Ukraine war: why the Kinburn spit is of vital military significance and opens up the recapture of Crimea
The Kinburn spit, a tiny headland at the mouth of the Dniepro river, has been described as having “enormous strategic importance” in the next phase of the Ukraine war. Ukraine has indicated its intention to liberate it and an operation seems to be under way to do so. Considering the area’s location and history, retaking this strip of land makes sense. The sandy Kinburn spit is the tip of a peninsula which is about 40km long and between 4km and 12km wide. Jutting into the Black Sea, it commands the entry to the Dniepro (in Russian, Dnieper) river system which traverses and indeed bisects Ukraine all the way north to Kyiv and beyond. Continued here |
Janusz Walus parole: South Africa's constitutional court was right - but failed the sensitivity test
On 21 November 2022 the Constitutional Court of South Africa ordered the release on parole of Janusz Walus, the Polish national who assassinated Chris Hani on 10 April 1993. Hani was the secretary-general of the South African Communist Party, and one of the leading anti-apartheid stalwarts. The court’s decision, understandably, caused outrage, anger and controversy in the country, in particular for the Hani family. Hani’s assassination nearly caused the country to descend into civil war. But this was averted. Walus subsequently received the death penalty. The dawn of democracy in the country in 1994, and the subsequent abolition of the death penalty in South Africa, saw his death sentence commuted to life in prison in 2000. Continued here |
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The end of infinity
By day, Filip Wiltgren is a mild-mannered communication officer and lecturer. By night, he turns into a frenzied ten-fingered typist, clawing out jagged stories of fantasy and science fiction, found in lairs such as Analog, IGMS, Daily SF and Nature Futures. His books, thoughts, e-mail and free stories can be found at www.wiltgren.com. He leant back, the couch’s chestnut-brown leather creaking beneath his weight. His glaring-white t-shirt strained over his ample belly. I could see his sigh, but the sound was lost in the clink of porcelain from the next table. Continued here |
Why farmers in northern Ghana go to bed hungry
Ghana is one of the few countries often praised for achieving impressive reductions in hunger. The 2022 Global Hunger Index report reveals Ghana’s hunger score has declined by more than 50 percent since the year 2000. At the Crans Montana Forum held in November 2022, where critical issues of global food security are discussed, some of the panellists, including representatives from Ghana, credited the country’s flagship School Feeding Programme and Planting for Food and Jobs initiative for the compelling impacts on hunger reduction. These initiatives were recommended as ideal for replication in other West African states. But what these commenders failed to emphasise is the uneven geography of hunger beyond the national statistics. An aspect of my study focused on understanding households’ food availability and access throughout the year. The survey participants were asked to reflect on their household’s food availability in a typical year and rate the level of food sufficiency for each month. The rating scale was based on a score of 0-3, with 0 representing rare or not available, 1 for available, and 2 for highly available based on households’ perceived food needs. Continued here |
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Stop Undervaluing Exceptional Women
Despite progress toward gender equality at work, it still takes women longer to get promoted than men, and few make it to the top of the corporate ladder. The authors’ research suggests that the reason why comes down to gender-biased assumptions about how challenging it will be to retain them. Their findings illuminate how standout women employees can be taken for granted by companies because of gendered beliefs about who is and who isn’t a flight risk. Moreover, such gendered dynamics likely contribute to the glass ceiling and gender gaps in earnings. If companies assume women will place loyalty to the firm over advancing in their careers through outside opportunities, they won’t engage in preemptive retention efforts like bonuses, raises, promotions, or increased responsibility like they will for men. To stop taking talented women for granted and to avoid losing them to other firms, companies need to do more to recognize and address these biases. Continued here |
The last fisherman of Monaco
It's often just past midnight when Eric Rinaldi unties the mooring lines and carefully manoeuvres his fishing boat Diego out of Monaco's harbour, Port Hercules. Contemplating the hours of inky darkness in front of him, he'll steer past rows of superyachts as he heads out into the open sea, their polished hulls and elaborate designs a stark contrast to the simple practicality of his fibreglass workboat. Onboard Diego – named for his young son – Rinaldi's biggest luxury is an old Nespresso machine, one of the few comforts among the jumble of nets, hooks, bright orange buoys and other tools of his trade. Continued here |
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How These Cookie Entrepreneurs Turned a Lackluster Investment Pitch into a Recipe for Growth Luis Gramajo and Hans Schrei needed money to growth their business. What they got, instead, was a valuable lesson in network effects. Continued here |
World Cup's 'middle income trap' – why breaking into soccer's elite is so hard to do (as Morocco might soon find out)
In the group stage in Qatar, Japan delighted almost everyone by defeating both Germany and Spain, Saudi Arabia upset Argentina, Morocco felled Belgium, and South Korea shocked Portugal. Even mighty Brazil and France were beaten by lowly ranked teams – Cameroon and Tunisia – although those two soccer powerhouses were resting players at the time, having already qualified for the knockout round. Continued here |
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Three graphic novels that creatively confront the climate crisis
As the scale and severity of the environmental crisis escalates, our shelves and screens have been bombarded by a whirlwind of climate-themed genres, from climate fiction (cli-fi) to disaster movies. These books and films tend to stumble on the same problem: how to connect the day-to-day experiences of human life to the far greater scales of environmental change? And more importantly, how to do so in a way that does not collapse into hilarious absurdity or futile apocalypse, but that makes the crisis feel immediate and real? Continued here |
5 Holiday Party Disasters that Could Have Been Prevented There's just one weird trick that will keep your holiday party fun and in control. Continued here |
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What are Iran's morality police? A scholar of the Middle East explains their history
Until recently, most people outside of Iran had never heard of the country’s morality police, let alone followed their wider role in the region. But on Sept. 16, 2022, the death of Jina Mahsa Amini sparked widespread protests in the streets of Iran and elsewhere that have shown no signs of abating. Amini had been in the custody of Gasht-e-Ershad, the Persian name of this notorious police force, for “improper wearing of hijab.” On Dec. 4, reports citing Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri suggested that the morality police had been abolished. Montazeri said that the morality police lacked judiciary power and that hijab laws were under review, which led to widespread speculation about whether the regime was trying to find a way forward. Continued here |
White teachers often talk about Black students in racially coded ways
When a white Texas middle school teacher told his students in November 2022 that he was “ethnocentric” and thought his race was “superior,” he attempted to explain his position by arguing that he was hardly the only person who held such a view. “Let me finish …” the teacher is seen telling his students on a now-viral video as they began to push back against his remarks. “I think everybody thinks that; they’re just not honest about it.” Continued here |
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East African troops hope to bring peace in the DRC but there may be stumbling blocks
The East African Community decided to deploy troops in one of its member states for the first time in June 2022. The deployment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will test the regional body’s ability to respond to complex conflicts. Already, the regional bloc has scored some early victories. Most significantly, on 6 December, following peace talks in Nairobi, Kenya, 53 of the over 100 armed groups operating in the DRC agreed to a ceasefire. Continued here |
Surging energy prices are really going to hurt. What can the government actually do?
Tony Wood owns shares through his superannuation in companies that may have an interest in these issues. Picture this. You’re in government for the first time in more than a decade. And within six months, you’re facing a diabolical problem: skyrocketing energy prices. To your constituents, it doesn’t matter that the root cause is a war in Europe. What they’ll see is pain – electricity and gas bills climbing and climbing. Continued here |
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People can have food sensitivities without noticeable symptoms – long-term consumption of food allergens may lead to behavior and mood changes
The prevalence of food allergies is increasing worldwide, approaching an epidemic level in some regions. In the U.S. alone, approximately 10% of children and adults suffer from food allergies, with allergies to cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts being the most common. Some patients have mild symptoms that might not need medical attention, leaving these cases unreported. Food allergies, or food hypersensitivities, result from the overreaction of the immune system to typically harmless proteins in food. They can manifest as a spectrum of symptoms, ranging from itching, redness and swelling for milder reactions, to vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and other potentially life-threatening symptoms for severe reactions. Continued here |
China's Belt and Road infrastructure projects could help or hurt oceans and coasts worldwide
More than one-third of all people in the world live in cities, towns and villages on coasts. They rely on healthy oceans for many things, including food, income, a stable climate and ready connections to nature. But as coastal populations continue to grow, governments are under increasing pressure to ramp up development for transportation, power generation and economic growth. Projects like these can have heavy impacts on lands, waters and wildlife. Continued here |
Will price caps on coal and gas bring power prices down? An expert isn't so sure
In a bid to arrest escalating power prices, Australia’s federal, state and territory governments have agreed to impose caps on the wholesale price of coal and gas. Announcing the decision after National Cabinet met on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said parliament would be recalled next week to pass the necessary legislation. He indicated there was enough crossbench support for this to be a formality. Continued here |
Are ChatGPT and AlphaCode going to replace programmers?
Artificial intelligence (AI) researchers have been impressed by the skills of AlphaCode, an AI system that can often compete with humans at solving simple computer-science problems. Google sister company DeepMind, an AI powerhouse based in London, released the tool in February and has now published its results in Science1, showing that AlphaCode beat about half of humans at code competitions. And in the past week or so, social-media users have been mesmerized by the ability of another chatbot, called ChatGPT, to produce occasionally meaningful-sounding (and sometimes sublimely ridiculous) mini-essays on request — including short computer programs. But these state-of-the-art AIs can perform only rather limited tasks, and researchers say they are far from being able to replace human programmers. Continued here |
Tech winter is dire for immigrant visa holders - The Hustle
As tech layoffs continue, workers are struggling to find new jobs during the holiday season — arguably the worst time to do so. A renewable three-year work visa that US companies — especially tech — use to hire skilled workers. In 2021, 68.8% of the ~407k H-1B beneficiaries worked in computer-related fields. Continued here |
Here's to the Business of Being Human The 241 companies on Inc.'s Best in Business list are achieving great works through their work. Continued here |
Neuroscientist: 'Bookend' Your Days With Reading for a More Peaceful and Productive Life Sometimes the most impactful daily routines are also easy and pleasant. Continued here |
Does Australia need new laws to combat right-wing extremism?
At the National Press Club this week, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil flagged that Labor would propose changes to Australia’s counter-terrorism laws. She cited an increase in diverse threats beyond religious fundamentalism, a trend towards lone-actor, low-sophistication attacks, and more younger people being radicalised. Specifically, she referred to the threat of right-wing extremism, which in 2021 was approaching 50% of ASIO’s caseload. She did not suggest the laws will be “overhauled”. Continued here |
Prehistoric carvings are oldest known story sequence
This scene of a man flanked by two leopards is one of two panels forming the oldest known depiction of a narrative scene. Credit: Sayburç Project Archive An 11,000-year-old carving in Turkey is the earliest known portrayal of a narrative scene1. Continued here |
Climate change is not what South Africans see as their main problem: a survey breaks it down
University of the Witwatersrand provides support as a hosting partner of The Conversation AFRICA. Climate change is a major threat to food production, and is displacing people and increasing the risks to health globally. Addressing climate change requires vast resources, including financial investment to decarbonise economies and produce food sustainably. Above all, it requires international cooperation and commitment – based on an accurate understanding of the relevant issues. Continued here |
Record-breaking ancient DNA found in frozen soil
Two-million-year-old DNA found in frozen soil has been sequenced, revealing a surprising picture of an ancient landscape. Extinct creatures including, unexpectedly, elephant-like mastadons turn out to be among the beasts roaming Greenland. Researcher Eske Willerslev explains how DNA found in the environment can be used to reconstruct the past as so-called 'eDNA' becomes a vital tool for palaeontologists. Antarctica's ice hides an ancient rainforest Continued here |
Discriminatory Attitudes Against the Unvaccinated During a Global Pandemic - Nature Nature (2022)Cite this article We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply. Continued here |
It’s Time to Take Another Look at Blockchain
It wasn't long after the developers of bitcoin first used a distributed ledger to record transactions in 2008 that the blockchain revolution was announced with all the fanfare that usually accompanies promising new technologies. Then, as often happens with emerging technologies, blockchain's promise collided with developmental realities. Now, a decade and a half down the road, that early promise is becoming manifest. In his new book, Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain: Lessons in Disruption From Fintech, Supply Chains, and Consumer Industries, Ravi Sarathy, professor of strategy and international business at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, argues that distributed ledger technology has matured to the point of enabling a host of applications that could disrupt industries as diverse as manufacturing, medicine, and media. Sarathy spoke with Ted Kinni, senior contributing editor of MIT Sloan Management Review, about the state of blockchain, the applications that are most relevant now for large companies, and how their leaders can harness the technology before established and new competitors use it against them. Continued here |
How Do Happier People Spend Their Money? The 8 Rules For Turning Money Into Happiness, Backed by Considerable Science Unfortunately, buying a new motorcycle isn't one of those rules. Continued here |
Leaders, Stop Rewarding Toxic Rock Stars
Research has shown that toxic cultures are extremely costly for companies, and toxic culture was the single biggest predictor of attrition during the first six months of the Great Resignation. “Toxic rock stars,” or bullies who evade consequences because they deliver results, can ruin the workplace experience for most employees, but they’re particularly harmful to women of color. In the midst of the fight for talent, at a time when the link between diversity and better business outcomes is finally being understood and when external stakeholders are demanding accountability on diversity metrics, company leaders must look carefully at the wide-ranging impacts of tolerating and rewarding high-performing bullies at the expense of culture, particularly as they impact women of color. Continued here |
The market’s getting absolutely bodied by pro wrestling - The Hustle
While 2022’s been a year of crimson red for much of the market, World Wrestling Entertainment has been flexing its muscles. Because the company’s revenue primarily comes from long-term media rights deals and live events, it isn’t particularly impacted by the advertising slump now hurting many other media companies. Continued here |
Traditional Buddhist teachings exclude LGBTQ people from monastic life, but change is coming slowly
The symbolic image of the silently meditating nun or chanting monk often embodies the Buddhist religion. Such representation may make it appear that Buddhist teachings and practices are grounded in heterosexual norms. However, there is also plenty of discussion on the various expressions of human sexuality and sexual orientations in pre-modern Buddhist literature. In contemporary debates about gender, nonbinary definitions in particular, have reached many countries where this ancient religion is practiced. Continued here |
Largest-ever analysis finds genetic links to smoking and drinking
Both smoking and drinking are influenced by genetics as well as environmental factors.Credit: Bunyos/iStock/Getty More than 3,500 genetic variations that potentially affect smoking and drinking behaviour have been identified in a study involving almost 3.4 million people with African, American, East Asian and European ancestry. Continued here |
New study reveals gender bias in sport research. It's yet another hurdle to progress in women’s sport
Caroline Gao receives salary support from the Department of Health, State Government of Victoria for unrelated projects. She is an investigator on projects funded by NHMRC, NIH, HCF and MRFF. She is affiliated with Orygen and Monash University. Throughout history, sports have been guilty of prioritising certain groups at the exclusion of others. There has been a pervasive idea that being an athlete requires the demonstration of traditionally masculine traits. Any individual not doing so was, and often still is, susceptible to being harassed, sidelined, or ostracised. Continued here |
What is the Reichsbürger movement accused of trying to overthrow the German government?
Police have arrested 25 people accused of planning to overthrow the German government in a series of raids across the country. The group is accused of trying to instate Heinrich XIII – a descendant of German royalty – as their leader. Among those arrested were members of the Reichsbürger (which translates as citizens of the Reich), a disparate movement of groups and individuals, including some with extreme-right views. Continued here |
Ada Lovelace's skills with language, music and needlepoint contributed to her pioneering work in computing
Ada Lovelace, known as the first computer programmer, was born on Dec. 10, 1815, more than a century before digital electronic computers were developed. Lovelace has been hailed as a model for girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). A dozen biographies for young audiences were published for the 200th anniversary of her birth in 2015. And in 2018, The New York Times added hers as one of the first “missing obituaries” of women at the rise of the #MeToo movement. Continued here |
Looking back from beyond the Moon: how views from space have changed the way we see Earth
Alice Gorman is a member of the Advisory Council of the Space Industry Association of Australia and Co-Chief Investigator of the International Space Station Archaeological Project. A photograph taken by NASA’s Orion spacecraft has given us a new perspective on our home planet. Continued here |
China is relaxing its zero-COVID policy — here’s what scientists think
China has spent three years aiming to halt the spread of COVID-19 completely.Credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty The Chinese government issued new guidelines easing some of its strict zero-COVID policies on Wednesday. Testing requirements and travel restrictions have been relaxed, and people infected with SARS-CoV-2 who have mild or no symptoms are for the first time allowed to isolate at home instead of in centrally managed facilities. But researchers worry the changes will lead to a rise in infections that risk overwhelming hospitals. Continued here |
Four 'fronts' in the Ukraine-Russia war to look out for as winter bites
Russia had expected to be victorious long before now. Its initial plan envisaged ground assaults across Ukraine in the first ten days and a rapid capitulation thereafter. But Kyiv did not fall – and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, refused to leave the capital, saying, “I need ammunition, not a ride,” as he rallied Ukrainians. Russian troops had withdrawn from northern Ukraine by April. Moscow pursued a more limited operation in the second phase over the spring and early summer, expanding its occupation of part of southern Ukraine and seizing all of the Luhansk region and parts of neighbouring Donetsk in the east. Continued here |
There are still good reasons to avoid catching COVID again – for one, your risk of long COVID goes up each time
Like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Obrador before him, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been infected with COVID for a second time. In the middle of this year’s fourth Omicron wave, Albanese’s reinfection should not come as a surprise. Population antibody surveys have shown roughly half of Australian adults had COVID at least once by mid-2022. Continued here |
Tantrums to tinsel: why I love the curious and festive tradition of the Santa photo
In April 1995, my uncle secured a lucrative job in Saudi Arabia. He and my aunt left their home in suburban Sydney and relocated to a western compound (a residential gated community for expats) in Jeddah. My aunt shares stories of life under Saudi’s strict laws and how she craved her western freedoms. One such freedom was the celebration of Christmas. Hailing mostly from Australia, the UK and America, the compound residents organised their Christmases by smuggling in decorations and creating homemade Santa suits. They even staged the photographic rituals with mums and dads disguised as the shopping centre Santa Claus. Continued here |
If You Want Your Business to Succeed, Get Simple It's not an art. It's a necessary science. Continued here |
Amazon Just Announced What Might Be Its Best Holiday Promotion Ever "Alexa, thank my driver." Continued here |
In defence of woodlice and their complicated sex lives
Lots of adults dislike woodlice. Some are physically revolted by them. But this distaste is cultural rather than innate since most small children are well-disposed towards woodlice and happy to handle them. Some people even keep them as pets. Woodlice are tiny, don’t bite, move slowly and are generally unthreatening. They are part of biological processes essential to life. So what’s not to like? Continued here |
Abiy Ahmed gained power in Ethiopia with the help of young people – four years later he's silencing them
Addis Ababa University provides support as an endorsing partner of The Conversation AFRICA. When Abiy Ahmed took power as Ethiopia’s prime minister in April 2018, he was the youngest head of government in Africa. Continued here |
Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions at Work
Microaggressions, the insensitive statements, questions, or assumptions aimed at traditionally marginalized identity groups can happen to anyone, of any background, at any professional level. The research is clear about the impact seemingly innocuous statements can have on one’s physical and mental health, especially over the course of an entire career: increased rates of depression, prolonged stress and trauma, physical concerns like headaches, high blood pressure, and difficulties with sleep. Getting better at noticing and responding to microaggressions — and at being more aware of our everyday speech — is a journey, one with a real effect on our mental health and well-being at work. Microaggressions affect everyone, so creating more inclusive and culturally competent workplace cultures means each of us must explore our own biases in order to become aware of them. The goal is not to be fearful of communicating with each other, but instead to embrace the opportunity to be intentional about it. Creating inclusive cultures where people can thrive does not happen overnight. It takes a continuous process of learning, evolving, and growing. Continued here
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