money-196134>

"Almost one in three Australian households have solar panels on their roofs.
Most are motivated by rising electricity prices and environmental concerns.

(More...)

Cop15: historic deal struck to halt biodiversity loss by 2030

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 19:34:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/19/cop15-historic-deal-signed-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-by-2030-aoe>

"Governments appear to have signed a once-in-a-decade deal to halt the
destruction of Earth’s ecosystems, but the agreement seems to have been forced
through by the Chinese president, ignoring the objections of some African

(More...)

Travelling around Australia this summer? Here’s how to know if the water is safe to drink

Fri, 6 Jan 2023 19:35:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/travelling-around-australia-this-summer-heres-how-to-know-if-the-water-is-safe-to-drink-196294>

"Australians are fortunate to have access to safe and healthy drinking water in
our towns and cities, which is acknowledged as a basic human need globally.
Sadly, the World Health Organization estimates about 2 billion people across

(More...)

The historic COP15 outcome is an imperfect game-changer for saving nature. Here’s why Australia did us proud

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 03:51:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-historic-cop15-outcome-is-an-imperfect-game-changer-for-saving-nature-heres-why-australia-did-us-proud-196731>

"Billed as the event that’ll determine the fate of the entire living world, the
United Nations’ COP15 nature summit has wrapped up in Canada with a historic
deal, which includes protecting roughly a third of nature by 2030.

(More...)

Understanding Long Covid

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 03:52:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://drtomfrieden.medium.com/understanding-long-covid-9c24f9150172

"I raised the risks of long Covid back in July 2020, and in July 2022
highlighted the difficult battle many people — often called “long-haulers” —
continue to experience months and even years after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many

(More...)

New fossil foot analysis reveals the surprising and varied lifestyles of dinosaur bird ancestors

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 03:53:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/new-fossil-foot-analysis-reveals-the-surprising-and-varied-lifestyles-of-dinosaur-bird-ancestors-196798>

"Have you ever eaten chicken feet? If you haven’t, you might be surprised to
learn there’s actually quite a bit of flesh down there. And scales too! They’re
wonderful – and informative – pieces of engineering.

(More...)

2022: Australia’s year of living forgetfully

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 03:54:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/dec/21/2022-australias-year-of-living-forgetfully>

"Twelve months ago, as Australia’s most populous states savoured new
post-lockdown freedoms, any possibility Covid-19 might slip from public
consciousness was unthinkable.

(More...)

'The Taliban took our last hope': College education is banned for women in Afghanistan

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 03:56:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/12/20/1144502320/the-taliban-took-our-last-hope-college-education-is-banned-for-women-in-afghanis>

'On Tuesday morning, a woman called Zahra was preparing to take final exams to
complete her arts degree at a university in the Afghan capital, Kabul. By
evening, she was effectively expelled because of her gender, like every other

(More...)

LG’s new thin and stretchable displays could be used to wrap skin, cars, and furniture

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 13:09:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/lg-stretchable-display/

"LG Display has announced that it has created the world’s first stretchable
display that can be deformed by up to 20% of its original size and shape
without suffering any damage. The ultrathin material looks similar to

(More...)

I was wrong (and so was everyone)

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 13:10:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wif1EAgEQKI

"Did 18th century firefighters really let buildings burn?"

Via Christoph S.

(More...)

For Australia to lead the way on green hydrogen, first we must find enough water

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 13:10:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/for-australia-to-lead-the-way-on-green-hydrogen-first-we-must-find-enough-water-196144>

"Australia is well-positioned to be a global leader in green hydrogen
production. Green hydrogen is produced using a renewable power source such as
solar or wind. As a substitute for fossil fuels, it will help to meet growing

(More...)

Too many Māori and Asian people are drowning – can better cultural understanding reverse the trend?

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 13:11:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/too-many-maori-and-asian-people-are-drowning-can-better-cultural-understanding-reverse-the-trend-196576>

"With summer here, families and tourists will flock to New Zealand’s beaches,
rivers and lakes to paddle, swim, surf, fish, boat and kayak. But despite our
love of the water, New Zealanders have a terrible record of drowning deaths.

(More...)

What Black Jello Says About the Power of Small Enterprise

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 13:12:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/black-jello-vietnam-poverty-declines/

"As the mid-afternoon sun bathes the fertile fields of Na Po village, a dozen
women in conical bamboo hats and hand-dyed indigo dresses hack away at rows of
a curious crop covered in tiny purple flowers.

(More...)

New Method Can Break Down 95% of Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' in Water in Just 45 Minutes

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 20:22:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.sciencealert.com/new-method-can-break-down-95-of-toxic-forever-chemicals-in-water-in-just-45-minutes>

"Scientists have discovered a new way to break apart 'forever chemicals', the
notoriously stubborn pollutants that contaminate our waterways and threaten
public health, contributing to a growing list of potential methods of dealing

(More...)

Beyond microblogging with ActivityPub

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 20:23:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://lwn.net/Articles/918224/

"ActivityPub-enabled microblogs are gaining popularity as a replacement for
Twitter, but ActivityPub is for more than just microblogging. Many other
popular services also have open-source alternatives that speak ActivityPub.

(More...)

Every Australian will be touched by climate change. So let’s start a national conversation about how we’ll cope

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 20:24:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/every-australian-will-be-touched-by-climate-change-so-lets-start-a-national-conversation-about-how-well-cope-196934>

"In an address to the National Press Club this month, Home Affairs Minister
Clare O'Neil expressed deep concern about the national security implications of
climate change.

(More...)

The antitrust Twilight Zone

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 20:24:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://doctorow.medium.com/the-antitrust-twilight-zone-f710822ca77f

"Funeral homes were once dominated by local, family owned businesses. Today,
odds are, your neighborhood funeral home is owned by Service Corporation
International, which has bought hundreds of funeral homes (keeping the

(More...)

Global coal use in 2022 is reaching an all-time high, but Australia is bucking the trend

Sat, 7 Jan 2023 20:25:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/global-coal-use-in-2022-is-reaching-an-all-time-high-but-australia-is-bucking-the-trend-196809>

"In a year marked by record-smashing floods, fires, heatwaves and droughts, the
urgent need to act on climate change has never been more apparent. And yet, the
International Energy Agency (IEA) has found coal burning for electricity

(More...)

Libraries Offer Music Streaming Services That Really Support Local Musicians

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 04:08:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/20/libraries-offer-music-streaming-services-that-really-support-local-musicians/>

"Music streaming services are great – for listeners, who gain access to huge
quantities of music, even if they don’t end up owning any of it. But it’s
hardly a secret that streaming services produce very little income for the

(More...)

People don’t mate randomly – but the flawed assumption that they do is an essential part of many studies linking genes to diseases and traits

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 04:09:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/people-dont-mate-randomly-but-the-flawed-assumption-that-they-do-is-an-essential-part-of-many-studies-linking-genes-to-diseases-and-traits-194793>

"The idea that correlation does not imply causation is a fundamental caveat in
epidemiological research. A classic example involves a hypothetical link
between ice cream sales and drownings – instead of increased ice cream

(More...)

Victory! L.A. Will Ban All New Oil Drilling and Phase Out the Rest

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 04:10:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2022/12/20/la-drilling-ban/

"When you think of Los Angeles, you might picture palm trees, congested
highways, and sunny vistas. Many outside the city might not know that L.A. is
splotched with oil wells. But in December 2022, the L.A. City Council and

(More...)

Uber plans a kids service to replace mum and dad’s taxi. What’s wrong with that? Plenty

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 04:12:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/uber-plans-a-kids-service-to-replace-mum-and-dads-taxi-whats-wrong-with-that-plenty-196491>

"Ride-share company Uber has just rolled out an option to book vehicles
equipped with a children’s car seat across Melbourne. Uber is also considering
allowing unaccompanied children to use its service.

(More...)

I’m Praying Dell Finally Releases Its Ultra-Repairable Laptop

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 04:13:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://clivethompson.medium.com/im-praying-dell-finally-releases-its-ultra-repairable-laptop-abfceee5dc03>

"I’m a huge fan of “repairable” laptops.

As you probably know, our digital tech produces mountains of ghastly e-waste —

(More...)

I research mass shootings, but I never believed one would happen in my own condo in Vaughan, Ont.

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 15:08:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/i-research-mass-shootings-but-i-never-believed-one-would-happen-in-my-own-condo-in-vaughan-ont-196863>

"On the evening of Dec. 18, five people were killed in a mass shooting at a
large condominium in the community of Vaughan, Ont., located just north of
Toronto. A 73-year-old resident of the building — a man who had a long-standing

(More...)

Brexit rule that makes EU citizens reapply to stay in UK is unlawful, court says

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 15:09:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/dec/21/brexit-rule-that-makes-eu-citizens-reapply-to-stay-in-uk-is-unlawful-court-says>

"Home Office rules that could put millions of EU citizens at risk of job losses
or deportation after Brexit have been found to be unlawful by the high court.

(More...)

Reindeer eyes change color, putting Rudolph’s red nose in the shade – new research podcast

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 15:10:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/reindeer-eyes-change-color-putting-rudolphs-red-nose-in-the-shade-new-research-podcast-196920>

"Reindeer noses may not glow red, but these creatures of cold climes have
evolved the ability to change the color of their eyes to help them thrive in
dark, northern winters. In this Discovery episode, we speak with Glen Jeffery,

(More...)

From Textile Waste to Refugee Livelihoods

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 15:11:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/refugee-artisan-initiative-employment/

"Two glaring statistics stick with Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, founder of
Seattle-based Refugee Artisan Initiative. “Refugee women have the highest
unemployment rate, about 60 percent,” she says, “and over 85 percent of the

(More...)

Greenland's Glaciers Seem to Be Melting Much, Much Faster Than We Thought

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 15:12:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.sciencealert.com/greenlands-glaciers-seem-to-be-melting-much-much-faster-than-we-thought>

"Current predictions of ice melt in the Arctic are probably way off. According
to an updated model, glaciers in the icy north could be slipping into the sea
up to 100 times faster than previously forecasted.

(More...)

Five options for restoring global biodiversity after the UN agreement

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 22:16:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/five-options-for-restoring-global-biodiversity-after-the-un-agreement-196835>

"To slow and reverse the fastest loss of Earth’s living things since the
dinosaurs, almost 200 countries have signed an agreement in Montreal, Canada,
promising to live in harmony with nature by 2050. The Kunming-Montreal

(More...)

Hungary and the EU are in an endless dispute that challenges the very foundations of the union

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 22:16:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/hungary-and-the-eu-are-in-an-endless-dispute-that-challenges-the-very-foundations-of-the-union-196823>

"As 2022 drew to a close, Hungary and the European Union made a modicum of
progress in their long-running battle of wills. The (pro-Kremlin) Hungarian
prime minister Viktor Orbán ended his opposition to sending European funds to

(More...)

Only the richest ancient Athenians paid taxes – and they bragged about it

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 22:17:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/only-the-richest-ancient-athenians-paid-taxes-and-they-bragged-about-it-147249>

"In ancient Athens, only the very wealthiest people paid direct taxes, and
these went to fund the city-state’s most important national expenses – the navy
and honors for the gods. While today it might sound astonishing, most of these

(More...)

Target date for cleaning up waterways in England is moved back by 36 years

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 22:18:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/22/target-date-for-cleaning-up-waterways-in-england-is-moved-back-by-36-years>

"Targets to clean up the majority of England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters
suffering from a cocktail of agricultural and sewage pollution have been pushed
back from 2027 to 2063.

(More...)

Friday essay: 1 in 25 Australians have been estranged from their families. True stories about this can make people feel less alone

Sun, 8 Jan 2023 22:20:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-1-in-25-australians-have-been-estranged-from-their-families-true-stories-about-this-can-make-people-feel-less-alone-191443>

"Have you stopped speaking to one or more of your parents, or a sibling? If so,
you’re not alone. Family estrangement is common, and has affected around one in
25 Australians.

(More...)

Glass barriers keep St Mark’s Basilica dry during Venice floods

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 04:26:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/22/glass-barriers-keep-st-marks-basilica-dry-venice-floods>

"It is a simple solution, but one that may keep the marble columns and valuable
mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice safe from seawater-induced erosion: a
set of glass barriers installed around the 900-year-old church has kept its

(More...)

Saudi Arabia Angles to Keep Oil at Centre of Global Economy

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 04:28:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theenergymix.com/2022/12/18/saudi-arabia-angles-to-keep-oil-at-the-centre-of-the-global-economy/>

"Saudi Arabia is building solar panels and promoting electric cars to reduce
oil consumption at home, but the kingdom has a different plan for the rest of
the world—pushing for policies that sustain and even increase oil dependence

(More...)

The peculiar history of thornapple, the hallucinogenic weed that ended up in supermarket spinach

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 04:29:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-peculiar-history-of-thornapple-the-hallucinogenic-weed-that-ended-up-in-supermarket-spinach-197014>

"The agent that contaminated baby spinach, prompting the recent national
recall, has been revealed. It’s a weed, not deliberate misadventure or a
chemical contaminant.

(More...)

Scottish government hails ‘historic day’ as MSPs pass gender recognition bill

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 04:30:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/22/scotland-passes-bill-making-it-easier-for-people-to-legally-change-gender>

"The Scottish government has hailed a “historic day for equality” after MSPs
approved plans to make it easier and less intrusive for individuals to legally
change their gender, extending the new system of self-identification to 16- and

(More...)

How common are severe side effects from COVID vaccines? And how are they detected?

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 04:31:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-common-are-severe-side-effects-from-covid-vaccines-and-how-are-they-detected-196937>

"Former federal MP Dr Kerryn Phelps has talked this week about the medical
problems she and her wife had after their COVID-19 vaccinations around 18
months ago.

(More...)

The Copyright Industry Is About To Discover That There Are Hundreds Of Thousands Of Songs Generated By AI Already Available, Already Popular

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 10:28:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2022/12/22/the-copyright-industry-is-about-to-discover-that-there-are-hundreds-of-thousands-of-songs-generated-by-ai-already-available-already-popular/>

"You may have noticed the world getting excited about the capabilities of
ChatGPT, a text-based AI chat bot. Similarly, some are getting quite worked up
over generative AI systems that can turn text prompts into images, including

(More...)

10 times this year the Webb telescope blew us away with new images of our stunning universe

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 10:29:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/10-times-this-year-the-webb-telescope-blew-us-away-with-new-images-of-our-stunning-universe-194739>

"It is no exaggeration to say the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) represents
a new era for modern astronomy.

(More...)

Desperate festivals sector pleads for weather insurance, as $22m Covid fund proves redundant

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 10:31:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/dec/23/desperate-festivals-sector-pleads-for-weather-insurance-instead-of-redundant-22m-covid-fund>

"Australian live performers will begin the new year with no safety net, as
extreme weather, further disruptions from Covid-19 and rising costs threaten
the viability of the peak festival season.

(More...)

When fishing boats go dark at sea, they’re often committing crimes – we mapped where it happens

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 10:32:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/when-fishing-boats-go-dark-at-sea-theyre-often-committing-crimes-we-mapped-where-it-happens-196694>

"In January 2019, the Korean-flagged fishing vessel Oyang 77 sailed south
toward international waters off Argentina. The vessel had a known history of
nefarious activities, including underreporting its catch and illegally dumping

(More...)

Antarctica’s emperor penguins could be extinct by 2100 – and other species may follow if we don’t act

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 10:32:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/antarcticas-emperor-penguins-could-be-extinct-by-2100-and-other-species-may-follow-if-we-dont-act-196563>

"Greater conservation efforts are needed to protect Antarctic ecosystems, and
the populations of up to 97% of land-based Antarctic species could decline by
2100 if we don’t change tack, our new research has found.

(More...)

How Big Food Companies Are Greening the Farms That Supply Them

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 19:09:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/sequester-carbon-soil-big-food-companies/>

"Jason Johnson, Stonyfield Organic’s farmer relationship manager, fires up the
AgriCORE soil sampling tool in a pasture with sweeping views of central Maine’s
rolling hillsides at Dostie Farm, an organic dairy. The auger bit whirrs as it

(More...)

Police gun violence is glorified on screen. But more armed and aggressive policing doesn’t actually make us safer

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 19:10:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/police-gun-violence-is-glorified-on-screen-but-more-armed-and-aggressive-policing-doesnt-actually-make-us-safer-195920>

"American popular culture dominates international markets. Among its most
enduringly successful products are police dramas and movies. Many of these
feature frequent and overwhelmingly positive depictions of police gun violence

(More...)

Not everything we call AI is actually ‘artificial intelligence’. Here’s what you need to know

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 19:11:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/not-everything-we-call-ai-is-actually-artificial-intelligence-heres-what-you-need-to-know-196732>

"In August 1955, a group of scientists made a funding request for US$13,500 to
host a summer workshop at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. The field they
proposed to explore was artificial intelligence (AI).

(More...)

College Students Made the World’s Fastest Solar-Powered EV. It Just Went 621 Miles on a Single Charge.

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 19:12:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/college-students-made-the-world-s-fastest-solar-powered-ev-it-just-went-621-miles-on-a-single-charge/ar-AA15AfCS>

"It’s not a legacy automaker or exciting start-up that’s responsible for the
world’s fastest solar-powered EV—it’s a group of college students.

(More...)

The lie of aqua nullius, ‘nobody’s water’, prevails in Australia. Indigenous water reserves are not enough to deliver justice

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 19:13:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-lie-of-aqua-nullius-nobodys-water-prevails-in-australia-indigenous-water-reserves-are-not-enough-to-deliver-justice-195557>

"When the British colonised Australia they assumed terra nullius, “nobody’s
land”, and aqua nullius, “nobody’s water”. In 1992, terra nullius was
overturned – but aqua nullius remains.

(More...)

Why electric vehicles won’t be enough to rein in transport emissions any time soon

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 04:50:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/why-electric-vehicles-wont-be-enough-to-rein-in-transport-emissions-any-time-soon-195722>

"Progress towards Australia’s new emissions target of a 43% reduction by 2030
(from 2005 levels) has been decidedly mixed. Emissions in the electricity
sector have fallen in recent years, but the upward trend in another major

(More...)

Every Noise at Once

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 04:51:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://everynoise.com/

"Every Noise at Once is an ongoing attempt at an algorithmically-generated,
readability-adjusted scatter-plot of the musical genre-space, based on data
tracked and analyzed for 5,996 genre-shaped distinctions by Spotify as of

(More...)

Monopoly’s event-horizon

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 04:52:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://doctorow.medium.com/monopolys-event-horizon-23c051ab604b

"When a superdense, concentrated mass forms a black hole, the laws of physics
around it change, giving rise to an eldritch zone where the normal rules don’t
apply. When corporations form a concentrated industry, the laws of economics

(More...)

Descendants of executed Dakota 38+2 ride to Mankato to honor ancestors

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 04:53:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/12/23/descendants-of-executed-dakota-382-ride-to-mankato-to-honor-ancestors>

"It’s been a long, hard journey for the Dakota 38+2 riders. They tended to the
horses, making sure they’re fed and watered at the Flandreau Indian School in
Flandreau, S.D.

(More...)

Digitized Cookbooks on the Getty Research Portal for your Holiday Feasting

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 04:54:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<http://blogs.getty.edu/library/2022/12/19/digitized-cookbooks-on-the-getty-research-portal-for-your-holiday-feasting/>

"The Getty Research Portal’s newest Virtual Collection, Cookbook Collection
(Getty Research Institute), is available just in time for the holiday season!
Created in collaboration with GRI Associate Digital Media Producer Kirsten Lew,

(More...)

New ‘Avatar’ animated series following Aang and Korra’s successor announced

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:29:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://nextshark.com/new-avatar-animated-series-following-aang-and-korras-successor-announced>

"A new animated series following the next Avatar in the cycle has been
announced.

(More...)

Inside the Nisga’a Nation’s Fight to Get a 36-Foot Totem Pole Back From Scotland

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:30:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-the-nisgaa-nations-fight-for-the-return-of-a-36-foot-totem-pole-180981342/>

"Three years ago, Sigidimnak’ Noxs Ts’aawit (also known as Amy Parent) headed
home to Nisga’a territory, a 780-square-mile valley of forests, streams and
rugged lava fields, fringed by glacier-capped mountains on the northwestern

(More...)

Looking Out For Others Is The Cat’s Meow

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:35:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://notalwaysright.com/looking-out-for-others-is-the-cats-meow/278021/>

"There’s a beggar I see on the corner almost every day on my way home from
work. She has a cat that stands by her and poses with her and her sign. Her cat
looks much better cared for than she does.

(More...)

Threatened by Sea Level Rise, This New Jersey Town is Taking Matters Into Its Own Hands

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:37:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://time.com/6242869/new-jersey-town-sea-wall-climate-action/

"North Wildwood, a picturesque resort town of 5,000 on the Jersey shore, says
it is about to lose its war against coastal erosion. Since the 1980s, the
Atlantic ocean has washed away some 1,500 ft. of beach that once sat in front

(More...)

Nobel-nominated vaccine expert warns of Covid complacency: ‘We’re still losing too many lives’

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:38:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/23/covid-cases-death-rate-risk-peter-hotez>

"Joe Biden was wrong to declare the coronavirus pandemic over in the US, one of
the country’s leading experts on the virus has told the Guardian.

(More...)

2023’s public domain is a banger

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:39:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://doctorow.medium.com/2023s-public-domain-is-a-banger-7db8919cbaed>

"40 years ago, giant entertainment companies embarked on a slow-moving act of
arson. The fuel for this arson was copyright term extension (making copyrights
last longer), including retrospective copyright term extensions that took

(More...)

Stop Talking to Each Other and Start Buying Things: Three Decades of Survival in the Desert of Social Media

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:42:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://catvalente.substack.com/p/stop-talking-to-each-other-and-start

"I’m just so angry.

It’s been boiling and bubbling (and toiling and troubling) for awhile now. Not

(More...)

Her work as a pioneering animator was lost to history — until now

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:43:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.npr.org/2022/12/24/1145092476/bessie-mae-kelley-first-woman-animator>

'With a trunk full of paper stock, charcoal, and a giant easel in tow, Bessie
Mae Kelley would travel the country for her vaudeville circuits in the 1920s.

(More...)

Calls to roll out ‘e-bikes for clunkers’ to cut emissions

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:44:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2022/12/24/e-bikes-discount-expert-environment/>

"Would you swap your petrol-guzzler for a top-of-the-line electric bike?

That is the question being asked in several European nations where as much

(More...)

As climate clock ticks, aviator Garrett Fisher races to photograph glaciers

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:45:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-24/aviator-races-to-photograph-shrinking-glaciers/101806024>

'Chunks of ice float in milky blue waters. Clouds drift and hide imposing
mountaintops. The closer you descend to the surface, the more the water roars —
and the louder the crack of ice, as pieces fall from the arm of Europe's

(More...)

Calls to roll out ‘e-bikes for clunkers’ to cut emissions

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:30:06 +1100

"The Colective" <colective [at] glasswings.com.au>

The Colective
xanni pointed out:
:
<https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2022/12/24/e-bikes-discount-expert-environment/>

"Would you swap your petrol-guzzler for a top-of-the-line electric bike?

(More...)

Picture This: The Periodic Table

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 04:29:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/picture-this-periodic-table

"The Periodic Table was conceived as a scheme for bringing order to the
elements. When there were deemed to be only four of these—the earth, air, fire,
and water of the Greek philosopher Empedocles (it was just one of the elemental

(More...)

Namibia: Live stream in the Namib Desert

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 04:31:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydYDqZQpim8

"Live feed, from a waterhole in the heart of Namibia

Complementing the magnificence of the Namib Desert’s never-ending red sand

(More...)

January 1, 2023 is Public Domain Day: Works from 1927 are open to all!

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 04:33:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2023/

"On January 1, 2023, copyrighted works from 1927 will enter the US public
domain. 1  They will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon. These
include Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse and the final Sherlock Holmes

(More...)

Pets in Crisis program helps people under threat of violence keep their pets while finding safe homes

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 04:34:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-26/pets-in-crisis-helping-people-keep-their-pets/101789984>

'When Kerry Herd no longer felt safe living in her own home, she was faced with
a difficult choice.

(More...)

Electric cars to power South Australian homes in new trial

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 04:36:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.drive.com.au/news/electric-cars-power-south-australian-homes/>

"Electric-car owners in South Australia can now apply to take part in an
Australian-first trial which allows their battery-powered vehicles to supply
power to their homes.

(More...)

Barbara Kingsolver returns to Appalachia to tackle opioid crisis, in Dickens-inspired novel Demon Copperhead

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:48:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-27/barbara-kingsolver-demon-copperhead-appalachia-opioid-crisis/101792232>

'Barbara Kingsolver didn't realise the world thought she was a hillbilly until
she left home to go to university.

(More...)

Floss the dog goes on epic Australian road trip to find home, with animal shelters inundated amid rental crisis

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:49:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-27/floss-the-dog-goes-on-epic-road-trip-to-find-forever-home/101759000>

'Saved from certain death and riding alongside truckie Barry "Bushy" Horsman,
Floss the dog has been on a mammoth journey across the country that has allowed
her to see more of this vast continent than most Australians.

(More...)

Rethinking the big spring clean chuck-out frenzy: how keeping old things away from the landfill can ‘spark joy’ in its own way

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:51:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-big-spring-clean-chuck-out-frenzy-how-keeping-old-things-away-from-the-landfill-can-spark-joy-in-its-own-way-195568>

"Driving home recently, I encountered a familiar sight: four dining chairs on
the kerb waiting for some sucker to rescue them. Loading them into the car
(sucker!) I wondered: how long were these chairs in shed limbo-land before

(More...)

NPOTY 2022 results - Nature Photographer of the Year

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:53:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://naturephotographeroftheyear.com/previous-editions/npoty-2022-results/>

"Nature Photographer of the Year is a Nature Photography contest that
celebrates the beauty of nature photography."

(More...)

After a year of rain, towns at the end of Australia’s giant river system await the slow, inevitable deluge

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:54:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/26/after-a-year-of-rain-towns-at-the-end-of-australias-giant-river-system-await-the-slow-inevitable-deluge>

"An enormous levee runs down Mannum’s main street. As the flood waters pour
into South Australia from the eastern states, the river side of the town will
be sacrificed. The other side, it is hoped, will be saved by the “great wall of

(More...)

Dear Electric Vehicle Owners: You Don’t Need That Giant Battery

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:03:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.wired.com/story/dear-electric-vehicle-owners-you-dont-need-that-giant-battery/>

"When Hans Eric Melin thinks of battery waste, he imagines American driveways
filled with electric vehicles. They look much like the gas-powered cars of
yesterday, large and handsome and well-equipped: family-haulers, boat-towers,

(More...)

Video games designer Grace Bruxner completes her charming Frog Detective trilogy

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:04:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-28/frog-detective-video-game-designer-grace-bruxner/101635238>

'When Grace Bruxner was growing up in Darwin, she wouldn't play video games,
she would just watch others play.

(More...)

6 non-fiction reads for kids this summer, recommended by kids aged 9 to 11

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:05:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/6-non-fiction-reads-for-kids-this-summer-recommended-by-kids-aged-9-to-11-195578>

"Kids are often gifted books for Christmas, but the trick is to get them to
read them!

(More...)

The earliest humans swam 100,000 years ago, but swimming remains a privileged pastime

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:07:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-earliest-humans-swam-100-000-years-ago-but-swimming-remains-a-privileged-pastime-196045>

"Review: Shifting Currents: A world history of swimming – Karen Eva Carr
(University of Chicago Press)

(More...)

How to Befriend Crows? (Step-By-Step Guide)

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 20:07:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://worldbirds.com/how-to-befriend-crows/

"Whether through myth, ancient folklore, or legend, crows have a long and
sometimes sinister association with humans. Inquisitive, clever, and charmingly
curious, crows are one of the rare bird species not only to recognize humans

(More...)

Behold Miss Ukraine's National Costume

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:41:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.neatorama.com/2022/12/27/Behold-Miss-Ukraines-National-Costume/>

'It's not often that a national costume at the Miss Universe pageant can be
described as "badass." The Sisters of Battle in the Tweet refers to a religious
order in the lore of the video game Warhammer. It's an apt reference. The

(More...)

You can say you wish King Charles would die, but you can’t urinate on your back tyre: 8 common myths about Australian law

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:42:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/you-can-say-you-wish-king-charles-would-die-but-you-cant-urinate-on-your-back-tyre-8-common-myths-about-australian-law-196663>

"We’ve all been at a work or family gathering when someone has offered a
seemingly authoritative statement about the way the law operates.

(More...)

Is there a ‘right to disobey’? From the Vietnam War to today’s climate protests

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:42:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/is-there-a-right-to-disobey-from-the-vietnam-war-to-todays-climate-protests-193714>

"One of the first moves of the newly elected Whitlam Labour government in
December 1972 was to free seven men imprisoned for their beliefs. Their crime
had been refusal to comply with the National Service Act, a so-called “lottery

(More...)

4 creepy crawlies you’ll see more of this wet summer – and one iconic beetle you’ll probably miss

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:43:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/4-creepy-crawlies-youll-see-more-of-this-wet-summer-and-one-iconic-beetle-youll-probably-miss-190915>

"For Australians, memories of childhood Christmas often include gifts, prawns
and shooing uninvited buzzing guests away from the pavlova.

(More...)

Trove’s funding runs out in July 2023 – and the National Library is threatening to pull the plug. It’s time for a radical overhaul

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:44:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/troves-funding-runs-out-in-july-2023-and-the-national-library-is-threatening-to-pull-the-plug-its-time-for-a-radical-overhaul-197025>

"The National Library is threatening to pull the plug on Trove, its free online
service that provides public access to collections from Australian libraries,
universities, museums, galleries and archives.

(More...)

Australian electric vehicle buyer’s guide for 2023 – the best and worst

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:50:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://thedriven.io/2022/12/21/australian-electric-vehicle-buyers-guide-for-2023-the-best-and-worst/>

"Wow, what a difference a year (and change of government) makes.

Although the wait lists for some EV models have blown out alarmingly, the fact

(More...)

Are nudges sinister psychological tricks? Or are they useless? Actually they are neither

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:51:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/are-nudges-sinister-psychological-tricks-or-are-they-useless-actually-they-are-neither-192496>

"Nudging – the idea that simple changes to how a choice is presented can lead
people to make better decisions – has been one of the most popular ideas to
emerge from economics in the past two decades.

(More...)

The Lucky Country

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:52:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-09-25/29402

"Why is Australia the most successful and most peaceful multiculture in the
developed world? How did an Anglo nation responsible for Aboriginal land theft,
anti-Chinese riots and the White Australia Policy mutate into the country with

(More...)

Dolphin wearable could find cost of habitat disturbance

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:53:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.futurity.org/wearable-dolphins-2849292-2/

"Human disturbances in dolphin habitat include climate change, overfishing, and
noise pollution from construction, oil exploration, and navy sonar activity.
These disturbances can interrupt important animal behavior like foraging for

(More...)

Ukrainian Publishers Fight On

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:55:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/91178-ukrainian-publishers-fight-on.html>

"Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, continues to
disrupt Ukraine’s publishing industry, as warehouses are destroyed, logistics
break down, and employees are displaced. Moreover, Russia continues to try to

(More...)

Ban on single-use restaurant tableware hailed as fast-food ‘revolution’ in France

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:07:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/28/france-ban-on-single-use-restaurant-tableware-hailed-as-fast-food-revolution>

"Fast-food chains in France are preparing for one of the biggest changes to
their restaurants in decades as the government bans disposable plates, cups and
tableware for anyone eating or drinking on-site.

(More...)

How we made a video game based on medieval records

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:08:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-we-made-a-video-game-based-on-medieval-records-174984>

"The year is 1498. The town of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland has fallen prey
to a “strange sickness” that is the deadly plague. Disease is spreading in
Europe, and people are afraid, but how can the sickness be stopped?

(More...)

Australians pay $163 a month on average to store all the stuff we buy – how can we stop overconsuming?

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:09:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-29/australians-pay-163-a-month-on-average-to-store-things/101801682>

'Many of us are drowning in "stuff". To find space for all our possessions, we
are paying off-site storage companies. Australians spend an average of $163 per
month on self-storage, one recent survey found.

(More...)

India’s ‘untouchable’ women face discrimination even in schemes meant to help them

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:09:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/indias-untouchable-women-face-discrimination-even-in-schemes-meant-to-help-them-195201>

"Seema and her husband did quite well when they first opened a samosa stall in
the local market of a town in Bihar state, northeastern India.

(More...)

All the cinema (and sequels) we have to look forward to in 2023

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:10:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/all-the-cinema-and-sequels-we-have-to-look-forward-to-in-2023-195544>

"Ever get the feeling that time is standing still, that your life’s on repeat,
that everything’s just another rerun of a mediocre TV show?

(More...)

Move Fast and Break the Planet

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 04:33:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://worldhistory.medium.com/move-fast-and-break-the-planet-595fe0233e18>

"Over the holidays, you may have missed a small but potentially momentous news
item. On Christmas Eve, a story popped up on MIT Technology Review about an
obscure startup called Make Sunsets. The company was announcing that it had

(More...)

What risks could pet hamsters and gerbils pose in Australia?

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 04:34:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/what-risks-could-pet-hamsters-and-gerbils-pose-in-australia-192718>

"Kids on TV and in movies always seem to be keeping hamsters and gerbils as
pets. They’re small, look cute, and don’t need to be taken for a walk. So why
don’t we all have hamsters and gerbils as pets in Australia?

(More...)

2022 on Track to Break Grim Record as Earth Becomes an "Atlas of Human Suffering"

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 04:35:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.sciencealert.com/2022-on-track-to-break-grim-record-as-earth-becomes-an-atlas-of-human-suffering>

'Catastrophic floods, crop-wilting droughts, and record heatwaves this year
have shown that climate change warnings are increasingly becoming reality, and
this is "just the beginning", experts say, as international efforts to cut

(More...)

Why Wealthy Tech Elites Believe It’s Their Mission to Repopulate Earth

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 04:37:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://medium.com/the-no%C3%B6sphere/why-wealthy-tech-elites-believe-its-their-mission-to-repopulate-earth-eb15b17ab2b6>

"The world population just hit 8 billion.

We’re now set to reach 10 billion or more by the turn of the century.

(More...)

The history and mystery of Tangram, the children’s puzzle game that harbours a mathematical paradox or two

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 04:38:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-history-and-mystery-of-tangram-the-childrens-puzzle-game-that-harbours-a-mathematical-paradox-or-two-190529>

"Have you played the puzzle game Tangram?

I remember, as a child, being fascinated by how just seven simple wooden

(More...)

EVs Enhanced To Offer 16 Blade LFP Battery Packs For Nissan Leaf

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:04:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://cleantechnica.com/2022/12/26/evs-enhanced-to-offer-16-blade-lfp-battery-packs-for-nissan-leaf/>

"EVs Enhanced, a company in Christchurch, New Zealand, will introduce its 16
Blade battery, a complete replacement platform for the Nissan Leaf, beginning
in March of 2023. The company says it wants to take early electric cars like

(More...)

We’ve been studying the same people for 76 years – this is what we’ve found out about Alzheimer’s disease

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:05:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/weve-been-studying-the-same-people-for-76-years-this-is-what-weve-found-out-about-alzheimers-disease-183949>

"In March 1946, just months after the end of the second world war, James
Douglas began a pioneering and extraordinary study. Based on a representative
sample of 5,362 babies all born in the same week of that month, the study began

(More...)

Qatar’s death row and the invisible migrant workforce deemed unworthy of due process

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:06:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/qatars-death-row-and-the-invisible-migrant-workforce-deemed-unworthy-of-due-process-191017>

"Qatari authorities are ignoring international law by failing to inform
embassies when their citizens are arrested, detained or are pending trial for a
death sentence.

(More...)

7 green technologies we need to save the world

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:07:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://medium.com/predict/7-green-technologies-we-need-to-save-the-world-9d5644e1f356>

"I’ve written extensively about new and future technologies over the past few
years. As a strategy consultant, it’s my job to know what’s coming, how useful
it might be, and make relevant recommendations.

(More...)

New Belconnen apartment block to add EV charger to every car space in Canberra-first

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:08:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://the-riotact.com/new-belconnen-apartment-block-to-add-ev-charger-to-every-car-space-in-canberra-first/622615>

"A 10-storey apartment building in Belconnen is set to become the first
residential development in Canberra to include an electric vehicle (EV)
charging point in every private car space.

(More...)

Texans came together to save more than 1,500 bats from wintery doom

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:03:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/29/23530840/bats-rescue-texas-houston-humane-society-winter-storm>

"Hundreds of bats rescued from the winter storm that struck the US over the
past week were finally able to return to their homes in Texas last night. The
bats nearly froze to death as the storm brought a blast of cold Arctic air down

(More...)

No loans at this library, but playing helps keep the synthesisers alive

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:05:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/no-loans-at-this-library-but-playing-helps-keep-the-synthesisers-alive-20221214-p5c68b.html>

"Hiding in a North Melbourne back alley, a unique library offers budding
musicians access to a living history of electronic instruments.

(More...)

The Year in Cheer 2022

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:06:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-year-in-cheer-2022/

"Happy New Year! And welcome to our annual year-end roundup of the brightest,
boldest ways the world improved, evolved or otherwise changed for the better.
It’s a randomized bingo-ball tumbler of a list, pulled straight from the pages

(More...)

Iceland Invites You to Relax While a Horse Replies To Your Emails

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:07:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://mossandfog.com/iceland-invites-you-to-relax-while-a-horse-replies-to-your-emails/>

"Iceland has run a number of clever, funny, and downright weird marketing
campaigns in the last several years.

(More...)

Brazil will have first Indigenous woman chief for key post

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:09:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-brazil-government-united-states-802853d7e3f1364abf310971acb658a7>

"RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
announced Thursday that Sônia Guajajara will head up a new Ministry of
Indigenous Peoples, with a mandate to oversee policies ranging from land

(More...)

How science fiction predicted recent high-tech developments in chemistry

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 05:49:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-science-fiction-predicted-recent-high-tech-developments-in-chemistry-195519>

"Real-world technology is often foretold by science fiction. In 1927,
characters in the film Metropolis made video calls to each other. Star Trek
creator Gene Roddenberry hung flat-screen colour monitors on the walls of the

(More...)

Australia’s income support increase is woefully inadequate and barely dents the spiralling cost of living

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 05:50:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/australias-income-support-increase-is-woefully-inadequate-and-barely-dents-the-spiralling-cost-of-living>

"On New Year’s Day various income support payments will rise by about 6% as
part of routine annual indexation.

(More...)

A type of simple, DIY air filter can be an effective way to filter out indoor air pollutants

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 05:51:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-12-23/corsi-cubes-study

"PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A team of researchers from Brown
University's School of Public Health, Brown’s School of Engineering and Silent
Spring Institute found that simple air filtration devices called

(More...)

【寒梅傲雪迎新年】许下新年心愿,2023和自得琴社一起接好运!HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 05:55:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUnFsebDGUE

'新春版《梅花三弄》寓意即使身处逆境也定能傲雪凌霜,尽情绽放!

The Chinese New Year version of "Three Lanes of Plum Blossoms" means that even

(More...)

Moscow's Invasion Of Ukraine Triggers 'Soul-Searching' At Western Universities As Scholars Rethink Russian Studies

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 05:57:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war-ukraine-western-academia/32201630.html>

"When more than 2,000 Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies specialists
from around the world gather in Philadelphia later this year for their largest
annual conference, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will dominate the discussion —

(More...)

Limited Liability Is a Scam That Allows Corporations To Loot Your Planet and the Economy

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 13:30:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://survivingtomorrow.org/limited-liability-is-a-scam-that-allows-corporations-to-loot-your-planet-and-the-economy-e07d51333137>

"Imagine if I inherited a billion dollars from my father.

Now imagine I used some of that money to get some of my college buddies elected

(More...)

Where did the new year’s resolution come from? Well, we’ve been making them for 4,000 years

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 13:40:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/where-did-the-new-years-resolution-come-from-well-weve-been-making-them-for-4-000-years-196661>

"As we welcome in the new year, a common activity across many cultures is the
setting of new year resolutions. New year represents a significant temporal
milestone in the calendar when many people set new goals for the year ahead.

(More...)

Standard Ebooks

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 13:45:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://standardebooks.org/

"Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven project that produces new editions of
public domain ebooks that are lovingly formatted, open source, free of U.S.
copyright restrictions, and free of cost.

(More...)

What will Australia's fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic look like?

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 13:48:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-01/australia-covid-omicron-2023-deaths-hospitalisation-antiviral/101813248>

'Through three years of the pandemic, Bianca Spooner didn't get COVID-19 once —
until a few days before Christmas.

(More...)

Exploring the mathematical universe – connections, contradictions, and kale

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 13:48:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/exploring-the-mathematical-universe-connections-contradictions-and-kale-196053>

"Science and maths skills are widely celebrated as keys to economic and
technological progress, but abstract mathematics may seem bafflingly far from
industrial optimisation or medical imaging. Pure mathematics often yields

(More...)

The sky isn’t just blue – airglow makes it green, yellow and red too

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 22:50:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-sky-isnt-just-blue-airglow-makes-it-green-yellow-and-red-too-196386>

"Look up on a clear sunny day and you will see a blue sky. But is this the true
colour of the sky? Or is it the only colour of the sky?

(More...)

Abba's Chiquitita: Guatemala school uses Unicef funds

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 22:52:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64026345

"It is a fact that even many die-hard Abba fans do not know. Despite selling
millions of copies over more than four decades, their massive 1979 hit,
Chiquitita, doesn't earn the Swedish supergroup a penny.

(More...)

Why running out of battery in an electric car gave me hope for the future

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 22:53:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/why-running-out-of-battery-in-an-electric-car-gave-me-hope-for-the-future-opinion-88567>

"You’ve heard about how electric cars have things like flat floors, so-called
‘frunks’ for additional storage, and how the removal of engines, transmissions
and drivelines allow automakers to experiment with more unconventional designs.

(More...)

Cost of living: A refugee family runs out of food in Hong Kong

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 22:55:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/1/2/cost-of-living-no-future-for-asylum-seekers-in-hong-kong>

"Hong Kong – Slouched against the lone, grime-covered, grated window of his
tiny apartment in the working-class neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong,
there is a look of despair in 41-year-old Rana’s brown eyes.

(More...)

When we swim in the ocean, we enter another animal’s home. Here’s how to keep us all safe

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 05:07:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/when-we-swim-in-the-ocean-we-enter-another-animals-home-heres-how-to-keep-us-all-safe-193457>

"Every summer, many Australians head to the ocean to swim, surf, sail, kayak,
and walk along the beach.

(More...)

MMP in New Zealand turns 30 at this year’s election – a work in progress, but still a birthday worth celebrating

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 05:08:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/mmp-in-new-zealand-turns-30-at-this-years-election-a-work-in-progress-but-still-a-birthday-worth-celebrating-194622>

"In a tidy alignment of round numbers, this year’s general election will also
mark the 30th anniversary of the binding referendum that ushered in the mixed
member proportional (MMP) system of voting. It will also be the tenth election

(More...)

How a new generation of gamers is pushing for inclusivity beyond the table

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 05:09:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/how-a-new-generation-of-gamers-is-pushing-for-inclusivity-beyond-the-table>

"For decades, players of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) have used dice,
pens and paper to engage in a form of entertainment that combines collective
storytelling with strategic puzzle-solving and combat simulation. Once

(More...)

Paxlovid ‘last drug in the cupboard’ for Covid as variants in Australia evade other treatments

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 05:10:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/03/paxlovid-last-drug-in-the-cupboard-for-covid-as-variants-in-australia-evade-other-treatments>

"The antiviral Paxlovid is the “last drug left in the cupboard” to treat people
vulnerable to severe disease and death from Covid-19, a leading virologist
says.

(More...)

Discovering the ‘honeypot’: the surprising way restricting immigration can turn out to hurt the working poor

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 05:10:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/discovering-the-honeypot-the-surprising-way-restricting-immigration-can-turn-out-to-hurt-the-working-poor-195192>

"Politicians around the world tout immigration restrictions as a way to fight
wage stagnation and boost the job prospects of low-paid or unemployed locals.

(More...)

Green streets: why protecting urban parks and bush is vital as our cities grow and become denser

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:30:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/green-streets-why-protecting-urban-parks-and-bush-is-vital-as-our-cities-grow-and-become-denser-196024>

"More than half of the world’s population lives in cities. In Aotearoa New
Zealand, the proportion of people who live in towns or cities exceeds 86%. With
our lives increasingly lived in urban environments, it’s vital for our personal

(More...)

Shift Happens: A book about keyboards

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:31:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://shifthappens.site/

"Shift Happens tells the story of keyboards like no book ever before,
covering 150 years from the early typewriters to the pixellated keyboards in
our pockets.

(More...)

TechScape: With a $67bn takeover in the works, is it finally game on for Microsoft?

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:32:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/03/why-a-67bn-takeover-could-make-microsoft-a-gaming-behemoth>

"Microsoft is the forgotten tech giant. Despite being the world’s
second-largest public company by market capitalisation, it got left out of the
snappy acronym for the big five – FAANG – alongside Facebook, Amazon, Apple and

(More...)

The One Thing That Changes Everything in the Climate Fight

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:33:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://medium.com/illumination-curated/the-one-thing-that-changes-everything-in-the-climate-fight-39e9f0eb2b70>

"Since the 1970s, environmentalists have always been challenged to justify “the
extra costs” of doing the right thing for the environment. When that
justification came on a macro scale, the argument turned to who exactly pays.

(More...)

Micro-aggressions are repeated acts that send women backwards. Here’s how micro-accommodations can fight back

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 14:34:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/micro-aggressions-are-repeated-acts-that-send-women-backwards-heres-how-micro-accommodations-can-fight-back-195570>

"When I was ten, I was the only female member of an all-boys sports team, and
the boys liked to remind me of it, and that it would be better if I just went
home.

(More...)

Benedict Cumberbatch's ancestors got rich from slavery in Barbados. Now he could be on the hook for reparations

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:43:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-04/benedict-cumberbatch-slavery-reparations/101822368>

"For years, Barbados has been seeking reparations from the colonial powers that
unleashed the horrors of slavery on its people for nearly four centuries.

(More...)

Sweden’s biggest wolf cull starts but campaigners fight on

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:48:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/02/huge-swedish-wolf-hunt-will-be-disastrous-for-species-warn-experts>

"The biggest wolf cull in modern times has begun in Sweden as nature
organisations warn it could drastically harm the population.

(More...)

Fertilizer could be made much more sustainably

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:49:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.futurity.org/fertilizer-carbon-emissions-sustainability-2851142/>

"Researchers have shown how nitrogen fertilizer could be produced more
sustainably.

(More...)

‘Everyone is looking for options’: Russian women fly to Argentina to give birth

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:52:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/03/everyone-is-looking-for-options-russian-women-fly-to-argentina-to-give-birth>

"Standing in line at the maternity ward of the Sanatorio Finochietto hospital
in bustling Buenos Aires, Polina Cherepovitskaya suddenly overheard the
familiar sound of the Russian language.

(More...)

Ahmed and Danice fell in love when he was in prison. Neither expected the biggest test to come after his release

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 22:53:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-05/ahmed-and-danice-an-unlikely-love-story-earshot/101782498>

'Love can develop in the most unlikely circumstances.

For Danice and Ahmed, what began as an act of kindness led to a deep and

(More...)

More than 100,000 tourists will head to Antarctica this summer. Should we worry about damage to the ice and its ecosystems?

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 04:19:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/more-than-100-000-tourists-will-head-to-antarctica-this-summer-should-we-worry-about-damage-to-the-ice-and-its-ecosystems-192843>

"As the summer sun finally arrives for people in the Southern Hemisphere, more
than 100,000 tourists will head for the ice. Travelling on one of more than 50
cruise ships, they will brave the two-day trip across the notoriously rough

(More...)

‘Boys will be boys’: why consumers don’t punish big polluters for greenwashing lies

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 04:20:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/boys-will-be-boys-why-consumers-dont-punish-big-polluters-for-greenwashing-lies-194902>

"Stigma is an awful burden for business. But what if – for some companies –
stigma is an asset?

(More...)

The A.I. has learned how to tell you a celebrity's net worth

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 04:21:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.garbageday.email/p/the-ai-has-learned-how-to-tell-you

"We’re still very early when it comes to this new generation of generative
artificial intelligence, but I’ve noticed the content these tools creates
doesn’t really make any sort of lasting impact on you. Maybe the technology

(More...)

Satellite Images Reveal Beavers Are Transforming The Arctic "Like Wildfire"

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 04:22:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.sciencealert.com/satellite-images-reveal-beavers-are-transforming-the-arctic-like-wildfire>

"Beavers are taking over the Alaskan tundra, completely transforming its
waterways, and accelerating climate change in the Arctic.

(More...)

ONI: Thunder God's Tale

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 04:25:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81028343
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni:_Thunder_God%27s_Tale

"In a mystical world of Japanese gods and spirits, a courageous girl strives to
follow in her mysterious father's footsteps and find her true powers."

(More...)

Noise pollution: how the sounds of the city were redefined as ‘urban music’ in 1920s Japan

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:30:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/noise-pollution-how-the-sounds-of-the-city-were-redefined-as-urban-music-in-1920s-japan-194383>

"Cash machines, elevators and escalators that talk. Jingles in department
stores, train stations, supermarkets and shopping arcades. Loud speaker
warnings about the dangers of riding on the bus or train, overlayed by sirens,

(More...)

Brekkies, barbies, mozzies: why do Aussies shorten so many words?

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:32:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/brekkies-barbies-mozzies-why-do-aussies-shorten-so-many-words-192616>

"Australians sure do like those brekkiesbarbies and mozzies.

We’re not talking about “actual” mozzies here. We’re defo (definitely)

(More...)

How a Country Embraced the River It Feared

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:33:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/waal-river-flooding-project/

"When the Waal River floods near the Netherlands’ border with Germany, the
overflow inundates the Millingerwaard nature reserve, swamping meadows, glades
and trails. Beavers move up into the trees and build temporary homes. The

(More...)

Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:33:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-leaving-african-elephants-desperate-for-water-191844>

"African elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to
415,000 today. While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and
habitat loss, these majestic animals now face another grave challenge.

(More...)

Mussel Farming Is Healing the UK’s Coastal Food Chain

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:34:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/mussel-farming-ecosystem-revival-uk/

"The water beneath our boat is teeming with life. It is a fine Sunday morning
on Loch Slapin on the Isle of Skye, and Dr. Judith Brown and Andrew Airnes are
pointing below the surface to where they are hoping to grow more than 100

(More...)

Which historical bubble is most like the crypto bubble?

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 20:03:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2023/01/05/which-historical-bubble-is-most-like-the-crypto-bubble-by-william-quinn/>

"In 2020, John Turner and I published a history of financial bubbles: Boom and
Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles
 (Cambridge University Press,
2020). We had briefly written up the 2017 crypto bubble in the conclusion,

(More...)

From hapless parody to knight crusader – how far-right nationalism hijacked the real Don Quixote

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 20:05:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/from-hapless-parody-to-knight-crusader-how-far-right-nationalism-hijacked-the-real-don-quixote-196032>

"It’s said that Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza were riding
their horses in the dark night when they heard the sound of dogs barking.
Trying to console the frightened Sancho, Don Quixote uttered what may be the

(More...)

Your stuff is actually worse now

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 20:06:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.vox.com/the-goods/23529587/consumer-goods-quality-fast-fashion-technology>

"My beloved 10-year-old black bra finally broke last Christmas. The elastic had
some slack and it’d been fraying for a while, but its death sentence came when
the underwire popped out the side. While it wasn’t particularly special — just

(More...)

Insects and spiders make up more than half NZ’s animal biodiversity – time to celebrate these spineless creatures

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 20:07:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/insects-and-spiders-make-up-more-than-half-nzs-animal-biodiversity-time-to-celebrate-these-spineless-creatures-195450>

"After almost two decades of championing native birds in an annual competition,
Aotearoa is going to begin celebrating its spineless creatures this year.

(More...)

Are Mushrooms the Future of Alternative Leather?

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 20:09:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/14/business/leather-fake-mycelium-mushrooms-fashion.html>

"In 2007, Philip Ross, an artist based in the Bay Area, was preparing for an
exhibit. It demonstrated his work with “mycotecture,” the creation of materials
from the manipulation of mycelium, which is the substance comprising the root

(More...)

A Mechanical Engineer Becomes a Mask Nerd

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:46:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/a-mechanical-engineer-becomes-a-mask-nerd>

"Attendees at the February 2022 Friday Night Mask Party could be excused for
feeling a twinge of sadness when the Mask Nerd dropped his bombshell: That
night would mark the end of his career as a mask reviewer; at least for now.

(More...)

We shouldn't be surprised that Melbourne's inner west floods. It's always been a swamp

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:47:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/melbourne-was-built-on-a-swamp-flood-history/101610910>

'There's a scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the lord of Swamp
Castle explains to his son that everyone thought he was daft to build a castle
in a swamp, but he did it anyway.

(More...)

Memristors Run AI Tasks at 1/800th Power

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:49:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://spectrum.ieee.org/memristor-devices-ai

"Memristive devices that mimic neuron-connecting synapses could serve as the
hardware for neural networks that copy the way the brain learns. Now two new
studies may help solve key problems these components face not just with yields

(More...)

Daði Freyr - Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley cover)

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:50:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd9CdngQvrY

"I'm releasing an album this year!  So... there's that."

Via Muse.

(More...)

Great Salt Lake will disappear in 5 years without massive ‘emergency rescue,’ scientists say

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:51:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/06/us/great-salt-lake-disappearing-drought-climate/index.html>

"The Great Salt Lake in Utah is facing “unprecedented danger,” experts say, as
it has fallen to an alarmingly low level amid a climate change-fueled
megadrought that’s tightening its grip in the West.

(More...)

With "Immunity Debt," Democrats are Having their Ivermectin Moment

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:21:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://thegauntlet.substack.com/p/with-immunity-debt-democrats-are

"If you’re a parent, you’re no doubt aware of the surging flu, RSV, COVID, HFM,
Strep, scarlet fever, impetigo, every-other-infection-under-the-sun cases. A
common mommy-blogger topic has been “Gee, my kids keep getting sick every time

(More...)

CoinDeal’s Bentleys Weren’t Real

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:23:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-01-05/coindeal-s-bentleys-weren-t-real>

"The simplest form of investment scam is that you promise people some
attractive return on their investment, they like the promised return and give
you their money, and you steal it. In this scam, what sort of return should you

(More...)

3.3 million US adults displaced by natural disasters in past year – survey

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:25:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/06/us-adults-displaced-natural-disasters-survey-census-bureau>

"More than 1.3% of the adult population in the US was displaced by natural
disasters in the past year, with hurricanes responsible for more than half of
the forced relocations, according to first-of-its-kind survey results from the

(More...)

52 acts of kindness: how to spread joy in every week of 2023

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:26:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/03/52-acts-of-kindness-how-to-spread-joy-in-every-week-of-2023>

"Navel-gazing is always a danger at this time of year – and not just to admire
the results of a two-week assault on the fridge. Indoctrinated by “new year,
new you” messaging, we fixate on self-optimisation: one hand dredging the

(More...)

The turtle moms that ‘talk’ to their eggs before they hatch

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:28:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/06/turtles-eat-south-america/>

"Camila Ferrara felt “stupid” plunging a microphone near a nest of turtle eggs.

The Brazilian biologist wasn’t sure if she would hear much. She was studying

(More...)

CES Worst in Show slams gummi gouging, money-wasting mugs, and other dubious kit

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 22:51:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/06/ces_worst_in_show/

'As the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show winds down, it's once again time for the
Worst in Show Awards, an enumeration of ill-conceived tech products as
determined by various technology advocates.

(More...)

Outback truckie drives 28 hours every fortnight getting food to community's only grocery shop

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 22:52:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/kym-mozol-outback-truck-driver-ceduna-tjuntjuntjara-shop/101823528>

'The door of the dust-crusted semi-trailer swings open and Kym Mozol emerges,
grinning and weary.

(More...)

As the world moves to a low carbon economy, has diesel fuel run its course?

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 22:53:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-01-08/experts-and-industry-contemplate-transition-away-from-diesel/101822916>

"Twenty per cent of Australian cars run on diesel, as do most of the country's
trucks, farming and mining equipment, but the push to reduce emissions globally
could mean the end of diesel fuel is closer than you think.

(More...)

Vanishing bird: the mystery of the ‘near-mythical’ Australian painted-snipe

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 22:54:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/08/vanishing-bird-the-mystery-of-the-near-mythical-australian-painted-snipe>

"“Near-mythical” is how the ecologist Matthew Herring describes the Australian
painted-snipe – one of this continent’s rarest birds.

(More...)

Netflix's 2022 Darling "The Sea Beast" is Getting a Sequel

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 22:55:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://gizmodo.com/netflix-the-sea-beast-sequel-film-1849961504

"Netflix’s most high-profile animated movie of 2022 was perhaps understandably
Pinocchio, but the streamer did release some other pretty solid animated
features and shows throughout last year. One of those was The Sea Beast, a

(More...)

Ten COVID Facts Health Officials Dangerously Downplay

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:16:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/12/21/Ten-Downplayed-COVID-Facts/

"As the pandemic evolves, the failure of current public health policies now
shines clearer than a midnight star. The assumption that hybrid immunity —
vaccines combined with infections — would end COVID’s relentless evolution has

(More...)

Plant power: Scientists generate electricity from a shrub in renewables breakthrough

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:16:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/12/14/plant-power-scientists-generate-electricity-from-a-shrub-in-renewables-breakthrough>

"Can a plant generate electricity?

As the world transitions to renewable energy sources, wind turbines and solar

(More...)

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is the Surface Neo I always wanted

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:20:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/lenovo-yoga-book-9i-hands-on-specs-photos-release-date/>

"Foldable screens on laptops had their moment in the spotlight. But Lenovo
brought a laptop to CES 2023 that has a similar use case and form factor, but
an entirely different approach.

(More...)

Physical buttons outperform touchscreens in new cars, test finds

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:22:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.vibilagare.se/english/physical-buttons-outperform-touchscreens-new-cars-test-finds>

"The screens in modern cars keep getting bigger. Design teams at most car
manufacturers love to ditch physical buttons and switches, although they are
far superior safety-wise.

(More...)

All the Cool Stuff We Saw at CES 2023 That You Can’t Get in Australia

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:23:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2023/01/ces-2023-not-available-australia/

"Are few things in life are certain: birth, death, taxes and tech products not
coming to Australia and CES 2023 was no exception.

(More...)

How housing made rich Australians 50% richer, leaving renters and the young behind – and how to fix it

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:03:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-housing-made-rich-australians-50-richer-leaving-renters-and-the-young-behind-and-how-to-fix-it-195189>

"Compared to the rest of the world, income inequality is not particularly high
in Australia, nor is it getting much worse – until you include housing.

(More...)

Where are the pharaohs? How a Queensland town ended up with the Arabic name of El Arish

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:04:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/09/where-are-the-pharaohs-how-a-queensland-town-ended-up-with-the-arabic-name-of-el-arish>

"In 1920, returning Australian soldiers, left dejected and debilitated by WW1,
won a ballot for a few acres of land in far north Queensland. They would name
their new home El Arish, after the hospital town in Egypt that had become their

(More...)

New Indonesia capital at Nusantara imperils ancient Eden with 'ecological disaster'

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:05:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-09/new-indonesia-capital-imperils-ancient-eden-with-ecological-disa/101835652>

'The twisting road that leads to Indonesia's future capital is lined with dense
rainforest and pockets of plantations, punctuated every so often with monkeys
enjoying a laze out on the tarmac.

(More...)

Bolsonaro responds after 'fascist' supporters storm Brazil's Congress building

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:07:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.9news.com.au/world/jair-bolsonaro-supporters-storm-brazil-congress-supreme-court-after-election-loss/4ce860b8-b41c-4ac4-897f-e2008141267a>

'Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has responded to accusations he
encouraged "fascist fanatics" to storm Brazil's Congress and other major
institutions.

(More...)

2023 Open Standards Survey

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:08:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.research.net/r/Q7LRJ67

"Open standards provide an alternative to closed standards and enable
technologies such as the worldwide web (HTML, HTTP, CSS, etc.) and networking
(ethernet, TCP, UDP, WiFi) to support billions of users in an open and

(More...)

How Changing Diets Leave Us Exposed to War, Extreme Weather and Market Turbulence

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 22:41:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-global-diet-homogeneous-food-security-risk/>

"Bagels in New York. Cakes in Beijing. Instant noodles in Jakarta. Daily habits
for billions, yet just a generation or so ago Indonesians would have likely
reached for a bowl of rice or the Chinese a sweet potato.

(More...)

Long before Silicon Valley, scholars in ancient Iraq created an intellectual hub that revolutionised science

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 22:42:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/long-before-silicon-valley-scholars-in-ancient-iraq-created-an-intellectual-hub-that-revolutionised-science-191589>

"Time and again, collaboration has proven to be a key driver of scientific and
technological innovation. So it follows that some of the greatest advances have
come from intellectual hubs set up for this very purpose.

(More...)

Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 22:42:38 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/08/single-use-plastic-cutlery-and-plates-to-be-banned-in-england>

"Single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates and trays are to be banned in
England in a bid to reduce pollution, the government has confirmed.

(More...)

Too many smelly candles? Here’s how scents impact the air quality in your home

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 22:43:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/too-many-smelly-candles-heres-how-scents-impact-the-air-quality-in-your-home-190913>

"There’s nothing wrong with wanting your home to smell nice and fresh – and
from candles to diffusers, there’s no shortage of home scent products to help
you achieve that.

(More...)

Electric planes sound like a fantasy but they may be the future for short-haul in Australia

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 22:43:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/09/electric-planes-sound-like-a-fantasy-but-they-may-be-the-future-for-short-haul-in-australia>

"In late September the first fixed-wing passenger electric passenger aircraft
took off from Grant County international airport in the US state of Washington.
The nine-seater charter plane – known as Alice – soared to 1,000 metres (3,500

(More...)

Meet the eastern bristlebird: tragically under-appreciated, and one fire away from local extinction

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:43:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/meet-the-eastern-bristlebird-tragically-under-appreciated-and-one-fire-away-from-local-extinction-175245>

"In 1962, renowned American conservationist Rachel Carson wrote a book entitled
“Silent Spring” after she noticed the birdsong she used to wake up to as a
child had been thinning. Its eventual absence had become almost deafening.

(More...)

New York Bans Sale of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits in Pet Stores

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:44:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-bans-sale-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits-in-pet-stores-180981322/>

"The state of New York passed a law Thursday prohibiting the sale of dogs, cats
and rabbits in pet stores. The move is an attempt to halt the
puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline and stop abusive breeders.

(More...)

Oregon Supreme Court Applies SCOTUS Ruling Retroactively, Overturns All Non-Unanimous Jury Convictions

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:45:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/06/oregon-supreme-court-applies-scotus-ruling-retroactively-overturns-all-non-unanimous-jury-convictions/>

"In April 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling that
made things clear to the two states (Oregon and Louisiana) still inexplicably
allowing people to be convicted by non-unanimous juries: to continue to do so

(More...)

Road to nowhere: why the suburban cul-de-sac is an urban planning dead end

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:45:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/road-to-nowhere-why-the-suburban-cul-de-sac-is-an-urban-planning-dead-end-194628>

"The cul-de-sac is a suburban trap. It’s virtually useless as a road, doesn’t
support public transport, cycling or walking, and doesn’t work well as a play
or gathering place. Its literal translation from the French is “bottom of a

(More...)

ProPublica Exposes Even More Cop Junk Science: Using 911 Calls To Determine If People Are Lying

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:47:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/06/propublica-exposes-even-more-cop-junk-science-using-911-calls-to-determine-if-people-are-lying/>

"Cops like science. Not in the way that say, scientists like science. They
just like science-y sounding mumbo jumbo that paves the way for criminal
convictions.

(More...)

COVID exploits our year of living dangerously

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:03:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/covid-exploits-our-year-of-living-dangerously-20221228-p5c95j.html>

"The arrival just over a year ago of the new and different-looking Omicron
variant of COVID-19 brought much hope that this would usher in the end of the
pandemic.

(More...)

The Blind Spot

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:08:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://thegauntlet.substack.com/p/the-blind-spot

"The day after the 2022 Midterms, I heard almost every possible
interpretation of the surprising results. The Democrats had done much better
than expected and feared, and youth voter turnout was unusually high. On cable

(More...)

#OpenDnD

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:20:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.opendnd.games/

"After more than sixty thousand signatures, Wizards of the Coast has announced
concessions to their proposed 2.0 Open Gaming License.

(More...)

Earth’s ozone layer on course to be healed within decades, UN report finds

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:21:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/09/ozone-layer-healed-within-decades-un-report>

"The hole in the Earth’s ozone layer, once the most feared environmental peril
facing humanity, is set to be completely healed over most of the world within
two decades following decisive action by governments to phase out

(More...)

Saudi Arabia: Government Agents Infiltrate Wikipedia, Sentence Independent Admins to Prison

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:23:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://smex.org/saudi-arabia-government-agents-infiltrate-wikipedia-sentence-independent-wikipedia-administrators-to-prison/>

"(January 5, 2023 – New York and Beirut): The Saudi Arabian government
infiltrated Wikipedia by recruiting the organization’s highest ranked
administrators in the country to serve as government agents to control

(More...)

Finding my way out of the fog

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 23:14:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-19/long-covid-symptoms-treatment-recovery/101751410>

"I’ve been living in what I describe as soup, a cloudy, opaque soup, for nearly
a year.

(More...)

Welcome to Open Source Watch

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 23:16:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://opensourcewatch.beehiiv.com/p/welcome-to-open-source-watch

"When I was a kid, my dad was a TV repairman. Thanks to that, I grew up with an
oscilloscope probe in one hand and a soldering iron in the other. You could say
I was raised from the beginning to work on technology. Since then, I've worked

(More...)

We Could Have Saved Our World, but the Solution Was Too Expensive

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 23:18:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://medium.com/politically-speaking/we-could-have-saved-our-world-but-the-solution-was-too-expensive-f1a21573a717>

"Just imagine for a moment that the human race really faces extinction. Set
aside all the arguments to the contrary and contemplate humanity's end. Imagine
climate change even worse than the direst predictions, and society is in a

(More...)

Mad world: global flashpoints to watch in 2023 in the era of ‘polycrisis’

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 23:19:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/mad-world-global-flashpoints-to-watch-in-2023-in-the-era-of-polycrisis-195433>

"When 2022 began, there was trepidation about what might happen in at least ten
regions. Topping most lists were concerns about tensions in Ukraine,
Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

(More...)

Democracy under attack in Brazil: 5 questions about the storming of Congress and the role of the military

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 23:20:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/democracy-under-attack-in-brazil-5-questions-about-the-storming-of-congress-and-the-role-of-the-military-197396>

"Thousands of far-right supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
stormed the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace on Jan.
8, 2023.

(More...)

Consequences of the defeat of Russia

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 05:39:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://nadinbrzezinski.medium.com/consequences-of-the-defeat-of-russia-ec7e12c9971c>

"The defeat of the Russian Federation will have geopolitical consequences. The
defeat of Russia will also have some obvious dangers for the West, but mainly
for the global order. This is a look at this from the very big picture level;

(More...)

Why Pacific Islanders are staying put even as rising seas flood their homes and crops

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 05:40:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/why-pacific-islanders-are-staying-put-even-as-rising-seas-flood-their-homes-and-crops-195100>

"Climate change is forcing people around the world to abandon their homes. In
the Pacific Islands, rising sea levels are leaving communities facing tough
decisions about relocation. Some are choosing to stay in high-risk areas.

(More...)

Why Democracy’s Broken in America (and Britain)

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 05:41:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://eand.co/why-democracys-broken-in-america-and-britain-5582ab57afd5>

"Yesterday was a pivotal moment in American politics. Having won control of the
House of Representatives, the post-Trump GOP struggled — three times — to elect
a Speaker. The last time such a vote had to go multiple rounds? Over a century

(More...)

Engineers to assess flood-damaged bridges on key WA route amid concerns some could take years to fix

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 05:42:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/10/engineers-to-assess-flood-damaged-bridges-on-key-wa-route-amid-concerns-some-could-take-years-to-fix>

"Engineers will assess the destruction of major bridges on the trucking route
connecting Western Australia and the Northern Territory on Wednesday amid
concerns key infrastructure could could take months, or even years, to fix.

(More...)

Global pollinator losses causing 500,000 early deaths a year – study

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 05:42:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/09/global-pollinator-losses-causing-500000-early-deaths-a-year-study>

"The global loss of pollinators is already causing about 500,000 early deaths a
year by reducing the supply of healthy foods, a study has estimated.

(More...)

Brazil protests: Lula vows to punish ‘neo-fascists’ after Bolsonaro supporters storm congress

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:20:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/08/jair-bolsonaro-supporters-storm-brazils-presidential-palace-and-supreme-court>

"Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has toured the wreckage of his
presidential palace after an extraordinary day of political violence in the
capital, Brasília, saw thousands of far-right extremists run riot through the

(More...)

Brazil envoy decries ‘grotesque and failed assault’ on democracy

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:21:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/09/brazil-bolsonaro-lula-brasilia-attacks-insurrection>

"The far-right storming of Brazil’s supreme court, congress and presidential
palace was a “grotesque and failed assault” on its institutions, the country’s
ambassador to the UK has said, as troops moved in to break up protest camps set

(More...)

This rollercoaster doesn't stop automatically

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:22:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nQ-rijlX3o

"The Great Scenic Railway, at Luna Park in Melbourne, Australia, is the second
oldest rollercoaster in the world: and it's one of only a few which still uses
a manual brake. Here's how it works."

(More...)

Maluku earthquake: why do some ocean earthquakes cause tsunamis while others don’t?

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:23:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/maluku-earthquake-why-do-some-ocean-earthquakes-cause-tsunamis-while-others-dont-197529>

"We live on an active planet, one whose surface is constantly in motion,
although imperceptibly to us most of the time. Until an earthquake occurs.

(More...)

Extreme weather caused 18 disasters in US last year, costing $165bn

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:24:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/10/extreme-weather-climate-crisis-us-deaths-financial-damage>

"The US endured a particularly painful year as communities wrestled with the
growing impacts of the climate crisis, with 18 major disasters wreaking havoc
across the country as planet-heating emissions continued to climb.

(More...)

How Hogwarts Legacy Became A Battleground

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 05:57:05 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.thegamer.com/hogwarts-legacy-harry-potter-jk-rowling-controversy-boycott-battleground/>

"Hogwarts Legacy isn't out yet and already I am exhausted by its existence.
It is easily the most divisive game of the year, but the way it has been
discussed makes it extremely curious too. Often when games are divisive ahead

(More...)

The best books on Artificial Intelligence recommended by ChatGPT

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 05:58:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/artificial-intelligence-gpt-3/

"Normally at Five Books we ask experts to recommend the best books in their
field and talk to us about them in an interview, either in person, by phone or
via Zoom. After a busy end-of-year, our human beings needed a few days off.

(More...)

Extinctions Might Screw Up Madagascar for 20 Million Years

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 05:59:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.thedailybeast.com/extinction-might-screw-madagascars-biodiversity-for-20-million-years>

"When it comes to biodiversity, Madagascar is unmatched. The East African
country is home to some of the most diverse—and eye-popping—plants and animals
in the world. Due to its relative isolation, many of the species that have

(More...)

Russia’s war in Ukraine threatens students daily and forces teachers to improvise

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 06:00:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/russias-war-in-ukraine-threatens-students-daily-and-forces-teachers-to-improvise-196773>

"Svitlana Popova’s students didn’t realize she was leading their online math
class while outside the charred remains of her home in Ukraine until they saw a
news video about it on social media.

(More...)

Twelve European countries broke temperature records in 2022

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 06:01:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/10/twelve-european-countries-broke-temperature-records-in-2022>

"Twelve European countries broke monthly temperature records in 2022 as the
continent recorded its hottest ever summer, new analysis shows.

(More...)

Beware the Gifts of Dragons: How D&D’s Open Gaming License May Have Become a Trap for Creators

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:21:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/01/beware-gifts-dragons-how-dds-open-gaming-license-may-have-become-trap-creators>

"According to leaks reported last week, the company that owns Dungeons and
Dragons
 (D&D) is planning to revoke the open license that has, since the year
2000, applied to a wide range of unofficial, commercial products that build on

(More...)

Why The Tesla Semi Matters MUCH More Than You Think...

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:22:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeh_bURqRPs

"Our US correspondent, Ricky Roy breaks down the numbers behind the latest and
largest Tesla and explains why - from an environmental standpoint - it might
just be the most important and impactful Tesla product yet."

(More...)

Labor’s scheme to cut industrial emissions is worryingly flexible

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:23:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/labors-scheme-to-cut-industrial-emissions-is-worryingly-flexible-197525>

"The federal government today proposed new rules to regulate greenhouse gas
emissions from Australia’s polluting industrial sector. The rule changes apply
to a measure known as the “safeguard mechanism”, and are supposed to stop

(More...)

Brazil: swift and robust response to the insurrection highlights the strength of democracy

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:23:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/brazil-swift-and-robust-response-to-the-insurrection-highlights-the-strength-of-democracy-197456>

"Brazil’s state institutions, including the recently installed government of
Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, have reacted swiftly in the wake of the riots in
Brasilia last weekend. Hundreds of rioters have already been arrested and the

(More...)

Researchers make a solid-state EV battery breakthrough

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:24:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://medium.com/technicity/researchers-make-a-solid-state-ev-battery-breakthrough-b7798110437>

"Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are a type of lithium-ion battery that uses a
solid electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte. They have several advantages
over traditional lithium-ion batteries, including higher energy density, faster

(More...)

Letters from an American: January 10, 2023

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:10:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-10-2023

"National security scholar Maria W. Norris of Coventry University, who is
covering events in Brazil, reports that today, President Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva gathered around him the president of the supreme court and the governors

(More...)

‘Drowning for love’ – 5 ways to protect your life while you’re trying to rescue someone in trouble in the water

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:10:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/drowning-for-love-5-ways-to-protect-your-life-while-youre-trying-to-rescue-someone-in-trouble-in-the-water-197411>

"The news headlines show summer is a deadly period for drowning in Australia.
Sadly, between December 1 and January 9, 35 people died due to drowning.

(More...)

Australia’s biggest electric bus depot offers solar and battery blueprint for future

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:11:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://thedriven.io/2023/01/10/australias-biggest-electric-bus-depot-offers-solar-and-battery-blueprint-for-future/>

"Australia’s largest electrified bus depot has powered up in Leichhardt, in
Sydney’s inner west. Now with 55 electric buses, a rooftop solar array, onsite
battery and charging infrastructure, the new depot is considered a blueprint

(More...)

Microplastics are everywhere but there are ways to reduce your consumption

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:12:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-11/reduce-consumption-of-microplastic-in-drinking-water/101840396>

'Microplastics are virtually everywhere and impossible to avoid, a researcher
says, but there are small ways to reduce your consumption in everyday life.

(More...)

99% Efficiency: Princeton Engineers Have Developed a New Way To Remove Microplastics From Water

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:13:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://scitechdaily.com/99-efficiency-princeton-engineers-have-developed-a-new-way-to-remove-microplastics-from-water/>

"Princeton Engineering researchers have developed a cost-effective way to use
breakfast foods to create a material that can remove salt and microplastics
from seawater.

(More...)

The Map of Engineering: A New Animation Shows How All of the Different Fields in Engineering Fit Together

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 05:15:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.openculture.com/2023/01/the-map-of-engineering.html

"In his latest animation, physicist and science writer Dominic Walliman maps
out the entire field of engineering and all of its subdisciplines. Civil
engineering, chemical engineering, bio engineering, biomedical engineering,

(More...)

2022 Winners | The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 05:17:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/2022

"2022 Grand Prize

I knew she was trouble the second she walked into my 24-hour deli, laundromat,

(More...)

How Much Netflix Can the World Absorb?

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 05:18:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/16/how-much-more-netflix-can-the-world-absorb-bela-bajaria>

"Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s global head of television, follows a similar routine
whether she’s visiting Mumbai or Berlin or Seoul or Stockholm or any of the
company’s twenty-six foreign outposts. A black car brings her from the airport

(More...)

Sunflowers Linked to Reduced Varroa Mite Infestations in Honey Bees

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 05:20:27 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://entomologytoday.org/2023/01/10/sunflowers-reduced-varroa-infestations-honey-bees/>

"Varroa destructor is aptly named. It is a parasitic mite of Asian honey bees
(Apis cerana) that jumped to European honey bees (Apis mellifera) and then
romped around most of the world, wreaking havoc.⁠ In 1987 it arrived in the

(More...)

Harry & Meghan – what the first episodes reveal about Meghan’s reputation within the royal family

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 05:22:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/harry-and-meghan-what-the-first-episodes-reveal-about-meghans-reputation-within-the-royal-family-196303>

"As an expert in the contemporary British monarchy, I watched the first three
episodes of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix docuseries, Harry &
Meghan
, closely.

(More...)

How can the law account for the value of natural places?

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:45:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-can-the-law-account-for-the-value-of-natural-places-195283>

"*How Nature Matters: Culture, Identity, and Environmental Value – Simon P.
James (Oxford University Press)*.

(More...)

‘I was wrong’: how Covid conspiracies became a gateway to extreme views

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:46:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/11/we-walked-into-a-trap-anti-vaxxers-on-life-after-conspiracy-theories>

"Lewis traces the moment his once deeply held Covid-19 conspiracy theories
began to unravel. It was in September last year, when a doctor engaged him and
fellow activists in conversation as they handed out leaflets in a Liverpool

(More...)

Are stingrays actually dangerous? 3 reasons you shouldn’t fear these sea pancakes

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:46:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/are-stingrays-actually-dangerous-3-reasons-you-shouldnt-fear-these-sea-pancakes-196390>

"To beat the summer heat, many of us in the Southern Hemisphere are hitting the
beach – and this raises our chances of encountering potentially dangerous
marine life beneath the waves.

(More...)

Cold, remote and risky: why Australia is turning to robots to boost its presence in Antarctica

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:47:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/12/cold-remote-and-risky-why-australia-is-turning-to-robots-to-boost-its-presence-in-antarctica>

"Robots could soon collect tissue samples from whales off the coast of
Antarctica or fly long distances over the icy continent with surveillance
cameras, allowing Australian scientists to observe dangerous and previously

(More...)

Is it OK to kick a robot dog?

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:48:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://theconversation.com/is-it-ok-to-kick-a-robot-dog-197538

"Last Saturday night, a young woman out on the town in Brisbane saw a
dog-shaped robot trotting towards her and did what many of us might have felt
an urge to do: she gave it a solid kick in the head.

(More...)

What does climate change mean for extreme waves? In 80% of the world, we don’t really know

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 22:18:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/what-does-climate-change-mean-for-extreme-waves-in-80-of-the-world-we-dont-really-know-197526>

"Across much of the world’s oceans, waves are getting bigger. In the Southern
Ocean, where storm-driven swell can propagate halfway across the world to
California, the average wave has grown about 20cm in the past 30 years.

(More...)

The Parthenon marbles: George Osborne wants to return the statues to Athens, but can he? A legal expert explains

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 22:21:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-parthenon-marbles-george-osborne-wants-to-return-the-statues-to-athens-but-can-he-a-legal-expert-explains-197364>

"George Osborne – former UK chancellor and now chair of trustees at the British
Museum – is reported to have negotiated the repatriation of the 2,500-year-old
Parthenon marbles to Athens.

(More...)

The Green Jobs Boom Is Benefiting the People Who Need It Most

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 22:22:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/climate-jobs-boom-communities-economy/>

"Before he joined the Civilian Climate Corps, Robert Clark assumed building and
electric work was all low-skilled labor, akin to “working at McDonald’s,” he
said. That was before he learned to install electric heat pumps, maintain

(More...)

Stone the crows! Could corvids be Australia’s smartest export?

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 22:44:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/stone-the-crows-could-corvids-be-australias-smartest-export-4346>

"Among birds, crows and ravens (or corvids) are the most intelligent. They
have the largest brains for body size; they’re more like primates than birds.
In fact, some people call them “flying monkeys”.

(More...)

Brazil insurrection: how so many Brazilians came to attack their own government

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 22:45:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/brazil-insurrection-how-so-many-brazilians-came-to-attack-their-own-government-197547>

"The storming of the three main symbols of the Brazilian republic – the supreme
court, the national congress and the presidential palace – is the kind of event
that could shape the country’s history. While Brazil has gone through military

(More...)

The housing wealth gap between older and younger Australians has widened alarmingly in the past 30 years. Here’s why

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:08:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-housing-wealth-gap-between-older-and-younger-australians-has-widened-alarmingly-in-the-past-30-years-heres-why-197027>

"The housing wealth gap between younger and older Australians is undeniably
growing.

(More...)

New report shows alarming changes in the entire global water cycle

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:08:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/new-report-shows-alarming-changes-in-the-entire-global-water-cycle-197535>

"In 2022, a third La Niña year brought much rain to Australia and Southeast
Asia and dry conditions to the other side of the Pacific. These patterns were
expected, but behind these variations there are troubling signs the entire

(More...)

Stop hating on pasta – it actually has a healthy ratio of carbs, protein and fat

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:09:26 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/stop-hating-on-pasta-it-actually-has-a-healthy-ratio-of-carbs-protein-and-fat-197416>

"New year, new you, new diet. It’s a familiar refrain. One popular dieting
technique is to create a food blacklist. Quitting “carbs” or packaged foods is
common, which can mean avoiding supermarket staples like pasta.

(More...)

North Korea: record number of missile tests in 2022 has raised fears of nuclear confrontation with the South

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:10:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/north-korea-record-number-of-missile-tests-in-2022-has-raised-fears-of-nuclear-confrontation-with-the-south-197174>

"North Korea began 2023 as it had ended 2022 – with some characteristic
sabre-rattling in the form of missile tests. Having launched more missiles in
2022 than in any other year, on the morning of January 1 this year, North Korea

(More...)

Tesla: what 2023 holds for the electric vehicle company and why it might be time for Musk to go

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:11:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/tesla-what-2023-holds-for-the-electric-vehicle-company-and-why-it-might-be-time-for-musk-to-go-197317>

"If share price is anything to go by, Tesla is in trouble. The market
capitalisation of the electric vehicle (EV) company has fallen by 73% from its
record high in November 2021, causing concern for investors.

(More...)

China: the rise of gen Z will have massive consequences for business and politics

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:16:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/china-the-rise-of-gen-z-will-have-massive-consequences-for-business-and-politics-194674>

"As China prepares to celebrate new year on January 22, luxury brands are
gearing up for the year of the rabbit with an array of luxury rabbit-themed
goods: a £29,000 gold and diamond-encrusted rabbit watch by Dior, perhaps, or

(More...)

111 Trees Per Daughter Changed This Village’s Future

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:17:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/india-village-tree-planting-ritual-daughters/>

"On a sunny afternoon, bright-faced schoolgirls chatter gaily as they walk past
a forest in Piplantri, a village in the Indian state of Rajasthan. “Here’s
mine,” shouts one, as she gently touches a young neem tree. “And mine,” smiles

(More...)

Elephant poaching rates vary across Africa: 19 years of data from 64 sites suggest why

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:19:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/elephant-poaching-rates-vary-across-africa-19-years-of-data-from-64-sites-suggest-why-197349>

"It’s a grim and all too common sight for rangers at some of Africa’s nature
reserves: the bullet-riddled carcass of an elephant, its tusks removed by
poachers. African elephant populations have fallen by about 30% since 2006.

(More...)

What to Do if You Have COVID: short version

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:20:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://peoplescdc.org/2023/01/10/what-to-do-if-you-have-covid-short-version/>

"A guide for preparing for illness, preventing spread to others, managing
symptoms, and recovery

(More...)

6 reasons 2023 could be a very good year for climate action

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 23:21:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/6-reasons-2023-could-be-a-very-good-year-for-climate-action-197680>

"Many people think of the annual UN climate talks as talkfests which achieve
only incremental change, at best. Activist Greta Thunberg has described them as
“blah blah blah” moments – grossly inadequate and too often hijacked by fossil

(More...)

Close call: most popular Australian baby names of the past century revealed

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:36:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/ng-interactive/2023/jan/12/close-call-most-popular-australian-baby-names-of-the-past-century-revealed>

"If you think there are a lot of children around with names that sound like
they’re from your grandmother’s era, you’re not wrong.

(More...)

Paizo Announces System-Neutral Open RPG License

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:38:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6si7v

"For the last several weeks, as rumors of Wizards of the Coast’s new version of
the Open Game License began circulating among publishers and on social media,
gamers across the world have been asking what Paizo plans to do in light of

(More...)

Hundreds of Women ‘Denied Healthcare for Being Virgins’

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:39:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxn38m/women-virgins-ultrasounds-uk-healthcare>

"Hundreds of women have come forward to say they’ve been denied healthcare
because medical professionals said they were virgins, following a VICE World
News
 investigation into the issue.

(More...)

Feeling flat now you’re #BackToWork? A post-holiday slump is normal, but these clues signal it’s time for a new job

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:40:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/feeling-flat-now-youre-backtowork-a-post-holiday-slump-is-normal-but-these-clues-signal-its-time-for-a-new-job-194641>

"If you’ve found yourself feeling a bit flat after returning to work (or
outright hating your job) this year, you’re not alone. #BackToWork is trending
for Australia on Tik Tok, with plenty of users lamenting the return to the

(More...)

Support for leaving EU has fallen significantly across bloc since Brexit

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:40:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/12/support-for-leaving-eu-has-fallen-significantly-across-bloc-since-brexit>

"Support for leaving the EU has dropped significantly, and sometimes
dramatically, in member states across the bloc in the wake of the UK’s Brexit
referendum, according to data from a major pan-European survey.

(More...)

Disquiet in the archives: archivists make tough calls with far-reaching consequences – they deserve our support

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:46:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/disquiet-in-the-archives-archivists-make-tough-calls-with-far-reaching-consequences-they-deserve-our-support-197013>

"Right now, for technological, ethical and political reasons, the world’s
archivists are suddenly very busy.

(More...)

Carp spawning event fills Murray-Darling flood waters with masses of flailing fish

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:47:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/13/carp-spawning-event-fills-murray-darling-flood-waters-with-masses-of-flailing-fish>

"In creeks, rivers and flood waters across the Murray-Darling Basin, an
uncountable and unfathomable number of invasive carp are turning waters into
bubbling masses of flapping and flailing fish.

(More...)

‘More potent than cyanide’: how to stay safe from blue-ringed octopus this summer

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:47:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/more-potent-than-cyanide-how-to-stay-safe-from-blue-ringed-octopus-this-summer-196051>

"As an octopus biologist, I get a call from the media every summer because
someone has had an encounter with a blue-ringed octopus. Thankfully, everyone
has been OK.

(More...)

Tight-Knit Communities Are a Secret Weapon Against Climate Change

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:49:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/mutual-aid-climate-change-social-infrastructure/>

"When Winter Storm Uri hit Texas in February 2021, bringing single-digit
temperatures and sheets of snow to Dallas, Susana Edith and a group of
volunteers distributed lentil soup and winter gear to unhoused people in their

(More...)

We Need a Revolution in Clean Indoor Air

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 13:51:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/01/11/Revolution-Clean-Indoor-Air/

"In this, the fourth year of the pandemic, one question is on everyone’s lips.
How the hell will this thing ever end?

(More...)

As the Water Rises, Mobile Home Parks Are on the Move

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:54:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/mobile-home-park-flooding-relocation/

"Charlotte Bishop was standing at her kitchen window in January 2019 when she
saw water streaming into her yard. A block of ice had clogged the brook that
snakes around the mobile home park where she and her husband Rollin live in

(More...)

The plight of the Japanese giant salamander: ‘23m years of DNA might die out’

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:55:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/12/richard-pearce-save-japanese-giant-salamander-aoe>

"Wildlife photographer Yukihiro Fukuda first began diving in the cool waters of
the Hino River in south-western Japan 15 years ago. But it was not until six
years later that he was able to capture the extraordinary image of a male

(More...)

Corsi Rosenthal Box | Clean Air Kits

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:57:36 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.cleanairkits.com/

"What if we boosted shared spaces like classrooms, restaurants, dining & family
rooms to 12-20 ACH, the range of hospital isolation & operating rooms?
Infection risk should lower towards outdoors, with 1/20 the rate of indoor

(More...)

Climate Change Is Forcing Cities to Rethink Their Tree Mix

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:58:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/12/20/climate-change-is-forcing-cities-to-rethink-their-tree-mix>

"Cities need to plant more trees. But not just any trees.

As communities prepare for a massive influx of federal funding to support urban

(More...)

New studies find millions of young nonbinary and transgender Americans

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 23:00:23 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://thehill.com/changing-america/3811406-new-studies-find-millions-of-young-nonbinary-and-transgender-americans/>

"One young adult in 20 is now nonbinary or transgender, communities that
society barely recognized and seldom counted until a few years ago.

(More...)

Failures of the Cloud Czars

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:24:18 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://danafblankenhorn.substack.com/p/failures-of-the-cloud-czars

"The failures of “Big Tech” aren’t what you think.

Each of the five “Cloud Czars” – Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta –

(More...)

What NZ scientists just revealed about Tonga’s devastating tsunami, one year on

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:25:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/what-nz-scientists-just-revealed-about-tongas-devastating-tsunami-one-year-on/24J36EIMCNB4JJNIRQISC6O4SU/>

"An eruption-driven tsunami towered 20m high when it smashed into Tonga one
year ago today – and came shortly after smaller waves that led locals to flee
to safety just in time, Kiwi scientists report.

(More...)

New AI Makes Amazing DeepFakes In a Blink of an Eye!

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:27:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9LDMzMRZv8

"📝 The paper “VToonify: Controllable High-Resolution Portrait Video Style
Transfer” is available here:
https://www.mmlab-ntu.com/project/vtoonify/

(More...)

Seaweed farmed by Port Lincoln tuna company to become fertiliser, chicken feed and food pigment

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:28:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-15/dinko-tuna-seaweed-fertiliser-phycoerythrin-aquaculture/101852188>

"Australia's southern coast has 1,500 species of seaweed — the second highest
number in the world after Japan — and one Port Lincoln fishing company is
harvesting them to make organic products while helping the environment.

(More...)

Time to branch out? Trees put lawns in the shade when it comes to tackling climate crisis

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:30:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/13/time-to-branch-out-trees-put-lawns-in-the-shade-when-it-comes-to-tackling-climate-crisis>

"Dig up your “imperial” lawn and replant it with trees to combat the climate
crisis, researchers have urged, after the latest study to lay bare the
emissions cost of maintaining that pleasant, green patch.

(More...)

Photos: Graves sink, fisheries shrink as climate change hits Fiji

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:33:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/1/15/graves-sink-fisheries-shrink-as-climate-change-hits-fiji>

"The sea has already swallowed the village graveyard in Togoru, Fiji, and
longtime resident Lavenia McGoon is dreading the day it claims her house.

(More...)

Previously Considered Safe – Low Levels of Air Pollution Much Deadlier Than Scientists Thought

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:34:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://scitechdaily.com/previously-considered-safe-low-levels-of-air-pollution-much-deadlier-than-scientists-thought/>

"According to the World Health Organization, over 4.2 million people die
prematurely each year due to long-term exposure to fine particulate outdoor air
pollution, also known as PM2.5. However, a recent study involving researchers

(More...)

Splitting the atomic scientists: how the Ukraine war ruined physics

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:36:34 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/15/scientists-ukraine-war-cern-physics-large-hadron-collider>

"In normal times, the four large physics experiments using proton collisions at
Cern’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland publish numerous scientific
articles a year. But in March 2022, the number of new research papers by the

(More...)

2022 wasn’t the year of Cleopatra – so why was she the most viewed page on Wikipedia?

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:37:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/2022-wasnt-the-year-of-cleopatra-so-why-was-she-the-most-viewed-page-on-wikipedia-197350>

"At the end of every year, I gather statistics on the most viewed Wikipedia
articles of the year. This helps me, a computational social scientist,
understand what topics captured the most attention and gives me a chance to

(More...)

Conservationists near goal of turning Orange County oil field into nature preserve

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:39:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-19/sale-closes-on-banning-ranch>

"The nonprofit Trust for Public Land on Friday completed the purchase of an oil
field that sits atop the coastal bluffs of Newport Beach, guaranteeing the
property will be cleaned up and preserved as open space.

(More...)

I Asked ChatGPT to Create Comics, Then I Drew Them.

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:23:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://medium.com/@chazhutton/i-asked-chatgpt-to-create-comics-then-i-drew-them-6e9622dfc30e>

"By now you’ve likely heard of ChatGPT, the open AI chatbot that seemingly does
everything from being able to write code, write essays for high school
students, content for websites, or even explain the James Webb Telescope while

(More...)

Iran executions: the role of the ‘revolutionary courts’ in breaching human rights

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:24:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/iran-executions-the-role-of-the-revolutionary-courts-in-breaching-human-rights-197534>

"The Iranian government has attempted to brutally suppress the widespread
protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in
September 2022.

(More...)

The Zoom revolution largely benefited men. Is job sharing the way forward for women’s workplace flexibility?

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:25:35 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/16/the-zoom-revolution-largely-benefited-men-is-job-sharing-the-way-forward-for-womens-workplace-flexibility>

"You know the story. Isn’t it great now that flexible working has been
normalised post-lockdown? What a boon for feminism. It’s a powerful narrative.
But it’s not the whole story.

(More...)

Are you living in a food desert? These maps suggest it can make a big difference to your health

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:27:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/are-you-living-in-a-food-desert-these-maps-suggest-it-can-make-a-big-difference-to-your-health-196477>

"Public concerns about high food prices highlight how meeting basic human needs
can’t be taken for granted, even in a country like Australia.

(More...)

Last orders: how we fell out of love with alcohol

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:28:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/15/last-orders-how-we-fell-out-of-love-with-alcohol>

"Cheers and mazel tov! We’ve made it halfway through January. Yes, our bodies
endured a pounding through the festive frivolities, but through that
excruciating cumulative hangover we somehow survived. Our recycling bins have

(More...)

They say we know more about the Moon than about the deep sea. They’re wrong

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:21:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/they-say-we-know-more-about-the-moon-than-about-the-deep-sea-theyre-wrong-197410>

We know more about the Moon than the deep sea.

"This idea has been repeated for decades by scientists and science

(More...)

Not cool: push for insulation in all Australian rental homes as study shows dangerous heat levels

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:22:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/16/not-cool-push-for-insulation-in-all-australian-rental-homes-as-study-shows-dangerous-heat-levels>

"Advocates are calling for insulation to be regulated in all Australian rental
properties as research shows some people swelter through temperatures above 30C
in their homes for extended periods in summer.

(More...)

AI and the future of work: 5 experts on what ChatGPT, DALL-E and other AI tools mean for artists and knowledge workers

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:22:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/ai-and-the-future-of-work-5-experts-on-what-chatgpt-dall-e-and-other-ai-tools-mean-for-artists-and-knowledge-workers-196783>

"From steam power and electricity to computers and the internet, technological
advancements have always disrupted labor markets, pushing out some jobs while
creating others. Artificial intelligence remains something of a misnomer – the

(More...)

TNR Explained: Saving the Lives of Street Cats

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:24:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRP4vffSjHA

"There are millions of community cats who need our voices to lift the up and
demonstrations of our love and support. What's the best way to accomplish that?
Glad you asked! TNR, which stands for Trap Neuter Return, is proven, it's

(More...)

The ‘kraken’ COVID variant XBB.1.5 is rising quickly in the US – here’s what it could mean for the UK

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:24:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-kraken-covid-variant-xbb-1-5-is-rising-quickly-in-the-us-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-uk-197265>

"The heavily mutated omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19, was first detected in late 2021.

(More...)

Atmospheric rivers over California’s wildfire burn scars raise fears of deadly mudslides – this is what cascading climate disasters look like

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:18:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/atmospheric-rivers-over-californias-wildfire-burn-scars-raise-fears-of-deadly-mudslides-this-is-what-cascading-climate-disasters-look-like-197563>

"Rivers of muddy water from heavy rainfall raced through city streets as
thousands of people evacuated homes downhill from California’s wildfire burn
scars amid atmospheric river storms drenching the state in early January 2023.

(More...)

California’s Devastating Storms Are a Glimpse of the Future

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:21:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/californias-devastating-storms-are-a-glimpse-of-the-future>

"On the morning of January 10, 1862, Leland Stanford, the industrialist and
railroad magnate who would later lend his name to Stanford University, departed
his mansion, in downtown Sacramento, en route to the state capitol building,

(More...)

Lost for words: fears of ‘catastrophic’ language loss due to rising seas

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:23:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/16/linguists-language-culture-loss-end-of-century-sea-levels-rise>

"Every 40 days a language dies. This “catastrophic” loss is being amplified by
the climate crisis, according to linguists. If nothing is done, conservative
estimates suggest that half of all the 7,000 languages currently spoken will be

(More...)

‘We need trees’: green vision struggles to take root in Europe’s cities

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:24:24 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2023/jan/16/trees-green-vision-europe-cities>

"From Madrid to Berlin and Paris to Budapest, scientists and planners agree,
trees, trees and yet more trees can help make Europe’s cities more comfortable
– even survivable – over the coming years, as global heating strengthens its

(More...)

Australia Day hasn’t always been on January 26, but it has always been an issue

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:25:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/australia-day-hasnt-always-been-on-january-26-but-it-has-always-been-an-issue-198389>

"January 26 is a date that sparks mixed emotions in Australia. For some, it’s a
day to celebrate all the good things about living in Australia. For others,
it’s a painful reminder of the beginning of British colonisation and the

(More...)

Chinese workers on Africa’s infrastructure projects: the link with host political regimes

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:49:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/chinese-workers-on-africas-infrastructure-projects-the-link-with-host-political-regimes-195732>

"China has rapidly become Africa’s most important infrastructure builder, and
the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and
villages across the continent.

(More...)

Chinese imports could undermine Ethiopian manufacturing - leaving women workers worst off

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:50:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/chinese-imports-could-undermine-ethiopian-manufacturing-leaving-women-workers-worst-off-195730>

"China is now the African continent’s largest trading partner, accounting for
US$254 billion in 2021. It’s also the main country of origin for African
manufacturing imports, providing 16% of Africa’s total in 2018.

(More...)

Lobsters versus right whales: The latest chapter in a long quest to make fishing more sustainable

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:51:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/lobsters-versus-right-whales-the-latest-chapter-in-a-long-quest-to-make-fishing-more-sustainable-196130>

"Maine lobster fishermen received a Christmas gift from Congress at the end of
2022: A six-year delay on new federal regulations designed to protect
critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

(More...)

A Wooden Artwork Miraculously Unfurls into a Functional Desk Designed by Robert van Embricqs

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:52:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/01/robert-van-embricqs-flow-wall-desk/>

"The surge in remote work during the last few years prompted Amsterdam-based
designer Robert van Embricqs to rethink how conventional desks would impact a
home’s atmosphere. He wanted to invite “the user to fold that desk away when

(More...)

Chuck E. Cheese still uses floppy disks in 2023, but not for long

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:53:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/01/chuck-e-cheese-still-uses-floppy-disks-in-2023-but-not-for-long/>

"On Sunday, a Chuck E. Cheese employee named Stewart Coonrod posted a TikTok
video that documents the process of installing a new song-and-dance show on an
old Chuck E. Cheese animatronics system—a process that involves a 3.5-inch

(More...)

Let’s face reality. Fossil fuel interests have destroyed the Cops – we need something new

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 13:56:38 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/16/fossil-fuel-destroyed-cops-un-compromised-cop28>

"There is a battle raging over the heart and soul of the UN Cop conferences,
which have taken place every year since 1995. On one side are the climate
scientists, policymakers, and representatives of countries most under threat

(More...)

Today, California is hammered by extreme weather. Tomorrow, it could be your area

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 13:57:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/16/california-extreme-weather-climate-crisis>

"I live in the Bay Area, famous for its mild weather, a place where climate
change feels a bit abstract – the problem of people residing in distant lands.
It’s easy to scroll through images of the increasing weather disasters –

(More...)

UK government to block Scottish gender bill

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 13:58:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64288757

'The UK government has decided to block a controversial Scottish bill designed
to make it easier for people to change their legal gender.

(More...)

Pooch portraits: Dog Photography awards – in pictures

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:00:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2023/jan/16/pooch-portraits-dog-photography-awards-in-pictures>

"The winners of the 2022 Dog Photography awards, chosen from more than 1,400
entries from 50 different countries"

(More...)

Why the Father of Modern Statistics Didn’t Believe Smoking Caused Cancer

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:02:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://priceonomics.com/why-the-father-of-modern-statistics-didnt-believe/>

"In the summer of 1957, Ronald Fisher, one of the fathers of modern statistics,
sat down to write a strongly worded letter in defense of tobacco.

(More...)

NZ aid worker remains missing in Ukraine: the tragedy of people motivated to help in war zones becoming victims themselves

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:59:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/nz-aid-worker-remains-missing-in-ukraine-the-tragedy-of-people-motivated-to-help-in-war-zones-becoming-victims-themselves-197804>

"The humanitarian aid worker Andrew Bagshaw, who has dual New Zealand and
British citizenship, has been missing in Ukraine for more than ten days.

(More...)

TikTok’s Lucky Girl Syndrome isn’t new – and it has a dark side

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 23:01:08 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/17/tiktoks-lucky-girl-syndrome-isnt-new-and-it-has-a-dark-side>

"“Everything always works out in my favour.”

“Everything just always works for us.”

(More...)

Meet Australia's 'MONSTER' EV! And other tales from 'Down Under'.

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 23:02:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWt61YSQWK0

'Kicking off 2023 in style, Robert brings us all the latest news stories from
an eco-pod in downtown Brisbane in this special Australian edition of ABN.

(More...)

National History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 23:05:50 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
Wombat lockdown:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery/2022-wombat-lockdown

"Douglas Gimesy (Australia) shows two baby bare-nosed wombats asleep at the
home of their caregiver during lockdown.

(More...)

At Fitzroy Crossing and around Australia, community radio empowers local responses to climate impacts

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 23:06:32 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/at-fitzroy-crossing-and-around-australia-community-radio-empowers-local-responses-to-climate-impacts-197679>

"As rain poured down and rivers rose, the radio buzzed with static where you’d
usually find Fitzroy Crossing’s community radio station, Wangki Yupurnanupurru
Radio. The station was off air, but not offline. When they couldn’t broadcast,

(More...)

Disastrous floods in WA – why were we not prepared?

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 05:43:33 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/disastrous-floods-in-wa-why-were-we-not-prepared-197407>

"The devastating floods sweeping through the Kimberley region of Western
Australia have caused unimaginable destruction, leaving remote Indigenous
communities stranded in its aftermath.

(More...)

Breaking the Cycle 🔗💥

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 05:45:48 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://jenniferdaniel.substack.com/p/breaking-the-cycle

"This past Fall, the Unicode Technical Committee announced the delay of Unicode
16.0. This wasn’t without precedent — COVID slowed down the release of Unicode
14.0 in 2020 and the world seemed to survive 😉. Subcommittees were well

(More...)

UN reports ‘alarming’ rise in Rohingya deaths at sea in 2022

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 05:46:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/17/alarming-rise-in-rohingya-lost-at-sea-in-2022-un-says>

"The UN says there was an “alarming” rise in the number of Rohingya refugees
lost at sea fleeing their Myanmar homeland or Bangladesh last year, warning
more would die without concerted action.

(More...)

PDF, text and fonts, a design by The Devil & Associates

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 05:48:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://nibblestew.blogspot.com/2023/01/pdf-text-and-fonts-design-by-devil.html>

"PDF has a fairly straightforward model for rendering text. Basically you
specify a font to use, define a transformation matrix if needed and specify the
text string to render. The PDF renderer will then load the embedded font file,

(More...)

How prisons, drug smugglers and the war in Ukraine made Australia's DroneShield a global success

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 05:49:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-01-18/droneshield-selling-drone-counter-measures-detection-guns/101852562>

'On January 1, at the inauguration of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva, police detected four unidentified drones converging on the new head of
state.

(More...)

The Inner Beauty of Basic Electronics

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:13:45 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-circuits

"Eric Schlaepfer was trying to fix a broken piece of test equipment when he
came across the cause of the problem—a troubled tantalum capacitor. The
component had somehow shorted out, and he wanted to know why. So he polished it

(More...)

50 Reasons Why Everyone Should Want More Walkable Streets

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:17:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.fastcompany.com/3062989/50-reasons-why-everyone-should-want-more-walkable-streets>

"As more cities try to improve walkability–from car-free “superblocks” in
Barcelona to heat-protected walkways in Dubai–a new report outlines the reasons
behind the shift, the actions that cities can take to move away from a

(More...)

China’s COVID cases may have hit 900 million. What’s headed our way?

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:18:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/chinas-covid-cases-may-have-hit-900-million-whats-headed-our-way-197896>

"Over the weekend, Peking University released a study that estimated 900
million Chinese had been infected with COVID up until January 11, representing
64% of the population.

(More...)

‘Extinction crisis’ of sharks and rays to have devastating effect on other species, study finds

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:19:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/extinction-crisis-of-sharks-and-rays-to-have-devastating-effect-on-other-species-study-finds>

"Almost two-thirds of sharks and rays that live around the world’s coral reefs
are threatened with extinction with potentially dire knock-on effects for
ecosystems and coastal communities, according to new research.

(More...)

20 years ago, vast bushfires razed Canberra’s suburbs – and bushfire science was never the same

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:20:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/20-years-ago-vast-bushfires-razed-canberras-suburbs-and-bushfire-science-was-never-the-same-197899>

"It has been 20 years to the day since bushfires burst out of the Brindabella
Ranges and into the suburbs of our nation’s bush capital. Four lives were lost,
many people were injured and more than 500 homes were destroyed.

(More...)

Atmospheric dust may have hidden true extent of global heating

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:13:01 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/17/atmospheric-dust-cooling-climate-change>

"Dust that billows up from desert storms and arid landscapes has helped cool
the planet for the past several decades, and its presence in the atmosphere may
have obscured the true extent of global heating caused by fossil fuel

(More...)

Here are the countries leading the way on recycling, and how Australia can catch up

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:13:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-18/australia-recycling-landfill-waste-glass-plastic-food-world/101813246>

"Australia has set itself an ambitious target — to recycle or reuse 80 per cent
of the waste being produced in the country by 2030.

(More...)

A "Chronicles of Amber" Adaptation Is Coming to TV, With an Assist From Stephen Colbert

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:15:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://gizmodo.com/chronicles-of-amber-series-stephen-colbert-roger-zelazn-1849998258>

"Here’s an example of using your clout and popularity for the benefit of
everyone: Stephen Colbert has joined the long-in-the-works campaign to make
Roger Zelazny’s best-selling fantasy classic The Chronicles of Amber into a

(More...)

As heatwaves and floods hit cities worldwide, these places are pioneering solutions

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:16:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/as-heatwaves-and-floods-hit-cities-worldwide-these-places-are-pioneering-solutions-196389>

"Climate change is going just as badly for cities as we have been warned it
would. Extreme weather is increasingly common and severe globally. Australian
cities have endured a number of recent disastrous events.

(More...)

John Deere’s repair fake-out

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:18:13 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://doctorow.medium.com/john-deeres-repair-fake-out-79da4978f4c1

"Last week, a seeming miracle came to pass: John Deere, the Big Ag monopolist
that — along with Apple — has led the Axis of Evil that killed, delayed and
sabotaged dozens of Right to Repair laws, sued for peace, announcing a

(More...)

Strep A cases are rising. We must remember our earliest hygiene lessons as vaccine trials continue

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 06:12:41 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/strep-a-cases-are-rising-we-must-remember-our-earliest-hygiene-lessons-as-vaccine-trials-continue-197617>

"Group A streptococci, also known as “strep A”, were the first organisms ever
identified to be the cause of a disease.

(More...)

How 130,000 Flamingos Changed Mumbai

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 06:13:19 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/how-130000-flamingos-changed-mumbai/

"It is not yet 8 a.m., and the sun is already fierce on a small rowboat
anchored a kilometer from the eastern banks of Thane Creek, an inlet separating
the island city of Mumbai from the Indian mainland. A yellow cloth used as a

(More...)

How Parts Pairing Kills Independent Repair

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 06:14:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.ifixit.com/News/69320/how-parts-pairing-kills-independent-repair>

"The biggest threat to repair is no longer hostile hardware. Today, many
independent repair shop owners are most worried about the trend in electronics
manufacturing known as “parts pairing.” This term refers to the software

(More...)

Murray Valley encephalitis has been detected in mozzies in NSW and Victoria. Here’s what you need to know

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 06:14:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/murray-valley-encephalitis-has-been-detected-in-mozzies-in-nsw-and-victoria-heres-what-you-need-to-know-197894>

"Where there’s water, you’ll find mosquitoes – including some that transmit
viruses that can make us seriously ill.

(More...)

Conservationists Are Saving America’s Prairies by Selling Them Off

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 06:16:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/grasslands-conservation-easements-ranchers-oregon/>

"A few years ago, Dan Probert was managing a ranch in southeast Oregon when he
learned that the 12,000-acre Lightning Creek Ranch on the nearby Zumwalt
Prairie was for sale. After over two decades of managing other people’s

(More...)

Russia is using drones to target Ukrainian electricity and erode morale

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:56:11 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/russia-is-using-drones-to-target-ukrainian-electricity-and-erode-morale-197565>

"Russian officials, as well as many outside observers, believed that Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, would be a rapid affair. The war,
however, has defied these expectations.

(More...)

In Washington, Students Learn About Climate Change Like Nowhere Else

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:56:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reasonstobecheerful.world/washington-first-state-fund-climate-change-public-school/>

"In science teacher Ali Coker’s sophomore biology class, students became
farming activists attending a G7 summit. Coker wove in facts about food
insecurity, and by the end of the week, her pupils were writing plans for local

(More...)

Hidden women of history: how ‘Lady’ Williams founded a great Australian apple

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:57:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-how-lady-williams-founded-a-great-australian-apple-189788>

"On Boronia Farm, just outside Donnybrook in Western Australia, stands an
80-something-year-old apple tree (Malus domestica) that’s at the heart of a
global industry.

(More...)

New ice core analysis shows sharp Greenland warming spike

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:58:42 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://apnews.com/article/science-weather-greenland-climate-and-environment-132636c35f162f94038d6be7c38f685c>

"A sharp spike in Greenland temperatures since 1995 showed the giant northern
island 2.7 degrees (1.5 degrees Celsius) hotter than its 20th-century average,
the warmest in more than 1,000 years, according to new ice core data.

(More...)

The World’s Oldest Restaurant Has Been in Operation for Over 1200 Years

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://mossandfog.com/the-worlds-oldest-restaurant-has-been-in-operation-for-over-1200-years/>

"It’s not everyday you can say the same restaurant has served Christopher
Columbus, Mozart, and Clint Eastwood.

(More...)

The newly renovated Bibliothèque Nationale de France is a bookworm’s dream

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:08:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://thespaces.com/the-newly-renovated-bibliotheque-nationale-de-france-is-a-bookworms-dream/>

"One of the world’s most beautiful libraries has reopened to the public
following a monumental 15-year-long renovation.

(More...)

Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest provider are worthless, analysis shows

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:10:12 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe>

"The forest carbon offsets approved by the world’s leading certifier and used
by Disney, Shell, Gucci and other big corporations are largely worthless and
could make global heating worse, according to a new investigation.

(More...)

Outlook? Terrifying: TV weather presenters on the hell and horror of the climate crisis

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:11:30 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/outlook-terrifying-tv-weather-presenters-on-the-hell-and-horror-of-the-climate-crisis>

"Tuesday 19 July 2022 is a day that will stay with Ben Rich for ever. “I got up
and immediately checked the weather observations to see what was going on,” he
remembers. “Then I went to work for my shift. The station was really hot, the

(More...)

Echidnas blow snot bubbles and perform belly flops to stay cool in the heat, researchers find

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:12:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-18/echidnas-blow-snot-bubbles-to-stay-cool-researchers-find/101867530>

'In the blistering Australian heat, a certain spiky critter performs some
out-of-the-ordinary behaviours to avoid overheating.

(More...)

UN head accuses fossil fuel firms of business models ‘inconsistent with human survival’

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:13:25 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/18/un-head-accuses-fossil-fuel-firms-of-business-models-inconsistent-with-human-survival>

"The head of the United Nations has accused the world’s biggest fossil fuel
companies of refusing to abandon a business model at odds with human survival
despite knowingly putting the world on course for a climate meltdown decades

(More...)

Privacy Advocates Continue To Warn That Modern Toys Are A Privacy Mess

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:25:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/17/privacy-advocates-continue-to-warn-that-modern-toys-are-a-privacy-mess/>

"A decade or so ago there was a wave of warnings by privacy advocates about how
modern toys had become major surveillance devices. Makers of voice recognition
toys in particular had a nasty habit, researchers warned, of collecting

(More...)

Terry Irving spent 1,671 days in jail for a crime he didn’t commit – and 25 more years seeking justice

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:27:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/19/terry-irving-spent-1671-days-in-jail-for-a-he-didnt-commit-and-25-more-years-seeking-justice>

"“It’s sort of like when you think of Atlas holding up the planet,” says Terry
Irving, an Aboriginal man from north Queensland who spent four-and-a-half years
in prison for a bank robbery he did not commit, and half his life trying to

(More...)

Cory Doctorow: Social Quitting

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:27:56 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://locusmag.com/2023/01/commentary-cory-doctorow-social-quitting/

"As I type these words, a mass exodus is underway from Twitter and Facebook.
After decades of eye-popping growth, these social media sites are contracting
at an alarming rate.

(More...)

Why Oligarchs Don't Just Want to Be Rich, But Kill Democracy Too

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:30:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/oligarchs-against-democracy

"Why are America’s plutocrats funding efforts to weaken our democracy and
replace it with plutocracy and oligarchy? Is it just about money? Or is there
something much deeper that most Americans rarely even consider?

(More...)

UK’s Online Safety Bill Gets Ridiculous: Includes Jail Time For Tech CEOs

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:31:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/18/uks-online-safety-bill-gets-ridiculous/>

"For years now we’ve written about the problems of the UK’s latest (in a long
line) of attempts to “Disneyfy” the internet with its Online Safety Bill. While
the bill had faced some hurdles along the way, made worse by the ever-rotating

(More...)

Ultraviolet light and indoor air disinfection to fight pandemics: A technology long overdue

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:18:39 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/01/12/trrg-j12.html

"“We appeal to the medical community and to the relevant national and
international bodies to recognize the potential for airborne spread of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is significant potential for

(More...)

Extreme heat could put 40% of land vertebrates in peril by end of century

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:19:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/extreme-heat-could-put-40-percent-land-vertebrates-peril-end-of-century-aoe>

"More than 40% of land vertebrates will be threatened by extreme heat by the
end of the century under a high emissions scenario, with freak temperatures
once regarded as rare likely to become the norm, new research warns.

(More...)

How to spot a cyberbot – five tips to keep your device safe

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:20:04 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-to-spot-a-cyberbot-five-tips-to-keep-your-device-safe-194269>

"You may know nothing about it, but your phone – or your laptop or tablet –
could be taken over by someone else who has found their way in through a back
door. They could have infected your device with malware to make it a “bot” or a

(More...)

A six-pack of sauvignon: could canned wine help save the planet?

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:21:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/09/canned-wine-industry-environment>

"First came the shame. As fellow customers of my smart local Brooklyn wine shop
perused the shelves with studious looks, I slithered over to the register. “I’m
embarrassed to ask, but you don’t have any wine in cans, do you?” The clerk

(More...)

Why gas stoves matter to the climate – and the gas industry: Keeping them means homes will use gas for heating too

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:21:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/why-gas-stoves-matter-to-the-climate-and-the-gas-industry-keeping-them-means-homes-will-use-gas-for-heating-too-197866>

"Gas stoves are a leading source of hazardous indoor air pollution, but they
emit only a tiny share of the greenhouse gases that warm the climate. Why,
then, have they assumed such a heated role in climate politics?

(More...)

Deep seabed mining plans pit renewable energy demand against ocean life in a largely unexplored frontier

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:06:53 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/deep-seabed-mining-plans-pit-renewable-energy-demand-against-ocean-life-in-a-largely-unexplored-frontier-193273>

"As companies race to expand renewable energy and the batteries to store it,
finding sufficient amounts of rare earth metals to build the technology is no
easy feat. That’s leading mining companies to take a closer look at a largely

(More...)

The costly lesson from COVID: why elimination should be the default global strategy for future pandemics

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:08:38 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-costly-lesson-from-covid-why-elimination-should-be-the-default-global-strategy-for-future-pandemics-197806>

"Imagine it is 2030. Doctors in a regional hospital in country X note an
expanding cluster of individuals with severe respiratory disease. Rapid
whole-genome sequencing identifies the disease-causing agent as a novel

(More...)

Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again: Rethinking Tech Regulation and Creative Labor

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:10:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/01/have-you-tried-turning-it-and-again-rethinking-tech-regulation-and-creative-labor>

"“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from
pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
-George Orwell, Animal Farm

(More...)

Writing from the edge of catastrophe: two new books clarify what’s at stake if we fail to mitigate climate change

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:13:02 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/writing-from-the-edge-of-catastrophe-two-new-books-clarify-whats-at-stake-if-we-fail-to-mitigate-climate-change-193846>

"Review: Fire: A Message from the Edge of Climate Catastrophe – Margi
Prideaux (Stormbird); Saving the Reef – Rohan Lloyd (University of Queensland
Press)
.

(More...)

Australia risks UN human rights blacklisting as states fail to meet prison obligations

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:14:00 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/19/australia-risks-un-human-rights-blacklisting-as-states-fail-to-meet-prison-obligations>

"Australia risks being placed on a human rights blacklist alongside such
countries as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo by failing to
meet its obligations in prison oversight under a UN anti-torture treaty.

(More...)

Let buyers jump the queue for electric cars by importing them directly

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:12:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/let-buyers-jump-the-queue-for-electric-cars-by-importing-them-directly-197614>

"If Australia is to decarbonise our energy system by 2050, we need to start the
transition to electric vehicles very soon. Cars sold in the 2030s will mostly
still be on the road in 2050, so we have to make sure most of them are

(More...)

‘Ridiculous’: Greta Thunberg blasts decision to let UAE oil boss chair climate talks

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:13:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/19/greta-thunberg-uae-cop28-davos-climate>

"Four years after taking the World Economic Forum by storm, Greta Thunberg
returned to Davos on Thursday to blast the United Arab Emirates for appointing
the head of its state-owned oil company to chair the Cop28 climate talks later

(More...)

Billionaires at Davos don't think COVID is a cold

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:18:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://thegauntlet.substack.com/p/billionaires-at-davos-dont-think

"In photos of 2023’s World Economic Forum- or Davos as it is commonly called,
after the Swiss resort town where it annually occurs- you might not notice the
HEPA filters. They’re in the background, unobtrusive and unremarked upon,

(More...)

‘The shoes needing filling are on the large side of big’ – Jacinda Ardern’s legacy and Labour’s new challenge

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:19:37 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-shoes-needing-filling-are-on-the-large-side-of-big-jacinda-arderns-legacy-and-labours-new-challenge-198148>

"Well, no one saw that coming. For those in New Zealand relieved that Christmas
is over because it means politics resumes, this week held the promise of a
cabinet reshuffle, the possible unveiling of some meaty new policy and, if we

(More...)

Senator Markey Demands Answers From Keystone Pipeline Operator in Wake of Latest Oil Spill

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:21:21 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-demands-answers-from-keystone-pipeline-operator-in-wake-of-latest-oil-spill>

"Washington (December 15, 2022) – Today, eight days after more than half a
million gallons of crude oil began leaking from the Keystone pipeline, Senator
Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works

(More...)

China’s population is now inexorably shrinking, bringing forward the day the planet’s population turns down

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:44:14 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/chinas-population-is-now-inexorably-shrinking-bringing-forward-the-day-the-planets-population-turns-down-198061>

"China’s National Bureau of Statistics has confirmed what researchers such as
myself have long suspected – that 2022 was the year China’s population turned
down, the first time that has happened since the great famine brought on by

(More...)

Will AI tech like ChatGPT improve inclusion for people with communication disability?

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:44:57 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/will-ai-tech-like-chatgpt-improve-inclusion-for-people-with-communication-disability-196481>

"If you’re one of the 1.2 million Australians with communication disability or
among the 44% of Australian adults with low literacy, you may soon find
helpful, automated communication assistance online.

(More...)

In the Year of the Rabbit, spare a thought for all these wonderful endangered bunny species

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:45:29 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/in-the-year-of-the-rabbit-spare-a-thought-for-all-these-wonderful-endangered-bunny-species-197797>

"What do you think when you hear the word “rabbit”? Does your mind conjure
images of cartoon bunnies eating carrots? Or the fluffy tails and floppy ears
of pet bunnies? Maybe you think about their incredible ability to reproduce.

(More...)

U.S.D.A. Approves First Vaccine for Honeybees

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:46:40 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/science/honeybee-vaccine.html

"A biotech company in Georgia has received conditional approval from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture for the first vaccine for honeybees, a move
scientists say could help pave the way for controlling a range of viruses and

(More...)

Niche Museums

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:47:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.niche-museums.com/

"Find tiny museums near you"

Via Esther Schindler.

(More...)

Frederick McCubbin’s descendants back protesters who defaced artwork

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 02:28:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/20/frederick-mccubbins-descendants-back-protesters-who-defaced-artwork>

"The descendants of Frederick McCubbin have thrown their support behind two
protesters who allegedly defaced one of the artist’s most well-known and
significant paintings.

(More...)

Installing solar-powered refrigerators in developing countries is an effective way to reduce hunger and slow climate change

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 02:29:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/installing-solar-powered-refrigerators-in-developing-countries-is-an-effective-way-to-reduce-hunger-and-slow-climate-change-195143>

"Food loss and waste are major problems around the world. When food is tossed
aside or allowed to spoil, it makes economies less productive and leaves people
hungry.

(More...)

Support APOPO's HeroRATs' life-saving missions!

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 02:32:52 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-apopos-herorats-life-saving-missions/>

"APOPO is a global non-profit with Belgian roots, which trains African giant
pouched rats (nicknamed HeroRATs) to detect landmines and tuberculosis using
their amazing sense of smell. APOPO's scent detection technology has huge

(More...)

Japan was the future but it's stuck in the past

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 02:34:03 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63830490

"In Japan, houses are like cars.

As soon as you move in, your new home is worth less than what you paid for it

(More...)

Developers Of Stadia Exclusive Hide Game Inside Other Steam Game To Preserve It

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 02:34:51 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/19/developers-of-stadia-exclusive-hide-game-inside-other-steam-game-to-preserve-it/>

"This is one of those interesting times when multiple topics we regularly cover
here at Techdirt converge. Readers here will recall all the posts we did on
the rollout and eventual demise of Google’s Stadia product. Stadia was

(More...)

Household solar and storage: It’s time to rethink the energy system

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 10:23:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://reneweconomy.com.au/household-solar-and-storage-its-time-to-rethink-the-energy-system/>

"I have recently presented research findings from my modelling of WA’s South
West Interconnected System (SWIS) at the World Renewable Energy Congress at
Murdoch University. This is the latest analysis using my high level system

(More...)

Ballet was Catherine's entire life, but it caused her years of 'irreparable' damage. Now she's making sure the next generation is better off

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 10:24:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-22/ballet-dancing-trauma-eating-disorders-mental-health-education/101822092>

'A tiny, dust-speckled town in north-west Victoria is a far cry from the
polished perfection of a dance studio — but here in this farming region,
Catherine made a simple decision that would change her life.

(More...)

Why are there so many tech layoffs, and why should we be worried? Stanford scholar explains

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 10:26:09 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://news.stanford.edu/2022/12/05/explains-recent-tech-layoffs-worried/>

"Over recent months, tech companies have been laying workers off by the
thousands. It is estimated that in 2022 alone, over 120,000 people have been
dismissed from their job at some of the biggest players in tech – Meta, Amazon,

(More...)

Exposed: The smear tactics against wind and solar

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 10:27:17 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Wa7v76k-U

"You shouldn't believe everything you see on the internet. Particularly when it
comes to renewable energy. We started debunking some of the biggest myths about
wind and solar energy – and ended up in a world of shady lobby groups and

(More...)

Detect breaches with Canary credit cards!

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 10:29:38 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://blog.thinkst.com/2023/01/swipe-right-on-our-new-credit-card-tokens.html>

"Today we’re releasing a new Canarytoken type: actual credit cards!

1. Head over to canarytokens.org;

(More...)

Home E-Mail Sponsors Index Search About Us