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Altitude sickness is typically mild but can sometimes turn very serious − a high-altitude medicine physician explains how to safely prepare

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brian-strickland-1506270">Brian Strickland</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-anschutz-medical-campus-4838">University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</a> Equipped with the latest gear and a thirst for adventure, mountaineers embrace the perils that come with conquering the world’s highest peaks. Yet, even those who tread more cautiously at high altitude are not immune from the health hazards waiting in the thin air above. Altitude sickness, which most commonly refers to <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000133.htm">acute mountain sickness</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2010.02.003">presents a significant challenge</a> to those traveling to and adventuring in high-altitude destinations. Its symptoms can range from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2017.0164">mildly annoying to incapacitating</a> and, in some cases, may progress to more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1183/16000617.0096-2016">life-threatening illnesses</a>. While <a href="https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284424023">interest in high-altitude tourism is rapidly growing</a>, general awareness and understanding about the hazards of visiting these locations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2022.0083">remains low</a>. The more travelers know, the better they can prepare for and enjoy their journey. As an <a href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/36740">emergency physician specializing in high-altitude illnesses</a>, I work to improve health care in remote and mountainous locations around the world. I’m invested in finding ways to allow people from all backgrounds to experience the magic of the mountains in an enjoyable and meaningful way. <h2>The science behind altitude sickness</h2> Altitude sickness is rare in locations lower than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters); however, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430716/">it becomes very common</a> when ascending above this elevation. In fact, it affects about <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/environmental-hazards-risks/high-elevation-travel-and-altitude-illness">25% of visitors to the mountains of Colorado</a>, where I conduct most of my research. The risk rapidly increases with higher ascents. Above 9,800 feet (3,000 meters), up to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430716/">75% of travelers</a> may develop symptoms. Symptoms of altitude sickness are usually mild and consist of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2017.0164">headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and insomnia</a>. They usually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rceng.2019.12.009">resolve after one to two days</a>, as long as travelers stop their ascent, and the symptoms quickly resolve with descent. When travelers do not properly acclimatize, they can be susceptible to life-threatening altitude illnesses, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2007.05.002">high-altitude pulmonary edema</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/1527029041352054">high-altitude cerebral edema</a>. These conditions are characterized by fluid accumulation within the tissues of the lungs and brain, respectively, and are the <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/environmental-hazards-risks/high-elevation-travel-and-altitude-illness">most severe forms of altitude sickness</a>. Altitude sickness symptoms are thought to be caused by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbjaceaccp%2Fmks047">increased pressure surrounding the brain</a>, which results from the failure of the body to acclimatize to higher elevations. As people enter into an environment with lower air pressure and, therefore, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.18036">lower oxygen content</a>, their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbjaceaccp%2Fmks047">breathing rate increases</a> in order to compensate. This causes an increase in the amount of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s1357-2725(03)00050-5">oxygen in the blood as well as decreased CO₂ levels</a>, which then increases blood pH. As a result, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbjaceaccp%2Fmks047">kidneys compensate</a> by removing a chemical called bicarbonate from the blood into the urine. This process makes people urinate more and helps correct the acid and alkaline content of the blood to a more normal level. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iv1vQPIdX_k?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Tips for preventing or reducing the risk of altitude sickness.</figcaption></figure> <h2>The importance of gradual ascent</h2> High-altitude medicine experts and other physicians <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91677-9">have known for decades</a> that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2010.1006">taking time to slowly ascend is the best way</a> to prevent the development of altitude sickness. This strategy gives the body time to complete its natural physiologic responses to the changes in air pressure and oxygen content. In fact, spending just <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2010.1006">one night at a moderate elevation</a>, such as Denver, Colorado, which is at 5,280 feet (1,600 meters), has been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-118-8-199304150-00003">significantly reduce the likelihood of developing symptoms</a>. People who skip this step and travel directly to high elevations are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taad011">up to four times more likely</a> to develop altitude sickness symptoms. When going to elevations greater than 11,000 feet, multiple days of acclimatization are necessary. Experts generally recommend ascending <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2010.1006">no more than 1,500 feet per day</a> once the threshold of 8,200 feet of elevation has been crossed. Workers at high altitude, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2020.0004">porters in the Nepali Himalaya</a>, are at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2018.06.002">particular risk of altitude-related illness</a>. These workers often do not adhere to acclimatization recommendations in order to maximize earnings during tourist seasons; as a result, they are more likely to experience <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/environmental-hazards-risks/high-elevation-travel-and-altitude-illness">severe forms of altitude sickness</a>. <h2>Effective medications</h2> For more than 40 years, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm196810172791601">a medicine called acetazolamide</a> has been used to <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682756.html">prevent the development of altitude sickness</a> and to treat its symptoms. Acetazolamide is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557838/">commonly used as a diuretic</a> and for the <a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma">treatment of glaucoma</a>, a condition that causes increased pressure within the eye. If started <a href="https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.09-2445">two days prior</a> to going up to a high elevation, acetazolamide can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.09-2445">prevent symptoms of acute illness</a> by speeding up the acclimatization process. Nonetheless, it does not negate the recommendations to ascend slowly, and it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006">routinely recommended only</a> when people cannot slowly ascend or for people who have a history of severe altitude sickness symptoms even with slow ascent. Other medications, including ibuprofen, have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2012.08.001">shown some effectiveness</a> in treating acute mountain sickness, although <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.10.021">not as well as acetazolamide</a>. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2028586/">steroid medication called dexamethasone</a> is effective in both treating and preventing symptoms, but it does not improve acclimatization. It is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006">recommended only when acetazolamide is not effective</a> or cannot be taken. Additionally, it is important to <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/travel-to-high-altitudes">avoid alcohol during the first few days at higher altitudes</a>, as it impairs the body’s ability to acclimatize. <h2>Unproven therapies and remedies are common</h2> As high-altitude tourism becomes increasingly popular, multiple commercial products and remedies have emerged. Most of them are not effective or provide no evidence to suggest they work as advertised. Other options have mixed evidence, making them difficult to recommend. Medications such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2007.1037">aspirin</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.01355-2017">inhaled steroids</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/ham.2011.0007">sildenafil</a> have been proposed as possible preventive agents for altitude sickness, but on the whole they have not been found to be effective. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcp026">Supplements and antioxidants have no proven benefit</a> in preventing or treating altitude sickness symptoms. Both normal and high-altitude exercise are popular ways to prepare for high elevations, especially among athletes. However, beyond <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/jes.0b013e31825eaa33">certain pre-acclimatization strategies</a>, such as brief sojourns to high altitude, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.12.002">physical fitness and training is of little benefit</a>. <a href="https://missouripoisoncenter.org/canned-oxygen-is-it-good-for-you">Canned oxygen</a> has also exploded in popularity with travelers. While <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(90)93240-p">continuously administered medical oxygen</a> in a health care setting can alleviate altitude sickness symptoms, portable oxygen cans <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006">contain very little oxygen gas</a>, casting doubt on their effectiveness. Some high-altitude adventure travelers sleep in <a href="https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200131040-00002">specialized tents</a> that simulate increased elevation by lowering the quantity of available oxygen in ambient air. The lower oxygen levels within the tent are thought to accelerate the acclimatization process, but the tents aren’t able to decrease barometric pressure. This is an important part of the high-altitude environment that induces acclimatization. Without modifying ambient air pressure, these <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2014.04.004">tents may take multiple weeks</a> to be effective. Natural medicines, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1580/08-weme-br-247.1">gingko</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40794-019-0095-7">coca leaves</a>, are touted as natural altitude sickness treatments, but few studies have been done on them. The modest benefits and significant side effects of these options makes their use <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wem.2019.04.006">difficult to recommend</a>. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8469948/">Staying hydrated</a> is very important at high altitudes due to fluid losses from increased urination, dry air and increased physical exertion. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12889-018-6252-5">Dehydration symptoms</a> can also mimic those of altitude sickness. But there is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1580/1080-6032(2006)17%5B215:AMSIOF%5D2.0.CO;2">little evidence that consuming excessive amounts of water</a> can prevent or treat altitude sickness. The mountains have something for visitors of all interests and expertise and can offer truly life-changing experiences. While there are health risks associated with travel at higher elevations, these can be lessened by making basic preparations and taking time to slowly ascend.<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/222057/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brian-strickland-1506270">Brian Strickland</a>, Senior Instructor in Emergency Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-anschutz-medical-campus-4838">University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/altitude-sickness-is-typically-mild-but-can-sometimes-turn-very-serious-a-high-altitude-medicine-physician-explains-how-to-safely-prepare-222057">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

Climate change is set to make our holidays look very different – here’s how

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-davies-313760">Nick Davies</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/glasgow-caledonian-university-913">Glasgow Caledonian University</a> Holidays are making a comeback after several years of disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. Nearly 4 billion passengers <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/564717/airline-industry-passenger-traffic-globally/">boarded international flights</a> in 2022, up from fewer than 2 billion in 2020. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2022.2162062">Recent research</a> suggests that people are likely to continue travelling more in 2023 and beyond. But this resurgence in travel is concerning. The tourism sector alone is responsible for an <a href="https://wttc.org/news-article/wttc-launches-groundbreaking-net-zero-roadmap-for-travel-tourism">estimated 8%–10%</a> of global greenhouse gas emissions. And conditions at traditional holiday destinations in high summer are becoming <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/travel/europe-heat-wave-tourists.html">increasingly unpleasant</a> if not <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/23/british-tourists-tell-of-nightmare-in-rhodes-fires-greece#:%7E:text=British%20tourists%20said%20they%20had,the%20Greek%20island%20of%20Rhodes.">downright hazardous</a>. During the past year, <a href="https://climate.copernicus.eu/july-2023-sees-multiple-global-temperature-records-broken">numerous climate records have been broken</a> as heatwaves and wildfires ravaged large parts of Europe, Asia and North America. In July, both Sardinia and Sicily experienced temperatures <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/15/italy-temperatures-48c-mediterranean-heatwave-hotter">in excess of 46°C</a>, nearly breaking European records. Most of what we do while on holiday, particularly on holidays abroad, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying#:%7E:text=Together%20with%20other%20gases%20and,of%20the%20world%20flies%20frequently">releases greenhouse gases</a> into the atmosphere and ultimately has an impact on the climate. But the way most of us get there – by flying – is potentially most damaging. UK data suggests that a single passenger on a short-haul flight, for instance, is responsible for releasing the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint">equivalent of approximately 154g of CO₂</a> for every kilometre travelled. As the effects of climate change become increasingly severe, there’s genuine concern that traditional destinations will become too hot in summer to remain appealing to visitors. This raises the question: how will tourism adapt? <h2>Changing destinations</h2> Researchers have been trying to predict the future of tourism for quite some time. One idea is that tourism will undergo a “<a href="https://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/system/files/documents/ipcc-ar5-implications-for-tourism-briefing-prin.pdf">poleward shift</a>” as global warming causes temperatures to rise not only in traditionally hot regions, but also in locations further to the north and south. A <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047287506295937">modelling study</a> from 2007 predicted that, by 2050, hotter weather would make popular tourist hotspots like the Mediterranean less appealing in the summer. At the same time, northern destinations such as Scandinavia and the UK would experience longer holiday seasons. Approximately <a href="https://oceanpanel.org/opportunity/sustainable-coastal-marine-tourism">half of global tourism</a> is concentrated in coastal areas. So another concern is the potential loss of beaches due to rising sea levels. In the Caribbean, an <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2012.699063">estimated 29% of resort properties</a> would be partially or fully inundated by one metre of sea-level rise – though many of these resorts would have lost a significant amount of their beach area before this. Some other beach destinations are potentially even more vulnerable. Sardinia was hit by disruptive storms in 2022. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771423000744">Research</a> suggests that the beaches there may struggle to accommodate tourists in the near future due to a greater risk of flooding and storms. The impact of climate change on tourism will extend beyond just coastal areas. Many popular city break destinations, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479722007344">Porto</a> in Portugal, are expecting to endure more severe heat. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2022.2112204">Tourism in mountainous areas</a> will be affected, too, as accelerated snow melt leads to shorter ski seasons. <h2>The practicalities of tourism shifting</h2> Changing conditions will affect where humans can safely travel to. But travel patterns take time to evolve. In the meantime, established destinations will need to change to withstand challenges such as extreme heat, rising sea levels and other climatic conditions. Existing tourist destinations in areas of the world that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as the Nile Delta in Egypt, are already <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569121005068">considering ways to adapt</a>. These include building seawalls and natural dunes to protect tourist areas from coastal flooding. Changing construction materials and reconfiguring urban spaces to improve ventilation have also <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/environment/2021/10/19/beat-the-heat-how-to-make-buildings-in-the-middle-east-cooler/#:%7E:text=Traditionally%2C%20buildings%20in%20the%20Gulf,known%20for%20its%20wind%20towers.">been proposed</a> as ways to reduce reliance on expensive and energy-intensive air-conditioning. New destinations that begin to emerge in more temperate regions will require substantial infrastructure development to support the influx of visitors. This includes transport systems, accommodation, dining options and attractions. The process of establishing tourist destinations typically takes time and requires careful thought. Barcelona, for example, has experienced a <a href="https://stay-grounded.org/conference-degrowth/barcelona-a-city-exploited-by-tourism/">rapid surge in tourism demand</a> since the 1992 Olympics. This has resulted in a tenfold increase in visitors over the past three decades. Such rapid tourism development can <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/WHATT-02-2017-0005/full/html">put a strain on local people</a> and the environment. Although Barcelona already had a transport system and some infrastructure to accommodate visitors, the rapid growth in tourism has led to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/25/tourists-go-home-refugees-welcome-why-barcelona-chose-migrants-over-visitors">strong opposition</a> from local residents. <h2>What will happen next year?</h2> The <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047287520933679">current thinking</a> among tourism academics is that those responsible for managing tourist destinations should work towards reducing carbon emissions by focusing on the domestic market. But, as recent summers have shown, international tourism does not look set to slow down yet. Even amid crises such as the fires burning through Rhodes in summer 2023, tourists <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/30/tourists-rhodes-maui-burned-travel">continued to arrive</a>. Rather than choose different destinations, the most likely scenario – at least in the short-term – is that tourists themselves will adapt to the effects of climate change. During Europe’s summer 2023 heatwave, there were reports that people were staying in their hotel rooms <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/travel/europe-heat-wave-tourists.html">in the hottest part of the day</a> and taking sightseeing trips in the evening. Nevertheless, there are some signs that travellers may be starting to worry about more extreme weather conditions and adapt their travel plans accordingly. A survey conducted in May 2023 showed that <a href="https://etc-corporate.org/uploads/2023/07/2023_ETC_MSIET_Results_Wave_16.pdf">69% of Europeans</a> planned to travel between June and November – a fall of 4% compared to 2022. The heatwave of summer 2023 might mean that tourists start looking for <a href="https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/extreme-heat-prompts-tourists-to-seek-cooler-alternatives-to-europe/">cooler destinations</a> as early as the coming year. The evolving landscape of global tourism in the face of climate change is complex. What is clear, though, is that if Europe continues to experience extreme weather conditions like the summer of 2023, many people will think twice about booking their place in the sun. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-davies-313760">Nick Davies</a>, Lecturer and Programme Leader, BA International Tourism and Events Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/glasgow-caledonian-university-913">Glasgow Caledonian University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-set-to-make-our-holidays-look-very-different-heres-how-212474">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

"Today is a very hard day": Robert Wagner's family heartbreak

Seasoned actor and Hart to Hart star Robert Wagner has revealed his sister, Mary Jane, has died. The 93-year-old shared the news on his Instagram account, sharing photos of his late sister and a sweet tribute. "Today is a very hard day," he wrote. "Early this morning, my sister, Mary, passed away." The post continued, "while she is no longer in pain, she will be terribly missed. Please keep her children and grandchildren in your thoughts." Wagner also tagged the accounts of his family members alongside the hashtags #LoveMySister, #Loved, #RIP and #Family. The star recently turned 93 and took to Instagram to show his appreciation for family, friends and fans, saying, “It’s been a wonderful birthday for me and you all have made it extra special,” He paired his post with the simple caption, “Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I love you all so much.” Fellow celebs wished him the best for his special day, “Your the best RJ you've given us all so many great years of your talent and grace. Happy birthday." wrote Frank Stallone. “Happy Birthday dear RJ.” Mia Farrow wrote. The actor is best known for his role in Hart to Hart, as well as his two-time marriage to West Side Story actress Natalie Wood. The pair were first married from 1957 to 1962 and then again from 1972 to 1981. Their marriage ended after Wood died from drowning while out with Wagner on their yacht. Later, Wagner married Diamonds Are Forever Bond girl Jill St. John in 1990, who was friends with Woods. The two are still happily married. Wagner was also known for roles, including the films The Pink Panther (1963), the Austin Powers series and TV show It Takes a Thief. Image credit: Instagram

News

"He’s a very proud dad": Unearthed snap of Michael Schumacher stuns fans

Max Verstappen has shared never been seen photos of Michael Schumacher with the world. The back-to-back Formula 1 world champion is currently preparing to secure a third straight crown for Red Bull in 2023. Before the season begins, F1 fans are being treated to a sneak peek behind the curtain as Netflix’s smash hit Drive to Survive releases its fifth season. Verstappen is heavily featured throughout episode four of the new season, which was released globally on February 24, focusing primarily on former Haas driver Mick Schumacher. The episode, titled Like Father, Like Son?, brings to light the struggles the famous young racer endured before he was let go by the Haas team. However, it's Verstappen who once again steals the show as he shares what it was like to grow up alongside the Schumacher family. Max’s father, Jos, was teammates with Michael at Benetton, with an old interview filmed in the 2000s showing the pair being asked if they would let their kids become F1 drivers. “I think this could be the first time we have an argument if our two would be racing,” says the German. It’s what came next that stole the hearts of many, leaving F1 fans stunned. As Max talks about the relationship between the two families, a clip of Max as a toddler interacting with Michael is played before a never been seen photo flashes on the screen. “We used to go on holidays when we were little together, the two families, and these kind of memories will stay with me,” explains Max, who is now a 35-time race winner in F1. “For both of us to be in F1 is amazing and also for Michael, he’s a very proud dad for sure.” The image shows Michael sitting on a hanging chair with baby Max on one knee and his daughter, Gina-Maria, on the other. Mick was replaced by F1 journeyman Nico Hulkenberg and will have to sit out 2023 as a reserve driver at Mercedes behind Sir Lewis Hamilton and his teammate George Russell. Drive to Survive charts Mick’s difficult sophomore season in 2022, including his horror 170mph incident in Saudi Arabia. Mick’s rough year saw him outscored by his teammate, the returning Danish veteran Kevin Magnussen. The Netflix series focuses on Mick’s struggles and the pressure that came with racing under the Schumacher name. “Mick has the lineage of one of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen,” said F1 journalist Will Buxton. “But it remains to be seen if he has the same character as his dad.” Haas boss Steiner said the Schumacher name was a “blessing and a curse” for Mick. But in characteristically non-nonsense fashion, the famously foul-mouthed team principal says at some point the young German will have “stand up” and be his “own man”. Mick outlines the struggles surrounding pressure on the show, including the admission “dreams don’t always come true”. His dad is one of the most renowned F1 drivers of all time, rising to power in the 90s and going on to dominate the sport by the early 2000s. He raced from 1991 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2012, a second act of his racing career which became instrumental in setting up the dominant Mercedes team. The German won five world championships with Ferrari and two for Benetton. Schumacher retired in 2012, but a year later, he was involved in a life-changing skiing accident while on the slopes with Mick. He was left in a medically induced coma before being sent home, and no further information has been revealed since the incident. His family, led by his wife Corinna, protect Michael’s privacy and offer him a quiet life. There have only been hints and cryptic rumours about Schumacher’s health, with information being drip-fed by friends and anonymous sources. Image credit: Getty/Netflix

Family & Pets

“Very questionable”: Kmart mocked after customer's "ridiculous" delivery

A woman has taken to Facebook to mock Kmart over her recent delivery. The shopper shared on Facebook she had ordered a 20mm combination padlock from Kmart and was caught by surprise when it was delivered to her home on February 13. The woman had received a large cardboard box, and when she opened it, it was filled to the brim with plastic wrap to protect the item. However, once she dug out the plastic, she saw a small padlock at the bottom of the unnecessarily large box. “My delivery arrived today,” the woman said on Facebook. Other Kmart fans were shocked by the large box for such a small item, with many users deeming it “ridiculous.” “Omg! Seriously,” a user commented. "Ridiculous honestly yet a pair of jeans get scrunched up into a bag for delivery," another added. "It's absolutely rubbish that they waste like that," a third chimed in. Another comment read, ”How ironic ... how easy is it to break this lock that it needs to be so protected when shipped? Would you need it if it is so fragile? Very questionable Kmart ... What a waste,” Many other users joined in on the teasing, claiming they also received small items delivered in unnecessarily large boxes. "This happened to us recently with a car air freshener," one shopper said. "Yeah they keep sending me one item in a stupidly big box. I’d be much more appreciative of multiple items jammed into a big box to stop wastage or happy to wait for all items to be ready together," another claimed. "I thought my three bowls packed like this was bad!" another commented. Back in May 2021, another Kmart shopper complained that she received a small book in a “huge box.” Although some said it was “terrible”, other users claimed the size of the box shouldn’t matter because it’s recyclable. A Kmart spokesperson told Yahoo Lifestyle that the complaints have been forwarded to Kmart’s online team, and they will reassess how they manage and replenish packaging materials. "Regrettably, in this instance, it appears the team member who has packed this order did not have available or use the most appropriately sized packaging components," the spokesperson said. "While our team are trained and aim to minimise packaging use and waste, it is likely that they did not have access to appropriately sized packaging options so used what was available in an effort to pack and dispatch this order as quickly as possible." Image credit: Facebook

Food & Wine

Being declared dead when you’re still alive – why these very rare events occur

An 82-year-old woman who was recently pronounced dead at a New York nursing home was later <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/07/us/new-york-woman-found-alive-funeral-home/index.html">discovered to be alive</a> by funeral home staff. This follows a similar incident in Iowa where a 66-year-old woman with early-onset dementia was declared dead by a nurse, only to be found <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/05/us/iowa-presumed-dead-body-bag-alzheimers.html">gasping for air</a> when funeral home staff unzipped the body bag. Fortunately, these events are very rare. But fear of them is visceral, which might explain an <a href="https://www.usni.org/press/books/naval-ceremonies-customs-and-traditions-6th-edition">old naval custom</a>. When sewing the canvas shroud for a dead sailor, the sailmaker would take the last stitch through the nose of the deceased. Having a sailcloth needle through the nose was presumed to be a potent enough stimulus to wake any sailor who was actually still alive. Confirmation of death these days is thankfully a lot less brutal. An absence of heart and breath sounds over a period of time, the presence of fixed, dilated pupils, and a failure to respond to any stimulus should mean that the person is deceased. All doctors are taught how to do this and all are aware of their duties. Unfortunately, there have been instances where death has been confirmed by this process, yet the patient has shown signs of life afterwards. Over the years, I have seen this happen. One day in a hospital, a colleague pronounced an elderly woman dead, but a short while later, she started breathing again and her pulse was briefly restored. In another unforgettable incident, the medical emergency team was summoned with the words: “Cardiac arrest. Mortuary. This is not a joke!” A woman had taken an overdose of barbiturates prescribed for her epilepsy. She had been seen by a general practitioner who certified that she was dead. But on arrival at the mortuary, one of her legs was seen to be twitching. Excruciating embarrassment all round. And if I recall correctly, she recovered. Failure to perform the confirmation-of-death procedure properly explains some instances of people being incorrectly declared dead. A cursory examination while distracted could easily lead to a failure to hear heart sounds and spot shallow, infrequent breaths. It pays to be thorough. However, some drugs we give patients can make the task harder. <h2>Drugs, toxins and cold water</h2> Sedating drugs are thought in some way to protect the brain from damage and this is made use of in anaesthesia for major surgical procedures, particularly if it is necessary to stop the circulation for a time. Less usefully, and with the potential to cause alarm, an overdose of sedatives reduces responsiveness and depresses the breathing and circulation, leading to the impression of death while protecting the brain from hypoxia (oxygen starvation). Later on, as the drug is cleared from the body, the person may wake up. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/man-wakes-up-funeral-open-casket-mourners-family-members-watson-franklin-mandujano-doroteo-peru-tingo-maria-a8021851.html">Diazepam</a> (brand name Valium), <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-mistakenly-pronounced-dead-breathing-body-bag-funeral/story?id=96871056">alprazolam</a> (brand name Xanax) have both caused people to mistakenly be declared dead. Certain toxins may have a similar effect. Voodoo practitioners called Bokors apparently <a href="https://sites.duke.edu/ginalisgh323/zombification-process/">administered powders to victims</a> to make them seem dead. These powders reportedly contained small doses of tetrodotoxin from puffer fish to paralyse the victim, who was then presumably abducted before burial and enslaved. Could neurological damage from the “zombification” process account for the popular image of the zombie? Immersion in cold water can also lead to the illusion of death because of its effect on slowing the heart rate. Survival after <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073646791930424X?casa_token=fWpL51aDu6wAAAAA:Mr0x81LUUog0hT-HSRneimKcRlYW6DHK4nUBODKqOao_L82J8bLIMHszMNwR9qVd69GkuCh8zqsb">considerable periods of time</a> in the water is well documented. In emergency medicine, it has long been taught that a drowned patient is not proven dead until they have been warmed up. Good neurological recovery has been reported after periods of cold water immersion of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aor.13818?casa_token=ukJcJCgH-n4AAAAA%3Annr3Tgd4LuJ8Ky-l_1UGB_IxLHuU-odWkM1DKgJEhXw3IYXP8_DrpfNxr2eIL8KJJ3PSRX_JUltjpfsLTg">up to 70 minutes</a> Fainting might also deceive the certifying doctor. Activation of the vagus nerve (the longest cranial nerve in the body) occurs during fainting, slowing the heart and reducing blood pressure. This might account for <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/dead-teen-wakes-screaming-inside-6315389">a very sad case</a> reported from Honduras. A pregnant teenager was thought to have died from shock after hearing gunfire in her neighbourhood. She was heard screaming within her tomb a day after her funeral. It is quite possible that she had woken up after a prolonged faint. Many cases seem to originate outside of Europe. Geographical variation in medical confirmation of death procedure may explain this. Perhaps errors arise when people are less likely to be able to afford the costs of a doctor. Whatever the cause, these cases appear in the media because they are sensational and attract lurid attention, but ultimately they are very rare. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-declared-dead-when-youre-still-alive-why-these-very-rare-events-occur-199524" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Caring

Love languages are hugely popular – but there’s very little evidence they exist at all

Love languages – the concept coined by Baptist pastor Gary Chapman some 30 years ago – has taken the relationships world by storm. It’s often the “go-to” topic on first dates, and for those in relationships love languages are said to provide deep, meaningful and reliable insights into how relationships function. Putting love languages into action is believed to increase relationship happiness. The concept clearly has appeal. At last count, 20 million copies have been sold worldwide of Chapman’s 1992 book The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts. The book has been translated into 49 languages. There is only one catch. There is little evidence to support the idea that love languages are “a thing”, or that love languages do much of anything to help improve relationships. <h2>What are the love languages?</h2> According to <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=j6d2EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=chapman+(1992)+the+five+love+languages&ots=nDeGjK61-3&sig=cBkMcFvfus9SdjVo7_XMWwCSQdo#v=onepage&q=chapman%20(1992)%20the%20five%20love%20languages&f=false">Chapman</a>, there are five love languages. Each of these love languages is a way to communicate your love to your romantic partner. In his role as a Baptist pastor, Chapman had been counselling couples for years. It was through his observations of couples that the idea of love languages was born. He believed love languages were an intuitive and simple way to teach couples about how to tune into each other’s ways of expressing love. And so, he began running seminars for husbands and wives, and the popularity of his seminars grew. The five love languages are: (1) acts of service (doing something that helps a partner, such as running an errand) (2) physical touch (demonstrating physical affection, such as giving your partner a hug or kiss) (3) quality time (spending time together and giving each other undivided attention) (4) gifts (giving your partner a present that communicates thoughtfulness, effort, and/or expense) (5) words of affirmation (such as expressing your admiration, or complimenting your partner). Chapman suggests that people typically use all love languages, but that most people tend to rely on one love language most of the time. This is referred to as a person’s primary love language. According to Chapman, people are more satisfied in their relationships when both partners match when it comes to their primary love language. However, people experience less satisfaction in their relationships when both partners do not share the same primary love language. Another important aspect of the love languages concept is that relationships are likely to deliver the greatest satisfaction when a person can understand their partner’s love language, and act in ways that “speaks to” their partner’s language. In essence, this idea is about tuning in to what a partner wants. This is an idea that has existed across many models and theories about how relationships function well. That is, responding to a partner in a way that meets their needs and wants makes a person feel <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X16300884">understood, validated, and cared for</a>. <h2>What does the evidence tell us?</h2> Despite the popularity of the theory of love languages, only a handful of studies have been conducted and reported over the past 30 years. Research is largely inconclusive, although the balance sways more towards refuting rather than endorsing the love languages concept. Let’s start with how love languages are assessed. In popular culture, the <a href="https://5lovelanguages.com/">Love Language QuizTM</a> is an online questionnaire that people can complete to find out about their love languages. Despite millions of individuals having taken the quiz (according to 5lovelanguages.com), there are no published findings as to the reliability and validity of the measure. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17464090500535822">Researchers</a> have developed their own version of the love languages survey, but the findings did not meet the statistical thresholds to suggest the survey adequately captured the five love languages. Also, their findings did not support the idea that there are five love languages. Furthermore, a qualitative study in which <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08934215.2022.2113549?src=recsys">researchers</a> coded the written responses of undergraduate students to questions about how they express love, suggested there may be six love languages. However, the researchers reported difficulty agreeing on how some of the students’ responses neatly fitted into Chapman’s love languages, particularly in the categories of “words of affirmation” and “quality time”. Next, let’s turn to research testing a core premise of the love language theory: that couples with matching love languages experience greater satisfaction than those who do not. Evidence for this premise is very mixed. Three <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pere.12182">studies</a>, including <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-53018-004">one</a> that used Chapman’s Love Language Quiz, have found that couples with matching love languages were no more satisfied than couples who were mismatched. However, a more recent <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0269429#sec006">study</a> found that partners with matching love languages experienced greater relationship and sexual satisfaction than partners with mismatched love languages. This research also found that men who reported greater empathy and perspective-taking had a love language that better matched the language of their partner. Finally, what does the research say about whether having a better understanding of your partner’s love language is linked to higher relationship satisfaction? Only <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/33e5ad9d94f22e2e3ed60d20094eec27/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y">two</a> studies have investigated this question. Both <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/0e7114482de1edf3625039e63b72e678/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y">found</a> that knowing your partner’s primary love language did predict relationship satisfaction in the present or into the future. So, as you can see, not only is there very little research investigating love languages, but the research to date doesn’t strengthen belief in the powerful properties of love languages. Image credits: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/love-languages-are-hugely-popular-but-theres-very-little-evidence-they-exist-at-all-198065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Relationships

"I loved him very much": Pink reveals heartbreaking inspiration behind hit track

Multi award winning singer-songwriter Pink has opened up about the heartache that inspired her 2006 hit song ‘Who Knew’. The 43-year-old was chatting to fellow singer Kelly Clarkson on Kelly’s talk show when she made the tragic admission that ‘Who Knew’ is about the loss of two of her friends to drug overdose. “I lost several friends, unfortunately, to overdose,” she told Kelly, “and the second one was very, very, very close to me, and I loved him very much.” The singer was referring to her dear friend Sekou Harris, who died of a heroin overdose at just 14 years old. In a 2012 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pink said of the song and its inspiration, “I always wanted to write a song for a friend of mine, Sekou Harris, who overdosed on heroin and died. And I never knew how because I didn’t want to force it and write some cheesy overdose song.” When Kelly mentioned that experiencing so much loss “sucks”, Pink countered that loss is unavoidable and that people “need music for that”. “I need music to help me through my feelings,” she said, “and I can numb down really easy.” She opened up about how the song has evolved over the years, and provided her comfort when faced with the deaths of those close to her heart. "But the thing that I love about the song now, after all these years, is that I never get tired of performing it, and it's taken on so many different meanings over the years,” she admitted, “it was about my grandmother at one point. It was about my dog. "I've lost people, so it's always sort of fresh in my heart." This isn’t the first time that Pink has been honest about her history with drugs. In her 2012 EW interview, the singer confessed that she understood addiction, as she “was a hardcore partier from 12 to 15. I was like a candy raver and I was on all the club drugs. Selling Ecstasy and crystal meth and Special K. I overdosed on Thanksgiving of ’95. And then I never took drugs again, ever.” In the same year, Pink told Shape Magazine that although she wasn’t hospitalised, she got the wake-up call she needed, and turned her attention to her wildly successful music career. Viewers of The Kelly Clarkson Show got a bonus look at that very career after the interview, with Pink and Kelly taking to the stage to perform a stunning duet of Pink’s ‘Who Knew’. Image: Getty

Caring

"It's been a tough year": Jimmy Barnes reveals very different Christmas plans

Jimmy Barnes has shared how he and his family will be spending Christmas after a tumultuous year of family losses. Talking to <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/parenting/celebrity-families/jimmy-barnes-grandchildren-75773" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Women's Weekly</a>, the legendary singer shared how this festive season will be a poignant one for the Barnes family. "It's been a tough year," Jimmy said simply. The Barneses have lost many of their closest friends and family over the last few months, including Jimmy's great mates from the music business, Mushroom Records founder Michael Gudinski, Warren Costello (Mushroom executive and true friend with whom Jimmy worked closely, daily for decades) and Pierre Baroni (friend, photographer and creative co-conspirator). Then they lost Jimmy's sister, Linda, and Jane's mother, Kusumphorn Visuthipol. "It all started with Michael," he explains. "When Michael left, it was such a shock. Since then, we've lost about seven people who were really close to us, who we weren't expecting to lose, including Warren, one of the nicest people in the world, and Pierre, who was like part of our family." "We were just so close. Warren and Linda and Jane's mum died within two weeks of each other. It was just horrendous. It sort of took the wind out of my sails." As a result of the devastating losses, Jimmy said their family Christmas will look very different this year. In years prior, the Barnes family would host extravagant celebrations where everyone was welcome, and would party into the night. This year however, they are planning something much more low-key. "Jane and I are going away for Christmas, by ourselves. It's because we lost Jane's mum and I think the idea of her not being here for Christmas is very difficult for us to deal with. So, we're going to Thailand to visit the temple where we left her ashes, but also to get a bit of air. Our kids are big now. They're doing their own Christmases. I just need to sit on the beach and hold my girl." Unfortunately, since Jimmy made the plans for his trip abroad, he was diagnosed with serious back and hip injuries that have forced him to cancel his summer touring schedule and his holiday in Thailand, meaning he will be forced to spend some of his Christmas break in hospital. Image credits: Australian Women's Weekly

Family & Pets

Huge satellite BlueWalker-3 has now unfurled – and yes it’s very bright

If you look at the sky near Jupiter just after sunset, you might notice a bright new star, travelling fast across the sky. This star is no planet or far-flung galaxy – it’s the largest commercial communications satellite in low-Earth orbit, the BlueWalker 3 satellite which has now unfurled its solar panels. The apartment-sized satellite is a prototype from American company AST SpaceMobile, whose goal is to create a space-based mobile broadband network. This is only one of multiple satellites planned for the SpaceMobile constellation – some of which will be even bigger than BlueWalker 3. Amateur astronomers have been reporting sightings of BlueWalker 3 over the last few weeks, many with an approximate brightness of 2nd or 3rd magnitude. This is moderately bright, but not as bright as Sirius <a href="https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-is-stellar-magnitude/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">– the brightest star in the night sky.</a> <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered spai-bg-prepared" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="display: block; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 400px; height: 550px; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=cosmosmagazine&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1591249397953998849&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fspace%2Fbluewalker-3-unfurlled-ast-space-x-elon-musk%2F&sessionId=96d02fb5de79caae06b83ca7b911f2ac94853601&siteScreenName=cosmosmagazine&theme=light&widgetsVersion=a3525f077c700%3A1667415560940&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1591249397953998849"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> This means that some astronomers prediction that it “could outshine all stars and planets in the night sky” hasn’t come to pass. However, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_brightest_stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a magnitude of 2 would put it in the rank of top 50</a> brightest stars. If you wanted to track it for yourself, <a href="https://heavens-above.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website Heavens Above</a> has just created a new tool <a href="https://www.orbtrack.org/#/?satName=BLUEWALKER%203" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to track the satellite.</a> <a href="https://in-the-sky.org/satpasses.php?gotosat=53807" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">You can also use In The Sky and note your location.</a> Note that it can only be seen just after the Sun has gone down, as the Sun from below the horizon reflects onto the satellite, and makes it bright. <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered spai-bg-prepared" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="display: block; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 400px; height: 675px; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=cosmosmagazine&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1594885656370909186&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fspace%2Fbluewalker-3-unfurlled-ast-space-x-elon-musk%2F&sessionId=96d02fb5de79caae06b83ca7b911f2ac94853601&siteScreenName=cosmosmagazine&theme=light&widgetsVersion=a3525f077c700%3A1667415560940&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1594885656370909186"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> The goal with AST SpaceMobile is to create cellular broadband anywhere on the globe. Similar to Space X’s Starlink, many satellites are required to create full coverage around the world. Astronomers and satellite operators are currently at odds over these satellite constellations. The more there, the more interference is likely for both optical and radio astronomy. There’s also the question of what we – as humans – are comfortable with. Having 100s of these satellites in the sky at any one time would mean that when we look up, many of the bright lights in the sky would not be stars but satellites instead. <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered spai-bg-prepared" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="display: block; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 400px; height: 699px; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=cosmosmagazine&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1595568298414215168&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fspace%2Fbluewalker-3-unfurlled-ast-space-x-elon-musk%2F&sessionId=96d02fb5de79caae06b83ca7b911f2ac94853601&siteScreenName=cosmosmagazine&theme=light&widgetsVersion=a3525f077c700%3A1667415560940&width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1595568298414215168"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> There’s also potentially issues about collisions in orbit <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/11/nasa-objects-to-new-megaconstellation-citing-risk-of-catastrophic-collison/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making our skies unsafe.</a> There’s currently discussions happening between astronomers, satellite operators and the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) about what is reasonable for satellites to be able to do in the night sky. The next meeting <a href="https://www.skatelescope.org/news/un-body-to-continue-deliberating-on-how-to-protect-dark-quiet-skies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will occur in 2023</a>. “States are generally supportive, and we succeeded in ensuring that the radio and optical interference effects of large satellite constellations on astronomy are considered by the subcommittee,” Head of Assurance at the SKAO, Tim Stevenson said after the last meeting in February. “We are looking forward to preparing and sustaining our case in COPUOS, which is the paramount forum in the world to deal with this issue.” <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=226135&title=Huge+satellite+BlueWalker-3+has+now+unfurled+%E2%80%93+and+yes+it%E2%80%99s+very+bright" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/bluewalker-3-unfurlled-ast-space-x-elon-musk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Jacinta Bowler. Image: AST </div>

Technology

Hospice nurse explains the “very comforting” thing that happens just before death

A hospice nurse has shared the “very comforting” thing that happens to a lot of people in the last moments of their life. Julie McFadden, a 39-year-old healthcare professional from the US, supports people who are coming to the end of their lives, going into specialised homes to make sure they remain as comfortable as possible in their final days. Throughout her career, she said more than half of those she has looked after experienced “visioning”, which is when people who are often fully lucid see deceased friends, family and pets in the moments leading up to death. “It happens most of the time at the end of their life, but they aren’t delusional,” the former intensive care nurse said on TikTok. “It’s often very comforting for the person. It’s never scary - if they’re scared, it’s likely they’re experiencing delirium or paranoia, not visioning.” “People don’t talk about it much but it’s really common and more than half of people I have looked after have experienced it.” “It’s so normal to fear death and I’ve had several patients who have expressed their fear - but then a family member came to them and they were no longer scared.” Julie went on to share a further explanation as to why people experience “visioning”, and the other-worldly power behind it. “We have no idea why this (visioning) happens and we are not claiming that they really are seeing these people,” she explained in one video. “We have no idea. But all I can tell you, as a healthcare professional who’s worked in this line of work for a very long time, (is that) it happens all the time.” “It happens so much that we actually have to educate the family and the patient about this topic before it happens so they’re not incredibly alarmed,” she added. “Usually it’s a good indicator that the person’s getting close to death - usually about a month or a few weeks before they die.” “It brings me comfort. I hope it brings you some comfort,” she concluded in her video, which quickly amassed more than 400,000 views. Image credits: TikTok

Caring

4 signs your cat might, well, not like you very much

Dogs are man’s best friend and cats are man’s masters. Dogs love you unconditionally and cats love you because you provide them food. The eternal dogs versus cats war might just come to an end with research showing that despite loving cats, they don’t actually think much of their owners. Just don’t tell a cat-lover that! Cats don’t love owners the same way dogs do This is likely due to the difference in the animals’ evolution to domesticated pets. While dogs were domesticated an estimated 32,000 years ago, cats have been living with humans for only 9,000 years – and at first, they were mainly lurking around humans for scraps of food, not for human contact. Furthermore, while humans chose dogs to be their companion, selectively breeding positive traits, as well as teaching them to help us (for example, herding animals, protecting humans), cats chose people. It is thought that cats stuck around humans firstly because their food source, vermin, were around populations and then they realised they could live a well-fed life if they stuck by humans. Cats might not care whether you stay or go Professor Daniel Mills of Lincoln University staged an animal version of the “Strange Situation” experiment, a famous psychological experiment that proved children have special bonds with parents and caregivers. In the experiment, strangers and caretakers enter a room randomly that the subject is in, and the subject's reaction to the entrances and exits are monitored. Mills conducted his experiment on dogs and cats. He found that dogs overwhelmingly reacted to their owner’s presence with enthusiasm and joy, whereas cats generally were uninterested whether their owners depart and return. Cats know when you’re calling them; they just choose not to respond Researchers played a recording of three different people (two strangers, plus the owner) calling cats’ names. Regardless of order, cats always reacted to hearing their owner’s voice (independent observers who did not know which voices were strangers noted slight ear and head movement), but none actually responded such as moving to look at the voice, meowing or approaching their speaker. Cats are master manipulators While the purr of a cat is believed to be the sign of contentment it is not always the case. Researchers at the University of Sussex recorded the purring sounds made by cats in two types of situations: when they wanted food, and when they didn't. It turned out that food-related purrs were very different and comparable to a baby’s cry. While most purrs are low-toned noises, researchers concluded the high-toned food related purrs, which seemed more urgent and less pleasant to humans, were a deliberate way to trigger humans’ parenting instincts and get them fed faster. Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

"Very pleased": John Farnham health update

John Farnham’s family has given a pleasing update after the singer underwent a gruelling 11 hour surgery for cancer. The 73-year-old was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/john-farnham-health-update-after-11-hour-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rushed to hospital</a> on August 23 and had a part of his jaw removed due to a cancerous tumour in his mouth. Almost a month later, the singer is "progressing well" and has been moved into a rehabilitation facility as he continues to recover. "John's recovery from last month's surgery for mouth cancer is progressing well," John’s family said in a statement. "His medical team are very pleased with his progress over the past month. "He was moved from ICU and into a general ward a couple of weeks ago. That in itself was terrific progress. "Each of these steps means things are moving in the right direction and for that we are enormously thankful.” Fans have been encouraged to leave well-wishes to the You’re the Voice singer on <a href="https://weloveyoujohn.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weloveyoujohn.com.au</a>. Image: Getty

Caring

“Very sad”: Prince Harry arrives 90 minutes too late

In the wake of the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, it has emerged that Prince Harry missed seeing his grandmother one last time by mere hours. The <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">96-year-old monarch died peacefully</a> in her Balmoral home after key royals such as Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, rushed to Scotland to be by her side. Prince Anne was already by her mother’s side, having attended an engagement in Balmoral earlier in the week. However, flight data obtained by the Daily Mail has shown that the Duke of Sussex was still airborne when the Queen passed at 6.30pm UK time, landing 15 minutes later and officially leaving the airport at 7pm. He reportedly arrived at the Balmoral estate at 7.52pm, appearing visibly upset as he was photographed while inside a black car. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Prince Harry seen with head in hands after the death of the Queen announced <a href="https://t.co/CoObKSwrUJ">https://t.co/CoObKSwrUJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Hbpy86Ibn9">pic.twitter.com/Hbpy86Ibn9</a> — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1567952832569004034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> Royal commentator and former British Royal Family Press Secretary Dickie Arbiter told Today that King Charles III and Queen Camilla would have arrived pretty quickly at the estate, given that they live “just down the road” at Birkhall. "The rest of the family would have headed towards Northolt Airport, just outside of London, boarded a plane to Aberdeen Airport, then an hour's drive from there," Arbiter said. "It was quite interesting and I find extraordinary that Prince Harry wasn't on the same aircraft, and making his own way there, and probably arrived, if indeed he has arrived, after the death of his grandmother, which, is very sad in the circumstances," he continued, minutes before it was confirmed Harry did not make it to Scotland in time. Royal commentator Chris Ship tweeted: “Very sad for Prince Harry that - despite being in the UK - he didn’t get to see his grandmother, The Queen, before she passed away. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Very sad for Prince Harry that - despite being in the UK - he didn’t get to see his grandmother, The Queen, before she passed away. They were very close and he spoke to her often despite his decision to leave the Royal Family.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QueenElizabeth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QueenElizabeth</a> <a href="https://t.co/bGMavZ7vQQ">pic.twitter.com/bGMavZ7vQQ</a> — Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisshipitv/status/1567958419214143489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> “They were very close and he spoke to her often despite his decision to leave the Royal Family.” Despite reportedly being just west of London when the Queen went under medical supervision, it is unclear why Harry didn’t travel with the other Royal family members, who landed in Aberdeen at 4pm, per the Daily Mail. The former royal was in London with his wife Meghan Markle - who is understood to have stayed there while he travelled to Scotland - for the WellChild Awards, where Harry was due to give a speech. But, they cancelled their appearance due to the news of the Queen’s ill health. The Sussexes have since paid tribute to the Queen, with their Archewell website turning black and the message, “In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022” appearing in the centre. Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Male artists dominate galleries. Our research explored if it’s because ‘women don’t paint very well’ – or just discrimination

In the art world, there is a gaping gender imbalance when it comes to male and female artists. In the National Gallery of Australia, <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/about/">only 25%</a> of the Australian art collection is work by women. This is far better than the international standard where <a href="https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/">roughly 90%</a> of all artworks exhibited in major collections are by men. The <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/georgia-okeeffe-jimson-weed-slash-white-flower-no-1">most expensive</a> painting by a female artist – Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 – does not even rank among the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings#List_of_highest_prices_paid">100 most expensive paintings</a> ever sold. Why is women’s art valued so much less than art by men? Some economists <a href="https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2005/02/why_do_women_su.html">have suggested</a> the greater burden of child rearing and other domestic duties means women have had fewer opportunities to succeed in the art world. Others have blamed the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/report-names-laggers-as-women-artists-win-parity-20191029-p534vy.html">quality</a>” of women’s art. In 2013, German painter <a href="https://observer.com/2013/01/georg-baselitz-says-women-dont-paint-very-well/">Georg Baselitz said</a> “Women don’t paint very well. It’s a fact. The market doesn’t lie.” We wanted to know: is work by women generally valued differently to work by men because it is of a lower artistic quality, or is it just discrimination? <h2>Which painting do you like better?</h2> In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268122002669?dgcid=author">our new research</a> we showed average Americans pairs of paintings, painted between 1625 and 1979, side by side. Each of the pairs are similar in style, motif and period, but one work was by a male artist and the other by a female artist. Participants were in two groups. One group saw the artists’ names and the other didn’t. We wanted to see whether more people among those who saw artist names preferred the male painting. If seeing the names – and thereby inferring artist gender – causes more people to prefer male paintings, then there is gender discrimination. Before we tell you the results, think about what you would have expected. And <a href="https://rmit.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e4JBs0wxKeftYF0">take a look</a> at our actual painting pairs and see if you can guess which is the male one (hint: you can’t). We were pleasantly surprised to find our participants did not give a hoot about artist gender. In both groups, 54% preferred the painting from a woman. We repeated this experiment, this time rewarding participants if they could accurately guess the preferences of others – the people in the first experiment. Again, 54% of the people in each group picked the female paintings. <h2>Which painting do you think is worth more?</h2> Next we wanted to find out if people picked male paintings for reasons other than personal taste. Art isn’t just bought and sold on aesthetic value: it is a speculative market, where art is treated as an investment. We conducted two more experiments. In one, participants were rewarded if they picked the more expensive painting. In the other, they were rewarded to pick the one painted by the more famous artist. Gender discrimination emerged in both these experiments. When asked to predict the value of and creator fame of paintings, people suddenly swung towards picking male artists. Preference for female paintings fell by 10% and 9% in these two new experiments. Gender discrimination in art comes not from personal aesthetic preference – Baselitz’ argument that women “don’t paint very well” – but people thinking paintings are more valuable and famous when painted by male artists. <h2>A question of fame</h2> In our fifth experiment, we again rewarded participants who could correctly guess which painting would be preferred by others. This time everyone saw the names of the artists. But only one group was told which of the two artists was objectively more famous – the male artist in 90% of cases. The group with that information was 14% more likely to pick male paintings. People used fame information to predict the painting others liked better. If women artists were discriminated against just because of their gender we would have seen a higher premium put on the male artists even in questions of aesthetics. Here, discrimination only occured when our participants were asked to assign a monetary value to the art works, or when they were given information about the level of fame of the painter. This means our art appreciators discriminated not on gender, but on something closely associated with gender: fame. And because male artists have, historically, been given <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1574067606010234">more opportunities</a> to become artists – and therefore become famous – artwork by men is perceived as having a higher value. Policy is slowly starting to recognise and target institutional factors that perpetuate male dominance because of historical notions of fame, like the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://knowmyname.nga.gov.au/">Know my Name</a> initiative. Discrimination in the arts exists, but it often comes from people’s beliefs about what others care to discriminate about. The task ahead is to change perceptions of people and institutions who do not discriminate – but merely conform to others’ discrimination. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/male-artists-dominate-galleries-our-research-explored-if-its-because-women-dont-paint-very-well-or-just-discrimination-189221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

The Webb telescope has released its very first exoplanet image – here’s what we can learn from it

Did you ever want to see an alien world? A planet orbiting a distant star, light years from the Sun? Well, the <a href="https://webb.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)</a> has just returned its first-ever picture of just that – a planet orbiting a distant star. The <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/09/01/nasas-webb-takes-its-first-ever-direct-image-of-distant-world/?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=NASAWebb&utm_campaign=NASASocial&linkId=179637235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new images</a> reveal JWST will be a fantastic tool for astronomers aiming to improve their knowledge of exoplanets (planets around other stars) – even better than we had hoped it would be! But for those who’ve grown up on a diet of Star Trek, Star Wars, and myriad other works of science fiction, the images may be underwhelming. No wonderful swirling clouds, in glorious or muted colours. Instead, we just see a blob – a single point of light. So why do these observations have astronomers buzzing with excitement? And what might we learn in the months and years to come? Observing hidden worlds Over the past three decades, we have lived through a great revolution – the dawn of the Exoplanet Era. Where we once knew of no planets orbiting distant stars, and wondered whether the Solar System was unique, we now know planets are everywhere. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yv4DbU1CWAY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The history of the first 5,000 alien worlds discovered – the dawn of the Exoplanet Era.</figcaption></figure> At the time of writing, the number of known exoplanets <a href="https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stands at 5,084</a>, and the count grows larger with every week. But the overwhelming majority of those exoplanets are detected indirectly. They orbit so close to their host stars that, with current technology, we simply cannot see them directly. Instead, we observe their host stars doing something unexpected, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-to-find-an-exoplanet-part-1-56682" target="_blank" rel="noopener">infer from that the presence</a> of their unseen planetary companions. Of all those alien worlds, only a handful have been seen directly. The poster child for such systems is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HR_8799" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HR 8799</a>, whose four giant planets have been imaged so frequently that astronomers have produced a movie showing them moving in their orbits around their host star. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KVgKidAuf4o?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>The first video of exoplanets orbiting their star. HR 8799 host four super-Jupiters, and it took seven years of imaging data to produce this movie.</figcaption></figure> Enter HIP 65426b To gather JWST’s first direct images of an exoplanet, astronomers turned the telescope towards the star HIP 65426, whose massive planetary companion HIP 65426b was <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017A%26A...605L...9C/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered using direct imaging back in 2017</a>. HIP 65426b is unusual in several ways – all of which act to make it a particularly “easy” target for direct imaging. First, it is a long way from its host star, orbiting roughly 92 times farther from HIP 65426 than the distance between Earth and the Sun. That puts it around 14 billion kilometres from its star. From our point of view, this makes for a “reasonable” distance from the star in the sky, making it easier to observe. Next, HIP 65426b is a behemoth of a world – thought to be several times the mass of the Solar System’s biggest planet, Jupiter. On top of that, it was also previously found to be remarkably hot, with temperature at its cloud tops measuring at least 1,200℃. This combination of the planet’s size and temperature means it is intrinsically bright (for a planet). <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?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/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482618/original/file-20220904-39859-xghmli.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Four images of HIP 65426b, at four different wavelengths of infrared light." /></a><figcaption>JWST’s first images of an alien world, HIP 65426b, are shown at the bottom of a wider image showing the planet’s host star. The images were taken at different wavelengths of infrared light. Image: NASA/ESA/CSA, A Carter (UCSC), the ERS 1386 team, and A. Pagan (STScI).</figcaption></figure> How were the images taken, and what do they show us? Under normal circumstances, the light from HIP 65426 would utterly overwhelm that from HIP 65426b, despite the distance between them. To get around this problem, JWST <a href="https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/news/1577/a-new-view-of-exoplanets-with-webb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carries several “coronagraphs”</a>, instruments that let the telescope block the light from a bright star to look for fainter objects beside it. This is a bit like blocking the headlights of a car with your hand to see whether your friend has climbed out to say hello. Using these coronagraphs, JWST took a series of images of HIP 65426b, each taken at a different wavelength of infrared light. In each image, the planet can be clearly seen – a single bright pixel offset from the location of its obscured stellar host. The images are far from your standard science fiction fare. But they show that the planet was easily detected, standing out like a sore thumb against the dark background of space. The researchers who led the observations (<a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.14990" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed on the preprint server arXiv</a>) found that JWST is performing around ten times better than expected – a result that has astronomers around the globe excited to see what comes next. Using their observations, they determined the mass of HIP 65426b (roughly seven times that of Jupiter). Beyond that, the data reveal the planet is hotter than previously thought (with cloud tops close to 1,400℃), and somewhat smaller than expected (with a diameter about 92% that of Jupiter). These images paint a picture of an utterly alien world, different to anything in the Solar System. A signpost to the future The observations of HIP 65426b are just the first sign of what JWST can do in imaging planets around other stars. The incredible precision of the imaging data suggests JWST will be able to obtain direct observations of planets smaller than previously expected. Rather than being limited to planets more massive than Jupiter, it should be able to see planets comparable to, or even smaller than, Saturn. This is a really exciting. You see, a basic rule of astronomy is that there are lots more small things than big things. The fact JWST should be able to see smaller and fainter planets than expected will greatly increase the number of possible targets available for astronomers to study. Beyond that, the precision with which JWST carried out these measurements suggests we will be able to learn far more about their atmospheres than expected. Repeated observations with the telescope could even reveal details of how those atmospheres vary with time. In the coming years, then, expect to see many more images of alien worlds, taken by JWST. While those pictures might not look like those in science fiction, they will still revolutionise our understanding of planets around other stars.<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/189876/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonti-horner-3355" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonti Horner</a>, Professor (Astrophysics), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Southern Queensland</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/the-webb-telescope-has-released-its-very-first-exoplanet-image-heres-what-we-can-learn-from-it-189876" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: NASA/ESA/CSA, A Carter (UCSC), the ERS 1386 team, and A. Pagan (STScI)

Technology

12 very personal details your house reveals about you

What you watch on TV Internet-connected televisions can collect data on everything you’re watching and sell it to advertisers – and many are set up to do it by default. (To keep your information private, turn off data sharing in your TV settings.) Whom you live with Your dirt reveals whether there are more men or women in the household (the sexes shed different types of bacteria). By examining the fungi in your dust, scientists can also predict where you live, down to about a 240km range. Whether you are outgoing It’s written on your front door. According to colour experts, a red front door means you’re not afraid to say what you think. A blue door says you’re naturally at ease in most situations. Green broadcasts your traditional values, and black means you’re probably consistent and reserved. Inside the home, extroverts tend to choose open, spacious furniture layouts. If you’re introverted, you probably decorate with soft, solid colours and muted patterns. What you weigh A Cornell University study found that women who had just one box of breakfast cereal on the kitchen counter weighed an average of 9kg more than those who didn’t have any cereal in plain view. Women with soft drink sitting out (even diet kinds) weighed an average of 11kg more. People who had a bowl of fruit in the kitchen weighed an average of 6kg less than those who didn’t have fruit out. How often you're intimate If you have purple decor, you have nearly double the intimacy of people with grey bedding, walls, or furniture, says a British survey. Reds and pinks also seem to spice things up, while beige and white may inhibit intimacy. How Type A you are The answer is in your socks. One survey found that orderly and detailed people tend to have the messiest sock drawers. Experts hypothesise that people who are meticulous are more likely to spend time prioritising and organising more important parts of their lives. Follow these decorating tips to make your home look like a luxe hotel. Whether you're a millennial If you have many photos of yourself visible, you’re most likely under 35. Previous generations considered it gauche to display photos of themselves, but interior designers report that millennials – accustomed to posting selfies on social media – are much more inclined to show self-portraits. How lonely you are A Yale University study found that people who take longer showers and baths are more likely to feel lonely and isolated. Researchers believe they subconsciously use hot baths and showers as a substitute for emotional warmth. You hate your job and avoid the gym Both things are probable if you think making your bed is a waste of time. One survey of 68,000 people found that those who make their beds in the morning are more likely to enjoy their jobs and to exercise regularly than people who do not. Psychologists say it could be because happy people aim for an orderly life (rather than a chaotic, unorganised one). Your chances of being burgled According to an analysis of more than 1,000 burglaries, your home is likely to be a target if it has a sliding glass door or single-pane windows. These are easy for burglars to pry open or break. If you're anxious Most people – even those with clean, organised houses – have hidden messes under their beds or in their closets. If you’re one of the few who don’t, you may be an anxious person. Social scientists say the more anxious people are, the more they try to control their environment. How well your kids read A 2014 study found that the number of books in your home is by far the most important predictor of your child’s grade-level reading performance – more than your income or education level. Students whose homes had at least 100 books read one and a half grade levels above those with fewer books in the house. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/home-tips/12-very-personal-details-your-house-reveals-about-you?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Slytherin and secure your very own castle

Die-hard fans of Harry Potter will be flocking to Chicago, after a magical home listed on Zillow resembles a Hogwarts Castle. Going for a cool $US669,999 ($AUD974,878), the five-bedroom, three bathroom property is hard to miss. Featuring steel turret roofs, wrought iron gate and bold orange brick facade the home has been on the market for a while now. Known as a “Bridgeport Castle”, the very unique property is larger than it looks, occupying three levels, over 167-square-metres. Built in 1890, the home contains a living room with a fireplace on the main level, a formal dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. On the lower level is another family room, laundry room, two bedrooms, gym and bar. Public records show the quirky abode was last sold for $US285,000 ($414,687) in 2004. Take a look at this unique property below. Images: Domain

Real Estate

Sir Rod Stewart spotted in Italy with entire family for very special occasion

Sir Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster have celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with their seven children. The big family were spotted in the city of Portofino in Italy with Penny sharing an adorable snap of them posing for the camera. “Stewart Clan comes together #family #kids #siblings @sirrodstewart @alastairwstewart @thekimberlystewart @seanstewart @rubystewart @renee__stewart @discostew94 #aidenstewart,” she captioned the image. The photo shows the 77-year-old rocker along with his children, Alastair, 16, Sean, 41, Kimberly, 42, daughters Ruby, 35, Renee, 30, Liam, 27 and 11-year-old Aiden. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CguX_xns_2F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CguX_xns_2F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Penny Lancaster (@penny.lancaster)</a> </div> </blockquote> In a separate post, Penny shared another photo with her stepdaughters Kimberly, Renee and Ruby on stairs Penny and Sir Rod started going out in 1999 and got married in 2007, eight years after they first met. Sir Rod was first married to actress and model Alana Hamilton, the former wife of actor George Hamilton, from 1979 to 1984. He then married model Rachel Hunter from 1990 to 2006. He now shares kids Alastair and Aiden with Penny. Image: Instagram

International Travel

Gordon Ramsay slammed for "very sad" animal video

Gordon Ramsay has caused quite a stir after jokingly picking out a lamb to eat for his next meal. The celebrity chef shared the TikTok video of himself standing on the fence looking at the lambs in delight as he rubbed his hands together repeatedly saying “yummy yum yum yum yum”. He then asks "Which one's going in the oven first?" before pointing at a lamb saying “you”. The 55-year-old then makes his way into their yard which forces the lambs to walk away from him as he says “oven time”. <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7125124287412882694&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40gordonramsayofficial%2Fvideo%2F7125124287412882694%3Fis_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1%26lang%3Den&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> The video was captioned, “The Lamb sauce was still not found in the making of this video” and in the comment section he posted, “No animals were cooked in the making of this video”. Despite his joking matter, people were unimpressed with the video which has already been viewed more than 9 million times. “I’m not even vegetarian but this is very sad,” someone wrote. “Ok I am not a vegan or vegetarian but that crosses the line,” another commented. “Ramsay playing with fire,” another wrote. Others however, loved the video with many commending the chef for his sense of humour. “Don't play with your food, Gordon,” one read. “Gordon Ramsay keeping it real as usual,” another wrote. “Who left Gordon unsupervised,” someone else joked. Images: TikTok

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12 very personal details your house reveals about you

Slytherin and secure your very own castle

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Gordon Ramsay slammed for "very sad" animal video