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Eye infections might seem like a minor complaint – but in some cases they can cause blindness and even death

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-taylor-283950">Adam Taylor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/lancaster-university-1176">Lancaster University</a> When you think of eye infections, what comes to mind? Puffy, swollen bruised feeling eyelids that get glued together with gunk overnight? That feeling of having grit in your eye that can’t be cleaned away? Eye infections may seem like a relatively minor – if unsightly and inconvenient – complaint, but they can also be far more serious. Take the deadly outbreak of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5022785/">antibiotic resistant</a> bacteria <a href="https://www.cff.org/managing-cf/burkholderia-cepacia-complex-b-cepacia">Burkholderia cepacia</a> in 2023-24, for example. Between January 2023 and February 2024, contaminated brands of lubricating eye gel were linked to the infection of at least 52 patients. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/contaminated-eye-gel-outbreak-death-b2523446.html">One person died</a> and at least 25 others suffered serious infections. The outbreak has now subsided and products are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/specific-brands-of-carbomer-eye-gel-recall-of-aacarb-eye-gel-aacomer-eye-gel-and-puroptics-eye-gel-potential-risk-of-infection-dsi-slash-2023-slash-11#update-2-april-2024">back on the shelves</a> but it isn’t the first time that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8335909/">medicinal products</a> have led to outbreaks of B cepacia. The bacterium is an opportunistic pathogen known to pose a significant risk to people with cystic fibrosis, chronic lung conditions and weakened immune systems. The infection likely progresses from the mucous membranes of the eyelids to the lungs where it leads to pneumonia and septicaemia causing <a href="https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/17/2/295">death in days</a>. But it’s not just B cepacia that can threaten our health. Something as simple as rubbing our eyes can introduce pathogens leading to infection, blindness and, in the worst case, death. Bacteria account for up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16148850/">70% of eye infections</a> and globally <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9032492/">over 6 million people</a> have blindness or moderate visual impairment from ocular infection. Contact lens wearers are at <a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/contact-lens-related-eye-infections">increased risk</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWsx8i1kaxs?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> The eye is a unique structure. It converts light energy to chemical and then electrical energy, which is transmitted to the brain and converted to a picture. The eye uses about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11556/">6 million cones and 120 million rods</a> which detect colour and light. Eye cells have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8775779/">no ability to regenerate</a> so, once damaged or injured, cannot be repaired or replaced. The body tries its best to preserve the eyes by encasing them in a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531490/">bony protective frame</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482428/">limiting exposure</a> having eyelids to defend against the environmental damage and ensure the eyes are kept lubricated. Despite our bodies’ best efforts to shield the eyes from harm, there are a number of common eye infections that can result from introducing potential pathogens into the eyes. <h2>Conjunctivitis</h2> The outer-most layer of the eye, the sclera, bears the brunt of exposure and to help protect it, it is lined by a thin moist membrane called the <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24329-conjunctiva">conjunctiva</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZ4danuJwd0?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> The conjunctiva is <a href="https://innovations.bmj.com/content/9/4/253">highly vascularised</a>, which means it has lots of blood vessels. When microbes enter the eye, it is this layer that mounts an immune response causing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8328962/">blood vessels to dilate</a> in the conjunctiva. This results in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/about/symptoms.html">“pink eye”</a>, a common form of conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria, allergens or viruses and typically heals by itself. <h2>Blepharitis</h2> Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelid and usually affects both sides. It can cause itchy eyes and dandruff-like flakes. It’s most commonly caused by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/09273948.2013.870214">Staphylococcus bacteria</a>, or the <a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blepharitis/background-information/causes/">dysfunction of the glands</a> of the eyelids. It can be treated by <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blepharitis/">cleaning the eyes</a> regularly. <h2>Stye</h2> A stye (also called <a href="https://www.college-optometrists.org/clinical-guidance/clinical-management-guidelines/hordeolum">hordeolum</a>) is a painful infection of the upper or lower eyelid. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370090/">Internal styes</a> are caused by infection of an oil-producing gland inside the eyelid, whereas <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28723014/">external styes</a> develop at the base of the eyelash because of an infection of the hair follicle. Both are caused by bacteria, typically <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/1874715">the S aureus form of the Staphylococcus species</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/INKrGOdy824?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Styes can be treated by holding a clean flannel soaked in warm water against the affected eye for five to ten minutes, three or four times a day. Do not try to burst styes – this could spread the infection. <h2>Keratitis</h2> Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea, the transparent part of the eye that light passes through. The cornea is part of the eye’s main barrier against dirt, germs, and disease. Severe keratitis can cause ulcers, damage to the eye and even blindness. The most common type is bacterial keratitis; however, it can also be caused by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998329/">amoeba</a>, which can migrate to other parts of the body – including the brain – and cause infection and <a href="https://theconversation.com/nasal-rinsing-why-flushing-the-nasal-passages-with-tap-water-to-tackle-hay-fever-could-be-fatal-225811">even death</a>. Noninfectious keratitis is most commonly caused by wearing contact lenses for too long, especially while sleeping. This can cause scratches, dryness and soreness of the cornea, which leads to inflammation. <h2>Uveitis</h2> <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/uveitis/">Uveitis</a> is inflammation of the middle layer of the eye. Although relatively rare, it is a serious condition and usually results from viral infections such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8501150/">herpes simplex</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29023181/">herpes zoster</a> or <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-09126-6_40">trauma</a>. Depending on where the inflammation is in the eye, the symptoms can be anything from redness, pain and floaters to blurred vision and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1772296/">partial blindness</a>. <h2>Exogenous endophthalmitis</h2> This is a rare but serious infection caused by eye surgery complications, penetrating ocular trauma (being stabbed in the eye with a sharp object) or foreign bodies in the eye. Foreign bodies can be anything from dirt and dust to small projectiles such as shards of metal from drilling, explosives or soil from farm machinery and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7286045/">many other sources</a>. <h2>Dacryocystitis</h2> Dacryocystitis is the inflammation of the nasolacrimal sac, which drains tears away from the eye into the nose. This condition can be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8443113/">acute</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/6700662">chronic</a> or <a href="https://www.jebmh.com/articles/a-study-of-congenital-dacryocystitis.pdf.pdf">acquired at birth</a>. Most cases are caused by <a href="https://bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-020-01792-4">Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus</a> bacteria. The condition mainly affects newborns and those over 40. Seventy-five per cent of cases are women and it’s most commonly found in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6039673/">white adults</a>. It can lead to the stagnation of tears, creating a breeding ground for microbes. <h2>Careful with contacts</h2> Proper eye hygiene reduces the risk of all these conditions – and this is even more important for contact lens wearers. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uENHAntJOIA?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Appropriate hygienic cleaning of lenses is paramount. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30789440/">Non-sterile water</a>, <a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/glasses-contacts/contact-lens-care">spit</a> and other fluids can transfer <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/bacteria-living-your-contact-lens-solution">potentially dangerous</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3482476/">microbes</a> into the eye – a warm, moist environment that makes an ideal breeding ground for bacteria – leading to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9542356/">localised infection</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3972779/">blindness</a> or progress to a more serious <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9835757/">systemic infection or death</a>. Any persistent and painful redness or swelling of eyes should be checked by a registered health professional.<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/227252/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-taylor-283950">Adam Taylor</a>, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/lancaster-university-1176">Lancaster University</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/eye-infections-might-seem-like-a-minor-complaint-but-in-some-cases-they-can-cause-blindness-and-even-death-227252">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Paw-sitive update on missing blind dog

Bowie, the beloved blind Australian Shepherd that stole the hearts of many, has proven that anything is paw-sible after he was found safe and sound. The pup who went missing on Wednesday after he was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/urgent-calls-for-help-after-blind-dog-stolen-from-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stolen in broad daylight</a>, is set to be reunited with his fur-ever family, the Durmans, after the two-day search came to a fruitful end. Despite their house being trashed and their car being stolen when they returned home from a ski trip, once they found out Bowie was missing the pup was their main concern. “Once we realised Bowie was gone, the cars and everything was immaterial to that,” dad Luke Durman said on Wednesday. “The focus was, we just wanted Bowie back.” Bowie was found near the small NSW town of Macksville on Friday, after initial reports that the dog was spotted in nearby Utungun, according to the NSW police. “A short time later, an officer attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command stopped a grey SUV on Taylors Arm Road, Congarinni,” police said in a statement. A 48-year-old man, who barked up the wrong tree, was arrested in Northern NSW over the theft of the Durman family’s dog, and is assisting police with their inquiries at Macksville Police station. Image: 7News

Family & Pets

Urgent calls for help after blind dog stolen from home

A desperate search is underway after a family’s beloved blind dog was stolen from their Gold Coast home in broad daylight. Police are calling for public assistance to help find Bowie, the beautiful Australian shepherd with black, white and gold fur, and blue eyes. They believe that the dog was stolen after a group of people broke into the family’s home along Regatta Parade in Southport some time between 10am and 1.15pm on Wednesday. Police also report that a few other things were stolen including the resident’s grey 2022 Hyundai Tucson station wagon with the Queensland plate number 021FO8. Anyone with information is urged to call the police. Images: Queensland Police Service

Family & Pets

What do the different colours of mould mean in my house?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-taylor-228803">Michael Taylor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> You may be interested (or possibly horrified) to discover you ingest and inhale thousands of tiny life forms on a daily basis. The air and surfaces around you are home to multitudes of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012394805200004X">bacteria, fungi, viruses</a>, mites, algae and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135400004206">protozoa</a>. Your skin isn’t much better, with a complex ecosystem of organisms called commensals which aren’t necessarily good or bad, but will shift in their composition depending on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11053">where you live</a>, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/6/1/2">the products you use</a> and <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/458">the pets you have</a>. Most of these creatures are generally undetectable due to their microscopic size and low concentrations. But when they find a niche they can exploit, you might notice them by their smell, or the appearance of unwanted staining and colour changes. A lot of this fungal growth is what we call mould. We’ve all been disappointed in ourselves at one time or another, lifting a neglected orange out of the fruit bowl to discover the bottom half is covered in a velvety blue-green growth. But what do the myriad colours that appear on our stuff tell us about the world we try not to think about? <h2>Black</h2> Often black staining is quite a disturbing occurrence. The concept of toxic black mould is one many people have become aware of due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/fungi-after-the-floods-how-to-get-rid-of-mould-to-protect-your-health-111341">flood impacts</a>. A quick online search will likely terrify you, but not all black discolouration is due to the same organisms, and almost none of it will outright cause you harm. Stachybotrys is the one known as toxic black mould. It often turns up on <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/pdf/10.1289/ehp.99107s3505">building materials that have been wet for a long time</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.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/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533907/original/file-20230626-67275-zxd3ah.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A severely mouldy wall covered in grey and black blotches" /></a><figcaption></figcaption>When the grout in your shower turns black though, that’s a different fungus called <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/130453">Aureobasidium</a>. It’s slimy, sticky and somewhere between a filamentous mould, which grows threadlike roots through whatever it’s eating, and a yeast, which prefer a free-floating, single-celled style of life.</figure> Bleaching will often kill Aureobasidium, but the dark pigmentation will likely hang around – harmlessly, but stubbornly. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.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/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533894/original/file-20230626-19-68wsem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A close-up of white grout between grey tiles with black spots on it" /></a></figure> <h2>Blue</h2> That blue orange I mentioned before, you can thank Penicillium for that. The organism that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160512000852">gives us blue cheese</a> and the antibiotic penicillin is also responsible for producing a dense growth of mould that almost looks like smoke when disturbed, spreading millions of spores onto the rest of your fruit bowl. Penicillium is a big group with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166061620300129">hundreds of species</a>, ranging from recognised pathogens to species yet to be named. However, the ones that turn up in our homes are generally the same “weed” species that simply cause food spoilage or grow in soil. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.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/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533895/original/file-20230626-107392-7jinnz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of a bright orange with a fuzzy blue mould spot on it" /></a></figure> <h2>Yellow and orange</h2> We often think of fungi as organisms that thrive in the dark, but that’s not always true. In fact, some need exposure to light – and ultraviolet (UV) light in particular – to complete their life cycle. Many plant pathogens use UV light exposure as a trigger to produce their spores, and then protect their DNA by <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0003683814020094">hiding it behind melanin-containing shells</a>. Stemphylium and Epicoccum turn up in our homes from time to time, often hitching a ride on natural fibres such as jute, hemp and hessian. They produce a spectrum of staining that can often turn damp items yellow, brown or orange. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?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/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533948/original/file-20230626-15121-eh3869.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A piece of wood laminate with yellow patches on it" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> We’re all fairly familiar with the green spots that turn up on mouldy bread, cake and other food items. Often we try to convince ourselves if we just cut off the bad bit, we can still salvage lunch. Sadly that’s not the case, as the roots of the fungi – collectively called mycelium – spread through the food, digesting and collecting sufficient nutrients to pop out a series of tiny fruiting bodies which produce the coloured spores you see. The green tuft is often from a group of fungi called Aspergillus. Under the microscope they look rather like the puffy top of a dandelion gone to seed. Like Penicillium, Aspergillus is another big fungal group with lots of species that turn up virtually in every environment. Some are <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mmy/article/43/Supplement_1/S87/1748298">heat tolerant</a>, some <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21553769.2015.1033653">love acid</a> and some will happily produce spores that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1749461311000406">stay airborne for days to months at a time</a>. In the green gang is also a fungus called Trichoderma, which is Latin for “hairy skin”. Trichoderma produces masses of forest-green, spherical spores which tend to grow on wet cardboard or dirty carpet. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.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/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533897/original/file-20230626-160496-7cuh4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A pile of green grains on a small round tray" /></a></figure> <h2>Pink, purple and red</h2> There are plenty to speak of in this category. And there is also a common bacterium that makes the list. Neurospora, also known as the red bread mould, is one of the most studied fungi in scientific literature. It’s another common, non-hazardous one that has been used as <a href="https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3732/ajb.1400377">a model organism</a> to observe fungal genetics, evolution and growth. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.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/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533913/original/file-20230626-24-eh3869.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A block of orange mouldy substance sitting on a banana leaf" /></a><figcaption></figcaption>Fusarium is less common indoors, being <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219416302794">an important crop pathogen</a>, but will sometimes turn spoiled rice purple. It also occasionally turns up on wet cement sheet, causing splotchy violet patches. Fusarium makes large, sticky, moon-shaped spores that have evolved to spread by rain splashes and hang onto plants. However, it is fairly bad at getting airborne and so doesn’t tend to spread very far from where it’s growing.</figure> Finally in this category, that pink scum that turns up around bathroom taps or in the shower? It’s actually a bacterium called Serratia. It will happily chew up the soap scum residue left over in bathrooms, and has been shown to <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/AEM.02632-10">survive in liquid soaps and handwash</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.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/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533900/original/file-20230626-98733-ggql6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Close-up of white tile grout covered in a pink translucent film" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <h2>White</h2> When fungi were first being classified and were eventually given their own phylogenetic kingdom, there were lots of wonderful and not strictly categorical ways we tried to split them up. One of these was hyaline and non-hyaline, essentially referring to transparent and coloured, respectively. One of the interesting non-pigmented moulds you may well catch sight of is a thing called Isaria farinosa (“farinosa” being Latin for “floury”). This fungus is a parasite of some moths and cicadas and is visible as brilliant white, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09583150802471812">tree-shaped growths on their unfortunate hosts</a>. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?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/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533911/original/file-20230626-72187-xubf6k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A dead bug on a green forest floor with white and yellow growths sticking out of it" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> So when you notice the world around you changing colour, you can marvel with your newfound knowledge at the microscopic wonders that live complex lives alongside yours. Then maybe clean it up, and give the fruit bowl a wash. <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/207737/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Image credit: Getty / Shutterstock <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-taylor-228803">Michael Taylor</a>, Adjunct academic, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders 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/what-do-the-different-colours-of-mould-mean-in-my-house-207737">original article</a>.

Home & Garden

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

King Charles III revived a royal tradition by riding horseback in the first Trooping the Colour since he was crowned, marking the British sovereign’s official birthday. Although the King’s birthday is officially in November and typically celebrated privately, the ceremonial event on June 18 showcased all the pomp and pageantry expected of royal celebrations, drawing massive crowds to central London. Accompanying 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians, Charles filed the short distance from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’ Park for the ceremony viewed by members of the royal family. It was a sight not seen for nearly 40 years, with Queen Elizabeth II being the last reigning monarch to ride in the procession in 1986. Dressed for the occasion, King Charles was wearing a Welsh Guard uniform, with a leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin. He was followed on horseback by various royal colonels including Prime William, also donning a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December 2022. He rode alongside Princess Anne Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards. Behind them was a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Queen, Catherine, Princess of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal party was joined by a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort of soldiers from the Household Calary’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals. The traditional military spectacle was flooded with well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags ahead of the parade to claim their prime position along the Mall outside the royal residence. Speaking to CNN, broadcaster and royal watcher Bidisha Mamata, said there was “a real sense of celebration”. "The coronation was very serious … there was a lot of medieval pageantry. This is much more military focused. This is so much more about connecting King Charles with his own history in the Marines, the RAF - he has a strong connection to the military," she said. The ceremony saw Queen Camilla join her husband to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers. The regiment carried out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to music, with Kensington Palace previously describing the 2022 musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme”, with new compositions from the band written accordingly. After the parade, the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace following the same route. They there made a balcony appearance to watch an extended military flypast and greet a sea of royal supporters. Image credit: Getty

International Travel

How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

From the blush pink of royal mistresses to the hot pink of tabloid party girls, pink has gained a reputation for being a provocative colour for those who dare to wear it. Despite its various shades and the complexities of its cultural significance, it is a colour that is often branded with the same connotations of feminine frivolity and excess – whether girlish and innocent or womanly and erotic. So much so that worshippers at a North London church were ordered to remove pink chairs after an ecclesiastical judge claimed that the choice of colour scheme could <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-sees-red-over-bright-pink-chairs-3trg9xpgk">“cause puzzlement”</a>. This pink panic invites the question: why is pink so controversial? A brief glimpse at its rather colourful history in the Western world reveals associations that both shape and challenge what pink means. <h2>Pink’s past</h2> According to historian <a href="https://thamesandhudson.com/pink-the-history-of-a-punk-pretty-powerful-colour-9780500022269">Valerie Steele</a>, the birth of pink in modern fashion began in the 18th century. By this period, pink had become the colour of choice among courtly elites of the Western world, including royalty and aristocrats. Developments in dye making and the French court’s penchant for cutting-edge garments provided the perfect pairing to begin pink’s success as an emerging fashion staple. Perhaps the most instrumental influence on pink’s power was Madame de Pompadour – the mistress of King Louis XV. She was often portrayed by the painter François Boucher sporting her signature pink gowns and shoes, most notably in his 1759 piece <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/sep/08/art">Madame de Pompadour</a>. In his 1758 painting, <a href="https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/303561">Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette</a>, she is shown applying rouge from a box of cosmetics – the blushed cheeks implying female sexuality. For Steele, the colour pink in this period becomes attached to both the frivolity of French high fashion and the eroticising of white femininity. From the 18th century court to the 20th century home, pink gained further traction in the 1950s. As British professor of design history <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/As_Long_as_It_s_Pink.html?id=By0qAAAAYAAJ">Penny Sparke</a> writes: “Linked with the idea of female childhood, [pink] represented the emphasis on distinctive gendering that underpinned 1950s society, ensuring that women were women and men were men.” Whether <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjvufXu-vb7AhVJi1wKHY_RCrIQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lofficielusa.com%2Ffashion%2Fhistory-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk&usg=AOvVaw2gvTMarBjpgCPRBDcV2AwN">adorning first ladies</a>, Hollywood stars or housewives, pink in this era represented a traditional femininity grounded in fixed gender roles. Marilyn Monroe’s iconic pink gown in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/">Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953)</a> paired with her <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/stars-9781838718374/">typecast “dumb blonde” film roles</a> and her <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/a-visual-history-of-marilyn-monroe-pin-up-icon_n_56ba8d67e4b0c3c5504f5ee4">pin-up past</a> work together to reinforce the star as a sex symbol to be desired by audiences. As film scholar <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Heavenly-Bodies-Film-Stars-and-Society/Dyer/p/book/9780415310277">Richard Dyer</a> argues, Monroe represented the epitome of sex in conversative 1950s American society. On the other end of the scale, the first lady of the United States Mamie Eisenhower – wife of president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961) – cultivated an image of the ideal housewife through her famous “First Lady Pink” looks. Her stunning <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/photos/mamie-eisenhowers-inaugural-gown-1953">1953 inaugural outfit</a> was a sparkling pink gown embroidered with more than 2,000 rhinestones. She was well-known for her love of all things pink and transformed the White House with this colourful décor, so much so that the household staff called it a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/eise/Mamie/personal_interests/EISE3765_scale4.html">“Pink Palace”</a>. <h2>Punk and protest</h2> Beyond the 1950s, pink moved away from its associations of conformity and took on a new purpose: resistance. Paul Simonon, bassist for English punk band The Clash, <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2018/09/20/in-the-pink-the-fashion-history-of-a-divisive-colour">famously said</a> that “pink is the only true rock and roll colour”. We can certainly see this in the way that punk musicians reappropriate the sweet and girlish connotations of pink to create subversive performances. For her <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/arts/pictures/image/0,8543,-10704677171,00.html">1999 performance at Glastonbury</a>, Hole’s Courtney Love – notorious for her raw and raucous vocals – unexpectedly swapped her rebellious grunge girl look for a pink costume of ballet slippers and fairy wings. Pink is also the colour of feminist activism. The 2017 women’s march saw protesters taking to streets in pink “pussy hats”. They were responding to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/donald-trump-tape-transcript.html">a recording</a> of then president Donald Trump, in which he boasted about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiO4Z7P-_b7AhVMEsAKHdtLBAgQFnoECAoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ffrom-chaucer-to-trump-sexist-banter-has-been-defended-as-entertainment-for-600-years-84804&usg=AOvVaw0dCQPpZyNUtNJACNJ7CANh">grabbing women “by the pussy”</a>. This explicit connection between pink, female genitalia and activism is a feminist statement that emphasises women’s lack of autonomy over their own bodies in a patriarchal society. <h2>Pink reclaimed</h2> The connotations of pink are not fixed, but malleable. Whether worn by film stars, musicians or celebrities, the colour takes on new meanings through irony and reclamation. The 2001 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250494/">Legally Blonde</a> subverts the gendered <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Neo-Feminist-Cinema-Girly-Films-Chick-Flicks-and-Consumer-Culture/Radner/p/book/9780415877749">“dumb blonde” stereotypes </a>associated with wearing pink by following the successes of a sorority girl who goes to law school. When Madonna donned her pink Material Girl look, she positioned herself as <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-performance-identities-of-lady-gaga/">the new Marilyn Monroe</a>: a blonde bombshell for the era of Second Wave Feminism. She reworked Monroe’s tragic stardom into a narrative about female empowerment and survival. On TikTok, the <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2020/12/10217066/tiktok-bimbo-gen-z-trend">#Bimbo trend</a> involves feminine-presenting content creators finding inspiration in the once derogatory “bimbo” label. Their videos <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/23/the-bimbo-is-back-and-as-a-feminist-i-couldnt-be-more-delighted">reclaim the label</a> as a playful aesthetic and a new feminist lifestyle. Despite its longstanding associations with feminine frivolity and excess, pink consistently proves itself to be a transgressive colour. It moves with the times and does not shy away from parodying its own past. If Paris Hilton’s <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/paris-hilton-versace-show">surprise runway appearance</a> earlier this year in sparkling pink Versace bridal wear tells us anything, it’s that pink should never be underestimated. It still has the power to shock, fascinate and make a statement. Image credits: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-pink-became-fashions-colour-of-controversy-a-brief-history-196535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Beauty & Style

Multi-coloured plants are suddenly a home decor ‘must-have’. Here’s how to keep them alive

Fads and fashion have always influenced the plants we keep. And so it is with variegated plants, which have become <a href="https://thatplantylife.com/affordable-and-gorgeous-variegated-houseplants/">very popular</a>with indoor plant enthusiasts these days. Variegated plants possess multiple colours – typically on their leaves, but in some cases on stems, flowers and fruit. Their patterns include stripes, dots, edges and patches. They’re usually green with either white or yellow, but can also feature red, pink, silver and other colours. Variegated plants can divide opinion. I recall a great aunt telling me many years ago of her great fondness for the variegated Aspidistra elatior growing her garden. But I’ve also heard gardeners and garden designers dismiss variegated foliage because it didn’t fit with their design or colour themes. Now, it seems indoor variegated plants are considered a “<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/variegated-plant-care-tips-36878935">must-have</a>” home decor accessory. But before you rush out and buy one, make sure you know how to keep it happy. <h2>Understanding variegated plants</h2> Most plant species are entirely green but occasionally a variegated individual arises. Some catch the eye of a dedicated plant collector or nursery worker and become a popular variety. Plant variegation can occur for several reasons. In some plants, such as the flowers of tulips, it’s due to a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/tulip-mania-how-a-plant-virus-fueled-a-speculative-frenzy">viral infection</a>. The resulting streaks of different colours may be cursed or valued depending on the aesthetic effect. Others plants, such as those in the genus <a href="https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Stories/2019/Coleus-back-in-the-name-game">coleus</a>, are naturally patterned. Groups of cells produce different colour combinations, causing leaves to grow with attractive markings. Plant variegations can also arise from genetic mutation. When growing variegated plants, it’s important to understand how the various colours affect the way it functions. The green part of plants contains chlorophyll, a pigment essential for photosynthesis. (Photosynthesis, of course, is the process by which the leaves convert sunlight into oxygen and carbohydrate that provides energy for plants to grow.) In variegated plants, white parts of leaves do not contain chlorophyll and so do not photosynthesise. Yellow parts of leaves can help send energy to the chlorophyll, but can’t perform photosynthesis on their own. The same goes for some red, orange and pink patches of tissue. But all cells in the leaf – green or not – use the plant’s energy. That means variegated plants are less efficient energy producers than their all-green counterparts, which causes them to grow more slowly. Some plants have mutated into <a href="https://www.chicagobotanic.org/blog/how_to/science_activity_albino_plants">albinos</a> containing no chlorophyll. These normally die within a few days or weeks of germination. <h2>Caring for your plant indoors</h2> It’s no coincidence many popular indoor plants – such as coleus, philodendrons, monsteras, dracaenas and calatheas – are variegated. Because they’re usually far less vigorous than all-green versions of the species, they won’t be pushing against the ceiling within weeks. The decorative colour and pattern of a variegated indoor plant is an added bonus. Variegated plants can take longer than others to reach a size considered appropriate for sale at a nursery, so may be comparatively more expensive. But there are ways to protect your variegated investment. First, watch out for “reversion”. This can occur when a variegated plant sends up an all-green shoot. The shoot will grow fast compared to the variegated parts and can eventually take over, causing the whole plant to revert to green. To avoid this, vigilantly remove any green shoots before they get big. You don’t want variegated plants quickly outgrowing their space, but remember they’re low on chlorophyll and so need good light. And like any indoor plant, ensure its leaves are kept free of fine dust and you don’t give it too much, or too little, water. <h2>Variegated plants in the garden</h2> The popularity of indoor variegated plants will almost certainly lead to greater use outdoors. Their slow-growing nature means outdoor variegated plants are usually much less likely to be “weedy” and spread where they’re not wanted. This can be an advantage if you’ve avoided planting a species because it will take over the garden. The variegated versions of <a href="https://www.plantmark.com.au/pittosporum-eugenioides-variegata">pittosporum</a>, ficus and <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/57250/nerium-oleander-variegatum-(v)/details">nerium oleander</a>, for example, are far less intent on global domination than their all-green counterparts. When planting a variegated plant outdoors, watch that it doesn’t become shaded by other quicker-growing plants. Many variegated plants already struggle to photosynthesise sufficiently. A bit of extra shade can damage or even kill them. So ensure they get enough light – and every so often give them a hand by trimming back nearby plants. <h2>Growing with flying colours</h2> Variegated plants are having their moment in the sun. But their interesting biology is always in fashion! These plants can brighten up your indoor space and provide attractive colour and pattern in the garden. By learning about how variegated plants function and considering their special requirements, you can enjoy them for years to come. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/multi-coloured-plants-are-suddenly-a-home-decor-must-have-heres-how-to-keep-them-alive-181163" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home & Garden

5 reasons you should go on a blind date

Does the thought of going on a blind date make you cringe? It’s a common reaction but blind dates aren’t like the disaster stories shown in movies and, contrary to popular opinion, can lead to long-term relationships. Still not convinced? Here are five reasons to give blind dating a go. 1. Broaden your social circle Once you reach your 60s and beyond it’s common for your social circle to shrink and it can be harder to make new friends and meet new people. Blind dates are a great way to meet a variety of people who you might not have ever gotten a chance to meet before. If you hit it off, that’s great; but if not, there’s no damage done. You might even make a new friend. 2. Friends and family know your taste Sometimes our friends and family know us better than we know ourselves. And at the very least, you know they’re not going to set you up with someone horrible. 3. Your confidence will grow If you’ve only recently gotten back into dating, going on a few dates can help boost your confidence and encourage you to get back into the dating arena. When you open yourself to people, even if it’s just for a coffee date, the process will become much easier. 4. You might meet the right person There are so many horror stories out there in the dating world that you don’t often hear about the success stories. Although you shouldn’t expect to find “the one” on every blind date, the important thing is you’re taking chances and when you take chances anything is possible! 5. If nothing else, you have a great story If your blind date doesn’t work out, there’s no harm done. As it’s a blind date, you never have to see your date again. And if it does end up being a disaster, chalk it up to an experience and a funny story to share. Image: Getty

Relationships

"Last chance to see": Touching reason for kids' world travels

A couple has gone above and beyond for their children to see the world before they lose their vision. Canadian couple Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier have four children, Mia, Colin, Laurent and Leo, of which three were diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of rare eye diseases that affect the retina, and which makes cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss. The devastating news shocked the parents, and they tragically now expect their children Mia, Colin and Laurent to be “completely blind by mid-life”. As a result, the young couple first focused on helping their children with basic life skills – before they were told to help with their imaginative memories as well. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to show her an elephant in a book, I’m going to take her to see a real elephant’,” Mrs Lemay said. “And I’m going to fill her visual memory with the best, most beautiful images I can.” Plans were soon put in place to take the entire family out for trips and help them experience their best life before losing their vision. “With the diagnosis, we have an urgency. There’s great things to do at home, but there’s nothing better than travelling,” Mr Pelletier said. “Not only the scenery, but also the different cultures and people.” Unfortunately, due to Covid the family had to delay their trip but as soon as travel restrictions eased they headed off to Namibia, where they got up close to elephants, zebras, giraffes and more. They then flew to Zambia, Tanzania and Mongolia before heading off to Indonesia and Turkey. “So we’re really trying to make them see things that they wouldn’t have seen at home and have the most incredible experiences,” Mr Pelletier explained. The parents said they hope these adventures would help them realise how fortunate they are, despite the challenges they face. “No matter how hard their life is going to be, I wanted to show them that they are lucky just to have running water in their home and to be able to go to school every day with nice colourful books,” Mrs Lemay said. “And we never know what’s going to impress them. We will tell ourselves [they will think] something is wonderful and then they see puppies in the street and it’s the best thing in their life.” Images: Instagram

International Travel

Readers respond: If everything in your house had to be one colour, what would you choose and why?

When it comes to our homes, the prominent colours can tell us a lot about our personalities. Some people prefer a neutral scheme of white, beiges and greys, while others prefer a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours. We asked our readers if everything in your house had to be one colour, what would you choose and why? Here's what you had to say. Margie Buckingham - Green-tinged white or pale grey. So calming, cool and goes with everything. Carla Blackburn - Light blue. Very calming and pretty. Jill Harker - Blue! Have a lot of blue in my home. Blue furniture, blue curtains, blue rug and lots of blue ornaments. Plus I have a blue car! Trish Stephenson - Yellow! It's my favourite colour. Valerie King - No doubt, hot pink and purple. The colours of joy and happiness. Sandra Tiplady Schellings - White, so easy to put green plants and other accessories. Wilmi Kruger - Very light grey. I just love it. Annette W Henderson McKean - My fave colour is red but I would choose a blue house as it's a more calming colour. Anita Thornton - White, and then accessorise with colours! Jan Dower - I think a pastel colour, like lavender. Natasha Devereux - Blue, and different tones of blue. It's a soothing and cheerful colour. Vicki Cooper - Blue, any and every shade, love blue so bright and sunny. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

How to choose colours at home

Haven’t we all agonised over how to choose colour, especially when it comes to our homes? Feeling blue? In rage with red? Both psychologists and theorists have long explored the relationship between colour and mood. Certain colours trigger particular feelings and memories. And while choosing what colour top to wear is one thing, when it comes to our homes, we often second-guess our every step. Should we go for greys everywhere? Incorporate our favourite baby blue? Or shun punchy colours for tried-and-true neutrals? Whatever your decorative inclination, colour can inspire a look and feel that suits both the dimensions of your home and your tastes. Colour allows you to create a welcoming and engaging environment that’s an extension of your personal style. Don’t be afraid of it, but remember to establish your colour scheme before you start. <ul> <li>Start from the top down. In terms of a single point of colour reference, your roof and or ceiling are usually the largest and most obvious feature. The general rule to stick by is look up to lead your choices on the ground.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Be yourself! Unless you're looking to make a bold statement with a stand-out feature, harmony should be the key when looking to introduce colour into any room in the home. You want to choose colours that blend and harmonise with both your built and natural environments.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Observe your environment. Be sure to take into consideration what happens with the light at your house as different times of the day. For example, if you were thinking of trying a dark colour palette of navys and greys, you’ll want to consider how much natural light your home gets. If it doesn’t get much, this colour scheme might be a bit dark for your interiors.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Mood manager. Think about what type of ambience you want to create in your home. Warmer colours can create the feeling of nearness, while cooler colours make things appear further away. It is a good idea to keep this in mind in case you want to highlight particular building features.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Less is more. Too much of a good thing usually takes the good out of something. When it comes to complex designs, bright colours may cause sensory overload. Softer colours and complementary accents can help create a more classic look and style.</li> </ul> Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

Decorating with colour

Many of us find that we have a love/hate relationship when it comes to colour and our homes. What colour do I choose? Can I mix and match? Do I make a statement or opt for something subtle? If you have asked yourself any of these questions, you’re not alone. Loved by interior enthusiasts for its ability to instantly transform a room, there’s always the tricky business of knowing how to style it and, more importantly, when enough’s enough. The truth is even the most timid decorators amongst us can benefit from a little splash of something vibrant. Take the challenge to step out of the shade of neutrals and into the transformative light of colour. Here are some tips on how to approach decorating with some of the colours currently trending in the world of interiors. Vibrant blues The captivating tones of crystal blue waters makes for vibrant addition to any room no matter if you opt for a couple of decor items or go big with a blue couch or blue walls. Teamed with golden accents and a few classic staples, the hue really pops. Earthy yellows Colours of the earthy variety are a great way to ensure your home imparts a welcoming and cosy vibe. Crisp white or pale grey accents, dark woods and coordinating golden tones mix well with eathy yellows and make for a sophisticated look which is irresistibly inviting. Pretty pinks Forget everything you think about pink. It is not a colour on suited to the rooms of young girls. Styled with a carefully chosen palette and barely-there silhouettes, hues in this colour teamed with stylish homeware can create quite an opulent feel to a room. Elegant navy An eternally sophisticated colour, navy instantly adds a feeling of elegance to any interior. Fun patterned cushions and statement-making proportions can be matched with classic touches for twist on timeless style. Image: Getty Images

Home & Garden

The world’s most colourful mountains

Imagine taking a photo of a destination that’s so colourful that you don’t need to apply any filters. Or so bright that your camera settings only need to be changed to make sure the entire scenery is captured through your lens. Among many of Earth’s colourful landscapes, there are mountains and rock formations whose hues go beyond monotone shades. <div> </div> <h2>Rainbow Mountain, Peru</h2> Also known as Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Coloures (the Mountain of Seven Colours), this colourful mountain near Cusco became well-known throughout the world in recent years. It attracts 1,500 visitors daily during Peru’s high tourism season. The mountain’s rainbow look is revealed as the surrounding snow begins to melt, unveiling its true colours. In part from environmental conditions, over time marine, lake, and river sediments formed layer deposits resulting in turquoise, gold, red and fuchsia colours. Visits to Rainbow Mountain often involve full-day excursions through tour operators, where it’s best to be physically able to handle high altitudes. Consider the less-travelled yet equally colourful Cordillera de Coloures Palcoyo, also within the Cusco region. <h2>Landmannalaugar Mountain, Iceland</h2> Iceland is known for its diverse topography and this mountain in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve based within the country’s Southern Highlands fits in quite brightly. Its hues come from rhyolite, a type of rock producing quite the range of shades, from red, pink, and green to blue and golden yellow. Collectively, Landmannalaugar Mountain is a colourful mountain that makes for a picture-perfect backdrop to be captured with your smartphone lens. Aesthetics aside, Landmannalaugar is touted as a great hiking destination, where trekkers can venture along its three major trails: Mount Brennisteinsalda, Mount Bláhnjúkur, and Ljótipollur, the latter a crater lake. Speaking of water, after a long stretch, weary bodies can relax within the warm streams heated by geothermal energy, which could be why Landmannalaugar is also known by the moniker, “Pools of the People.” <h2>The Pitons, St Lucia</h2> Near the town of Soufriere, on St Lucia’s southwestern coast, this pair of mountainous volcanic cones are truly green and they’re also blessed in being covered with a lush forest that is home to a number of rare plant species. Collectively they are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, each of these two spires has its own name and, well, “personality.” Gros Piton is the taller of the two while Petit Piton is shorter but also said to be steeper. These two spires can offer hearty challenges to those who wish to go up to them – a guide is a must – but also reward visitors for their efforts in reaching their summits with mesmerising views. From the top of Gros Piton, you can see Petit Piton and Soufriere; Petit Piton will have you overlooking the Piton Bay. <h2>Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, USA</h2> Designated in 2000, this 280,000-acre national monument in Northern Arizona and near the Utah state line makes you feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet. Towering cliffs, slot canyons, and churned coloured sedimentary formations are found across this site’s many regions. But wait a minute: There are certain areas that require obtaining specific permits in advance to explore them, so do your homework first. Coyote Buttes are split into Coyote Buttes North, which has The Wave, a swirling sandstone formation, the Melody Arch, and the Grotto, while Coyote Buttes South is also visually striking with Paria Canyon and its petroglyphs. <h2>Zhangye National Geopark, China</h2> In northwestern China’s province of Gansu, within the foothills of the Qilian Mountains, this UNESCO national park is considered to be one of China’s most beautiful natural wonders. At first glance, it looks like a rainbow was carefully applied to a palette. And there’s a science to it. The striped colours within the 320-kilometre colourful rainbow mountain have been around for quite some time, in that they are comprised of deposits of cretaceous sandstones and siltstones that developed before the Himalayan Mountains were formed. These sand and silt deposits also held iron and trace minerals which created these vivacious colour formations. Then, as Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided into each other millions of years ago, mountains were lifted up and underneath sedimentary rock got exposed, thus leading to this colour scheme that’s still bright. <h2>Montagne Sainte Victoire, France</h2> What makes this limestone mountain ridge in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur so magnifique is that it has served as a muse for the French artist Paul Cézanne. This Post-Impressionist painter was inspired by this distinct landscape so much that Montagne Sainte Victoire became the constant subject of his paintings. Apparently, Cézanne never grew tired of capturing its appearance on this canvas, as he lived below the mountain and create a series of paintings on Montagne Sainte Victoire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.These days, Montagne Sainte Victoire can be taken in through mountain biking and rock climbing; it’s also the location for religious heritage sites such as the Saint-Ser Hermitage, a tiny chapel built inside a cave. <h2>Serranias del Hornocal, Argentina</h2> Translated as the Hill of 14 Colours, this jagged-looking yet multicoloured geological formation in the northwestern Argentinian province of Jujuy has gotten visitors’ attention in recent years. According to Jujuy’s tourism board’s website, you reach this colourful mountain by driving with care from the town of Humahuaca. Your ride will go along the winding and gravel-covered Provincial Route 73, traveling roughly 24 kilometres to reach this Hill of 14 Colours. At this location, visitors can view the panoramic scenery and park their vehicles at an observation point that’s 4,350 meters high. <h2>Remarkable Rocks, Flinders Chase National Park, Australia</h2> How could we not include this amazing rock formation found in this park on Australia’s Kangaroo Island? These aptly-named granite boulders are said to have been shaped by 500 million years of environmental impact from the natural elements. The end result is quite an abstract vision. Some of these rocks are covered with golden orange lichen, which is a fungus and algae organism that reflects the sunlight. Other spotted colours include black mica, bluish quartz, and pinkish feldspar. Interpretive signs tell the story behind these rocks plus there’s a viewing platform for those with accessibility needs. <h2>Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia</h2> A World UNESCO Heritage site, this national park in northern Ethiopia is a biosphere onto its own with an abundance of flora and fauna. Canyon gorges, soft turfs, deep valleys and vegetation such as a type of flowering tree known as Erica arborea are all nestled here. Wildlife can be found within the park as well. Walia ibex, an endangered species of goat that’s native to this region of Ethiopia, is a resident. Other coinciding rare animals include the Ethiopian wolf (also known as a Simien fox) and Gelada baboon and several birds of prey. <h2>Seven Coloured Earths, Mauritius</h2> While they’re technically sand dunes, this colourful granular grouping stands out to us because of their blended hues. Found near the village of Chamarel, this geological marvel is a result of volcanic rock becoming clay that bridged together various elements and brought forth a result of different colours that have swirled together. Surrounded by forest, this harmonious blend of shades have settled amongst each other with red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow shining in their own right. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/destinations/the-worlds-most-colourful-mountains?pages=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. Images: Shutterstock

International Travel

15 winter nail colours and trends you won’t be able to resist

Winter nail colour trends Even if you spend most of the winter bundled up, there are still parts of you worth showing off all year long. And let’s not forget about that moment of pure joy when you slip your hands out of your gloves to show off your favourite new nail polish. So, now that autumn is over, what are the hottest winter nail colours and trends that should be on your radar? From rich, jewel-toned hues to dupes for frosty snowflakes, winter nails aren’t following one set of rules right now. We’re still seeing a lot of nail art, but it’s less cutesy and more architectural. For example, according to celebrity nail artist Brittney Boyce, instead of going with an overt candy-cane look, opt for a “chic, angled half-French in a sultry red, or do a half white nail with a diagonal cut across that looks clean and elevated.” You also won’t find just the typical wintery shades this year – you might see pastels on the chicest nails. If we had to sum up winter 2022 in a word, it would be unexpected or bold. We asked celebrity nail artists and other experts for their take on what’s trending right now so you can take your manicure to the next level. To get salon-quality results, use non-toxic polishes and gel nail polishes. Nail trend: a hint of sparkle Don’t overdo the shimmer on your winter nail designs – a small amount will do the trick for this 2022 trend. Even if you use polish with chunky glitter in it, add only a dab or two. The idea is to catch the light, not pile on the glitter. “Adding a bit of sparkle is a great way to put a classic spin on a French mani and is also perfect for the winter,” says salon marketing manager, Jennifer Bell. Nail trend: browns, taupes, and chocolatey shades Winter is the time of year you can match your mani to your hot drink! “We will continue to see a lot of neutral browns and chestnuts throughout the winter,” Bell predicts. There are so many gorgeous shades in this family that you can take it from nearly nude to deep sueded shades, depending on your mood. Nail trend: a touch of grey Expect to see a lot of steely, slate, silver, or pale grey polish this season. “We [particularly] love a wintertime grey with a shimmery finish,” Bell says. Greys look great on nearly everyone, but a good rule of thumb (as it were) is that if you’re not sure which grey shade to choose, opt for a darker one because it flatters more skin tones. Nail trend: naked nails Believe it or not, one of the hottest winter nail looks is perfectly pampered hands and cuticles with barely any polish. “Nude nails have been a beauty staple for years and are back with a new twist that embraces the barely-there look,” says Patricia Freund, managing director for cuticle oil brand, Cuccio Naturalé. While nude or barely there polish is a classic look, it also makes sense as there’s no need to worry about chipping a nail or ruining your nail art! Freund advises applying cuticle oil daily “to maintain hydrated and healthy nails throughout the winter and keep the ‘less is more’ nude manicure looking fresh all season.” One more tip for your tips: while short nails make sense during glove season, a look that’s gaining traction right now is a slightly longer oval nail with the sheerest polish, perfectly groomed cuticles, and moisturised hands. Nail trend: red hot It wouldn’t be winter without classic red winter nails in every shade from spicy tomato to deep burgundy blacks. “We’ll also continue to see classic deep reds throughout the winter,” notes Bell. If you do plan on painting the town – or at least your nails – red, opt for a chip-proof top coat so you won’t have to keep touching up your mani. Nail trend: black Classic black will be having a moment this winter. “The opposite of the opaque white trend for spring/summer is onyx – shiny patent leather nails,” says celebrity manicurist Michelle Saunders. It’s all about high contrast and showing off your sparkly jewellery with this winter nail idea. Think black tie meets high fashion. Saunders says for maximum impact, be sure to use a high-shine top coat. Nail trend: glitter ombré tips If don’t want to go all-out with glitter, try using just a hint of it in your nail art. Boyce’s advice? “Apply a strip of glitter polish on the tip, then gently drag the glitter chunks downward with the brush. This way, most of the glitter is on the tip and you’ll get a nice ombré effect.” You can also experiment with this effect to add a little oomph to your favourite shade. “Do this on a bare nail, a nude nail, a white nail, or even a darker one,” Boyce says. But if you’re going dark, stick to a neutral shade like a dark taupe or dark blue so there aren’t too many competing elements. Nail trend: forest inspired While some trees may be stripped bare, your nails will look amazing in a leafy-green polish. “All kinds of greens are still in the forefront of people’s minds,” Saunders says. And while you’d think deep, lush greens were the only trending verdant hues, you can also go playful and polish your nails any shade of green for an on-trend winter manicure. Nail trend: baby shades Despite light colours usually making an appearance in spring, Saunders says, “we are going to see a ‘pastel winter’ with muted, serene colours on fingertips.” Picture Easter-egg hues on your winter nails. If you’re not sure that light colours are your thing in the winter, opt for colours that are classic, not cutesy. Think shell pink instead of bubblegum, or shimmery apricot instead of a bolder orange. Nail trend: winter blue This winter nail colour can be rocked all season long. “Blue will win the race for this winter,” Saunders says. She’s predicting that everything from baby blue to deep metallic blue will be on all the chic nails this season. “It’s a nod to the ’90s, and super fun to create nail art with,” she adds. Nail trend: rich jewel tones If you love the look of lush nails, get ready to indulge. “Deep gemstone colours are always a classic during wintertime,” Saunders says, “and that isn’t changing anytime soon.” Add some oomph to your LBD with any of these rich colours. Think ruby, emerald, sapphire and amethyst for a super luxe look. Nail trend: gold half moon “Winter is a fun time to play up shimmer and texture,” Boyce says, adding that not all winter nail art needs to be complicated. “A gold half-moon near the cuticle is simple nail art that makes a big statement. You can play up different types of metallic shades for this [trend] depending on your look, from a standard gold to rose gold to even a bright orange bronze shade.” Nail trend: dark meets light Create a bit of drama with mostly sheer nails and a hint of a darker colours. “For winter, I like dark, still shades because it reminds me of just how quiet it gets during the night,” Boyce says. Think muted blues or purples contrasted with barely-there colour. “While black gives a lot of edge, you can soften it up with midnight navy or dark forest green shades,” she adds. How can you create this look at home? “An Angled Half French can be achieved easily by using washi tape as a guide and a dry brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up the edges,” explains Boyce. “You then use a glossy top coat over the entire nail for a finished look.” Nail trend: classic French tips in metallic shades If you can’t get through the winter without a French mani, consider mixing things up. “A classic French tip using a shimmery shade on an oval-shaped nail, either short to medium length, looks really gorgeous for the holidays,” Boyce says, adding that the easiest way to get the perfect French tip is with a silicone nail stamper. Stampers are easy to use, but they come with a bit of a learning curve, so practise before that big event. If you’re not comfortable with a stamper, try dotting on a design with a nail art brush or using a fan brush to create a softened tip. Nail trend: all the winter colours Still can’t decide which winter nail colour or trend is your favourite? You don’t have to choose. Simply paint each nail a different colour for maximum wow. The experts we spoke with for this story all said winter nails this season are more about self-expression rather than sticking to any particular trend. Written by Rachel Weingarten. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/15-winter-nail-colours-and-trends-you-wont-be-able-to-resist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Kate Middleton's sweet tribute to the late Princess Diana

Kate Middleton stunned fans as she paraded down The Mall in a chic Alexander McQueen dress to celebrate Trooping the Colour. Eagle-eyed royal fans may have also noticed that the Duchess of Cambridge made a sweet tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The royal mum-of-three, who sat alongside Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in the carriage procession, could be seen wearing a pair of earrings that once belonged to the Princess of Wales, paired with William’s mothers sapphire engagement ring. The precious earrings were a favourite of Princess Diana’s as they perfectly matched her engagement ring and could be seen being worn by her daughter-in-law today. The double drop pair were originally given to Diana as a wedding gift as part of a suite of jewels from Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia. In a special “letter of wishes” included in her will, Princess Diana wrote: “I would like to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it. I leave the exact division of the jewellery to your discretion.” Applause erupted as thousands of royal fans swamped the Union Jack-lined Mall on Thursday for the Trooping the Colour in honour of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service. Kate was joined in a carriage by Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Camilla as the jubilant crowd cheered. Fans caught a glimpse of the royals who appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside the Queen. Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be noticeably absent from the display after Her Majesty limited the line-up to working royals only. The party will be joined by Beatrice and Eugenie and Zara Tindall at the Major General’s Office overlooking Horseguards Parade. Images: Getty

Beauty & Style

Adorable Prince Louis upstages entire royal family

Adorable Prince Louis was seen jumping with glee and making all kinds of crazy faces after he was wowed by the Red Arrows during the Jubilee celebrations. The young Prince, 4, beamed with excitement and chatted to his great-grandmother the Queen as they watched the impressive show from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty is marking her 70 years on the throne with a four-day bonanza that kicked off with Trooping the Colour. She was clearly very amused by Louis’ reaction as he excitedly awaited the spectacle in the sky. Her Majesty watched the celebrations overhead, surrounded by her immediate family. Kate Middleton, 40, was seen whispering in little Louis’ ear before he frantically waved up above at the passing planes. Prince Louis and his older sister Charlotte then continued their playful waves while the rest of the royal family grinned at the adorable children. The Queen pointed into the distance, before eagerly chatting to Louis again – redirecting his attention to the latest RAF fly-past. A very giggly Louis then started jumping up and down on the spot, despite appearing to have calming words whispered to him by his mother. The young Prince then turned to his great-grandmother and asked her a question – as she looked adoringly back at the four-year-old. Louis and Princess Charlotte then grabbed and covered their ears as the booming sounds overhead passed by. As the Red Arrows aerial display team passed, Louis’ jaw dropped as the Prince turned again to the Queen in disbelief at the amazing sight. The Queen was joined by senior royals including Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton for a spectacular British Royal Air Force fly-past. Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan were noticeably absent after Her Majesty limited the line-up to working royals only. However, the couple have been given prime seats to watch the landmark event after they arrived from the US on Saturday. It is not clear if children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, are in attendance. A whopping 1200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division took part in the Birthday Parade this morning. The display marked the first event of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bumper weekend. Images: Getty

News

How much colour do we really see?

<div> <div class="copy"> Colour awareness has long been a puzzle for researchers in neuroscience and psychology, who debate how much colour observers really perceive. A new US study probably raises more questions than it answers. In a series of trials, researchers from Amherst College, MIT and Dartmouth College found that observers routinely failed to notice when colour vanished from the majority of their view. They had surprisingly limited colour perception in their peripheral vision. Counter-intuitive as it may sound, the study used virtual reality to ensure the participants had a 360-degree, real-world view of the world. Each wore a head-mounted display fitted with eye-trackers, allowing them to tour historic sites and watch a street dance performance or a symphony orchestra rehearsal simply by turning their heads. The researchers knew exactly where an observer was looking at all times and could make changes so that only the areas where the person was looking were in colour. Other areas were desaturated, right down to black and white. But most people didn’t notice. In the most extreme case, almost a third didn’t realise that less than 5% percent of the entire visual field was presented in colour. While a human’s visual field extends about 210 degrees, which is similar to if your arms are stretched out on your left and right, the study’s results showed that most people’s colour awareness is limited to a small area around the dead centre of their visual field. In a separate study participants were asked to identify when colour was desaturated in the periphery – and the results were similar. Many people failed to notice when the peripheral colour had been removed. “We were amazed by how oblivious participants were when colour was removed from up to 95% of their visual world,” says Dartmouth’s Caroline Robertson, senior author of a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/02/1922294117" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The obvious question is how this can be. The researchers say they cannot offer a definitive answer but do suggest possibilities worth exploring. “One possibility is that as observers spend time in an environment, their brains are able to eventually ‘fill-in’ the colour of many items in the periphery,” they write. “Of course, providing direct evidence for this explanation is challenging since it is extremely difficult to differentiate between scenarios where a subject knows the colour of an object (i.e., ‘I know the tree behind me is green even though I currently cannot see the color green’) from instances where the subject is experiencing the colour of that object online (i.e., ‘I can see the colour green at this very moment’). “Alternatively, some would argue that there is no need for a filling-in mechanism at all and the intuition of a rich perceptual experience is simply misguided.” Image credits: Getty Images  <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=101757&title=How+much+colour+do+we+really+see%3F" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/how-much-colour-do-we-really-see/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a>. </div> </div>

Art

P-plater who killed blind man and his guide dog jailed

A P-plater who caused the death of a man and his guide dog in 2019 has been sentenced to jail. 24-year-old Billy-Jo Salter was sentenced to three years and nine months’ jail after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death and destruction of evidence. Salter was 21-years-old when he caused the death of 62-year-old Raymond Meadows and his guide dog Gerry while he was driving on the Calder Highway at Wedderburn in northwestern Victoria on June 2, 2019. The court heard that it was dark but Mr Meadows was wearing a high-vis vest and a backpack with flashing lights as he and his dog walked along the road’s shoulder, heading to the gym. Gerry died almost immediately after being hit by Salter’s car, while Mr Meadows died en route to the hospital. Salter stopped at the scene and was not found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Salter removed the memory card from his dashcam at the scene, and later had his friend destroy it. For several months following the crash, he told police that Mr Meadows and his dog had been walking on the road, but analysis of the scene proved they had been on the shoulder. Investigations also revealed that Salter had not applied the brakes or stirred the car in the five seconds before the crash, using cruise control to travel at 94km/h. Judge Rosemary Carlin said Salter's actions were indicative of "a total abdication" of his responsibility as a driver. "To drive for five seconds at that speed in the dark without exerting any control at all over your car and without keeping a proper lookout for whatever reason is highly irresponsible and risky behaviour," she said. The judge also said his lies about what had happened and destruction of the dashcam footage had deprived Mr Meadows’ family of closure. She described the destruction of the footage as “serious, planned offending” and said, "you have refused to tell the truth about what happened and you destroyed the only evidence.” The court heard that Salter had suffered an abusive childhood, was experiencing health problems, and lived with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He was sentenced to a non-parole period of two years and three months. Image: 9 News

Legal

New book names royal family member who asked about Archie’s skin colour

In his upcoming book Brothers And Wives: Inside The Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan, Christopher Andersen seemingly reveals the identity of the royal who asked about Archie’s skin colour, a claim that was originally made in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s astonishing interview with Oprah earlier this year. The book claims that following the announcement of Harry and Meghan’s engagement, on November 27, 2017, Prince Charles sat down to breakfast with Camilla and asked, “I wonder what the children will look like?”, to which Camilla responded, “absolutely gorgeous, I’m certain”. Charles then clarified what he meant by following up with, “I mean, what do you think their children’s complexion might be?” According to the book, Camilla was “somewhat taken aback” by the question. While the source for these claims is “well-placed”, Andersen stops short of claiming that Charles is the unnamed “senior royal” referred to in the Oprah interview. In their March interview with Oprah, Meghan said there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he was born… Those were conversations that family had with Harry”. Andersen presents the question as an example of Charles’ curious nature that was seized upon and distorted by “scheming courtiers” to make it look racist, pointing the finger at a group of palace advisers known as the “Men in Grey”. Andersen writes, “The question posed by Charles was being echoed in a less innocent way throughout the halls of Buckingham Palace.” The gossip allegedly focused on how the royals would “look to the rest of the world” once Meghan’s blood became part of the mix. Andersen also reveals Harry’s frustration with his relatives throughout the saga, with Charles telling him he was being “overly sensitive about the matter” and William describing Charles’ comment as “tactless” but “not a sign of racism within the family”. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prince Charles told the New York Post, “This is fiction and not worth further comment,” while a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan did not respond to requests for comment. Image: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Family & Pets

Food can play a part of the colour of your poo and pee

<h1>Optimal pee and poo colour for your health</h1> <h2>Food, medications and illnesses can all play a part.</h2> <div class="copy"> Out of the blue I passed bright red pee. I freaked, thinking it was a sign of terminal disease. Then I remembered the roasted beetroot tarts served at the party the night before – so delicious I’d eaten three! Beetroot, artificial colours, vitamin supplements and medications can change the colour of your urine or bowel motions. Knowing which colour changes are due to food or medicines can save you worry, or provide an early alert to get to the doctor. <h2>Beeturia</h2> Beeturia is the term for passing red urine after eating beetroot. The red colour comes from a pigment called betalain, also in some flower petals, fruit, leaves, stems and roots. Concentrated beetroot extract, called Beet Red or additive number 162 on food labels, can be added to “pink” foods, such as ice-cream. Whether betalain turns your pee red or not depends on the type of beetroot, amount eaten and how it’s prepared, because betalain is destroyed by heat, light and acid. How much betalain enters your digestive tract depends on stomach acid and stomach emptying rate (people taking medications to reduce stomach acid may be prone to beeturia). Once in the blood stream, betalain pigments are filtered out by the kidneys. Most is eliminated two to eight hours after eating. Persistent red urine can be due to blood loss, infection, enlarged prostate, cancer, cysts, kidney stones or after a long-distance run. If you see red and have not been eating beetroot, see your doctor. <h2>What should your pee look like?</h2> Normal pee should be the colour of straw. If your pee is so colourless that it looks like water, you probably drank more than you needed. Very dark yellow pee usually means you are a bit dehydrated and need to drink more water. Compare your pee colour to the Cleveland Clinic’s scale below. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic <h2>Strange pee colours due to food, drugs or disease</h2> Pee the colour of syrup or molasses needs medical investigation. While it could be due to extreme dehydration, it can be a sign of liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, where a build up of bilirubin spills into your pee. Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cells; it’s also responsible for poo’s normal brown colour. Pee can turn bright orange or yellow when taking beta-carotene or vitamin B supplements, especially large doses of riboflavin (vitamin B2). These supplements are water soluble. What your body can’t use or store gets filtered out via your kidneys and into pee. Medications including phenazopyridine (for urinary tract infections), rifampin (antibiotic for treating tuberculosis and Legionnaire’s disease), warfarin (blood thinner) and some laxatives can also change pee colour. If you pass blue or green pee, it’s most likely due to food colouring or methylene blue used in some diagnostic test procedures and some drugs. But a range of medications can also trigger blue or green urine. These include antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, antibacterials, antidepressants, some nausea drugs or those for reducing stomach acid. Rare genetic conditions Hartnup disease and Blue diaper syndrome cause blue-green urine. So see your doctor if it persists or it happens in an infant. You should never see purple pee, but hospital staff might. “Purple urine bag” syndrome happens in patients with catheters and infections or complications. The catheter or bag turns purple due to a chemical reaction between protein breakdown products in urine and the plastic. Occasionally, pee can be frothy. It’s a normal reaction if protein intake is high and pee comes out fast. It is more likely if you consume protein powders or protein supplements. Excess protein can’t be stored in the body so the nitrogen component (responsible for the froth) gets removed and the kidneys excrete it as urea. See your doctor if the frothiness doesn’t go away or gets worse, as protein can leak into pee if you have kidney disease. <h2>Poo colours of the rainbow</h2> Normal poo colour ranges from light yellow to brown to black. The colour is due to a mix of bile, which starts off green in the gall bladder, and bilirubin a yellow breakdown product from red blood cells. Poo can turn green after consuming food and drink containing blue or green food colouring, or if food travels too fast through the gut and some bile is still present. Poo that is yellow, greasy and smells really bad signals food malabsorption. If this colour is associated with weight loss in an adult or poor growth in a child, see a doctor to rule out gut infections such as giardia or medical conditions like coeliac disease. Very pale or clay-coloured poo can happen when taking some anti-diarrhoeal medications, or when digestive problems affect the liver, gut, pancreas or gall bladder. At the other extreme of the colour spectrum, black poo could be a serious medical issue due to bleeding in the stomach or upper gut. Or it could be a harmless side-effect from taking iron supplements, or eating lots of licorice. Red poo can also be a serious medical issue due to bleeding in the lower gut, or from haemorrhoids, or harmless after having large amounts of red food colouring. If you don’t know what colour your pee or poo is, take a look. If you see a colour that’s out of the ordinary and you haven’t eaten anything unusual, take a picture and make an appointment to show your GP. Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle; Kristine Pezdirc, Research Associate | Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Newcastle, and Megan Rollo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nutrition & Dietetics, University of Newcastle  <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=11561&title=Optimal+pee+and+poo+colour+for+your+health" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by The Conversation. The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit media outlet that uses content sourced from the academic and research community. </div>

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How much colour do we really see?

P-plater who killed blind man and his guide dog jailed

New book names royal family member who asked about Archie’s skin colour

Food can play a part of the colour of your poo and pee

Our Partners

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Eye infections might seem like a minor complaint – but in some cases they can cause blindness and even death

Paw-sitive update on missing blind dog

Urgent calls for help after blind dog stolen from home

What do the different colours of mould mean in my house?

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

How pink became fashion’s colour of controversy: a brief history

Multi-coloured plants are suddenly a home decor ‘must-have’. Here’s how to keep them alive

5 reasons you should go on a blind date

"Last chance to see": Touching reason for kids' world travels

Readers respond: If everything in your house had to be one colour, what would you choose and why?

How to choose colours at home

Decorating with colour

The world’s most colourful mountains

15 winter nail colours and trends you won’t be able to resist

Kate Middleton's sweet tribute to the late Princess Diana

Adorable Prince Louis upstages entire royal family

How much colour do we really see?

P-plater who killed blind man and his guide dog jailed

New book names royal family member who asked about Archie’s skin colour

Food can play a part of the colour of your poo and pee

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