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Big hair? Bald? How much difference your hair really makes to keep you cool or warm

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> We have <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-does-womens-hair-thin-out-39126">millions</a> of hair follicles on our body, including around 100,000 on our scalp. This might sound like a lot of hair, yet humans are described as “hairless”. We have evolved to be the only mammals with a relatively hairless body, but still with scalp hair. So how does your hair affect your body temperature when it’s hot or cold? Compared with other animals, our hair does not have as much influence on keeping us warm or cool as you might think. <h2>Essential to our survival</h2> Our brain function and body’s metabolism depend on an optimal temperature of around 37℃. Thermoregulation maintains this body temperature, even when we are exposed to a hotter or colder external temperature. For non-human mammals, body hair or fur plays a role in protecting against environmental cold or heat. For instance, a heavy fur coat helps keep a polar bear <a href="https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/adaptions-characteristics/">warm</a> in the cold. But fur also keeps an animal cool in the heat because it can <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25064866">absorb or reflect</a> radiant heat. Scientists think this is why humans have kept hair on our heads. Our heads are exposed to the most heat from the sun, and scalp hair keeps our heads cool. Research published just last week <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2301760120">suggests</a> curly hair provides the best heat protection. That’s because curly hair’s thicker layer of insulation reduces the amount of sun that reaches the scalp. <h2>But hair is not the only factor</h2> When humans moved from living in the jungle to the savannah, they needed to walk and run long distances in the sun. This meant they needed a way to handle the increased body temperature that comes with physical activity in the heat. Sweating is the best way to lose heat and cool down, but the presence of hair reduces sweating and heat loss from the skin. So humans evolved to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1113915108">lose body hair</a> to be better adapted to exercising in the heat. Fewer hair follicles in our skin made room for more sweat glands. This made our skin optimal for sweat evaporation – and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-keep-cool-on-hot-summer-days-heres-how-34489">heat loss</a> that goes with it – to keep us cool. <h2>So what’s best in the heat?</h2> You might think removing body hair or having a bald head is best for sweating and keeping cool when exercising in the heat. However, it’s not that simple. Removing head hair would increase the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2301760120">amount of sun</a> that reaches your scalp. This means you would need to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20683812/">sweat more</a> during exercise in the sun to reduce an increase in body temperature, but not by much. In fact, it’s the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667044/#:%7E:text=The%20body%20hair%20is%20advantageous,heat%20removal%20during%20heat%20stress.">least hairy</a> areas of our body that have the highest sweat rates during exercise. These are our forehead, neck, feet and hands. So the best way to keep cool in the heat is to keep these areas uncovered (but still use sunscreen). Removing body hair will not have a large impact on your overall sweat rate. <h2>How about when it’s cold?</h2> Our body hair and head hair theoretically have a role in keeping us warm, but the effects are minimal. When we are cold, the muscles of the hair follicles on the body contract to cause the hairs to stand straight. This is an attempt to trap heat close to the body and we see this as goosebumps. However, because our body hair is so thin, this does not have a big effect in keeping us warm. Our head hair can prevent some heat loss from the head, but again this is limited. When it’s cold, heat can still be lost through the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667044/#:%7E:text=The%20body%20hair%20is%20advantageous,heat%20removal%20during%20heat%20stress.">skin of the head</a> regardless of your hairstyle. The scalp also has only a very thin layer of fat compared to the rest of our skin, so our head has less insulation to protect against the cold. A warm hat or beanie is the only way to prevent too much heat lost from the head. <h2>In a nutshell</h2> Our head and body hair, or lack of it, does have a small role in how you maintain your body temperature. But overall, your hairstyle does not influence whether you feel warm or cool.<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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201380/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Image credits: Shutterstock 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/big-hair-bald-how-much-difference-your-hair-really-makes-to-keep-you-cool-or-warm-201380">original article</a>.

Beauty & Style

Turning down the volume of pain – how to retrain your brain when you get sensitised

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joshua-pate-1399299">Joshua Pate</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> For every feeling we experience, there is a lot of complex biology going on underneath our skin. Pain involves our whole body. When faced with possible threats, the feeling of pain develops in a split second and can help us to “detect and protect”. But over time, our nerve cells can become over-sensitised. This means they can react more strongly and easily to something that normally wouldn’t hurt or would hurt less. This is called “<a href="https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2022/sensitization-why-everything-might-hurt/#:%7E:text=When%20neurons%20responsible%20for%20sensing,subset%20of%20chronic%20pain%20patients.">sensitisation</a>”. Sensitisation can affect anyone, but some people may be more prone to it than others due to possible <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jabr.12137">genetic factors, environmental factors or previous experiences</a>. Sensitisation can contribute to chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine or low back pain. But it might be possible to retrain our brains to manage or even reduce pain. <h2>‘Danger!’</h2> Our body senses possible threats via nerve endings called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/nociceptor">nociceptors</a>. We can think of these like a microphones transmitting the word “danger” through wires (nerves and the spinal cord) up to a speaker (the brain). If you sprain your ankle, a range of tiny chemical reactions start there. When sensitisation happens in a sore body part, it’s like more microphones join in over a period of weeks or months. Now the messages can be transmitted up the wire more efficiently. The volume of the danger message gets turned way up. Then, in the spinal cord, chemical reactions and the number of receptors there also adapt to this new demand. The more messages coming up, the more reactions triggered and the louder the messages sent on to the brain. And sensitisation doesn’t always stop there. The brain can also crank the volume up by making use of more wires in the spinal cord that reach the speaker. This is one of the proposed mechanisms of central sensitisation. As time ticks on, a sensitised nervous system will create more and more feelings of pain, seemingly regardless of the amount of bodily damage at the initial site of pain. When we are sensitised, we may experience pain that is out of proportion to the actual damage (<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/hyperalgesia">hyperalgesia</a>), pain that spreads to other areas of the body (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4327510/">referred pain</a>), pain that lasts a long time (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573040/">chronic or persistent pain</a>), or pain triggered by harmless things like touch, pressure or temperature (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537129/#:%7E:text=Allodynia%20is%20defined%20as%20%22pain,produce%20sensation%2C%20causing%20pain.">allodynia</a>). Because pain is a biopsychosocial experience (biological and psychological and social), we may also feel other symptoms like fatigue, mood changes, sleep problems or difficulty concentrating. <h2>Neuroplasticity</h2> Around the clock, our bodies and brain are constantly changing and adapting. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557811/">Neuroplasticity</a> is when the brain changes in response to experiences, good or bad. Pain science research suggests we may be able to <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/retraining-brain-treat-chronic-pain">retrain</a> ourselves to improve wellbeing and take advantage of neuroplasticity. There are some promising approaches that target the mechanisms behind sensitisation and aim to reverse them. One example is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21306870/">graded motor imagery</a>. This technique uses mental and physical exercises like identifying left and right limbs, imagery and <a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Mirror_Therapy">mirror box therapy</a>. It has been <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24740527.2023.2188899">tested</a> for conditions like <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/complex-regional-pain-syndrome">complex regional pain syndrome</a> (a condition that causes severe pain and swelling in a limb after an injury or surgery) and in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448188/#:%7E:text=Phantom%20limb%20pain%20is%20the,underlying%20pathophysiology%20remains%20poorly%20understood.">phantom limb pain</a> after amputation. Very gradual exposure to increasing stimuli may be behind these positive effects on a sensitised nervous system. While results are promising, more research is needed to confirm its benefits and better understand how it works. The same possible mechanisms of graded exposure underpin some recently developed <a href="https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/2/e13080/">apps</a> for sufferers. Exercise can also retrain the nervous system. Regular physical activity can <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01317.2012">decrease the sensitivity</a> of our nervous system by changing processes at a cellular level, seemingly re-calibrating danger message transmission. Importantly, exercise doesn’t have to be high intensity or involve going to the gym. Low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, or yoga can be effective in reducing nervous system sensitivity, possibly by providing new evidence of perceived <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002244">safety</a>. Researchers are exploring whether learning about the science of pain and changing the way we think about it may foster self-management skills, like pacing activities and graded exposure to things that have been painful in the past. Understanding how pain is felt and why we feel it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.14293">can help</a> improve function, reduce fear and lower anxiety. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eakyDiXX6Uc?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>But don’t go it alone</h2> If you have chronic or severe pain that interferes with your daily life, you should consult a health professional like a doctor and/or a pain specialist who can diagnose your condition and prescribe appropriate active treatments. In Australia, a range of <a href="https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/212772/ACI-chronic-pain-services.pdf">multidisciplinary pain clinics</a> offer physical therapies like exercise, psychological therapies like mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy. Experts can also help you make lifestyle changes to improve <a href="https://painhealth.csse.uwa.edu.au/pain-module/sleep-and-pain/">sleep</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8584994/">diet</a> to manage and reduce pain. A multi-pronged approach makes the most sense given the complexity of the underlying biology. Education could help develop <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399121006467">pain literacy and healthy habits</a> to prevent sensitisation, even from a young age. Resources, such as children’s books, videos, and board games, are being developed and tested to improve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2022.07.008">consumer and community understanding</a>. Pain is not a feeling anyone should have to suffer in silence or endure alone. <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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202850/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joshua-pate-1399299">Joshua Pate</a>, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/turning-down-the-volume-of-pain-how-to-retrain-your-brain-when-you-get-sensitised-202850">original article</a>.

Caring

Is it possible to listen to too much music each day?

I love listening to music. I love music so much I decided to study it in college. I’m earning a <a href="https://www.songsmysisterlikes.com/">doctorate in music history</a>, for which I have researched everything from early 20th-century French music to 1960s funk. I make and perform music as well. I have played drums in rock and pop bands and composed original music for jazz ensembles. I always have my headphones on, too. I listen to music while taking a walk. <a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/music/j-dilla-lofi-hip-hop-influence.html">I listen to lo-fi hip-hop</a> while answering emails. I listen to Brazilian <a href="https://library.brown.edu/create/fivecenturiesofchange/chapters/chapter-6/bossa-nov/">bossa nova</a> music while I cook and clean. I listen to the jazz vocalist <a href="https://bostonreview.net/articles/the-sounds-of-struggle/">Abbey Lincoln</a> while driving around town or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6TLQjuOF9aBRrEVLWBXhvW?si=068ea66c436f4fa3">upbeat electronic</a> music while taking long road trips. I miss out on a lot around me by constantly listening to music, however. I might not hear the sound of birds outside my window or my cat’s mewling when she wants to be fed or to play. I might not hear the rustling of the wind or the chatter of my family enjoying one another’s company right outside my closed door. Apart from causing you to miss out on all the sounds that surround you, generally speaking, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/addicted-to-music#is-it-possible">listening to music does not harm your body</a>. It does not damage your liver, poison your lungs or fry your brain. It is not possible to listen to too much music. <h2>Watch the volume</h2> There are, however, exceptions. For instance, you can damage your ears if you listen to music too loud for long periods. The World Health Organization estimates that around <a href="https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/activities/MLS_Brochure_English_lowres_for_web.pdf">50% of teenagers and young adults</a> listen to music on personal audio devices at unsafe levels. Fortunately, some smartphones have built-in features that measure <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/check-your-headphone-levels-iph0596a9152/ios">how much sound is coming from your headphones</a>. Such features measure the output of sound in a unit of measurement called decibels. <a href="https://soundear.com/decibel-scale/">Silence will produce no decibels at all</a>. A jet plane engine produces 120. Everyday conversations are around 60 decibels, while a balloon popping can be as powerful as 150. The WHO has concluded that people can withstand <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/public_health_scientific_info.html">85 decibels consecutively for eight hours</a> without damaging their hearing. To give an example, I average about five hours of headphone listening a day at 70 decibels. <h2>Take precautions</h2> Anyone who plays music regularly or attends concerts and nightclubs needs to take extra caution as well. Several rock stars from the 1970s and 1980s have spoken out for years about their experience with hearing loss and <a href="https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/musicians-hearing-loss.html">tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing in the ears</a>. Their condition resulted from rehearsing and performing for long periods of time at loud volumes. <a href="https://decibelpro.app/blog/how-loud-is-a-rock-concert/">The average concert often exceeds 100 decibels</a>, and the WHO notes that such sound can begin to damage one’s ears after only 15 minutes. Standing closer to the amplifiers and musicians will make the decibel level increase. Most musicians rehearse and perform for more than 15 minutes. And most concerts last at least an hour, if not much longer. The solution, then, is to take precautions. Just the way airport workers who signal to pilots <a href="https://pksafety.com/blog/airport-worker-safety-equipment">wear specialized earmuffs</a> while they are on the tarmac to protect their hearing from damage caused by noisy jet planes, musicians and concertgoers can wear earplugs. I carry mine – which can cut out up to 21 decibels of noise – everywhere, attached to my keychain. I put my earplugs in while rehearsing or attending shows, or whenever I need to relax in a noisy environment. Other people rarely notice. “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5363618/">Sound of Metal</a>,” a movie released in 2019, portrays a metal drummer’s experience with hearing loss. It is a sobering reminder of the importance of protecting your hearing. But that doesn’t mean experiencing a lot of live or recorded music is bad for you. It is hard to listen to too much music, provided the volumes are reasonable. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-possible-to-listen-to-too-much-music-each-day-173566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

As borders reopen, can New Zealand reset from high volume to ‘high values’ tourism?

With the <a href="https://covid19.govt.nz/international-travel/travel-to-new-zealand/when-new-zealand-borders-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reopening of New Zealand’s borders</a> from next week, the future of tourism comes into sharp relief. Flattened by the pandemic and having survived on domestic consumption for two years, the industry has a choice: try to revive the old ways, or develop a new model. If tourism minister Stuart Nash has his way, there is <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/otago-university-tourism-policy-school-%E2%80%9Cstructural-change-regenerative-tourism%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no going back</a>. “Tourism won’t return to the way it was,” he told Otago University’s <a href="https://events.otago.ac.nz/otps2022/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tourism Policy School</a> recently, “it will be better.” But how? The question is coming down to the various definitions of “value” – both the monetary and less tangible kinds. When Nash <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/430862/tourism-minister-to-ban-tourist-vans-that-are-not-self-contained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed a tourism summit</a> in late 2020, “high value” clearly meant “high spending”. New Zealand would “unashamedly” target the wealthy – the type of tourist who “flies business class or premium economy, hires a helicopter, does a tour around Franz Josef and then eats at a high-end restaurant.” The minister also asked: “Do you think that we want to become a destination for those freedom campers and backpackers who don’t spend much and leave the high net worth individuals to other countries?” There was immediate concern that such a policy would overlook the broader <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-why-banishing-backpackers-and-targeting-wealthy-tourists-would-be-a-mistake-for-nz-150639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">value of “lower-end”</a> tourism: backpackers and other budget tourists might not spend as much per day, but they tend to travel for longer periods, bring dollars to remoter locations, and often work in understaffed industries like horticulture and hospitality. At the same time, high-spending tourists hiring helicopters tend to place a high per-capita burden on the environment and contribute more to <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-borders-open-and-international-travel-resumes-will-new-zealands-sky-high-aviation-emissions-take-off-again-179941" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>. Clearly, what constitutes “high value” is up for debate. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 'Warmest welcome you can imagine' - PM opens doors to tourists <a href="https://t.co/7zj7bHbbaw">https://t.co/7zj7bHbbaw</a> — RNZ News (@rnz_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/rnz_news/status/1504711690478268416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote> From high value to high values Now, however, the minister is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/463982/tourism-can-no-longer-be-built-on-the-back-of-cheap-labour-stuart-nash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defining the high-value tourist</a> differently. They give back more than they take, appreciate those working in the tourism sector, are keen to learn about the people and places they are visiting, are environmentally aware and offset their carbon emissions. This shift in thinking prompted one participant at the tourism policy school to suggest that instead of “high value” tourism, New Zealand needs to be talking about “high values” tourism. The sentiment chimed with the policy school’s theme of “structural change for regenerative tourism”, and a general feeling that this will involve looking inward to certain core values that matter to the country. Attendees – including industry leaders, academics, government officials and tourism business owners – supported the idea that “regenerative” in this context matches the important Māori values of <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/kaitiakitanga-guardianship-and-conservation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kaitiakitanga</a>, <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/kotahitanga-unity-movements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kotahitanga</a> and <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?keywords=manaakitanga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manaakitanga</a>, which should inform the future direction of tourism in Aotearoa. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption>A carving workshop at Rotorua: according the same respect and mana to hosts and visitors alike. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Mana and manaakitanga The implications of this approach were well articulated by Nadine ToeToe, director of Kohutapu Lodge, an award-winning tourism business in the central North Island. She proposed a new tourism model that advances manaakitanga (kindness and hospitality) to guests, while also enhancing the <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=mana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mana</a> of their hosts, local communities and the surrounding environment. With her business based in the area around Murupara, which is beset by historical injustices and downturns in the forestry industry, ToeToe described the potential of tourism to move beyond simple service industry conventions. Rather, more authentic, culturally embedded experiences could be offered, based on building respectful relationships with the people and places visited. This would mean manaakitanga was reciprocal, benefiting both guests and local communities. By being designed to enhance people, community and place, tourism would necessarily break from the old volume-driven model that was putting many natural environments under <a href="https://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/196983/report-pristine-popular-imperilled.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant pressure</a> prior to the pandemic. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption>Helicopter sightseeing in the Southern Alps: more than one definition of ‘high value’. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Time for a reset Of course, it is one thing to suggest that tourism respect the wairua (spirit) of the land, and quite another to put the legislative and regulatory frameworks around a pathway to sustainability. To a degree this is beginning to happen already. For example, following concerns about a promised crackdown on freedom camping, the minister stepped back from banning vans that weren’t self-contained. However, proposed <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism/tourism-projects/responsible-camping/freedom-camping-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy changes</a> will go to select committee this year, with new rules to be rolled out gradually from next summer. These should align with the <a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/freedom-campers-welcome-right-vehicle-right-place" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minister’s view</a> that “… at the heart of the new law will be greater respect for the environment and communities through a ‘right vehicle, right place’ approach” (with fines of up to NZ$1,000 for offenders). The challenge now is to broaden that vision beyond individual businesses, or pockets of concern such as freedom camping, to encompass the entire industry. Because there can be no better time than now for a values-based reset of New Zealand tourism.<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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180298/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/regina-scheyvens-650907" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regina Scheyvens</a>, Professor of Development Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/apisalome-movono-1108178">Apisalome Movono</a>, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-borders-reopen-can-new-zealand-reset-from-high-volume-to-high-values-tourism-180298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

Scam alert: “Large volume of emails” pretending to be from Amazon

Large volumes of scam emails pretending to be from Amazon have been sent out and flooding inboxes across the country. Email security company MailGuard have alerted people to the scam by providing images of the scam emails. “Your recent order on AMAZON.COM has been cancelled due to fraudulent activity detected,” the body of the email reads, before providing a link for the victim to click. Other emails sent by the scammers say that a recent order was unable to be delivered due to a wrong address. Once victims click on the “verify email” button in the message, hackers are able to get your private details. “Once the link is clicked, users are redirected to a page that initially asks them to enter their username and password,” explained MailGuard. “The site presents a message advising the recipient that Microsoft has detected suspicious activity on their computer.” Mailguard said that the ultimate goal of the phishing/scare site is to “trick the user into entering their username and password”. Amazon explained to <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/amazon-email-scam-large-volume-of-phishing-emails-flooding-inboxes-australia/8639641d-d266-4b6f-a241-7505d67e61dd">9News</a> that they would never send unsolicited emails that ask to provide sensitive personal information. “Go to Your Orders to see if there is an order that matches the details in the email. If it doesn't match an order in Your Account, the message isn't from Amazon,” the company explained.

Technology

Why some TV dialogue is so hard to hear

Lauren Ward is a Doctoral researcher in Audio Engineering and General Sir John Monash Scholar the University of Salford. Within 24 hours of the first episode of wartime drama SS-GB being broadcast <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39038406" target="_blank">the BBC received 100 complaints</a>. Viewers took to Twitter to vent their frustrations with the sound. Many highlighted their annoyance that SS-GB was just the <a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-23/why-does-yet-another-tv-drama-have-mumbling-dialogue--and-whats-the-solution" target="_blank">latest drama to be plagued with audibility problems</a>. The debate has stretched to the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39489713" target="_blank">House of Lords</a>, with peers asking whether consultation with broadcasters is needed to address the issue. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Why do dramas on the BBC always mean mumbling. Couldn't watch Taboo or SS-GB without subtitles and the volume way up. — Charlotte Gibbons (@C_Gibbons2005) <a href="https://twitter.com/C_Gibbons2005/status/833567761519493120">February 20, 2017</a></blockquote> So is making television sound understandable as simple as asking actors to speak up? The short answer is: no. Clean recordings and well enunciated speech will always make dialogue easier to understand. However, the relationship between the audio from our television and what we understand as speech is much more complex. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2017/feb/20/flatscreen-tvs-actors-or-realism-whats-to-blame-for-ss-gbs-mumbling-problem" target="_blank">Many news sources</a> and <a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2017-04-04/debates/F84C55A0-3D8B-41F7-A19C-CC216F8C7B0B/TelevisionBroadcastsAudibility" target="_blank">some of the Lords</a> blamed <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/20/ss-gb-bbc-re-examine-sound-yet-mumbling-complaints/" target="_blank">“modern flat televisions which place more emphasis on picture quality”</a> than sound quality. There is some evidence to support this idea. A recent study <a href="http://www.aes.org/e-lib/inst/browse.cfm?elib=18436" target="_blank">investigating how television sets effect speech intelligibility</a> showed the frequency responses (how loud different frequencies are, relative to each other) in different television sets differed by 10 to 20 decibels. This means the low pitched, rumbling background sounds might be made louder than intended, while the higher pitched voices stay the same volume. This issue is made worse by locating the speakers in the television sets so they point downwards or even backwards. Speaker quality is likely a contributing factor but not all television programmes have suffered the same complaints as SS-GB. Assuming that viewers did not exclusively watch SS-GB with poor quality television speakers, this means there are other factors at play. Have I heard this before? Humans are quite good at understanding speech in challenging or noisy situations. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982209016807" target="_blank">Research</a> indicates personal and psychological factors play a role in how well we are able to do this. Similarly, these factors may affect how we hear dialogue on television. For example, you might find it easy to understand Bart and Homer’s banter in your 500th episode of The Simpsons while multitasking on Twitter and making a cuppa. But when the first episode of the newest crime drama comes on, you may find that you have to sit down and pay full attention to understand the speech. How well we understand speech is effected by whether we have heard a talker, a particular accent or what they are talking about before. The effect of a familiar speaker on how well we understand speech is termed the “Familiar Talker Advantage”. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24131605" target="_blank">Studies have shown</a> that we are able to understand our spouse’s voice (a highly familiar voice) better than unfamiliar voices. Even voices we have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3081685/" target="_blank">only recently heard</a> are easier to understand than those we are completely unfamiliar with. How predictable the content of the speech is also effects how easily we understand it. <a href="http://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.381436" target="_blank">It has been well established</a> that when we have language or content cues in the speech, we recognise speech twice as accurately, even in the most challenging of listening situations. If we hear Homer Simpson’s brazen American voice exclaiming “Who ate all the …”, our brains are likely to insert the missing word as “doughnut”, not “bell peppers”. And we probably wouldn’t even notice we were doing it. Happy Valley, another drama which had similar complaints to SS-GB, <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/bbc-bosses-blame-accents-yet-7381498" target="_blank">had accents pointed to as the issue</a>. On that occasion, the Lords criticised “indecipherable regional accents”. It has been shown, for American English, that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2744323/" target="_blank">some accents are generally harder to understand than others</a> regardless of your own accent. Though when hearing is greatly challenged by competing noise, speech in your own accent is easier to understand. Familiarity with an actor’s voice, their accent and what they may be speaking about changes our perception of the clarity of dialogue. This does not solve the issue of audibility more generally though. I’m no expert, but I know what I like Part of what makes the problem of audible speech on television difficult to solve is that there is no consensus on what “good sound” sounds like. Even among the barrage of complaints about SS-GB, some found no issue with the dialogue. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Watched SS-GB. No one mumbled. There was some bigly breathy talking going on, but no mumbles. Subtitles, headphones or better TV. — Chris Bennion (@PigLimbedViking) <a href="https://twitter.com/PigLimbedViking/status/833977710682763264">February 21, 2017</a></blockquote> Similar patterns have been seen in previous research by the BBC. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/publications/whitepaper272" target="_blank">An experimental football broadcast by the BBC</a> in 2013 allowed viewers to adjust the volume of the crowd compared with the commentary. While most users (77%) agreed that they liked the personalised broadcast, they differed in their preferences. Some balanced commentary and crowd noise while others preferred all crowd noise or all commentary. The technology which allowed the user to alter the sound mix in the 2013 experiment is called <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/blog/2013/05/object-based-approach-to-broadcasting" target="_blank">object based broadcasting</a>. In the future, this may allow viewers to alter the levels of different segments of the broadcast based on their preference or their needs on their own televisions. Studies have shown that using the technology in this way can <a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7270767/" target="_blank">improve speech intelligibility</a>. It has also been <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/publications/whitepaper324" target="_blank">proposed by the BBC</a> as a way forward for improving television sound for the hard of hearing. The many factors effecting speech intelligibility mean that one particular sound mix will rarely make everyone happy. The provision of “personalisable” broadcast mixes, using object based broadcasting, may be the solution. Written by Lauren Ward. First appeared on <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/75423/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/>

Hearing

How to limit the volume on children’s devices

As more children spend their free time on their technological devices, there is an increase in children who are engaging in unsafe listening practices. It is important to make sure children’s hearing is protected as the impact of blasting sound in their ears can stay with them for the rest of their lives. These tips will show you how you can use different features on devices to limit the volume your grandchild will have. Generally, it is recommended to set the maximum value at 60 per cent as this is the highest volume that is typically safe. 1. Set restrictions on an iPhone or iPad If you grandchild uses an Apple device, then you can use the ‘restrictions’ feature to limit the volume. To set the volume restriction go to ‘Settings’ on the device and you will be able to secure your change with a password. To learn how to set up the volume restriction in detail, <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304" target="_blank">click here</a>. You can also set a maximum volume restriction in Music settings which does not require a parental lock password to do so. 2. Use an app to limit Android volumes Android devices do not have a built-in volume control but there are apps that you can download in the Google Play Store that will limit maximum volume. Try searching ‘volume limiter for kids’ and various options will appear. Some apps have the parental lock option and others don’t so pick the app based on your preference. 3. Set a maximum volume in Google chrome If your grandchildren are on the internet on a Chrome browser, then you can limit the volume for the videos and music they listen to. To set this feature up, you create a ‘supervised user’. The instructions to set this feature up can be found in <a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/3463947?hl=en" target="_blank">Chrome help</a>. 4. Check your television for parental volume controls If you have a fairly modern television then you might have a maximum volume feature in the parental control settings. If you can’t find the settings on your TV menu then you can search the manual for directions. A quick way to search through the manual is to see if the manual is available online and then use Control+F within the manual to search for ‘volume’ or ‘sound control’. 5. Get the right headphones Although earbud headphones are a popular headphone option, over-the-ear headphones are safer. Over-the-ear headphones sit further from the eardrum and are even more comfortable for little ears. There are also headphones that don’t play sounds that are louder than what is considered safe. 6. Limit your PC’s application volume If your grandchild is using a PC, go to the ‘Volume mixer’ settings. You can access the settings by going to ‘control panel’ and clicking on ‘adjust system volume’. Set the device volume to 100% buy adjust the applications setting to the maximum volume you want. Once you have done this, the speakers volume range will be limited. How do you monitor the safety of children’s hearing? Let us know in the comments below.

Hearing

4 ways to create volume in your hair

How many times have you been fooled by yet another hairspray, powder, or mousse that promises to give life to your flat, lifeless hair only to work for a matter of minutes? Women with thin and limp hair know the battle all too when it comes to creating volume. Here are four, simple ways to combat flat hair at home. 1. Cut back on washing This may seem strange since hair tends to be limpest when oily, but if you over-wash your hair, you strip it of essential oils that keep in healthy and lifted. 2. Wash with baking soda When you do wash your hair, use one part baking soda and three parts water. It clarifies and adds volume to your hair by removing the build up from dirt, shampoo and conditioner that could be weighing down your roots. 3. Change your part Never let your hair get use to a part, this can lead to cowlicks and even hair thinning. Switch up your part every morning to help keep your roots lifted, or, simply wear a different hairstyle. 4. Blow dry upside-down Let gravity take its natural path and blow dry your hair from the roots down while it is flipped away from the scalp. Use a light hairspray that you find works for you, but wait 30 seconds after spraying it before you stand up straight again. This is how long hairspray takes to set. Do you have a go-to technique, or product that creates hair volume for you? Share it with the community in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/how-to-make-your-own-blackhead-strips/">How to make your own blackhead strips</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/things-to-eat-and-drink-to-make-your-skin-glow/">6 things to eat and drink to make your skin glow</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/ice-cubes-are-the-secret-to-shiny-hair/">Ice cubes are the secret to shiny hair</a>

Beauty & Style

Adorable baby fights for control of his mum’s car radio

We’ve all fought for control over the car radio before, but we doubt we looked as cute as this baby who refused to let his mum turn the music down in the most adorable way. Young JP’s mother Stephanie shared the hilarious video on Youtube, after capturing their battle over the volume control in the family car on camera. JP can be seen waving his hands around and nodding with the beat, reaching to turn the music up after his mum tries to turn it down. Take a look at the 17-month-old’s smooth moves in the video above and tell us in the comments, what music do your grandkids love to dance to? Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/07/funny-things-grandkids-say-part-5/">The funniest quotes from your grandkids</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/07/86-year-old-welcomes-her-86th-great-grandchild/">86-year-old welcomes her 86th great-grandchild</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/07/most-popular-baby-names-of-2016/">Most popular baby names of 2016 so far</a>

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