Category: Australia

Australia, Eco, Future, Globalization, Living, Planet, Science1 Comment

The Climate Change Apocalypse Has Arrived. You Can Hear It on the New South Wales Country Hour.

Fernando Kaskais

OPINION – Bloomberg/Getty In New York, it’s easy to forget about climate change when there’s not a Sandy-level catastrophe. Across the globe, it’s an everyday reality now. by Josh Nathan-Kazis Late last year, looking for something new to listen to while doing chores around the apartment, I dove deep into podcasts and resurfaced in southern Australia, where the world is ending. This was at the end of December, during a warm weekend in New York City. The high in Central Park that Saturday was 13 degrees above the historical average. In Bellata, a small village in the interior of New … Continue reading The Climate Change Apocalypse Has Arrived. You Can Hear It on the New South Wales Country Hour.

Australia, Curiositys, Health, Living, Media&Culture, Science, SexLeave a comment

Here’s What You Need To Know About Endometriosis And Fertility

Fernando Kaskais

Getty “I feel like I’m a bit of a ticking time bomb,” one woman told BuzzFeed News by Gina Rushton More than 700,000 Australian women have endometriosis, in which cells similar to those that line the uterus grow outside of the uterus, leading to all sorts of symptoms including debilitating pain. Up to a quarter of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic, but most experience dysmenorrhea (painful periods), chronic pelvic pain and painful sexual intercourse, and between 30% and 50% of endometriosis patients struggle with infertility. Endometriosis and infertility “go hand in hand” says Melbourne-based advanced laparoscopic and gynaecology surgeon Dr Kenneth … Continue reading Here’s What You Need To Know About Endometriosis And Fertility

Australia, History, Media&Culture, Philosophy, PsychologyLeave a comment

Australian philosophy

Fernando Kaskais

Illustration by Matt Murphy/Handsome Frank Despite its reputation as remote and anti-intellectual, Australia has exercised a surprisingly deep influence on philosophy by Peter Godfrey-Smith is professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Sydney. He is the author of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness(2016). He lives in Sydney. Edited by Nigel Warburton In 1988 I travelled from Sydney to San Diego, California, to start a PhD in philosophy. That trip looks like a short hop now, but back then it seemed a long way. I had just finished an undergraduate philosophy degree … Continue reading Australian philosophy

Australia, Curiositys, Living, Media&Culture, Psychology, Rights, UnbelievableLeave a comment

A new study claims Australians don’t see cyclists as fully human

Fernando Kaskais

image edited by F. Kaskais Unfortunately, this means that drivers act more aggressively on the road when spotting cyclists. by Derek Beres A new study in Australia shows that half of drivers don’t rate cyclists as humans—this includes cyclists themselves. This research follows up on previous studies that show drivers act more aggressively toward cyclists after dehumanizing them. Cycling accidents in the US account for nearly 3 percent of all deaths on the roads. The first time I visited Amsterdam I quickly learned the rules of the road. Freshly off a 23-hour train ride from Madrid—three seven-hour train rides and … Continue reading A new study claims Australians don’t see cyclists as fully human

Australia, Bizarre, Curiositys, Eco, Planet, ScienceLeave a comment

Green thunderstorms: there have been many theories behind the mysterious glow

Fernando Kaskais

PHOTO: Aftermath of a big storm cell that hit Gosford and the Central Coast. Taken from Merewether Baths, Newcastle. (Facebook: Rob Lord)  By Kate Doyle In a festive twist to Sydney’s catastrophically expensive hailstorm Thursday night, the skies turned green. Pictures posted online of clouds with a spooky green glow have been generating debate. There are lots of theories floating around the internet, but Dr Joshua Soderholm, a research scientist at Monash University, can clear up a little of the mystery. “There’s been a number of theories that have actually been slowly disproven by science over the years,” he said. PHOTO: Thursday’s storm looked … Continue reading Green thunderstorms: there have been many theories behind the mysterious glow

Art, Australia, Curiositys, Media&Culture, Politics, Racism, RightsLeave a comment

Does one ethnic group own its cultural artefacts?

Fernando Kaskais

Members of the cultural group Ngati Ranana look at a statue as they attend a conference where they performed rituals prior to the opening of the exhibition ‘Gottfried Lindauer – The Maori Portraits.’ Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images  by TIFFANY JENKINS Objects that once adorned display cases in museums around the world are disappearing from view. In recent decades, dramatic wooden Iroquois face masks, crafted by the nations and tribes of indigenous people of North America, have been taken off the shelves. Rattles and masks made by the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest, in British Columbia, have been moved to … Continue reading Does one ethnic group own its cultural artefacts?

Activism, Animals, Australia, Curiositys, Eco, Freak U.S.A, Living, Manipulation, Planet, Politics1 Comment

How one fence ruined an eco-system

Fernando Kaskais

Dingo of Fraser Island c/o Newretreads (Creative Commons)  by DEREK BERES California is not waiting for climate change. State agencies recognize it’s already here and are preparing to combat a drier and, oddly, dependent upon the year, wetter future. That means more droughts and, when the dry spell breaks, much more flooding. Given the state’s role in national agriculture, this seesawing is a recipe for disaster that needs to be addressed now. River Partners is one organization partnering with the state in preparation for this future. They’ve been buying land across California, especially in the flood-prone Central Valley, in order to … Continue reading How one fence ruined an eco-system