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  • MIL-Evening Report: Graffiti removal isn’t the enemy of art. It’s part of a vibrant dialogue on life in the big city

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sabina Andron, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cities and Urbanism, The University of Melbourne

    Thanks Radical Graffiti for informing me where my next job is!

    This is the message I woke up to on January 26, as one of my research participants saw some anti-colonial graffiti in Melbourne posted on the popular Instagram page. The “job” he refers to is that of removing graffiti – a costly, relentless and largely overlooked maintenance operation in modern cities.

    Graffiti removal is an ongoing practice in big cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.
    Sabina Andron

    You may have heard of various statues being defaced across the country to protest Australia Day. And if you live in Melbourne, you’ve probably come across the city’s iconic “Pam the Bird” graffiti. Pam’s creator was arrested on January 30, about a week after a massive image of the bird appeared on the Novotel hotel in South Wharf.

    What you don’t see, however, are the groups of workers standing by to evaluate and repair the damage done by graffiti artists. These graffiti removal technicians, or “buffers”, often posses a more detailed knowledge of the urban fabric than many architects and planners.

    With millions invested in graffiti removal in Australia, as part of a visual policing of surfaces, I argue “buff” deserves recognition as a cultural and aesthetic practice of its own.

    Buff commonly appears as mismatched rectangular shapes.
    Sabina Andron

    What is “buff” and how does it work?

    Graffiti removal is the practice of removing, erasing or obliterating unauthorised displays from publicly visible urban surfaces.

    In graffiti culture, this removal is colloquially known as “buff”. The name comes from a chemical train washing facility deployed by the Municipal Transit Authority in New York City in the 1970s, when graffiti clean-up efforts first started.

    Buff is typically conducted by authorised municipal officers or private contractors and businesses. It involves the chemical and mechanical treatment of urban surfaces, often underpinned by zero tolerance policies that have turned it into a global billion dollar industry.

    Greg Ireland demonstrating his products inside his Graffiti Removal Chemicals training facility in Melbourne.
    Sabina Andron

    Whether they work for local councils through apps such as Snap Send Solve, run private businesses, or operate independently as anti-graffiti vigilantes, buffers either remove unwanted marks, or paint over them to obstruct them from view.

    And with the removal of one image, comes the creation of another.

    In this example chemicals are used to destroy the surface paint, leaving behind a ‘ghost’ image.
    Sabina Andron

    A symbiotic relationship

    It’s a common misconception that buff is strictly an image removal process – a zero sum game aimed at returning public surfaces to a pristine material state. This assumption is the main reason it has been afforded little attention as a creative practice.

    In fact, buff produces some of the most interesting visual forms within contemporary cities. It contributes to the visual cultures of cities worldwide, not just through maintaining visual order, but through delivering easily overlooked painterly compositions.

    The visual forms of buff done by vigilantes can be even more jarring than the graffiti they cover.
    Sabina Andron

    Much like graffiti, buff is a widespread visual and symbolic feature of contemporary cities. These two practices need each other, and engage with cities in symmetrical and symbiotic ways.

    Buff will sometimes closely follow the contours of the graffiti it obstructs.
    Sabina Andron

    Also, although they operate on different mandates, graffiti writers and buffers largely respect each others’ resourcefulness and creativity. As one buffer has repeatedly told me, “tagging and buffing are more related than people are prepared to see.”

    Buffers and writers use walls collaboratively. Here, a graffiti writer acknowledges the abater with a message: ‘legendary buff’.
    Sabina Andron

    Graffiti removal as aesthetic practice

    Keen urban enthusiasts have been documenting buff in many forms, from the early photographs of Avalon Kalin in the United States, to artist Lorenzo Servi’s The City Is Ours bookzine on graffiti removal, to Hans Leo Maes’ photographic collection of buff from the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

    Most famously, buff made the object of a 2001 experimental documentary by Matt McCormick. This cult favourite popularised the idea of graffiti removal as a subconsciously creative act with aesthetics that resemble the works of abstract expressionists such as Mark Rothko or Agnes Martin.

    The abstract expressionist aesthetics of repeated buff interventions.
    Sabina Andron

    A suite of other contemporary artists and photographers, many of who come from a graffiti background, also engage with buff in their practice. Mobstr, Germain Prévost (Ipin), Thierry Furger, Nelio Riga and Svetlana Feoktistova provide just some examples of buff-generated creativity.

    Three different buff treatments of the same wall.
    Sabina Andron

    Others such as activist Kyle Magee have served prison sentences for buffing public ads, raising questions about not only the legitimacy of public images, but the legitimacy of their obstruction.

    An example of activist buff on street posters.
    Sabina Andron

    Beyond visual order mandates

    Involuntarily perhaps, creativity is everywhere. Urban surfaces are prized visual and material assets in cities, with the potential to generate huge symbolic and economic capital.

    No matter how many millions of dollars are invested in removing graffiti, or pursuing criminal cases against its creators, public surfaces will always be contentious forums of visual production, obstruction and collaboration.

    Textured surfaces resulting from visual dialogues between graffiti and buff.
    Sabina Andron

    Alongside graffiti, posters, stickers and myriad other inscriptions, buff adds new textures to the surfaces of our cities. Its aesthetic and cultural value should be celebrated.

    Sabina Andron does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Graffiti removal isn’t the enemy of art. It’s part of a vibrant dialogue on life in the big city – https://theconversation.com/graffiti-removal-isnt-the-enemy-of-art-its-part-of-a-vibrant-dialogue-on-life-in-the-big-city-248668

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Climate-affected produce is here to stay. Here’s what it takes for consumers to embrace it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liudmila Tarabashkina, Senior Lecturer, The University of Western Australia

    Joanna Dorota/Shutterstock, Zoom Team/Shutterstock, The Conversation

    The economic cost of food waste in Australia is staggering. It’s estimated $36.6 billion is lost to the economy every year. Much of our fresh produce never even makes it to stores, rejected at the farm gate due to cosmetic reasons, such as its appearance, size or ripeness.

    We’ve known about this problem for a long time, which has given rise to the “ugly” food movement. Once-rejected produce has been rebranded as “wonky” in the UK, “inglorious” in France, “naturally imperfect” in Canada or an “odd bunch” in Australia.

    While the existence of these campaigns is commendable, there’s another major marketing challenge if we want to reduce food waste – acceptance of climate-affected produce.

    Broadly speaking, this refers to produce affected by extreme or moderate weather events. Droughts are an example of such climate events, predicted to become more intense and frequent as a result of global climate change.

    Climate-affected produce resembles “ugly” food as it is often smaller, misshapen or has surface imperfections.

    Climate-affected produce often has a lot in common with ‘ugly’ fruit, but may also differ in taste and texture.
    Alexey Borodin/Shutterstock

    But in contrast to “ugly food”, the taste and texture of climate-affected produce can be quite different.

    Under the effects of drought, apples may become sweeter and more granular, chillies hotter and onions more pungent. In the case of mild or moderate droughts, such produce is still edible.

    Our recent research points to some uncomfortable truths. Many consumers prefer to avoid climate-affected produce altogether. And when price is a factor, they won’t choose it without a discount.

    But our research also offers suggestions on how purchases of such produce could be encouraged – including marketing messages that highlight the “resilience” of climate-affected produce.

    Our research

    We carried out two discrete choice experiments with consumers who buy fresh fruit and vegetables. One sample was drawn from among Australian students, the other from members of the wider Australian population.

    Participants were shown eight different apple options simulating a shopping environment, which were described with a range of different attributes including firmness, sweetness, appearance and size.

    The apples were also labelled with a price tag and information on whether they were sold at a supermarket or farmers’ market. All climate-affected apples were presented with a “resilience” message: “resilient apple – survived the drought”.

    We sought to examine how produce’s “organoleptic” properties – the way it impacts our different senses – as well as levels of empathy toward the farmers impact consumers’ willingness to choose climate-affected produce, and how much they’d pay for it.

    Drought can make apples sweeter, smaller, and less firm.
    The Conversation, Natthapol Siridech/Shutterstock, PickPik

    A preference for perfect

    We found when an apple’s firmness, size and aesthetics were important and empathy towards farmers was low, consumers tended to avoid climate-affected produce. They instead chose unaffected alternatives at higher prices (no such effect was observed for sweetness).

    This finding might not be surprising, but it’s still cause for concern. If farmers cannot repurpose climate-affected produce into spreads, jams, smoothies or animal feed, it can’t enter supply chains and may end up as waste.

    Previous campaigns for “ugly” fruit and vegetables may not offer much help with this problem, either. These campaigns emphasise the unaffected taste and texture of the produce. Marketing climate-affected produce needs a different approach.

    Otherwise, we expect a discount

    When price was important to consumers, they chose climate-affected produce, regardless of their levels of empathy toward farmers. But they were only willing to pay discounted prices for it.

    That might seem like a more positive outcome. But consumer expectations that climate-affected produce will always be discounted may disadvantage farmers with lower profit margins and diminish its value as a still-usable resource.

    Getting climate-affected (but still edible) produce into supply chains can help reduce food waste.
    Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock

    The power of “resilience” messaging

    Importantly, we found when the “resilience” message resonated with consumers, they were more inclined to consider climate-affected apples. This was true even when their empathy towards farmers was low.

    This suggests that when empathy fails, leveraging marketing messages that highlight “resilience” could be another avenue worth exploring.

    Our research team is now exploring what types of “resilience” messages can encourage purchases of climate-affected produce.

    Australians have been conditioned for many years to expect only aesthetically pleasing fruit and vegetables.

    Given extreme weather events are unlikely to become less frequent in the future, climate-affected produce is likely here to stay. If we want consumers to embrace it, we need to have uncomfortable conversations around its different taste and texture, and rethink what we’re willing to accept.

    This research was supported by the University of Western Australia Business School Future Fund Research Grant.

    – ref. Climate-affected produce is here to stay. Here’s what it takes for consumers to embrace it – https://theconversation.com/climate-affected-produce-is-here-to-stay-heres-what-it-takes-for-consumers-to-embrace-it-248776

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Emergency response beacons can cut drownings at the beach – but 72% of people haven’t heard of them

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney

    Rob Brander

    Do you know what an emergency response beacon or “ERB” is? Do you know what it does? Do you know which beaches have one? If you answered “nope!” to any of those questions, you’re not alone – and that’s a problem.

    In short, an emergency response beacon basically consists of a telephone and camera that sits on a pole on a beach. These can be triggered with a button press by anybody who sees someone in trouble in the water or on the sand.

    In New South Wales, where emergency response beacons are located on some beaches, pressing the button puts you in immediate contact with a 24/7 duty officer at the Surf Life Saving New South Wales state operations centre.

    This duty officer can then talk with the person, give instructions and dispatch the nearest suitable emergency resources to that location. The beacons are solar powered and 4G/5G enabled.

    But our new research, recently published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, found only 28% of surveyed beachgoers have heard of emergency response beacons – and only half of those actually knew what they were for.

    Our findings show a clear need to better communicate with and educate the public about the purpose and location of emergency response beacons. Otherwise, these potential lifesaving devices might not be as effective as authorities assume.

    Why NSW installed ERBs

    In 2023-24 there were 61 coastal drowning deaths in NSW, representing a 27% increase from the previous year and a 33% increase above the ten-year average.

    Most of these coastal drowning deaths occurred at beaches (56%) and along rocky coastal locations (25%).

    All of them occurred away from patrolled areas or outside of patrol hours.

    The traditional response to keeping people safe in unpatrolled coastal locations has been to install various signs warning visitors about potential hazards such as rip currents.

    However, previous studies have highlighted these signs don’t always work – many people look past them or don’t understand them.

    In 2018, the NSW state government committed A$16 million over four years to install emergency response beacons at identified drowning hotspots.

    At least 53 have now been installed along the NSW coast, including at both unpatrolled and patrolled beaches, with additional funding available to install more units from 2024 to 2028.

    All will eventually have rescue tubes attached (a rescue tube is a flotation device often used in lifesaving efforts).

    This all sounds great, but how effective have emergency response beacons actually been in reducing drowning?

    Our new research, conducted by the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group on public awareness and understanding of emergency response beacons, has shown there is significant work to do.

    What we did and what we found

    Our study involved surveying 301 people at beaches along the NSW coast, both beaches with and without emergency response beacons, and both unpatrolled and patrolled.

    Only 28% of the surveyed beachgoers had actually heard of emergency response beacons.

    Of those, only half (54%) actually knew what they were for and 50% were not aware if the beach they were visiting had one installed.

    Most people who were aware of the beacons (82%) lived within ten kilometres from the coast and had learned about them from direct experience visiting a beach with a beacon. In other words, they were locals.

    Given that between 2014 and 2024, 73% of coastal drowning deaths were associated with visitors who lived more than ten kilometres from the location where they drowned, this finding suggests that knowledge of emergency response beacons may not be getting through to the people who need it most.

    Our results also showed that, after being briefed about their purpose, most people (72%) surveyed thought that emergency response beacons were a great idea.

    At least 53 ERBs have now been installed along the NSW coast.
    Rob Brander

    Concerningly, though, people with lower swimming abilities said they’d feel safer and more likely to go in the water if they knew an emergency response beacon was there. This is definitely not the intended outcome at an unpatrolled beach, and suggests the presence of beacons may give some people an unjustified sense of safety and confidence.

    Collectively, our results suggest there is an urgent need for vastly improved communication to enhance public awareness and understanding of emergency response beacons to all types of visitors to beaches in NSW.

    People are using ERBs but more detail required

    Nevertheless, emergency response beacons are clearly being used. Earlier this summer, Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce said there had been more than “100 documented rescues and activations as a direct result of the ERBs being installed”. You can also find examples on social media of people using the beacons.

    Much like beach safety messaging in general, we need more evidence-based research to assist in the strategic placement of future emergency response beacons, including in other Australian states apart from NSW.

    The response times to emergency response beacon activations should also be examined in further detail; in areas with full mobile phone reception, it might be faster, easier and cheaper to alert emergency services by phoning 000.

    Ultimately, the best way to stay safe at a beach is to swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches.

    On unpatrolled beaches it really comes down to always thinking about beach safety, understanding and being aware of hazards like rip currents, knowing your own abilities and sticking to the mantra: “if in doubt, don’t go out”.

    If you want to learn more about emergency response beacons and their locations before venturing out to a beach in New South Wales, please visit the Surf Life Saving NSW website.

    Rob Brander receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the NSW State government, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) and Surfing NSW.

    – ref. Emergency response beacons can cut drownings at the beach – but 72% of people haven’t heard of them – https://theconversation.com/emergency-response-beacons-can-cut-drownings-at-the-beach-but-72-of-people-havent-heard-of-them-248676

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Peter Dutton is promising to slash the public service. Voters won’t know how many jobs are lost until after the election

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Podger, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, Australian National University

    Oakland Images/Shutterstock

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has doubled down on his commitment to sack thousands of public servants if he’s elected prime minister.

    Dutton has again highlighted the “wasteful” 36,000 increase in public service jobs under Labor, which he says has made the Australian Public service “bloated and inefficient”.

    While there is considerable political hyperbole and Trumpian allusions in Dutton’s statements, there are areas where legitimate savings could be made by whoever wins the coming election. That includes a second-term Albanese government, which would need to find efficiencies to offset promised wage increases.

    Dutton’s commitment

    Dutton unrealistically mentioned A$24 billion in potential savings over four years by reversing the growth in the number of new public service jobs since the last election.

    Dutton’s claim of 36,000 extra bureaucrats under the Albanese government is broadly correct. The latest State of the Service Report shows the ongoing workforce increased from 133,976 in June 2021 to 170,186 in June last year. This was offset by a reduction of around 4,000 non-ongoing employees.

    Labor has reduced the use of consultants and contractors, though at best those savings only partially offset the costs of the public service expansion.

    Reversing the net increase in costs in the next term of Parliament, however, will not be easy and could not be done immediately.

    In turn, Labor is hiring fewer consultants and contractors. Those numbers could rise again if permanent positions are axed under a Coalition government.

    Dutton is careful not to make any specific commitments regarding the number of jobs that would go nor the dollar savings involved. However, he and his shadow ministers have repeatedly referred to the 36,000 new positions under Labor.

    While the Coalition won’t be detailing any spending cuts until after the election, Dutton has alluded to US President Donald Trump’s playbook by targeting “culture, diversity and inclusion advisers”.

    Dutton contends these roles add to costs while providing little public service:

    Such positions, as I say, do nothing to improve the lives of everyday Australians.

    Putting the public service growth into context

    Despite Dutton’s combative language, the growth of the Australian Public Service is not nearly as dramatic as he claims, nor is it concentrated in Canberra.

    The State of the Service Report shows the Australian Public Service headcount is lower now (0.68%) as a percentage of the Australian population than it was in 2008 (0.75%). It is also a smaller share of the overall Australian workforce (1.36% compared to 1.52%).

    Despite Dutton’s often repeated claim that all of the additional public servants are based in Canberra, the proportion of the public service working in the capital has decreased to just 36.9%.

    The numbers back up the government’s claim that the expanded bureaucracy has delivered improvements to critical public services such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Veterans’ Affairs and Centrelink outside of Canberra.

    Labor has also committed to savings

    Despite its defence of the public service, a re-elected Labor government would also need to find efficiencies.

    The Australian Financial Review has drawn attention to the mid-year budget update, which forecast no growth in the public service wages bill from 2025–26 to 2027–28. This is despite an enterprise bargaining agreement to increase wages by 11.2% over the three years to March 2026.

    Finance and Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher has dismissed the Coalition’s claims of a $7.4 billion black hole. She says Labor’s forecasting method is the same as the one the Liberals used in government

    And the minister has restated Labor’s commitment to finding its own savings through the 1% efficiency dividend, which she says is “largely a good thing”.

    In other words, the Albanese government is assuming pay increases will be offset by efficiency measures over the next three years. That will require some effort.

    Where savings could actually be made

    Regardless of who forms the next government, there are savings to be made across the public service, which has become too top heavy.

    Remuneration is a mess, with extraordinary variations in pay, particularly among the senior executive level.

    A wholesale change in the membership of the Remuneration Tribunal, which sets public service pay levels, and a review of its methodology are much needed.

    There should also be more emphasis on skills and capability, and less on diversity. A strong business case exists to maximise the talent pool the public service draws on, but care is needed to not compromise the merit principle in the pursuit of equity.

    Dutton’s plan raises legitimate concerns

    Dutton’s populist rhetoric about the public service raises legitimate concerns beyond the potential job cuts.

    There’s a real risk the Coalition will resurrect its ideological preference for the private sector, with its associated extra costs and conflicts of interest.

    Nor is there any clear commitment to avoiding a return to the politicisation of the bureaucracy evident under former prime minister Scott Morrison, which contributed to the Robodebt scandal.

    The Albanese government has sadly dropped the ball by failing to legislate to promote merit-based appointments, leaving open opportunities for politically based hirings and firings.

    With election day fast approaching, voters may reasonably be wary of both sides of politics when it comes to the independence and performance of the public service.

    Andrew Podger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Peter Dutton is promising to slash the public service. Voters won’t know how many jobs are lost until after the election – https://theconversation.com/peter-dutton-is-promising-to-slash-the-public-service-voters-wont-know-how-many-jobs-are-lost-until-after-the-election-248897

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: OpenAI says DeepSeek ‘inappropriately’ copied ChatGPT – but it’s facing copyright claims too

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lea Frermann, Senior Lecturer in Natural Language Processing, The University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne

    TA Design/Shutterstock

    Until a few weeks ago, few people in the Western world had heard of a small Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company known as DeepSeek. But on January 20, it captured global attention when it released a new AI model called R1.

    R1 is a “reasoning” model, meaning it works through tasks step by step and details its working process to a user. It is a more advanced version of DeepSeek’s V3 model, which was released in December. DeepSeek’s new offering is almost as powerful as rival company OpenAI’s most advanced AI model o1, but at a fraction of the cost.

    Within days, DeepSeek’s app surpassed ChatGPT in new downloads and set stock prices of tech companies in the United States tumbling. It also led OpenAI to claim that its Chinese rival had effectively pilfered some of the crown jewels from OpenAI’s models to build its own.

    In a statement to the New York Times, the company said:

    We are aware of and reviewing indications that DeepSeek may have inappropriately distilled our models, and will share information as we know more. We take aggressive, proactive countermeasures to protect our technology and will continue working closely with the US government to protect the most capable models being built here.

    The Conversation approached DeepSeek for comment, but it did not respond.

    But even if DeepSeek copied – or, in scientific parlance, “distilled” – at least some of ChatGPT to build R1, it’s worth remembering that OpenAI also stands accused of disrespecting intellectual property while developing its models.

    What is distillation?

    Model distillation is a common machine learning technique in which a smaller “student model” is trained on predictions of a larger and more complex “teacher model”.

    When completed, the student may be nearly as good as the teacher but will represent the teacher’s knowledge more effectively and compactly.

    To do so, it is not necessary to access the inner workings of the teacher. All one needs to pull off this trick is to ask the teacher model enough questions to train the student.

    This is what OpenAI claims DeepSeek has done: queried OpenAI’s o1 at a massive scale and used the observed outputs to train DeepSeek’s own, more efficient models.

    A fraction of the resources

    DeepSeek claims that both the training and usage of R1 required only a fraction of the resources needed to develop their competitors’ best models.

    There are reasons to be sceptical of some of the company’s marketing hype – for example, a new independent report suggests the hardware spend on R1 was as high as US$500 million. But even so, DeepSeek was still built very quickly and efficiently compared with rival models.

    This might be because DeepSeek distilled OpenAI’s output. However, there is currently no method to prove this conclusively. One method that is in the early stages of development is watermarking AI outputs. This adds invisible patterns to the outputs, similar to those applied to copyrighted images. There are various ways to do this in theory, but none is effective or efficient enough to have made it into practice.

    There are other reasons that help explain DeepSeek’s success, such as the company’s deep and challenging technical work.

    The technical advances made by DeepSeek included taking advantage of less powerful but cheaper AI chips (also called graphical processing units, or GPUs).

    DeepSeek had no choice but to adapt after the US has banned firms from exporting the most powerful AI chips to China.

    While Western AI companies can buy these powerful units, the export ban forced Chinese companies to innovate to make the best use of cheaper alternatives.

    The US has banned the export of the most powerful computer chips to China.
    Nor Gal/Shutterstock

    A series of lawsuits

    OpenAI’s terms of use explicitly state nobody may use its AI models to develop competing products. However, its own models are trained on massive datasets scraped from the web. These datasets contained a substantial amount of copyrighted material, which OpenAI says it is entitled to use on the basis of “fair use”:

    Training AI models using publicly available internet materials is fair use, as supported by long-standing and widely accepted precedents. We view this principle as fair to creators, necessary for innovators, and critical for US competitiveness.

    This argument will be tested in court. Newspapers, musicians, authors and other creatives have filed a series of lawsuits against OpenAI on the grounds of copyright infringement.

    Of course, this is quite distinct to what OpenAI accuses DeepSeek of doing. Nevertheless OpenAI isn’t attracting much sympathy for its claim that DeepSeek illegitimately harvested its model output.

    The war of words and lawsuits is an artefact of how the rapid advance of AI has outpaced the development of clear legal rules for the industry. And while these recent events might reduce the power of AI incumbents, much hinges on the outcome of the various ongoing legal disputes.

    Shaking up the global conversation

    DeepSeek has shown it is possible to develop state-of-the-art models cheaply and efficiently. Whether they can compete with OpenAI on a level playing field remains to be seen.

    Over the weekend, OpenAI attempted to demonstrate its supremacy by publicly releasing its most advanced consumer model, o3-mini.

    OpenAI claims this model substantially outperforms even its own previous market-leading version, o1, and is the “most cost-efficient model in our reasoning series”.

    These developments herald an era of increased choice for consumers, with a diversity of AI models on the market. This is good news for users: competitive pressures will make models cheaper to use.

    And the benefits extend further.

    Training and using these models places a massive strain on global energy consumption. As these models become more ubiquitous, we all benefit from improvements to their efficiency.

    DeepSeek’s rise certainly marks new territory for building models more cheaply and efficiently. Perhaps it will also shake up the global conversation on how AI companies should collect and use their training data.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. OpenAI says DeepSeek ‘inappropriately’ copied ChatGPT – but it’s facing copyright claims too – https://theconversation.com/openai-says-deepseek-inappropriately-copied-chatgpt-but-its-facing-copyright-claims-too-248863

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Dementia: why prescription drugs like antibiotics and vaccines have been linked to lower risk of the disease

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rahul Sidhu, PhD Candidate, Neuroscience, University of Sheffield

    Antibiotics, antivirals and anti-inflammatory drugs were all associated with reduced dementia risk Slladkaya/ Shutterstock

    There’s currently no cure for dementia. Although some recently developed drugs show promise in slowing the progress of the disease, these are both costly and may have limited benefit for many patients.

    However, a recent Cambridge-led study has found a link between commonly used prescription drugs – including antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines – and a lower risk of dementia.

    Given these drugs are already licensed and their safety profiles well established, this could enable faster and more cost-effective clinical trials in the search for a cure.

    The study analysed health data from 130 million people, including one million people who had been diagnosed with dementia. Having identified possible links with prescription drugs and dementia risk, the researchers conducted a systematic review of 14 studies to explore these links further and understand which prescription drugs might affect dementia outcomes.

    This led them to the conclusion that antibiotics, antivirals and anti-inflammatory drugs were all associated with reduced dementia risk. The researchers also found a link between the hepatitis A, typhoid and diphtheria vaccines and lower dementia risk.

    It’s unknown how long participants had been taking any of these prescription drugs or how many times they’d been prescribed them during their lifetime, so it will be important for future studies to investigate these factors.

    Immune reponse and brain health

    Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that the protective effects that these prescription drugs appear to have may be because they reduce inflammation, control infections and improve overall brain health.

    This supports the theory that common types of dementia could be triggered by viral or bacterial infections. We know that infections that last a few days to several weeks, whether bacterial or viral, can cause great damage to the brain. This is because infections cause an enhanced immune response from the body, which can damage brain cells – disrupting brain connections and accelerating memory decline.

    Antibiotics and antivirals help to combat infections.

    Antivirals and antibiotics help combat infections, which in turn may dampen this excessive immune response. Meanwhile, vaccines can prevent these infections from occurring in the first place. In both cases, this can significantly reduce the risk of prolonged infections and their potentially devastating consequences for brain health.

    It’s also worth noting that other studies have also shown an association between the BCG vaccine, which protects against tuberculosis, and a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s (a type of dementia).



    Read more:
    My work investigating the links between viruses and Alzheimer’s disease was dismissed for years – but now the evidence is building

    Inflammation and dementia risk

    Regarding the new study’s finding of a link between the use of anti-inflammatory medications and a reduced risk of dementia, notably non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen were identified as potentially protecting against memory decline.

    Again, this is another piece of evidence suggesting that inflammation plays a central role in dementia.Inflammation is the body’s natural way of defending itself against injury or infection. But when inflammation lasts too long, it can cause harm – particularly to the brain. Long-lasting inflammation releases chemicals that can damage healthy tissue. These chemicals can damage brain cells and disrupt communication between them, which leads to memory loss.

    Anti-inflammatory drugs work by blocking the production of certain molecules that cause inflammation. By doing this, they might help protect brain cells from damage caused by long-term inflammation.

    Next steps

    The evidence for the benefits of other types of drugs on dementia risk was less consistent. The study found that certain blood-pressure drugs, antidepressants and diabetes drugs were linked to both a lower and higher risk of dementia.

    One possible reason is that these prescription drugs affect different biological processes. Even drugs designed to treat the same condition may target different biological mechanisms, which might explain the varying results.

    For example, some blood pressure medications – such as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) – improve brain health by enhancing blood flow and reducing inflammation. On the other hand, beta-blockers primarily lower heart rate and may not provide the same neuroprotective benefits.

    Diabetes drugs also had mixed associations with dementia risk. But as people with diabetes are already at a higher risk of developing dementia, this makes it difficult to determine whether this association was due to the effects of the drugs themselves, or if diabetes is the main factor at play.

    Overall, more research is needed to confirm this study’s findings and better understand how all these drugs appear to influence dementia risk. Randomised controlled trials will be crucial to see if these prescription drugs really can be repurposed to prevent dementia effectively. At the same time, looking into the biological mechanisms that are potentially affected by these drugs could shed light on the causes of dementia.

    This research highlights the importance of addressing inflammation and infections as part of a broader strategy for maintaining brain health. And by finding new uses for existing drugs, scientists could deliver treatments to patients more quickly – offering hope in the fight against dementia.

    Rahul Sidhu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Dementia: why prescription drugs like antibiotics and vaccines have been linked to lower risk of the disease – https://theconversation.com/dementia-why-prescription-drugs-like-antibiotics-and-vaccines-have-been-linked-to-lower-risk-of-the-disease-248041

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: A Dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli Former Combatants | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Two former combatants on opposing sides of the decades-old conflict between Palestinians and Israel have come to together to discuss how Israeli Jews and Palestinians can live side by side in peace. Given the brutality of the recent conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, it has become increasingly difficult to imagine a durable peace. Yet, that remains the aim of a remarkable grassroots organization called Combatants for Peace.

    The organization, which has been nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes, is made up of Israelis and Palestinians who once embraced violence but have since turned to peace and dialogue as the only solution to healing the wounds of both communities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mrROtHtIH4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Hassan, Collins, Britt, Smith Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Maternal Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Tina Smith (D-MN) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to support rural health care facilities in providing urgent obstetric care.

    “No pregnant woman should struggle to access quality, affordable health care they need because of their zip code,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will provide targeted support so that health care facilities in rural New Hampshire and rural communities across the country can get the equipment, training, and resources that they need, and is an important step in ensuring that, no matter where they live, Granite State women can access high quality care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.”

    “The closure of labor and delivery units in rural Maine and throughout the nation is an urgent issue that threatens the health and safety of mothers and babies,” said Senator Collins. “By creating new opportunities to improve obstetric readiness in rural communities through skills training, workforce development, and telehealth partnerships, this bipartisan legislation would help reduce care gaps and better ensure that more rural Maine communities have access to the maternal care they need.”

    “Alabama women deserve access to high-quality care throughout their pregnancy journeys, no matter their zip code,” said Senator Britt. “The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act would equip rural hospitals with the tools, training, and resources to deliver urgent obstetric care throughout Alabama. I’m proud to join Senators Hassan, Collins, and Smith in reintroducing this critical, bipartisan legislation to support moms and families across our nation.”

    “Regardless of where new and expecting moms live, they should be able to access high-quality health care in their community. But right now, too many women in rural areas don’t have a nearby hospital with adequate labor and delivery services,” said Senator Smith. “I’ve heard from Minnesotans who have to drive hours, sometimes in dangerous conditions like Minnesota snowstorms, just to get to care. It is time to invest in preventing these closures that keep rural families from accessing the quality care they need.”

    The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act would help rural hospitals and doctors prepare to handle the obstetric emergencies that come through their doors by:

    • Creating training programs to help non-specialists respond to emergencies like labor and delivery
    • Providing federal grants for rural facilities to buy better equipment to train for and handle these emergencies
    • And developing a pilot program for teleconsultation services, so that a doctor at a rural facility helping an expecting or postpartum mother facing an emergency can quickly consult with maternal health care experts

    Last year, Senator Hassan announced the introduction of this legislation during a roundtable at Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, New Hampshire—which has a birthing unit and could be eligible for a grant through Senator Hassan’s bill. Eleven maternity wards have closed in New Hampshire in the last two decades, and in recent years the median driving time to a labor & delivery unit has doubled to about 40 minutes—which can jeopardize a woman’s health and the health of her baby in emergency situations.

    Senator Hassan has led efforts to ensure that new and expecting mothers have access to high-quality health care. Senator Hassan and the New Hampshire Congressional delegation also had previously announced nearly $1 million in federal funding for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to strengthen maternal health care in the North Country. Thanks to Senator Hassan’s bipartisan legislation to improve mental health for new mothers, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health in 2023 and Senators Hassan and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) also previously introduced the Healthy Moms and Babies Act to strengthen health care for women before, after, and during childbirth. 

    Full text of this legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Lee, Lummis Reintroduce the Knife Owners Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) reintroduced the Knife Owners Protection Act (KOPA), legislation that would protect knife owners traveling across state lines from changing state and local laws. If possession of the knife is legal in the state where the journey starts and ends, and provided the knife is secured in accordance with the requirements set in KOPA, knife owners would no longer be threatened with arrest simply for traveling from one state to another.
    Originally introduced in 2013, KOPA serves as the first proactive pro-knife federal legislation in the nation’s history. In 1986, Congress enacted the Firearm Owner Protection Act (FOPA) to protect law-abiding gun owners from an inconsistent patchwork of local laws, but no such protections currently exist for knife owners.
    “Let’s make sure conflicting state laws are not the basis for arresting an honest American,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill eliminates that uncertainty.”
    “Patchwork and unclear knife laws across America endanger the rights of law-abiding knife owners, especially when traveling,” said Senator Lee. “This legislation will provide consistency and clarity for Americans who safely transport knives between jurisdictions and prevent capricious prosecutions against them.”
    “Those who travel across the country with knives for work, recreation and self-defense are presently subject to arrest and prosecution under a confusing patchwork of inconsistent state and local laws,” said Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter. “What is perfectly legal in one place may be a serious crime in another, resulting in forfeiture of the knife and carrying significant penalties including jail time. Enforcement is not uniform even within jurisdictions and is too often subject to the vagaries of political expediency.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces He Will Vote to Confirm RFK, Jr.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement announcing he will vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy to serve as the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
    “I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,” said Dr. Cassidy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name release: Fatal crash Acacia Bay, Taupō

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can now release the names of the two people who died following a crash in Acacia Bay, Taupō on Friday 17 January.

    They were Purity Anne Te Pairi and Tamatoa Kimi, both aged 19, from Taupo.

    Our thoughts are with the whānau of those involved.

    Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Firearms and ammunition recovered in Levin

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police have recovered stolen firearms and a large amount of ammunition from a house in Foxton, thanks to two members of the public making the decision to call 111.

    Horowhenua Prevention Manager Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Vine says thanks to those calls, Police have prevented weapons and ammunition falling into the wrong hands.

    The calls were made about 7:30am on Tuesday 4 February.

    “A young man was seen going between houses carrying armfuls of firearms. They thought it was strange so got in touch with us.”

    A Police team went to the Mark Perreau Place property where they located an 18-year-old Foxton man, 5 firearms and a large amount of ammunition.

    “The firearms and ammo had been stolen a day earlier. To get that tip off from a member of the public is just fantastic – they’ve prevented these weapons from getting into the wrong hands and all the harm that goes with that.”

    The 18-year-old Foxton man was taken into custody without incident. He has been charged with burglary, four counts of unlawfully possessing a firearm, two counts of unlawfully possessing ammunition, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard, and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.

    He is due to appear in the Levin District Court today (5 January). 

    Acting Senior Sergeant Vine urged anyone who sees suspicious behaviour to report it.

    “If it looks illegal, dodgy, or strange, tell us. Call 111 if it’s happening now, or make a report to 105 if it’s after the fact. Your call could make a huge difference.”

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Admits Drug Trafficking Offense And Possessing Firearm In Furtherance Of Drug Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – An East Orange, New Jersey man today admitted possessing quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine he intended to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Ibraheem Muhammad, 41, of East Orange, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an Indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Law enforcement investigated Muhammad for his drug distribution from an apartment in East Orange (the “Residence”).  On May 9, 2022, Muhammad was arrested on a warrant after law enforcement saw him exit the Residence and engage in a suspected drug transaction.  He was caught in possession of numerous envelopes of suspected heroin and keys to the Residence.  A subsequent search of the Residence revealed Muhammad to be in possession of controlled substances that subsequently lab tested positive for heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, and various glassine envelopes and other paraphernalia used for packaging drugs.  Law enforcement also recovered approximately $14,000 in cash; a Girsan 9mm semi-automatic handgun, loaded with fourteen (14) rounds of 9mm ammunition; and an additional fifteen (15) rounds of 9mm ammunition.  

    The drug charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.  The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.  The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge carries a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., Newark Field Division; and the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Maurice Boyd.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Indicted for Selling and Smuggling Firearms to Buyers in Saudi Arabia

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLEVELAND – A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging a Viroqua, Wisconsin, man for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.

    According to allegations in the indictment, Mark John Buschman, 60, conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.

    Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them, by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon and elsewhere, without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.

    Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as non-mailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement.

    If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland Office (of the Pittsburgh Division), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Elements of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also assisted HSI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J.  Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio. Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan of the Western District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney’s Office, assisted during the investigation of this case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Defendants Indicted for Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted four Birmingham men with multiple crimes related to three separate carjacking events in Jefferson County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. 

    Those indicted in January include:

    • Dearrius Dontrell Pace, 30, who was charged with carjacking and kidnapping. This incident occurred on July 16, 2024;
    • Charles Avery Pruitt, 22, who was charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  This incident occurred on July 10, 2024; and
    • Kyone D’Mias Harris and Brandon Taylor Ezell, both 24, who were charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  This incident occurred in October 2024.

    FBI investigated each case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys John G. Camp, Daniel S. McBrayer, and Darius C. Greene are prosecuting these cases.

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder Money in Connection with $100 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greensboro, NC – Chaudhry Shabbir Ahmed pled guilty on Monday, February 3, 2025, to conspiring to launder over $3 million in connection with a $100 million dollar health care fraud scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon.

    According to court documents, Ahmed conspired with another individual to represent himself as the owner of two durable medical equipment businesses—Dune Medical Supply, LLC located in High Point, North Carolina and Prospect Health Solutions, Inc. located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ahmed and a co-conspirator used a sham purchase agreement to make it appear as though Ahmed owned and operated these companies, even though the co-conspirator continued to control the companies. Once Ahmed was listed on relevant documents as the sole owner of Dune and Prospect, including documents submitted to Medicare, Dune and Prospect collectively submitted more than $100 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. The claims were submitted between April 2024 and August 2024 for durable medical equipment that Medicare beneficiaries never received, requested, or needed, or that the provider never ordered.

    Before the scheme was discovered, Medicare electronically deposited more than $33 million in claim reimbursements into bank accounts held in the name of Dune and Prospect at various financial institutions. Ahmed had access to these accounts and would withdraw fraud proceeds in cash at bank branches. For example, on June 30, 2024, Ahmed withdrew $400,000 in cash from Prospect’s bank account and on August 9, 2024, Ahmed withdrew $500,000 in cash from Prospect’s bank account.

    As part of the plea agreement, Ahmed agreed to forfeit over $17.6 million dollars that was seized during the investigation, as well as a Rolex watch and cryptocurrency.

    Sentencing is scheduled to take place on June 24, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina, before Chief United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles. At sentencing, Ahmed faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties.

    The Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Mayer, JoAnna McFadden, and Ashley Waid.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Electric vehicle batteries can last almost 40% longer in the real world than in lab tests

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology

    AU USAnakul/Shutterstock

    When we see “tested under laboratory conditions”, we often assume real-world conditions will lead to faster degradation of a product.

    But experts from Stanford University have found the opposite is true for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Their new research shows traditional laboratory testing leads to faster degradation, while real-world use gives substantially more battery life, extending the lifespan of the entire EV. Researchers found the stop-start way we drive and the variable rate the battery discharges power actually prolongs battery life by up to 38% compared to traditional tests.

    This is good news for EV drivers – and for efforts to electrify transport. This extra battery life would translate to more than 300,000 more kilometres an EV could drive before needing battery replacement, the researchers say.

    Longer-lasting batteries would reduce the total cost of EV ownership – and benefit the environment by getting more use out of each battery.

    How do we usually test battery degradation?

    Common battery chemistries such as lithium-ion will degrade over time. As lithium ions shuttle back and forth across the electrode, some will be diverted or trapped. As batteries age, they don’t hold as much charge.

    So how do you measure this?

    When you make an EV battery, you don’t want to spend 20 years testing its longevity before release. To test batteries more quickly, researchers have tended to estimate battery degradation rates by using a constant rate of battery discharge. Studies of EV battery degradation are normally done in a laboratory environment under controlled conditions.

    In the lab, researchers subject the battery to rapidly repeated charge-discharge cycles. Power is discharged at a constant rate. Observing the gradual drop in capacity gives us the degradation levels over time. This is how we get estimates such as “retains 80% capacity in ten years time”.

    But while this method is widely used, it has limitations. Discharging power at a constant rate is not how we really drive. We might accelerate fast to get onto the freeway, spend lots of time accelerating and braking in stop-start traffic, or do a quick run to several shops. Plus, much of the time the battery is not being used. Instead of a constant drain on the battery, it’s a mix.

    What the Stanford researchers have done is test EV batteries in realistic ways, imitating the way we actually drive. This is known as “dynamic cycle testing”.

    Mimicking real world use

    To replicate real-world usage and driving patterns, the Stanford team designed different discharge patterns for EV batteries, some based on real driving data. The researchers then tested 92 commercial lithium-ion batteries for more than two years across the different profiles.

    The results showed batteries tested using real life scenarios degraded substantially slower than expected and had higher battery expectancy than those tested under lab conditions. Even better, the more realistic the battery use, the slower the battery degraded.

    Battery researchers have long assumed rapid acceleration is bad for battery life. But this isn’t the case. Short acceleration and regenerative braking – where EVs charge their batteries during braking – were actually associated with slower battery degradation rates.

    Is this backed up in practice?

    A number of other recent studies have looked at how batteries perform in practice using data from EVs in operation, including commercial vehicles. These studies also found correlations between real-world use and lower battery degradation rates.

    A 2024 report by GEOTAB researchers used telematic remote monitoring to get data from 10,000 EVs. The study found improved battery technology is leading to slower degradation. Newer EVs lose about 1.8% of their health per year – a sharp drop compared to the 2.3% degradation rate in 2019.

    Several factors influenced battery longevity other than use patterns. One of these is worth noting – frequent use of DC fast chargers by high-use vehicles is linked to faster battery degradation. The effect is more notable in hot climates. By contrast, slower “level 2” charging is better for battery longevity. Overall, the researchers found the best way to prolong battery life was to keep charge between 20% and 80%, reduce exposure to extreme temperatures and limit fast charging.

    You can prolong battery life still further by avoiding overuse of DC fast chargers and extreme temperatures.
    Halfpoint/Shutterstock

    Another 2024 report analysed the batteries of 7,000 EVs used intensively over 3-5 years. The report found lower degradation rates than expected.

    This report found most batteries still had had good capacity (more than 80%) even after propelling vehicles more than 200,000 km. Factors such as use patterns, advances in cell chemistry and optimised battery management were also found to influence battery ageing.

    What does this mean for the EV transition?

    These results suggest EV owners may not need to replace expensive battery packs for several additional years. Over the lifetime of an EV, this means lower operating costs.

    The findings are also encouraging for fleet operators. Batteries in high-mileage commercial EVs should remain reliable even after heavy use.

    Car manufacturers and technology providers can benefit by updating their EV battery management software to take these findings into account. This would help to increase battery longevity under real-world conditions.

    Fewer battery replacements will mean fewer batteries to recycle. Once removed from the vehicle, EV batteries can be used to store energy for homes or businesses for years. These findings suggest a longer and more reliable second life for the batteries.

    In recent years, the electric vehicle transition has hit a couple of speedbumps. Cost-of-living pressures and uncertainty about charging have seen more Australians take up hybrids than pure electric vehicles.

    These findings may help reassure drivers interested in electric vehicles but unsure about battery lifespan.

    Hussein Dia receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the iMOVE Australia Cooperative Research Centre, Transport for New South Wales, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

    – ref. Electric vehicle batteries can last almost 40% longer in the real world than in lab tests – https://theconversation.com/electric-vehicle-batteries-can-last-almost-40-longer-in-the-real-world-than-in-lab-tests-248557

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: USAid shutdown isn’t just a humanitarian issue – it’s a threat to American interests

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

    The website for the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), the world’s biggest aid donor, has gone dark.

    Donald Trump’s new administration plans to place the autonomous agency under the control of the state department. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has now declared himself as head of the agency to “align” it with Trump’s priorities.

    Several days ago, on January 26, Rubio said: “Every dollar we spend, every programme we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”

    But the decision to freeze USAid, which is part of Trump’s policy to put “America first”, places everyone at risk. Organisations that provide vital care for vulnerable people around the world are being forced to halt operations. The boss of one such organisation said: “People will die.”

    Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to Trump, is playing an active role in the destruction of USAid. He has claimed – without providing any evidence – that the agency is “beyond repair”. “It needs to die,” Musk wrote on X.

    Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), is gearing to cut trillions of dollars from the US budget. However, by seeing cuts to USAid as a solution, Trump and Musk are catering to an audience that has a fundamental misunderstanding about US foreign aid more generally.

    Surveys demonstrate that Americans believe 25% of the federal budget is spent on foreign aid. In reality, the US gives about 0.2% of its gross national product (GNP), the total value of goods and services produced by a country, to foreign aid – or less than 1% of its federal budget. This is far below the UN target of 0.7% of GNP.

    But, despite this, USAid provided 42% of all humanitarian aid globally in 2024. This included about US$72 billion (£58 billion) in aid in a wide range of areas, from helping people access clean water, sanitation, healthcare and energy, to providing disaster relief, shelter and food.

    USAid also delivered programmes aimed at supporting democracy, civil society, economic development and landmine clearance in war zones, as well as working to prevent organised crime, terrorism and conflict. The gutting of USAid will have a profound impact on human security.

    The Trump administration has granted a waiver for the continuation of “life-saving humanitarian assistance”. This includes a programme that helps 20 million people living with HIV/Aids access anti-retroviral drugs. But there are questions about the future of US Aids organisation, the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar).

    To date, over 43 million people worldwide have died from Aids. But one of the biggest success stories of the George W. Bush administration was its launch of Pepfar in 2003. The World Health Organization says that Pepfar, working in partnership with USAid, has saved 26 million lives.

    Pepfar employs more than 250,000 doctors, nurses and other staff across 55 countries. One of the functions that USAid performs is ordering and procuring the drugs used by Pepfar to keep the millions infected with HIV alive. It remains to be seen whether federal payments to USAid’s locally run partner organisations will be stopped.

    We are, in any case, likely to see an uptick in other infectious diseases. USAid had been working to prevent current outbreaks of mpox and Marburg virus from spreading beyond Africa. It is not clear what the future is for these programmes.

    And USAid’s work with malaria, a disease that kills about 450,000 children under the age of five each year, is facing uncertainty. From 2000 to 2021, USAid’s work helped to prevent 7.6 million deaths from malaria. Also in doubt is USAid’s work to develop and implement the malaria vaccine, which was considered a gamechanger for combating the disease.

    At the same time, USAid responds to an average of 65 natural disasters each year. In 2024 alone, it responded to 84 separate crises across 66 different countries. The government is letting go all of the staff important for implementing these types of programmes.

    Dozens of senior USAid officials have been placed on leave, while contractors working on the agency’s programmes have been furloughed. Up to 3,000 aid workers in Washington DC could reportedly be laid off this week.

    What Trump’s team misunderstand is that the work of USAid is also vital for preserving American interests. China, which has poured more than US$1 trillion of assistance into infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America since 2013, will now be given an opportunity to exert more influence around the world. The void in US aid is a gift for China in the battle for soft power.

    White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, lists some of what she calls the ‘insane priorities’ that USAid has been spending money on.

    Global aid sector in disarray

    Foreign aid relies on certainty and transparency about the future of aid programmes. But the Trump administration has offered little clarity while US foreign aid programmes are all being reviewed. One aid organisation referred to the situation as an “absolute dumpster fire” due to the uncertainty.

    There have already been reports of total confusion in health clinics previously supported by USAid, which were shut down without warning. Africa will probably be the region most negatively affected. Local workers in healthcare-related projects on the continent will lose their jobs, while nurses, doctors and healthcare workers across clinics will be unable to continue their vital work.

    The Democrats have claimed that Trump does not have the legal authority to eradicate a congressionally funded independent agency. They have said court challenges are already in motion and have pledged to try to block approval of Trump’s state department nominations until the shutdown is reversed.

    Trump did try to cut US foreign aid during his first term, but Congress refused. He then tried – and ultimately failed – to freeze the flow of aid appropriated by Congress. This time, Trump is not bothering to play by the rules.

    Natasha Lindstaedt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. USAid shutdown isn’t just a humanitarian issue – it’s a threat to American interests – https://theconversation.com/usaid-shutdown-isnt-just-a-humanitarian-issue-its-a-threat-to-american-interests-248939

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ofsted report cards are a superficial change – the inspectorate needs a culture shift

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Clapham, Associate Professor of Education Policy, Nottingham Trent University

    Ofsted, England’s education inspectorate, has released proposals for a new approach to inspecting schools and other education providers. The proposals are now under consultation, with parents, teachers, education professionals and learners invited to share their views.

    These proposals mark the latest changes to Ofsted after the public outcry following the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry in January 2023. The coroner’s report in December 2023 ruled that the Ofsted inspection had contributed to Perry’s suicide. But the proposals neglect key areas that we, having researched people’s experiences of Ofsted, believe should change. These include the behaviour of inspectors and the process of inspecting schools.

    Crucially, the proposal document emphasises the continuing importance and authority of Ofsted in raising achievement in the school system. And in a recent speech on the proposals, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The improvements in inspection and accountability starting in the 90s have been instrumental for raising standards in our schools. With Ofsted’s role right at its heart. And to those who call for the abolition of a strong, independent, effective inspectorate, I have said before and I will say again: never.”

    Our current research work, analysing written submissions of experiences of Ofsted to the education select committee, has found a stark picture of the inherently unfair and unhealthy nature of Ofsted inspections and the toll they take on teachers.

    Ofsted’s chief inspector Martyn Oliver explains the proposed report cards.

    Anticipating an Ofsted inspection informs almost everything teachers do, and under these proposals, this will not change. If Ofsted’s position of power and authority over schools remains and these problems stay unaddressed, it will continue to cause risk and harm to those working in the state education sector in England.

    Report cards

    Central to the proposed changes is the introduction of report cards, which will replace a system which gave schools a headline judgement of “inadequate”, “requires improvement”, “good” or “outstanding”. Instead, a range of aspects of a school’s remit – including leadership and governance, achievement, inclusion, attendance and personal development and wellbeing – will each be assessed on a five-point scale.

    These range from “causing concern” (red on the report card) to “attention needed” (amber), “secure” (light green), “strong” (green) and “exemplary” (dark green).

    These grading scales will also focus on how schools support disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, and there will be more emphasis on the local circumstances which schools operate in. Whether a school meets its safeguarding responsibilities will be assessed not on a scale but as either “met” or “not met”.

    Ofsted will also publish contextual data on the school. These data will include categories such as the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities, performance data, attendance and absence data along with socio-economic indicators for the area the school serves.

    But concerns are already being raised. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union the NAHT, has argued that the new system will repeat the high stakes of the previous single-word judgements.

    Inspector behaviour and accountability

    There are two specific areas where we believe the new proposals have particularly failed. The first concerns inspectors’ conduct.

    Ofsted’s chief inspector Martyn Oliver has maintained that Ofsted needs to become more empathic and respectful, emphasising the moral and professional duty of inspectors.

    The consultation document states that “professional dialogue between inspectors and leaders will be a priority”. But the appalling behaviour that has been alleged of some inspectors is not acknowledged, and there is no indication as to how this culture of harm is being addressed.

    The second concerns the inspection process. There is no mention of Ofsted becoming more accountable. In her independent learning review for Ofsted, former chief inspector Dame Christine Gilbert recommended the institution of an improved complaints system for when a school believes an inspection outcome is unfair. But this is not mentioned in the proposals.

    Neither is there any consideration of sharing the evidence base – the information gathered by Ofsted inspectors during their visit to a school – on which an inspection judgement is made. Presumably this would be too time consuming, as suggested by Amanda Spielman, another previous chief inspector of Ofsted.

    It is perhaps unsurprising that Ruth Perry’s sister, Julia Waters, has commented that the risk of harm from Ofsted remains.

    We would therefore seek far more than a simple rebrand of the previous Ofsted model. Only a root and branch reform of the inspectorate would address the fundamental issues affecting teachers and schools.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ofsted report cards are a superficial change – the inspectorate needs a culture shift – https://theconversation.com/ofsted-report-cards-are-a-superficial-change-the-inspectorate-needs-a-culture-shift-249037

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK would be lucky to avoid US tariffs – but a global trade war would hurt everyone

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

    Below the Sky/Shutterstock

    The first weeks of the Donald Trump’s administration have been marked by a flurry of announcements and U-turns on US trade policy.

    One of the first decrees centred on Trump’s favourite word: tariffs. He announced that US consumers and businesses would be taxed an extra 25% when they bought Canadian or Mexican products. (Canadian oil got off more lightly, with a 10% tariff.)

    But because this is Donald Trump we’re talking about, it later emerged that none of this was actually happening, for now. It might be next month, or later, or maybe not at all.

    However, US residents definitely face an additional 10% on the cost of products from China. There is also a plan for a 100% tax on semiconductors from Taiwan.

    And President Trump announced new import taxes will “definitely happen” on products from the European Union. If these do ever come to pass, it’s possible there may be a better deal for the UK.

    The reason for the possible Great British exemption from new US import taxes is that the stated goal of these taxes is to reduce the US trade deficit. This deficit refers to the fact that the US buys much more from the rest of the world than the rest of the world buys from it.

    And, depending on how we measure the financial flows coming in and out of tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands, the UK is one of the few countries in a position to make the case that it actually has a trade deficit with the US (the UK buys more from the US than the US buys from it).

    What about consumers?

    Being able to avoid new US tariffs would be very good news for the UK. If the US imposed import taxes on UK products and services, it would be bad for their consumers, who end up paying more. But it would also be bad for UK industry. Moreover, the UK would likely retaliate and tax US products, ultimately hurting British consumers as well.

    In theory, the UK miraculously escaping new US import taxes might even mean it indirectly benefits from a trade war between the US and the EU. If the UK can sell and buy more cheaply to both sides while they tax each other, it becomes more competitive. The UK would also get its imports more cheaply, and international businesses may want to establish subsidiaries in the UK.

    It is interesting to imagine a world in which a medium-sized, free trade supporting country like the UK ends up the winner of a global commercial war between its two most important trading partners.

    Things are not that simple however. Research shows that a major impact of tariffs is changes in global supply chains.

    As the UK has learned the hard way with Brexit, modern supply chains are increasingly interconnected. British exports are typically made with components from the European continent, which are themselves made with Chinese inputs.

    Additional costs anywhere in the chain result in more expensive products. Moreover, it is not clear that UK products made with EU and Chinese components would be exempt from US import tax.

    Disruption to supply chains could force up the cost of UK exports.
    Peter Titmuss/Shutterstock

    This is a global problem. For every final product a UK consumer ends up buying, there are many firms trying to source the best possible components and materials to make it with. If the US levies a 100% tax on chips and semiconductors from Taiwan, this means that products from the US tech industry will become more expensive for UK firms to use. This is even more pertinent given that China has retaliated to the new 10% US tax on its products by limiting the export of metals the US uses to produce its own chips.

    In this way it is easy to underestimate how sensitive supply chains are to small shocks, and what the butterfly effect of a trade war between two other countries might be on products bought and sold in the UK. So, while the UK would definitely be better off not being subject to US taxes, the main focus should be on helping to avoid global trade wars.

    How to do this is not clear, because no one seems to understand what Trump really wants from his tariffs. One theory is that he wants to pass for a madman and bully other countries into committing to buy more US-manufactured products.

    Or, in the case of Europe, to increase military spending by buying more US military equipment. In that case, tariffs would be short-lived and the impact limited. It will simply increase the incentives for international firms not to depend too much on the US.

    Or perhaps Trump really has no idea what he is doing, seemingly pursuing the two opposing goals of keeping domestic prices low while attempting to reduce its trade imbalance with ever-increasing import taxes. In that case, the consequences for consumers all over the world would be very bad. This is in part because of the effect on supply chains, but also because when the US economy is in bad shape the entire world suffers.

    Renaud Foucart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The UK would be lucky to avoid US tariffs – but a global trade war would hurt everyone – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-would-be-lucky-to-avoid-us-tariffs-but-a-global-trade-war-would-hurt-everyone-248963

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The 30-plants-a-week challenge: you’ll still see gut health benefits even if you don’t meet this goal

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aisling Pigott, Lecturer, Dietetics, Cardiff Metropolitan University

    Plant foods can have many benefits for our health. marilyn barbone/ Shutterstock

    The more plants you include in your diet, the more health benefits you’ll notice. This is why public health guidelines have long encouraged people to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

    But the 30-plants-a-week challenge circulating online suggests that, instead of only aiming to eat five servings a day, we should instead aim to eat 30 different plant foods per week to improve our health. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, herbs and spices would all count as a plant serving.

    Some advocates of the approach have even created some ground rules and have generated a points system that gives a point to each different type of plant you consume. However, not every plant counts as a full point. For instance, herbs and spices only count as one-quarter of a plant point. Refined plant products, such as fruit juices or processed wholegrains (such as white bread), don’t count at all.

    Current NHS dietary recommendations around fruits and vegetables (such as the five-a-day message) place the emphasis on quantity – ensuring people eat enough fruit, vegetables and wholegrains to get all the essential nutrients and fibre their body needs. But, the 30 plants approach shifts the focus to diversity – arguing that eating a wide variety of plant foods provides greater health benefits than eating the recommended amount of only a few select fruits and vegetables.

    So does eating 30 plants a week offer any additional health benefits over eating five servings a day?

    Exploring the science

    The 30 plants a week challenge is based on the American Gut Project – a citizen science study of 10,000 participants from across the US, UK and Australia. The findings suggest that people who eat a greater variety of plant-based foods each week have a more diverse gut microbiome compared to those who eat fewer plants. The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and microorganisms that live in our digestive tract.

    Research shows a more diverse microbiome is associated with a lower risk of chronic disease, better immune function and even improved mental health.

    So in simple terms, it looks like the more plant diversity we eat, the more diverse the population of microbes living in our gut are. This leads to better overall health.

    But does eating 30 plants really provide a greater number of benefits compared to current public health messages? These recommend we eat at least five portions of fruit and veg daily, choose wholegrain carbohydrates and limit refined sugar, processed meats and foods as much as possible.

    Incidentally, research shows that following these recommendations also leads to a more diverse gut microbiome and better health outcomes compared to those who do not meet recommendations.

    So, it looks like following either current public health recommendations or the 30 plants diet will improve microbial diversity and have benefits for health. While 30 is a meaningful and realistic target, it’s important to recognise that small, sustainable changes can also have a lasting health impact.

    Diet changes

    Like any trend, the 30 plants message isn’t without its drawbacks. One major concern is accessibility. Buying 30 different plant foods each week can be expensive – which could exacerbate existing health inequalities.

    The 30-plants-a-week challenge has benefits and limitations.
    Kulkova Daria/ Shutterstock

    There are ways around these limitations, such as buying in bulk and freezing portions, using canned and frozen fruits, veggies, pulses and lentils and meal planning to reduce food waste.

    However, these solutions often require extra resources such as storage, cooking space and time – which may not be possible for everyone.

    There’s also a risk that the message could oversimplify the complexity of public health guidance – potentially overlooking the importance of individual nutrients and overall dietary balance.

    On the other hand, there’s a strong argument that the 30 plants per week challenge is simply the same, old public health advice packaged in a slightly different, more engaging way. As a dietitian, I quite like that.

    Current public health messages around food, nutrition and lifestyle are not landing. Despite the evidence for these guidelines, rates of lifestyle-related health problems are increasing. It’s not that these recommendations don’t work – it’s that as a population we struggle to follow them.

    The 30-plants-a-week challenge is a positive message that encourages adding more variety – rather than restricting foods. If people are encouraged to eat more plant-based foods, they may naturally displace less nutritious choices – which is a win for health.

    If you’re thinking of trying the 30-plants-a-week challenge, here are some easy ways to increase variety in your diet:

    1. Swap your carbs: Swap white bread, rice or pasta for wholegrain bread, rice or pasta. You can also consider alternative wholegrain carbohydrates such as quinoa or wholegrain couscous.
    2. Include nuts and seeds: Easily overlooked, but an effortless way to add diversity. A small handful is a portion.
    3. Add pulses and lentils: Add lentils to a meat dish (such as spaghetti bolognese) for extra protein and more plant points.
    4. Buy tinned and frozen foods: Stock up on frozen berries, mixed vegetables, canned beans and chickpeas to make plant variety easier to achieve and more affordable.

    The challenge to eat 30 different plants is an exciting and positive way to potentially encourage nutritious choices. However, we don’t yet fully understand its acceptability or impact on food choices in real-world settings. While the scientific evidence strongly supports the benefits of plant diversity for health, it would be valuable to gather more research on its practical effectiveness before incorporating it into public health messaging.

    Aisling Pigott receives a research award from RCBC Wales/Health Care Research Wales
    Aisling Pigott is a non-executive director for the British Dietetic Association

    – ref. The 30-plants-a-week challenge: you’ll still see gut health benefits even if you don’t meet this goal – https://theconversation.com/the-30-plants-a-week-challenge-youll-still-see-gut-health-benefits-even-if-you-dont-meet-this-goal-248491

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How AI imagery could be used to develop fake archaeology

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colleen Morgan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Archaeology and Heritage, University of York

    Generative AI is often seen as the epitome of our times, and sometimes even as futuristic. We can use it to invent new art or technology, analyse emerging data, or simulate people, places and things. But interestingly, it is also having an impact on how we view the past.

    AI imagery has already been used to illustrate popular articles, such as covering scientific discoveries about Neanderthals. It was employed to animate the Mesolithic period (from about 9,000 to 4,300 years ago) in a museum. TikTok users have adopted it to make realistic short videos about archaeology and history. It’s even been used in a TV documentary about Stonehenge.

    Yet there are many issues with using AI imagery in archaeology – some of which are also found more broadly within generative AI use. These include its environmental impact and the violation of intellectual property (using training data created by humans).

    But others are more specific to archaeology. As an academic who has worked extensively on “resurrecting” the past through digital technology, generative AI has both fascinating potential and enormous risk for archaeological misrepresentation.

    Even before the use of AI, it was widely accepted within archaeology that visualisations of the past are highly fraught and should be treated with extreme caution. For example, archaeologist Stephanie Moser examined 550 reconstructions published in academic and popular texts on human evolution. Her review found highly biased depictions, such as only males hunting, making art and tools and performing rituals, while women were in more passive roles.

    A similar study by Diane Gifford-Gonzalez revealed that “not one of 231 depictions of prehistoric males shows a man touching a child, woman, or an older person of either sex … no child is ever shown doing useful work.” These reconstructions do not reflect scientists’ nuanced understanding of the past. We know humans organised themselves in an incredible array of variety, with a multitude of gender roles and self-expression.

    A recent DNA-based study, for example, showed that women were actually at the centre of societies in the iron age.

    The stakes of representation in archaeology are high. For example, the hotly-debated, dark-skinned reconstruction of “Cheddar Man”, originally found in south-west England, was based on ancient DNA analysis. It made headlines for disrupting the perception that all human ancestors in the north were light-skinned.

    Reconstructed head of the Cheddar Man based on the shape of his skull and DNA analysis, shown at the Natural History Museum in London.
    wikipedia, CC BY-SA

    This and similar controversies reveal the iconic power of reconstructions, their political implications, and their ability to shape our understanding of the past.

    While the Cheddar Man reconstruction demonstrates that research is iterative, such reconstructions are sticky. They have profound visual legacies and are not easily supplanted when new data becomes available.

    This is exacerbated as they are incorporated into generative AI data sets.
    Beyond the use of outmoded data, generative AI visualisations of the past can be extremely poor.

    Even when more plausible details are included, they can be seamlessly integrated with other highly inaccurate elements. For example, it is impossible for viewers to disentangle the data-led from the so-called hallucinations (mistakes) produced by AI.

    Highlighting uncertainty is of central importance and concern among archaeologists. Archaeological illustrator Simon James noted that reconstruction artists have used strategically placed clouds of smoke to obscure unknown elements.

    As a digital archaeologist, I have made virtual reconstructions of many different sites and subjects. I know there is often estimation and guesswork involved in making holistic representations.

    Indeed, photo-realistic accuracy is not always the paramount consideration in visualisation – particularly when exploring different hypotheses or addressing young audiences. But knowing what is backed by archaeological data and what is more speculative is key for authentic visual communication.

    Pseudoarchaeology

    This is particularly important at a time when pseudoarchaeology is increasingly prevalent in popular media, such as the Ancient Apocalypse show on Netflix. The celebrity host and author Graham Hancock asserts there was a lost ice age civilisation of Atlantis, with advanced technology. But this claim has been thoroughly repudiated by archaeologists.

    Arguably, hoaxes will be much easier to perpetuate using generative AI.
    Beyond the high potential for misinformation about archaeology, the use of generative AI for archaeological visualisations can actually be harmful for archaeological knowledge production.

    My research has shown that crafting reconstructions and illustrations in archaeology is incredibly important for understanding and interpreting the past. Creating visualisations based on science – and indeed soundscapes, smellscapes and other interpretations based on multiple senses – is very helpful for generating new questions.

    Drawing allows archaeologists to create more detailed mental models and therefore a better understanding of archaeological remains. By delegating this creation to AI, archaeologists lose a powerful tool for knowledge generation. Moreover, my collaborative work with artists has demonstrated the intriguing possibilities that creative approaches open up to tell new stories about the past.

    Even with all of these problems, I encourage an engaged, critical, applied approach to understanding the impact of digital technologies on our investigation of the past. And this includes exploring the uses of generative AI for archaeological visualisation.

    Archaeologists and non-specialists are able to leverage generative AI to creatively produce interpretive media. Indeed, some archaeologists are already exploring AI to generate hypotheses about ancient life. And we are teaching critical uses of AI to our archaeology students.

    But what remains imperative is that archaeologists engage with and critique all visualisations – both those created by generative AI and using other media.

    Colleen Morgan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How AI imagery could be used to develop fake archaeology – https://theconversation.com/how-ai-imagery-could-be-used-to-develop-fake-archaeology-247838

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Go Back to Where You Came From: Channel 4’s social experiment makes a spectacle of empathy for refugees

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fiona Murphy, Assistant Professor in Refugee and Intercultural Studies, Dublin City University

    The White Cliffs of Dover have become associated with irregular migration via small boat. DaisyKDesigns/Shutterstock

    The new Channel 4 programme Go Back to Where You Came From is unsettling viewing, almost unbearable at times. It takes six British citizens – some staunchly anti-immigration, others more open – and drops them into lives shaped by conflict and displacement.

    The premise is to cultivate understanding of the refugee experience, to make the unimaginable tangible. But in doing so, the show risks turning forced displacement into spectacle, reducing suffering to an immersive learning experience for those with the privilege of ignorance.

    The show opens with participants offering their views – filmed in their homes or standing at the cliffs of Dover, where one man declares: “What I’d do is, I’d set landmines up, and then any boat that comes within 50m of this beach, they’d get blown up.”

    Then, two teams, two journeys. One is sent to Somalia, the other to Syria.

    In Mogadishu, Nathan, Jess and Matilda navigate a city carved up by checkpoints, escorted by an American security team. Nathan surveys the streets like a man assessing a lost cause: a “shithole”, he mutters. Jess, fiercely anti-immigration, feels exposed – her fear magnified by the weight of unfamiliar eyes, the choreography of a life not her own. She wants to leave.

    At a camp for internally displaced people, women speak of gender-based violence, of female genital mutilation, of lives spent in spaces never built for them. Jess listens, nods and files their words neatly into the folder of convictions she brought with her. She does not question; she confirms. The mindsets of Somalian men, she concludes, are the problem.

    In Raqqa, Bushra, Chloe and Dave pick their way through streets reduced to rubble. Chloe complains about the rubbish, as if it were neglect rather than obliteration. “They should stay and clean it up,” she says. The children sifting through debris do not register. In a bombed-out home, a father speaks of safety, the only thing he wants for his children. The children do not speak.

    The violence of ‘refuge’

    Watching the show, I thought of the conversations I’ve had with asylum seekers and refugees on the island of Ireland as part of my research. Many speak of the quiet violence of exclusion – how “welcome” is so often a hollow gesture, how refuge can feel like another form of exile.

    Many recount racial hatred in the streets, the fear woven into daily movements, the gnawing sense that they are barely tolerated, not wanted. Some have told me, with devastating clarity, that had they known what awaited them here – homelessness, suspicion, a life in bureaucratic limbo – they might never have fled at all. Not because home was safe, but because this isn’t living either.

    These experiences are not anomalies. They are built into the asylum systems in the UK and Ireland, where deterrence is policy. As of mid-2024, 122.6 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide, yet the UK hosts just 1% of them.

    And “hosting” often takes the form of offshore detention, indefinite waiting and policies designed to make seeking refuge as inhospitable as possible. In Ireland, the failure is just as insidious: asylum seekers sleeping rough, vulnerability assessments in name only, the quiet withdrawal of care until people simply disappear from view.



    Read more:
    ‘When you get status the struggle doesn’t end’: what it’s like to be a new refugee in the UK

    After the first episode of the Channel 4 show, I am left wondering: what is the point of each participant’s journey? The documentary trades in empathy – tracking transformation by how much the participants feel, learn and change. But empathy, when it stops at the self, is just another performance. It asks: how have I been altered? Instead of: what must I do with what I now know?

    This is the trap of a genre that packages suffering into something neatly consumable. As film researcher Pooja Rangan argues, humanitarian documentaries often render asylum seekers passive, their worth measured by how much sympathy they can elicit. Go Back to Where You Came From follows this script, focusing not on the agency of the displaced, but on the moral awakenings of those who continue to look away.

    The real question is not whether the participants feel something, but whether feeling will ever translate into action – by them, or by us as viewers. To hold governments to account. To insist that refuge is a right, not a privilege. To refuse the quiet, grinding violence of neglect.

    “Go back to where you came from” is a phrase hurled not just at refugees, but at anyone deemed out of place. The programme inverts it, sending its wielders on a reckoning. But in the end, they return. To safety, to comfort, to homes untouched by war or exile. Or, as one put it, back to the pub.

    And yet, for those seeking refuge, the journey drags on – through border camps, detention centres, doorways, the freezing cold and the bureaucracy of the asylum system – while the world watches, then turns off their televisions.

    Fiona Murphy receives funding from British Academy and the Irish Research Council

    – ref. Go Back to Where You Came From: Channel 4’s social experiment makes a spectacle of empathy for refugees – https://theconversation.com/go-back-to-where-you-came-from-channel-4s-social-experiment-makes-a-spectacle-of-empathy-for-refugees-248803

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Marine Corps Passes FY24 Financial Audit

    Source: US Marines (video statements)

    For a second year in a row, independent auditors verified that the Marine Corps’ financial records are materially accurate, complete, and compliant with federal regulations and issued an unmodified opinion for Fiscal Year 2024.

    Read More :
    http://ms.spr.ly/6059Uj0K9

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFJqIK0YL1E

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Navy Snow Team Departs to Sapporo for Snow Festival

    Source: United States Navy

    This year, Sailors from NAF Misawa and Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70 will sculpt the U.S. Navy F-35C Lighting II stealth fighter jet, which was recently forward deployed to Japan last year. Sailors selected for the team were chosen because of their superior work performance and dedication to the U.S. Navy both on and off-duty.

    This year’s snow team will be led by Lt. Cmdr. Seth Koenig and Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Enrico Dagsindal, comprised of an eight-person team including Mass Communication Specialist First Class Caroline Lui, Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Matthew Fischer, Aviation Support Equipment Technician First Class Hernan Hernandez, Culinary Specialist Second Class Adallis Bookman, Religious Program Specialist Second Class David Johnson, and Builder Second Class Sawson Doty.

    The team is scheduled to complete the snow sculpture by Feb. 3, spending the remainder of their time in Sapporo interacting with visitors at the Snow Festival until Feb. 7. Festival goers are encouraged to take pictures and engage in friendly conversation with Sailors at the site.

    This is the 40th year the U.S. Navy has participated in the Sapporo Snow Festival, which has provided a unique opportunity for Sailors to experience Japanese culture and tradition and strengthen the close friendship between the U.S. Navy and citizens of Japan.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatality following crash on 28 January, Te Poi

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can confirm one person has died following a crash on State Highway 29, Te Poi on Tuesday 28 January.

    The person was transported to hospital with critical injuries following the single vehicle crash.

    As a result of the injuries sustained, the person passed away in hospital last night.

    Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police continue investigation into Birkenhead incident

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    An investigation into the wounding of a man in Birkenhead on Tuesday afternoon will continue today.

    A man suffered multiple stab wounds outside an address on Birkenhead Avenue at around 2pm.

    North Shore Area Commander Inspector Stefan Sagar says the victim underwent surgery at Auckland City Hospital last night.

    “The victim is now in a serious but stable condition in hospital, and we will be looking to speak with him in the coming days as we continue our enquiries.”

    Police will be visible again in the Birkenhead community today with an area canvas as part of the investigation.

    “From what we have established so far in our enquiries, we do not believe this is a random incident,” Inspector Sagar says.

    “We are continuing to make enquiries into information about a vehicle that left the area, but at this point we do not have further information to release.”

    Police acknowledge the Birkenhead community, with many people coming forward to assist the investigation.

    “We have had good support from the neighbourhood, and this information is assisting us in progressing the investigation,” Inspector Sagar says.

    “I know when these events take place in our communities that this can be unsettling, but we believe it is an isolated event and Police are continuing to work hard to identify and hold this offender to account.”

    Police welcome further information to assist with the investigation.

    Anyone that can assist enquiries can update Police online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 250204/5489.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Statement on New Deal Between Altitude Sports and Comcast

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis released the following statement on the deal between Altitude Sports and Comcast, allowing more Coloradans to watch the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.

    “After far too long a wait, Comcast and Altitude are finally putting Coloradans first, allowing us to watch our world-class Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. This means that more Colorado fans and kids can grow up watching the greatness of players like Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Nathan McKinnon, Cale Makar and many others without their families jumping through hoops. I’m so excited that this new deal means getting to watch and cheer on our incredible Colorado teams,” said Governor Jared Polis.

    In 2019, Governor Polis sent a letter to Jim Martin, then President and CEO of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, encouraging the company to reach a deal allowing Coloradans to watch their favorite teams at home on DISH and Comcast and has had several follow-up conversations with both sides.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Kenya Wicks Appointed Deputy Whip for the Democratic Caucus

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (February 4, 2025) — Freshman Senator Kenya Wicks (D– Fayette) was recently appointed Deputy Whip of the Senate Minority Caucus

    Sen. Kenya Wicks expressed enthusiasm at the appointment: “Serving as Deputy Whip as a freshman Senator is truly an honor. I greatly appreciate this vote of confidence from my fellow party members, and I want to thank Minority Whip Sen. Kim Jackson for this appointment. I am ready to get to work for this caucus by assisting with advocacy, planning for the rest of session and following through with our priorities.”

    The full leadership board for the Minority Caucus includes:

    Minority Leader – Sen Harold Jones, II – District 22 (Augusta)

    Minority Whip – Sen. Kim Jackson – District 41 (Stone Mountain)

    Minority Caucus Chair – Sen. Elena Parent – District 44 (Atlanta)

    Minority Caucus Vice Chair – Sen. Sonya Halpern – District 39 (Atlanta)

    Minority Caucus Finance Chair – Sen. Jason Esteves – District 35 (Atlanta)

    Minority Caucus Secretary – Sen. Nan Orrock – District 36 (Atlanta)

    Minority Deputy Whip – Sen. Kenya Wicks – District 34 (Fayetteville)

    Sen. Wicks was also elected as the Vice Chair of the Clayton County Senate Delegation. Senators representing Clayton County include Sen. Gail Davenport (D–Jonesboro), Sen. Elena Parent (D–Atlanta) and Sen. Kenya Wicks (D–Fayette). The Senate Delegation of Clayton County collaborates to serve the best interests of Clayton County Residents.

    The full leadership board for the Clayton County Delegation includes:

    Chair – Sen Gail Davenport – District 17 (Jonesboro)

    Vice Chair – Sen. Kenya Wicks – District 34 (Fayetteville)

    Secretary – Sen. Elena Parent – District 44 (Atlanta)

    ###

    Sen. Kenya Wicks represents the 34th Senate District, which includes portions of Clayton and Fayette Counties. She may be reached by email at Kenya.Wicks@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Rakim Tillery

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Rakim Tillery, who died on January 3, 2024 following an encounter with the New York State Police (NYSP) in Ramapo, Rockland County. Following a thorough investigation, which included interviews with witnesses, review of home and body-worn camera footage, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ actions were justified under New York law. 

    At approximately 2:53 p.m. on January 3, two NYSP troopers pulled over a car on the New York State Thruway based on a report about an incident that had taken place earlier the same day in Albany. The troopers were in two separate marked police vehicles, with their turret lights activated. The first trooper pulled over behind the car, and the second trooper pulled over behind the first trooper’s vehicle. As the troopers were getting out of their vehicles, the driver of the car, Mr. Tillery, was already out of his vehicle, armed with a firearm, and discharged his weapon at the troopers. One trooper discharged his service weapon in response, and Mr. Tillery fell to the ground. As the trooper approached Mr. Tillery, he got up, and a struggle ensued. Mr. Tillery grabbed for the trooper’s gun, and the second trooper discharged his service weapon three times, striking Mr. Tillery. 

    Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. In this case, the troopers had reason to believe Mr. Tillery had been involved in an earlier incident in Albany and had reason to stop Mr. Tillery based on the radio dispatch. When the troopers encountered Mr. Tillery, he discharged a firearm at officers and engaged in a struggle with one trooper, attempting to grab his service weapon. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of deadly physical force against Mr. Tillery was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –