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TV star's daughter passes away at just 29

<p>Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell, the eldest daughter of reality TV matriarch Mama June, has succumbed to the relentless grip of stage 4 cancer at the tender age of 29.</p> <p>The heart-wrenching announcement came via Mama June's Instagram, where she shared the painful news of Anna's passing. The post spoke of a valiant 10-month struggle against the insidious disease, one that eventually claimed Anna's life, surrounded by her grieving family.</p> <p>Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, Anna's younger sister, expressed the profound sorrow of the family through a poignant Instagram post, revealing the painful moments leading up to Anna's last breath, recounting the agonising journey of witnessing a loved one battle a merciless illness.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0rvEXgxbjC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0rvEXgxbjC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by alana thompson đŸ«¶đŸœ (@honeybooboo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Jessica Shannon, Mama June's second eldest daughter, echoed the sentiments of loss and disbelief. In a heartfelt tribute, she spoke of Anna's youth and the bright future that was cruelly snatched away. </p> <p>Anna Cardwell's battle with stage 4 adrenal carcinoma was first reported in March, revealing a diagnosis that had spread to her liver, kidney and lungs. The news sent shockwaves through the family and fans alike, as they rallied behind Anna in her fight against the relentless disease.</p> <p>Anna leaves behind two young daughters, Kaitlyn and Kylee, aged 11 and 8. As the Shannon family grapples with their unimaginable loss, the memories of Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell will live on in their hearts. Friends, fans, and well-wishers are urged to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers during this harrowing and difficult time.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Bees have appeared on coins for millennia, hinting at an age-old link between sweetness and value

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>In 2022, the Royal Australian Mint issued a $2 coin decorated with honeybees. Around 2,400 years earlier, a mint in the kingdom of Macedon had the same idea, creating a silver obol coin with a bee stamped on one side.</p> <p>Over the centuries between these two events, currency demonstrating a symbolic link between honey and money is surprisingly common.</p> <p>In a recent study in <a href="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/assets.mmxgroup.com.au/ACR/Bee+Article.pdf">Australian Coin Review</a>, I trace the bee through numismatic history – and suggest a scientific reason why our brains might naturally draw a connection between the melliferous insects and the abstract idea of value.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536400/original/file-20230709-15-2u5ywn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Royal Australian Mint 2022 two-dollar coin representing 200 years since the introduction of the honeybee to Australia.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What is currency and why is it important?</h2> <p>Money is a store of value, and can act as a medium of exchange for goods or services. Currency is a physical manifestation of money, so coins are a durable representation of value.</p> <p>Coins have had central role in many communities to enable efficient trade since ancient times. Their durability makes them important time capsules.</p> <p>Ancient Malta was famous for its honey. The modern 3 Mils coin (<a href="https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces1775.html">1972-81</a>) celebrates this history with images of a bee and honeycomb. According to the information card issued with the coin set,</p> <blockquote> <p>A bee and honeycomb are shown on the 3 Mils coin, symbolising the fact that honey was used as currency in Ancient Malta.</p> </blockquote> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=582&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=582&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=582&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=732&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=732&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536403/original/file-20230709-23-drk2lj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=732&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A circulating 3 Mils coin from Malta showing a honeybee on honeycomb.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>In ancient Greece, bees were used on some of the earliest coins made in Europe. A silver Greek obol coin minted in Macedon between 412 BCE and 350 BCE, now housed in the British Museum, shows a bee on one side of the coin.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=293&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=293&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=293&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536411/original/file-20230709-182252-v4evxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=368&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An ancient obol from Macedon, dated between 412 BCE and 350 BCE, shows a bee one side.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Bees also feature on coins minted elsewhere in the ancient Greek world, such as a bronze coin minted in Ephesus dated between 202 BCE and 133 BCE.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=546&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=546&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=546&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=686&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=686&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536407/original/file-20230709-27-a2jvo3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=686&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A bronze coin minted in Ephesus, dated between 202BCE and 133BCE, featuring a honeybee.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The use of bees on ancient coins extended for many centuries including widely circulated bronze coins, and new varieties <a href="https://coinweek.com/bee-all-that-you-can-bee-honeybees-on-ancient-coins/">continue to be discovered</a>.</p> <h2>Why we might like bees on coins</h2> <p>Why have bees appeared so often on coins? One approach to this question comes from the field of neuro-aesthetics, which seeks to understand our tastes by understanding the basic brain processes that underpin aesthetic appreciation.</p> <p>From this perspective, it seems likely the sweet taste of honey – which indicates the large amount of sugar it delivers – promotes positive neural activity <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/artp/10/1/article-p1_2.xml">associated with bees and honey</a>.</p> <p>Indeed, primatologist Jane Goodall once proposed that obtaining high-calorie nutrition from bee honey may have been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0066185668800032">an important step</a> in the cognitive development of primates.</p> <p>Our brain may thus be pre-adapted to liking bees due to their association with the sweet taste of honey. Early usage of bees on coins may have been a functional illustration of the link between a known value (honey) and a new form of currency: coins as money.</p> <h2>The bee on modern coins</h2> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=588&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=588&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=588&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536393/original/file-20230709-17-jywq3f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=738&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A 1920 Italian bronze ten-centesimi coin featuring featuring an Italian honeybee on a flower.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The use of bees as a design feature has persisted from ancient to modern times. A honeybee visiting a flower is shown on a series of ten-centesimi bronze coins issued in Italy from <a href="https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces1960.html">1919 to 1937</a>.</p> <p>(As an aside, the world’s last stock of pure Italian honeybees is found in Australia, on Kangaroo Island, which was declared a sanctuary for Ligurian bees by an <a href="https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/home/historical-numbered-as-made-acts/1885/0342-Lingurian-Bees-Act-No-342-of-48-and-49-Vic,-1885.pdf">act of parliament</a> in 1885.)</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536416/original/file-20230709-15-60yst8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A coin from Tonga showing 20 honeybees emerging from a hive.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>More recently, a 20-seniti coin from the Pacific nation of Tonga shows 20 honeybees flying out of a hive. This coin was part of a series initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to promote sustainable agricultural and cultural development around the world.</p> <p>Bees are relevant here because their pollinating efforts contribute to about one-third of the food required to feed the world, with a value in excess of <a href="https://zenodo.org/record/2616458">US$200 billion per year</a>, and they are threatened by climate change and other environmental factors.</p> <h2>Bees on coins, today and tomorrow</h2> <p>Public awareness of bees and environmental sustainability may well be factors in the current interest in bee coins. The diversity of countries using bees as a design feature over the entire history of coins suggests people have valued the relationship with bees as essential to our own prosperity for a long time.</p> <p>In Australia, the 2022 honeybee $2 coin is part of a series developed by the <a href="https://www.ramint.gov.au/about-mint">Royal Australian Mint</a>. In 2019, the Perth Mint in Western Australia also released coins and stamps celebrating native bees.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=373&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=373&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=373&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=469&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=469&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536405/original/file-20230709-15-iditcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=469&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australian native bee coin and stamps released in 2019 by the Perth Mint.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Despite the decline of cash, bee coins still appear to be going strong. The buzzing companions of human society are likely to be an important subject for coin design for as long as coins continue to be used.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/208912/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Australian Royal Mint / NZ Post Collectables</em></p> <p><em>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/bees-have-appeared-on-coins-for-millennia-hinting-at-an-age-old-link-between-sweetness-and-value-208912">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Queen Bee Catherine delights in unusual getup

<p>Catherine, Princess of Wales, has gotten into the spirit of World Bee Day with a bee-autiful new look. </p> <p>In a picture shared to the prince and princess’s official Instagram account, taken the previous year by photographer Matt Porteous, Kate could be seen standing in front of a beehive in a full beige beekeeper suit - complete with a protective veiled hat and boots - and holding a rack covered in the pollinators.</p> <p>“We are buzzing about #WorldBeeDay,” came the honeyed words of the post’s caption. “Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem and today is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy.”</p> <p>While the image was taken at Kate’s country home in Norfolk, beekeeping is reportedly one of Kate’s long-treasured hobbies, and she even has bees at home at Anmer Hall. And in June 2021, she turned that beloved hob-bee into a sweet - albeit quite sticky - affair, taking a jar of her own honey to give to children at London’s Natural History Museum.</p> <p>The royal honey isn’t limited to just Kate’s hives, either, with both Buckingham Palace and Clarence House producing their own for their hardworking kitchens - enough that they could be considered self-sufficient.</p> <p>Despite their success on the honey front, however, all attention in 2023 was on Kate and her suit - though some made note of her previous gift-giving in their comments, among the loving buzz towards the princess. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsdcUTmNhGk/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsdcUTmNhGk/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Even in this outfit she looks stunning! Whatever she wears she always looks so classy and beautiful,” one fan wrote. </p> <p>“Oooh, I remember The Princess bringing honey from her bees to an engagement and let the children taste it,” another shared. “Lovely photo!”</p> <p>Meanwhile, another had to ask, “is there anything that this lady can’t do? I don’t think so.”</p> <p>“Awww, a ‘honey’ checking the Bees,” wrote one devoted pun-ster. </p> <p>Some - while pleased with this latest insight into royal life - were grateful to Kate for raising awareness over the important date, with one writing “thanks for shining a light on so many important matters.”</p> <p>“Such an informative update! i have no idea there's something called #WorldBeeDay haha,” one declared. </p> <p>“There is and you can have a small bee lover plant to benefit bees in your area,” came a well-intended suggestion in response, “they love lavender.” </p> <p>And as another put it, “wow she’s a beekeeper too, lucky bees”, before noting that she “will be the queen bee anyway”.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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National Duck Day: Diana Chan's Luv-a-Duck Seared Duck breast with nashi pears, honey and star anise

<p dir="ltr">The family owned business and Australia’s leading duck producer Luv-a-Duck has partnered up with MasterChef alum and duck lover Diana Chan, to officially launch National Duck Day, which falls on Tuesday May 23rd, 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr">Diana Chan is a Malaysian-Australian and won the 9th season of MasterChef in 2017. She has since become a well-known TV host, menu designer, product creator and restaurateur, turning her passion for food into her career.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Duck </span>breast with nashi pears, honey and star recipe</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves:</strong> 2</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Prep time:</strong> 10 mins </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Cook time: </strong>45 mins</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong> INGREDIENTS: </strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">2 x Luv-A-Duck raw duck breasts </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Salt to taste </p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>For the roasted pears: </strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">2 nashi pears, halved and cored 2 tbsp honey</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Juice of 1 lemon</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">4 whole star anise pods </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 tbsp dry vermouth or dry white wine </p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Garnish:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Micro herbs </p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>METHOD: </strong></p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut 4 pieces of baking paper and aluminium foil enough to cover the pears. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Dip the cut side of the pear in lemon juice (to prevent browning). </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Place 1 star anise in the cored center of each pear. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over each star anise.Place a pear half, cut side up, on each piece of baking paper. And wrap with foil on the outside to cover. Twist the foil tightly around the top of each fruit to seal. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Place the pears on a baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pears are tender. Remove from the oven and carefully unwrap each pear half. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">To cook the duck, make a few slits diagonally on the skin of the duck breasts about 2 cm apart. Be careful to not slice into the meat. Season liberally with salt. In a cold pan, add in the duck breasts skin side down and cook for 10-12 minutes to render the fat on low heat. Gradually turn the heat up from low to high. Turn the duck breast over and cook for another 5 minutes. Allow the duck breasts to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Add the liquid from the pears into the pan with all the duck fat and juices and mix to combine over low heat. </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">To assemble, slice each duck breast into three pieces diagonally. Place on a serving plate with the pears and drizzle over the pan juices over the duck.</p> </li> </ol> <p><em>Image credit: </em><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Luv-a-Duck</span></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Reward in mystery murder of billionaire couple tops $52 million

<p>The deaths of Canadian billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman have been a mystery right from the start.</p> <p>On December 15, 2017, a realtor giving a tour of the couple's Toronto mansion around midday discovered their bodies, fully dressed, beside their indoor basement swimming pool.</p> <p>They were semi-seated side by side, with belts tied around their necks and attached to the railing of the indoor pool according to police. Barry Sherman was 75 and his wife Honey was 70.</p> <p>The story made headlines across the globe, as police called the deaths suspicious.</p> <p>Theories have swirled about who might have wanted to kill the founder of Canadian generic drug giant Apotex and his philanthropic wife – being one of Canada's richest couples.</p> <p>Investigators have worked to connect the dots however, five years later, no arrests have been made. On this week's anniversary of the killings, the Shermans' son offered an additional $25 million (A$37 million) for information leading to an arrest.</p> <p>The reward is now $52 million.</p> <p>"This week marks the five-year anniversary since my parents were murdered in their home. Every day since then has been a nightmare. I have been overwhelmed with pain, loss, and sorrow and these feelings only continuously compound," Jonathon Sherman said in a statement announcing the reward money.</p> <p>"Closure will not be possible until those responsible for this evil act are brought to justice," he added.</p> <p>The victims' prominence meant the case was high profile from the start. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Barry was worth $4.5 billion.</p> <p>The Shermans' wealth, vast investments and philanthropy work saw them cross paths with Canada's business and political elites, their funeral was attended by thousands of people, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kathleen Wynne, premier of the province of Ontario.</p> <p>At the service an emotional Jonathon Sherman took the stage, with his three sisters, and slammed speculation that their parents died by suicide.</p> <p>Police later concluded someone had killed them, only six weeks after the bodies were found, Toronto police announced a review of evidence showed they were victims of a homicide, saying they believed the couple was targeted.</p> <p>With no forced signs of entry to the property, it's possible someone had a key, had access to the lockbox that held the keys or was known to the couple, Gomes said.</p> <p>In 2021, police asked for help identifying a shadowy suspect.</p> <p>After years of silence, police made a shocking announcement on the fourth anniversary of the couple's deaths last year, sharing a video of a shadowy person caught on security video walking on the snow-covered sidewalks in the couple's North York neighborhood.</p> <p>The Sherman children say the lack of answers adds to their grief. It's been five years since the murders and there have been no major developments. True crime podcasts have even have tried to unravel intrigue surrounding the deaths.</p> <p>In a statement to the CBC, her brother, Jonathon Sherman, echoed the same sentiment, saying the family will never get closure until the killer is brought to justice.</p> <p>The siblings reminded the public of the $52 million in reward money and pleaded for anyone with information to contact the Toronto Police Service.</p> <p><em>Image: AP</em></p>

Legal

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"Bring them back!": Arnott's axes beloved bikkies

<p>Fury has broken out among Arnott’s fans as the famed Aussie biscuit brand has announced the discontinuation of one of its most popular products without warning.</p> <p>That's right - Honey Jumbles are no longer on sale. It's no secret the people are furious as angry shoppers flooded Arnott’s on social media with complaints after their beloved biscuit got the chop.</p> <p>However, the decision to cut the iconic soft-baked gingerbread fingers which are topped with pink or white icing, happened back in July 2021 and only now are people pleading with Arnott’s to “bring them back!”, branding the decision “horrible”.</p> <p>“Arnott’s honey jumbles got discontinued and I’m just finding out. This is horrible news,” one devastated fan wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>“So, Arnott’s, we’re just going to cancel Honey Jumbles without any warning huh?” another wrote alongside a crying face emoji.</p> <p>“Not fair! There’s only so many Venetia’s you can eat when you can’t get Honey Jumbles,” a third said.</p> <p>Amy Wagner, the Arnott's director of PR and consumer experience, has said the decision to axe the biscuit came from poor sales.</p> <p>“We stopped baking our Honey Jumbles in July 2021. At this stage, there are no plans to bring the product back to shelf."</p> <p>However, she softened the blow by revealing Arnott’s had released an adapted Honey Jumbles recipe for the “very passionate fans” so they can recreate the “iconic” biscuit at home.</p> <p><em>Image: Arnott's</em></p>

Food & Wine

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"Honey, we are about to fight": Woman kicked off flight for hurling water bottle

<p dir="ltr">A woman who was told to get off a flight for not following the rules turned aggressive toward another passenger after she realised she was being filmed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Footage shared to Reddit shows a calm flight attendant asking the woman to take her dog off her lap on a flight to New York from Atlanta.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman became aggressive when she was told to get off the flight after refusing to take her dog off her lap. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh no, no, honey we are about to fight then.I didn’t f***ing do anything to you guys,” she can be heard saying.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My dog was sitting on my lap, I put him in the bag.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The traveller is then offered a refund on her ticket and once again asked to leave the flight before she swears at the flight attendant and everyone.</p> <p dir="ltr">“F**k you. F**k all of you,” she yells as she packs up her belongings. </p> <p dir="ltr">As she packs her bags, someone could be heard shouting at her to “get off the plane”. </p> <p dir="ltr">““I am! Shut the f**k up,” she yells back before noticing another passenger filming her and throws her water bottle at them. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Turn your f***ing phone off!” she yells.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why is she recording me?” she asks another flight attendant.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Anyone can record anything. You just struck a passenger with a bottle,” the flight attendant responds.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Nobody acting this way flies on a flight with us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Social media users called the woman out for her disgusting behaviour saying she deserved to be kicked off the flight. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love how she's wearing pigtails and acting like a first grader,” someone commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That dude was such a boss. Calm, cool, and collected the whole time and got her off the plane,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Now we wait for that person's footage, and also the footage of her getting arrested,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the footage <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/woman-unleashes-on-plane-throws-bottle-at-passenger/news-story/7887c8bb3bb4ece68aebaae13c7349e9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Nick "Honey Badger" Cummins welcomes "little badger cub"

<p>Former Bachelor and rugby star Nick Cummins AKA the “Honey Badger” has welcomed a baby with girlfriend Alexandra George.</p> <p>In a heart-warming post shared to Instagram, Cummins shared a cute photo of him kissing his partner as she cradled the newborn.</p> <p>“What an amazing life experience, so much love for my mob,” he wrote.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXkl_2LSbD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXkl_2LSbD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Honey Badger (@nickbadger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Celebrities wished them well in the comments, with swimmer Shayna Jack writing “Congratulations to you both! Amazing news.”</p> <p>The couple are yet to make a public comment regarding the baby's name or gender.</p> <p>Earlier this year, Cummins shared an intimate Instagram post in which he announced that he and Ms George were expecting a “little badger cub”.</p> <p>The "Honey Badger" and girlfriend Alexandra have been public with their relationship since March 2021, after having secretly dated since June 2020. It has been rumoured they spent lockdown together on the NSW mid-north coast.</p>

Family & Pets

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

<p>Bees, long despised for stinging humans and pets, but loved by horticulturalists for their life giving goodness, are under attack like never before.</p> <p>In June research identified a dangerous variant of the deformed wing virus is <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220601111805.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,and%20the%20animals%20to%20die." target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the rise worldwide</a>. The virus infects honeybees, causing their wings to atrophy and the animals to die. </p> <p>Also that month the varroa mite, a major honeybee parasite, was discovered in biosecurity surveillance hives at the Port of Newcastle.</p> <p>Now new research has identified what happens to bees when they are subject to insecticides.</p> <p>Have you ever struggled to walk in a straight line after having one too many? Well, it seems that honeybees are having similar issues but after getting a dose of insecticides.</p> <p>“Here we show that commonly used insecticides like sulfoxaflor (kills aphids and lygus) and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid (pesticide that protects seeds of field crops) can profoundly impair the visually guided behaviour of honeybees,” <a href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/bees-struggle-to-fly-in-a-straight-line-if-theyve-been-exposed-to-pesticides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said lead author of a new study</a>, Dr Rachel H Parkinson from the University of Oxford.</p> <p>“Our results are reason for concern because the ability of bees to respond appropriately to visual information is crucial for their flight and navigation, and thus their survival.”</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p202420-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/earth/pesticide-exposure-bees-walk-straight-line/#wpcf7-f6-p202420-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p><!-- Chimpmail extension by Renzo Johnson --></form> </div> </div> <p>Insects have an innate ‘optomotor response’, which lets them orient themselves back onto a straight trajectory if they steer off-course while walking or flying.</p> <p>The research, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/finsc.2022.936826/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Frontiers in Insect Science</em></a><em>,</em> challenged this optomotor response of walking honeybees by putting them in front of video screens of vertical lines which tricked them into thinking they’d moved off course.</p> <p>The vertical bars would move from left to right, or right to left which ‘tricks’ the bee into thinking it’s been blown off-course and needs to perform a corrective turn.</p> <p>The team of researchers looked at four groups of between 20-30 bees. The control had access to normal sugar water to drink, while the other three had different forms of insecticides added. One group had 50 parts per billion of imidacloprid, another had 50 parts per billion sulfoxaflor, and the last had 25 parts per billion of imidacloprid and 25 parts per billion of sulfoxaflor together.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the bees which had been exposed to the insecticide performed worse as they turned to get back on track. Bees exposed to pesticides seemed to have shallower turns and sometimes only turned one way. The asymmetry between left and right turns for example was 2.4 times greater for those bees exposed to pesticides.</p> <p>After this experiment, the researchers then had a look at the bee brains to look at the damage. Using molecular techniques, the team found that pesticide-exposed bees tended to have an elevated proportion of dead cells in parts of the brain’s optic lobes, which is important for processing visual input.</p> <p>Key genes for detoxification were also dysregulated after exposure. However these brain changes were relatively weak and highly variable across bees, and unlikely to be the sole explanation for the strong visual issues in the original experiment.</p> <p>“Neonicotinoid and sulfoximine insecticides activate neurons in the insect brain and are not always recycled fast enough to prevent toxicity,” said Parkinson.</p> <p>This research comes on the heels of a slew of other research in recent years suggesting that pesticides <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/pesticides-impair-baby-bee-brain-development/">impair baby bee brain development,</a> or it can make <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/neonicotinoids-make-bees-antisocial-and-lazy/">them antisocial and lazy</a>, and many scientists <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/scientists-call-for-urgent-action-on-bee-killing-insecticides/">are asking for them to be banned</a>.</p> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=202420&amp;title=Pesticide+exposure+makes+it+harder+for+bees+to+walk+in+a+straight+line" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/pesticide-exposure-bees-walk-straight-line/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jacinta-bowler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jacinta Bowler</a>. Jacinta Bowler is a science journalist at Cosmos. They have a undergraduate degree in genetics and journalism from the University of Queensland and have been published in the Best Australian Science Writing 2022.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

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Pop legend unrecognisable after bee sting

<p dir="ltr">Irish pop legend Brian McFadden has been left with a swollen face after being stung by a bee, and has joked about how it looks like he received free botox and fillers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former Australian Idol judge shared a series of posts to his Instagram showing how badly swollen his face became after a bee sting.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 42-year-old’s first post was a video of himself singing I’m Sexy And I Know It by LMFAO while laying in a hospital bed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stung by a bee and got an allergic reaction!! Owning that look! Free Botox and fillers!!!!!” his caption read as he laughed.</p> <p dir="ltr">In his next post, he shared photos from different angles showing massive lips and a swollen eye.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChFoNnkjRYU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChFoNnkjRYU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by brianmcfadden (@brianmcfadden123)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the reaction from the bee sting was ongoing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Finally, his third post showed a selfie after his face had finally calmed down from the unfortunate incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My face is calming down again. Thanks for all your lovely messages,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Allergies to venoms caused by a stinging insect such as a bee, ant or wasp is known to cause an anaphylactic reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">The most common symptoms include an all over rash, swelling of tongue or throat, trouble breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and a drop in blood pressure (shock).</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What to do if you are stung by a bee</strong></p> <ol> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Remove the sting by sliding or scraping your fingernail across it, rather than pulling at it.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Wash the area and apply ice to reduce the swelling.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">If the person goes into anaphylactic shock the only treatment is an injection of adrenaline.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Immobilise the person, apply pressure to the bite and seek immediate medical help.</p> </li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Coles takes the BBQ Chook to a whole new level

<p>The humble rotisserie chicken – a widely loved dinner staple, has been taken to a whole new level. Coles have announced a new flavour of their iconic roast chicken.</p> <p>After the success of their Mexican-flavoured BBQ chook, the grocery giant has debuted another special addition that is honey BBQ flavoured.</p> <p>Marinated in honey, garlic and liquid smoke for a delectable flavour hit, the Honey BBQ roast chicken is filled with a paprika, garlic, honey, herb and breadcrumb stuffing.</p> <p>Coles Product Developer for Seafood &amp; Deli, Tim Hickox, said the supermarket is excited to offer customers a fresh new take on the product. The roast chicken happens to be the third top-selling item in the country, right behind bananas and strawberries.</p> <p>“We are always looking for ways to innovate across our existing product range and provide our customers with interesting new meal ideas,” Mr Hickox said in a statement.</p> <p>“We think customers will love our brand-new Coles Honey BBQ Hot Roast RSPCA Approved Chicken, the perfect weekday meal base to grab-and-go and add to their favourite recipes, such as tacos with charred corn salsa and chipotle mayo, or sliders with coleslaw and ranch dressing.”</p> <p>Off the back of the Mexican-flavoured chicken’s popularity, he said Coles “discovered our customers are looking for original and flavour-packed alternatives to a standard roast chook”.</p> <p>Coles were also inspired by the success of their Honey Soy Chicken Kebabs, which are a firm customer favourite.</p> <p>The special edition Honey BBQ roast chickens are available now across Australia in all Coles’ delis (excluding the NT) for only $12.</p> <p><em>Image: Coles Supermarket </em></p>

Food & Wine

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From rock carvings to rock music – the prevalence of bees in art throughout human history

<p>With a looming <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-world-can-head-looming-biodiversity-crisis">biodiversity crisis</a> and concerns over <a href="https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1194910/icode/">food security and sustainability</a>, bees are frequently making <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/25/the-insect-apocalypse-our-world-will-grind-to-a-halt-without-them">news headlines</a>.</p><p>The importance of bees in our society as pollinators and honey producers appears to have led to their increased popularity in many artistic endeavours, such as film, social media, gaming and contemporary art. </p><p>Is this new fascination with bees a recent phenomenon? In <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/artp/aop/article-10.1163-22134913-bja10031/article-10.1163-22134913-bja10031.xml">our new study</a>, we explored how bees are represented throughout different cultures, time periods and art mediums. </p><p>Their representation in art would tell us how people at different times perceived bees, which we also found has led to bees being a source of inspiration for different art forms.</p><h2>Bee art throughout time and cultures</h2><p>Bees have been depicted in carvings, jewellery, coins, songs, tools and sculptures for thousands of years. One of the first known depictions of bees is in the form of rock art from 8000 BCE in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuevas_de_la_Ara%C3%B1a">the Spider Caves (Cuevas de la araña) in Spain</a>. It shows a person climbing a ladder to collect honey from a hive.</p><p>We examined the history of bees in culture and art from China, Central America, South America, and Australia. Centuries before the introduction of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_honey_bee">European honeybees</a>, human societies in Central and South America had a close relationship with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingless_bee">native stingless bees (Meliponini)</a>.</p><p>Advanced agricultural societies like the Mayans developed apicultural techniques (The raising and care of bees for commercial or agricultural purposes) and kept native bees in their homes. Some gods in their pantheon were consecrated as protectors of the hives, while others were often represented in postures resembling landing bees in sculptures adorning temples.</p><p>While Chinese art has a long history of representing plants, it was during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty">Tang Dynasty (618-907)</a> that honeybees started to be represented in poetry and painting, when formal beekeeping and the use of bee products in traditional medicine increased. </p><p>Prior to the Tang Dynasty bees were regarded with suspicion due to the capacity of some bees to sting, revealing how a positive aesthetic representation of bees developed with an improved understanding of the value of bees to our <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/artp/aop/article-10.1163-22134913-bja10031/article-10.1163-22134913-bja10031.xml">environment and well-being</a>.</p><h2>Bee sounds in art culture and music</h2><p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9naKEy1v6Lw">buzzing sounds and signals</a> bees make have intrigued humans for centuries. Indeed, the “drone” music style popularised by the Beatles <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHNbHn3i9S4">Tomorrow Never Knows</a> in name originates from Old English words representing male bees. </p><p>To the ear, ancient instruments like Australia’s First Nations Didgeridoo, Scottish Bagpipes, and India’s Tanpura resemble the rich and mesmerising drone sound of bees, and the ethnic communities of Southwestern China made special bee drums to celebrate cultural links to bees. </p><p>Bee-inspired music and song vary to accommodate the wide variety of experiences and emotions humans attempt to convey. In Britain during the 17th Century, Charles Butler scored the angelic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2eonteQEps">Melissomelos</a> from his keen observations of bee “voices” and their societal structure. </p><p>In popular music, bees have been called upon to express <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl4HZSzXMKc">human emotions</a>, and explore <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYAJopwEYv8">musical dynamics and mastery</a>. </p><p>Today, co-species collaborations like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UevWXcSkiNg">“Into”</a> by the music group Be directly employ honeybee sounds to present new ways of making music, while also promoting the plight of the precious providers.</p><h2>Bees and architecture</h2><p>Bees are some of <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00900/full">nature’s best architects</a>. The hexagonal structures in honeybee hives have inspired building design and architecture throughout the world, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3034770/a-beehive-for-humans-designed-so-we-can-live-on-mars">as well as futuristic designs for Mars</a>. These bee-inspired buildings are evidenced across time and cultures, and represent different design goals. In some cases, bee inspired architecture forms the most stable and efficient structures. </p><p>Other buildings aim to highlight the importance of bees to humans. For example the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_(New_Zealand)">New Zealand parliament’s “beehive” building</a> pays homage to the efficiency and cooperation of bees, and the experimental architecture of The Hive, which is a 14 metre aluminium lattice cuboid built to bring attention to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36542080">honeybee decline</a>. Modern designs such as these reflect the perceived value of living or working like honeybees.</p><h2>Bees in film and video games</h2><p>Bees are increasingly represented in screen culture for both entertainment and environmental messaging like in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Movie">Bee Movie (2007)</a>. In the worldwide gaming phenomenon, PokĂ©mon, the designs of a number of the imaginary creatures are based on bees, like female <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Combee_(Pok%C3%A9mon)">Combees</a> that collect resources for their colony.</p><p>Our work reveals bees have long played an important role in human society as pollinators, sources of nutrition as well as artistic inspirations and muses. </p><p>However, as many bee species are not as common as they once were in the environment, there has never been a more important time to understand and communicate about bees.</p><p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p><p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-rock-carvings-to-rock-music-the-prevalence-of-bees-in-art-throughout-human-history-173069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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Could bees become the next sniffer dogs?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The COVID-19 pandemic has seen scientists try everything they can think of to try and stem the spread of the disease.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest idea involves bees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following on from researchers for BC Infectious Diseases finding dogs could be used to detect which patients were infected with coronavirus at a success rate of 94 percent, scientists in the Netherlands have tried the same thing with bees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In controlled tests with 150 bees at the biosafety lab of Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, scientists were able to train the bees to detect positive coronavirus samples collected from minks infected with the disease.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a lengthy training period, the bees were then able to detect COVID-19 in human samples.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The bees extended their tongues to collect the sugar water solution. By repeating this action several times, the bees associated the sugar reward with the scent as a stimulus,” </span><a href="https://www.wur.nl/en/news-wur/Show/Training-bees-to-smell-the-coronavirus.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the report stated</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“With this repeated conditioning, soon enough bees started extending their tongues out for the scent alone, with no reward as a follow-up.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to InsectSense, bees can detect volatile compounds in concentrations of parts per billion to parts per trillion due to their extremely sensitive olfactory receptors. This makes them ideal for the detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) present in extremely low amounts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The researchers have also developed “BeeSense”, a machine prototype that can automatically train lots of bees simultaneously and includes a biosensor that deploys the trained bees for diagnosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The scientists involved in the study also believe the BeeSense could be a useful diagnostic system in developing countries where access to high-end technology, such as PCR machines, is more limited.</span></p>

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Lisa Wilkinson’s cheeky comment leaves Bee Gees star red-faced

<p><span>Lisa Wilkinson left her celebrity interview, <em>Bee Gees</em> legend Barry Gibb, red-faced during an interview on <em>The Sunday Project.</em></span><br /><br /><span>The veteran journalist decided to thank the celebrity musician for their most memorable trait - their tight pants.</span><br /><br /><span>“I have to tell you, Barry, I was a teenager in the '70s when [the <em>Staying Alive</em> music video] came out,” Lisa said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Oh those white pants. I want to say, belatedly, thank you.”</span><br /><br /><span>Barry Gibb sat awkwardly laughing before Lisa went on to ask him: “Did you have to be convinced to wear those?”</span><br /><br /><span>The<em> How Deep Is Your Love</em> singer responded: “I remember how difficult they were to get on and how difficult to get off.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/BeeGees?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BeeGees</a> legend Barry Gibb chats with <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisa_Wilkinson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lisa_Wilkinson</a> about the secret to 50 years of marriage, life growing up on the Aussie beaches, and story behind *those* white pants. <a href="https://t.co/9TXPPbRCEX">pic.twitter.com/9TXPPbRCEX</a></p> — The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1348187800580055040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>“Did that give the falsettos extra oomph? Took you up half an octave surely,” Lisa went on to cheekily ask.</span><br /><br /><span>Barry jokingly replied: “Are you suggesting that the tight pants were responsible for the falsetto? I take issue with that. I thought your voice got deeper.”</span><br /><br /><span>Barry also gushed over his wife of 50 years, Linda Gray, saying they are “very happy and the tight pants don’t fit anymore”</span><br /><br /><span>Lisa asked: “Has she ever asked you to put them back on again?”</span><br /><br /><span>Gibb responded: “I have tried and failed. Those days are over love.”</span><br /><br /><span>Barry Gibb joined<em> The Sunday Project</em> just released his new country album, <em>Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1.</em></span><br /><br /><span>It will feature appearances from Keith Urban, Dolly Parton and Sheryl Crow.</span></p>

Music

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Honey, whisky and saffron cheesecake

<p>An indulgent twist on a timeless classic, impress your guests tonight!</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li>500g mascarpone</li> <li>A few saffron strands, steeped in 1 tablespoon boiling water for at least 1 hour</li> <li>160g caster sugar</li> <li>1 tablespoon leatherwood honey, warmed</li> <li>4 eggs</li> <li>50ml whisky</li> </ul> <p><strong>Sweet shortcrust pastry</strong></p> <ul> <li>190g plain flour</li> <li>90g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes</li> <li>1 tablespoon caster sugar</li> <li>1 egg yolk</li> <li>2 tablespoons cold water</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. To make the pastry, rub the flour, butter and sugar between your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to do this. Add the egg yolk and water, and mix until the dough comes together to form a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.<br /><br />2. Mix the mascarpone, saffron water, sugar, honey, eggs and whisky together in a large bowl. Set aside.<br /><br />3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to about 4mm thick. Line a well-greased 23cm springform tin with baking paper and carefully place the pastry in the tin. Trim the edge of any excess pastry and return to the fridge to chill.</p> <p>4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the pastry base with baking paper and weights, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and baking paper and bake the tart shell for a further 10 minutes.</p> <p>5. Pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until set and golden on top. Allow to cool before serving.</p> <p>Serves 8.</p> <p><em>This is an edited extract from <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fmilk-made-nick-haddow%2Fprod9781743791356.html">Milk. Made.</a> by Nick Haddow published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $55 and is available in stores nationally. Image © Alan Benson.</em></p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/honey-whisky-and-saffron-cheesecake.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Air pollution could be making honey bees sick

<p>Whether it’s exhaust fumes from cars or smoke from power plants, air pollution is an often invisible threat that is <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1">a leading cause</a> of death worldwide. Breathing air laced with heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter has been linked to a range of chronic health conditions, <a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-pollution-thats-hurting-our-health-25242">including</a> lung problems, heart disease, stroke and cancer.</p> <p>If air pollution can harm human health in so many different ways, it makes sense that other animals suffer from it too. Airborne pollutants affect all kinds of life, <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.en.27.010182.002101">even insects</a>. In highly polluted areas of Serbia, for instance, <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/5197/">researchers found</a> pollutants lingering on the bodies of European honeybees. Car exhaust fumes are known to interrupt the scent cues that attract and guide bees towards flowers, while also <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41876-w">interfering with</a> their ability to remember scents.</p> <p>Now, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2009074117">a new study from India</a> has revealed how air pollution may be depleting the health of honey bees in the wild. These effects may not kill bees outright. But like humans repeatedly going to work under heavy stress or while feeling unwell, the researchers found that air pollution made bees sluggish in their daily activities and could be shortening their lives.</p> <p><strong>Unhealthy bees in Bangalore</strong></p> <p>India is one of the world’s <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/264662/top-producers-of-fresh-vegetables-worldwide/">largest producers</a> of fruit and vegetables. Essential to that success are pollinator species like the giant Asian honey bee. Unlike the managed European honey bee, these bees are predominantly wild and regularly resist humans and other animals eager to harvest their honey. Colonies can migrate over hundreds of kilometres within a year, pollinating a vast range of wild plants and crops across India.</p> <p>Researchers studied how this species was faring in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, where air pollution records have been <a href="https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/you-think-delhi-is-polluted-bengalurus-pollution-levels-will-leave-you-breathless/articleshow/69065577.cms">reported as</a> some of the highest in the country. The giant Asian honey bees were observed and collected across four sites in the city over three years. Each had different standards of air pollution.</p> <p>The number of bees visiting flowers was significantly lower in the most polluted sites, possibly reducing how much plants in these places were pollinated. Bees from these sites died faster after capture, and, like houses in a dirty city, were partly covered in traces of arsenic and lead. They had arrhythmic heartbeats, fewer immune cells, and were more likely to show signs of stress.</p> <p>There are some caveats to consider, though. For one thing, areas with high pollution might have had fewer flowering plants, meaning bees were less likely to seek them out. Also, the researchers looked at the health of honey bees in parts of the city purely based on different levels of measured pollution. They couldn’t isolate the effect of the pollution with absolute certainty – there may have been hidden factors behind the unhealthy bees they uncovered.</p> <p>But, crucially, it wasn’t just bees that showed this trend. In a follow-up experiment, the study’s authors placed cages of fruit flies at the same sites. Just like the bees, the flies became coated in pollutants, died quicker where there was more air pollution, and showed higher levels of stress.</p> <p>The threat posed by pesticides is well known. But if air pollution is also affecting the health of a range of pollinating insects, what does that mean for ecosystems and food production?</p> <p><strong>Fewer cars, more flowers</strong></p> <p>Our diets would be severely limited if insects like honey bees were impaired in their pollinating duties, but the threat to entire ecosystems of losing these species is even more grave. Crop plants account for less than 0.1% of all flowering species, yet 85% of flowering plants are <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.464.6928&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf">pollinated by</a> bees and other species.</p> <p>Giant Asian honey bees like the ones in Bangalore form large, aggressive colonies that can move between urban, farmed and forest habitats. These journeys expose them to very different levels of pollution, but the colonies of most other types of wild bee species are stationary. They nest in soil, undergrowth or masonry, and individuals travel relatively short distances. The levels of pollution they’re regularly exposed to are unlikely to change very much from one day to the next, and it’s these species that are likely to suffer most if they live in towns or cities where local pollution is high.</p> <p>Thankfully, there are ways to fix this problem. Replacing cars with clean alternatives like electrified public transport would go a long way to reducing pollution. Creating more urban green spaces with lots of trees and other plants would help filter the air too, while providing new food sources and habitat for bees.</p> <p>In many parts of the UK, roadside verges have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/roadside-wildflower-meadows-are-springing-up-across-the-uk-and-theyre-helping-wildlife-in-a-big-way-120014">converted to wildflower meadows</a> in recent years. In doing so, are local authorities inadvertently attracting bees to areas we know may be harmful? We don’t know, but it’s worth pondering. From September 2020, Coventry University is launching a citizen science project with the nation’s beekeepers to map the presence of fine particulate matter in the air around colonies, to begin to unravel what’s happening to honey bees in the UK.</p> <p>Air pollution is likely to be one part of a complex problem. Bees are sensitive to lots of toxins, but how these interact in the wild is fiendishly difficult to disentangle. We know <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-014-0308-z">cocktails of pesticides</a> can cause real damage too. But what happens when bees are exposed to these at the same time as air pollution? We don’t yet know, but answers are urgently needed.</p> <p><em>Written by Barbara Smith and Mark Brown. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/air-pollution-could-be-making-honey-bees-sick-new-study-144155">The Conversation.</a></em></p> <p><em> </em></p>

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One, then some: How to count like a bee

<p>If you were a honeybee, how would you choose where to find flowers? Imagine your first flight out of the hive searching for food. What would you do if you saw flower patches with one flower, or three, or twelve, or twenty?</p> <p>Our new study, published in the <a href="https://jeb.biologists.org/content/223/9/jeb223610">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>, tested honeybees on exactly this question. We wanted to understand how honeybees choose where to forage in environments like greenhouses where our food is pollinated, in local parks, or in our own backyards.</p> <p>Specifically, our research looked at whether honeybees with no specific numerical training could choose a flower patch based on the quantity of flowers it had.</p> <p>We found the bees could tell the difference between groups of 1 vs 4 flowers – but not between, say, 4 vs 5. Basically, they couldn’t differentiate between groups of 2 or more flowers.</p> <p><strong>A mathematical matter of life and death</strong></p> <p>The ability to tell the difference between two quantities can mean life or death for an animal. “Quantity discrimination” can be vital for survival in tasks including:</p> <ul> <li>resource comparison: choosing a larger quantity of food</li> <li>aggressive interactions: choosing to avoid conflicts with larger groups of individuals, and</li> <li>avoiding predators: choosing to stay with a larger group of animals of the same species to reduce your chance of being eaten.</li> </ul> <p>We are gaining a better understanding of quantity discrimination across the animal kingdom. <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150826-the-animals-that-can-count">Primates and other mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish</a> all display some form of quantity discrimination in day-to-day tasks. For example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoaling_and_schooling#Predator_avoidance">fish</a> use quantity discrimination to stay in larger groups to reduce the chance of being eaten by a predator.</p> <p>However, little is known about spontaneous number choices by insects.</p> <p><strong>How do bees choose where to forage?</strong></p> <p>Honeybees assess the available flowers based on several factors, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/plants-use-advertising-like-strategies-to-attract-bees-with-colour-and-scent-92673">scent, colour</a>, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cz/article/65/4/457/5244969">shape</a> and <a href="https://digital.library.txstate.edu/handle/10877/2557">size</a>.</p> <p>Honeybees typically visit around 150 individual flowers per flight from the hive to collect resources such as nectar or pollen. For a honeybee, a high quantity of flowers in a single area would mean less energy exertion than having to fly to many flower patches with less flowers.</p> <p>Using different numbers of artificial flowers, we wanted to test whether individual honeybees could discriminate between a range of quantities, and how they might determine the quality of a flower patch.</p> <p>Our honeybees were shown pairs of flower quantities ranging from easier number comparisons (such as 1 flower vs 12 flowers) to more challenging scenarios (such as 4 flowers vs 5 flowers).</p> <p>Interestingly, despite previous findings that trained honeybees can discriminate between <a href="https://theconversation.com/bees-can-learn-higher-numbers-than-we-thought-if-we-train-them-the-right-way-124887">challenging quantities</a> and can also learn to <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-bees-do-maths-yes-new-research-shows-they-can-add-and-subtract-108074">add and subtract</a>, the bees performed poorly in our spontaneous number task.</p> <p>We found they were only able to discriminate between 1 vs 3, 1 vs 4, and 1 vs 12 flowers – wherein they preferred the larger quantity. When 1 flower was an option they succeeded, but confused any comparisons between groups of 2 flowers or more.</p> <p>This result suggests flower patch choice based on numerical-type cues is difficult for honeybees. And this has implications for how flower displays are interpreted.</p> <p>With today being <a href="https://blog.publish.csiro.au/world-bee-day/">World Bee Day</a>, why not take the opportunity to discover what bees are doing in gardens near you. Chances are they’re going to any flower patch with more than one flower, rather than paying much attention to absolute numbers.</p> <p><em>Written by Scarlett Howard and Adrian Dyer. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-then-some-how-to-count-like-a-bee-138815">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Caring

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Papaya, goat cheese and honey toast

<p>Give your morning breakfast a twist with freshly sliced papaya on toast. Fresh and delightful!</p> <p>Serves 1</p> <p>Prep Time: 2 minutes</p> <p><em>Recipe by:</em> <em><a href="http://www.australianpapaya.com.au/">Australian Papaya</a></em></p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <ul> <li>1 piece sourdough bread, toasted (50g)</li> <li>1/4 cup or 60g crumbled goat cheese</li> <li>75g thinly sliced papaya</li> <li>1/2 tbsp honey</li> <li>1tbsp Fresh mint, shredded</li> </ul> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Top toasted sourdough with goat cheese and papaya to taste.</li> <li>Drizzle over honey and sprinkle with mint to serve.</li> </ol>

Food & Wine

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He's back! Billion-dollar actor returns to the big screen after two decades

<p>After a decades-long hiatus, Rick Moranis will be returning to acting for the live-action version of the Disney classic "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids".</p> <p>Moranis became one of the most in-demand comic actors of the 1980s and 1990s after blowing up on the Canadian sketch series SCTV. He went on to star in 1984’s “Ghostbusters” and its 1989 sequel, Mel Brooks’ 1987 “Star Wars” spoof “Spaceballs,” the 1978 cinematic version of the stage musical "Little Shop of Horrors", Ron Howard’s 1989 ensemble dramedy “Parenthood,” and the 1994 live-action “The Flintstones” remake.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fb5xdHrrJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fb5xdHrrJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by E! News (@enews)</a> on Feb 12, 2020 at 7:00pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Altogether, his films have earned an incredible $1 billion at the domestic box office, not adjusting for inflation.</p> <p>Since 1997, however, Moranis has worked sporadically, doing voice-over work (2003’s “Brother Bear,” a 2018 episode of “The Goldbergs”) as well as a couple comedy albums, after stepping away from acting to raise his children in the wake of his wife’s death from cancer. </p> <p>In this, his triumphant return, the sequel to the 1989 blockbuster "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" will see Moranis return to his role as Wayne Szalinski - the bizarre and quirky scientist who accidentally shrunk his children, along with his neighbour's kids, then went on to accidentally make his toddler enormous in 1992’s "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid". He eventually came back in 1997 for the sequel "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves!" – one of Moranis’ last major works on camera.<br /><br />In the new movie, "Shrunk", Josh Gad will play Szalinski’s son, who will go on to unsurprisingly shrink his family.<br /><br />The original director, Joe Johnston, is returning to make the sequel, with Todd Rosenberg writing the script.</p>

Movies

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Coconut milk poached chicken salad with wayside honey dressing

<p>Serves <em>4 as an main, 8 as a entrĂ©e</em></p> <p>This tossed salad enlivened with Thai flavourings is a new favourite. The silky strips of chicken poached in coconut milk work beautifully with the cool and crunchy cucumber. </p> <p><a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fthe-edible-city-indira-naidoo%2Fprod9781921383816.html">Recipe from <em>The Edible City by Indira Naidoo</em>, published by Penguin Books, RRP $45.00</a>.</p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <p><strong>Salad</strong></p> <ul> <li>2 skinless chicken breast fillets</li> <li>(about 300g in total)</li> <li>2 cups (500ml) coconut milk</li> <li>1 teaspoon ground turmeric</li> <li>Salt</li> <li>Âœ cup (100g) long-grain rice</li> <li>2 lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, seeded and finely sliced into half-moons</li> <li>4 red shallots, finely sliced</li> <li>Large handful mint leaves</li> <li>Large handful coriander leaves</li> </ul> <p><strong>Dressing</strong></p> <ul> <li>Âœ cup (125ml) fi sh sauce</li> <li>2 tablespoons lime juice</li> <li>3 teaspoons honey, preferably raw (try Wayside honey)</li> <li>2 teaspoons chilli powder</li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Place the chicken breasts in a small heavy-based saucepan and cover with the coconut milk. Add the turmeric. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked.</p> <p>2. Turn off the heat and remove the chicken, reserving the poaching liquid. Leave to cool, then shred the chicken with your fingers and add salt to taste. Set aside.</p> <p>3. Return the coconut milk to the boil and add the rice with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid reduces and little pits form on the top of the rice. Turn off the heat, put on the lid and leave the rice to steam for about 10 minutes until cooked through and tender.</p> <p>4. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar, then screw on the lid and shake to mix well.</p> <p>5. In a bowl, combine the chicken, cucumber, shallot, mint and coriander, and toss through the dressing. Serve the salad on a platter, with the rice alongside.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong></p> <ul> <li>Rather than waste the coconut poaching liquid, use it to make coconut-flavoured rice, which can be served alongside.</li> </ul> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/poached-chicken-salad.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

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