People | Jotup

'Ecology on steroids': how Australia's First Nations managed Australia's ecosystems

Retrieved on:

星期六, 十二月 30, 2023

First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people.

Key Points:

First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people.
On October 9 1873, George Augustus Frederick Dalrymple reclined in a boat on the glorious North Johnstone River in the coastal Wet Tropics.
Dappled paths led to managed patches of open forest, groves of fruit trees, bananas and yams.
First Nations groups such as Australia’s rainforest people had skilfully managed entire ecosystems over the long term, in what has been termed “ecology on steroids”.

Decoupling landscape from climate change

The Pleistocene climate was cool and windy, with mega monsoons and long periods of diabolical drought.
Here, in a magnificent cave system in Arnhem Land, people prepared a meal of native fruits and processed pandanus using an adaptable toolkit.
This meal took place 65,000 years ago, when savannah stretched all the way to the island of New Guinea.

The land was not a mindless resource but part of your family – and came with family obligations.
Everyone, whether you were human, an animal, a plant, a river, fire, the sky or wind, was closely watched.

The lagoon filled up, nestled in a landscape of moisture-loving shrubs and brushed by relatively cool fires.
But then, the climate lurched to one of the long periods of horrendous drought instigated by an El Nino weather system.
Through patch burning, they created a rich landscape of diverse habitat that sustained people and created niches for a wide range of species.

Extinction busters

From before the last ice age, the ancestors of today’s Martu people would have witnessed great floods rushing down the Sturt Creek into an extensive lake system, Paruku (Lake Gregory).
These lakes were ten times larger than today’s system, ringed by dunes covered in scrubby vegetation and flammable spinifex.
Without cultural burning, it took mere years for fuel to build up and large wildfires to incinerate the landscape.

Over the two decades of Martu absence, ten species of small mammal became locally extinct, including the rufous hare-wallaby, burrowing bettong, bilby, mulgara and brushtail possum.
What’s more, 14 mammals, three birds and two reptiles became threatened.
We will need to relearn these ancient techniques of managing country on a broader scale to cope with the changes to come.

Penny has recently published a book, Cloud Land, with Allen & Unwin based on the Thiaki restoration project.
Barry Hunter is a Djabugay man and chair of Terrain NRM, a natural resources management group.

Want to get into stargazing? A professional astronomer explains where to start

Retrieved on:

星期六, 十二月 30, 2023

People, Astronomy, Gemini, Aboriginal Australians, University, Software, City, Holiday, Pleiades, Planet, Twin, Canis Minor, Aldebaran, Saturn, Camping, Child, Fireworks

Through the holidays, many people head away from the bright city lights to go camping.

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Through the holidays, many people head away from the bright city lights to go camping.
As a child, I loved such trips, and they helped cement my passion for the night sky, and for all things space.
One of my great joys as an astronomer is sharing the night sky with people.

Learning the night sky

A good place to start if you’re a budding astronomer is to learn your way around the night sky.
Today, there are countless good apps to help you find your way around the night sky.
A great example of such an app is Stellarium – a planetarium program allowing you to view the night sky from the comfort of your room or to plan an evening’s observing ahead of schedule.
To memorise the night sky, you can try star hopping.
By star hopping, you’ll slowly but surely learn your way around the night sky until the constellations become familiar friends.

Virtual observing

Thankfully, software like Stellarium can give you a fantastic virtual observing experience.
Imagine you want to see Saturn’s rings – a spectacular sight through even a small telescope.
A virtual observing session is as simple as that – just pan around the sky until you find something you want to see, and zoom in.

A hobby best shared

I’d recommend using planetarium programs like Stellarium to figure out what you want to see, then heading out to look at it with your own eyes.
Astronomy is a wonderful hobby, and one that is best shared.
I joined my local astronomy society, the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society in the United Kingdom, when I was just eight years old.

At the society, we had weekly talks on astronomy, given by the club members and visiting astronomers from local universities.
We also had regular night sky viewing nights, using the society’s very own telescope – a behemoth the members had built themselves.
People who are passionate about their hobby love nothing more than sharing it with others.

Jonti Horner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

What COVID diaries have in common with Samuel Pepys' 17th-century plague diaries

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星期六, 十二月 30, 2023

The UK’s former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance’s diaries have been a key source of evidence, exposing the chaos within government at the time.

Key Points:

The UK’s former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance’s diaries have been a key source of evidence, exposing the chaos within government at the time.
In my PhD research, I’ve been exploring the COVID diaries of ordinary people, as well as diaries kept during the Great Plague of London in 1665-66.
I’ve been looking specifically at 13 COVID diaries donated to the Borthwick Institute for Archives and the East Riding Archives, both in Yorkshire.
I have been reading Pepys’s diaries alongside the modern COVID diaries, and have been struck by the common themes in how people navigated their pandemic experiences.

Recording statistics

Throughout the COVID pandemic, statistics of cases and deaths were everywhere, and were key to how we judged the impact of the virus.
All of the modern and historical diaries I have looked at include these statistics – some sparingly, others with meticulous regularity.

The blame game

As cases rose, restrictions were enforced and the effects of plague and COVID loomed large in the lives of our diarists, narratives shifted to confusion and blame.
And in spite to well people, would breathe in the faces … of well people going by.
In the heighth of it, how bold people there were to go in sport to one another’s burials.
And in spite to well people, would breathe in the faces … of well people going by.

Staying positive

A more optimistic theme to emerge in the diaries was the ability to find positivity amid the chaos.
Pepys and modern diarists were thankful for the blessings of health, family and security.
They praised those who went the extra mile to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on those around them, despite the risk to their own health.
It must be awful to live ten floors up in a high rise block with two children, and not be allowed out except for once per day.

But by exploring the innermost thoughts of people with an element of shared experience, we see that fundamental aspects of the human condition endure.
When faced with uncertainty and upheaval, our instincts are to record, find answers, and reclaim joy.

Mary Rehman receives funding from University of Hull Doctoral College

Assessing data protection practices of UK tracing agents

Retrieved on:

星期五, 十二月 29, 2023

Earlier this year a women’s charity raised concerns with us about the alleged actions of a tracing agent – an investigator using various methods to find a person’s current address details.

Key Points:

Earlier this year a women’s charity raised concerns with us about the alleged actions of a tracing agent – an investigator using various methods to find a person’s current address details.

John Edwards speaks at TechUK Digital Ethics Summit 2023

Retrieved on:

星期五, 十二月 29, 2023

Kia ora, good morning and welcome to TechUK’s annual Digital Ethics summit. I’m happy to be here talking to you all, a roomful of people who care as much as I do about protecting people’s fundamental privacy rights.

Key Points:

Kia ora, good morning and welcome to TechUK’s annual Digital Ethics summit. I’m happy to be here talking to you all, a roomful of people who care as much as I do about protecting people’s fundamental privacy rights.

Human medicines European public assessment report (EPAR): Ebglyss, Lebrikizumab, Date of authorisation: 16/11/2023, Status: Authorised

Retrieved on:

星期一, 十二月 18, 2023

Human medicines European public assessment report (EPAR): Ebglyss, Lebrikizumab, Date of authorisation: 16/11/2023, Status: Authorised

Key Points:

Human medicines European public assessment report (EPAR): Ebglyss, Lebrikizumab, Date of authorisation: 16/11/2023, Status: Authorised

Why more food, toiletry and beauty companies are switching to minimalist package designs

Retrieved on:

星期四, 十一月 9, 2023

People, Supermarket, Homs, Food, Attention, Soap, Student, Research, Yogurt, Color, Retail, Perfume, Online shopping, Cosmetics

The stripped-down packaging you’ll often see is reminiscent of the minimalist art that flourished in the 1960s.

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The stripped-down packaging you’ll often see is reminiscent of the minimalist art that flourished in the 1960s.
A reaction against overly complex, representative works, the art that emerged in this period was characterized by spareness and abstraction.
When less is more
First, we wanted to see if shoppers were willing to pay more for products in these packages.
Kashi’s cereal boxes employ a muted color scheme and avoid overloading the package with claims or extensive product descriptions.

People dig deeper to fact-check social media posts when paired with someone who doesn't share their perspective – new research

Retrieved on:

星期四, 十一月 9, 2023

People, Frontiers in Psychology, Islamic Jihad, Research, Literacy, Cheese, Vaccination, Social media, Al Ahly (hockey), The New York Times, Tutoring, Psychology

Why it matters

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Why it matters
Misinformation on social media is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
It contributes to political polarization, affects people’s voting, vaccination and recycling behavior, and is often believed long after it’s been corrected.
Bringing together people from opposing sides of a conflict to jointly fact-check social media posts isn’t likely to be easy.
In this study, we designed a novel research setup based on the fact that sharing and discussing social media posts with others is an everyday activity.

How To Have Sex: landmark film wants to change how we talk about consent

Retrieved on:

星期四, 十一月 9, 2023

Like those in this film, they are navigating a murky post-MeToo environment, where the lines of sexual consent are blurred and often misinterpreted, leaving women vulnerable to sexual abuse.

Key Points:

Like those in this film, they are navigating a murky post-MeToo environment, where the lines of sexual consent are blurred and often misinterpreted, leaving women vulnerable to sexual abuse.
Wowing at Cannes
The film won the Un Certain Regard prize at this year‘s Cannes Film Festival.
Established in 1998, the prize celebrates innovative cinematic styles and storytelling by new and emerging filmmakers from around the world.
She has expressed her desire for this film to be a talking point for all age groups and genders to discuss consent openly and honestly, and drive change.

Sleep apnoea can be scary. But here's what happened when First Nations people had a say in their own care

Retrieved on:

星期三, 十一月 8, 2023

But the truth is, this sleep-related respiratory disorder is significantly under-reported in First Nations communities.

Key Points:

But the truth is, this sleep-related respiratory disorder is significantly under-reported in First Nations communities.
Read more:
The first sleep health program for First Nations adolescents could change lives

What is obstructive sleep apnoea?

In obstructive sleep apnoea the upper airway is repeatedly wholly or partially blocked during sleep, resulting in lower blood oxygen levels.
Sleep apnoea also increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, cognitive problems, poor mental health, productivity loss and driving accidents.
Another reason why we suspect sleep apnoea is under-reported is the
lack of specialist sleep services in rural and remote areas.

A growing awareness

This builds on insights from community yarns about the impact of poor sleep.
These highlighted that dreaming in First Nations culture is considered an important opportunity to connect with ancestors, Country and cultural knowledge.
So, poor sleep, through its impact on dreaming, also affects spiritual health.

The program’s yarn with community members also highlighted the lack of culturally secure services, low awareness of sleep apnoea treatment options and stigma in accessing services as the key contributors to high rates of undiagnosed/untreated sleep apnoea in First Nations communities.
There is still shame in talking about sleep apnoea.
I was tested for sleep apnoea, and the doctor told me I stopped breathing 13 times [per hour] in my sleep.
I was tested for sleep apnoea, and the doctor told me I stopped breathing 13 times [per hour] in my sleep.

So what does the program look like?

This has involved consultation with 12 First Nations communities, and training Aboriginal health workers and nurses to deliver the program.
The Aboriginal health workers will educate community members about symptoms of sleep apnoea, its health impacts and pathways to seek clinical care.
The program uses standard treatments for sleep apnoea, such as continuous positive airway pressure therapy, known as a CPAP machine.

Read more:
Friday essay: the remarkable yidaki (and no, it's not a 'didge')

Locally-led, culturally responsive

It’s early days for us to see any results from the program.
But it shows we can develop locally led and culturally responsive models of care.

Yaqoot Fatima is supported by funding from the NHMRC Partnership Grant, MRFF Indigenous Health Research Grant, MRFF-EMCR grant, Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre grant and Beyond Blue for sleep health research.
Daniel Sullivan is a member of the Australasian Sleep Association and the Australian Psychological Society.
Daniel Sullivan receives funding from a Medical Research Future Fund Early-Mid Career Researchers grant.