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‘I don’t feel gendered’: Rachel Cusk’s most radical novel yet makes the familiar strange – and moves beyond womanhood

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

Spirituality, Recreation, Light, Love, Ambiguity, Child, Conversation, Head, Madonna, Bed, History, Mother, Violence, Woman, Perception, Beauty, Heart, Cusk, Darkness, Human, Second Place, Exhibition, Painting, Wikimedia Commons, Narration, Essay, CC, Creativity, Female, Meditation, Parent, Recurrence, Entertainment

Rachel Cusk’s new novel conjures myriad acts of creation – of lives and of art.

Key Points:

Rachel Cusk’s new novel conjures myriad acts of creation – of lives and of art.
Her twelfth novel, Parade is concerned with artists, with mothers and children, and with place: material, psychological, historical, cosmic.
But, as ever with Cusk’s writing in all its forms – fiction, memoir, essay – she renders the familiar strange in ways that force us to see it anew.
Defined on its title page as a novel, it appears to be four interlinked fragments, all narrated in different voices.

The artist-mother

For the artist is a perceiver, and the mother the first and fundamental object of perception, the first image, the Madonna of earliest Christian iconography.
What will the outcome be when these two identities – perceiver and perceived – become one?
It features several creators who are designated artists, six of whom are denoted by the letter “G”.
The result of these multiple threads is a work of astonishing, mesmerising complexity and ambiguity, refracted through seven guiding narrative voices.
And the “re-adjustment of the old relation” between the sexes is an evolution in which we remain embroiled […] Parade operates in this vein.
It charts these critical, world-shaping relational readjustments, condensing entire histories in its scant 200 pages.

Ferocious, broken-hearted intelligence

Why do so few people cycle for transport in Australia? 6 ideas on how to reap all the benefits of bikes

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

Less than 1% of the 12 million Australians who travelled to work on Census Day in 2021 rode a bicycle to get there.

Key Points:

Less than 1% of the 12 million Australians who travelled to work on Census Day in 2021 rode a bicycle to get there.
So, on World Bicycle Day, we ask why is this form of transport so undervalued and neglected?
We offer the following ideas about what needs to happen so more of us use bicycles for everyday transport.

1. Improve cycling infrastructure across our cities

Better-connected cycling infrastructure is needed to increase the use of bicycles for transport.
At present we don’t understand how well, safely and equitably cycling routes connect up across Australian cities.

2. Use AI to help fill the gaps

Deep-learning artificial intelligence (AI) methods can help pinpoint areas with limited or no cycling infrastructure across the nation.
AI could help governments identify neighbourhoods lacking cycling infrastructure and end-of-trip facilities, street signs, measure cycling participation and monitor cycling lanes to ensure they’re well marked and maintained.
Once trained, AI models can be replicated across many neighbourhoods to identify urban design features that support cycling.

3. Use simulations to evaluate decisions on cycling

These models can calculate changes in traffic, cycling uptake and emissions before infrastructure is built.
The result is a lack of quantitative, case-specific evidence to support investment decisions on cycling infrastructure.
The results show the health benefits of walking and cycling.

4. Plan with a focus on cycling

We can measure basic walkability across neighbourhoods, but where is the connected urban policy support for cycling?
Places like the Netherlands and New Zealand give priority to cycling through planning policies and infrastructure such as bike paths and dedicated cycle lanes.
The result is high rates of cycling, including children, women and older people who are considered more vulnerable road users.

5. Make active transport a funding priority

They entrench many harms of car use, including carbon emissions and other pollution, and displace more active and sustainable forms of travel.
We need comprehensive cycling infrastructure plans for our cities that put cycling projects ahead of megaroads for funding.
It announced $100 million for a National Active Transport Fund and a national approach to sustainable urban development.

6. Connect cycling to long-term health benefits

‘Born in the USA’ turns 40 − and still remains one of Bruce Springsteen’s most misunderstood songs

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

So did Rihanna and the Rolling Stones.

Key Points:

So did Rihanna and the Rolling Stones.
If Donald Trump tried to use her music, Taylor Swift would likely do it, too.
Many musicians have said “no” when politicians try using their music for campaigning.
But Bruce Springsteen may be the most famous naysayer of all.
Springsteen had a different vision, and Reagan’s attempt to co-opt it spurred the singer to be more explicitly political in his words and actions.

Blinded by the light

Just look at the album’s cover art.
Shot from the rear, Springsteen is facing a huge American flag.
Springsteen’s gruff rasp can make it difficult to hear the lyrics, which express the anguish of a Vietnam vet who regrets enlisting and faces unemployment at home.
The song was, in his words, “a demand for a ‘critical’ patriotic voice along with pride of birth.”

Human touch

But its message eluded many listeners, including conservative columnist George Will, whose wife had been given two tickets to a concert.
Springsteen wrote about everyday people: bus drivers, factory workers, waitresses and cops.
His fiscal policies benefited wealthy Americans and corporations but did little for working families and the poor.
Making a US$10,000 donation to a food bank for unemployed steelworkers, he urged his audience to also support the cause.

The promised land

He believed God had blessed America with freedom – a freedom embodied in free markets, limited government and the freedom to live according to your religious beliefs.
Springsteen has made his American dream the subject of his music: a nation that welcomes immigrants, condemns racism and opposes economic inequality.
Before Reagan cited him as a Republican muse, Springsteen was content to let his music convey his politics.

No surrender

Engineering cells to broadcast their behavior can help scientists study their inner workings

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

National Science Foundation, MinE, Protein, Collection, Bacteria, MinD, Engineering, Wi-Fi, CC BY-SA, Research, Human, Cancer, Cell, DSM-IV codes, Behavior, Nature, CC, Radio, Mobile phone

Electronic devices use radio waves to send and receive data, like your laptop and Wi-Fi router or cellphone and cell tower.

Key Points:

Electronic devices use radio waves to send and receive data, like your laptop and Wi-Fi router or cellphone and cell tower.
Similarly, scientists can use a different type of wave to transmit a different type of data: signals from the invisible processes and dynamics underlying how cells make decisions.

Waves are a powerful engineering tool

The oscillating behavior of waves is one reason they’re powerful patterns in engineering.
My team used waves of proteins to turn a cell into a microscopic radio station, broadcasting data about its activity in real time to study its behavior.

Turning cells into radio stations

While electronic devices are built from wires and transistors, cells are built from and controlled by a diverse collection of chemical building blocks called proteins.
My team discovered that putting MinDE into human cells causes the proteins to reorganize themselves into a stunning array of waves and patterns.
On their own, MinDE protein waves do not interact with other proteins in human cells.
We have only begun to scratch the surface of how scientists can use protein waves to study cells.

Should Rishi Sunak even bother? What we know about how much election campaigns shift the dial

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

Liberal, Social Democratic Party, Silicon, Social, Conservatism, Rain, British, YouGov, World war, Movement, Policy, ESRC, CC, Liberal Democrats

The argument was that by the time the official campaign started, it was too late to make any significant difference to the outcome.

Key Points:

The argument was that by the time the official campaign started, it was too late to make any significant difference to the outcome.
With just 25 working days to appeal to voters, it was largely felt that a party’s win or loss was already baked in by the time the campaigns started.
One way of showing this is to monitor the extent to which voting intentions change during a campaign.
When the votes were counted after the June 8 election, the Conservatives won 43%, Labour 40% and the Liberal Democrats 7%.

Can the tide turn in 25 days?

The correlation between the two is quite strong (+0.73), which means that a lot of the electoral support for the party already exists before the campaign starts.
The summary line provides a measure of pre-campaign support that is not related to what happens in the month or so of the campaign.
The 1959 election stands out in the chart because it sits right on the summary line.
In other words, deviations from the summary line tell us if the campaign was a success or a failure.
Could this be because he has essentially given up, and wants to get back to Silicon Valley as soon as possible?

Five controversial historical royal portraits – from drunken kings to sexy mermaids

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

In March, major photo agencies issued a rare “kill notice” on a photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales after evidence emerged that it had been tampered with.

Key Points:

In March, major photo agencies issued a rare “kill notice” on a photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales after evidence emerged that it had been tampered with.
In fact, British monarchs have grappled with issues of representation, accuracy and flattery in portraits since the Middle Ages, as the stories of these five monarchs show.

1. Henry VII (reigned 1485-1509)

Henry VII had a relatively weak claim to the throne when he defeated Richard III in 1485, but he recognised the value of the visual arts in promoting his reign.
In 1504, his government ordered a reform of the coinage, issuing silver coins with a new likeness of Henry VII in profile.

2. Mary Queen of Scots (reigned 1542-1567)

On February 10 1567, Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, died in an explosion in Edinburgh.
Placards appeared depicting the queen as a bare-breasted mermaid, holding a falconry lure to symbolise her siren-like seduction of Bothwell.

3. Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603)

Recognising the damage that bad representations could do to a monarch’s reputation, Elizabeth I’s regime made several attempts to control her image.
The portrait was apparently never finished, and historians have sometimes assumed that Elizabeth rejected it.

4. George III (reigned 1760-1820)

When the French Revolution began in 1789, many in Britain feared the revolutionary spirit would spread.
Gillray’s retort, Vices overlook’d in the New Proclamation (1792), took aim at the king’s hypocrisy, representing George III and Queen Charlotte as “avarice” clutching moneybags, and the Prince of Wales, future George IV, as “drunkenness”.

5. Victoria (reigned 1837-1901)

Queen Victoria commissioned a portrait from the German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1843, as a surprise gift for her husband Prince Albert’s 24th birthday.
Kept in Albert’s private writing room at Windsor, it depicts Victoria in a low-cut, translucent dress, leaning against a red cushion, her lips slightly parted.

Community broadband provides a local solution for a global problem

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воскресенье, июня 2, 2024

There are many reasons for this, including poverty, reliability of service, access to linguistically and culturally relevant content, leisure time, access to equipment and training.

Key Points:

There are many reasons for this, including poverty, reliability of service, access to linguistically and culturally relevant content, leisure time, access to equipment and training.
One way communities are overcoming network access barriers is by creating networks themselves.
Communities are building and operating their own broadband networks all over the world.

Developing network literacy

This is the problem we set out to solve with the Community Network Roadmap.
The elements of a network need to not only be built and installed, but also maintained, repaired and replaced over time.

Building and maintenance

Members of the team also had experience building networks in North America and working with community network builders from around the world.
Building encompasses the urgency and complexity of getting a network off the ground, while maintaining considers planning for long-term network sustainability.

Inclusive information design

Information design can organize complex information in more accessible and inclusive ways.
The publication structure, guided by principles of information design, breaks up complex blocks of information into manageable chunks using accessible design features such as cross-referencing and signposting strategies.

Harnessing community knowledge

Another key strategy identified in the Roadmap is how to pool technical knowledge among community members tackling a network project.
The Roadmap lays out strategies for documenting and sharing troubleshooting and problem-solving resources, so that emerging community network wisdom does not get lost.

Planning and maintaining networks

For example, community relationships and accountable decision-making processes are as important to consider as network maps and equipment choices.
In addition, communities starting a network often overlook longer-term issues like succession planning, network expansion, equipment upgrades and changing local needs.

A global community resource

38% of Gen Z Australians identify as spiritual and half of them believe in karma. Why is spirituality so popular?

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вторник, мая 28, 2024

Spirituality is increasingly popular with young Australians: recent research shows 38% of Gen Z Australians identify as spiritual.

Key Points:

Spirituality is increasingly popular with young Australians: recent research shows 38% of Gen Z Australians identify as spiritual.
When it comes to activities equated with spirituality, 28% of Gen Z Australians practise meditation and 22% practise yoga.
In Australia, spirituality is strongly, enduringly central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and culturally and religiously diverse communities.
The most recent trend in studies of religion – frequently associated with spirituality – is a reported close connection with nature.

What is spirituality?

Spirituality has often been seen as the “individualised good-guy”, as a counterpart to the “institutional bad-guy” of religion.
According to Warraimaay historian Victoria Grieve-Williams, spirituality is deeply relational and ethical, honouring interconnections with human and more-than-human beings.
In the Gen Z Australians survey, 22% self-identified as spiritual but not religious, with a further 16% identifying as both religious and spiritual.

How spiritual are Australians?

Through colonisation and migration, Europeans brought Christian and Jewish religions, which also include spiritual dimensions, to Australia.
Many of their spiritual frameworks also stress interdependency with and compassion for all lifeforms.

Spirituality is big business

So-called Western interest in spirituality had earlier iterations in theosophy, an esoteric philosophy based on older religions and myths, and spiritualism, a way of life combining philosophy, science and religion.
But spirituality boomed globally as part of the alternative 1960s counterculture.
Since then, interest in spirituality and the expanding $4.4 trillion wellness industry has grown exponentially.
“Classically, it is an ancient Indian philosophy espousing an eight-limbed approach to conscious living.”
At the turn of the 21st century, some experts predicted spirituality would eclipse religion, given this thriving “spiritual marketplace”.

Spiritual risks and harms

While spirituality was previously associated with hippies and “peace, love and mung beans”, reports of spiritual harms – emotional, sexual and financial abuse – are increasingly being revealed in both religious and spiritual communities.
The uptake of conspiracy theories in spiritual communities – and vaccine resistance within them – have also been deeply troubling in recent years.

Not all ‘woo-Anon’

Replanting trees can help prevent devastating landslides like the one in PNG – but it’s not a silver bullet

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вторник, мая 28, 2024

Friction, Pressure, Hope, Risk, Landslide, Soil, Drainage, Tree, Pyrenees, Clay, Conversation, Sand, Climate change, Earthquake, Attention, Disaster, Drinking, Mining, Research, PNG, CC, Water, Survivor, Dam

Rescue efforts are being stymied by the fact the land is still sliding and moving.

Key Points:

Rescue efforts are being stymied by the fact the land is still sliding and moving.
The disaster has cut the main road into the mountainous region.
PNG’s mountainous highlands are home to millions of people, living at least 1,500 metres above sea level.
As Australia and other nations send aid to help the rescue effort and survivors, attention will turn to whether fatal landslides can be prevented.

What makes land slide?

They’re composed of a mix of clay, silt, sand, gravel and boulders of various sizes and shapes, all held together by resistive forces, especially friction.
Gravity is constantly pulling this mass downward, but resistive forces prevent it from collapsing, in a constant tug of war.
Earthquakes and volcanic activity can also cause landslides by shaking the slope, making a landslide more likely.

Can our activities make landslides more common?

Landslides are common in mountainous regions with heavy rainfall and where earthquakes and volcanic activities are frequent.
Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, PNG and Italy all frequently experience landslides.
When we cut down trees or irrigate hillsides, we can load the dice for more landslides.
But on steep slopes, trees can actually cause landslides, due to the added weight.

What can we do?

Catching public transport in Queensland will soon cost just 50 cents. Are cheap fares good policy?

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вторник, мая 28, 2024

As part of a six-month trial, public transport fares in Queensland will soon be slashed to just 50 cents per trip for everyone.

Key Points:

As part of a six-month trial, public transport fares in Queensland will soon be slashed to just 50 cents per trip for everyone.
Very-low flat fares have become fashionable policy as governments respond to cost of living pressures around the world.
“Captive” users of public transport – who have limited access to private vehicles and few alternatives – would surely welcome such schemes.

The benefits aren’t spread evenly

But as a group, commuters in the inner and middle suburbs of Brisbane and tertiary students will enjoy most of the benefits.
Passengers travelling from Yeppoon to Rockhampton, or from Proserpine airport to Airlie Beach, will get inter-city travel at an amazing price.

Will people ditch their cars and get back on public transport?

Affordable fares are only one of the motivators that can encourage a shift to public transport.
Our previous work has examined how spatial layout and the availability of public transport affect its patronage in different cities.
But with limited public transport coverage across much of Queensland, heavily discounted fares may not lead to a dramatic uptake in use.

What will the social and economic impact be?

This leads to a bigger debate on how we should price public transport and who should pay for it.
Even when public transport is made very cheap or even free, someone ultimately has to pay for it.
Everyone in Queensland will now pay 50 cents, no matter how far they go, which creates strong horizontal equity between travellers.

Are there other ways to subsidise public transport?

One alternative is to directly target programs to those in need, such as by ring fencing benefits to a smaller area.
This was recently tested in Los Angeles under a program called Universal Basic Mobility.
Free or heavily discounted public transport can be a good idea – where it can help meet social goals.