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Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person

Many pet owners know that our connections with animals can be on an emotional par with those we share with other humans – and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ben-Rockett/publication/274344384_Animals_and_Attachment_Theory/links/5f8552bb458515b7cf7c5851/Animals-and-Attachment-Theory.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scientific research backs this up</a>. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407507087958" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The key ingredients of human attachment</a> are experiencing the other person as a dependable source of comfort, seeking them out when distressed, feeling enjoyment in their presence and missing them when apart. Researchers have identified these as features of our relationships with pets too. But there are complexities. Some groups of people are more likely to develop intimate bonds with their pets. This includes <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yyM5DQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA123&dq=pet+attachment+and+older+people&ots=g4NhHQwmag&sig=82Jmnjag7NC40mxaITf18Vsjk8g#v=onepage&q=pet%20attachment%20and%20older%20people&f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">isolated older people</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ben-Rockett/publication/313459134_Fostering_secure_attachment_experiences_of_animal_companions_in_the_foster_home/links/5f85529e458515b7cf7c5848/Fostering-secure-attachment-experiences-of-animal-companions-in-the-foster-home.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people who have lost trust in humans</a>, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14616734.2011.584410?journalCode=rahd20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people who rely on assistance animals</a>. Researchers have also found our connections with our fluffy, scaled and feathered friends come with a price, in that we <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07481187.2021.1901799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grieve the loss of our pets</a>. But some aspects of pet grief are unique. <h2>Euthanasia</h2> For many people, pet death may be the only experience they have of grief connected to euthanasia. Guilt or doubt over a decision to euthanise a cherished companion animal can complicate grief. For example, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288696026_Pet_loss_and_human_emotion_A_guide_to_recovery_Second_edition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research has found</a> that disagreements within families about whether it is (or was) right to put a pet to sleep can be particularly challenging. But euthanasia also gives people a chance to prepare for a beloved animal’s passing. There is a chance to say goodbye and plan final moments to express love and respect such as a favourite meal, a night in together or a last goodbye. There are stark differences in people’s responses to pet euthanasia. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07481187.2012.738764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israeli research</a> found that in the aftermath of euthanised pet death, 83% of people feel certain they made the right decision. They believed they had granted their animal companion a more honourable death that minimised suffering. However, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1539639/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canadian study</a> found 16% of participants in their study whose pets were euthanised “felt like murderers”. And <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Establishing-a-model-pet-loss-support-hotline.-Mader-Hart/ed169dfdb2d43c2c94bc3f4c617e92bb37c08402" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American research</a> has shown how nuanced the decision can be as 41% of participants in a study felt guilty and 4% experienced suicidal feelings after they consented to their animal being euthanised. Cultural beliefs, the nature and intensity of their relationship, attachment styles and personality influence people’s experience of pet euthanasia. <h2>Disenfranchised grief</h2> This type of loss <a href="https://neurosciencenews.com/grief-pet-loss-21950/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still less acceptable socially</a>. This is called disenfranchised grief, which refers to losses that society doesn’t fully appreciate or ignores. This makes it harder to mourn, at least in public. Psychologists Robert Neiymeyer and John Jordan said <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Disenfranchised-Grief%3A-New-Directions%2C-Challenges%2C-Doka/93982a0299f424a451986bc2938751d909b5a98b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disenfranchised grief</a> is a result of an empathy failure. People deny their own pet grief because a part of them feels it is shameful. This isn’t just about keeping a stiff upper lip in the office or at the pub. People may feel pet grief is unacceptable to certain members of their family, or to the family more generally. And at a wider level, there may be a mismatch between the depth of pet grief and social expectations around animal death. For example, some people may react with contempt if someone misses work or takes leave to mourn a pet. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2019.1621545?journalCode=rfan20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research</a> suggests that when people are in anguish over the loss of a pet, disenfranchised grief makes it more difficult for them to find solace, post-traumatic growth and healing. Disenfranchised grief seems to restrain emotional expression in a way that makes it harder to process. Our relationships to our pets can be as meaningful as those we share with each other. Losing our pets is no less painful, and our grief reflects that. There are dimensions of pet grief we need to recognise as unique. If we can accept pet death as a type of bereavement, we can lessen people’s suffering. We’re only human, after all. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-mourning-a-pet-can-be-harder-than-grieving-for-a-person-195514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Relationships

Pesticide exposure makes it harder for bees to walk in a straight line

Bees, long despised for stinging humans and pets, but loved by horticulturalists for their life giving goodness, are under attack like never before. In June research identified a dangerous variant of the deformed wing virus is <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220601111805.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,and%20the%20animals%20to%20die." target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the rise worldwide</a>. The virus infects honeybees, causing their wings to atrophy and the animals to die. Also that month the varroa mite, a major honeybee parasite, was discovered in biosecurity surveillance hives at the Port of Newcastle. Now new research has identified what happens to bees when they are subject to insecticides. Have you ever struggled to walk in a straight line after having one too many? Well, it seems that honeybees are having similar issues but after getting a dose of insecticides. “Here we show that commonly used insecticides like sulfoxaflor (kills aphids and lygus) and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid (pesticide that protects seeds of field crops) can profoundly impair the visually guided behaviour of honeybees,” <a href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/bees-struggle-to-fly-in-a-straight-line-if-theyve-been-exposed-to-pesticides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said lead author of a new study</a>, Dr Rachel H Parkinson from the University of Oxford. “Our results are reason for concern because the ability of bees to respond appropriately to visual information is crucial for their flight and navigation, and thus their survival.” <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p202420-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/earth/pesticide-exposure-bees-walk-straight-line/#wpcf7-f6-p202420-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> Insects have an innate ‘optomotor response’, which lets them orient themselves back onto a straight trajectory if they steer off-course while walking or flying. The research, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/finsc.2022.936826/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frontiers in Insect Science</a>, challenged this optomotor response of walking honeybees by putting them in front of video screens of vertical lines which tricked them into thinking they’d moved off course. The vertical bars would move from left to right, or right to left which ‘tricks’ the bee into thinking it’s been blown off-course and needs to perform a corrective turn. The team of researchers looked at four groups of between 20-30 bees. The control had access to normal sugar water to drink, while the other three had different forms of insecticides added. One group had 50 parts per billion of imidacloprid, another had 50 parts per billion sulfoxaflor, and the last had 25 parts per billion of imidacloprid and 25 parts per billion of sulfoxaflor together. Unfortunately, the bees which had been exposed to the insecticide performed worse as they turned to get back on track. Bees exposed to pesticides seemed to have shallower turns and sometimes only turned one way. The asymmetry between left and right turns for example was 2.4 times greater for those bees exposed to pesticides. After this experiment, the researchers then had a look at the bee brains to look at the damage. Using molecular techniques, the team found that pesticide-exposed bees tended to have an elevated proportion of dead cells in parts of the brain’s optic lobes, which is important for processing visual input. Key genes for detoxification were also dysregulated after exposure. However these brain changes were relatively weak and highly variable across bees, and unlikely to be the sole explanation for the strong visual issues in the original experiment. “Neonicotinoid and sulfoximine insecticides activate neurons in the insect brain and are not always recycled fast enough to prevent toxicity,” said Parkinson. This research comes on the heels of a slew of other research in recent years suggesting that pesticides <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/pesticides-impair-baby-bee-brain-development/">impair baby bee brain development,</a> or it can make <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/neonicotinoids-make-bees-antisocial-and-lazy/">them antisocial and lazy</a>, and many scientists <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/scientists-call-for-urgent-action-on-bee-killing-insecticides/">are asking for them to be banned</a>.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=202420&title=Pesticide+exposure+makes+it+harder+for+bees+to+walk+in+a+straight+line" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/pesticide-exposure-bees-walk-straight-line/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jacinta-bowler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jacinta Bowler</a>. Jacinta Bowler is a science journalist at Cosmos. They have a undergraduate degree in genetics and journalism from the University of Queensland and have been published in the Best Australian Science Writing 2022. Image: Getty Images </div>

Family & Pets

People who are bad with numbers often find it harder to make ends meet – even if they are not poor

<h2>The big idea</h2> People who are bad with numbers are more likely to experience financial difficulties than people who are good with numbers. That’s according to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our analyses</a> of the <a href="https://wrp.lrfoundation.org.uk/explore-the-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll</a>. In this World Risk Poll, people from 141 countries were asked if 10% was bigger than, smaller than or the same as 1 out of 10. Participants were said to be bad with numbers if they did not provide the correct answer – which is that 10% is the same as 1 out of 10. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our analyses</a> found that people who answered incorrectly are often among the poorest in their country. Prior studies in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2010.02394.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5890.2007.00052.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Kingdom</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2016.02.011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Netherlands</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peru</a> had also found that people who are bad with numbers are financially worse off. But <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our analyses of the World Risk Poll</a> further showed that people who are bad with numbers find it harder to make ends meet, even if they are not poor. When we say that they found it harder to make ends meet, we mean that they reported on the poll that they found it difficult or very difficult to live on their current income, as opposed to living comfortably or getting by on their current income. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our analyses</a> also indicate that staying in school longer is related to better number ability. People with a high school degree tend to be better with numbers than people without a high school degree. And college graduates do even better. But even among college graduates there are people who are bad with numbers – and they struggle more financially. Of course, being good with numbers is not going to help you stretch your budget if you are very poor. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We found</a> that the relationship between number ability and struggling to make ends meet holds across the world, except in low-income countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda. <h2>Why it matters</h2> The ability to understand and use numbers is also called <a href="http://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190861094.001.0001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numeracy</a>. Numeracy is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1787/1f029d8f-en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">central to modern adult life</a> because numbers are everywhere. A lot of well-paying jobs involve working with numbers. People who are bad with numbers often perform worse in these jobs, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12873" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banking</a>. It can therefore be hard for people who are bad with numbers to <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1108/00400919710164125" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find employment and progress in their jobs</a>. People who are bad with numbers are less likely <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/39/19386.short" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to make good financial decisions</a>. Individuals who can’t compute how interest compounds over time <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2009.01518.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">save the least and borrow the most</a>. People with poor numerical skills are also more likely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.41.3.586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to take on high-cost debt</a>. If you’re bad with numbers, it is hard to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474747215000232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recognize</a> that paying the US$30 minimum payment on a credit card with a $3,000 balance and an annual percentage rate of 12% means it will never be paid off. <h2>What still isn’t known</h2> It is clear that people who are bad with numbers also tend to struggle financially. But we still need to explore whether teaching people math will help them to avoid financial problems. <h2>What’s next</h2> In her book “<a href="http://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190861094.001.0001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Innumeracy in the Wild</a>,” Ellen Peters, director of the Center for Science Communication Research at the University of Oregon, suggests that it is important for students to take math classes. American high school students who had to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.51.3.0113-5410R1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take more math courses</a> than were previously required had better financial outcomes later in life, such as avoiding bankruptcy and foreclosures. Successfully teaching numeracy also means helping students gain confidence in using numbers. People with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1903126116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low numerical confidence</a> experience bad financial outcomes, such as a foreclosure notice, independent of their numeric ability. This is because they may not even try to take on complex financial decisions. Numerical confidence can be boosted in different ways. Among American <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.41.3.586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elementary school children</a> who were bad with numbers, setting achievable goals led to better numerical confidence and performance. Among American <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180674" target="_blank" rel="noopener">undergraduate students</a>, a writing exercise that affirmed their positive values improved their numerical confidence and performance. Other important next steps are to find out whether training in numeracy can also be provided to adults, and whether training in numeracy improves the financial outcomes of people who do not live in high-income countries. <div> This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-who-are-bad-with-numbers-often-find-it-harder-to-make-ends-meet-even-if-they-are-not-poor-172272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Money & Banking

New film’s heartwarming tribute to Chadwick Boseman

The new Netflix film The Harder They Fall has made a sweet tribute to the late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. The neo-Western film based on real-life historical figures is one of the few with an all-Black main cast, including several stars who worked alongside Boseman such as Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, and Delroy Lindo. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVelBktqO6T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVelBktqO6T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by THE HARDER THEY FALL (@thehardertheyfallnetflixfilm)</a> </div> </blockquote> Boseman is best known for playing T’challa, or Black Panther, in several movies and episodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also portrayed a series of Black historical figures, including American lawyer and civil rights activist Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. After being diagnosed with colon cancer four years prior, Boseman passed away in August last year. One of Netflix’s official Twitter accounts, Strong Black Lead, revealed the special tribute to the actor in The Harder They Fall. “Our favourite trivia from The Harder They Fall might be the fact that the train is named after our forever king, Chadwick Aaron Boseman,” the caption read, accompanying a still of the train. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Our favorite trivia from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHarderTheyFall?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheHarderTheyFall</a> might be the fact that the train is named after our forever king, Chadwick Aaron Boseman. 🖤 <a href="https://t.co/wahEALnftR">pic.twitter.com/wahEALnftR</a> — Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) <a href="https://twitter.com/strongblacklead/status/1455942907165298695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote> The train featured in the film is called “C.A. Boseman”, after Boseman’s full name. Fans were quick to share their approval of the tribute and their feelings towards the late actor. “Now I’m crying. Thank you,” one commenter wrote. “What a befitting tribute to a king. Continue to rest in power and peace, Chadwick Boseman,” another said. “A beautiful dedication to a fabulous actor,” a third commented. After filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Harder They Fall was finally released in October this year. Image: @chadwickboseman / Instagram

Movies

"Every day is getting harder": Cleo Smith's mother makes new plea

Ellie Smith has put out yet another heart-wrenching plea for the safe return of her daughter, Cleo. As Halloween celebrations came and went, with children across WA trick or treating, Ms Smith said her family missed the four-year-old more than ever. “Every day is getting harder without my shining bright light,” she said on Instagram. “Today she missed Halloween with her family – her cousins, aunties, uncles, nannas and pop but most of all her parents and baby sister. She needs us and we need her.” “I need my baby girl home, please I beg you! “If you have ANYONE acting suspicious PLEASE CALL if you’ve seen her, CALL! “If you have any important information CALL!” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVsoojbBLyY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVsoojbBLyY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ellie Smith (@elliejaydee23)</a> </div> </blockquote> Ms Smith signed off with the emergency number 1800 333 000. Little Cleo has not been seen since she vanished from the family’s tent more than two weeks ago in the early hours of Saturday, October 16. Despite an extensive search and ongoing investigation, there appear to be no suspects of her abduction.

Family & Pets

Paying off a home loan used to be easier than it looked. It’s now harder. Here’s why

So you think it’s the right time to dive in and buy a home. I can’t tell you you’re wrong. I can tell you it would have been better to do it before prices began soaring, and that if they keep soaring it will get worse still. When the year began, the typical Sydney price was <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/corelogic-december-home-value-indices">$872,000</a>. Five months later at the start of June it is <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/australias-housing-boom-rolls-national-home-values-lifting-another-22-may">$970,000</a>. That’s a jump of almost $100,000 in a matter of months — an awfully big price for procrastinating. In Melbourne the typical price has climbed from $682,000 to $740,500. In Perth it has climbed from $471,000 to $521,500, and so on. And banks are beginning to withdraw the cheapest of their still-very-cheap mortgage rates, at this stage mainly the fixed four-year rates which had been below <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/house-hunters-facing-rising-fixed-mortgage-rates-with-further-hikes-expected-1054965/">2%</a>. So why on earth wouldn’t you dive in, cut your living expenses to the bare minimum and try and buy a home while it’s the least bit possible? One (slight) reason to relax is mortgage rates. Despite the increases in fixed four-year rates, three-year rates have barely moved. That’s because the Reserve Bank has promised to hold the three-year bond rate <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2021/mr-21-09.html">constant</a> at 0.1%. <h2>Buying has become a bigger commitment</h2> The three-year bond rate determines the cost to banks of their three-year fixed rate mortgages. The Reserve Bank has said it does not expect to lift its 0.1% cash rate until “2024 at the earliest”. Movements in the cash rate determine movements in variable mortgage rates. But there is another reason for proceeding with caution and taking stock. For our parents, buying a home was an exceptionally good deal, not only because homes were cheaper — until the end of the 1990s homes typically cost between two and three times household after-tax income, they now cost closer to five — but also because over time the loan became easier to pay off. Housing prices as proportion of household disposable income <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394394/original/file-20210411-15-8ofvv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394394/original/file-20210411-15-8ofvv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Household disposable income after tax, before the deduction of interest payments, including income of unincorporated enterprises. <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/chart-pack/pdf/chart-pack.pdf" class="source">Core Logic, ABS, RBA</a> <hr /> That isn’t because mortgage rates were coming down — at times they were going up — it’s because during our parents’ times wages (and prices) were climbing. It meant that even if someone of our parents’ generation just squeaked through one of the bank’s tests about their ability to make payments on a mortgage, a few years and lots of inflation and several big wage rises down the track those mortgage payments shrank compared to everything else. <h2>Once, wage rises took care of repayments</h2> Many of our parents paid off their mortgages early. One way to look at this is that the bank’s ability-to-repay calculators were set too harshly. They failed to account for future hefty wage rises and inflation. It’s probably also true that they were set more generously than they might have been in an implicit acknowledgement of what the assistant governor in charge of the Reserve Bank’s economic branch Luci Ellis calls “<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2006/2006-12/global-trends.html">mortgage tilt</a>”. The former governor, Glenn Stevens, used another term, “<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/1997/sp-ag-081097.html">front-end loading</a>”. <h2>Mortgages were ‘front-end loaded’</h2> When inflation was high, and as a consequence interest rates were high, wages that climbed rapidly with high inflation made the servicing burden “most acute in the very early phase of a loan, falling over time”. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403719/original/file-20210601-21-11ru9r3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403719/original/file-20210601-21-11ru9r3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/1997/oct/pdf/bu-1097-6.pdf" class="source">Reserve Bank of Australia, October 1997</a> On a graph (and the former governor presented a graph) the line showing payments as a portion of income tilts down over time. In a world of lower inflation and interest rates, the tilt becomes flatter. By now (Stevens published the graph in 1997) the line must be near horizontal. If wage growth remains near the <a href="https://twitter.com/1petermartin/status/1399520798734389250/photo/1">record lows</a> the treasury is forecasting it will become scarcely any easier to make payments on a home loan over time. Yet the banks are still handing out loans using the sort of formulas they used to. If you get a loan you’ll be assessed as being able to (just) make the payments as always, but you’ll be denied the near certainty of being able to more easily meet the payments as time goes on. <h2>Now, we retire mortgaged</h2> This is a different from the risk you’ll also run of today’s ultra-low mortgage rates climbing (which banks do take into account in deciding whether to give you a loan). The proportion of homeowners reaching retirement age while still paying off their mortgage has doubled in 20 years. Which might be why some banks ask for details of your super before granting you a loan. It isn’t an idle inquiry. Might things get better? Maybe, if we can get wages moving again. Evidence given to Tuesday’s post-budget Senate estimate hearing provides cause for hope, and despair. <h2>Super hikes will make things worse</h2> The budget forecasts for wage growth over the next four financial years are incredibly low — 1.5%, 2.25%, 2.5% and 2.75% On Tuesday Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy revealed that each would have been higher — 0.4 points higher — had the government not persisted with the five scheduled annual increases in compulsory superannuation contributions of 0.5% of salary starting in July. The treasury believes each increase will slice 0.4 percentage points from wage growth, on the basis that employers, who are legally required to pay the contributions, will have to find the money somewhere. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403717/original/file-20210601-17-qwhi6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403717/original/file-20210601-17-qwhi6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2021-22/content/bp1/download/bp1_bs1.pdf" class="source">Commonwealth budget, 2021-22</a> It’s the same conclusion reached by the government’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/that-extra-youre-about-to-get-in-super-most-of-it-will-come-from-you-but-dont-expect-the-ads-to-tell-you-that-154723">retirement incomes review</a>. It’s cause for hope because it means that when those five increases stop (in mid-2026, or sooner if the government stops them mid-track) wages might be able to grow more strongly. It’s cause for despair because if the treasury is right, we are denying ourselves wage rises we could use in return for super we will increasingly use to pay down our mortgages.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161873/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/paying-off-a-home-loan-used-to-be-easier-than-it-looked-its-now-harder-heres-why-161873">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Real Estate

"You've just made this even harder": Chris Hemsworth's body double reveals struggle

Chris Hemsworth's body double has revealed he's eating seven meals a day to try and keep up with the Hollywood heart throb's size. Bobbly Holland Hanton has revealed the Thor actor is making his life harder as his size keeps growing by the day. “Everyone is like ‘Wow look at the size and him’ and I’m like yeah that’s brilliant, I’m that guy’s double’, so I text him, I’m like, ‘Thanks very much dude, you've just made this even harder’,” he told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa. “I train with him a lot, we train all the time, we’re on the same diet regime and training. “He’s the biggest though he’s ever been so I have to be the biggest I’ve ever been which is a challenge but I’m up for it.” Hemsworth eats seven meals a day and they need to be the right meals at the right time, which means his stunt double has to do the same. “Every two hours we are eating, it’s become a chore, I don’t enjoy eating at all, every two hours it’s like get calories in, training twice a day, it’s full on,” he told the show. “We’re training so much, we are packing on so much size, it’s difficult on the body. “I find carrying around the extra weight is difficult and hard to maintain on the ligaments.” The pair first worked together on Thor: The Dark World in 2013 and have gone on to feature in several movies together. Becoming close friends, Holland Hanton has previously said Hemsworth is like family.

Body

Life in lockdown has shown us our houses need to work harder for us

As we’ve been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/how-do-teenagers-live-in-quarantine-photo-essay">living more closely</a> with families and house mates through COVID-19, the more intensive ways we’ve used our houses has perhaps exposed some of their shortcomings. Households have had relative freedom to interact with each other, but the <a href="https://theconversation.com/teens-are-wired-to-resent-being-stuck-with-parents-and-cut-off-from-friends-during-coronavirus-lockdown-136435">continual presence of our household</a> has also made us wish part of our house could somehow partition itself into another house – a <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/EPI/2009/364/part2/div2">second house</a> where we might retreat. Having to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/mar/13/covid-19-could-cause-permanent-shift-towards-home-working">work</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-16/coronavirus-home-school-how-australian-parents-are-coping/12152790">school from home</a> has highlighted the need for the spaces we share to be more flexible. Occasionally, we need to be able to separate home spaces from each other. We’ve perhaps opportunistically <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-28/coronavirus-could-reshape-how-australians-work-forever/12097124">repurposed furniture</a>, made makeshift rooms and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/mar/22/bbc-hosts-improvise-home-studios-covid-19">stuffed blankets under locked doors</a> in an attempt to renegotiate territories within our house. But working in a home office or studio, finding independence as families grow and age, or being able to accommodate extended family and friends, are also usual ways we live in houses. Having a second smaller house, within or attached to the main house, would allow these ways of living to happen in happier ways. How small a house? A small house can be designed to feel more spacious than its small floor area suggests. They can make good use of <a href="https://architectureau.com/articles/cairo-apartment/">gardens</a>, <a href="https://assemblepapers.com.au/2018/04/05/big-messy-courtyard-micro-yuaner/">courtyards</a> and <a href="https://thelocalproject.com.au/galleries/gallery-of-islington-park-addition-by-curious-practice-the-local-project-newcastle-nsw-australia/attachment/islington-park-addition-by-curious-practice-in-newcastle-nsw-australia-11/?parent=34366">leftover space</a> around a house; use <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/02/05/tiny-apartment-little-design-taipei-taiwan-micro-home/?li_source=LI&li_medium=bottom_block_1">furniture</a> and storage walls to make a <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/07/16/3500-milimetre-home-ago-architects-indonesia-skinny-house/?li_source=LI&li_medium=bottom_block_1">small room more usable</a>; use well-designed windows to provide natural light, ventilation and views; and use the <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/03/love2-house-takeshi-hosaka-micro-home-tokyo/">volume within a roof</a> for light and a sense of space. Some larger houses might already be organised well enough to effectively have a second house within them. But, in the context of regulatory approvals, this is where it begins to get tricky. Separate to the ways we might use our home, a house is also defined through legislation. Depending on where you live in Australia, it will be defined in subtly different ways. In <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/EPI/2006/155a/whole%23/part1/cl1.4">New South Wales</a>, a house is simply a room, or series of rooms, capable of being used as a home. While not describing what those rooms might be used for, <a href="https://www.lindsaytaylorlawyers.com.au/in_focus/unlawful-use-of-a-dwelling/">case law</a> suggests a house needs to at least maintain the facilities of a bathroom, a kitchen and a place to sleep. If these rooms were able to gain independent access to the street, they would then meet the legislative definition of a house. However, to be approved as a second house it would also need to comply with other legislative and <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/EPI/2009/364/part2/div2">planning</a> policies. These requirements can be complex and layered, as they interact with other <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/">codes</a>, but it’s the lot size of your property that will have the greatest effect on whether you’re allowed to have a second house. If you want to avoid the discretion of your local council assessing a development application that is outside <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/EPI/2009/364/part2/div2/cl22">minimum planning requirements</a>, your house (at least in NSW), will need to sit on more than 450 square metres of land. That’s substantially more than both most inner-city lots and <a href="https://udia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/State-of-the-Land-2020_web.pdf">newly released</a> greenfield lots in Australia. That second house might be further away than you’d thought. The second house and the affordability crisis The flexibility for individual land owners to determine how their household lives within their house, and how they might contribute to making houses more affordable, has been given over to those who already own relatively large blocks of land. Those with smaller, more affordable lots are effectively prevented from leveraging the potential of their house as this type of asset. Those with more to spend on housing also stand to gain the most. Having <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/if-australians-want-cheaper-housing-we-have-to-build-more-of-it/">more houses</a> in places where we want to live, and in ways that maintain the character of those places, are critical ways of sustaining communities. The small size (20-50 square metres) of a second house often has little impact on the appearance of a house. And because they’re accommodating an existing household, they also have little impact on car parking. Rooms within houses can be made to work harder for the <a href="https://au.phaidon.com/agenda/architecture/articles/2016/january/14/why-2016s-pritzker-winner-makes-half-built-houses/">families they hold</a>, while the often wasted open space down the side of a house can be activated as courtyards and bathrooms. As a second house is on the same land title as the primary house, it can’t be sold as a separate house like a <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Policy-and-Legislation/Housing/Medium-Density-Housing/Design-Guides-for-Low-Rise-Medium-Density">duplex</a> might – it isn’t a commodity in itself. This positions the second house as a fundamental way of affordably meeting multiple needs: <ul> <li>the lack of houses in urban areas at street level</li> <li><a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australians-to-have-the-choice-of-growing-old-at-home-here-is-what-needs-to-change-91488">ageing in place</a></li> <li>social cohesion</li> <li>the confidence Australians should have in well-designed small houses.</li> </ul> As we begin to move out of our pandemic-related home-stays, perhaps the ways we’ve been intensively using our houses will linger a bit longer. And perhaps we’ll be in a better position to more seriously ask our house how it might also become a second. The broader question, of course, is for our various levels of government: why not allow small houses on small lots to help with the <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/housing-affordability-re-imagining-the-australian-dream/">housing affordability crisis</a>? Written by Chris Tucker. Republished with permission <a href="https://theconversation.com/life-in-lockdown-has-shown-us-our-houses-need-to-work-harder-for-us-138307">of The Conversation</a>.

Caring

Will winter make it harder to battle COVID-19?

It may not be upon us just yet, but the Australian winter might make it more difficult to fight off COVID-19, according to one of the country’s leading infectious disease experts. Although flu’s peak time is from June to August, it’s concerning that we’ve already seen the infection spread rapidly while the weather is still warm, says Adelaide University Professor Michael Beard. “So what’s going to happen in winter? It could be worse,” he told AAP. “We just don’t know, but there are some concerns.” One is that the saliva and mucus droplets we cough up and sneeze out are smaller in winter, which means they more deeply penetrate the lungs of anyone who breath them in. It’s not good news if they’re infected. Mucus is 98 per cent water so it’s instead allowed to dry out, it can produce that crusty kind of nasal obstruction we’re all occasionally familiar with, which also allows pathogens to get trapped in our airways. One place that has a high likelihood for this to happen is indoors, when heaters are blasting or fires are roaring. However, when outdoors in the cold, the nose and lungs can have a decreased response to virus infection. So that could be another potential problem. Professor Beard says perhaps his main concern moving into the Australian Winter is “how this coronavirus is going to interface with influenza virus infection. “I would urge people to get their flu vaccinations.” Australian’s have been told that social distancing measures could last as long as two years, with people being forced to stay at home well after Christmas. Issuing a warning on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Aussies can expect six months of stringent social distancing measures as the national infection rate dropped to under 10 per cent. But infectious disease expert Professor Peter Collignon said COVID-19’s seasonal nature meant the number of cases may not reduce significantly until spring. “You know what the bad news is? We’re going to have to do a lot of this social distancing for another 18 months to two years,” said Professor Collignon. “This virus is not going to go anywhere soon. We’ll have a reprieve next spring because there’s less transmission of viruses in summer.” He added the virus would continue to have an effect in Australia until a cure is found.

News

We groom dogs in our own image: the cuter they are the harder we fall

Australians are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-love-their-pets-so-why-dont-more-public-places-welcome-them-112062">slightly obsessed</a> with our dogs. But are we obsessed enough to watch a reality doggy makeover show? The reality makeover concept has a long history, from Top Model to the Biggest Loser to Backyard Blitz. Now on <a href="https://7plus.com.au/pooch-perfect">Pooch Perfect</a>, hosted by Rebel Wilson, groomers will compete to see who does the best makeover for dogs: the first reality makeover competition to feature our best friends. At the heart of this show will be the cute factor. This got us thinking: what is it that makes something cute and who gets to decide what cuteness is? And why does cuteness tug at our heartstrings so strongly? Cute as a button Certain traits are believed to make something or someone cute. Ethologist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Lorenz">Konrad Lorenz</a> noted people generally find infant-like characteristics cute: big, wide-set eyes; a round face; small nose and mouth; and a large head. He argued traits like these make us feel protective: we are willing to do whatever it takes to keep our cute children safe until they develop enough to look after themselves. One argument is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0162309599800014">pets piggyback on this tendency</a>, with their cuteness inspiring us to care for them. Certainly, we often treat pets like children and consider them to be <a href="https://animalmedicinesaustralia.org.au/report/pet-ownership-in-australia-2013/">members of the family</a>. Researchers have tried to understand more about what draws us to our pets, and whether cuteness is an important feature. We do have confirmation <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303709X434194?casa_token=WW35yPkYA2gAAAAA:eRdF1GlwWAqjrSTL-keLAi4fL42mR-8XvyM1ecYXQtu0rlPPu3U9tIGh5Ro5tVAY4u3Y83wlx23PAHg">dogs look like their owners</a>, at least insofar as research participants can successfully match dogs with owners based solely on a photograph. However, they can do the same with <a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/1614-0001.27.1.38">cars</a>, so perhaps instead of looking like their owner, both cars and dogs exhibit features we associate with a certain type of person, allowing us to guess on that basis. The ties that bind Whether dogs look like us or not, they obviously reflect something important about us. Does dog cuteness matter even beyond this reflection of ourselves? <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2015.1069992?casa_token=qo5KM5NHkjAAAAAA:DIzFaZhtK2sYz31ZKGiJuQ3z9xC7hIOxmphb6k-Wsdw26UXtj7etNtnEM09FGF1ap-XTQ1tK3uy2f1Y">We found</a> owners who think their dog is very cute are more likely to feel a strong bond with their dog. In the same study, some participants sent us a photo of their dog. We then asked strangers to rate the cuteness of the dogs and to judge the dog’s personality from the image. Dogs that were rated as cuter by strangers were also believed to be friendlier and more trainable. However, when comparing owner and stranger ratings of cuteness, we found nearly all owners think their dog is cuter than strangers do. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, after all! What does this have to do with dog grooming? Well, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/089279315X14129350722217?casa_token=20dx3dGDkA4AAAAA:BgdaxZpWH7EP5xHyv8GeCx4y_z_NAXoik3rQd0ALd468Fe_-Aqk_d0XN5hvKI47kXUwHK7lNXE78mgA">a 2015 study</a> asked people to rate which out of two dog photos they liked best. The photos were identical except for almost imperceptible changes that made one dog appear slightly cuter or more human-like. To increase cuteness, researchers made the dog’s eyes larger, the jowls smaller, or increased the space between the eyes. To make the dog more human-like, they applied colour to the dog’s irises, or gave the dog a visible smile. People typically preferred the dogs with cuter or more human-like traits. The dog groomers on Pooch Perfect appear to instinctively understand this. The difference between the “before” and “after” shots of the dog makeovers is the eyes look bigger (or are made visible at all!), and they look more human with the addition of accessories such as pretty bows. Dogs reflect something about us, and some of us care enough about what our dog looks like to go on a reality TV show to get the dog a makeover. Do you prefer a perfectly groomed dog? Maybe you want to project an image of elegance. Do you like scruffy and unkempt? That says something else. Perhaps you have no interest in what your dog looks like: just like your dog, physical appearance isn’t your top priority and feeling safe probably is. A cautionary note to end on, then, is we must keep animal welfare top of mind. It’s fine to make over a dog who enjoys it, but let’s not cause dogs stress just for the sake of entertainment. All dogs are wonderful because they are dogs, and we should love and protect them regardless of how successful their latest makeover is. Written by Tiffani J. Howell and Pauleen Bennett. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-groom-dogs-in-our-own-image-the-cuter-they-are-the-harder-we-fall-132255">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

My Health Record: Why deleting your personal information is harder than it sounds

Robert Merkel is a lecturer in Software Engineering at Monash University. Since the period for opting out of My Health Record began on July 16, experts in health, privacy and IT have raised concerns about the security and privacy protections of the system, and the legislation governing its operation. Now federal health minister Greg Hunt has <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2018-hunt100.htm">announced</a> two key changes to the system. First, the legislation will be amended to explicitly require a court order for any documents to be released to a law enforcement agency. Second, the system will be modified to allow the permanent deletion of records: In addition, the Government will also amend Labor’s 2012 legislation to ensure if someone wishes to cancel their record they will be able to do so permanently, with their record deleted from the system. But while this sounds like a simple change, permanently and completely deleting information from IT systems is anything but straightforward. Systems designed for retention, not deletion The My Health Record database is designed for the long-term retention of important information. Most IT systems designed for this purpose are underpinned by the assumption that the risk of losing information – through a hardware fault, programming mistake, or operator error – should be extremely low. The exact details of how My Health Record data is protected from data loss are not public. But there are several common measures that systems like it incorporate to greatly reduce the risks. At a most basic level, “deletion” of a record stored in a database is often implemented simply by marking a record as deleted. That’s akin to deleting something on paper by drawing a thin line through it. The software can be programmed to ignore any such deleted records, but the underlying record is still present in the database – and can be retrieved by an administrator with unfettered permissions to access the database directly. This approach means that if an operator error or software bug results in an incorrect deletion, repairing the damage is straightforward. Furthermore, even if data is actually deleted from the active database, it can still be present in backup “snapshots” that contain the complete database contents at some particular moment in time. Some of these backups will be retained – untouched and unaltered – for extended periods, and will only be accessible to a small group of IT administrators. Zombie records Permanent and absolute deletion of a record in such a system will therefore be a challenge. If a user requests deletion, removing their record from the active database will be relatively straightforward (although even this has some complications), but removing them from the backups is not. If the backups are left unaltered, we might wonder in what circumstances the information in those backups would be made accessible. If, by contrast, the archival backups are actively and irrevocably modified to permit deletion, those archival backups are at high risk of other modifications that remove or modify wanted data. This would defeat the purpose of having trusted archival backups. Backups and the GDPR's 'right to be forgotten' The problem of deleting personal information and archival backups has been raised in the context of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/justice-and-fundamental-rights/data-protection/2018-reform-eu-data-protection-rules_en">GDPR</a>). This new EU-wide law greatly strengthens privacy protections surrounding use of personal information in member states. The “right to erasure” or “right to be forgotten” – <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/art-17-gdpr/">Article 17</a> of the GDPR – states that organisations storing the personal information of EU citizens “shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay” in certain circumstances. How this obligation will be met in the context of standard data backup practices is an interesting question, to say the least. While the legal aspects of this question are beyond my expertise, from a technical perspective, there is no easy general-purpose solution for the prompt deletion of individual records from archived data. In an <a href="https://www.acronis.com/en-us/blog/posts/backups-and-gdpr-right-be-forgotten-recommendations">essay</a> posted to their corporate website, data backup company Acronis proposes that companies should be transparent about what will happen to the backups of customers who request that records be deleted: [while] primary instances of their data in production systems will be erased with all due speed … their personal data may reside in backup archives that must be retained for a longer period of time – either because it is impractical to isolate individual personal data within the archive, or because the controller is required to retain data longer for contractual, legal or compliance reasons. Who might access those backups? Data stored on archival backups, competently administered, will not be available to health professionals. Nor will they be available to run-of-the-mill hackers who might steal a practitioner’s credentials to gain illicit access to My Health Record. But it’s not at all clear whether law enforcement bodies, or anyone else, could potentially access a deleted record if they are granted access to archival backups by the system operator. Under amended legislation, such access would undoubtedly require a court order. Nevertheless, were it to be permitted, access to a deleted record under these circumstances would be contrary to the general expectation that when a record is deleted, it is promptly, completely and irrevocably deleted, with no prospect of retrieval. Time required to work through the details In my view, more information on the deletion process, and any legislative provisions surrounding deleted records, needs to be made public. This will allow individuals to make an informed choice on whether they are comfortable with the amended security and privacy provisions. Getting this right will take time and extensive expert and public consultation. It is very difficult to imagine how this could take place within the opt-out period, even taking into account the <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/ehealth-records-opt-out-period-extended/news-story/d245f3601ee494959b854eb9b8c8ae15">one-month extension</a> just announced by the minister. Given that, it would be prudent to pause the roll-out of My Health Record for a considerably longer period. This would permit the government to properly address the issues of record deletion, as well as the numerous other privacy and security concerns raised about the system. Written by Robert Merkel. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation. </a> <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100962/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Caring

Why it gets harder to sleep as we age

Jo Abbott is a Research Fellow and Health Psychologist at Swinburne University of Technology. Imogen Rehm is a PhD Candidate at Swinburne University of Technology. Getting a good night’s sleep can be challenging, especially as we age. About <a href="http://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/foc.7.1.foc98" target="_blank">half of all older adults</a> report sleeping difficulties. This can make them more likely to experience physical or mental health conditions, memory problems, and falls, due to poor balance. Older adults also have <a href="http://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/foc.7.1.foc98" target="_blank">less deep sleep</a> than younger people and their sleep is more easily interrupted. As we age, our body clock or “<a href="http://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/foc.7.1.foc98" target="_blank">circadian rhythms</a>” change. We have a less consistent pattern of feeling sleepy and awake. We also feel sleepy earlier in the evenings and wake up earlier in the mornings. Medical conditions commonly experienced in later life, and the medication used to treat, them can also <a href="http://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/foc.7.1.foc98" target="_blank">interfere</a> with sleep. Treatments for sleeping difficulties include medication for short-term relief and psychological treatments such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-insomnia-and-what-can-you-do-about-it-36365" target="_blank">cognitive behaviour therapy</a> (CBT). CBT helps people to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that contribute to poor sleep. While CBT is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451764" target="_blank">very effective</a> for clinically diagnosed insomnia, not everyone with milder sleeping difficulties needs such an intensive treatment. For some people, sleep quality can be improved by learning <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1983-33264-001" target="_blank">relaxation</a> to reduce physical tension and worry. Another approach that is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18005910" target="_blank">showing promise</a> for improving sleep is to learn mindfulness. What is mindfulness? <a href="https://theconversation.com/meditation-mindfulness-and-mind-emptiness-21291" target="_blank">Mindfulness</a> involves deliberately focusing on what we are experiencing, thinking or feeling in the present moment, without negatively judging our experiences. We can learn mindfulness by becoming more aware of where we are focusing our attention. Mindfulness is the opposite to absentmindedness or being on “auto pilot”, like when you read a book and realise you haven’t paid attention to what was written on the last few pages because you were distracted by planning tomorrow’s activities. Mindfulness also involves deliberately focusing on things we don’t normally pay much attention to. You may have experienced mindfulness when you’ve listened intently to a favourite piece of music and deliberately turned your attention to the sound of just one instrument. How can mindfulness help sleep? The findings of a <a href="http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2110998" target="_blank">recently published research study</a>, led by David Black from the University of Southern California, suggest that practising mindfulness might be particularly helpful for improving sleep quality in adults aged 55 years or older with mild sleeping difficulties. The mindfulness program involved taking part in six two-hour group classes and between five and 20 minutes a day of home practice. The researchers found that adults who completed a structured mindfulness program showed greater improvements in sleep quality than adults who completed a program that taught them good “<a href="http://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/fact-sheets-a-z/187-good-sleep-habits.html" target="_blank">sleep hygiene</a>” habits. Counter-intuitively, the way that mindfulness may influence sleep is not directly through relaxation, because mindfulness is about waking the body up and becoming more aware. By learning to become more aware of present-moment experiences, we learn not to react to thoughts and worries that can interfere with sleep. We still don’t know exactly how much and what type of mindfulness practice is needed before a person notices improvements to their sleep. But research suggests that regular practice activates the <a href="http://monash.edu/counselling/docs/what-is-mindfulness.pdf" target="_blank">parts of the brain</a> that help us experience our environment through our senses rather than through thoughts and worries. Tips for practising mindfulness Practise mindfulness regularly, in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. It’s best to learn mindfulness outside of the bedroom because to learn the skill, you first need to learn to pay more attention to your present-moment experiences rather than to go to sleep. There are a number of ways to start to practising mindfulness: <ul> <li>Listen to a mindfulness meditation CD, MP4 audio or a mindfulness app</li> <li>Take part in activities that encourage mindfulness, such as yoga, pilates, walking, tai chi or running</li> <li>Undertake daily activities, such as cleaning your teeth or washing the dishes, in a mindful way by focusing on the experience of doing the activity</li> <li>Enjoy the experience of eating in a mindful way by using all of your senses and keeping your attention on the food.</li> </ul> Try not to pressure yourself to get the hang of mindfulness straight away. The goal of mindfulness it to not judge your experiences. If you notice your attention straying you can gently bring your attention to what you are focusing on, such as your breath. Do you agree with this advice? Written by Jo Abbott and Imogen Rehm. Republished with permission of <a href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.<img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/37756/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/>

Mind

Why it's harder to poo on holidays

There are some things that we are all comfortable talking about, including the weather and house prices. But then there are other topics that can feel off limits, such as, “Why do I get constipated when I go on holidays?” But fear not, because GP Dr Ginni Mansberg is happy to answer any of these tricky questions. Speaking to <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/2018/01/18/15/39/why-do-i-get-constipated-on-holidays">9Honey</a>’s Shelly Horton, Dr Mansberg explained that there are four main reasons that we tend to get backed up on holidays. <ol> <li>“We all get really dehydrated when we’re travelling,” Dr Mansberg begins. “Particularly on a long-haul flight ... because, let’s face it, plane toilets are revolting. Who wants to go to one? So, you tend not to drink too much, and then you get constipated.” Be sure to keep your water intake up, and take it easy on alcohol as it actually dehydrates you.</li> <li>“Your plane food sucks. Basically, it’s revolting. You eat all the crappy deserts that you would never ever have at any other time. You could actually take some high fibre foods with you. Things like dried fruit, nuts, a carrot or mandarin,” advises Dr Mansberg.</li> <li>“You’re sitting like a couch potato. You’re stuck in that little chair for so long. If you’re not moving, your bowels are not moving either,” she explains. Take regular strolls around the plane, and do a few gentle exercises or yoga poses to keep your body moving.</li> <li>“For the vast majority of us, we have a psychological aversion to toilets, particularly on planes but also elsewhere. Once you stop pooping, you kind of get on a roll. All of us have got to get over our toilet phobia,” Dr Mansberg adds.</li> </ol> However, if you do all the right things but you know you still might get constipated, Dr Mansberg recommends you come armed with a stool softener to use rather than a laxative. Laxatives, she says, are “sort of chemical irritants for the bowel, and they tend to get you into a vicious cycle”. A stool softener, on the other hand, is gentler on your digestive system. Have you got any plane food horror stories? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

Travel Tips

Why losing a dog can be harder than losing a loved one

Frank T. McAndrew is a professor of psychology at Knox College and a blogger for Psychology Today. Recently, my wife and I went through one of the more excruciating experiences of our lives – the euthanasia of our beloved dog, Murphy. I remember making eye contact with Murphy moments before she took her last breath – she flashed me a look that was an endearing blend of confusion and the reassurance that everyone was ok because we were both by her side. When people who have never had a dog see their dog-owning friends mourn the loss of a pet, they probably think it’s all a bit of an overreaction; after all, it’s “just a dog.” However, those who have loved a dog know the truth: Your own pet is never “just a dog.” Many times, I’ve had friends guiltily confide to me that they grieved more over the loss of a dog than over the loss of friends or relatives. <a href="http://www.ehbonline.org/article/S0162-3095(99)80001-4/abstract" target="_blank">Research has confirmed</a> that for most people, the loss of a dog is, in almost every way, comparable to the loss of a human loved one. Unfortunately, there’s little in our cultural playbook – no grief rituals, no obituary in the local newspaper, no religious service – to help us get through the loss of a pet, which can make us feel more than a bit <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9467927/Why-like-Ben-Fogle-are-we-embarrassed-to-show-grief-over-our-dead-pets.html" target="_blank">embarrassed to show too much public grief over our dead dogs</a>. Perhaps if people realised just how strong and intense the bond is between people and their dogs, such grief would become more widely accepted. This would greatly help dog owners to integrate the death into their lives and help them move forward. An interspecies bond like no other What is it about dogs, exactly, that make humans bond so closely with them? For starters, dogs have had to adapt to living with humans over the past 10,000 years. And they’ve done it very well: They’re the only animal to have evolved specifically to be our companions and friends. <a href="http://brianhare.net/" target="_blank">Anthropologist Brian Hare</a> has developed the “Domestication Hypothesis” to explain how dogs morphed from their grey wolf ancestors into the socially skilled animals that we now interact with in very much the same way as we interact with other people. Perhaps one reason our relationships with dogs can be even more satisfying than our human relationships is that dogs provide us with such unconditional, uncritical positive feedback. (<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/155/0/13618223/il_340x270.1142491229_fvka.jpg" target="_blank">As the old saying goes</a>, “May I become the kind of person that my dog thinks I already am.”) This is no accident. They have been selectively bred through generations to pay attention to people, and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201608/do-your-dog-love-you-more-food" target="_blank">MRI scans show</a> that dog brains respond to praise from their owners just as strongly as they do to food (and for some dogs, praise is an even more effective incentive than food). Dogs recognise people and can learn to interpret human emotional states <a href="http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/25/5/339.full" target="_blank">from facial expression alone</a>. Scientific studies also indicate that dogs can understand human intentions, <a href="http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/25/5/322.full" target="_blank">try to help their owners</a> and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201508/dogs-avoid-people-who-are-not-cooperative-their-owners" target="_blank">even avoid people</a> who don’t cooperate with their owners or treat them well. Not surprisingly, humans respond positively to such unrequited affection, assistance and loyalty. Just looking at dogs <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201609/just-looking-dog-can-make-you-smile">can make people smile</a>. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201607/stop-the-presses-dog-owners-are-happier">Dog owners score higher on measures of well-being</a> and they are happier, on average, than people who own cats or no pets at all. Like a member of the family Our strong attachment to dogs was subtly revealed in <a href="https://www.psychonomic.org/news/311582/Roll-calling-the-dog-but-not-the-cat.htm" target="_blank">a recent study</a> of “misnaming.” Misnaming happens when you call someone by the wrong name, like when parents mistakenly calls one of their kids by a sibling’s name. It turns out that the name of the family dog also gets confused with human family members, indicating that the dog’s name is being pulled from the same cognitive pool that contains other members of the family. (Curiously, the same thing rarely happens with cat names.) It’s no wonder dog owners miss them so much when they’re gone. <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/grieving-the-loss-of-a-pet/" target="_blank">Psychologist Julie Axelrod has pointed out</a> that the loss of a dog is so painful because owners aren’t just losing the pet. It could mean the loss of a source of unconditional love, a primary companion who provides security and comfort, and maybe even a protégé that’s been mentored like a child. The loss of a dog can also seriously disrupt an owner’s daily routine more profoundly than the loss of most friends and relatives. For owners, their daily schedules – even their vacation plans – can revolve around the needs of their pets. Changes in lifestyle and routine are <a href="http://www.simplypsychology.org/SRRS.html" target="_blank">some of the primary sources of stress</a>. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513816301088" target="_blank">According to a recent survey</a>, many bereaved pet owners will even mistakenly interpret ambiguous sights and sounds as the movements, pants and whimpers of the deceased pet. This is most likely to happen shortly after the death of the pet, especially among owners who had very high levels of attachment to their pets. While the death of a dog is horrible, dog owners have become so accustomed to the reassuring and nonjudgmental presence of their canine companions that, more often than not, they’ll eventually get a new one. So yes, I miss my dog. But I’m sure that I’ll be putting myself through this ordeal again in the years to come. Written by Frank T. McAndrew. First appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Family & Pets

How to make your skin care products work harder

Want to make your skin care products go the distance? Tip one Begin at the beginning by fine-turning your exfoliation routine. Dermatologist Amy Wechsler sums it up perfectly: "Think of the surface of the epidermis – those dead skin cells – as a barrier. You have to remove it for products to get in." Having said this though, know your skin's limits as over-exfoliating can do more damage than good. Here are some face-saving guidelines. To increase the skin's absorption levels you need a gentle daily two-pronged cleanser to remove dirt and oil from the skin with an added hydroxy acid base to increase absorption. Or go for manual exfoliation with a sonic skin cleansing brush. Tip two Apply your products in order with the most active first for best absorption. "Whatever product goes on first penetrates the best," says clinical nurse Kaye Scott from The Clinic. If you are targeting two different concerns like dehydration and dullness, apply a hydrating serum to bare skin in the morning after cleansing to tackle dryness and at night on bare clean skin apply a retinoid product for radiance. Then, smooth on other products from the finest to thickest in texture, like an antioxidant cream followed by an SPF 50+ sunscreen for day and night cream for night. Tip three Apply treatment products to warm, damp (but not wet) skin, as it will act like a sponge and quickly absorb whatever skin care goodies you apply to it. Ingredients will also interact with cells more quickly when the skin is warm. There is always an exception to every rule and that is: mineral-based sunscreen should be applied to dry skin as it works on the surface of the skin reflecting harmful UVA and UVB rays, rather than being absorbed. Tip four Combine products: a great example is sunscreen and antioxidants, a match made in heaven. Sunscreen absorbs UV rays while antioxidants neutralise free radicals that are created by the sun's rays. Top marks. Tip five Keep retinol products for after dark. These wrinkle busters and radiance boosters work their magic best at night. Skin temperature rises marginally as you sleep and blood flow to the skin increases, with this comes better absorption. This also works for other bedtime skin care ingredients. Remember, when you apply retinol products you must be vigilant about your sunscreen coverage during the day as you skin will be more photo sensitive. Get layering. Written by Stephanie Darling. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2017/02/how-to-reduce-spots-on-your-hands/">6 tips to reduce sun spots on hands</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2017/02/1-minute-anti-ageing-tricks/">1-minute anti-ageing tricks</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2017/02/you-can-now-buy-lipstick-with-wine-in-it/">You can now buy lipstick with wine in it</a>

Beauty & Style

Why some people take breakups harder than others

The world often seems divided into two groups of people; those who bounce back from a breakup and those who don’t. The reasoning behind this split has been a topic of interest for researchers who have been keen to uncover why some people are continually plagued by ghosts from their romantic past while others sail on through life with barely a scratch left behind. The loss of a partner or the disintegration of a relationship can make it very easy to fall into a negative head space where self-deprecation and incessant self-evaluation become common place. Research has found that when people are in a close relationship their self becomes intertwined with their partner’s self. Two halves of a whole so to speak. While this is completely normal relationship behavior, the demise of the relationship can cause some loss of self as partner’s battle to regain who they were before and who they are now, apart and aside from the person who was partnered up. The same research found that people reported the most prolonged distress after a romantic rejection when it caused damage to their self-image. When rejection is linked to self-esteem and self-image it somehow cuts deeper and can leave a lasting wound which can sometimes be carried into future relationships. Can a relationship breakup be healthy and possibly even productive? Separating breakups, breakdowns and rejection from the self is one of the best ways to survive a breakup with your sense of self in-tact. It’s important to consciously consider the stories we create and tell ourselves about the experience of breaking up. Creating a story where we learn from possible mistakes but also remain somewhat pragmatic appears to be the best way to move forward and most importantly, enter our next relationship with a healthy self-image. What did you find was most helpful when dealing with a breakup? Share your experiences with other Over60s in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/07/friends-the-key-to-long-and-healthy-life/">Friends are the key to a long and healthy life</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/07/attributes-only-your-old-friends-have/">Why old friends are often the best kind of friends</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/06/how-to-turn-an-acquaintance-into-a-friendship/">How to take a friendship to the next level</a>

Relationships

5 things we all do that make cleaning harder

One way to make endless amounts of cleaning look less intimidating, is to be sure that you’re cleaning in the most effective ways possible. Have you always grappled with streaky windows and excess mildew? Read on. Here are some things we do that make our cleaning harder 1. Using a feather duster As pretty and vintage as these may be, his tool only spreads filth from one surface to another. A microfiber cloth is your best bet. 2. Cleaning the windows when it’s sunny The heat from the sun will cause your cleaner to dry before you can wipe it up, leaving streaks and causing extra work for you to fix the marks. 3. Not letting tile cleaner sit Before wiping the grout between your tiles, let cleaner sit for a few minutes. This will let the formula soak in, which will soften and dissolve scum and stains and result in easier scrubbing for you. 4. Under-utilising the bathroom fan The easiest way to cut down on bathroom cleaning time? Flip on the switch to your exhaust fan before you shower and keep it running for 15 to 20 minutes afterwards. This will remove moisture and cut down on the mildew you'll have to clean later. 5. Spraying furniture directly When you spray furniture directly with cleaning products, it creates build-up that's tough to remove and attracts even more dust. Spray the cloth, not the surface. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/best-way-to-fold-fitted-sheet-video/">Best way to fold fitted sheet</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/5-foods-you-should-never-reheat/">5 foods you should never reheat</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/the-secret-to-keeping-your-whites-white/">The secret to keeping your whites white</a>

Home & Garden

Why do women have a harder time sleeping than men?

According to US Department of Health and Human Services, insomnia is more common in women than men, and there’s a few reasons why. For all the ladies out there, here’s what you can blame for your restless nights. 1. Hormones As you know, women have different levels of oestrogen and progesterone than men – and those levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, which doctors believe can affect your ability to fall and stay asleep. “Oestrogen works on several different neurotransmitter pathways that may have an impact on the regulation of sleep, and progesterone can have a hypnotic property,” says Dr Dianne Augelli, a sleep expert at the Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian. “Fluctuations in these hormones may have an effect on the circadian rhythm.” 2. Menopause The night sweats and hot flashes do make for uncomfortable sleeping, as well as the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea that significantly increases as women go through menopause. “Just like how women present with different heart-attack symptoms than men, women present with different symptoms of OSA than men. And insomnia can be one of those symptoms,” says Dr Augelli. 3. Stress Stressing about not sleeping can make the problem worse. Dr Augelli says, “It’s true there’s sort of a snowball effect — there’s an initial insult and then there’s sort of a stress phenomenon that follows that. Concern and worry and hyper vigilance about not sleeping can perpetuate it.” Instead of stressing about how you’re going to function tomorrow, try different relaxation strategies that distract you from the fact you’re not sleeping. Get out of bed and do something relaxing that doesn’t involve a screen, like reading a book or listening to music. 4. Your partner Michelle Drerup, a sleep psychologist and behavioural sleep medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Centre, says that in most cases when one person has insomnia, their partner rarely does as well. It means one person is blissfully asleep while the other is lying awake, frustrated that they can’t get to sleep. If you have a partner that disrupts your sleep – like snoring, twitching, or sleepwalking – Drerup suggests sleeping in a different room for a week as a test. If you find yourself falling asleep, talk to your partner about getting treatment or consider making the room change permanent. 5. Bad sleep hygiene The standard sleep-hygiene recommendations include sleeping at the same time every night, keeping the room dark and cool, not using devices before bed, and exercising, but not too close to bedtime. Source: New York Magazine Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/wellbeing/2015/08/cures-from-the-kitchen-cupboard/">8 kitchen cupboard cures for common ailments</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/wellbeing/2015/09/old-wives-tale-medical-advice/">Odd medical advice your mother probably told you</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/wellbeing/2015/09/monday-music-playlist/">Catchy songs to beat the Monday blues</a>

News

Climate change will hit Australia harder than the rest of the world

The national science agency CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology have released their most comprehensive forecast yet based on 40 global climate models, producing what they said was the most robust picture yet of how Australia’s climate would change.According to their predictions, Australia could be on track for a temperature rise of more than 5C by the end of the century, exceeding the rate of warming experienced by the rest of the world, unless radical action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.In the report it stated there was “very high confidence” that temperatures would rise across Australia throughout the century, with the average annual temperature set to be up to 1.3C warmer in 2030 compared with the average experienced between 1986 and 2005. In 2014, Australia experienced its third-warmest year on record, with 2013 its warmest year on record. These temperature projections for the end of the century depend on how deeply, if at all, greenhouse gas emissions are cut. According to the report, this “business-as-usual” approach to burning fossil fuels is set to cook Australia more than the rest of the world, which will average a temperature increase of 2.6C to 4.8C by 2090. Kevin Hennessy, a principal research scientist at the CSIRO, said it and the Bureau of Meteorology now had a greater confidence than ever in their forecasts of Australia’s climate. “We expect land areas to warm faster than ocean areas, and polar regions faster than the tropics,” Hennessy told Guardian Australia.“Australia will warm faster than the rest of the world,” Hennessy said. “Warming of 4C to 5C would have a very significant effect: there would be increases in extremely high temperatures, much less snow, more intense rainfall, more fires and rapid sea level rises.”“Achieving a intermediate, rather than higher, emissions path would require significant reductions in global greenhouse gases,” Hennessy said. “It’s difficult to say what will be achieved, there are a lot of negotiations to come in Paris. We hope there will be an agreement until 2050 at least, but who knows what will happen in the coming decades.”

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