Search

World’s longest treasure hunt ends as Golden Owl finally unearthed in France

After more than three decades of mystery and intrigue, the world’s longest-running treasure hunt has come to a thrilling conclusion with the discovery of the elusive Golden Owl. Valued at approximately $240,000, the treasure had captivated the imaginations of thousands since it was first buried in France in the early 1990s. The hunt began with the publication of the now-famous book, On the Trail of the Golden Owl, written by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” and illustrated by artist Michel Becker. The 1993 book challenged readers to solve a series of intricate riddles and clues, which, when deciphered, would reveal the owl’s secret location. Despite years of painstaking attempts to crack the mystery, the Golden Owl remained hidden for decades, surviving even its creator. Hauser passed away in 2009, leaving the prize still buried. Michel Becker, who took over the management of the hunt, delivered the long-awaited news on October 3 via an online announcement that sparked a frenzy among treasure hunters: “A potential winning solution is currently being verified.” Two hours later, he confirmed: “Don’t go digging! We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night.” The treasure hunt’s <a href="https://goldenowlhunt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official website was also updated with the announcement</a>, bringing an end to a search that has been both thrilling and, for some, overwhelming. The obsession and madness behind the search For over 30 years, the Golden Owl hunt transcended being just a hobby for many treasure hunters and became an all-consuming obsession. While some enjoyed it as a leisurely pursuit, others were driven to extreme lengths – financially, emotionally and mentally. The search for the owl has been linked to personal crises, including financial ruin and broken marriages. At least one individual reportedly ended up in an asylum due to their fixation on solving the hunt’s riddles. The toll wasn’t limited to individuals. Searchers caused considerable disruption across France, digging unauthorised holes in public and private lands. In one eastern French village, the local mayor was forced to plead with hunters to stop digging around its chapel, while in other cases, searchers brought power tools to banks and even considered destroying structures in the hopes of unearthing the treasure. The Golden Owl’s elusive clues On the Trail of the Golden Owl contained a complex series of 11 riddles, each paired with a painting by Becker. The riddles, combined with maps, colours and hidden details, challenged readers to work out the owl’s hidden location. Before his death, Hauser revealed three crucial elements to solving the puzzle: The use of maps: Hunters needed to work with maps to narrow down the search area and use a specific map to pinpoint the final zone. A “mega trick”: This was the key to using the sequence of riddles to locate the final area where the owl was hidden. A final hidden riddle: Once in the final zone, hunters had to uncover one last riddle to lead them to the exact spot of the treasure. Joyous celebration among treasure hunters The treasure-hunting community was overjoyed when the news broke, with many expressing their disbelief and excitement. “Finally – liberated!” exclaimed one fan on the hunt’s Discord forum. Another added, “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.” As of now, the exact location of the owl’s discovery and the identity of the finder remain undisclosed. However, Becker hinted at the complexity involved in concluding this monumental hunt. “Tons of emotions to manage for all those who are responsible for managing the end of this episode and complex logistics to put in place,” he said in a statement on October 6. For now, the Golden Owl, a treasure that has held a generation of sleuths in its grasp, has been unearthed. Yet, the fascination with its story will undoubtedly linger for years to come. Images/Illustrations: Michel Becker

International Travel

Longing for the ‘golden age’ of air travel? Be careful what you wish for

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janet-bednarek-144872">Janet Bednarek</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-dayton-1726">University of Dayton</a> Long lines at security checkpoints, tiny plastic cups of soda, small bags of pretzels, planes filled to capacity, fees attached to every amenity – all reflect the realities of 21st century commercial air travel. It’s no wonder that many travelers have become nostalgic for the so-called “golden age” of air travel in the United States. During the 1950s, airlines promoted commercial air travel as glamorous: stewardesses served full meals on real china, airline seats were large (and frequently empty) with ample leg-room, and passengers always dressed well. After jets were introduced in the late 1950s, passengers could travel to even the most distant locations at speeds unimaginable a mere decade before. An airline trip from New York to London that could take up to 15 hours in the early 1950s could be made in less than seven hours by the early 1960s. But airline nostalgia can be tricky, and “golden ages” are seldom as idyllic as they seem. Until the introduction of jets in 1958, most of the nation’s commercial planes were propeller-driven aircraft, like the DC-4. Most of these planes were unpressurized, and with a maximum cruising altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet, they were unable to fly over bad weather. Delays were frequent, turbulence common, and air sickness bags often needed. Some planes were spacious and pressurized: the <a href="http://everythingnice.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/PanAm-cutawayS.jpg">Boeing Stratocruiser</a>, for example, could seat 50 first class passengers or 81 coach passengers compared to the DC-3’s 21 passengers. It could cruise at 32,000 feet, which allowed Stratocruiser to fly above most bad weather it encountered. But only 56 of these planes were ever in service. While the later DC-6 and DC-7 were pressurized, they still flew much lower than the soon-to-appear jets – 20,000 feet compared to 30,000 feet – and often encountered turbulence. The piston engines were bulky, complex and difficult to maintain, which contributed to frequent delays. For much of this period, the old saying “Time to spare, go by air” still rang true. Through the 1930s and into the 1940s, almost everyone flew first class. Airlines did encourage more people to fly in the 1950s and 1960s by introducing coach or tourist fares, but the savings were relative: less expensive than first class, but still pricey. In 1955, for example, so-called “bargain fares” from New York to Paris were the equivalent of just over $2,600 in 2014 dollars. Although the advent of jets did result in lower fares, the cost was still out of reach of most Americans. The most likely frequent flier was a white, male businessman traveling on his company’s expense account, and in the 1960s, airlines – with young attractive stewardesses in short skirts – clearly catered to their most frequent flyers. The demographics of travelers did begin to shift during this period. More women, more young people, and retirees began to fly; still, airline travel remained financially out-of-reach for most. If it was a golden age, it only was for the very few. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bKqQgNZylLw?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Jet planes were introduced in the late 1950s, resulting in shorter flight times. But their ticket prices out of reach for the average traveler.</figcaption></figure> People also forget that well into the 1960s, air travel was far more dangerous than it is today. In the 1950s and 1960s US airlines experienced at least a half dozen crashes per year – most leading to fatalities of all on board. People today may bemoan the crowded airplanes and lack of on-board amenities, but the number of fatalities per million miles flown has dropped dramatically since since the late 1970s, especially compared to the 1960s. Through at least the 1970s, airports even prominently featured kiosks selling flight insurance. And we can’t forget hijackings. By the mid-1960s so many airplanes had been hijacked that <a href="http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/hijackers/flying-high.htm">“Take me to Cuba”</a> became a punch line for stand-up comics. In 1971 <a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/39593/index2.html">D.B. Cooper</a> – a hijacker who parachuted from a Boeing 727 after extorting $200,000 – might have been able to achieve folk hero status. But one reason US airline passengers today (generally) tolerate security checkpoints is that they want some kind of assurance that their aircraft will remain safe. And if the previous examples don’t dull the sheen of air travel’s “golden age,” remember: in-flight smoking was both permitted and encouraged.<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/34177/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janet-bednarek-144872">Janet Bednarek</a>, Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-dayton-1726">University of Dayton</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/longing-for-the-golden-age-of-air-travel-be-careful-what-you-wish-for-34177">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

00-No: US traveller puts border security to the test with a golden gun

A 28-year-old traveller from the United States has been arrested after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered a firearm in her luggage. According to a report on the ABF website, the weapon - a 24-carat gold-plated handgun - was unregistered, and the passenger was not in possession of “a permit to import or possess the firearm in Australia.” If convicted, she will face up to 10 years of imprisonment. And while she was arrested and charged, she was released on bail at Downing Centre Local Court, and is expected to face court again in a month’s time. She remains subject to visa cancellation, and faces the likelihood of being removed from Australia. As ABF Enforcement and Detained Goods East Commander Justin Bathurst explained, the discovery was made with a combination of ABC officer skills and detection technology, one that served to prevent a dangerous weapon from entering the Australian community. “Time and time again, we have seen just how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal, and highly dangerous, goods from crossing Australia's border," he said. “The ABF is Australia's first and most important line of defence. ABF officers are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items like unregistered firearms getting through at the border." Photos distributed by the ABF present the image of the gun in its case, as well as a scan of the passenger’s luggage, with the gun clearly visible among the rest of her possessions. While travellers on domestic flights within the United States are able to carry firearms in their checked luggage - granted they are unloaded and securely locked away, and the proper authorities have been informed - Australia has much stricter laws surrounding firearms. In the wake of a 1996 Tasmanian tragedy, in which 35 people lost their lives to a gunman, all automatic and semi-automatic weapons were outlawed in the country. Meanwhile, in the United States, a frightening sum of 6,301 were confiscated at checkpoints as of December 2022, according to the Transportation Security Administration. For many, the news was broken on social media, with comments sections reflecting the shock - and disapproval - of the masses, with the occasional 007 reference thrown in. “Smuggling firearms into Australia is a serious offence,” wrote one on Twitter, “and should be met with the full force of the law as it endangers citizen safety.” “That’s a fantastic bit of security work by our airport staff,” someone commended. Another had one very important question, asking “how did she get it out of the US to begin with...??? TSA should have caught that at the airport before she even left. Even if it was in a checked bag, it still had to be declared.” Images: Australian Border Force

Travel Trouble

5 golden rules for safe shore excursions

While safety is paramount on any holiday, there are a few key things you can do to stay safe when disembarking your cruise for a trip to shore. These are our top tips for staying safe on excursions. 1. Do your research As with all travel, safety can vary hugely between destinations when you’re cruising. On cruises around Australia, in the South Pacific or New Zealand you’ll feel as safe as you do at home and shouldn’t need to take any extra precautions. For other destinations, do some research online before you go, looking at sites like Smartraveller that list any official government warnings in place. You can also chat to your cruise director or some of the shore excursion team to see if there are any specific details you should be aware of. 2. Minimise your risk Generally, the best advice is to try to blend in and avoid looking like an obvious tourist. Don’t wear lots of jewellery or carry an expensive camera around your neck. Always keep your belongings with you and be particularly careful in crowded places like markets. Try to travel in groups rather than on your own and keep alcohol intake to a minimum – a drunk target is an easy target. 3. Only take the essentials If the worst should happen and you are robbed, you don’t want to be carrying all of your money and every credit card. Only take what you need and leave the rest in your cabin safe. You shouldn’t need your passport to reboard the ship, so never take it ashore with you. Mobile phones are one of the most commonly stolen items from tourists, so unless you desperately need it this is another one to stick in the safe. 4. Join an organised tour If you’re nervous about exploring a port on your own, then book a shore excursion through the cruise line. That way you’ll be travelling with a group of other passengers and at least one guide, most likely a local. Cruise lines only work with reputable companies so you can feel confident that you won’t be ripped off or left in danger. 5. Check the safety gear Many cruise ports offer exciting excursions like hiking, ATV tours, diving or zip lining. Unfortunately, not everywhere is as strict with their safety standards as Australia and you may arrive at your excursion to find out of date equipment, no protective gear or a route that makes you feel uncomfortable. Use common sense – if you don’t feel safe, don’t do it. You also need to be aware of your own physical limits. Don’t push yourself too hard, especially in the heat, or you could quickly find yourself in the local hospital. Image credits: Getty Images

Cruising

All the best moments from the star-studded Golden Globes

The 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards took place on Wednesday, with the who's-who of Hollywood coming out in droves to celebrate their TV and movie achievements of the last year. From iconic fashion, historic wins, powerful speeches and Jennifer Coolidge stealing the show, the award show had some incredible moments. Fashion On the red carpet, there were several contenders for best dressed. Australia's own Margot Robbie shone in a light pink Chanel gown, complete with a halter top and fringed hemline. Jessica Chastain, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Coolidge and Michelle Yeoh all opted for sequins, while Heidi Klum made a daring statement in feather. Red carpet icon Billy Porter wore a velvet pink tuxedo, that trailed behind him in a gown-line train that had everyone talking. Jamie Lee-Curtis and Aussie actress Milly Alcock went for black gothic looks, while Michelle Williams went for an all white gown. On stage highlights Australian House of the Dragon actress Milly Alcock went viral for appearing seemingly tipsy while on stage with her co-stars to accept the award for Best Television series. Throughout director Miguel Sapochnik's speech, Alcock held onto her co-star Emma D’Arcy and giggled, while pointing at people in the audience. Fans took to Twitter to break down the star's antics, with one person saying “Milly Alcock wasted at the Golden Globes is top tier.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Milly Alcock wasted at the golden globes is top tier <a href="https://t.co/vE2YJt1fKy">pic.twitter.com/vE2YJt1fKy</a> — quincy (@qlou112) <a href="https://twitter.com/qlou112/status/1613025501701967873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote> The night began with host Jerrod Carmichael calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)'s lack of diversity, saying, "I'm only here because I'm Black." He said, "I'll catch everyone in the room up. This show, the Golden Globe Awards, did not air last year, because the HFPA – I won't say they were a racist organisation, but they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died." His honesty resulted in his name trending on Twitter after his monologue as fans praised him. Jerrod Carmichael also took an opportunity to roast Tom Cruise while hosting, as he took to the stage with three awards that Cruise returned in 2021 amid the HFPA controversy. Carmichael said, "Backstage, I found these three Golden Globe awards that Tom Cruise returned..." he said. "I think maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige." Shelly is the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige, who is reportedly a close friend of Cruise. She was last seen in public in 2007, and there has long been speculation about her wellbeing and whereabouts. Winners The Banshees of Inisherin was the most nominated film of the night, taking home the award for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. The final award of the night — Best Motion Picture Drama — went to Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans. For the TV awards, House of the Dragon, Abbott Elementary and The White Lotus all came out on top. Jennifer Coolidge won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work on The White Lotus, with her emotional and chaotic speech quickly going viral. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Jennifer Coolidge delivers an epic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> acceptance speech that makes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheWhiteLotus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheWhiteLotus</a> creator Mike White cry. <a href="https://t.co/m069JEKekW">https://t.co/m069JEKekW</a> <a href="https://t.co/WBWx9H6BCj">pic.twitter.com/WBWx9H6BCj</a> — Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1613016340650151942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote> She thanked the show's creator Mike White for "killing me off" at the end of the second season, a major spoiler for any viewer who hasn't yet finished the series. Coolidge spoke of how the iconic role has brought her back into the public zeitgeist, after saying her 1990s career has "fizzled". "Mike White, you have given me hope. You've given me a new beginning. Even if this is the end, you changed my life in a million different ways. My neighbours [are] speaking to me and things like that. I was never invited to one party and now everyone's inviting me." Australian icon Cate Blanchett won a Golden Globe for her performance in the psychological drama Tár, while Michelle Yeoh took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

“Such intimacy is rare in everyday life”: The benefits of playing music can’t be understated

Whether you’re driving in the car, riding in a lift, or attending a concert, music is everywhere. For many, our involvement in creating music stopped outside of high school music classes and attempts to learn the recorder, keyboard, guitar, or to sing. Or it might have included playing in the school band, taking music lessons as a child, or maybe even continuing to play at university. But playing music is something that often falls to the wayside as we get older, with the demands of work, home and family taking priority. Given that playing music has benefits for our mental health, including easing anxiety and depression, feelings of satisfaction with life and health, and even reduced alexithymia - a dysfunction affecting emotional awareness, social attachment and how we relate to others - it’s an activity that many of us can reap benefits from. For Stephen O’Doherty, the conductor and musical director of Golden Kangaroos Concert Band, music has been an outlet for expressing himself creatively and maintaining his wellbeing - and he has seen similar effects in many of the players he works and plays with. “Having outlets to express myself creatively through musical performance has been absolutely essential in maintaining my wellbeing and having a stable quality of life,” he tells OverSixty. “The (Golden Kangaroos) have many members who have joined later in life. For some it is a chance to take up the same opportunity they gave their children, encouraging them to learn music at school and wishing they could have done the same. “For others it is the idea that playing music will help them to keep their brains active as they enter later life. For others, or perhaps for all of the above, joining a community band is a way of finding their tribe, their people, a safe place where people of a like mind can learn, grow, and contribute together. “Knowing the many life stories of our members, I can say with absolute alacrity that band contributes to their identity and self-fulfilment in ways that may never be explicitly known but are formative and extremely significant.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks0.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> With the benefits of playing music established, taking music into a community environment brings with it additional benefits to our wellbeing. In a study <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1163211.pdf">published</a> in the London Review of Education, Dr Debra Rodgers, whose PhD focused on community music and mental health-related stigma, argued that community music can be beneficial in helping both to distract participants from their personal worries and as a place where they can interact without fear or judgement. O’Doherty agrees, adding that playing in a group is a way for many to truly be themselves. “We know that learning music has beneficial effects intellectually and emotionally. Learning or performing with others adds a social dimension that, I think, is critically important,” he says. “At its best, playing in a well-run musical group helps us to express our emotions in a safe and structured way, and that is good for the soul. We are part of something bigger than ourselves and, when we play for an audience, we are (hopefully) gifting them a great experience. Enriching others also enriches us. “For many, band is the place where they are most fulfilled. Where their contribution matters. Where they will be missed if absent. Where they are safe when expressing their creativity. “To play music alone is good. It is personally satisfying and should not be underrated. But to play with others and achieve a pleasing outcome for an audience is a whole new level. It both fosters and requires a level of interpersonal communication between performers that is beyond words. “Such intimacy is rare in everyday life. It enriches the human experience in a unique and very special way.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> For O’Doherty, playing music has had added benefits when it comes to his own mental health, including managing the symptoms of depression. “Depression is a serious and debilitating condition which, untreated, will attack our self-worth and seriously affect our quality of life. I have lived with this condition for my entire life,” he explains. “... if I can’t perform music I am not being fully me. I am somehow less than whole. Music is a way I find wholeness, an acceptance of who I am and of what I can contribute to the world around me. “When a black mood sets in and starts attacking my self-worth, playing music is one of the few things that can restore me, and I find joy and purpose in seeing the beneficial impact on the members of our group.” As for those who may have played music in the past or have always wanted to learn, O’Doherty suggests finding a safe place to give it a go. “Many people go through the stage of leaving their earlier musical learning behind. After school or Uni life gets busy!” he says. “I want to encourage people however to think about this: when you were the best version of yourself, was performing music part of the equation? If the answer is yes (or even maybe) then do you not owe it to yourself and your loved ones to return? And if you’ve not yet tried to learn an instrument but have a yearning desire to express your creative instincts in this way, what do you have to lose? “Find a safe place to explore your interest and give it a go! Creative expression is part of what it is to be truly human. Perhaps music is your pathway to a more fulsome life.” Images: Stuart Coster (Supplied)

Mind

This giant kangaroo once roamed New Guinea – descended from an Australian ancestor that migrated millions of years ago

Long ago, almost up until the end of the last ice age, a peculiar giant kangaroo roamed the mountainous rainforests of New Guinea. Now, research to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03721426.2022.2086518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> on Thursday by myself and colleagues suggests this kangaroo was not closely related to modern Australian kangaroos. Rather, it represents a previously unknown type of primitive kangaroo unique to New Guinea. The age of megafauna Australia used to be home to all manner of giant animals called megafauna, until most of them went extinct about 40,000 years ago. These megafauna lived alongside animals we now consider characteristic of the Australian bush – kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and the like – but many were larger species of these. There were giant wombats called Phascolonus, 2.5-metre-tall short-faced kangaroos, and the 3-tonne Diprotodon optatum (the largest marsupial ever). In fact, some Australian megafaunal species, such as the red kangaroo, emu and cassowary, survive through to the modern day. The fossil megafauna of New Guinea are considerably less well-studied than those of Australia. But despite being shrouded in mystery, New Guinea’s fossil record has given us hints of fascinating and unusual animals whose evolutionary stories are entwined with Australia’s. Palaeontologists have done sporadic expeditions and fossil digs in New Guinea, including digs by American and Australian researchers in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. It was during an archaeological excavation in the early 1970s, led by Mary-Jane Mountain, that two jaws of an extinct giant kangaroo were unearthed. A young researcher (now professor) named Tim Flannery called the species Protemnodon nombe. The fossils Flannery described are about 20,000–50,000 years old. They come from the Nombe Rockshelter, an archaeological and palaeontological site in the mountains of central Papua New Guinea. This site also delivered fossils of another kangaroo and giant four-legged marsupials called diprotodontids. An unexpected discovery Flinders University Professor Gavin Prideaux and I recently re-examined the fossils of Protemnodon nombe and found something unexpected. This strange kangaroo was not a species of the genus Protemnodon, which used to live all over Australia, from the Kimberley to Tasmania. It was something a lot more primitive and unknown. In particular, its unusual molars with curved enamel crests set it apart from all other known kangaroos. We moved the species into a brand new genus unique to New Guinea and (very creatively) renamed it Nombe nombe. <figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/724328370" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A 3D surface scan of a specimen of Nombe nombe, specifically a fossilised lower jaw from central Papua New Guinea. (Courtesy of Papua New Guinea Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby).</figcaption></figure> Our findings show Nombe may have evolved from an ancient form of kangaroo that migrated into New Guinea from Australia in the late Miocene epoch, some 5–8 million years ago. In those days, the islands of New Guinea and Australia were connected by a land bridge due to lower sea levels – whereas today they’re separated by the Torres Strait. This “bridge” allowed early Australian mammals, including megafauna, to migrate to New Guinea’s rainforests. When the Torres Strait flooded again, these animal populations became disconnected from their Australian relatives and evolved separately to suit their tropical and mountainous New Guinean home. We now consider Nombe to be the descendant of one of these ancient lineages of kangaroos. The squat, muscular animal lived in a diverse mountainous rainforest with thick undergrowth and a closed canopy. It evolved to eat tough leaves from trees and shrubs, which gave it a thick jawbone and strong chewing muscles. The species is currently only known from two fossil lower jaws. And much more remains to be discovered. Did Nombe hop like modern kangaroos? Why did it go extinct? As is typical of palaeontology, one discovery inspires an entire host of new questions. Strange but familiar animals Little of the endemic animal life of New Guinea is known outside of the island, even though it is very strange and very interesting. Very few Australians have much of an idea of what’s there, just over the strait. When I went to the Papua New Guinea Museum in Port Moresby early in my PhD, I was thrilled by the animals I encountered. There are several living species of large, long-nosed, worm-eating echidna – one of which weighs up to 15 kilograms. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471027/original/file-20220627-22-91nec3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Author Isaac Kerr poses for a photo, holding an Australian giant kangaroo jaw in his left hand" /></a><figcaption>I’m excited to start digging in New Guinea’s rainforests! Author provided</figcaption></figure> There are also dwarf cassowaries and many different wallaby, tree kangaroo and possum species that don’t exist in Australia – plus many more in the fossil record. We tend to think of these animals as being uniquely Australian, but they have other intriguing forms in New Guinea. As an Australian biologist, it’s both odd and exhilarating to see these “Aussie” animals that have expanded into new and weird forms in another landscape. Excitingly for me and my colleagues, Nombe nombe may breathe some new life into palaeontology in New Guinea. We’re part of a small group of researchers that was recently awarded a grant to undertake three digs at two different sites in eastern and central Papua New Guinea over the next three years. Working with the curators of the Papua New Guinea Museum and other biologists, we hope to inspire young local biology students to study palaeontology and discover new fossil species. If we’re lucky, there may even be a complete skeleton of Nombe nombe waiting for us.<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/185778/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/isaac-alan-robert-kerr-1356949" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaac Alan Robert Kerr</a>, PhD Candidate for Palaeontology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flinders University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-giant-kangaroo-once-roamed-new-guinea-descended-from-an-australian-ancestor-that-migrated-millions-of-years-ago-185778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Supplied

Domestic Travel

Man rescues mob of kangaroos from Ukraine zoo

Ten kangaroos have been evacuated to safety as Russia continues attacks in Ukraine’s second major city, Kharkiv. A video shows the animals being transported to a new home from Feldman Ecopark where three staff and animals including orangutans were killed after they were caught in the horrific war zone. A van driver fleeing with the frightened kangaroos says: 'It is one month since the war began and we keep evacuating the animals.' Other footage shows the peace and tranquility at the Kharkiv zoo before the war began. 'These kangaroos are already safe,' said the zoo. 'This is very good, because their enclosures, unfortunately, were repeatedly shelled. 'We believe that now they will be fine.' A statement said: 'Many thanks to volunteers and employees who take risks to save animals, as well as to our many friends - caring people, businesses and non-governmental organisations who help us financially and make our rescue operations possible. 'Your support truly saves lives.' The kangaroos were the latest to be saved from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv. Sadly, some have been killed in the attacks. 'We cannot avoid tragedies,' said a spokesman. 'Four fallow deer and three Welsh goats became victims of another barbaric shelling. 'The list of victims of aggression among our pets is growing - it already includes large cats, primates, ungulates, marsupials, and birds... 'Feldman Ecopark has been on the line of fire for the last month. 'In order for the mournful list to no longer expand, we must take out all the animals.' Ten days ago mortar shelling by the 'Russian aggressors' destroyed the winter enclosures of great apes at the popular facility, killing two orangutans and a chimpanzee. Staff and rescuers have recently managed to save rare spurred turtles, along with white-nosed and blue monkeys. The turtles each weighing over 100kg. 'For the first time in Ukraine, these Red Book giants successfully bred in our Ecopark, and we believe that everything will be fine with them.' Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that the zoo had more than 300 species of animals but were repeatedly hit by Russian shelling since the 24th of February. Click <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/tp38yy/these_kangaroos_were_saved_from_an_eco_park_in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>to see the amazing footage. Images: Reddit

Family & Pets

Bizarre search for escaped kangaroo in Denmark

Police in south-east Denmark have appealed for public help to track down a kangaroo that was filmed hopping across a field. Police said on Facebook that a driver saw the marsupial "hopping around" near Oster Ulslev, a village 16km from the port city of Rodbyhavn where ferries connect to northern Germany. They said the driver, whom they did not identify, had the presence of mind to film the animal although they acknowledged the three-second video they posted was "short and grainy." The South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police requested any sightings or information on the animal's whereabouts to be reported using non-emergency number 114. The kangaroo is not considered to be dangerous and was not reported as missing. Despite the fact that kangaroos are not common in northern Europe, it is the second time the same police district has reached out for help in finding one: in 2014, a kangaroo escaped from a private animal farm in the same area. In July 2018, a kangaroo was on the run elsewhere in Denmark for half a day before its owner found it. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Dylan Alcott to defend his Wimbledon title

Dylan Alcott has advanced to the final round of the quad wheelchair singles at the All England Club after defeating long-time rival David Wagner 6-2, 6-2. Alcott has qualified for his 16th grand slam final and will have the chance to defend his Wimbledon singles title against Dutchman Sam Schroder. If he wins, Alcott will still have a chance of winning the ‘Golden Slam’ - where a player wins all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year - after winning both the Australian Open and Roland Garros titles earlier this year. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Great start. Always an privilege to metaphorically step onto the grass at <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wimbledon</a> 🎾🇬🇧🍓🙏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/q556QWqAm6">pic.twitter.com/q556QWqAm6</a> — Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanAlcott/status/1413240059604701185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2021</a></blockquote> “Everyone loves talking about the Golden Slam more than I do,” Alcott told ITFTennis.com. “I didn’t know what it was until everyone started saying it to me the other day. “I had an opportunity to win the Grand Slam in 2019 and I thought about it and talked about it but choked it up hard. “If I win the Golden Slam, how good? If I don’t, the sun still comes up. I have a great family and I’m still out here at Wimbledon breathing in the grass and looking at everyone smashing Pimm’s. I’m a happy guy.” Image: Dylan Alcott / Instagram

International Travel

Marlon Brando’s former LA home could be yours for $4.295 million

Marlon Brando’s former four-storey Laurel Drive home in West Hollywood has hit the market for the steep price of $4.295 million. Once lived in by the two-time Oscar winner back in 1954, the classic yet sophisticated residence is a perfect reminder of a time gone by. Built in 1926, the actor said the neo-Gothic home was a “very pleasant place to live” when on Person to Person in 1955. “I enjoy it very much,” he told the show’s host Edward R. Murrow at the time. The four-bedroom, five-bedroom space with 270-degree jetliner views of equal city lights and darling ocean, is located a half mile above the Chateau Marmont on the Sunset Strip. “It's awfully nice to go out here in the evening and have dinner at this sort of little nook here, especially on warm nights when the desert wind comes up over the hills,” the Golden Era actor claimed. While the home has had modest updates, including the kitchen and formal dining room, the home has remained true to its roots with many of the original fixtures completely in place. Marlon Brando died at the age of 80 in 2004 from respiratory failure that was a result of pulmonary fibrosis with congestive heart failure.

Real Estate

Iconic Golden Girls house for sale for the first time

For the first time; the Golden Girls house that was used as the exterior setting for the iconic sitcom has just hit the market. With an asking price of $2,999,000, the renowned home is located in the affluent neighbourhood of Brentwood, Los Angeles. The easily recognisable property has kept its same facade since the early 80’s and was set in Miami, Florida in Golden Girls. It was the home of Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia. Fans could watch it in the title credits of the first season of the show. The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. The home boasts four spacious bedrooms and was used for establishing shots in the first season only. After season one, a replica home was built. Scroll through the gallery to see the home.

Real Estate

"'The virus is afraid of Betty!"

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Fans around the world have rejoiced with the news that Golden Girl legend Betty White is safe and well amid the coronavirus pandemic. White, 98, is self-isolating in her home in California, with visits from animal friends, including ducks. "No one permitted in except those who must. Has helpers who are great with her," White's rep said in an email to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.today.com/popculture/betty-white-doing-very-well-despite-coronavirus-pandemic-t182392" target="_blank">Today</a>. "The animal community is watching over her," White's publicist said, adding, "The virus is afraid of Betty!" Her friend Tom Sullivan confirmed to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/betty-white-gushes-shes-blessed-with-incredibly-good-health/" target="_blank">Closer</a> that she is also keeping her mind active during the lockdown. “She reads the L.A. Times cover to cover,” he said. “She owns literally thousands of crossword puzzle books and is constantly doing them to keep her mind jumping. This is really serious with her.” As well as keeping her mind active, White has been relaxing with a cocktail or two. <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/BHvKyGOgpwy/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/BHvKyGOgpwy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Betty White (@bettymwhite)</a> on Jul 11, 2016 at 2:54pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “Betty loves to joke that vodka keeps her young,” her friend says with a laugh. “She loves the image of her sitting at home in a rocking chair, drinking a martini and watching game shows, but she’s not really a big drinker. That’s not her. She’ll only take a few sips of a cocktail if the occasion calls for it.” White also has a message to the world. “Betty’s message to the world is to slow down and enjoy what you have: family, friends, your pets,” says the friend. “She says that the pandemic is serious, but we have come through worse. It’s Mother Nature’s way of telling us all to slow down.” White has spent 80 years working in television and has the longest career in the history of television. </div> </div> </div>

Riding on the kangaroo’s back: Animal skin fashion, exports and ethical trade

The Versace fashion house recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/15/versace-bans-kangaroo-skin-after-pressure-from-animal-activists">announced</a> it had stopped using kangaroo skins in its fashion collections after coming under pressure from animal rights group <a href="https://www.lav.it/en">LAV</a>. Kangaroo meat and skin has an annual production <a href="http://www.kangarooindustry.com/industry/economic/">value</a> of around A$174 million, with skins used in the fashion and shoe manufacturing industries. There are legitimate questions regarding the ethical manner in which kangaroos are killed. But Indigenous people have long utilised the skins of kangaroos and possums. Versace’s concerns may have been allayed by understanding more about our traditions and practices. Reviving skills There has always been concern around how native animals are treated while alive and how they are killed to cause as little distress, pain and suffering as possible. Campaigners say <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australia-versace-kangaroos">2.3 million</a> kangaroos in Australia are hunted each year. Official <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives/wild-harvest/kangaroo-wallaby-statistics/kangaroo-2000">sources</a> cite this figure as the national quota, but put the number actually killed at around 1.7 million. Australian Aboriginal people have for many thousands of years utilised native animals, predominantly kangaroos and possums. Consciously and sustainably, every part of the animal was used. The kangaroo meat was eaten, the skins used to make cloaks for wearing, teeth used to make needles, sinew from the tail used as thread. The cloaks were incised with designs on the skin side significant to the wearer representing their totems, status and kinship. Cloaks were made for babies and added to as the child grew into adulthood, and people were buried in their <a href="https://www.nationalquiltregister.org.au/aboriginal-skin-cloaks/">cloaks</a>when they died. Aboriginal women from New South Wales and Victoria have begun <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/museums/images/content/exhibitions-events/where-we-all-meet/djon-mundine-essay-sectioned.pdf">reviving</a> the tradition of kangaroo and possum skin cloak-making to pass down knowledge of this important practice to future generations. Interestingly, possum skins can only be purchased from New Zealand for these crafts. As an introduced species, they have wreaked havoc on NZ animal populations and the environment, but are a protected species in Australia. Culls and trade In Australia, kangaroos are not farmed but are harvested for meat and fur in the wild under a voluntary <a href="https://www.viva.org.uk/under-fire/cruelty-kangaroos">code of conduct</a>. The code is difficult to monitor and enforcement is <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/thinkk_production/resources/29/Kangaroo_Court_Enforcement_of_the_law_governing_commercial_kangaroo_killing_.pdf">complicated</a> by federal and state sharing of responsibility. This code is currently under <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/kangaroo-commercial-code-review/">review</a>. The export and import of wildlife is <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives">regulated</a> under Australia’s national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act. In practice, kangaroos are shot in the wild by professional licensed shooters with an intended single shot to the head to kill them quickly. There are <a href="http://thinkkangaroos.uts.edu.au/issues/welfare-and-enforcement.html">concerns</a> over whether shooters should be trained better and whether nighttime shoots with poor visibility result in the killing of alpha males or mothers with joeys in their pouches. If mothers are accidentally shot, the code dictates the joey should be shot too. Sometimes the shot does not kill them instantly and they are then clubbed over the head. Traditionally, Aboriginal people speared kangaroos. This was unlikely to kill them instantly, so they were swiftly killed with a blow to the head by a boondi(wooden club). Why kangaroo? Kangaroo skin is extremely strong and more flexible than other leathers, including cow hide. It is routinely used in the production of soccer boots as they mould to the feet extremely well and don’t need to be worn in like harder leathers. This has led to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-12/kangaroo-skin-hits-fashion-capitals/1799602">increase</a> in the use of kangaroo. LAV <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">reports</a> Italy is the biggest importer of kangaroo leather in Europe, where it is used to produce soccer shoes and motorbike suits. They are <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">lobbying</a> brands Lotto and Dainese to stop using kangaroo, arguing that shooting animals is not sustainable given the estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-left-millions-of-animals-dead-we-should-use-them-not-just-bury-them-129787">1 billion</a> creatures killed in bushfires this season. In terms of environmental sustainability, kangaroos cause less damage to the environment than cattle. Cows contribute methane gas, their hard hooves destroy the earth, they eat the grass to a point that it does not regenerate. Kangaroos eat the grass leaving a small portion to re-flourish, they bounce across the land without causing damage to it, and don’t produce methane gases. The use of kangaroo skins in fashion can be done ethically if the code is reviewed in consultation with Aboriginal people and enforced properly. The industry has the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">potential</a> to produce and support sustainable business opportunities for Aboriginal communities. While celebrities are <a href="https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/fur/latest-news/kardashians-shamed-among-10-worst-celebrities-fur-animals/">shamed</a> for wearing fur fashion, this relates to the unregulated and inhumane treatment of coyotes, chinchillas, foxes, mink, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals. In contrast, scientists <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">consider</a> kangaroo harvest as “one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact”. Only natural Versace, along with most fashion retailers across the high-end to ready-to-wear spectrum, use synthetic fibres in their fashion products. Such materials eventually <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-make-fast-fashion-a-problem-for-its-makers-not-charities-117977">cause more damage</a> to the environment than natural fibres and skins. They don’t biodegrade and many of these fibres end up in landfill, our oceans or in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119348808">stomachs of fish</a>. Animal skins will always be used in fashion and other products because of the unique properties the skins bring to design and function. While the bushfires have killed millions of Australian native animals, kangaroo culls are managed to have limited impact on the population. We should focus our energy on saving Australian native animals that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-bushfires-could-drive-more-than-700-animal-species-to-extinction-check-the-numbers-for-yourself-129773">close to extinction</a> and lobbying for a stricter ethical code for shooters that can be legally enforced to ensure kangaroos are killed humanely. Written by Dr Fabri Blacklock. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/riding-on-the-kangaroos-back-animal-skin-fashion-exports-and-ethical-trade-130207">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

Devastating scenes for wildlife rescuers at Kangaroo Island

Wildlife rescuers have been left heartbroken as they comprehend the sheer scale and task of helping injured wildlife that have been impacted by the bushfires. Wildlife rescuers were surrounded by burnt-out trees and ground covered with ash and dead animals who passed in the bushfires. Dozens of injured koalas have been arriving at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park’s makeshift animal hospital in cat carriers, washing baskets or clinging to their carers. However, it’s not all positive as many that have been rescued are found to be so badly injured that they must be euthanised. Steve Selwood, South Australia Veterinary Emergency Management team leader at the hospital said that 46,000 koalas were thought to be on the island before the bushfires. “The fires here were particularly ferocious and fast moving, so we’re seeing a lot less injured wildlife than in other fires,” he tells <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/wildlife-rescuers-find-signs-of-life-among-kangaroo-island-devastation/news-story/869a45d590338135af1254b4f6ec1176">news.com.au</a>. “A lot of the wildlife was incinerated.” With almost half of Kangaroo Island being ruined by fire, an estimated 80 per cent of koala habitat has been wiped out, which means that once the koalas are healed, they have nowhere to go. This issue is on the backburner as teams of vets work to save as many native wildlife as they can.

Domestic Travel

Tales of wombat "heroes" are unfortunately not true

If you’ve been following the bushfire crisis on social media and elsewhere, you may have seen reports of <a href="https://www.unilad.co.uk/animals/wombats-share-their-burrows-with-animals-displaced-in-bushfires/">benevolent wombats</a> herding other animals to shelter into their fire-proof burrows. These stories went quickly viral – probably reflecting the appetite for good news after the horrors of the bushfire crisis. However the accounts are not entirely accurate. Wombats do not heroically round up helpless animals during a bushfire and lead them to safety. But wombats do help other animals in a different way – even if it’s not their intention. Accidental heroes Wombats can emerge as accidental heroes during a bushfire, by providing a safe refuge underground for other wildlife. Wombat warrens – networks of interconnecting burrows – are large and complex, and considerably shielded from the above-ground environment. Small mammals are known to <a href="https://media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/Uploads/Documents/38347/ams370_vXVIII_05_LowRes.ffb19ac.pdf">use wombat burrows</a> to survive an inferno. <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1017/S0952836902001620">One study</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_hairy-nosed_wombat">southern hairy-nosed wombat</a>, for instance, found warrens with 28 entrances and nearly 90 metres of tunnels. What’s more, temperatures deep within burrows are very stable compared to surface temperatures, with daily temperature fluctuations of less than <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1017/S0952836902001620">1℃, compared to 24℃</a> on the surface. This thermal buffering would help a great deal during intense fires, and you can understand why other species would want access to these safe havens. The wombat sharehouse By placing camera traps outside 34 wombat burrows, <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/am/am15052">a 2015 study</a> showed a surprising variety of animals using southern hairy-nosed wombat burrows. Researchers observed ten other species, six of which used them on multiple occasions. The intruders ranged from rock wallabies and <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2784/21961179">bettongs</a> to skinks and birds. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_penguin">Little penguins</a> were recorded using burrows 27 times, while the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/16751/21955343">black-footed rock wallaby</a> was observed using wombat burrows more often than wombats – nearly 2,000 visits in eight weeks! They were even observed using the burrows to specifically avoid birds of prey. But wombats aren’t alone in providing real estate for other species. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinifex_hopping_mouse">Hopping mice</a>, <a href="https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:0d4c9c0c-51d3-44e0-a365-fe0f8b791c66">echidnas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eremiascincus">sand swimming skinks</a>, <a href="https://www.ridgeandvalleyreptiles.com/nephrurus-milli.html">barking geckoes</a> and numerous invertebrates <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196308001821">were found</a> using the warrens of bettongs and bilbies in arid Australia. Anybody home? It’s also important to recognise wombats don’t have “a burrow”. Rather, they have <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/wr07067">multiple burrows</a> within their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_range">home range</a>. In fact, a 2012 study tracked one wombat to <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00881.x">14 different burrows</a>. While wombats are often regarded as quite sedentary, <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00881.x?casa_token=SiuOr4VY07oAAAAA%3AQNnJyBxVubXbqq27P9j_Z6-fqIsTD0NE1rdU9OGlifTq2v53Ti6eJWPCAc77wljbRgYCzinXHVRiWv_Jyw">another study</a> found the average home range size of common wombats is 172 hectares. They spend <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/zo/ZO02061">a few nights</a> sleeping in one burrow, before moving onto another. Since each wombat has multiple burrows, many can be vacant within a home range, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320707001048">abandoned burrows</a> are common in some areas. <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/Fulltext/WR07067">A 2007 study</a> showed that even among “active” burrows (those with signs of recent use), only one in three are actually occupied by a wombat at any given time. This means, at times, other species may not need to share burrows with wombats at all. It’s vacant real estate. So how might a wombat react to an uninvited guest? This is difficult to know, and likely depends on who’s visiting. Wombats prefer not to share burrows with other wombats, although burrow sharing <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/zo/ZO02061">can be common</a> when wombat populations are very high in one place. In her book <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6088/">Wombats</a>, Barbara Triggs recalls a fox being chased from a burrow by an angry wombat. Meanwhile, the crushed skulls of foxes and dogs in wombat burrows suggest not all intruders are welcome. That a suite of species use wombat burrows suggests wombats may not notice or care about squatters – so long as they don’t pose a threat. But more research is needed on the fascinating interactions that take place in wombat burrows, particularly during fire. The battle is not over While empirical studies are needed, the available evidence suggests wombats may well provide an important refuge for other wildlife during fire. In any case, it’s important to recognise that surviving fire is only <a href="https://theconversation.com/animal-response-to-a-bushfire-is-astounding-these-are-the-tricks-they-use-to-survive-129327">half the battle</a>. Wombats and their house guests face a medley of challenges post-fire – not least avoiding predators in a barren landscape and eking out a living in a landscape with scarce food. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-nimmo-15432">Dale Nimmo</a>, Associate professor/ARC DECRA fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tales-of-wombat-heroes-have-gone-viral-unfortunately-theyre-not-true-129891">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

The Golden age of Hollywood

The Golden Age of Hollywood was the boom in movie productions from Hollywood after silent films. The actresses that graced our screens with their timeless glamour and style is something that we still aspire to today. Here we take a moment to salute these ladies who are forever immortalised on our screens. Marilyn Monroe <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/B452SF0nGIy/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/B452SF0nGIy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Marilyn Monroe (@somelikeitmonroe)</a> on Nov 15, 2019 at 3:05pm PST </div> </blockquote> Marilyn Monroe was a classic Hollywood sex symbol of the 1950s. Monroe was usually typecast to play the "dumb blonde" roles but she was incredibly smart, strong and sophisticated, growing up from a tough, dysfunctional childhood. Her sex symbol status is forever immortalised by the scene in the 'The Seven Year Itch' (1955) where she stands over a subway grate that blows up her white dress. It is one of the most iconic scenes of classic Hollywood. Judy Garland <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/B4-3cAHFaVA/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/B4-3cAHFaVA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Movies (@archie_movies_and_more_1)</a> on Nov 17, 2019 at 1:51pm PST </div> </blockquote> Judy Garland's breakthrough role was Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) and she continued to light up screens with her amazing voice, starring in a number of musical films such as 'Me in St Louis' (1944) and 'A Star is Born' (1954). Her life was marked by tragedy but we will forever remember her voice and presence on screen. Grace Kelly <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/B4xNYy2Dj5U/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/B4xNYy2Dj5U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by life (@life)</a> on Nov 12, 2019 at 6:34am PST </div> </blockquote> Grace Kelly shot to Hollywood fame through her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s 'Rear Window' (1954) as Lisa Fremont. Kelly wedded the Prince of Monaco, Rainier III and famously wore her engagement ring in her last film, 'High Society' (1956). Her wedding too was dubbed by the press as “the wedding of the century” due to her high profile within Hollywood at the time. Vivien Leigh <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/B45ozMllTI_/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/B45ozMllTI_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Period Fashion (@periodfashion)</a> on Nov 15, 2019 at 1:07pm PST </div> </blockquote> Vivien Leigh, was British born actress that shot to stardom in Hollywood by winning two Academy Awards for her “southern belle” performance of Scarlett O’Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939). Leigh also had a love for theatre where she met and fell in love with Laurence Olivier and had a very public love affair. Elizabeth Taylor <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/B4-TYhyn0Ki/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/B4-TYhyn0Ki/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Elizabeth Taylor Archives (@elizabethtaylorarchives)</a> on Nov 17, 2019 at 8:36am PST </div> </blockquote> Elizabeth Taylor is one of the world’s most famous film stars and one of the last to debut from the classic Hollywood studio system. You may remember her from films such as 'A Place in the Sun' (1951), 'Cat on a Hot TIn Roof' (1958) and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' (1966). She was not only recognised for her acting, but she was always featured for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty and her alluring blue/violet eyes. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/the-gold-age-of-hollywood-the-female-starlets/page/1">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Movies

15 reasons we will always love Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall was a superstar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Born Betty Joan Perske in New York on 16 September 1924. She is impossible to forget for her distinctive husky voice, sultry stare, and epic love affair with Humphrey Bogart. She passed away at the age of 89 on 12th August 2014 but we will always remember her style, talent and beauty. To Have and Have Not, 1944 Lauren Bacall’s breakthrough performance in the 1944 Warner Bros picture, To Have and Have Not, is still acknowledged as one of the best film debuts in cinema history. The 19-year-old Bronx native was scouted by Warner bigwigs on the lookout for the next big female star. More specifically, they needed an actress who could match the magnetism – and insolence – of Humphrey Bogart. Bacall was perfect in her performance and left Bogart astounded and smitten. The ‘Look’ Seduction personified, Bacall coined ‘The Look’ during screen tests for To Have and Have Not. The alluring stare was achieved as the result of a shy tendency to press her chin to her chest. With almond-shaped eyes peeking through long lashes, she made an immediate impact. Humphrey Bogart The romance between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall lasted a little over a decade, yet it remains as enduring as the films they starred in together. The Hollywood love story began while the pair filmed To Have and Have Not. At the time 45-year-old Bogart was married. Within two years he was divorced and had married Bacall, who was 25 years his junior. They had two children together and remained wed until his death in 1957. “I fairly often have thought how lucky I was. I knew everybody because I was married to Bogie, and that 25-year difference was the most fantastic thing for me to have in my life,” Lauren Bacall told Vanity Fair in 2011. Enduring Icon In 1995 Lauren Bacall was named Empire magazine’s sixth sexiest star in film history. Two years later People listed Bacall among their 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. This wasn't the first time her beauty was awarded. In 1942, she was named ‘Miss Greenwich Village’ and ‘Prettiest Usher’ of the 1942 theatre season. Rat Pack Royalty Bacall was one of the founding members of the Hollywood Rat Pack. She even coined the term ‘rat pack’ and was referred to as ‘den mother’ by fellow members Frank Sinatra, Swifty Lazar and, of course, her husband Humphrey Bogart. An alluring muse Lauren Bacall was one of four Hollywood starlets (along with Veronica Lee, Rita Hayworth and Julie London) who inspired the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit. Thoughts on Ageing Bacall opted to age gracefully, and her musings on maturing are heart-warming: "I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.” - Lauren Bacall Fearless Negotiator Forcing Bacall’s hand was like forcing a concrete slab across the beach. Indeed, her refusal to star in the film Storm Chase saw her suspended an astounding seven times. An article from the Reading Eagle, published in 1949, stated, "Lauren Bacall has become a storm center at Warner Brothers studio because she refuses to appear in a picture by that name.” In response to her suspension she said, “This makes the fifth or sixth time Mr. Warner has suspended me. I told him he had a fine picture (in ‘Storm Center’), but I didn’t think the part was for me. I thought he understood me at that time. I guess he didn’t.” Risqué roles When many actresses are cast aside or relegated to grannie roles, Bacall relaunched her career when she featured in a number of provocative roles. She starred in Lars Von Trier’s cult classic Dogville (2003), followed by the 2005 thriller Birth. Self Deprecating yet Stylish Never afraid to laugh at herself, Bacall lent her voice to the hit animation series Family Guy. Additionally, the down-to-earth beauty played herself in a 2006 episode of The Sopranos, where she was mugged and stripped of her awards show goodie bag. Stylish Dame Lauren Bacall knew how to wear a tailored suit. Always elegant and seductive, her ‘come-hither’ gaze was just as mesmerising as both the masculine style suits and figure-hugging gowns she favoured. Key Largo, 1948 The usually seductive Bacall assumed a more demure, dutiful part in the steamy Florida thriller Key Largo. Sporting long skirts cinched at the waist with tight belts, it was the last on-screen collaboration between Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. Scroll through the gallery above to see Lauren Bacall through the ages. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/15-reasons-we-will-always-love-lauren-bacall.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Movies

Why some animals are able to pause their own pregnancies

Putting your pregnancy on pause until the time is right to give birth sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but for many mammals what’s known as “embryonic diapause” is an essential part of raising their young. Although scientists have known since the 1850s that some animals have this ability, it is only now becoming clear how it could teach us valuable lessons about human pregnancy, stem cells, and cancer. Which animals can do this? More than 130 species of mammal can pause their pregnancies. The pause can last anywhere between a couple of days and 11 months. In most species (except some bats, who do it a little later) this happens when the embryo is a tiny ball of about 80 cells, before it attaches to the uterus. It’s not just a single group of mammals, either. Various species seem to have developed the ability as needed to reproduce more successfully. Most carnivores can pause their pregnancies, including all bears and most seals, but so can many rodents, deer, armadillos, and anteaters. More than a third of the species that take a breather during gestation are from Australia, including some possums and all but three species of kangaroo and wallaby. The record-holder for pregnancy pause time is the tammar wallaby, which has been studied extensively for its ability to put embryos on hold for up to 11 months. Why pause pregnancy? The main advantage to pausing pregnancy is that it separates mating and birth. There are two main ways in which animals do this. The first way is to mate soon after giving birth, to have a backup pregnancy in case something happens to the newborn young. The stress of lactating triggers a pause that lasts during suckling, and the pregnancy restarts once the young leave. The second way is to pause every pregnancy until the time is right (usually depending on the season). For example, minks mate around the start of March but put the embryos on pause until after the spring equinox (March 21), when the days are growing longer in their northern hemisphere homes. This ensures that the young are born in spring when conditions improve, and not in winter. The tammar wallaby combines these two methods (suckling in the first half of the year, short days in the second) to pause for almost a year and give birth in January. This ensures the young leave the pouch the following spring instead of in the middle of a hot Australian summer. What can we learn from diapause? Diapause was first identified in 1854 after hunters in Europe noticed that pregnancy in roe deer seemed to last a lot longer than normal. Since then scientists have been fascinated by this process and it has helped us understand more about basic reproductive processes in all mammals. But it took until 1950 before our knowledge of pregnancy had increased enough so that we could confirm what the hunters had observed 100 years earlier. But how the process worked at the molecular level is still a mystery. Until recently, there seemed to be no connection between which species used it and which didn’t and there didn’t seem to be a unifying mechanism for how pregnancy was paused. Even the hormones controlling diapause are different between mammal groups. However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.140074bm">research</a> now suggests that regardless of what hormones affect the uterus, the molecular signalling between the uterus and the embryo is conserved, at least between the mouse, mink and tammar wallaby. Furthermore, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033027">researchers in Poland</a> paused embryos from sheep (a non-diapause species) by transferring them into a mouse uterus and then back into the sheep with no ill effects. This indicates the potential for diapause could lie in all mammals, including humans. So when can I pause my pregnancy? It’s unlikely that pausing pregnancy will become the norm in humans. For starters, you’d have to know you were pregnant within five days of conceiving to match the time when most species start diapause. Understanding how mammals pause their pregnancies does have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949116/">significant implications</a> for our understanding of how to make healthy embryos. The time when the embryo enters into diapause is the same time in IVF when an embryo is transferred into the uterus. Diapause could help us improve how we grow embryos in culture or how to recognise which is the “best” embryo to transfer. Diapause could also help create better stem cells and find new cancer treatments. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/292154a0">first stem cells</a> ever isolated by scientists came from a mouse embryo in diapause, when the cell cycle of the embryo is arrested. Stem cells are also <a href="https://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/fulltext/S1534-5807(15)00658-9">remarkably similar</a> to a diapaused embryo. So understanding how diapause works at the molecular level could lead to new therapies to halt cell division or to identify markers for tumour stem cells, which are thought to be <a href="https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/scrt13">responsible for metastasis</a> in cancer.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125635/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-fenelon-594114">Jane Fenelon</a>, Research fellow in monotreme and marsupial reproduction and development, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-animals-pause-their-own-pregnancies-but-how-they-do-it-is-still-a-mystery-125635">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Can cinema survive in a golden age of serial TV?

There are many reasons you might think cinema is going the way of the dinosaurs. With the popularity of long-play TV series booming, are films “too short” now to allow the kind of plot and character development that we have become used to? In our changing world of media, does the distinction between “TV series” and “film” even make sense? In a recent class, when I asked my film studies students who had watched the set film for the week only a few hands went up – and my heart sank. Searching for an explanation, I asked who had watched the latest episode of the popular Netflix show <a href="https://theconversation.com/stranger-things-inventiveness-in-the-age-of-the-netflix-original-84340">Stranger Things</a>. Nearly every hand went up. What does this anecdote reveal about changing viewing habits? Does the fact that even film students prefer the latest streaming series to the classic films set as coursework serve to illustrate the point that cinema is dying? There is no doubt of the enormous appeal of the many long-form series readily available to subscribers of streamed content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, HULU, iTunes, Google Play, and NowTV. Viewers can binge-watch or pace their way through their favourite show before algorithms point them to their next favourite show, in an endless addictive cycle of entertainment and sleep deprivation. Screen companions and virtual friends There are many reasons for the global popularity of streamed series. For one, their characters are often more diverse and interesting than many of those in mainstream Hollywood filmic fare. This is exemplified so well by shows such as <a href="http://theconversation.com/how-orange-is-the-new-black-raised-the-bar-behind-bars-78702">Orange is the New Black</a>, with a nearly all-female cast playing characters with diverse sexual orientations and ethnic and class backgrounds. Over the many hours of screen time, spanning many years in some cases, audiences become emotionally invested in characters’ stories. They become our screen companions and virtual friends. This has seen global fan bases emerge. These fans find kinship and a new kind of collective mourning when providers cancel their favourite show as seen with the devotees of the <a href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a28618013/the-oa-fan-petition-season-3-axe/">The OA</a>. The size and influence of these groups has helped the success of campaigns like that of Sense8 fans, who fought for and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/30/your-love-has-brought-sense8-back-to-life-cancelled-netflix-show-wins-two-hour-finale">won a finale</a> of their cancelled show. Similarly, <a href="https://themuse.jezebel.com/fans-saved-one-day-at-a-time-1835924491">the fans of One Day at a Time</a> helped it find its new home at cable network “Pop”. The ultra long-play format of streamed series also allows time for extreme character development. The best known character evolution is perhaps that of Breaking Bad’s Walter White who makes a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdDfhe-0JS0">dramatic moral transformation</a> from school teacher to conflicted drug kingpin over the show’s 62-hour run-time. Hollywood cinema refuses to die But traditional Hollywood cinema refuses to die – as evidenced by the boom in <a href="https://theconversation.com/avengers-endgame-and-the-relentless-march-of-hollywood-franchise-movies-119130">franchise event cinema</a>. <a href="https://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MPAA-THEME-Report-2018.pdf">A recent report</a> from the Motion Picture Association of America reveals rising worldwide cinema ticket sales. The total takings at the box office topped US$41 billion – and the number of cinema screens worldwide increased by 7% (to 190,000 screens). The report states that “there is no question that in this ever complex world of media, theatres are vital to overall entertainment industry success”. But cinema still has its place. It allows a fantasy-filled retreat for family and friend entertainment – an immersive experience without the distraction of mobile phones, knocks on the door or family members talking over important bits. Cinemas, film societies, or open-air screenings become spaces where we can put our political divisions aside and cheer collectively for heroes overcoming odds to save screen worlds. Blockbuster films may be thriving, but poetic art cinema has a more precarious place in the market and needs nurturing by cinephiles. Film director <a href="https://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9780719097591/">Alejandro G. Iñárritu</a> (of The Revenant, Birdman, and Babel fame) recently <a href="https://variety.com/2019/film/global/alejandro-g-inarritu-on-the-need-to-preserve-poetry-in-cinema-1203305924/">spoke to Variety</a> about how our worlds are being closed in by streaming services managed by “algorithms designed to keep feeding people what they like”. He added: “the problem is that the algorithms are very smart but they are not creative, and they don’t know what people don’t know they like.” We are in a golden age of streaming content and at-the-cinema-film. We just need to be guided by more than algorithms to see the treasures hiding away in this new era of excess and neglect. TV or film – what’s the difference? To complicate the arguments about the relative merits of TV series and film, distinctions between film and television are less clear than they ever have been. Many films (particularly those involving <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-the-superhero-films-ever-end-the-business-of-blockbuster-movie-franchises-78834">superheroes</a>) are no longer stand alone, but form part of a serial cinematic “Universe”. Many TV series now consist of feature-length episodes. With a run-time of 151 minutes, we could ask whether the Sense8 finale was actually a Netflix film, rather than a single episode. And, does it even matter to viewers what we call it? In a world where visual media is being increasingly viewed on tablets, mobile phones and laptops rather than in actual cinemas or on television sets perhaps the terms “cinema” and “television” no longer even make sense. This is an argument my co-editors and I <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/25785273.2019.1660067">make in a recent editorial</a> for the journal Transnational Screens. A key point is that streaming platforms such as Amazon and Netflix do not stand in opposition to cinema. Instead they have consumed cinema, repackaged it and made it available to global audiences. Powerful voices <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/mar/04/netflix-steven-spielberg-streaming-films-versus-cinema">rail against the power</a> of such platforms, but they do enhance screen culture and make cinema more available to global audiences.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122234/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Deborah Shaw, Professor of Film and Screen Studies, University of Portsmouth. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/can-cinema-survive-in-a-golden-age-of-serial-tv-122234" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Movies

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

World’s longest treasure hunt ends as Golden Owl finally unearthed in France

Longing for the ‘golden age’ of air travel? Be careful what you wish for

00-No: US traveller puts border security to the test with a golden gun

5 golden rules for safe shore excursions

All the best moments from the star-studded Golden Globes

“Such intimacy is rare in everyday life”: The benefits of playing music can’t be understated

This giant kangaroo once roamed New Guinea – descended from an Australian ancestor that migrated millions of years ago

Man rescues mob of kangaroos from Ukraine zoo

Bizarre search for escaped kangaroo in Denmark

Dylan Alcott to defend his Wimbledon title

Marlon Brando’s former LA home could be yours for $4.295 million

Iconic Golden Girls house for sale for the first time

"'The virus is afraid of Betty!"

Riding on the kangaroo’s back: Animal skin fashion, exports and ethical trade

Devastating scenes for wildlife rescuers at Kangaroo Island

Tales of wombat "heroes" are unfortunately not true

The Golden age of Hollywood

15 reasons we will always love Lauren Bacall

Why some animals are able to pause their own pregnancies

Can cinema survive in a golden age of serial TV?