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Tourists reveal the world’s best “non-mainstream” cities

While many eager travellers head to a nation’s capital city when travelling abroad, others prefer to steer off the beaten track for a more authentic experience. A group of keen tourists discussed their favourite “non-mainstream” cities in a popular travel thread on Reddit, with eight destinations around the world coming out on top. Turin, Italy Most travellers that head to Italy tend to stick to the main tourist-driven cities of Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice. However, according to one traveller, the city of Turin (also known as Torino) is “one of the best cities in the country and it gets ignored by most tourists.” One person wrote, “Great architecture, very walkable, fantastic museums, delicious regional dishes and stunning Alpine backdrop.” Another agreed, adding, “Torino is really great. [It] feels different to any other Italian city. [It's] also totally uncrowded even during peak season.” Oulu, Finland Aside from the Finnish capital of Helsinki in the far south of the country, some travellers prefer to venture up north into colder climates away from the bustling city. One hotspot is the city of Oulu, which offers a more relaxed pace of life despite its harsh weather. One traveller wrote, “I really enjoyed Oulu in Finland. So much space between buildings, green trees everywhere, a nice beach to relax on and watch the sunset, [and] beautiful parks.” “To me, it looked like the ideal city to live in. I was there in July. I think winters can be harsh.” Ouray, Colorado, USA Situated in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado, Ouray is often referred to as the 'Switzerland of America', with many travellers in awe of its beauty. One person simply wrote, “Ouray is stunningly beautiful!” sharing their love for the quaint city. Nuremberg, Germany Germany’s most visited cities are usually Berlin and Munich, but Nuremberg also offers a unique glimpse into Germany’s history and culture. One traveller described the city as “amazing” while another said they “absolutely loved the place”. Another claimed that Nuremberg was “so beautiful, magical and fun” during wintertime that it “ruined Christmas for the rest of my life”. Townsville, Australia When you think of coastal Aussie getaways, many think of Noosa or the Gold Coast as the best places to visit. However, others encouraged travellers to head to the “super-underrated” Townsville in northeastern Queensland instead. One traveller remarked that it has “great bars and restaurants”, adding, “It was a good base to get around the place. I found the locals friendly, [it] wasn't overrun with tourists like Cairns. My wife and I both thought it was a super-underrated place and we'll be back.” Khiva, Uzbekistan The city of Khiva, locally pronounced 'Heevah', is more than 2,500 years old and is a keen holiday destination for history buffs. One traveller wrote of the charming city, “The old city inside the walls is so well preserved that it's like entering another time. Early morning and after dark, when the tourist market has closed, and the buses have left, makes for a magical experience. I've been to a lot of places in the world but will never forget the magic of that place.” Salta, Argentina Located in the north of the country, Salta is “definitely not on the mainstream path”, but worth the journey. One tourist wrote, “The city itself isn't the most exciting but it's safe, the food is incredible, and it's the gateway to some of the most beautiful natural areas I've seen in my life.” Kastoria, Greece Located in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia, Kastoria sits on the shore of Lake Orestiada and is surrounded by limestone mountains. One traveller fell in love with the Greek destination, writing, “This is the definition of a hidden gem. It's deep in northern Greece and on a peninsula jutting into the middle of a lake, so it's just this incredibly serene and picturesque setting. There's history on every street corner, too.” Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Woman praised for confronting pickpockets

An Italian woman has generated a lot of praise after her “brilliant” way of calling out pickpockets disguised as tourists has gone viral. Monica, 57, is part of a volunteer group called Cittadini Non Distratti, meaning "Citizens not distracted," which aims to to disturb and prevent active pickpockets in the popular tourist destination. She works alongside 40 other volunteers and has dedicated 30 years of her life saving tourists from the sneaky snatchers, and they’re doing it out of sheer goodwill. "People are pickpocketed for their American or English passport, then to return to their country they have to go to the embassy in [...] Rome," Monica told Newsweek. "This incurs additional expenses for them, so it is better to prevent this by warning tourists of the problem." The videos, which were originally posted on Facebook, have gained the attention of a younger audience after they started posting on TikTok. "We decided to make our videos go viral to inform tourists to be careful," she said. "There is a lack of prevention and information about what is happening in the city and we are all happy that these videos are letting people see the problem in Venice and throughout Italian cities." Many of the volunteers have their own way of weeding out the pickpockets, with some using a deafening whistle to capture the attention of everyone around them. Others just call out “attention pickpocket” in both English and Italian then proceed to shoo away the pickpockets, telling them to “go away” and for tourists to “watch out for their wallets”. <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7248214400102944027&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40minutesofentertainment%2Fvideo%2F7248214400102944027&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-va.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast2a-p-0037-euttp%2F22dfb064ae9640a7b60ede7892167b41_1687606456%3Fx-expires%3D1687755600%26x-signature%3DkrwLySytAL%252FmznIUf7jxQKln%252Bl4%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> In the video that has gone viral, the pickpockets can be seen scurrying away from the crowd as soon as these volunteers call them out. Although the original video and account “citadininondistratti” got banned on TikTok, many other accounts have reposted and reshared the content. Many have commented their praise for the group, despite local police officers reportedly not supporting this form of <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/woman-cheered-confronting-suspected-pickpockets-targeting-tourist-1807553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vigilante justice</a>. “Thank you for your service ma’am,” wrote one person. “Brilliant 👏” wrote a second person. “I was in Rome, both times I was on the train the locals warned and pushed the pickpockets away from me. Love the locals,” wrote a third. “She called them purse thieves in Italian,” commented one amused person. Images: TikTok

Travel Trouble

A brief history of the mortgage, from its roots in ancient Rome to the English ‘dead pledge’ and its rebirth in America

The average interest rate for a new U.S. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/home-loan-mortgage-interest-rate-7-percent-highest-since-2001/">30-year fixed-rate mortgage topped 7% in late October 2022</a> for the first time in more than two decades. It’s a sharp increase from one year earlier, when <a href="https://www.valuepenguin.com/mortgages/historical-mortgage-rates">lenders were charging homebuyers only 3.09%</a> for the same kind of loan. Several factors, including <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/mortgages/fed-mortgage-rates">inflation rates and the general economic outlook</a>, influence mortgage rates. A primary driver of the ongoing upward spiral is the <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/fed-interest-rate-decision-today-hike-federal-reserve-meeting-november/12408055/">Federal Reserve’s series of interest rate hikes</a> intended to tame inflation. Its decision to increase the benchmark rate by <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20221102a.htm">0.75 percentage points on Nov. 2, 2022</a>, to as much as 4% will propel the cost of mortgage borrowing even higher. Even if you have had mortgage debt for years, you might be unfamiliar with the history of these loans – a subject I cover <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KVv47noAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">in my mortgage financing course</a> for undergraduate business students at Mississippi State University. The term dates back to <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/">medieval England</a>. But the roots of these legal contracts, in which land is pledged for a debt and will become the property of the lender if the loan is not repaid, go back thousands of years. <h2>Ancient roots</h2> Historians trace the <a href="https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Nehemiah-5-3/">origins of mortgage contracts</a> to the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, who ruled modern-day Iran in the fifth century B.C. The Roman Empire formalized and documented the legal process of pledging collateral for a loan. Often using the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%202%3A13-16&version=NIV">forum and temples as their base of operations</a>, mensarii, which is derived from the word mensa or “bank” in Latin, would set up loans and charge <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%202%3A13-16&version=NIV">borrowers interest</a>. These government-appointed public bankers required the borrower to put up collateral, whether real estate or personal property, and their agreement regarding the use of the collateral would be handled in one of three ways. First, the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiducia">Fiducia</a>, Latin for “trust” or “confidence,” required the transfer of both ownership and possession to lenders until the debt was repaid in full. Ironically, this arrangement involved no trust at all. Second, the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pignus">Pignus</a>, Latin for “pawn,” allowed borrowers to retain ownership while <a href="https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1684&context=penn_law_review">sacrificing possession and use</a> until they repaid their debts. Finally, the <a href="https://legaldictionary.lawin.org/hypotheca/">Hypotheca</a>, Latin for “pledge,” let borrowers retain both ownership and possession while repaying debts. <h2>The living-versus-dead pledge</h2> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claudius-Roman-emperor">Emperor Claudius</a> brought Roman law and customs to Britain in A.D. 43. Over the next <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans/">four centuries of Roman rule</a> and the <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/early-medieval/">subsequent 600 years known as the Dark Ages</a>, the British adopted another Latin term for a pledge of security or collateral for loans: <a href="https://worldofdictionary.com/dict/latin-english/meaning/vadium">Vadium</a>. If given as collateral for a loan, real estate could be offered as “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vadium%20vivum">Vivum Vadium</a>.” The literal translation of this term is “living pledge.” Land would be temporarily pledged to the lender who used it to generate income to pay off the debt. Once the lender had collected enough income to cover the debt and some interest, the land would revert back to the borrower. With the alternative, the “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortuum%20vadium">Mortuum Vadium</a>” or “dead pledge,” land was pledged to the lender until the borrower could fully repay the debt. It was, essentially, an interest-only loan with full principal payment from the borrower required at a future date. When the lender demanded repayment, the borrower had to pay off the loan or lose the land. Lenders would keep proceeds from the land, be it income from farming, selling timber or renting the property for housing. In effect, the land was <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1321129.pdf">dead to the debtor</a> during the term of the loan because it provided no benefit to the borrower. Following <a href="https://www.royal.uk/william-the-conqueror">William the Conqueror’s victory</a> at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the English language was heavily influenced by <a href="https://blocs.mesvilaweb.cat/subirats/the-norman-conquest-the-influence-of-french-on-the-english-language-loans-and-calques/">Norman French</a> – William’s language. That is how the Latin term “Mortuum Vadium” morphed into “Mort Gage,” Norman French for “dead” and “pledge.” “<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/mortgage">Mortgage</a>,” a <a href="https://ia600201.us.archive.org/1/items/cu31924021674399/cu31924021674399.pdf">mashup of the two words</a>, then entered the English vocabulary. <h2>Establishing rights of borrowers</h2> Unlike today’s mortgages, which are usually due within 15 or 30 years, English loans in the 11th-16th centuries were unpredictable. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1323192.pdf">Lenders could demand repayment</a> at any time. If borrowers couldn’t comply, lenders could seek a court order, and the land would be forfeited by the borrower to the lender. Unhappy borrowers could <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/chancery">petition the king</a> regarding their predicament. He could refer the case to the lord chancellor, who could <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chancery-Division">rule as he saw fit</a>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-Bacon-Viscount-Saint-Alban">Sir Francis Bacon</a>, England’s lord chancellor from 1618 to 1621, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/752041">established</a> the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/equity_of_redemption">Equitable Right of Redemption</a>. This new right allowed borrowers to pay off debts, even after default. The official end of the period to redeem the property was called <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/foreclosure">foreclosure</a>, which is derived from an Old French word that means “<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/foreclose">to shut out</a>.” Today, foreclosure is a legal process in which lenders to take possession of property used as collateral for a loan. <h2>Early US housing history</h2> The <a href="https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/colonial-settlement-1600-1763/overview/">English colonization</a> of what’s now <a href="https://themayflowersociety.org/history/the-mayflower-compact/">the United States</a> didn’t immediately transplant mortgages across the pond. But eventually, U.S. financial institutions were offering mortgages. <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/us_evolution.pdf">Before 1930, they were small</a> – generally amounting to at most half of a home’s market value. These loans were generally short-term, maturing in under 10 years, with payments due only twice a year. Borrowers either paid nothing toward the principal at all or made a few such payments before maturity. Borrowers would have to refinance loans if they couldn’t pay them off. <h2>Rescuing the housing market</h2> Once America fell into the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression">Great Depression</a>, the <a href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/news-releases/2008/05/02/does-the-great-depression-hold-the-answers-for-the-current-mortgage-distress">banking system collapsed</a>. With most homeowners unable to pay off or refinance their mortgages, the <a href="https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-depression">housing market crumbled</a>. The number of <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/housing-1929-1941">foreclosures grew to over 1,000 per day by 1933</a>, and housing prices fell precipitously. The <a href="https://www.fhfaoig.gov/Content/Files/History%20of%20the%20Government%20Sponsored%20Enterprises.pdf">federal government responded by establishing</a> new agencies to stabilize the housing market. They included the <a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/fhahistory">Federal Housing Administration</a>. It provides <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-mortgage-insurance-and-how-does-it-work-en-1953/">mortgage insurance</a> – borrowers pay a small fee to protect lenders in the case of default. Another new agency, the <a href="https://sf.freddiemac.com/articles/insights/why-americas-homebuyers-communities-rely-on-the-30-year-fixed-rate-mortgage">Home Owners’ Loan Corp.</a>, established in 1933, bought defaulted short-term, semiannual, interest-only mortgages and transformed them into new long-term loans lasting 15 years. Payments were monthly and self-amortizing – covering both principal and interest. They were also fixed-rate, remaining steady for the life of the mortgage. Initially they skewed more heavily toward interest and later defrayed more principal. The corporation made new loans for three years, tending to them until it <a href="https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,858135,00.html">closed in 1951</a>. It pioneered long-term mortgages in the U.S. In 1938 Congress established the Federal National Mortgage Association, better known as <a href="https://www.fanniemae.com/about-us/who-we-are/history">Fannie Mae</a>. This <a href="https://www.financial-dictionary.info/terms/government-sponsored-enterprise/">government-sponsored enterprise</a> made fixed-rate long-term mortgage loans viable <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/securitization.asp">through a process called securitization</a> – selling debt to investors and using the proceeds to purchase these long-term mortgage loans from banks. This process reduced risks for banks and encouraged long-term mortgage lending. <h2>Fixed- versus adjustable-rate mortgages</h2> After World War II, Congress authorized the Federal Housing Administration to insure <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CPRT-108HPRT92629/html/CPRT-108HPRT92629.htm">30-year loans on new construction</a> and, a few years later, purchases of existing homes. But then, the <a href="https://files.stlouisfed.org/files/htdocs/publications/review/69/09/Historical_Sep1969.pdf">credit crunch of 1966</a> and the years of high inflation that followed made adjustable-rate mortgages more popular. Known as ARMs, these mortgages have stable rates for only a few years. Typically, the initial rate is significantly lower than it would be for 15- or 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. Once that initial period ends, <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/arm.asp">interest rates on ARMs</a> get adjusted up or down annually – along with monthly payments to lenders. Unlike the rest of the world, where ARMs prevail, Americans still prefer the <a href="https://sf.freddiemac.com/articles/insights/why-americas-homebuyers-communities-rely-on-the-30-year-fixed-rate-mortgage">30-year fixed-rate mortgage</a>. About <a href="https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=DP04&t=Housing">61% of American homeowners</a> have mortgages today – with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15214842.2020.1757357">fixed rates the dominant type</a>. But as interest rates rise, demand for <a href="https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/interest-rates-are-up-but-arm-backed-home-purchases-are-way-up/">ARMs is growing</a> again. If the Federal Reserve fails to slow inflation and interest rates continue to climb, unfortunately for some ARM borrowers, the term “dead pledge” may live up to its name. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-the-mortgage-from-its-roots-in-ancient-rome-to-the-english-dead-pledge-and-its-rebirth-in-america-193005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Real Estate

The most misused word in the English language

A traffic jam when you’re already late. A free ride when you’ve already paid. The fact that the King James Bible is the most shoplifted book in the United States. One of these three things is an example of irony – the reversal of what is expected or intended. The other two (no offense to Alanis Morissette) are not. The difference between them may be one of the most rage-inducing linguistic misunderstandings you’re likely to read about on the Internet or hear about from the determined grammar nerds in your life. “Ironic” does not, technically, mean “unfortunate,” “interesting” or “coincidental,” despite these terms often being used interchangeably. And that frequent misuse has not escaped linguists. According to the editors at <a href="http://WWW.DICTIONARY.COM">Dictionary.com</a>, “We submit that ironic might be the most abused word in the English language.” That’s a tough claim to prove, but it’s clear that confusion over the definition of irony is persistent and decades old. “Irony” makes Harvard linguist Steven Pinker’s <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-58-most-commonly-misused-words-and-phrases-a6754551.html">list</a> of the 58 most commonly misused words in English, and ranks in the top 1 percent of all word lookups on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Even Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald got it wrong, some say, when he claimed in 1939, “It is an ironic thought that the last picture job I took yielded me five thousand dollars five hundred and cost over four thousand in medical attention.” So what does irony mean, really, and where does the confusion come from? Part of the ambiguity probably stems from the fact that there are no fewer than three definitions of irony depending on which dictionary you use. There’s Socratic irony (an ancient rhetorical move), and dramatic irony (an ancient theatrical move), but the definition of irony we care about – and the kind that’s most bitterly debated – is situational irony. Situational irony occurs when, as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it, “a state of affairs or an event… seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result”. The trick, according to purists, is the deliberately contrary part – for a situation to be ironic, it must be the opposite of what is expected, not merely an amusing coincidence. A traffic jam when you’re already late may be an undesirable coincidence, but it is not the opposite outcome one would expect when leaving for work late (especially if that person lives in a major city). In an article titled <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/post/229130/lines-from-alanis-morissettes-ironic-modified-to-actually-make-them-ironic">Lines From Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic,” Modified to Actually Make them Ironic</a>, College Humor writer Patrick Cassels corrects the situation like this: “A traffic jam when you’re already late… to receive an award from the Municipal Planning Board for reducing the city’s automobile congestion 80 per cent.” Now that’s irony. Not every linguist goes by this limited view, though. Ever the champions of fluid language growth, Merriam Webster <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony">argues</a> that Mr. Fitzgerald, Ms. Morissette, and anyone else who uses “ironic” to mean “coincidental” isn’t actually wrong, but is actually just trailblazing. “The word irony has come to be applied to events that are merely curious or coincidental,” the editors write, “and while some feel this is an incorrect use of the word, it is merely a new one.” Now isn’t that something. Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Brandon Specktor. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/our-language/most-misused-word-english-language">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestsubscribe?utm_source=readersdigest&utm_campaign=RDSUB&utm_medium=display&keycode=WRA85S">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

Retirement Life

Ethical non-monogamy: what to know about these often misunderstood relationships

Imagine Sarah and John have been in a <a href="https://www.queerlit.co.uk/products/rewriting-the-rules?_pos=1&_sid=0287cd7c7&_ss=r">monogamous relationship</a> for five years. Although they love each other, Sarah, who is bisexual, has recently started feeling an attraction to her coworker, Andrea. This has led to several sexual encounters, leaving Sarah feeling guilty. However, she has not talked to John about her feelings or experiences with Andrea. No matter how much you love your partner, it’s common to feel attracted to someone outside of a relationship. Some couples may even want sexual encounters with other people. It can be difficult to navigate these feelings, especially when they conflict with the commitment and promises made in the relationship. While the sex between Sarah and Andrea was consensual, Sarah engaged in non-consensual sex by stepping outside of her monogamous relationship without John’s consent. There is growing curiosity about ethical or consensual <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101468">non-monogamous relationships</a>, particularly among young people. YouGov data found that 43% of millennial Americans say their <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/society/articles-reports/2020/01/31/millennials-monogamy-poly-poll-survey-data">ideal relationship</a> is non-monogamous, even if few are in such a relationship. And a survey commissioned by sex toy brand <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/throuples-restaurants-valentines-day-b2010151.html">Lelo</a>, found that 28% of aged 18 to 24 would consider an open relationship. What makes non-monogamy “ethical” is an emphasis on <a href="https://bettymartin.org/videos/">agreed, ongoing consent</a> and mutual respect. All parties involved are fully aware of the situation and voluntarily agree to participate. Partners are free to change their minds at any time and (re)negotiate boundaries that work for everyone involved. Ethical non-monogamy can take many forms, including <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8321986/">polyamory</a>, open relationships and <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/014466606X143153">swinging</a>. These relationships are often <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/01461672221139086">stigmatised</a> and misunderstood. They challenge the traditional notion of monogamy, which is commonly viewed in most western and religious societies as the only acceptable way of engaging in romantic relationships. Yet <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550619897157">research has shown</a> that consensual non-monogamy can have positive effects on relationships and the people in them. People in consensual non-monogamous relationships have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1088868312467087?casa_token=We5Fp9hOPjQAAAAA:LI0m000j1SwvqGMbCVWekUcZ5z9DfqzuMmUtdIi59-OJiEZJ0_EjxlYq3pU6xcUZr5jIG9vlvXxztA">reported</a> higher levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction and greater <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19419899.2011.631571">relational intimacy</a> than people in monogamous relationships. <h2>Misconceptions and stigma</h2> One <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-021-00667-7">stigmatising view</a> is that people in non-monogamous relationships pose a greater risk to their partners’ sexual health. This is based on the assumption that having multiple sexual partners increases the likelihood of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282130422_A_Comparison_of_Sexual_Health_History_and_Practices_among_Monogamous_and_Consensually_Nonmonogamous_Sexual_Partners">sexually transmitted infections</a> (STIs). However, research shows that people in open and non-monogamous relationships have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174360951534008X?via%3Dihub">safer sex practices</a> than monogamous, but unfaithful partners. Ethical non-monogamy can be a safer outlet for sexual expression compared with monogamous relationships that have led to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/12/10/2022/6966715">cheating</a> where someone ends up passing an STI to their partner. In healthy relationships, partners recognise that each person has their own unique sexual preferences and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-021-00667-7">diverse needs</a>. For consensually non-monogamous partners, this means understanding that their primary relationship may not always fulfil all their sexual desires. Although jealousy can still exist within non-monogamous relationships, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1041794X.2018.1531916">research</a> has found that it can be more <a href="https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3297&context=tqr">manageable</a> than in monogamous ones. This is because, in secure non-monogamous partnerships, there are open discussions about sexual attraction and setting boundaries, where partners can address jealousy anxiety. <h2>Exploring non-monogamy</h2> Ethical non-monogamy is not for everyone. You should only explore this type of relationship if it feels comfortable, you seek appropriate consent and the existing relationship is solid. Outsiders often hold the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33990929/">stereotypical</a> view that people only engage in ENM if their current relationship is unstable. If you decide that it’s right for you, keep the following in mind. 1. Communicate openly Communication is important in any relationship, but especially critical in ENM relationships. Partners must be transparent and honest about their intentions, feelings, expectations and boundaries. People in non-monogamous relationships need to be aware of their emotional boundaries and be prepared to navigate feelings of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-018-1286-4">jealousy</a>. 2. Practice safe sex Sexual health is key regardless of your relationship status or style. Get tested regularly for STIs and to use protection during sexual encounters to minimise the risk of transmission. 3. Stop shame Managing stigma is one of the most difficult parts of an ENM relationship. When people are socialised to believe that having multiple partners is wrong or immoral, this can lead to feelings of shame and self-doubt. It is important to recognise that consensually non-monogamous and multipartnered relationships are a valid lifestyle choice. You can seek support from like-minded people or talk to a sex and relationship therapist if necessary. While non-monogamy is not everyone’s cup of tea, these tips can be helpful for any relationship. Ultimately, it is essential to keep communication, consent and respect at the heart of your partnership. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ethical-non-monogamy-what-to-know-about-these-often-misunderstood-relationships-200785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Relationships

From Elfin to Garlick: Take inspiration from this list of medieval dog names

In a world of Bellas, Spots, Lunas, Milos and more, one 600-year-old document could be the source of a unique name for your new best friend. The Names of All Manner of Hounds is one of several texts included in a manuscript dating back to the 15th century, with an apparently unknown author, which includes a hefty list of 1065 medieval names used for hunting dogs. While the manuscript itself is owned by a private collector (and unavailable to be analysed), one researcher, David Scott-Macnab, has compiled a list of the names, which include proper names, descriptions, virtues, vices, and human occupations. The list categorises the names for the type of dogs, like running hounds, terriers and greyhounds, as well as by gender. According to Scott-Macnab, the list has plenty of names taken from history and mythology, including Boleyne, Charlemagne, Nero, Arture, Achilles, Hercules, Romwlus and Pompeye. Others refer to desirable qualities for hunting dogs, such as Birdismowthe, Fynder, Corage, and Cachefaste, while some, like Filthe, Oribull, Plodder and Cruell, are less positive. The names also seem to be inspired by nature - like Dolfyn, Flower, Garlik, Sycamore and Dyamound - as well as nationalities - Jewe, Romayne, and Ducheman are just a few - and occupations and human categories, such as Leper, Archere, Wodeman (or woodsman), and Monke. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> in the early 15th century, edward, 2nd duke of york, wrote a list of 1,126 names he considered to be suitable for dogs. highlights from the list: -nosewise -garlik -pretyman -gaylarde -norman -filthe <a href="https://t.co/7MuvHJKM5f">pic.twitter.com/7MuvHJKM5f</a> — weird medieval guys (@WeirdMedieval) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeirdMedieval/status/1595169422448201751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote> The lengthy list of names in Middle English, known as the language of Chaucer, also contains Middle English words found nowhere else in the texts that have survived from that time period, adding to its value and giving us a snapshot of 15th century life. These include Mownferaunt (mun ‘my’ + ferant ‘grey’), Aufyne (a term of contempt), Kilbucke (‘kill buck’), and Lwfkyn (‘little love’). A snapshot of life While it’s amusing to think of dogs named Clowder, Crabbe, Pretiboy or Plodder, Scott-Macnab argues that All Manner of Hounds sheds light on the language spoken day-to-day in the fifteenth century, a period where writing things down wasn’t the norm or accessible to everyone. “It is clear from the hunting treatises that I quoted earlier that high-status hunters felt little need to record the names of entire packs of hounds; they make their point with a few representative names,” he writes. “But dog-handlers who trained, bathed, nursed and fed the hounds on a daily basis, and who whipped them into line when hunting, must have lived by a different imperative, one that required them to know their dogs as individuals.” These names also show that the relationships between us and dogs hasn’t changed much hundreds of years later, with equal numbers of names showing affection and “ironic displeasure” - from Litilman, Nise (Nice) and Best-of-all to Rude, Noty (Naughty) and Symple. To see the full list and read Scott-Macnab’s full paper, head <a href="https://www.academia.edu/44222801/THE_NAMES_OF_ALL_MANNER_OF_HOUNDS_A_UNIQUE_INVENTORY_IN_A_FIFTEENTH_CENTURY_MANUSCRIPT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: Trivulzio Book of Hours

Family & Pets

Iran: protesters call for move to a non-religious state. What changes would that bring?

My friend was in Tehran during protests after <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/events-iran-since-mahsa-aminis-arrest-death-custody-2022-10-05/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the death</a> of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police (Gasht-e Ershad). My friend went into a grocery shop intending to buy milk. The seller refused to sell anything to her. “Why are you refusing?” she asked. “I can see that you have milk.” “Because you are wearing a hijab,” the seller responded. This is part of a backlash by those who see themselves as oppressed by the Islamic Republic’s discriminatory hijab law, which prosecutes women for not “covering up”. The term hijab is an Arabic word meaning cover. It’s used to refer to different types of covering, from a long-sleeved coat, pants and scarf to the Islamic government’s preferred form of dress, chador, which is a loose-fitting black cloth worn over the entire body. After Mahsa Amini’s killing in September, mass protests broke out over this law and its enforcement. Wearing hijab became obligatory for all Iranian women from April 1983, after the 1979 revolution. Since then, all women have been forced by law to wear hijab (a covering of hair and or body) in public, even non-Muslims and foreigners visiting Iran. If they don’t they face prosecution. The government of Iran, the Islamic Republic, argues that God commands women to wear hijab. This is a government which has leaders who are members of the clergy and merged religious beliefs into state law. But even some Islamic scholars argue that the Qur'an does not suggest that hijab should be <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300257311/women-and-gender-in-islam/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compulsory</a>. Mahsa Amini’s case is polarising Iran: those who rigorously advocate the hijab and religious law are set against those who prefer a <a href="https://time.com/6216024/iran-protests-islamic-republic-response/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secular state</a>, not run by religious values. This has led the nation to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/26/iran-at-least-15-killed-after-gunmen-attack-shrine-in-shiraz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the current upheaval</a>, with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/08/are-hijab-protests-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-irans-regime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vast</a> protests across the country, and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-63410577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people being killed</a>. At many protests the Iranian resistance chant is <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/iran-protests-women-life-freedom-mahsa-amini-killing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zan, Zendegi, Azadi</a> (#WomenLifeFreedom) is heard. The protesters call for life and liberty to be applicable to everyone (religious and non-religious). A big part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/iran-protests-majority-of-people-reject-compulsory-hijab-and-an-islamic-regime-surveys-find-191448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the motivation</a> behind these protests is to challenge how the current religious law takes away the right of women to choose what to wear. <h2>What is secularism?</h2> Secularism is the idea that states should be <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/1881/chapter-abstract/141631825?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neutral about religion</a>. The state should not <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/16/what-mean-secular-state-neutral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back</a> a specific religion over others. A secular state <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1548-1360.2011.01117.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provides</a> equal opportunity for religious and non-religious citizens to pursue their lives. The state must respect everyone’s values (including minorities), not just some people’s values. Secularism seems reasonable <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/28394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to many</a> because it is unusual for an entire nation to believe in a religion as one source of law. Some <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00263206.2019.1643330" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scholars of Islam</a> disagree with the established interpretation of the Islamic Republic about whether God has commanded a mandatory hijab. As a result, they claim that hijab is not about covering hair but about “modesty”. Some others challenge <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/12/iran-hijab-law-protest-ali-larijani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the way</a> the morality police treat women in the street. While some people might be railing against women being forced to wear the hijab, others continue to feel strongly about its continued use. <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-qom-women-hijab/31929986.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reports</a> say that Iranian authorities have closed some coffee shops because of the “improper” hijab of some female customers. And more <a href="https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/iran-detains-woman-eating-breakfast-without-hijab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a>, a woman was arrested for eating breakfast in a café with no hijab. <h2>Iranian history of secularism</h2> Modern debates about secularism in Iran can be traced back to the <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/irans-constitutional-revolution-9780755649235/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Constitutional Revolution</a> in 1906. It advocated <a href="https://iranicaonline.org/articles/constitutional-revolution-i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liberalism and secularism</a> and began conversations about a society without religious rules for all. Iranians experienced enforced secularisation shortly after Reza Shah Pahlavi was <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Reza-Shah-Pahlavi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crowned</a> in 1925. In 1936 he issued a decree <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/iran-and-the-headscarf-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kashf-e hijab</a> that any public expression of religious faith, including wearing hijab, was illegal. Again, this was a leader was telling women what to wear. However, his attempt to militantly secularise and westernise Iran faced <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9780203060636-22/banning-veil-consequences-dr-stephanie-cronin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resistance</a> from society. The overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979 led to the establishment of a militant Islamic government based on <a href="https://www.icit-digital.org/books/islam-and-revolution-writings-and-declarations-of-imam-khomeini-1941-1980" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shia Muslim teachings</a>. After the hijab became <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/irans-headscarf-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandatory</a>, it became a symbol of compulsory faith. It has also played a significant role in pushing some parts of the Iranian population towards a more secular state. In 2022 Iran is experiencing some dramatic shifts, including what appears to be a shift towards secularism. Some argue that secularism is an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/25/archives/khomeini-terms-secular-critics-enemies-of-islam-dictatorship-of-the.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enemy</a> of religion or a product of <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814795644/democracy-in-modern-iran/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">western colonisation</a>. Despite the majority of Iranians considering themselves <a href="https://gamaan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/GAMAAN-Iran-Religion-Survey-2020-English.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">religious</a>, some evidence shows that Iranians are <a href="https://theconversation.com/iran-protests-majority-of-people-reject-compulsory-hijab-and-an-islamic-regime-surveys-find-191448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less religious</a> than before. Since the Islamic revolution there’s been a lot of research about how Iran could work as a <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Secularization-of-Islam-in-Post-Revolutionary-Iran/Pargoo/p/book/9780367654672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secular</a> society and about religious <a href="https://brill.com/view/book/9789047400714/B9789047400714_s006.xml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tolerance</a>. The current protest movement, led mainly by <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/irans-rising-generation-z-forefront-protests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gen Z in Iran</a>, is growing partly because of its use of the internet and social media to communicate and share information. People can also learn from other nations’ experiences of secularism through social media. This is why the regime is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2022/oct/06/why-is-the-government-in-iran-shutting-down-the-internet-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shutting down</a> the internet and censoring YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. <a href="https://gamaan.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GAMAAN-Political-Systems-Survey-2022-English-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One poll</a> suggests that more than 60% of Iranians now want a non-religious state, the question is whether those in power are willing to give it to them. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/iran-protesters-call-for-move-to-a-non-religious-state-what-changes-would-that-bring-193198" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Sky News

Legal

Bride called out for list of “non-negotiables” at wedding

A Queensland woman has been dubbed a bridezilla for her “non-negotiable” list at her wedding. Kara Hansen took to TikTok announcing that she has been engaged for a year and is organising her wedding. A part of her and her fiancé’s special day includes a list of things that are non-negotiable which Ms Hansen says “may p*** people off”. First on her list was no children under the age of 16 because it is simply “not the right place for them”. “There is loud music, they don’t eat the food, they don’t drink the alcohol, they don’t party, their parents have to leave too, it just feels like it’s not the right place for them,” she says in the video. The second non-negotiable on Ms Hansen’s list is not having dessert when there is cake. “I am not paying for a third course when I have already paid $400 for a wedding cake, I don’t care about keeping the top tier of my wedding cake, you guys can just eat it all,” she says. Other things included in her list are keeping speeches short and sweet and that she will wear a short dress for the reception because she “hates to wear long dresses”. Ms Hansen also said her husband can see her dress before the big day as long as she’s not wearing it, and finally wanting to have coffee with her husband on the morning of the wedding. Several people called out Ms Hansen for her harsh rules saying that everyone will be able to enjoy the day no matter their age. “Sorry, but I am having kids at my wedding, I don’t care if they don’t like the food or they drink just as long as everyone has a good time,” one wrote. “We are having kids at our wedding. We have two flower girls and two ring boys so we feel we can’t have them and not others. It feels wrong to us,” another person commented. Others however agreed with Ms Hansen, calling her list “freaking genius” and that they will be adopting some of her non-negotiables for their weddings. Watch the video <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@karaaaashley/video/7147551332994403586?embed_source=null_null_null&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&refer=embed&referer_url=www.news.com.au%2Flifestyle%2Frelationships%2Fmarriage%2Fbridezilla-reveals-wedding-nonnegotiables%2Fnews-story%2F1724eae5a63c8627526ae78c2916f7b6&referer_video_id=7147551332994403586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Images: TikTok

Relationships

Classic NON catch as kid takes a tumble at the cricket

As cricket fans descend on Australia’s stadiums to see the T20 World Cup play out, an incident off the field has gone viral online. Day two of the competition saw Scotland face off against the West Indies, but midway through the innings a moment of amusement and terror was captured in official footage. As the camera panned over Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, a young child was spotted climbing over the railing between the stands and a hill where spectators can sit, when he flipped over and toppled head-first to the ground. A man, assumed to be the child’s father, was seen frantically running after the toddler and hopping over the railing. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"> Had to GIF this 🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/SZe0CBa6aD">pic.twitter.com/SZe0CBa6aD</a> — SuperCoach Insider (@SCInsider100) <a href="https://twitter.com/SCInsider100/status/1581938384477786114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> Footage of the incident was shared on Twitter with the caption, “Just a dad and his son at the cricket….”, when it quickly went viral. “This has made me laugh a lot more than it should of so far today,” one viewer joked. “Narrator: It was precisely this moment Steve knew his afternoon at the cricket had took a turn for the worse,” another quipped. Others referenced WWE wrestler Jeff Hardy, who is known for his ‘swanton bomb’ dives from great heights, with one user writing: “Jeff Hardy, famed from the top of the ladder!” The video racked up over 300,000 views, but the clip has since been disabled due to a “report by the copyright owner”. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/banned-t20-vid.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The clip went viral online but has since been disabled. Image: Twitter The camera cut away before the child was picked up, and with no reports of injuries it seems the boy came out okay. Back on the pitch, Scotland claimed victory a day after Namibia defeated Sri Lanka. Australia will be going head-to-head with New Zealand at the SCG on Saturday. Image: Twitter

Travel Trouble

English cottage comes with free theme park tickets

A small cottage in the English countryside is up for sale, and it comes with an unusual bonus for its new owner. The two-bedroom home in Staffordshire has been <a href="https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126610616#/?channel=RES_BUY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> for £200,000 ($NZ 395,000), and if its new owner moves in they can access free tickets to a local theme park. According to the Alton Towers Resort website, residents located within a three-kilometre radius can apply for 20 entries to its theme park or water park. With the charming cottage only a four-minute drive from Alton Towers Resort, the new residents will simply need to prove they live there with a council tax bill. As well as free tickets, the home also boasts a private garden, exposed stone walls that feature throughout, and a cosy interior of wooden cabinetry, timber floors, terracotta tiles and lattice windows. Barn-style doors are also found throughout the two-storey house, with the kitchen, lounge, and outdoor porch on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a shared bathroom on the first floor. Images: Rightmove

Real Estate

Five myths about Shakespeare’s contribution to the English language

Shakespeare’s language is widely considered to represent the pinnacle of English. But that status is underpinned by multiple myths – ideas about language that have departed from reality (or what is even plausible). Those myths send us down rabbit holes and make us lose sight of what is truly impressive about Shakespeare – what he did with his words. The <a href="http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/shakespearelang/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Encyclopedia of Shakespeare’s Language</a> project at Lancaster University, deploying large-scale computer analyses, has been transforming what we know about Shakespeare’s language. Here, incorporating some of its findings, we revisit five things that you probably thought you knew about Shakespeare but are actually untrue. <h2>1. Shakespeare coined a vast number of words</h2> Well, he did, but not as many as people think – even reputable sources assume more than 1,000. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust puts it at <a href="https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-words/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,700</a>, but carefully add that this number concerns words whose earliest appearance is in Shakespeare’s works. The word “hobnail” first appears in a text attributed to Shakespeare, but it’s difficult to imagine it arose from a creative poetic act. More likely, it was around in the spoken language of the time and Shakespeare’s use is the earliest recording of it. Estimates of just how many words Shakespeare supposedly coined do not usually distinguish between what was creatively coined by him and what was first recorded in a written document attributed to him. Even if you don’t make that distinction and include all words that appear first in a work attributed to Shakespeare, whether coined or recorded, numbers are grossly inflated. Working with the literature and linguistics academics <a href="https://english.asu.edu/content/jonathan-hope-professor-literature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Hope</a> and <a href="https://slt-cdt.sheffield.ac.uk/students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Hollands</a>, we’ve been using computers to search millions of words in texts pre-dating Shakespeare. With this method, we have found that only around 500 words do seem to first appear in Shakespeare. Of course, 500 is still huge and most writers neither coin a new word nor produce a first recording. <h2>2. Shakespeare IS the English language</h2> The myth that Shakespeare coined loads of words has partly fuelled the myth that Shakespeare’s language constitutes one-quarter, a half or even all of the words of today’s English language. The number of different words in Shakespeare’s texts is around 21,000 words. Some of those words are repeated, which is how we get to the total number of around one million words in works attributed to Shakespeare. (To illustrate, the previous sentence contains 26 words in total, but “of”, “words” and “to” are repeated, so the number of different words is 22). The Oxford English Dictionary has around 600,000 different words in it, but many are obscure technical terms. So, let’s round down to 500,000. Even if every word within Shakespeare had been coined by him (which is of course not the case, as noted above), that would still only be 4.2% of today’s English language. So, Shakespeare could only ever have contributed a very small fraction, though quite possibly more than most writers. <h2>3. Shakespeare had a huge vocabulary</h2> Ludicrously, popular claims about Shakespeare’s huge vocabulary seem to be driven by the fact that his writings as a whole contain a large number of different words (as noted above, around 21,000). But the more you write, the more opportunities you have to use more words that are different. This means Shakespeare is likely to come out on top of any speculations about vocabulary size simply because he has an exceptionally large surviving body of work. A few researchers have used other methods to make better guesses (they are always guesses, as you can’t count the words in somebody’s mind). For example, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sq/article-abstract/62/1/53/5064657?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hugh Craig</a>, a Shakespearean scholar who has pioneered the use of computers for analysing language in literature, looked at the average number of different words used across samples of writings of the same length. He found that, relative to his contemporaries, the average frequency with which different words appear in Shakespeare’s work is distinctly … average. <h2>4. Shakespeare has universal meaning</h2> Sure, some themes or aspects of the human condition are universal, but let’s not get carried away and say that his language is universal. The mantra of the historical linguist is that all language changes – and Shakespeare isn’t exempt. Changes can be subtle and easily missed. Take the word “time” – surely a universal word denoting a universal concept? Well, no. For each word in Shakespeare, we used computers to identify the other words they associate with, and those associations reveal the meanings of words. “Time”, for instance, often occurs with “day” or “night” (for example, from Hamlet: “What art thou that usurp'st this time of night”). This reflects the understanding of time in the early modern world (roughly, 1450-1750), which was more closely linked to the cycles of the moon and sun, and thus the broader forces of the cosmos. In contrast, today, associated words like “waste”, “consume” and “spend” suggest that time is more frequently thought of as a precious resource under human control. <h2>5. Shakespeare didn’t know much Latin</h2> The myths above are popular myths, spread by academics and non-academics alike (which is why they are easy to find on the internet). Myths can be more restricted. Within some theatrical circles, the idea that Shakespeare didn’t know much Latin emerged. Indeed, the contemporary playwright Ben Jonson famously wrote that Shakespeare had “small Latin, and less Greek”. Shakespeare lacked a university education. University-educated, jealous, snooty playwrights might have been keen to take him down a peg. Working with the Latin scholar <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/english/staff/caterina-guardamagna/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caterina Guardamagna</a>, we found that Shakespeare used 245 different Latin words, whereas in a matching set of plays by other playwrights there were just 28 – the opposite of what the myth dictates. That Shakespeare used so much Latin without a university education makes his achievement in using it all the greater. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-myths-about-shakespeares-contribution-to-the-english-language-189402" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Books

Why is newborn baby skin-to-skin contact with dads and non-birthing parents important? Here’s what the science says

Soon after a baby is born, it’s getting more common these days for the father or non-birthing parent to be encouraged to put the newborn directly on their chest. This skin-to-skin contact is often termed “kangaroo care”, as it mimics the way kangaroos provide warmth and security to babies. Mothers have been encouraged to give kangaroo care for decades now and many do so instinctively after giving birth; it has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27552521/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shown</a> to help mum and baby <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882596316000531?casa_token=QBk4MOx7VIMAAAAA:3DIH_RF_PdsZDqHkKSYgbM37Tgsau5GpTBPqUowy4kDN3tOwtnnPvpXCGkpBI8lJEQIqSorp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connect</a> and with <a href="https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrnn/27/3/151.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breastfeeding</a>. So what does the evidence say about kangaroo care for other parents? A growing body of research A growing body of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361591701_Fathers_providing_kangaroo_care_in_neonatal_intensive_care_units_a_scoping_review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> shows kangaroo care brings benefits for both baby and parent. One <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.14184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> that measured cortisol (a stress hormone) levels and blood pressure in new fathers found: <blockquote> Fathers who held their baby in skin-to-skin contact for the first time showed a significant reduction in physiological stress responses. </blockquote> Another <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2017/8612024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> in Taiwan involving fathers and neonates (newborn babies) found benefits to bonding and attachment: <blockquote> These study results confirm the positive effects of skin-to-skin contact interventions on the infant care behaviour of fathers in terms of exploring, talking, touching, and caring and on the enhancing of the father-neonate attachment. </blockquote> A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361591701_Fathers_providing_kangaroo_care_in_neonatal_intensive_care_units_a_scoping_review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paper</a> I co-authored with the University of South Australia’s Qiuxia Dong found: <blockquote> Studies reported several positive kangaroo care benefits for fathers such as reduced stress, promotion of paternal role and enhanced father–infant bond. </blockquote> Qiuxia Dong also led a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jocn.16405" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> (on which I was a co-author) exploring the experiences of fathers who had a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. This study found kangaroo care helps fathers connect and bond with their baby in an intensive care environment. This had a positive impact on fathers’ confidence and self-esteem. As one father told us: <blockquote> I think after all the stress, when I have skin-to-skin I can actually calm down a little bit. I sit down and relax, I can cuddle my child and it’s just a little bit of a happy place for me as well as him to calm down, not to do any work all the time, not to be stressed out. There’s other things on my mind all the time but it’s time to relax and turn off a little bit. </blockquote> Another told us: <blockquote> She nuzzled around a bit, kind of got my smell I guess and then literally fell asleep. It was great. It was very comforting for both I guess for her and myself. </blockquote> As one father put it: <blockquote> Of course, they can hear your heartbeat and all that kind of stuff, of course warmth […] it’s being close with your baby, I think that would be the best way of building a relationship early. </blockquote> However, this study also reported that some dads found giving kangaroo care challenging as it can be time-consuming. It is not always easy to juggle with commitments such as caring for other children and work. Involving both parents One study noted <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21820778/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dads</a> can sometimes feel like a bystander on the periphery when a newborn arrives. Encouraging and educating all non-birthing parents, including fathers, to give kangaroo care is a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21820778/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">valuable way</a> to get them involved. And if a caesarean birth makes it difficult for the mother to give kangaroo care while still in theatre, the father or non-birthing parent is the next best person to do it while the mother or birthing parent is not able. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480777/original/file-20220824-22-j9lpxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>A caesarean birth sometimes makes it difficult for the mother to give kangaroo care while still in the theatre. Isaac Hermar/Pexels, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> More research needed There is a need for broader research on these issues, especially around the experiences of fathers from culturally diverse backgrounds and other non-birthing parents. But the research literature on kangaroo care shows there is good reason for dads and non-birthing parents to do some kangaroo care when a baby is born. As we concluded in our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jocn.16405">study</a>, in the challenging neonatal intensive care unit environment, kangaroo care can serve: <blockquote> as a silent language of love.<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/188927/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> </blockquote> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mary-steen-970055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mary Steen</a>, Adjunct professor of Maternal and Family Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of South Australia</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/why-is-newborn-baby-skin-to-skin-contact-with-dads-and-non-birthing-parents-important-heres-what-the-science-says-188927" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Couple book non-stop cruises for two-and-a-half years

A couple who missed out on the joys of cruising during lockdown are now bunkering down and cruising non-stop for two-and-a-half years. Jessica and Marty Ansen left Brisbane on Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess on June 16 for the beginning of their exciting adventure. They have previously sailed on 31 cruises with Princess with a whopping 1,173 days at sea and when the resumption of cruises they were ready to get started again. From now until August 2024, the loved up couple will be holidaying on the high seas and on a staggering 53 different cruise ships! “Cruising offers the ultimate holiday experience. You go onboard, you only unpack once, and you have all this amazing entertainment, exceptional food, great company and you can see the world. And, the crew deliver incredible service - that’s why we cruise,” they said. The Ansens booked their two years of back-to-back cruises (795 sea days) - including two round-the-world cruises in 2023 and 2024 – with Brisbane-based family-owned travel agency Clean Cruising. Martine Hero, the Senior Consultant at Clean Cruising, said the Ansens had always been passionate about cruising and were keen to be back on the water again. “For the last two years Marty frequently mentioned all he and Jessica wanted to do was to go cruising again,” he said. “Since the announcement of the resumption of cruising we have had an influx of interest and bookings, including those of the Ansens. “This extended trip has been in the works for a long time, as have those of many other cruisers. “We want to thank our cruise fans for their patience as we get them back doing what they love most.” Image: The Today Show

Cruising

Stuff-up or conspiracy? Whistleblowers claim Facebook deliberately let important non-news pages go down in news blackout

On Friday, the Wall Street Journal published information from Facebook whistleblowers, alleging Facebook (which is owned by Meta) deliberately caused havoc in Australia last year <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-deliberately-caused-havoc-in-australia-to-influence-new-law-whistleblowers-say-11651768302">to influence the News Media Bargaining Code</a> before it was passed as law. During Facebook’s news blackout in February 2021, thousands of non-news pages were also blocked – including important emergency, health, charity and government pages. Meta has continued to argue the takedown of not-for-profit and government pages was a technical error. It remains to be seen whether the whistleblower revelations will lead to Facebook being taken to court. The effects of Facebook’s “error” The <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-a-world-first-australia-plans-to-force-facebook-and-google-to-pay-for-news-but-abc-and-sbs-miss-out-143740">News Media Bargaining Code</a> was first published in July 2020, with a goal to have Facebook and Google pay Australian news publishers for the content they provide to the platforms. It was passed by the House of Representatives (Australia’s lower house) on February 17 2021. That same day, Facebook retaliated by issuing a <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/">statement</a> saying it would remove access to news media business pages on its platform – a threat it had first made in August 2020. It was arguably a reasonable threat of capital strike by a foreign direct investor, in respect to new regulation it regarded as “harmful” – and which it believed fundamentally “misunderstands the relationship between [its] platform and publishers who use it to share news content”. However, the range of pages blocked was extensive. Facebook has a label called the “News Page Index” which can be applied to its pages. News media pages, such as those of the ABC and SBS, are included in the index. All Australian pages on this index were taken down during Facebook’s news blackout. But Facebook also blocked access to other pages, such as the page of the satirical website <a href="https://www.betootaadvocate.com">The Betoota Advocate</a>. The broadness of Facebook’s approach was also evidenced by the blocking of its own corporate page. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/18/time-to-reactivate-myspace-the-day-australia-woke-up-to-a-facebook-news-blackout">most major harm</a>, however, came from blocks to not-for-profit pages, including cancer charities, the Bureau of Meteorology and a variety of state health department pages – at a time when they were delivering crucial information about COVID-19 and vaccines. Whistleblowers emerge The whistleblower material published by the Wall Street Journal, which was also filed to the US Department of Justice and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), includes several email chains that show Facebook decided to implement its blocking threat through a broad strategy. The argument for its broad approach was based on an anti-avoidance clause in the News Media Bargaining Code. The effect of the clause was to ensure Facebook didn’t attempt to avoid the rules of the code by simply substituting Australian news with international news for Australian users. In other words, it would have to be all or nothing. As a consequence, Facebook did not use its News Page Index. It instead classified a domain as “news” if “60% [or] more of a domain’s content shared on Facebook is classified as news”. One product manager wrote: <blockquote> Hey everyone – the [proposed Australian law] we are responding to is extremely broad, so guidance from the policy and legal team has been to be over-inclusive and refine as we get more information. </blockquote> The blocking approach was algorithmic and based on these rules. There were some exceptions, that included not blocking “.gov” – but no such exclusion for “.gov.au”. The effect of this was the taking down of many charity and government pages. The whistleblower material makes it clear a number of Facebook employees offered solutions to the perceived overreach. This included one employee proposal that Facebook should “proactively find all the affected pages and restore them”. However, the documents show these calls were ignored. According to the Wall Street Journal: <blockquote> The whistleblower documents show Facebook did attempt to exclude government and education pages. But people familiar with Facebook’s response said some of these lists malfunctioned at rollout, while other whitelists didn’t cover enough pages to avoid widespread improper blocking. </blockquote> Amendments following the blackout Following Facebook’s news blackout, there were last-minute amendments to the draft legislation before it was passed through the Senate. The main change was that the News Media Bargaining Code would only apply to Facebook if deals were not struck with a range of key news businesses (which so far has not included SBS or <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationEDU/status/1440562209206128653?s=20&t=FsviAWBLX7mKumr80Qiwzg">The Conversation</a>). It’s not clear whether the amendment was as a result of Facebook’s actions, or if it would have been introduced in the Senate anyway. In either case, Facebook said it was “<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/">satisfied</a>” with the outcome, and ended its news blackout. Facebook denies the accusations The definitions of “core news content” and “news source” in the News Media Bargaining Code were reasonably narrow. So Facebook’s decision to block pages so broadly seems problematic – especially from the perspective of reputational risk. But as soon as that risk crystallised, Facebook denied intent to cause any harm. A Meta spokesperson said the removal of non-news pages was a “mistake” and “any suggestion to the contrary is categorically and obviously false”. Referring to the whistleblower documents, the spokesperson said: <blockquote> The documents in question clearly show that we intended to exempt Australian government pages from restrictions in an effort to minimise the impact of this misguided and harmful legislation. When we were unable to do so as intended due to a technical error, we apologised and worked to correct it. </blockquote> Possible legal action In the immediate aftermath of Facebook’s broad news takedown, former ACCC chair Allan Fels <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/facebook-could-face-lawsuits-for-unconscionable-conduct-over-nonnews-wipe-out/news-story/b312cef33b8e2261e8b5743f9bf87ca6">suggested</a> there could be a series of class actions against Facebook. His basis was that Facebook’s action was unconscionable under the <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/caca2010265/toc-sch2.html">Australian Consumer Law</a>. We have not seen these actions taken. It’s not clear whether the whistleblower material changes the likelihood of legal action against Facebook. If legal action is taken, it’s more likely to be a civil case taken by an organisation that has been harmed, rather than a criminal case. On the other hand, one reading of the material is Facebook did indeed overreach out of caution, and then reduced the scope of its blocking over a short period. Facebook suffered reputational harm as a result of its actions and apologised. However, if it engaged in similar actions in other countries, the balance between its actions being a stuff up, versus conspiracy, changes. The Wall Street Journal described Facebook’s approach as an “overly broad and sloppy process”. Such a process isn’t good practice, but done once, it’s unlikely to be criminal. On the other hand, repeating it would create a completely different set of potential liabilities and causes of action. <hr /> Disclosure: Facebook has refused to negotiate a deal with The Conversation under the News Media Bargaining Code. In response, The Conversation has called for Facebook to be “designated” by the Treasurer under the Code. This means Facebook would be forced to pay for content published by The Conversation on its platform.<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/182673/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rob-nicholls-91073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rob Nicholls</a>, Associate professor in regulation and governance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</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/stuff-up-or-conspiracy-whistleblowers-claim-facebook-deliberately-let-important-non-news-pages-go-down-in-news-blackout-182673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Children whose parents smoke have lower test scores and more behavioural issues than kids of non-smokers

Children whose parents smoke have lower academic test scores and more behavioural issues than children of non-smokers. These are the findings of our research published in the journal of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1570677X21000022?via%3Dihub">Economics and Human Biology</a>. Smoking is prevalent in lower socio-economic groups whose characteristics (such as lower IQ and poorer motivation on average) <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29058397/">are correlated with</a> lower academic scores and more behavioural issues in children. This can bias the results as the sample of children whose scores are lower is no longer random. After addressing such concerns, our broad finding remained the same. Because of the model we used, this means there is a causal – rather than merely correlational – relationship between parental smoking and children’s academic scores and behavioural outcomes. <h2>How we did our study</h2> We used data from the <a href="https://growingupinaustralia.gov.au/">Longitudinal Study of Australian Children</a> (LSAC), which tracks children from birth to monitor their development and well-being. It also surveys them and their parents on a range of cognitive (such as academic) and non-cognitive (such as behavioural) performance measures, and records other data such as their NAPLAN test results. We wanted to find the effects of parental smoking on children’s cognitive and non-cognitive skills in early life – from 4-14 years old. We measured children’s cognitive skills using the given NAPLAN literacy and numeracy test scores in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9. We also used the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), which is designed to measure a child’s knowledge of the meaning of spoken words and his or her receptive vocabulary. The test is carried out as part of the LSAC survey when the children are 4-9 years old. Non-cognitive skills include social behaviour, hyperactivity or inattention, and peer problems. We took the measures of these as reported by parents. <h2>What we found</h2> We found, across all measures of cognitive skills, children living with non-smoker parents had a higher average score than children living with at least one smoker parent. We found smoking can reduce academic scores by up to 3%. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442417/original/file-20220125-13-t7tqwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442417/original/file-20220125-13-t7tqwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Girl writing test at desk." /></a> Kids’ test scores were lower if their parents were smokers than those of non-smoking parents. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/school-students-taking-exam-writing-answer-536624842" class="source">Shutterstock</a> Likewise, we found children with at least one parent who smokes are likely to experience more behavioural issues. We found smoking can reduce behavioural scores by up to 9%. Our findings are consistent even when we look at mums’ and dads’ smoking behaviour separately. But the effect is stronger for mothers, as expected. Maternal smoking in pregnancy has <a href="https://jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/low-birthweight-preterm-births-and-intrauterine-growth-retardatio-3">direct effects</a> on the child’s brain development and birth weight. Pre-natal ill-health and sickness in early childhood may affect cognitive, social and emotional outcomes through poorer mental well-being. Second-hand smoke exposure at home can <a href="https://actbr.org.br/uploads/arquivo/659_Pesquisa_fumo_passivo_OMS_2010.pdf">also cause numerous health problems</a> in infants and children, such as asthma and ear infections. This could lead <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/128/4/650/30703/School-Absenteeism-Among-Children-Living-With?redirectedFrom=fulltext">them to take more time out of school</a>. We used information on the number of school days missed because of health reasons and children’s physical health assessments in the LSAC survey to test whether parental smoking and absenteeism due to health were related. We found children from households with at least one smoker were more likely to have lower school attendance and poorer physical health, both of which have adverse consequences on their cognitive and non-cognitive development. Our findings did not change across various measures, such as the frequency or number of cigarettes parents smoked per day. But we did find parental smoking had a stronger influence on boys than girls. This is consistent with <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-015-0509-6?email.event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorContributingOnlineFirst&error=cookies_not_supported&error=cookies_not_supported&code=8484cb89-b3f1-41ff-b1ce-6d9916f9aa2a&code=70985a21-e7c8-490e-b579-58a8a7e6f6d7">growing evidence</a> that girls are more resilient to environmental pressures than boys. <h2>How parental smoking affects kids’ skills: the three pathways</h2> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442419/original/file-20220125-27-1iaivrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442419/original/file-20220125-27-1iaivrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="Top of shopping trolley with woman's hand on it." /></a> Spending on tobacco can leave less money for food. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-female-shopper-trolley-supermarket-92894512" class="source">Shutterstock</a> There are three pathways through which parental smoking has an effect on children’s academic, social and emotional skills. The first is that the child’s health may already have been affected before birth if the mother was a smoker. And some other negative effects of ill health come from exposure to second-hand smoke, as described above. The second pathway for parental smoking affecting a child’s acquisition of cognitive and non-cognitive skills is through a reduction in household income. Tobacco spending can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00148365-200403040-00009">displace spending on food, education and health care</a>. The third pathway is that children’s ability to develop skills <a href="https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/63853/1/321132386.pdf">depends on their parents’</a> cognitive and non-cognitive skills, which are determined by their own health and education. Parental smoking can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53017/">affect their own well-being</a>, such as through impacting their respiratory health. This, in turn, <a href="https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/63853/1/321132386.pdf">can influence the way they parent</a>. Our findings highlight the role of the family environment in early childhood development, which sets the foundation for long-term health, as well as social and economic success. Campaigns, programs and policies aimed at reducing tobacco use should emphasise the inadvertent harm smoking habits can have on children’s present and future.<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/172601/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/preety-pratima-srivastava-1138197">Preety Pratima Srivastava</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-whose-parents-smoke-have-lower-test-scores-and-more-behavioural-issues-than-kids-of-non-smokers-172601">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

10 ways you’re shortening the life of your non-stick cookware

The benefits of non-stick pans Non-stick pans are a must-have for every home chef. Not only are they easy to use, but they also promote a healthier lifestyle because you don’t need to use as much oil with them. This type of cookware also shortens your clean up time because there should be less stuck-on food. As wonderful as they are, there’s just one problem: non-stick pans often need to be replaced because they lose their efficacy. Regardless of the quality of the pan itself or what you paid for it, all types of non-stick pans – whether they have ceramic, enamel, Teflon, or another type of coating – are sensitive to high heats. They also need to be cleaned in a very specific way. To help your non-stick cookware last as long as possible, avoid making the following mistakes. Not seasoning your pan before first use It’s common knowledge that you should season your cast iron skillets with cooking oil before using them for the first time. However, some people assume that this rule doesn’t apply to non-stick pans, which isn’t the case. “As with most fine cookware, always season it before first use with oil or butter to avoid food from sticking,” says Daniel Winer, CEO of HexClad Cookware. “Once you’ve seasoned it during the first use, you don’t need to season your pans every time. This will help your pans to stay in good shape.” Cleaning your pans in the dishwasher When you’re done cooking a large meal, you may want to take shortcuts and clean your non-stick cookware in the dishwasher, but that’s a mistake. Culinary consultant Clare Langan says that generally speaking, you want to get in the habit of handwashing cookware. “Some cookware, particularly those with wooden handles, can deteriorate in a dishwasher.” You’ll always want to check the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations. A gentle yet effective detergent thoroughly cleans pots and pans. Cleaning with an abrasive sponge or tools Not only is it important to handwash your non-stick cookware, but you’ll also want to do it the right way. Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t immediately stick your pan in the sink and douse it with water the second you take it off the stove. “To clean non-stick cookware, let it cool first, then use soap and a non-abrasive sponge,” says Langan. You use cooking spray Using cooking spray might feel like a good idea or even a healthy choice, but according to lifestyle director Lisa Freedman, it can damage non-stick cookware. “A lot of people use cooking spray with non-stick cookware thinking that less is more. But over time, you’ll start to see a build-up of the spray that doesn’t burn off during cooking. It gets sticky and gross,” she says. She recommends using whole fats like oil and butter instead. You put non-stick cookware in the oven To be clear, it is safe in some instances to use non-stick cookware in the oven, however, that doesn’t mean you should do so without checking the manufacturer’s instructions. Jeff Malkasian of Viking Culinary explains that most non-stick cookware has a maximum temperature it can safely withstand for oven use, but most of us aren’t checking what it is before we do. “If you are finishing off your dish in the oven, make sure you know what temperature it can handle first,” he says. To prevent any accidental mistakes, it’s best to buy a set of non-stick cookware that can withstand high heat. You use metal cooking tools Using a metal spatula with non-stick cookware is a major no-no, says culinary expert Ligia Lugo. “The non-stick coating on your pan, known as Teflon, is not as hard as metal and can get damaged very easily if you use metal tongs, forks, spoons, spatulas, etc. in the cooking process,” she says. “To avoid ruining your expensive cookware, avoid using metal utensils at all costs and swap them out for wooden or high-heat silicone ones.” You're storing your pans incorrectly When organising your cupboards and drawers avoid placing the pans in one another so that the bottom of one pan is in contact with the non-stick coating of another pan. The metal exterior of a pan can damage the polymer coating and ruin it. A better idea is to hang your pans from a pot rack or hooks, or place a face washer or other small cloth between each pan. You cook very acidic foods When organising your cupboards and drawers avoid placing the pans in one another so that the bottom of one pan is in contact with the non-stick coating of another pan. The metal exterior of a pan can damage the polymer coating and ruin it. A better idea is to hang your pans from a pot rack or hooks, or place a face washer or other small cloth between each pan. You try to brown food in a non-stick pan While you can cook lots of dishes in a non-stick pan, it isn’t ideal for everything. Jake Kalick cautions against searing vegetables or proteins in a non-stick pan. “If you’re looking to sear chicken, steak or get a char on vegetables you’re much better off using a pan with a stainless cooking surface,” he says. “A non-stick coating creates somewhat of a steaming effect which prevents your food from browning.” Purchase a stainless-steel frying pan for searing. You will need to add oil, but you’ll save your non-stick pans. You cook your food at the wrong temperature for your non-stick pan Most non-stick pans aren’t meant for high heat cooking. “Extremely high temperatures can lead to warping, blistering of the finish, and shorter life in general,” says Lam. But if you like cooking certain foods at a high temperature, that doesn’t mean you have to forgo non-stick cookware altogether. You just have to choose the right type. Avoid Teflon coated pans, which can be very dangerous to use at high heat or if scratched. Instead, opt for enamel, porcelain or ceramic-coated stainless steel pans, which can be used at temperatures up to 180 degrees Celsius. You're using your non-stick pan under the grill An oven grill is great for certain dishes like steak, chicken and pork chops. But make sure you aren’t using your non-stick cookware under the grill because it can reach up to 260 degrees Celsius, which is way too hot for even the most oven-friendly non-stick pans. Written by Amanda Lauren. This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/kitchen-tips/10-ways-youre-shortening-the-life-of-your-non-stick-cookware" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Home Hints & Tips

Harry Styles’ foray into the beauty world sparks huge demand

The world of men’s beauty products has remained relatively untouched in the past, with many believing these self-care products are exclusive to women. However, as Grammy award-winning musician and style icon Harry Styles has launched his own non-binary line of products, the demand for men’s products has seen a global rise. His new brand, called Pleasing, was launched in November and features skin care items and nail polishes, which have become Styles’ signature in recent years. Global fashion marketplace, <a href="https://www.lovethesales.com/press/articles/fashion-data-daily">LoveTheSales</a>, has been tracking demands and a range of sales data from over 10 million international shoppers. Since Pleasing was announced on Styles’ Instagram account, shopping searches for “men’s makeup” sky-rocketed a whopping 393 per cent compared to the week before. <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/CWeVKMVvrpI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <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/CWeVKMVvrpI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Harry Styles Updates. (@harry_update1)</a> </div> </blockquote> There was also a 72 per cent increase in fashion searches for “men’s nail varnish” and a truly giant 641 per cent increase in demand for “men’s lip serums”. Harry started his line with specifically non-gendered items, as the conversation around gender and fashion continues to be evolving and changing amongst younger generations. “It’s starting with nail polish because that was kind of the birth of what it was for,” he told <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/54765/1/harry-styles-pleasing-brand-cover-2021-interview">Dazed</a> in an interview. “Me seeing a colour on a flower or a wallpaper or something and thinking, ‘Oh, I wanna put that on my nails.’” <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/reel/CWTYc_4lWHf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <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/reel/CWTYc_4lWHf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Pleasing (@pleasing)</a> </div> </blockquote> Harry Styles has long been known for embracing gender-neutral style, as he has pushed the envelope with his fashion in photoshoots, and donning a more progressive way of presenting himself. With the help of his army of fans, Styles is helping to break down gender stereotypes in the world of beauty and fashion, as his new Pleasing brand is only the beginning. Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

Beauty & Style

Liked Netflix’s The Chair? Here are 4 moving, funny novels set in English departments

English departments are strange places. Even to those of us who spend our working lives inside them, they can seem utterly mysterious. Those looking in from outside must find them even more baffling. What exactly do lecturers do all day? They teach and interact with students, but what happens the rest of the time? Literary scholars everywhere, writes <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/people/terry-eagleton">Terry Eagleton</a>, “live in a state of dread – a dread that one day, someone … will suddenly get wise to the fact that we draw salaries for reading poems and novels.” This fact, say Eagleton, “is as scandalous as being paid for sunbathing [or] eating chocolate.” He has a point. Harvard professor <a href="https://english.fas.harvard.edu/people/deidre-shauna-lynch">Deidre Shauna Lynch</a> says even more bluntly that what English academics get up to simply “does not look like work” to those on the outside. Those of us writing on literature, she suggests, must make our peace with this fact. We must resign ourselves to being largely unknown to the broader culture, living in quiet obscurity. And yet, as Netflix’s The Chair makes clear, life within an English department can actually look a lot like life in any other workplace. At the fictional Pembroke University, there are familiar office politics and dramas, as well as the usual mixture of ambition, resentment, and status-seeking that exist elsewhere. Professor Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh) steers a team of colleagues who have eccentric literary quirks but are recognisable figures in many workplaces. If you enjoyed this series, I’d recommend checking out these four novels, all of which offer compelling depictions of English departments. Forget the Campus Novel – the English Department Novel is a more interesting sub-genre. <h2>1. Richard Russo, Straight Man (1997)</h2> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428162/original/file-20211025-19-ar21bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428162/original/file-20211025-19-ar21bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Russo’s comic novel shares many similarities with The Chair. It centres on the madcap adventures of William Henry Devereaux, Jr., who chairs an English department similar in size to that of Pembroke. Furious about recent financial cuts, Devereaux takes matters into his own hands. He uses a local television network to publicise his cause, threatening to kill one goose from the university pond every day until his department’s budget is reinstated. Russo emphasises the slapstick, farcical side of departmental politics. Straight Man is a glorious send up of self-serious academics, the politics of literary theory, and intellectual ambition. It also offers a perfect gloss on the old adage that academic politics are so vicious precisely because the stakes are so low. I strongly suspect that the writers of The Chair had Devereaux in mind while creating the similarly hapless Bill Dobson (Jay Duplass). <h2>2. John Williams, Stoner (1965)</h2> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428161/original/file-20211025-13-1glczfs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428161/original/file-20211025-13-1glczfs.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> John Williams may well have written the most moving novel ever to be set in an English department. In understated, elegiac prose, Williams gives us the tragic life story of William Stoner, an obscure English professor at the University of Missouri, who enters as an agriculture student but develops a lifelong passion for literature. He lives his entire life against the backdrop of the university, and all of his significant relationships are found within the English department. While Stoner’s contributions to the field seem middling to his colleagues, he inspires generations of students with his generous and rigorous teaching. His personal life may well be a kind of tragedy, but he finds redemption in his teaching and research, and a true home in the department. Williams gives us an example of the English department novel at its most existential and weighty, one beloved of readers inside and outside the academy. <h2>3. Mary McCarthy, The Groves of Academe (1952)</h2> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428163/original/file-20211025-27-16tzpl7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428163/original/file-20211025-27-16tzpl7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> McCarthy’s novel takes us back to comedy once again, mining the same territory as The Chair and Straight Man but written well in advance of either. Drawing on her own experiences at Bard College and elsewhere, McCarthy gives us a farce with a serious political edge. Set at the fictional Jocelyn College, the novel centres on Henry Mulcahy, an expert on James Joyce who learns he has been let go, seemingly without cause. As he fights to save his position, McCarthy shows us the subtle and shifting nature of allegiances within the English departments she knew firsthand, as well as the petty disputes and lurid scandals they can harbour. She pulls no punches, laying bare the gossip, naked careerism, and backstabbing that even seemingly mild-mannered English academics are capable of. The novel also gives us a classic bait-and-switch. The central character, Mulcahy, whom we initially see as sympathetic and unfairly mistreated, slowly comes into focus as manipulative and profoundly unlikable. As we begin to see the central events from the perspective of once minor characters, the truth is revealed, and McCarthy skillfully shows us the mistakes of our earlier judgments. <h2>4. Wallace Stegner, Crossing to Safety (1987)</h2> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428164/original/file-20211025-15-1u6vbym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428164/original/file-20211025-15-1u6vbym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> This wise and moving novel explores the lifelong friendship between two couples, Larry and Sally Morgan and Sid and Charity Lang. Sid and Larry are English professors in Madison, Wisconsin, and the novel follows them as they chase literary ambitions while also managing substantial teaching duties. Both are striving for tenure and are forced to negotiate complicated faculty politics. Ultimately, this is a novel about “quiet lives,” as the narrator tells us. Its great themes are friendship, marriage, and the nature of love. And while the English department often fades into the background as Stegner explores other aspects of his characters’ lives, its politics are never far away. Sid and Larry are often concerned with the petty machinations of their academic colleagues, and Crossing to Safety includes many details that still resonate with life at a university today. Stegner’s novel also offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of literary studies from the 1930s to the 1970s. Of course, there are many other novels within this sub-genre, including David Lodge’s beloved campus trilogy, as well as novels by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pnin">Vladimir Nabokov</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgrace">J.M. Coetzee</a>, and others. While eating chocolate and sunbathing wouldn’t necessarily make for interesting fiction, life in an English department, it seems, certainly does.<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/170110/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucas-thompson-1261087">Lucas Thompson</a>, Lecturer, Department of English, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/liked-netflixs-the-chair-here-are-4-moving-funny-novels-set-in-english-departments-170110">original article</a>. Image: Netflix

Lung cancer diagnosis on the rise in non-smokers

With lung cancer coming in as the fifth most common type of cancer diagnosed in New Zealand, but ranking as the leading cause of cancer death, experts are calling for more research to help identify it in its early stages and determine risk factors in non-smokers. An example of a person with lung cancer, despite having never smoked, is US comedian Kathy Griffin who recently revealed she has been diagnosed with the cancer. Because the cancer was caught early and is confined to her left lung, the 60-year-old comedian will undergo surgery to remove half of her left lung. Following her surgery, Griffin is on the mend and keeping fans up-to-date with her recovery. <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSSWpL7hcRz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CSSWpL7hcRz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin)</a> </div> </blockquote> Griffin isn’t alone either, with a growing number of people receiving a lung cancer diagnosis without ever smoking. Not just a “smoker’s disease” Though smoking is one of the largest risk factors for lung cancer, the proportion of those diagnosed with the disease who are “never-smokers” is increasing. According to Health Navigator New Zealand, one in five New Zealanders who have been diagnosed with the condition were life-long non-smokers. This increase in the condition has been seen in other countries with a <a rel="noopener" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28132018/" target="_blank">2017 study</a> of lung cancer patients in US hospitals finding the percentage of never-smokers increased from eight percent in 1990 to 1995, to 14.9 percent from 2011 to 2013. Surgeon Andrew Kaufman, whose program for never-smokers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York has treated 3,800 patients in 10 years, said: “Since the early 2000s, we have seen what I think is truly an epidemiological shift in lung cancer.” “It is well-documented that approximately 20 percent of lung cancer cases that occur in women in the US and nine percent of cases in men, are diagnosed in never-smokers,” he confirmed. However, the reasons why more people are being diagnosed without smoking is not well known. More research is needed Dr Marianne Weber, a senior research fellow at the Daffodil Centre, is overseeing a new study to identify potential risk factors for those who don’t smoke. By poring over two large population studies in Australia and China, the researchers are looking to link lung cancer to factors such as diet, lifestyle, and household air pollution. “If we can highlight a risk profile for someone who might go on to develop lung cancer when they’re a non-smoker, that would be ideal,” Dr Weber said. So far, cancer doctors have found one group of people who are more at risk: women. Worldwide, half of female lung cancer patients have never smoked, while only 15 percent of male lung cancer patients are never-smokers. Josephine Feliciano, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said that, beyond sex, “nothing stands out as a single large risk factor” for lung cancer in non-smokers. “But air pollution, radon, family history of lung cancer, [and] genetic predispositions [all play a role],” Feliciano said. Additionally, chronic lung infections and lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) seems to increase the risk of diagnosis. “Of all the patients that present with the disease, the current survival rate is only about 17 percent,” said Dr Stirling, a senior respiratory specialist at The Alfred Hospital and leader of the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry. “For patients with stage four disease the median survival, so that’s the time at which 50 percent of patients will succumb to the disease, is somewhere between seven and 12 months.”

Body

"My English is not good": Roger Federer stumped by interview question

Roger Federer has proved he is human after all. The Swiss athlete was involved in a hilarious moment during his on-court interview following his first-round clash with Adrian Mannarino at Wimbledon. Federer moved on to the second round after France's Mannarino was forced to retire from their match after slipping and injuring his knee with the match level at two sets all. In his post-match interview on centre court, the 39-year-old was left completely stumped by a question you would usually expect him to answer easily. “Roger, is it true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder, being back here?” the interviewer asked. “Sorry, I didn’t understand it,” Federer replied with a puzzled look on his face. “I heard something absence and then I don’t know my mind went blank.” The interviewer repeated the question: “Is it true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder and being back on centre court?” “I don’t understand that saying. My English is not good enough,” Federer laughed, clearly stumped by the old proverb. The interviewer pressed on, asking: “Basically, having missed out last year, having been away for two years, how special is it to be back here on centre court?” “Yes, there you go. A good reminder my English is not very good,” Federer said, much to the amusement of the packed crowd. The comedic exchange was a nice reminder that English is not Federer's first language. He is fluent in Swiss German, standard German, English and French. He can also speak functional Italian and Swedish.

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"My English is not good": Roger Federer stumped by interview question