Sunday 12th May 2024

Is the 5-second rule true? Science finally has an answer. - National Geographic Premium (No paywall)

The key to the five-second rule is understanding how quickly bacteria transfers from the surface of your floor to your food. A lot of other folks have gotten this measurement wrong, says food scientist Donald Schaffner of Rutgers University. Amateur scientific studies and televised “investigations” have confused the issue by relying on experiments that don’t pass scientific muster.

In fact,  there had been only one other rigorous inquiry into the five-second rule before 2016: a peer-reviewed study by Paul Dawson, a food scientist at Clemson University, in 2007. Dawson and colleagues reported that food can pick up bacteria immediately on contact with a surface—but that study focused more on how long bacteria could survive on surfaces to contaminate food.

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Love Anyway

You know that the price of life is death, that the price of love is loss, and still you watch the golden afternoon light fall on a face you love, knowing that the light will soon fade, knowing that…Continued here

Andrew Tate's extreme views about women are infiltrating Australian schools. We need a zero-tolerance response

Earlier this week, two students were expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in creating a spreadsheet that ranked girls using sexist and violent categories (from “wifeys” and “cuties” to “unrapeable”).

There has been a necessary focus on the school and its response and significant community outrage about the actions of the young men involved. But this incident is not an isolated one.

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Wearable devices can now harvest our brain data. Australia needs urgent privacy reforms

Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with or without the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

There’s also a newer product category that engages directly with the brain. It’s part of what UNESCO broadly defines as the emerging industry of “neurotechnology”:

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How can we measure the size of Australia's illegal cannabis market - and the billions in taxes that might flow from legalising it?

At the end of this month, a senate inquiry by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is due to hand down its report on a bill to legalise cannabis.

Legalisation aims to redirect profits away from organised crime, safeguard people aged under 18, and protect public health through strict safety and quality regulations. To achieve these goals, the newly legalised market would need to draw current cannabis consumers – particularly those who use large amounts – away from the illegal market and its established network of suppliers.

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High Court dismisses key challenge to indefinite immigration detention. What does it mean?

Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney

The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own deportation.

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Budget to pledge billions more in funds and fresh effort to tackle intractable housing crisis

Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure.

A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked off on the package, much of which is delivered through the states and territories.

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Indigenous women are most affected by domestic violence but have struggled to be heard. It's time we listened

Director Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, CI ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW), School of Philosophical, Historical & International Studies (SOPHIS), School of Social Sciences (SOSS), Faculty of Arts, Monash University

This article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to and the names of people who are now deceased.

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Madagascar's ancient baobab forests are being restored by communities - with a little help from AI

Tropical Ecologist in the Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Université d’Antananarivo

Six of the world’s eight baobab species are indigenous to Madagascar, where the distinctive trees with giant trunks have historically grown in huge forests. But these forests are threatened by slash-and-burn agriculture – 4,000 hectares of baobab forest in Madagascar are destroyed every year. Baobab trees can live for 1,000 years and one hectare of land can support eight fully grown baobab trees. But many have been left orphaned – standing alone in barren areas with no contact with the wild animals that spread their seeds, helping the baobabs to reproduce.

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Malawi's school kids are using tablets to improve their reading and maths skills

Malawi introduced free primary education in 1994. This has significantly improved access to schooling. However, the country – which is one of the poorest in the world – still faces a high learning poverty rate of 87%. Learning poverty is a measure of a child’s inability to meet minimum proficiency in reading, numeracy and other skills at the primary school level. Malawi’s rate means that 87% of children in standard 4, at age 10, are unable to read.

Only 19% of children aged between 7 and 14 have foundational reading skills and 13% have foundational numeracy skills. This leads to social and financial dependency. It also limits the extent to which individuals can actively participate in society. Children become especially vulnerable to pernicious social issues such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and child labour.

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