NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An innovative method for cleaning wells from plugs was patented at Novosibirsk State University

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Employees Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Novosibirsk State University (CTTC NSU) together with colleagues Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU patented two innovative methods for cleaning wells from asphalt-resin-paraffin deposits (ARPD), which are formed during the operation of wells. In the first version, cleaning is carried out with the help of service companies, while oil workers can use the second method themselves.

    Almost all Russian companies periodically face the need to remove heavy oil fraction deposits from wells, which significantly complicate the extraction of oil and gas.

    The standard method involves immersing a heating device into the well, which is connected to a special power cable and melts the plug like a boiler, but it requires a long supply of high current to heat it up. This technology requires the use of extremely expensive equipment, which is practically no longer supplied to our country today.

    The solutions patented by NSU are based on a burner created by Professor of the Hydrodynamics Department of the MMF NSU, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergey Sukhinin and a chemical composition for it, which provides a combustion mode that effectively removes deposits without damaging the pipe itself. We have previously talked about this invention, and now ready-to-use technologies based on it have been patented.

    — The first solution is designed for service companies, it involves immersing a burner into a well on a regular geophysical cable, which is often used when working at oil and gas fields and is always available. This significantly reduces the cost and simplifies the cleaning procedure. In the second version of the technology, instead of a cable, special rods are immersed into the well, which ignite upon reaching the required depth and burn out the plug. Oil producing companies can use this method themselves, — said Deputy Director of the NSU CTTC, PhD in Engineering Andrey Savchenko.

    Patented technologies also have other advantages over known technical solutions. The combustion temperature is calculated in such a way as to guarantee the burning of paraffins that have formed the plug, and the combustion itself is directed downwards in the well so that the combustion products rise up together with the gases from the well. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation where the melted plug thickens again in another section of the well (which periodically happens with standard cleaning methods), forcing oil workers to repeat the procedure again. This is especially important when it comes to removing extended plugs, which can be tens and hundreds of meters long.

    — Today, the technology has already attracted great interest, both its variants, both for service and for the mining companies themselves, including quite large players in this market. And now we are negotiating pilot projects for its testing in real conditions, — summed up Andrey Savchenko.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Only 25% of older Queenslanders are aware of the risks heatwaves put on their health – new study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehak Oberai, Senior Research Assistant, Ethos Project, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University

    Los Muertos Crew/Pexels

    Parts of Australia are currently facing extreme heat, with high temperatures set to continue over the coming days.

    Though it’s unclear exactly what the upcoming summer will bring, climate change means Australian summers are getting hotter. Even this year in August we saw temperatures around 40°C in parts of the country.

    Heatwaves aren’t just uncomfortable – they can be deadly. Health emergencies related to extreme heat place significant strain on our health-care systems, with data showing increased ambulance callouts and hospital presentations during these periods.

    Although heatwaves can affect everyone, older adults are particularly at risk. But our new research has found older Queenslanders don’t necessarily believe heat poses a risk to their health. And this affects how they respond to emergency warnings.

    Older people and the heat

    Ageing brings physiological changes, including reduced ability to regulate body temperature, which can put older people at increased risk of issues such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

    Heat exposure can also worsen the symptoms of existing conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease or kidney disease, which are more common in older people.

    The risk is even more pronounced for older people who live in poor quality housing, are economically disadvantaged, or are socially isolated.

    A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that, of 2,150 hospitalisations due to extreme heat between 2019 and 2022, 37% were among people aged 65 and older (who make up around 16% of the population).

    So there’s an urgent need to prioritise the health of older Australians as the country braces for more intense and prolonged heatwaves in the future.

    When the weather is hot, older people are at greater risk of health complications.
    Kleber Cordeiro/Shutterstock

    Early warning systems

    As we’ve learned more about the risks of heatwaves, there’s been an increased focus on developing population-based early warning systems. These systems play a crucial role in encouraging people to adopt heat-protective behaviours such as staying hydrated, avoiding strenuous physical activity when temperatures are high, and wearing loose or light clothing.

    Queensland is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to heatwaves. Since 2015, heatwave warnings have been part of the state’s heatwave subplan, which sets out strategies for managing and mitigating the impacts of extreme heat events.

    These warnings involve alerts about upcoming high temperatures, and advice on staying cool. They come as notifications through the Bureau of Meterology’s weather app or via media outlets or social media. However, it’s not clear whether these warnings are reaching those most at risk.

    As part of a broader project on extreme heat and older people, we surveyed 547 Queenslanders aged 65 and over to understand their perceptions of heat risks and to determine if heatwave warnings were reaching them.

    We also wanted to know what factors influence how they receive and respond to these warnings, with a view to understanding how we can improve heatwave warnings for this group.

    What we found

    Only 25% of respondents were aware of the potential consequences of heatwaves on their health. The majority of participants (80%) perceived themselves to be at lower risk compared to others of their age group. This aligns with previous heat-health research which has similarly found older adults often don’t perceive heat as a personal risk.

    While most of the sample (87%) reported having one or more chronic health conditions, 30% were unaware having a chronic health condition increased their vulnerability to heatwaves.

    Several cultural and personal factors may explain why older people don’t think heat poses a danger to them. In Australia, heat is typically seen as a normal and even positive part of life. Heat risk messages are often less urgent than warnings for other natural disasters.

    Previous research has also shown older people tend not to think heat poses a risk to their health.
    Miguel AF/Shutterstock

    We also found nearly half of respondents had not heard a heatwave warning. Of those who had, roughly half took actions to keep themselves cool.

    What stood out from our analysis was that participants’ awareness and actions in response to heatwave warnings were significantly influenced by their knowledge and perceptions of heat risks. Factors such as age, gender and education were not so important.

    Respondents who believed they were at risk were almost twice as likely to hear the warnings, and 3.6 times more likely to take heat protective actions.

    This aligns with other research that highlights the correlation between heat-health risk perception and the efficacy of heatwave warnings.

    One limitation of our research is that we conducted the survey in 2022 during and following a La Nina period, where temperatures are usually lower. So there may have been fewer heatwave warnings throughout the season, potentially reducing participants’ perceptions of heat health risks.

    What needs to change?

    With another hot summer likely ahead, we need to rethink how we communicate about heatwaves. These are more than just hot days. We need to recognise heatwaves as a serious health risk, especially for older people, and effectively communicate that risk to the public.

    This might include using primary health-care professionals such as GPs, nurses and pharmacists to share heat-health information with older patients and their family members, or developing personalised heat action plans for the summer period.

    Text message alerts from the Bureau of Meteorology, along with app notifications, could be a good idea considering some older adults may not have a smartphone or be open to using apps.

    To improve heatwave communication, we also need to explore the barriers and facilitators to heat protective behaviours. This includes considering structural factors (such as housing design), environmental factors (for example, access to shade and cool refuges), individual factors (such as financial constraints or health conditions) and social factors (such as access to family and community support).

    Strengthening communication around heatwaves and health will not only protect individual wellbeing but enhance community resilience as extreme heat continues to affect our lives.

    Mehak Oberai is a Senior Research Assistant working on Ethos project and is also a member of the AAG (Australian Association of Gerontology) Student & Early Career Working Group.

    Ella Jackman is a PhD Candidate at Griffith University and a Research Assistant for the Queensland Heat Health Community of Practice (QHHCoP) and the Ethos Project.

    Shannon Rutherford co-leads the Climate Action Beacon Griffith University funded, Queensland Heat Health Community of Practice and receives funding from Wellcome and NEMA. She is an affiliate member of the HEAL network

    Steven Baker and Zhiwei Xu 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. Only 25% of older Queenslanders are aware of the risks heatwaves put on their health – new study – https://theconversation.com/only-25-of-older-queenslanders-are-aware-of-the-risks-heatwaves-put-on-their-health-new-study-238875

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Extreme weather has already cost vulnerable island nations US$141 billion – and 38% is attributable to climate change

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Wilkinson, Principal Research Fellow, ODI

    Multiverse / shutterstock

    Two years ago, when the curtain fell on the COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, developing nations on the frontline of climate change had something meaningful to celebrate.

    The creation of a new fund for responding to loss and damage was agreed after a hard-fought diplomatic effort, spearheaded by a group of small island developing states (sometimes known as the Sids). The fund would provide much needed support for climate-vulnerable nations faced with a spiralling human and financial toll from sea-level rise, extreme temperatures, droughts, wildfires, and intensifying floods and storms.

    Yet two years on, the world’s wealthiest nations – also the largest carbon emitters – are still dragging their feet. They’ve not followed up their pledges with anywhere near the finance required.

    Some nations, particularly the 39 Sids, which include places like Barbados, Grenada, Fiji and Vanuatu, are uniquely vulnerable to climate change and are already paying the price.

    Sky-high ocean temperatures created the conditions for Hurricane Beryl to develop in July this year, as the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on record in the Caribbean. As oceans warm up, climate science tells us that this rapid intensification is becoming more common.

    Fijians run for shelter as a cyclone approaches.
    ChameleonsEye / shutterstock

    The island nation of Fiji, best known as a tropical paradise, has experienced a frightening series of storms over recent years, linked to climate change. Cyclone Winston in 2016, one of the most intense on record, caused widespread flooding and lead to the loss of 44 lives.

    This episode reduced Fiji’s GDP growth by 1.4 percentage points. According to the Asian Development Bank, ongoing losses from climate change could reach 4% of Fiji’s annual GDP by 2100, as higher temperatures and more extreme weather hold back growth.

    This isn’t an isolated problem. Tropical cyclones and hurricanes have long battered small islands, but what is new is how often the most extreme storms and floods are happening, as well as our improved ability to measure their economic effects.

    Direct and indirect impacts

    Our latest research looked at extreme weather events affecting 35 small island developing nations. We first collected information about the direct consequences of these extreme weather events: the damaged homes, the injured people, and the bridges that must be rebuilt.

    We then looked at how these events have affected GDP growth and public finances. These changes are not felt immediately, but rather as the economy stalls, tourism dries up, and expensive recovery plans inhibit spending in other areas.

    In all, from 2000 to 2020, these direct and indirect impacts may have cost small island states a total of US$141 billion. That works out to around US$2,000 per person on average, although this figure underplays just how bad things can get in some places. Hurricane Maria in 2017 caused damage to the Caribbean island of Dominica worth more than double its entire GDP. That amounted to around US$20,000 per person, overnight. Almost a decade later, the country is still struggling with one of the largest debt burdens on earth at over 150% of GDP.

    Dominica’s lush forests were badly damaged by Hurricane Maria.
    Derek D Galon / shutterstock

    Of these huge aggregate losses across all the small island development states, around 38% are attributable to climate change. That’s according to calculations we made based on “extreme event attribution” studies, which estimate the degree to which greenhouse gas emissions influenced extreme weather events.

    What is clear is that small island economies are among the worst affected by severe weather. These island states have three to five times more climate-related loss and damage than other states, as a percentage of government revenues. That’s true even for wealthier small island states, like the Bahamas and Barbados, where loss and damage is four times greater than other high-income countries. For all small island nations, the economic impacts will increase, with “attributable” losses from extreme weather reaching US$75 billion by 2050 if global temperatures hit 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

    Our research helps us to see how far short the richer nations driving climate change are falling in their efforts to both curb emissions and to compensate the nations harmed by their failure to prevent climate change.

    Developed countries need to pay up

    One of the key discussions at the forthcoming COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be the “new collective quantified goal”. This is the technical name to describe how much money wealthy countries will need to contribute to help vulnerable nations to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

    That overall goal must also include a target to finance small islands and other vulnerable countries, with billions more needed per year in the new loss and damage fund. Given the extent of actual and likely losses, nothing less than ambition on the scale of a “modern Marshall Plan” for these states will do.

    In addition to this extra financing, the fund will need to work effectively to support the most climate vulnerable nations and populations when severe weather occurs. This can be done in a few ways.

    The fund could create a budget support mechanism that can help small island states and other vulnerable countries deal with loss of income and the negative effects on growth. It could make sure loss and damage funds can be released quickly, and ensure support is channelled to those who need it the most. It could also make more concessional finance available for recovery, especially for the most adversely affected sectors like agriculture and tourism.

    The world has a troubling history of missing self-imposed targets on climate finance and emissions reduction. But the stakes are ever higher now, and any target for loss and damage finance will need to be sufficient to deal with the challenges posed already by climate change, and in the years to come.

    Emily Wilkinson receives funding from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

    Ilan Noy, Matt Bishop, and Vikrant Panwar 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. Extreme weather has already cost vulnerable island nations US$141 billion – and 38% is attributable to climate change – https://theconversation.com/extreme-weather-has-already-cost-vulnerable-island-nations-us-141-billion-and-38-is-attributable-to-climate-change-242640

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Gilbert, Lecturer in Zoology, University of Hull

    Dunatothrips family: two mums, two yellow babies, and, very unusually, a dad (smaller). James Gilbert, CC BY

    At less than 3mm long, you may not think Dunatothrips aneurae seem like much. And – as I have shown in a new study – you’d be absolutely right. That’s because these may be the world’s laziest insects.

    Dunatothrips live in the remote Australian outback where they bother nobody. They almost never leave their near-invisible miniature nests, built on Acacia trees from silk they extrude from their bottom. No known predators bother with Dunatothrips and their biggest threat is drying out in the heat if their nest is damaged. Pacifist vegetarians, they feed harmlessly on the plant surface, with no discernible effect on it.

    No bigger than the hyphen on your page, they belong to the thrips, which you may know as thunderbugs owing to a myth that they come out during thunderstorms. Almost everyone gets their name wrong (one thrips is a thrips, not a thrip). Some species make a nuisance of themselves as tomato pests. But for the Dunatothrips I investigated, that sounds a bit much too much like effort.

    I spent a few summers studying the social lives of these tiny insects, trying to understand their unusual habit of sometimes living alone and sometimes in groups with their sisters. I was puzzled to discover that some group members appear to do nothing. Not helping out, not breeding, nothing. Few animal societies are known where group members help no one, not even themselves.

    If the silk nest was damaged, I found, usually only one or two females inside stepped up to repair it. The remaining group members didn’t do anything. The responders’ repair efforts helped everybody, so the laggards enjoyed the benefits without raising a minuscule finger.

    I set out to investigate what these “lazy” thrips were doing. Were they like queen bees, specialising in producing eggs while others acted as workers? Other social insects have this arrangement, including many other Australian thrips.

    But no: when I dissected helpers and non-helpers I found it was the helpers
    that tended to be the ones carrying eggs.

    Maybe they were a reserve workforce, helping when others were lost, as in
    some bird societies like carrion crows. But when first responders were removed, their nestmates remained just as unhelpful as before.

    The author on a thrips collecting foray.
    James Gilbert, CC BY

    I wondered whether they were biding their time, waiting for a chance to breed later, as paper wasps do. I removed all group members except for a lazy one, gifting it a nest of its very own. They declined this opportunity as well, producing few or no eggs and taking up to five times as long to repair the nest as a helpful thrips put in the same situation.

    If the lazy non-helpers don’t even help themselves, doesn’t that make them an evolutionary paradox? Not really: while behaviour only evolves if it furthers individuals’ fitness, evolution tends to work on averages. Within a species, individuals are all different, and some are inevitably of poorer quality than others. They may carry mutations, inherit unfortunate gene combinations, experience poor environments, or all of the above. Perhaps they were jostled to the edge of the leaf as a kid.

    If life gives you lemons

    Animals in this situation will commonly make the best of a bad job. A poor quality thrips can lay only a few eggs, and can only contribute a few strands of silk to repairing a nest. She can’t build the nest she would need to raise offspring on her own. So her best option is to hang around in a group where her young can grow alongside those of others.

    It’s still a mystery why nestmates of these wastrels don’t kick them out. But it may involve their being unusually chilled out in the face of any provocation, even by dangerous intruders like their cousins Akainothrips, a new species I discovered with my colleagues. The resident Dunatothrips just stand aside.

    This pacifism may be related to how risky nestbuilding is. At any moment, out there on a leaf surface, you might fall, be blown out of the nest, or dry out in the outback sun. Given that you might die at any moment, it pays you to tolerate the presence of others who can carry on your nestbuilding work and help keep everyone’s babies alive.

    A simple evolutionary way to achieve this is to drop all aggression towards anyone, including intruders of different species. Some spiders have done this and form cooperative nurseries involving different spider species. For our lucky waster thrips, this means they get a free pass to stay in the group.

    It is also possible these bone-idle bugs may actually be helping, just in subtle ways. For example, Dunatothrips nests have rubbish dumps, so they might help by taking out the trash. In many social insects, including some thrips, workers can act as medics. Even just breathing inside the nest may raise humidity and help the group survive – cockroaches form groups at low humidity for just this reason.

    So, while non-helper Dunatothrips may be among the world’s least motivated insects, they are certainly not the least interesting. The evolutionary persistence of these laggards is helping us understand how different kinds of societies evolve.

    James Gilbert currently receives funding from UKRI (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council). This study was funded by a Marie Curie Fellowship (2011-2014) under the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme.

    – ref. Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs? – https://theconversation.com/are-these-tiny-insects-the-worlds-most-bone-idle-bugs-242454

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Historical sites and artifacts impress foreign experts

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    While several expats are admiring the intricate animal patterns on an ancient Chinese bronze object, others are carefully listening to a tour guide explain the skill and wisdom behind the craftsmanship.

    It was part of the “Exploring China “Henan Tour event in Zhengzhou, Luoyang and Anyang in Central China’s Henan province from Sunday to Tuesday.

    Participants of the “Exploring China” Henan Tour admire a bronze ware at Henan Museum in Zhengzhou city. XU LIN/CHINA DAILY

    More than 40 foreign experts in classical studies from 13 countries visited Henan’s heritage sites, Longmen Grottoes and the Yinxu Museum, immersing themselves in the rich Chinese culture and civilization.

    Two other groups joined the tours in Shandong province, visiting places like the Temple of Confucius, and in Sichuan province, traveling to key archaeological sites like Sanxingdui and Jinsha.

    These experts are participants in the World Conference of Classics, being held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday.

    “I’m excited to visit China for the first time, and I plan to travel to China again with my family, to see more of its deep culture and history,” says Michael Trapp, emeritus professor of Greek literature and thought at King’s College London.

    Before setting out, he sought advice from his Chinese doctoral student in London and his brother, a Chinese language translator who often travels to China for work. Both suggested that given his passion for history, archaeology and art, he would find his visit to Henan particularly captivating, which he does.

    At the museums, he finds that the use of modern technology has made historical sites more accessible to a modern audience, striking a delicate balance between preserving ancient materials and showing their history vividly via replicas and digital reconstructions. “This endeavor requires considerable effort and creativity,” he says.

    He believes that it’s wonderful to see the massive size of the Erlitou Site in Luoyang and the artifacts excavated from it at the nearby museum. It shows the archaeological process of their discovery.

    Thomas Michael from the United States, professor at School of Philosophy, Beijing Normal University, who does research into Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, agrees.

    “I’ve read about all these places, but it’s the first time to see various artifacts about the origins and downfall of the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) and the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC),” he says. “It’s amazing to see the ancient centers of Chinese civilization. These are important periods for Confucianism. … The Confucian tradition goes all the way back to Zhougong (the Duke of Zhou) from the Western Zhou Dynasty.”

    The duke was believed to have been a prolific author with humanistic ideas and written Rites of Zhou, a fundamental ancient Chinese classic on organizational theory.

    Mary Evelyn Tucker, a senior lecturer and research scholar at Yale University, says: “It’s exciting to have this cultural tour to Henan and see that China is recovering its own traditional past. … China’s modernization has developed very rapidly over the past 40 years since my first visit to the country in 1985.”

    Her research fields include Confucianism and ecology. China is moving toward ecological civilization, she says, which has greatly changed its ecology, society and spirituality.

    She says that Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have the cultural values for an awakening of environmental consciousness, for example, the concept of “heaven and man are united as one” in Chinese philosophy.

    Costas Synolakis, the Chair of Earth Sciences in the Academy of Athens, points out that “it’s great to see the different periods of Chinese history and how its art evolves”.

    His research focuses on how people in ancient Greece and Rome understood and dealt with extreme disasters. He’s surprised to find that the ancient Chinese tried to control floods about 4,000 years ago when he visited Henan’s museums. “It’s around the 4th and 5th centuries BC that people in the Mediterranean started to understand that floods and earthquakes are natural phenomena. … It’s motivating for me to learn much more about Chinese culture, especially the recorded floods in its history.”

    According to him, many people associate China’s history with its dynasties, but are not familiar with the country’s ancient capitals in Henan and how the Chinese shifted these ancient capitals in history. That’s why the trip has impressed him greatly.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The extreme floods which devastated Spain are hitting more often. Is Australia ready for the next one?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Conrad Wasko, ARC DECRA Fellow in Hydrology, University of Sydney

    Spain is still reeling from recent floods in the Valencia region. In some areas, a year’s worth of rain fell in a single day. Sudden torrents raced through towns and cities. Over 200 people are dead. Rapid analysis suggests daily rainfall extremes in this region and season have become twice as common over the last 75 years and become 12% more intense.

    The World Meteorological Organisation has pointed out that climate change is steadily increasing the risk of extreme floods like these. Warmer air can hold more water vapour, about 7% more per degree Celsius of warming. More moisture generally leads to more intense rainfall, and therefore more extreme floods.

    The physics of how temperature influences the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture has been known for close to 200 years. But we’ve learned something worrying more recently. When water vapour condenses to form rain droplets, it releases heat which can fuel stronger convection and boost updrafts of air currents in storms. This means the intensity of extreme rainfall could increase not just 7% per degree of warming, but over twice that rate.

    Last week, CSIRO and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology released their biennial report on the State of the Climate, which found “heavy short-term rainfall events are becoming more intense”. Australia, the report states, has already warmed 1.5°C since national records began in 1910. In recent years, extreme rains have triggered devastating floods in New South Wales and Queensland.

    The question now is – are we prepared for these more damaging floods? This year, Australia updated the climate change section of Australia’s flood design guidance. But while this will help ensure that future infrastructure is better able to weather extreme floods, our current bridges, roads and stormwater drains have not been built to weather these increases in extreme rainfall. Similarly, our flood planning levels – used to determine where houses, offices, hospitals and so forth can be built – have generally not factored in the reality of the threat.

    More floods and more extreme

    Many of us would have learned about the water cycle in school. Water evaporates from seas and lakes before falling as rain and filling lakes and rivers, which eventually makes it back to the sea.

    Unfortunately, climate change is making this cycle more intense, as detailed in a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Rain is more likely to fall in intense short-duration bursts which are more likely to trigger floods.

    This year alone, we have seen disastrous and deadly floods from extreme storms across the Americas, Asia and Europe. Scientific analysis has showed these floods were more severe due to human-caused climate change.

    Australia is not immune. The devastating northern New South Wales floods of 2022 took 24 lives and ravaged towns such as Lismore. These floods are the most expensive natural disaster to date in Australia, costing A$5.65 billion in damages.

    How do you prepare for worse floods?

    When urban planners set flood planning levels, or engineers begin designing a new bridge or rail line, they have to take floods into account. To do so, they will inevitably reach for the local bible, Australia’s flood design guidance.

    Before 2024, this document allowed for a 5% increase in rainfall intensity per degree of global warming, and generally applied it only to infrastructure intended for a very long lifespan. This clashed with most scientific studies on the topic both globally and in Australia, which showed much greater increases, and that these increases are already being witnessed.

    To provide better flood guidance, we and our colleagues undertook a comprehensive review of over 300 scientific papers covering climate change in Australia and extreme rainfall.

    The review proved we had been underestimating the threat of extreme rains and subsequent floods. Rain events over a 24-hour period leading to flooding are likely to increase at 8% per degree of warming, not 5%. Hourly rainfall extremes are likely increasing even faster, at 15% per degree.

    Worse, these are just the central estimates. The wide range of plausible values suggests some rain events could eclipse these. For daily or longer extreme rains, the range is 2–15%. For hourly or shorter periods, that figure is 7–28% for hourly or shorter duration.

    Over the month of February in 2022, the Lismore region had about 600–800 mm of rain – much more than a normal February, which might see closer to 150 mm on average. These floods took place with just 1.1°C of warming since the pre-industrial period. On our current path, it’s possible the world could warm another 1.5°C or more by the end of this century. If this happens, these rainfall totals could be substantially higher and more likely to cause even worse flood impacts.

    These new figures have now been included in the August update of Australia’s flood design guidance. This is good news. It means future decisions on infrastructure and planning can now be well informed by the latest science on how climate change influences flood risk.

    Over time, this will ensure essential infrastructure can be built to endure worse floods. It will affect the design and construction of everything from local stormwater drains to levees, bridges, culverts and dam spillways.

    Preparing for extreme floods is complex. Pictured: water spilling out from a manhole during Spain’s floods.
    Fernando Astasio Avila/Shutterstock

    Local councils can use it to set the height of floor levels for property development. State and federal decision-makers can use it in planning for responses to flood emergencies.

    Does it mean we can avoid disastrous floods like those in Spain and Lismore? Yes and no. We now have the knowledge and tools to adapt to the increased risk levels already arriving. Yet implementing this will be challenging. In many cases, it will require retrofitting or redesigning existing infrastructure to withstand more intense flooding.

    Climate change is no longer something we can file under “problem for the future”. It’s here already. The flood risks we face today are already substantially worse than 25 years ago, and will continue to worsen. We must accelerate how we plan for extreme, rapid rainfall creating catastrophic floods like those in Spain.

    Conrad Wasko receives funding from The University of Sydney and the Australian Research Council. Conrad has previously received funding from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

    Andrew Dowdy receives funding from University of Melbourne, including through the Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and the Melbourne Energy Institute.

    Seth Westra is a Professor of Hydrology and Climate Risk at the University of Adelaide, Director of Research for the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre, and Chair of the Systems Cooperative. Seth receives funding from state and federal governments support decision making under hydrological or climatic uncertainty.

    – ref. The extreme floods which devastated Spain are hitting more often. Is Australia ready for the next one? – https://theconversation.com/the-extreme-floods-which-devastated-spain-are-hitting-more-often-is-australia-ready-for-the-next-one-242686

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HK’s advantages promoted in Ottawa

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Continuing a visit to Canada, Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong delivered a keynote speech at a Seminar on Life Science & Global Health, held at the Parliament Building in Ottawa.

    Prof Sun said that while Canada is a long-recognised powerhouse in the field of life and health science, Hong Kong is emerging as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre.

    He then outlined a number of advantages that Hong Kong enjoys in relation to the development of life and health technologies.

    Hong Kong’s flagship research and development initiative, InnoHK, has established collaborations with more than 30 world-renowned universities and research institutes in 12 economies, including Canada. It has set up 29 research laboratories,16 of them focused on healthcare-related technologies. Also in place are a $6 billion subsidy programme supporting local universities to set up life and health technology research institutes, and a $3 billion Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme to accelerate cross-disciplinary research.

    He said: “We will set up the InnoLife Healthtech Hub in the Hetao Hong Kong Park (the Loop) to attract top-notch research teams and talent from around the world. We will allocate another $2 billion to support the InnoHK research clusters to establish (a) presence in the Loop, and $200 million to support startups in the Loop engaging in life and health technology in the form of incubation and acceleration programmes.”

    New land will be made available in San Tin Technopole to support I&T industry development, creating synergy with the nearby Shenzhen I&T Zone, he added.

    He also outlined that Hong Kong is the best platform for connecting Mainland I&T talent and companies with those from around the world, as the city possesses the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong national support and being closely connected to the world under “one country, two systems”.

    Prof Sun also met a Canadian senator and a member of the country’s parliament to discuss ways of enhancing collaboration on science, innovation and research between Hong Kong and Canada, as well as fostering people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

    Separately, Prof Sun called on Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di to brief him on the progress of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, as well as the city’s efforts to integrate into the nation’s I&T development. The tech chief said that Hong Kong spares no effort in developing new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, including in its pursuit of new industrialisation, and its increased investment for I&T industries.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Climate change poses substantial health risks, report finds

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Cai Wenjia, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of Earth System Science and director of the Lancet Countdown Asia Center, speaks during the launch of the 2024 China Lancet Countdown report at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nov. 5, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Lancet Countdown Asia Center]
    The worsening climate is increasingly endangering public health and threatening economic and social systems that underpin people’s well-being, according to a report released Tuesday.
    The 2024 China report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, published by the Lancet Countdown Asia Center in Beijing, marks the fifth such assessment. The study monitors climate change health risks in China through 2023, along with the country’s adaptation and mitigation efforts.
    The report found that the health impacts of rising temperatures have been substantial. China faced extreme hot and dry weather conditions in 2023, with record-high temperatures and the second-lowest precipitation since 2012. These conditions led to a 309% surge in heatwave-related deaths, a 24% rise in lost work hours and diminished opportunities for outdoor activities.
    “The health risks of climate change are not in the far future. They’re imminent threats in front of us,” said Cai Wenjia, professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of Earth System Science and director of Lancet Countdown Asia Center.
    “Although already dangerous, recent health risks might be just a glimpse of even worse ones to come,” Cai said.
    The report projects that by the 2060s, annual average heatwave-related mortality, heat-related labor productivity losses and wildfire-related deaths will increase 183%-275% and 28%-37%, respectively, compared with 1986-2005 averages. Additionally, the annual excess risk of dengue fever incidence is expected to rise by 15.3%-15.5% from 2013-2019 levels.
    “It is another wake-up call that the climate crisis is the health crisis,” said Martin Taylor, WHO representative to China. He noted that dealing with climate-related health risks may become the new normal.
    Given unprecedented climate challenges, the report pointed out that China had taken considerable steps by 2023 to integrate health concerns into climate change discourse, particularly emphasizing the need for renewable energy in promoting a fair transition. “This shift promises not only environmental and economic benefits, but also public health benefits,” the report stated.
    The report outlined China’s specific initiatives in addressing climate change. The country established the “1+N policy framework” to realize its goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality before 2060. Moreover, it has released the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 and the National Climate Change Health Adaptation Action Plan (2024-2030) to combat climate-related health risks and enhance public health protection.
    Regarding carbon emission reduction, China represented more than half of the global increase in renewable energy capacity in 2023. This increase pushed the country’s total renewable capacity to surpass coal power installations for the first time.
    “This effort has significantly accelerated global initiatives made at the Conference of the Parties 28 (COP 28), which is to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and reduce fossil fuel dependence,” Cai said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Black balls on Sydney beaches are likely ‘fatbergs’ showing traces of human faeces, methamphetamine and PFAS: new analysis

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Beves, Associate Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney

    Jon Beves, CC BY

    The mysterious black balls that washed up on Sydney’s beaches in mid-October were likely lumps of “fatberg” containing traces of human faeces, methamphetamine and PFAS, according to a new detailed analysis of their composition.

    Initial reports suggested the ominous lumps were probably tar balls from an oil spill. However, analysis with a barrage of scientific tests has revealed a more complicated picture.

    The mysterious black balls

    On October 16, the first reports emerged from Coogee Beach in Sydney’s east. Lifeguards reported numerous black spheres on the sand that appeared at first glance to be tar-like.

    Similar sightings were soon reported at nearby Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama and Maroubra beaches, prompting immediate closures and cleanup efforts. Authorities initially feared these could be toxic “tar balls”, leading to health advisories and public warnings.

    Preliminary testing by Randwick Council was consistent with tar balls made up of oil and debris.

    Oil – or something more disgusting?

    We set out to find out exactly what the black balls were made of and where they came from. We ran a wide range of tests and analyses with colleagues from UNSW in collaboration with the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre and the the environmental forensics arm of the federal Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW). We also collaborated with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), and Randwick Council.

    Initial testing, based primarily on results from a technique called solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, suggested the material resembled unrefined oil. However, further testing indicated a different, more disgusting, composition.

    A cross section of one of the balls, showing its sandy coating and surface, some fibres, and the core.
    Jake Ireland, CC BY

    Analysing the elements involved revealed the black goop was mostly carbon. Radiocarbon dating then showed only about 30% of the carbon had a fossil origin, suggesting fossil fuels were not the major component of the balls.

    We also identified significant levels of calcium, and much smaller amounts of various metals. Spectroscopic tests showed signatures in the black balls matching fats, oils and greasy molecules often found in soap scum, cooking oil and food sources. This pointed to human waste.

    PFAS, drugs and signs of faeces

    The next step was to see if we could dissolve the substance in organic solvents. Only about one-third to one-half of the mass dissolved this way.

    We were able to take a closer look at the dissolved part using a technique called mass spectrometry, which identifies molecules by their weight and electric charge. This revealed molecules found in vehicle-grade fuels as well as organic molecules such as fatty acids and glycerides.

    We also identified industrial perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS or “forever chemicals”), steroidal compounds such as norgestrel, antihypertensive medications such as losartan, pesticides, and veterinary drugs. This is consistent with contamination from sewage and industrial runoff.

    The crushed up interior of one ball, ready for testing.
    Jon Beves, CC BY

    There were also signs of human faecal waste, including a cholesterol byproduct called epicoprostanol and residues of recreational drugs including tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as THC, a compound found in the cannabis plant) and methamphetamine. This is consistent with contributions from domestic waste.

    Analysing the part of the mass that we couldn’t dissolve proved more challenging. Here we tried solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and a method called Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which uses infrared light to detect chemicals. The results suggested the presence of fats, but they were not definitive.

    Were the blobs lumps of fatberg?

    So what does all this mean? The high levels of fats, oils, greasy molecules and calcium, along with the low solubility, are consistent with a “fatberg”: a congealed mass of fats, oils and greasy molecules that can accumulate in sewage.

    The detection of markers of human fecal matter, medication and recreational drugs suggest the origin may be sewage or other urban effluent. However, while the composition of these black balls suggests they may be similar to fatbergs, we cannot definitively confirm their exact origin.

    The black ball incident does highlight the broader issue of pollution along Sydney’s coastline.

    Recent reports indicate about 28% of monitored swimming sites in New South Wales are prone to pollution. Many receive poor water quality ratings, especially after rain. Beaches such as Gymea Bay, Coogee Beach, Malabar Beach, and Frenchmans Bay have been identified as areas of concern, with advisories against swimming due to contamination from human faecal matter.

    Urban waste pollution

    Analysing and understanding urban waste pollution is not an easy task. It requires a multi-disciplinary approach.

    To unravel the complex composition of the blobs, we used carbon-14 dating, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and microscopy techniques.

    Even after all we did, we cannot yet draw definitive conclusions regarding the primary source of the blobs. This uncertainty reflects the broader challenges faced by scientists and environmental agencies in tracking and addressing pollution in coastal areas.

    This incident underscores the importance of thorough scientific analysis in understanding environmental issues. By continuing to investigate the sources and composition of such pollutants, we can learn more about how urban waste management affects the health of our coasts.

    This research was led by UNSW researchers, including Associate Professor Jon Beves, Dr Tim Barrows, Dr Martin Bucknall, Professor William Alexander Donald, Dr Albert Fahrenbach, Dr Sarah Hancock, Dr Christopher Hansen, Ms Lisa Hua, Dr Martina Lessio, Dr Chris Marjo, Associate Professor Vinh Nguyen, Dr Martin Peeks, Dr Aditya Rawal, Dr Chowdhury Sarowar, Professor Timothy Schmidt, Dr Jake Violi and Dr Helen Wang.

    Jon Beves receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. He is affiliated with The Greens.

    William Alexander Donald receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the US National Institutes of Health, iCare Dust Diseases Care, Coal Services NSW Health and Safety Trust, as well as industry-funded research contracts.

    – ref. Black balls on Sydney beaches are likely ‘fatbergs’ showing traces of human faeces, methamphetamine and PFAS: new analysis – https://theconversation.com/black-balls-on-sydney-beaches-are-likely-fatbergs-showing-traces-of-human-faeces-methamphetamine-and-pfas-new-analysis-242681

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians are winners and prize winners of the Olympiad in engineering and computer graphics

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    A team of students from the Polytechnic University took part in the All-Russian and regional Olympiads in engineering and computer graphics (descriptive geometry).

    The 23rd All-Russian Student Olympiad in Descriptive Geometry, Engineering and Computer Graphics “Geometryada” was held in Moscow at the Department of Engineering and Computer Graphics of the Russian Technological University – MIREA. Representatives of 22 Russian universities competed for the victory, including three from St. Petersburg – SPbPU, BSTU “VOENMEKH” named after D. F. Ustinov and SPbSUT named after prof. M. A. Bonch-Bruevich.

    The Polytechnic University team participated in the Olympiad for the first time. The team included IMMiT students Kirill Khitushkin, Aidar Ibragimov, Matvey Leontyev, Anton Izyumov and Artem Doronin. In the team standings in the “Descriptive Geometry” section, the Polytechnics took third place. In the individual standings, Kirill Khitushkin also came in third. In the “Engineering Graphics” section, the SPbPU team entered the top ten.

    The event was organized at the highest level. The opening ceremony left the most pleasant impressions. We successfully completed the tasks and gained valuable experience. We will look forward to participating next year to improve the result, – shared Matvey Leontiev.

    The first experience of participation of the polytechnics can be considered definitely successful. A special role in such a significant result was played by serious regular training, which was provided by Associate Professor Tatyana Markova, who conducted systematic classes with candidates for the team, – noted Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Social Sciences Mikhail Kokorin, the head of the team.

    Also, the regional student Olympiad in engineering and computer graphics (descriptive geometry) was held at BSTU “Voenmekh”, organized by the Committee for Science and Higher Education of St. Petersburg. The event was attended by 75 students from 12 St. Petersburg universities.

    The Polytechnic University was represented by students of the Civil Engineering Institute majoring in Architectural Environment Design A. Glukhova and D. Otinova, as well as students of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy K. Khitushkin, A. Ibragimov, M. Leontyev, A. Izyumov and I. Zaborovsky. The team leader is Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Civil Engineering Institute Tatyana Markova.

    The interuniversity jury checked and assessed the works, summed up the results. It included associate professors of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Social Sciences Mikhail Kokorin and Elena Knyazeva.

    Polytechnician Kirill Khitushkin won the individual championship (29.63 points out of 30), Aidar Ibragimov took second place (28.5 points out of 30).

    The Olympiad was memorable for its diverse tasks and the exciting search for solutions. It can be compared to solving a crossword or sudoku. The event flew by unnoticed, I wanted to stay longer and rack my brains, – said Daria Otinova.

    As a result, the Polytechnic University was awarded second place. The victory in the Olympiad was won by the BSTU “Voenmekh” team, and the third place went to the A.F. Mozhaisky VKA.

    The tasks were of a high level of complexity, but our students coped with them perfectly. We are proud of the guys and wish them further success in all their endeavors, – shared Elena Knyazeva.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: VDNKh invites you to free lectures as part of the International Week of Science and Peace

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    November 9 marks the beginning of the International Week of Science and Peace. On this day, free lectures for all comers will be held in the congress hall of the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center at VDNKh.

    At 14:00 guests are invited to a lecture “Closed space: you can’t quarrel, you can’t come to an agreement”. They will tell you how people with different views can live together, whether it is possible to never quarrel, and how to prevent conflict from developing. The speaker will be Anna Yusupova, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Social and Cognitive Psychology at the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). In addition, the lecture will discuss self-regulation and self-help techniques, formulate a personal roadmap – try to define topics, criteria and points of no return for yourself.

    There will be a lecture at 16:00 “Achievements of Modern Physics”. Blogger, writer and popularizer of science Dmitry Pobedinsky will tell whether it is possible to meet life on other planets, create a code that cannot be deciphered and then crack it, and also what the Higgs boson hides. Guests will learn why the Universe is expanding. And there will also be talk about quantum computers, materials of the future and mysterious dark energy.

    The lecture will start at 18:00 “Asteroids. Small bodies of the Solar system”. It will be read by Leonid Elenin, a research fellow at the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a discoverer of comets and asteroids. Asteroids are objects in the Solar System discovered in the 19th century by the Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi. There are now more than a million of them known. Among the asteroids, there are some that can pose a serious threat to the Earth. Listeners will learn where they came from, how astronomers discovered the distant Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt, what connects these cosmic bodies with comets, how to deliver a particle of their relict matter to Earth, and whether it is possible to extract minerals from them.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/146215073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Loud, bright, independent: The final of the Parade of Talents was held at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On November 1, 2024, the final of the Parade of Talents of our university took place noisily and hotly in the Assembly Hall of the State University of Management.

    Even before the main event began, the atmosphere in the hall was like a discotheque – music was playing, spotlights were cutting through the stage smoke, fans were waving flags, posters, hearts made of light bulbs, and their ringleaders were chanting into a megaphone.

    The following panel of judges evaluated the teams’ productions: – Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Pavel Pavlovsky – Vice-President of the Novard Group of Companies, a graduate of the State University of Management Sergey Sarkisov – Chairperson of the State University of Management Student Council Valeriya Burlakova – Choreographer of the 2024 Talent Parade, coordinator of the Just Dance 2024 dance project, head of the cultural and mass direction of the State University of Management Student Council Anna Poryadina – TODES ballet dancer Yana Agapova.

    Before the concert, Pavel Pavlovsky and Sergey Sarkisov presented personal scholarships from the GUU Graduates Association. For entrepreneurial activity, they were received by Anastasia Manicheva, Stepan Yakovlev and Vladislav Naavgust. For active social work, the scholarship was awarded to Ksenia Starikova.

    Despite the fact that the theme of the Talent Parade this year was expressed by the phrase: “Shine with inner light, not external effects”, the teams did not forget about external effects, having prepared very colorful productions. However, the theme of the performances often concerned the inner world, for example, meme dreams at a temperature of 39°.

    In addition to the love story in dreams, the audience was shown a game of Mafia, given a tour of the chocolate factory with Charlie and the Oompa-Loompas, and scared by really creepy clowns. And the Pre-University of the State University of Management began the program with its own little concert within a concert.

    Vice-Rector of the State University of Management, member of the jury of the Talent Parade Pavel Pavlovsky: “The Talent Parade is a large-scale event, which is part of the adaptation program for first-year students. Its key feature can be called the “equal to equal” principle, that is, senior students help juniors. The main thing is that this is not done under duress, the university administration does not force anyone. On the contrary, students fight for the right to become curators. This is a great honor, a huge competition, elections are held. Such excitement arises largely due to the fact that the Talent Parade is an independent event. The concept of the approach to educational activities in our country is the relationship between law and responsibility. Students know that they can experiment, but they bear full responsibility for their experiments. This system bears fruit in the form of completely packed halls, satisfied first-year students who in the first months of study become an integral part of the university, imbued with its spirit, traditions, culture. And the members of the Student Council feel like full-fledged actors of the university with their own area of responsibility. The management of the State University of Management monitors the process, reducing the level of intervention to a minimum, and simply ensures that everything meets the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science.”

    Results of the Talent Parade: 1st place – IIS “Pokoloko”; 2nd place – IEF Golden ticket; Audience Choice Award – IOM “Chudlibudli”.

    Full photo album.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 6.11.2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Challenge accepted! Polytechnic hosted a festival for schoolchildren

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    During the autumn school holidays, the annual festival for schoolchildren of grades 9–11, “Polytechnic Challenge,” was held at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The festival is a team competition where children solve research and scientific problems of various types, apply the knowledge they have gained in practice, and learn to think creatively.

    This year, the Polytechnic Challenge was held in six areas. New this year was the Physical Battles. Schoolchildren had to not only find a solution to a physical problem, but also justify it and defend their point of view against their opponent. In two days, the teams also had to solve difficult tasks from the festival organizers. Thus, the participants in the engineering competitions had to assemble a device that could detect objects using a laser.

    The case championship teams worked on solving the problem of detecting and preventing forest fires. The traditional game “What? Where? When?” brought together the largest number of teams willing to demonstrate their knowledge, logic and ingenuity. The teams that took part in the 3D case needed the skills to work in special programs in order to design a crane structure and print the resulting model on a 3D printer. At the hackathon, high school students helped a large company avoid the consequences of a data breach and created their own application based on the provided database.

    The winners were teams from the SPbPU Natural Science Lyceum, Gymnasium No. 406, Engineering and Technology School No. 777, Anichkov Lyceum, Begunitskaya Secondary School, and the Academy of Digital Technologies. The best participants received prizes from the university, as well as additional points to their Unified State Exam results, which can be used when applying to the Polytechnic University.

    We like programming using Arduino, and the “Polytechnic Challenge” is a great opportunity for us to test and show our skills. Despite the difficulties during the creation of the device, we managed to find a solution that allowed us to win. Each time the tasks are more interesting, so next time we will take part in the festival again, — shared their impressions the students of the Natural Sciences Lyceum, winners of the festival in the “Engineering Competitions” category.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Oil and gas greenhouse gas pollution cap – Backgrounder to CGI Regulations

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    November 4, 2024

    Context

    The proposed oil and gas greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution cap will incentivize the sector to invest in technically achievable decarbonization to attain significant emission reductions by 2030-2032. The policy will put the sector on a pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050, while enabling it to continue to respond to global demand.

    Oil and gas companies in Canada have proven repeatedly that they can innovate and develop new technologies to produce more competitive oil and gas with less pollution.

    While it continues to be a major supplier to global markets, Canada’s oil and gas sector has the opportunity to reinvest in its own competitiveness ahead of the anticipated future decline in global demand for oil and gas in a low-carbon future. Reinvesting in cleaner oil and gas production ensures that the sector contributes its fair share to GHG reductions in Canada and positions Canada for a stronger future for its workers and economy.

    The oil and gas sector is experiencing record profits within Canada. Coming out of the pandemic, operating profits in the oil and gas sector increased tenfold from $6.6 billion in 2019 to $66.6 billion in 2022. Despite that, there has been limited and declining overall investment in the sector in Canada over the last several years.

    The proposed Regulations would establish a cap-and-trade system that is designed to recognize producers with better emission performance and motivate higher-polluting facilities to reinvest record profits into more pollution-reducing projects.

    The oil and gas sector is a major contributor to Canada’s economy. In 2023, the sector generated $209 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) (PDF) and accounted for 25% of Canada’s exports (valued at $177 billion). It is also a major employer across the country, directly employing 181,800 people in 2023.

    The oil and gas sector is also Canada’s largest source of GHG pollution, responsible for 31% of Canada’s GHG emissions in 2022. Decreasing emissions in the oil and gas sector by introducing a cap on GHG pollution is necessary to ensure that the sector contributes its fair share to Canada’s ongoing efforts to tackle climate change and reach our GHG emission reduction targets and international commitments under the Paris Agreement.

    Strengthening emission performance and carbon management technologies in Canada’s oil and gas sector

    Canada’s oil and gas sector has the potential to be a supplier of choice as the demand for oil and gas for combustion declines in a low-carbon future. This would enable the sector to continue to be a major employer and source of economic activity across Canada, particularly in oil- and gas-producing regions.

    The proposed Regulations put a limit on pollution, not production. The proposed Regulations are carefully designed around what is technically achievable within the sector, while enabling continued production growth in response to global demand. In fact, modelling shows that Canadian oil and gas production is projected to increase 16% between 2019 and the 2030-2032 period with the proposed Regulations in place.

    Major emissions-reduction opportunities are available, and oil and gas producers are already investing in them. Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas, and most methane emissions represent a wasted resource because they are from leaks and other unintended sources. Preventing methane emissions is one of the lowest-cost ways to reduce GHG emissions, and the sector’s efforts have resulted in a steady decline in these emissions. New regulations to be finalized later this fall will ensure that the sector continues to cut methane emissions by at least 75% from 2012 levels by 2030. 

    Carbon capture is also going to play an increasingly important role in reducing emissions from oil and gas production, and Canada is well placed to cement its position as a global leader in this critical technology. According to both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), there is no credible path to carbon neutrality without carbon management technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, and their deployment must be rapid and immense, scaling up by nearly 200 times by 2050.

    The shift toward a low-carbon economy has created a rush of capital toward carbon management technologies worldwide. In the United States, there are many new carbon capture projects being deployed, with 150 currently under review at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    Canada has already established itself as a first mover and leader in the global carbon management sector, with some of the world’s first large-scale projects; favourable geology; cutting-edge innovators and start-ups; early investments in research, development, and demonstration; deep technical expertise; a robust policy and regulatory environment at the federal and provincial levels; and active international collaboration. The Government of Canada has launched a suite of policies with a mix of financial supports and regulatory measures to better position Canada’s economy for success.

    Approximately one-sixth of the world’s active large-scale carbon management projects, which use a range of approaches to capture carbon dioxide from point sources or directly from the atmosphere to be reused or durably stored, can be found in Canada, with a growing number in the construction, design and development phase across multiple sectors and regions.

    The continued development and deployment of carbon management technologies to help achieve Canada’s climate objectives will form the basis of a world-leading, multi-billion-dollar carbon management sector in Canada that supports inclusive, high-value employment, significant export opportunities and a more sustainable economy.

    Point-source carbon capture is a leading option for deep emissions reductions from the upstream oil and gas sector. Given the long lifespan of many existing heavy industrial facilities and the value of these industries to the Canadian economy, public-private collaboration is critical to advance strategic, economical, and regionally appropriate decarbonization pathways.

    The GHG oil and gas pollution cap adds to a suite of policy measures, which are designed to shift the oil and gas industry increasingly toward cleaner production through the use of carbon management systems and other technologies, including to reduce methane emissions and to switch to cleaner fuels. Those include other successful regulatory measures, such as federal, provincial, and territorial carbon pricing systems for industry, including Alberta’s TIER system, the federal Output-Based Pricing System, federal and provincial methane regulations, and the Clean Fuel Regulations.

    They also include a wide range of financial supports to support deployment and help develop the innovation ecosystem for carbon reduction technologies in Canada, including:

    • $319 million over 7 years for RD&D to advance the commercial viability of emerging carbon management technologies.
    • Refundable CCUS Investment Tax Credit (ITC), expected to provide $12.5 billion between 2022-2023 and 2034-2035, for eligible projects that enable permanent CO2 storage.
    • The Canada Growth Fund, totalling $15 billion, offers investment tools such as contracts for differences designed to address risk and accelerate private sector investment to grow Canada’s clean economy, including in the carbon management sector.
    • Strategic Innovation Fund, with $8 billion in funding to help companies reduce emissions and grow their business sustainably.
    • The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) invests in CCUS infrastructure projects, including through its Project Acceleration funding for front-end engineering and design (FEED) capital expenditures.

    Increasingly, large-scale carbon capture projects are being built in both the oil and gas sector and other sectors. Recent projects include:

    • Strathcona Resources, an oilsands company with assets in Saskatchewan and Alberta and Canada’s fifth-largest oil producer, is launching a $2 billion project to store up to two million tonnes of CO2 per year, while creating hundreds of new jobs. The project has received support from the Canada Growth Fund.
    • Entropy, an Alberta-based company, is working on a project that will enable emissions reductions of approximately 2.8 million tonnes over 15 years and support more than 1,200 good jobs for Albertans.
    • Shell announced two new projects in Alberta: the Polaris Carbon Capture project and the Atlas Carbon Storage Hub. These projects aim to reduce industrial emissions by transitioning to cleaner technology. The Polaris project will capture approximately 650,000 tonnes of carbon a year while the Atlas project will store the captured carbon from Polaris and potentially other industrial facilities in the future. Once complete in 2028, these projects are expected to generate up to 2,000 jobs for Albertans.
    • The North West Redwater (NWR) Sturgeon Refinery, also operating in the Alberta Industrial Heartland, is the world’s first bitumen refinery built with carbon capture. 
    • The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line (ACTL), which transports captured carbon from facilities for storage in oil fields, will be used by new carbon capture projects throughout the province to transport captured CO2 to final storage sites.  
    • Linde announced an investment of more than $2 billion to build a clean hydrogen facility that will supply Dow’s Path2Zero production complex in Alberta. The facility will capture more than 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year for sequestration.

    Extensive consultation to date on the oil and gas GHG pollution cap

    The Government of Canada has engaged a broad range of partners and stakeholders on the oil and gas GHG pollution cap, including provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, industry, environmental groups, and Canadians. The government has held webinars, convened meetings, and published discussion papers to seek input and feedback. Since November 2021, the government has received over 250 written submissions from organizations, held over 100 meetings, and hosted seven public webinars.  

    The government published a Regulatory Framework to Cap Oil and Gas Sector GHG Emissions in December 2023. This Framework confirmed the government’s intent to implement the oil and gas GHG pollution cap through a new cap-and-trade system, and proposed various regulatory design features, including which subsectors would be covered by the oil and gas GHG pollution cap, the level of the GHG pollution cap, and rules about flexible compliance options.

    The proposed Regulations are carefully designed based on what is technically achievable in the sector, setting a limit on pollution, not production. Technically achievable emissions reductions were estimated based on an assessment of the abatement technologies that could feasibly be deployed within the upstream and LNG activities in the oil and gas sector by 2030-2032, considering the status of available technologies, projected levels of production, the availability of equipment and labour, and timelines for permitting and approvals.

    Estimates of technically achievable reductions included reductions related to compliance with the strengthened methane regulations, installation of carbon capture and storage technology, and electrification. The risk that not all technically achievable reductions would be implemented in time for the first compliance period was also taken into consideration.

    The government has now published proposed Regulations (PDF) to implement the oil and gas GHG pollution cap, and invites input from November 9, 2024, to January 8, 2025. The government will continue to engage with partners and stakeholders in the development of final regulations.

    Key components of the proposed national cap-and-trade system for oil and gas greenhouse gas pollution

    The proposed Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap Regulations (proposed Regulations) would establish a national cap-and-trade system that would apply to upstream oil and gas activities including onshore and offshore oil and gas production; oil sands production and upgrading; natural gas production and processing; and the production of LNG.

    The proposed Regulations have been developed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). Since 1988, CEPA has been used to address a wide range of environmental issues, including air pollution, chemicals, plastics and GHG emissions.

    • The cap-and-trade system will freely allocate emissions allowances to facilities covered by the system. At the end of each year, each facility will need to remit to the government one allowance for each tonne of carbon pollution it has emitted. Over time, the government will give out fewer allowances, corresponding to the declining emissions cap.
    • Operators will face an ongoing incentive to reduce their emissions. If an operator does not have enough allowances to cover their emissions, they will be able to buy allowances from other operators that have invested in pollution reduction. Operators can also contribute to a decarbonization program or use GHG offset credits to cover a small portion of their emissions (up to 10% for the decarbonization program and up to 20% for offsets, for a maximum of 20% for both options). The decarbonization program would fund projects that support the reduction of emissions from the sector. The total of all allowances and the overall 20% limit on compliance flexibility creates a legal upper bound on emissions from the sector.
    • The oil and gas GHG pollution cap will limit emissions, not production, and will encourage industry to reinvest into projects that lower pollution while providing flexibility to respond to changes in the global market.  
    • To make sure the oil and gas GHG pollution cap accounts for current activity levels, the proposed Regulations would use data reported by operators for 2026 to set the first oil and gas GHG pollution cap level. The oil and gas GHG pollution cap for the first compliance period, 2030-2032, would be set at 27% below emissions reported for 2026, which is estimated to be equivalent to 35% below 2019 emissions.
    • Using 2026 for reported data means the oil and gas GHG pollution cap would be based on real-world conditions. The final oil and gas GHG pollution cap level would be published before the end of 2027.
    • The proposed Regulations allocate allowances to covered operators using specified distribution rates—defined in allowances per unit of production—for each type of covered activity. Allowances will be distributed before the start of each year (starting in 2029 for 2030, the first compliance year). To ensure that allowances are distributed to the level of the emissions cap for each year, the allowances distributed would be pro-rated across all facilities receiving them.

    The system would be phased in for the first four years (2026-2029). During that period, operators would be required to register and report their emissions and production. Large emitters will start reporting in 2027 for their 2026 emissions and production levels. Reporting for small operators would start in 2029 for their 2028 levels. Operators would need to submit verified annual reports to Environment and Climate Change Canada for their facilities for every calendar year. Reports would be due on June 1 of the following year. The reports would be used to identify which operators will be subject to the pollution cap and have remittance obligations.

    Annual reports would include the GHG emissions attributed to the facility and the production amount by industrial activity. The Quantification Methods for the Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap Regulations (the Quantification Methods) would define methods to calculate each source of emissions and would provide certain default values. In addition to the draft regulations, the government is seeking feedback on the Quantification Methods.

    All operators would be required to register and report, but only large operators (producing above an annual threshold of 365,000 barrels of oil equivalent) would have to remit allowances to cover their emissions. Large operators account for approximately 99% of the upstream sector’s emissions. The government would distribute emissions allowances to covered operators annually, before the start of each compliance year. Allowances would be pro-rated across all covered operators’ facilities based on historical production volumes. Allowances would not be able to be used for compliance under other carbon pricing systems, such as the federal Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS). There would be no limits to the number of allowances operators covered under the oil and gas GHG pollution cap could hold, and allowances could be traded among operators.

    Emissions allowances and offsets could be banked for use in a limited number of future years. Decarbonization units would not be tradable or bankable.

    Economic impacts of the proposed Regulations

    Environment and Climate Change Canada undertook an economic cost-benefit analysis of the proposed Regulations. Costs and benefits have been evaluated relative to a baseline that assumes production in the oil and gas sector grows, existing federal and provincial GHG measures remain in place, and the sector achieves the 75% reduction in methane emissions relative to 2012 levels, as a result of the forthcoming oil and gas methane regulations.

    The proposed pollution cap Regulations are estimated to result in net cumulative GHG emission reductions of 13.4 Mt above the baseline of reductions between 2025 and 2030-2032 that will be achieved by existing measures. That incremental reduction is valued at almost $4 billion in avoided global climate change damages. When compared to the costs, modelling showed that the proposed Regulations are estimated to have net benefits of $428 million for Canada.

    Importantly, this multi-million-dollar benefit does not account for a wide range of additional benefits likely to be associated with the proposed Regulations, including:

    • the additional economic activity and jobs associated with post-2032 investments in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and other major decarbonization activities;
    • the stimulation of innovation and new low-carbon industries, such as clean hydrogen;
    • the economic and health benefits of reducing air pollution, which will improve the quality of life for many people and reduce the strain on our healthcare systems; and
    • the longer-term competitiveness benefits of a decarbonized Canadian oil and gas sector in a world that continues to take action to fight climate change and adhere to existing international and domestic climate commitments.

    The oil and gas sector directly and indirectly supports a significant workforce, especially in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Modelling for the 2019 to 2030-2032 period shows that labour expenditure in the sectors covered by the proposed Regulations is expected to grow by 53%, which is only slightly below the 55 % growth in the baseline scenario.

    Additionally, jobs in clean energy will continue to grow. A 2023 Clean Energy Canada report found that Canada will see 700,000 more energy jobs in a carbon-neutral 2050 scenario than we have today. 419,000 of these jobs will be in Alberta, representing three jobs for every individual worker employed in Alberta’s upstream energy sector as of 2022.

    Oil and gas prices correspond to global market demand, and they do not typically reflect the cost of production. As such, the risk of compliance costs passed through from the oil and gas sector to Canadians is very low, and the proposed Regulations are not expected to affect the cost of everyday items such as fuel or groceries.

    Provincial leadership

    British Columbia previously announced it will put in place an oil and gas emissions cap to serve as a backstop to the federal policy. The goal will be to meet BC’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and avoid regulatory duplication and administrative burden for the oil and gas sector.

    Alberta, in its Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan (2023), communicated its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and signalled it would explore options to achieve a 75-80% reduction in methane emissions from conventional oil and gas by 2030. Alberta has had a price on carbon emissions since 2007, making it the first jurisdiction in North America to price carbon. The province’s industrial carbon pricing system, implemented as set out in the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation, recycles its proceeds to invest in emissions reduction projects including in the oil and gas sector, such as methane emissions abatement.

    Saskatchewan is a leader in carbon capture and sequestration technology, with several projects aimed at capturing CO2 emissions from oil and gas production. In 2014, the Boundary Dam project became the first power station in the world to successfully use carbon capture and storage technology. The province is also addressing methane emissions, including improving leak detection and repair practices and implementing best practices for gas flaring and venting.

    Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil sector is already one of the lowest-emitting in the country. The newest planned production project—Bay du Nord—was approved with the historic requirement for the project to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Like all other oil- and gas-producing provinces, NL implements a price on industrial carbon emissions via its provincial output-based pricing system.

    Note on third party reports

    The Government of Canada is aware of third-party reports conducted by Conference Board of Canada, Deloitte and S&P.

    These reports are based on a broad range of assumptions including elements of the previously published Regulatory Framework or, in some cases, other assumptions made by the authors. A common assumption found in the reports was that the oil and gas sector would take limited to no additional action to reduce emissions without the regulations.

    These reports do not reflect an accurate analysis of the current draft regulations. The Government of Canada welcomes continued sharing of analysis to help refine the proposed Regulations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, Bhutan Conclude Five Years of Teamwork on STEM, Sustainability

    Source: NASA

    NASA and the Kingdom of Bhutan have been actively learning from each other and growing together since 2019. The seeds planted over those years have ripened into improved environmental conservation, community-based natural resource management, and new remote sensing tools.
    Known for its governing philosophy of “gross national happiness,” [Bhutan] has a constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60% forest cover. The government’s goals include achieving nationwide food security by 2030. 
    Bhutan first approached the U.S. State Department to partner on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for the country, and NASA was invited to help lead these opportunities. In 2019, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, and was introduced to several NASA programs.
    NASA’s Earth scientists and research staff from several complementary programs have helped support Bhutan’s goals by providing data resources and training to make satellite data more useful to communities and decision makers. Bhutan now uses NASA satellite data in its national land management decisions and plans to foster more geospatial jobs to help address environmental issues.
    Supporting Bhutan’s Environmental Decision Makers
    Bhutan’s National Land Commission offers tax breaks to farmers to support food security and economic resilience. However, finding and reaching eligible farmers on the ground can be expensive and time consuming, which means small farmers in remote areas can be missed. 
    A team from SERVIR – a joint NASA-U.S. Agency for International Development initiative – worked with Bhutanese experts to create decision-making tools like the Farm Action Toolkit  (FAcT). The tool uses imagery from the NASA-U.S. Geological Survey Landsat satellites to identify and measure the country’s farmland. SERVIR researchers met with agricultural organizations – including Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Statistics Bureau, and National Center for Organic Agriculture – to adjust the tool for the country’s unique geography and farming practices. The Land Commission now uses FAcT to identify small farms and bring support to more of the country. 
    NASA also develops local capacity to use Earth data through efforts like the Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET). In early 2024, ARSET staff worked with SERVIR and Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI) to host a workshop with 46 Bhutanese government personnel. Using tailored local case studies, the teams worked to find ways to better manage natural resources, assist land use planning, and monitor disasters. 
    “We look forward to continuing this collaboration, as there are still many areas where NASA’s expertise can significantly impact Bhutan’s development goals,” said Manish Rai, an analyst with DHI who helped coordinate the workshop. “This collaboration is a two-way street. While Bhutan has benefited greatly from NASA’s support, we believe there are also unique insights and experiences that Bhutan can share with NASA, particularly in areas like environmental conservation and community-based natural resource management.” 

    Encouraging Bhutan’s Future Environmental Leaders
    By working with students and educators from primary schools to the university level, Bhutan and NASA have been investing in the country’s future environmental leadership. Supporting educators and “training trainers” have been pillars of this collaboration.
    NASA and Bhutan have worked together to boost the skills of early-career Earth scientists. For example, NASA’s DEVELOP program for undergraduates worked directly with local institutions to create several applied science internships for Bhutanese students studying in the U.S. 
    Tenzin Wangmo, a high school biology teacher in Bhutan, participated in DEVELOP projects focusing on agriculture and water resources. According to Wangmo, the lessons learned from those projects have been helpful in connecting with her students about STEM opportunities and environmental issues. “Most people only think of NASA as going to space, rather than Earth science,” she said. “It was encouraging to my students that there are lots of opportunities for you if you try.”
    NASA is also supporting Bhutan’s future environmental leadership through the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program. The GLOBE program is a U.S. interagency outreach program that works with teachers to support STEM literacy through hands-on environmental learning. Since 2020, GLOBE has worked through the U.S. State Department and organizations like the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Forest Research and Training to support educators at two dozen schools in Bhutan. The program reached more than 650 students with activities like estimating their school’s carbon footprint. 
    This focus on STEM education enables students and professionals to contribute to Bhutan’s specific development goals now and in the future. 
    Sonam Tshering, a student who completed two DEVELOP projects on Bhutanese agriculture while studying at the University of Texas at El Paso, was able to share the value of these efforts at the 2023 United Nations Climate Conference. “By applying satellite data from NASA, we aimed to create actionable insights for our local farmers and our policymakers back in Bhutan,” she said. 
    By Jacob Ramthun and Lena Pranksy, SERVIR Communications Team, and Jonathan O’Brien, ARSET Communications Team
    News Media Contact
    Lane FigueroaMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.256.544.0034lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A new science synthesis for public lands land management of the effects of noise from oil and gas development on raptors and songbirds

    Source: US Geological Survey

    The USGS is working with federal land management agencies to develop a series of structured science syntheses (SSS) to support National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses. This new synthesis is the third publication in the SSS series and provides science to support NEPA analyses for agency decisions regarding oil and gas leasing and permitting.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mosquito season in southern Africa: tonic water and vitamins won’t protect you but knowing where the hotspots are will

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Shüné Oliver, Medical scientist, National Institute for Communicable Diseases

    While the emergence of colourful butterflies is a welcome sign of summer, the constant buzzing of mosquitoes is an annoying part of the season.

    Mosquitoes are more than just pests. They are the world’s most dangerous animal. Their presence signals the start of the malaria season in southern Africa.

    It is for this reason that the Southern African Development Community recognises the first week of November as SADC Malaria Week, with 6 November as SADC Malaria Day.

    During this week the dangers of malaria are highlighted. As South Africa edges closer towards malaria elimination, this has become more important as many South Africans are unaware of the malaria risk within the country’s borders.



    Read more:
    The seven steps South Africa is taking to get it closer to eliminating malaria

    Know your enemy

    Malaria is usually spread through a bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. In rare cases, malaria can spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants or sharing contaminated needles.

    There is also the possibility that mothers can pass on the disease to their babies while pregnant or during delivery.

    Mosquitoes that spread malaria are usually only active between dusk and dawn. Some mosquitoes, particularly the large black and white Aedes mosquitoes,
    are active during the day. These mosquitoes spread diseases like yellow fever and Zika.

    Although malaria-spreading mosquitoes are active at night, they are not the mosquitoes that make the annoying buzzing sound that prevents you from getting a peaceful night’s sleep.

    Instead, malaria mosquitoes are near-silent, often referred to as silent killers. Frequently, you only realise you have been bitten when it is too late.

    Most malaria vectors tend to bite and rest outdoors. This means that you have to take extra care when outdoors.

    Know your enemy’s whereabouts

    Malaria mosquitoes require specific environmental conditions to breed and survive.

    They are found in low-lying tropical areas in most southern African countries, with the exception of Lesotho and the Seychelles. Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have regions of high malaria risk.

    In South Africa, malaria is restricted to the low-lying border regions of northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.

    Before visiting any of these areas, familiarise yourself with the malaria risk map for South Africa and take the appropriate precautions.

    In the southern hemisphere, the malaria risk is particularly high over the December holidays. This is due to the warm, wet weather conditions that favour mosquito growth.

    Over the past few years, the non-endemic South African province of Gauteng has reported a high number of
    cases. This can happen in any province: there have been incidents in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, as well as the North-West.

    Most of these cases are imported from high-risk regions within
    and outside South Africa.

    A few rare cases are the result of odyssean malaria (also known as taxi or airport malaria).

    This happens throughout Africa. It is largely associated with migration. This happens when one or more malaria-carrying mosquitoes are accidentally transported from their natural home. They can then randomly infect people outside the malaria-risk area.

    When you have an unexplained fever in summer, think malaria. This is true even if you have not travelled to a malaria-risk area.

    It is especially important if you stayed near a major transport route or transport hub. These include places such as taxi ranks or bus depots.

    Know your enemy’s gameplan

    Malaria is preventable and treatable. The odds of a complete recovery are very high if a malaria infection is detected early. This is aided by prompt treatment with effective antimalarial medication.

    Symptoms of the milder version of malaria (uncomplicated malaria) are non-specific. This can include fever, headaches, sluggishness, nausea, and muscular/joint pains.

    Loss of consciousness, convulsions, jaundice and kidney failure are associated with the more severe, life threatening form of malaria.



    Read more:
    We’re a step closer to figuring out why mosquitoes bite some people and not others

    Keep yourself safe from the enemy

    The easiest way to prevent yourself from getting malaria is to avoid being bitten by an infected mosquito.

    If outdoors during the evening, wear long-sleeved shirts, trousers and socks, and use repellents that contain at least 30% of the insect repellent DEET.

    Doors and windows should be screened. Where possible, sleep under a bednet or in an air-conditioned room.

    In addition to these non-pharmaceutical measures, you can protect yourself by taking anti-malarial medications which you can get from a pharmacy or primary healthcare clinic.

    Discuss your anti-malarial options with a healthcare professional.

    Medication that prevents malaria does not mask the symptoms of the disease.

    The recommended treatment in South Africa, artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem), is highly effective. This is the most widely used malaria treatment across Africa.

    Know the myths about the enemy

    You cannot get malaria from drinking contaminated water or eating rotten fruit.

    There is limited evidence that vitamin-enriched products or home remedies containing natural products like citronella offer any protection against malaria.

    In addition, tonic water contains a very low concentration of antimalarial ingredients. It is therefore not possible for one person to drink sufficient quantities to protect against malaria.

    Crucially, one malaria infection will not keep you safe from future infections. You can get malaria more than once.

    Finally, always be aware – although the malaria risk is higher in summer, you can also get the disease in the dry season. You could also potentially be infected in any province due to an infected travelling mosquito.

    So if you have an unexplained fever, think malaria!

    Shüné Oliver receives funding from the National Research Foundation of South Africa, South African Medical Research Council and Female Academic Leadership Fellowship. She is affiliated with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the Wits Research Institute for Malaria.

    Jaishree Raman receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CHAI, the Global Fund, the National Institute for Communicable Disease, the National Research Foundation, the South African Medical Research Council, and the Research Trust. She is affiliated with the Wits Research Institute for Malaria and the University of Pretoria’s Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control.

    – ref. Mosquito season in southern Africa: tonic water and vitamins won’t protect you but knowing where the hotspots are will – https://theconversation.com/mosquito-season-in-southern-africa-tonic-water-and-vitamins-wont-protect-you-but-knowing-where-the-hotspots-are-will-242620

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Hargy, Visiting Research Fellow in International Studies, Queen’s University Belfast

    The electoral votes in swing states are likely to edge one candidate over the line. Tomas Ragina/Shutterstock

    On November 5, millions of Americans will cast their votes for president, with the vast majority deciding between Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump. This historic election, however, is not determined by a singular national poll, but rather a state-by-state contest. Many people outside the US, and some inside, do not understand how this complicated system works.

    Here are five things to know about the electoral college system:

    1. It’s not one electoral contest, but 50 separate races

    The founding fathers opted against a national popular vote where the winning candidate just has to gain a majority of votes to claim victory. They decided instead to establish an electoral college under Article II of the US Constitution.

    Under this system, voters in every US state and the District of Columbia decide the outcome of a winner-takes-all contest for their state’s electoral votes. Each state is allocated a set number of electoral votes, in line with the size of its population. For example, Texas, with a population of over 29 million, has 50 electoral votes. North Dakota, on the other hand, has a population of under 800,000 and is apportioned three.

    By securing a majority of the vote in a state, a candidate collects its allotted electoral college votes. There are 538 in total, with the winner needing at least 270 to secure the presidency (with their running-mate becoming vice-president).

    Maine and Nebraska are the only two exceptions to the winner-takes-all approach. These states also use their congressional districts to allocate some electoral college votes: two go to each state’s overall popular vote winner, while one goes to the popular vote winner in each congressional district (two districts in Maine, three in Nebraska).

    So, when Americans mark their ballot with their choice for president, this vote is technically not awarded automatically to the candidate. Rather, it goes to the individual state’s electors. These people convene across all 50 states once the election is complete, then formally send their state’s electoral votes to the US Congress. The electors are usually state election officials or prominent party members.

    Brown University professor of political science Wendy Schiller explained the choice of an electoral college system more than 200 years ago was rooted in a distrust of citizens to make a reasoned choice: “The origins of the electoral college were not supposed to reflect voter opinion at all – it was to be a gate against making a bad choice. It was an elite bulwark against popular opinion.”

    2. It can allow for unpredictable and unruly outcomes

    By its very nature, the electoral college can result in two unusual, but not improbable, scenarios. First, a candidate can win the electoral college while losing the popular vote and still become president – as happened most recently in 2000 with George W. Bush and in 2016 with Trump.

    Secondly, the system allows for a situation were neither candidate wins a majority of electoral votes. If there is a 269-269 tie, a “contingent election” is held under the 12th Amendment. In this case, members of the new House of Representatives, sworn in on January 3 2025, would choose the next president. They do not vote based on individual preference. Instead, every state delegation gets one vote, with a simple majority of 26 state delegation votes needed to decide who becomes president. This has happened only twice in presidential elections, in 1801 and 1825. The House must continue voting until a president is elected.

    A history of the electoral college system.

    3. In 2020, Trump’s supporters sought to challenge the electoral college results

    State legislators can object to their state’s general election outcome during the congressional certification. This happened in 2020 when a group of Republicans objected to results in Pennsylvania and Arizona – both won by Democrat Joe Biden. After supporters of Trump stormed the Capitol building in January 2021, protesting the official authorisation of votes, Congress updated the 1800s-era Electoral Count Act to make it harder to challenge the electoral college result.

    Following the 2020 election, certain electors in several swing states attempted to falsely declare Trump the winner. These included high-profile Republicans in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona and Wisconsin. Trump’s campaign lawyer, Kenneth Chesebro, pleaded guilty in Georgia to his role in subverting the election.

    There are fears of a potential repeat of this scenario in 2024, should Trump lose again. Documentation returned to state election officials has revealed that over a dozen of these individuals are returning as potential electors this year.

    4. Criticism includes national security concerns and disinformation

    Some call the electorial college system undemocratic. Others point to the “faithless elector” issue, whereby the electors within a state cast their vote against the preference of their state’s popular vote.

    Small vote margins often secure all the votes in key swing states. For example, in 2016, Trump won Michigan by just 13,080 votes (0.3%), Wisconsin by 27,257 votes (1.0%), and Pennsylvania by 68,236 votes (1.2%). This allocated Trump 46 electoral votes as well as victory in the presidential election.

    This has led Brookings Institution fellows Elaine Kamarck and Darrell M. West to conclude that “false news purveyors don’t have to persuade 99% of American voters to be influential, but simply a tiny amount in [certain states] … A shift of 1% of the vote or less based on false narratives would have altered the outcome.”

    Harvard University professor of government Ryan Enos told me that foreign adversaries with an interest in the outcome of the US election are “aware of how decentralised the system is, and how chaos can be sowed by putting pressure on particular states”.

    5. Some people want to abolish it

    The process remains highly contentious and can result in a more fractious political climate. Consequently, there many who want to abolish it. West, a senior fellow of governance studies at Brookings, said the US should get rid of the electoral college. He called it a relic that was established “as an elite-based mechanism to basically choose the president because [America’s founding fathers] did not trust the general public”.

    However, Barnard College professor of political science Sheri Berman had a different view, saying that if you believe different states should have some guaranteed level of representation regardless of their population, then designing a system that gives this to them could be viewed as legitimate.

    Ultimately, despite its unusual elements, Christine Stenglein, a research analyst at Brookings, believes “the electoral college is part of the US constitution, and therefore not likely to change any time soon”.

    Richard Hargy 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. US election: how does the electoral college voting system work? – https://theconversation.com/us-election-how-does-the-electoral-college-voting-system-work-242283

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Midas Man: Brian Epstein biopic captures the complexity that made the Beatles manager so brilliant

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester

    A few minutes after I took my seat at an advanced screening of Amazon Prime’s Brian Epstein biopic, Midas Man, I found myself engaged in Beatles chat with the chap next to me. I wasn’t surprised to find a fellow Fab Four fanatic at such an event. But I was surprised when I realised I was speaking with the legendary presenter Paul Gambaccini, a man who, I was soon to discover, met not only John, Paul, George and Ringo, but also original drummer Pete Best and bassist Stuart Sutcliffe’s sister. Or “five and a half Beatles”, as he put it.

    As the lights went down and we readied ourselves, Gambaccini whispered that he hoped this wasn’t going to be “another Beatles film with no Beatles music in it”. The subject of soundtracks in Beatles biopics has always been an elephant in the room among fans, and Midas Man, like Backbeat (1994), In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000), Lennon Naked (2010) and many others before it, did indeed lack any Lennon and McCartney (or Harrison) originals.

    But, given that it cost the 2019 film Yesterday US$10 million (£7.7 million) to acquire the rights to use the Beatles’ music (40% of the entire budget), this shouldn’t really come as a surprise. And there aren’t any crafty ways round it, either. This much we know from the fate of 1979’s Birth of The Beatles which has been prevented from reissue due to its unauthorised use of songs.

    Midas Man tells the story of the legendary Beatles manager, Brian Epstein. The film follows Epstein, played by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, from his days as the unfulfilled manager of a furniture and musical instrument shop to making good on his promise that his unknown and unsigned band, The Beatles, would one day be “bigger than Elvis”.

    Some reviews have taken issue at how the film shows Epstein one minute suavely cajoling American TV host Ed Sullivan, and the next falling to pieces after the death of his father. But such contradictions of character were exactly what made Epstein who he was – a man Beatles biographer Craig Brown has described as alternatively lonely, businesslike, scrupulous, obsessive, shrewd, awkward and pernickety.

    For me, it’s Epstein’s complexity that makes him so endearing, both in real life and in Midas Man. Fortune-Lloyd expertly and realistically portrays him as confident in his abilities, but also on the cusp of being consumed by self-doubt at any moment. He also carries off the magnetic charm that led Epstein on his scarcely believable journey from selling pianos in his family shop to one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry within the space of a few years.

    The trailer for Midas Man.

    In what is ultimately a tragic story of a troubled life, it’s unsurprising that there are plenty of tearjerker moments. But screenwriters Brigit Grant and Jonathan Wakeham avoid the temptation to overdo the pathos, choosing subtlety over the sledgehammer.

    A combination of this and Fortune-Lloyd’s understated acting lead to several poignant moments in the film. Epstein yearns to be a part of the band’s world, but is kept on the sidelines due to his position of authority, (perceived) difference in class and, most importantly, his own social awkwardness.

    Being Brian

    The film’s sets are a highlight throughout, from 1960s Liverpool’s unique blend of vibrancy and poverty to the glitz and glamour of New York. The North End Music Store (NEMs) where Epstein worked and which became his management company, thrums with the energy and anticipation of the tectonic shift in culture that’s just around the corner. And I’ve scarcely experienced a more immersive recreation of The Beatles’s lunchtime performances at The Cavern.

    Alongside Fortune-Lloyd’s nuanced performance, there were several other standouts. Leo Harvey-Elledge provides much of the humour as George Harrison, Rosie Day has a whale of a time as an effervescent Cilla Black, and the consistently excellent Eddie Marsan and Emily Watson are perfectly cast (although somewhat underused) as Epstein’s parents.

    Good as the overall casting is, however, it’s hard to see Fortune-Lloyd’s Epstein as only six years senior to Jonah Lees’s John Lennon. As versatile as the former is, he looks significantly older than Epstein’s 27 years – the age he was when he first saw The Beatles perform at The Cavern in 1961.

    This may seem like a minor point, but it affects the dynamic between him and the band, which, combined with the significant height difference between Fortune Lloyd (6ft 2) and Lees (5ft 8) gives a sense of authority that was more representative of The Beatles’ producer, George Martin.

    The decision to create a fictionalised love interest in John “Tex” Ellington (Ed Speleers) is also odd. It serves only to suggest that Epstein’s life wasn’t interesting and dramatic enough without fabrication. Which is far from the truth.

    Invented characters aside, there’s nothing in Midas Man that die-hard Beatles fans didn’t already know about Epstein. But given that he and The Beatles are part of what’s been called “the greatest story ever told”, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Glenn Fosbraey 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. Midas Man: Brian Epstein biopic captures the complexity that made the Beatles manager so brilliant – https://theconversation.com/midas-man-brian-epstein-biopic-captures-the-complexity-that-made-the-beatles-manager-so-brilliant-242633

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Social media and generative AI can have a large climate impact – here’s how to reduce yours

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Domenico Vicinanza, Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University

    CREATIVE WONDER / shutterstock

    On a train or bus, or just standing in a queue, the most common sight these days is the muted glow of a screen, and the flickering thumbs of people lost in the endless scroll on their smartphones.

    Across the world, about 62% of people are active social media users. In some countries, that figure is over 90%. That adds up to a lot of usage: the average UK adult spends 3 hours and 41 minutes online each day, which translates to around 56 days a year, almost two whole months.

    Every time we read an article, see an advertisement, watch a photo or video, that content needs to be transferred from the social media platform’s servers to our device. The larger the file, the more data needs to be transferred. And high-resolution images or long videos involve lots of data.

    That data is distributed across many “server farms” (typically housed in a large warehouse with thousands of computers) around the world. If you load a video from Youtube you don’t connect to a single “Youtube data HQ” somewhere in California, but will instead gather data from many different servers often in different countries or continents.

    Moving data across the internet requires energy, sending signals through various electronic devices, including routers, servers, and our own mobile phone or laptop. Each of these devices consumes energy to function, while servers need to be kept cool. And this energy is often generated from fossil fuels.

    Low-energy LinkedIn tops the charts.
    Greenspector, CC BY-SA

    Tiktok is the least eco-friendly of the social media platforms, according to a study of internet users in France run by Greenspector in 2021 and then updated in 2023.

    Simply scrolling through the app exchanges a lot of data as Tiktok is constantly running videos, including many preloaded in the background that you may never even see.

    At the end side of the spectrum is LinkedIn. As a text-based platform, with fewer photos and videos, scrolling through LinkedIn uses much less data.

    Generative AI is energy-hungry

    Social media is of course not the only offender. Generative AI, with its ability to create text, images, music and even videos, is completely reshaping lots of creative processes. But though it is appealing, and sometimes a necessity, it comes with an environmental price tag.

    Unsurprisingly, the more powerful the AI, the more energy it consumes. Unlike when you stream video or load a large web page, with generative AI most energy is used at their end, while processing your query. If you ask ChatGPT to write you a novel, the process of writing involves lots of calculations, even if the resulting text itself doesn’t use much data.

    Your request is being processed…
    Caureem / shutterstock

    All this of course raises critical questions about the sustainability of generative AI and about our own carbon footprints. The AI companies themselves are reluctant to tell us exactly how much energy they use, but they apparently can’t stop their own chatbots having a stab. I asked ChatGPT-4 “how much energy was used to process this query?” and it said “0.002 to 0.02 kWh”, which it said “would be similar to keeping a 60-watt bulb on for about 2 minutes”.

    This roughly matches numbers offered by independent analysis and is tens of times more energy than required for a Google search. With millions of queries per day to ChatGPT alone, it all adds up to a huge amount of additional energy use. As generative AI continues to evolve, the demand for energy will only increase.

    What you can do

    While the environmental impact of these technologies raises valid concerns, it’s also essential to recognise their benefits. To take one example, AI-assisted tools like text-to-speech, voice recognition and auto-captioning have already made society more inclusive particularly for disabled or neurodiverse people. I don’t want to suggest we scrap social media or reject generative AI entirely.

    But there are things we can do to reduce the carbon footprint of our internet use, involving a combination of individual actions and systemic changes. Here are some strategies we can all adopt:

    First, limit the screen time. This is the most obvious one. Reducing the amount of time spent on social media can directly decrease energy consumption.

    Second, use energy-saving settings on your devices, such as lowering screen brightness, using a dark background, and enabling power-saving modes.

    Third, consider choosing less energy-demanding social media, using environmental ranking information to inform the decision. That means more text, and less video and generative AI.

    Fourth, whenever possible, use wifi over 4G or 5G mobile data: wifi generally consumes less energy.

    So, next time we find ourselves scrolling endless sequences of pictures and videos, our face lit by the blue glow of our screens, let’s just stop for a second and start implementing those simple strategies, so we can enjoy the benefits of being connected, while minimising the impact on our planet resources. Ultimately, the choice is ours.

    Domenico Vicinanza 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. Social media and generative AI can have a large climate impact – here’s how to reduce yours – https://theconversation.com/social-media-and-generative-ai-can-have-a-large-climate-impact-heres-how-to-reduce-yours-240661

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Scott Moe won in Saskatchewan promising economic prosperity, but does that truly help citizens?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Iryna Khovrenkov, Associate Professor, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina

    After winning the recent provincial election, the Saskatchewan Party’s Scott Moe promised a “strong economy, bright future.”

    But does a strong economy necessarily guarantee a bright future?

    Between 1998 and 2018, Saskatchewan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 45 per cent, making it the fourth largest in Canada.

    Even after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saskatchewan led the nation in economic growth, registering a hike of six per cent.

    Over the same 20 years, however, Saskatchewan’s well-being increased by only 13 per cent, according to the Saskatchewan Index of Wellbeing.

    This lag in well-being has only amplified the struggles of the province’s citizens in terms of drug use, youth mental health, homelessness and hate crimes.

    Evidently, and despite its impressive magnitude, Saskatchewan’s economic growth alone does not fully reflect the province’s progress in terms of citizen well-being.

    What is well-being?

    Well-being is a multi-dimensional concept that goes beyond the level or rate of growth of GDP and can illuminate ongoing major policy challenges. GDP, on the other hand, is one-dimensional, developed prior to the Second World War and well before today’s significant policy concerns.

    As defined by the Saskatchewan Index of Wellbeing, it’s achieved when people are physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy; economically secure; have a strong sense of identity, belonging and place; and have the confidence and capacity to engage as citizens.

    Well-being encompasses many aspects that make our lives good — happiness and wellness at the personal level, strong social capital and belonging at the community level. These aspects can then form a strong foundation to tackle larger issues at the societal level such as social justice and environmental sustainability.

    International well-being initiatives

    Many countries, including Canada with its Canadian Index of Wellbeing, have not only developed well-being frameworks but many now routinely collect and publish well-being indicators.

    A handful of jurisdictions — like France, Italy and Sweden — have also begun including quality-of-life measures as benchmarks of their progress.

    New Zealand even formally budgets for well-being and released its first Wellbeing Budget in 2019.

    Regardless of geography or political structure, one common motivation for developing these well-being frameworks is a recognition that economic metrics such as GDP are insufficient to measure a country’s human and environmental progress.



    Read more:
    Australia’s wellbeing budget: what we can – and can’t – learn from NZ

    A well-being approach to policy

    For an effective path forward, citizen well-being should be a guiding principle for government leaders. Community Initiatives Fund and Heritage Saskatchewan, joint forces behind the Saskatchewan Index of Wellbeing, have long called on decision-makers to incorporate well-being into policy.

    The federal government has recently introduced the Quality-of-Life Framework as its first step towards integrating well-being into policymaking. But are these efforts reaching local governments, which carry a regulatory duty of fostering citizen well-being?

    I partnered with the Community Initiatives Fund and Heritage Saskatchewan to survey more than 25 per cent of rural and urban municipalities in Saskatchewan on what’s facilitated or hindered the adoption of well-being into policy in their communities.

    We learned that only 17 per cent of our participating municipalities adopted a well-being approach in their official community plans, although 55 per cent of them consider community well-being elements when developing policies and budgets.

    Additionally, 46 per cent are interested in adopting a well-being approach but have cited lack of financial and human resources, time, community and team support as key challenges in shifting to a well-being approach.

    Finally, we learned that arts, culture and sports amenities were identified as a pressing community need by 36 per cent of our respondents, compared to only six per cent referencing economic sustainability and growth.

    Our findings also support existing evidence that rural communities become stronger when they value well-being more than economic growth.

    The five elements of a well-being economy. (ICLEI Europe YouTube Channel)

    Municipal action required

    As the government level closest to the people, municipalities matter. Services provided by local authorities define citizens’ well-being and their quality of life. Also, local efforts have the potential to inspire province-wide change.

    With urban municipalities in Saskatchewan gearing up for their own elections on Nov. 13, it’s a good time to consider prioritizing community well-being.

    In the words of Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand: “Growth alone does not lead to a great country …. so it’s time to focus on those things that do.”

    For real change to occur, well-being should lie at the heart of policymaking.

    The research project about well-being in municipal policy is a product of a partnership between Iryna Khovrenkov at the University of Regina, Tracey Mann at Community Initiatives Fund and Ingrid Cazakoff at Heritage Saskatchewan. The financial support of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Engage Grant number 892-2021-3028 is gratefully acknowledged.

    – ref. Scott Moe won in Saskatchewan promising economic prosperity, but does that truly help citizens? – https://theconversation.com/scott-moe-won-in-saskatchewan-promising-economic-prosperity-but-does-that-truly-help-citizens-242574

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Doctors are already using AI in care – but we don’t actually know what safe use should look like

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Sujan, Chair in Safety Science, University of York

    It’s too soon to safely use GenAI in regular clinical practice. Josep Suria/ Shutterstock

    One in five UK doctors use a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool – such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini – to assist with clinical practice. This is according to a recent survey of around 1,000 GPs.

    Doctors reported using GenAI to generate documentation after appointments, help make clinical decisions and provide information to patients – such as comprehensible discharge summaries and treatment plans.

    Considering the hype around artificial intelligence coupled with the challenges health systems are facing, it’s no surprise doctors and policymakers alike see AI as key in modernising and transforming our health services.

    But GenAI is a recent innovation that fundamentally challenges how we think about patient safety. There’s still much we need to know about GenAI before it can be used safely in everyday clinical practice.

    The problems with GenAI

    Traditionally, AI applications have been developed to perform a very specific task. For example, deep learning neural networks have been used for classification in imaging and diagnostics. Such systems prove effective in analysing mammograms to aid in breast cancer screening.

    But GenAI is not trained to perform a narrowly defined task. These technologies are based on so-called foundation models, which have generic capabilities. This means they can generate text, pixels, audio or even a combination of these.

    These capabilities are then fine-tuned for different applications – such as answering user queries, producing code or creating images. The possibilities for interacting with this type of AI appear to be limited only by the user’s imagination.

    Crucially, because the technology has not been developed for use in a specific context or to be used for a specific purpose, we don’t actually know how doctors can use it safely. This is just one reason why GenAI isn’t suited for widespread use in healthcare just yet.

    Another problem in using GenAI in healthcare is the well documented phenomenon of “hallucinations”. Hallucinations are nonsensical or untruthful outputs based on the input that has been provided.

    Hallucinations have been studied in the context of having GenAI create summaries of text. One study found various GenAI tools produced outputs that made incorrect links based on what was said in the text, or summaries included information that wasn’t even referred to in the text.

    Hallucinations occur because GenAI works on the principle of likelihood – such as predicting which word will follow in a given context – rather than being based on “understanding” in a human sense. This means GenAI-produced outputs are plausible rather than necessarily truthful.

    This plausibility is another reason it’s too soon to safely use GenAI in routine medical practice.

    Generative AI functions on the basis of plausibility.
    egaranugrah/ Shutterstock

    Imagine a GenAI tool that listens in on a patient’s consultation and then produces an electronic summary note. On one hand, this frees up the GP or nurse to better engage with their patient. But on the other hand, the GenAI could potentially produce notes based on what it thinks may be plausible.

    For instance, the GenAI summary might change the frequency or severity of the patient’s symptoms, add symptoms the patient never complained about or include information the patient or doctor never mentioned.

    Doctors and nurses would need to do an eagle-eyed proofread of any AI-generated notes and have excellent memory to distinguish the factual information from the plausible – but made-up – information.

    This might be fine in a traditional family doctor setting, where the GP knows the patient well enough to identify inaccuracies. But in our fragmented health system, where patients are often seen by different healthcare workers, any inaccuracies in the patient’s notes could pose significant risks to their health – including delays, improper treatment and misdiagnosis.

    The risks associated with hallucinations are significant. But it’s worth noting researchers and developers are currently working on reducing the likelihood of hallucinations.

    Patient safety

    Another reason it’s too soon to use GenAI in healthcare is because patient safety depends on interactions with the AI to determine how well it works in a certain context and setting – looking at how the technology works with people, how it fits with rules and pressures and the culture and priorities within a larger health system. Such a systems perspective would determine if the use of GenAI is safe.

    But because GenAI isn’t designed for a specific use, this means it’s adaptable and can be used in ways we can’t fully predict. On top of this, developers are regularly updating their technology, adding new generic capabilities that alter the behaviour of the GenAI application.

    Furthermore, harm could occur even if the technology appears to work safely and as intended – again, depending on context of use.

    For example, introducing GenAI conversational agents for triaging could affect different patients’ willingness to engage with the healthcare system. Patients with lower digital literacy, people whose first language isn’t English and non-verbal patients may find GenAI difficult to use. So while the technology may “work” in principle, this could still contribute to harm if the technology wasn’t working equally for all users.

    The point here is that such risks with GenAI are much harder to anticipate upfront through traditional safety analysis approaches. These are concerned with understanding how a failure in the technology might cause harm in specific contexts. Healthcare could benefit tremendously from the adoption of GenAI and other AI tools.

    But before these technologies can be used in healthcare more broadly, safety assurance and regulation will need to become more responsive to developments in where and how these technologies are used.

    It’s also necessary for developers of GenAI tools and regulators to work with the communities using these technologies to develop tools that can be used regularly and safely in clinical practice.

    Mark Sujan is a member of the Centre for Assuring Autonomy, which is funded jointly by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the University of York. He is author and Deputy Editor at BMJ Health & Care Informatics. The journal frequently publishes research on healthcare AI.

    – ref. Doctors are already using AI in care – but we don’t actually know what safe use should look like – https://theconversation.com/doctors-are-already-using-ai-in-care-but-we-dont-actually-know-what-safe-use-should-look-like-241175

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bird flu detected in pigs – here’s why virologists are concerned

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ed Hutchinson, Professor, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow

    H5N1 influenza has now been detected in pigs. This was something virologists had been worrying about ever since this highly pathogenic strain of bird flu started its rapid global spread in 2020. But why were we worrying specifically about pigs? And does this case – detected on a farm in Oregon on October 29 – change anything?

    It might seem odd that we care about it at all. In many ways, the initial reports of this case are – against the backdrop of a continuing viral outbreak that has devastated seabird colonies around the world, caused huge die-offs of sea lions and led to the emergence of an entirely new disease of US dairy cattle – pretty innocuous.

    What we currently know is this: H5N1 bird flu infected poultry on a small American non-commercial farm, something which is sadly now quite common. In this case, there were other animals on the farm, including five pigs. Although the pigs appeared to be healthy, a nasal swab from one of them was found to contain H5N1.

    We don’t yet know if the pig was actually infected or if it had just snuffled up some contaminated material from the birds. At the moment, this particular outbreak doesn’t seem to have spread into any other pigs.

    And “spillover” infections on farms, where a virus from one species turns up in another, are nothing new. Back in May, H5N1 turned up in farmed alpacas in a somewhat similar incident.

    In May, bird flu turned up in an alpaca.
    Siam Stock/Shutterstock

    To understand why pigs get virologist’s attention, we need to think about what it means for a virus to jump from one host species to another. A moment’s reflection tells us that changing host species must be an incredibly difficult thing for a virus to do.

    The world is teeming with viruses that infect every species around us. If it wasn’t very nearly impossible for a virus to jump from one species into another, we’d be dealing with a new pandemic every ten minutes.

    Much more subtle

    The reason it’s so difficult for a virus to jump between different types of host is because viruses are fundamentally different from bacteria, or parasites: pathogens that basically just want to eat us. Viruses are much more subtle.

    Viruses work by taking control of our cells and carefully reprogramming them into machines for making more viruses. Because of this, a virus infecting a new host species is like someone trying to win an argument by shouting at people in a language that they can’t understand. And this is where pigs come in.

    Influenza viruses (specifically influenza A viruses, the group to which H5N1 belongs) are unusually good at crossing between different host species. They still only manage to create a new human disease once every few decades, but that’s a better hit rate than any other virus.

    If we look back, most of the pandemics we know of have been caused by influenza viruses, and the threat of a new pandemic is the biggest worry we have about H5N1 now.

    One of the main reasons that influenza is good at learning the language of a new host species is that, if two influenza viruses can get into the same cell at the same time, they will assemble new viruses that take some of their genes from one parent virus and some from the other. The novel virus that this creates can suddenly shift to being better evolved to its host.

    For example, it could still look like an avian virus, which we have no immunity to, while having swapped most of its genes for versions that are very good at winning arguments with human cells. This is a powerful way for a virus to leapfrog towards causing a pandemic. However, it only works if a bird virus and a human virus can get into the same cell at the same time, and this turns out to be really difficult for influenza viruses to do.

    It’s difficult because influenza viruses get into cells by grabbing on to a particular type of sugar molecule that coats the cell surface. This molecule can be chemically assembled in several different shapes, and while one shape of molecule is used on cells in birds (and, we now think, in cow’s udders), a different shape is used on cells in the human airway.

    Mixing vessels

    Bird flu viruses and human flu viruses are trying to get into cells by rattling the handles of different doors, which limits their ability to meet in the same cell. And this is where pigs come in, because it turns out that the cells in pig airways use both types of sugar molecule on their surface. Pig cells can be infected by both bird flu and human flu, making pigs a potential “mixing vessel” in which influenza viruses with pandemic potential could be brewed.

    Has this happened yet? Thankfully, no. At the moment, this detection of H5N1 in a pig appears to have been an isolated incident. We don’t know how likely it is to happen again.

    Indeed, there is an idea that it could be quite hard for this particular virus to infect pigs, a hypothesis supported by some experimental work and by the observation that, despite H5N1 running rampant and turning up in all sorts of animals over the last four years, this is the first time an H5N1 infection of pigs has been suspected.

    Even if H5N1 did succeed in establishing sustained transmission in pigs – as it has already done in cows – what that would mean is far from certain. We know that influenza viruses can mix with each other in pigs, but we also know that the strain of influenza virus that entered pigs in 1918 then circulated in them for over 90 years before combining with other viruses to cause the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

    So why did a report of H5N1 in pigs get so much attention from virologists? H5N1 has the potential to be an extremely dangerous virus for many different animals, and combining its genes with a human virus could make it much more dangerous to us.

    The risks of that happening have already begun to increase as this year’s winter flu season starts for humans while H5N1 is circulating on farms in the US. Any suggestion of the virus turning up in animals that could help it to mix and match with a human influenza is a troubling reminder that H5N1 has the potential to change its capabilities very quickly.

    When it comes to which animals to watch for signs of such a change happening, some animals are more equal than others. For as long as H5N1 is around, virologists are going to watch any infections of pigs with interest.

    Ed Hutchinson is affiliated with the European Scientific Working group on Influenza and other respiratory viruses (ESWI) and has an unpaid position on the advisory board of PinPoint Medical. His reserach receives funding from UKRI and the Wellcome Trust.

    – ref. Bird flu detected in pigs – here’s why virologists are concerned – https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-detected-in-pigs-heres-why-virologists-are-concerned-242623

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to Build a Truth Engine documentary makes for sober but crucial viewing in our age of disinformation

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Clodagh Harrington, Lecturer in American Politics, University College Cork

    If the powerful documentary How to Build a Truth Engine had to be compressed into two thematic strands they might be “how the human mind works” and “how our brain can be manipulated by information”. Director Friedrich Moser’s film takes us on a two-hour voyage of explanation, covering issues from cyber-warfare to elections, COVID to conflict and more.

    Engaged citizens may find some of it they knew already. However, Moser offers a forensic and evidence-based delivery of how, why and the extent to which technology, events and the manipulation of both has had a powerful and deeply disconcerting impact on humans individually and collectively.

    As an expert in American politics, who recently wrote on the crisis of truth in the current US election, I found How to Build a Truth Engine makes for sober but crucial viewing.

    As our news cycles overflow with disinformation and fake news, this visually engaging film takes us on a calm, scientific tour of how we got to where we are – which is disinformation-central.

    Experts in neuroscience, engineering and even folklore explain the ways in which we think and process information. As humans, our brains rely on steady, clear streams of data. When these streams become polluted, our capacity to process and understand reality is challenged, and our vulnerability to false narratives increases.

    Clearly, lying for political purposes is as old as politics itself, but the capacity to disseminate these lies is now on a scale previously unimaginable, as the documentary shows.

    Unsurprisingly, Moser’s production gives much attention to the plight of traditional journalism. It also focuses on the challenges we face as consumers of news now that the process through which information is filtered and considered fit for dissemination has been dismantled to an alarming extent.

    The programme offers a stark reminder of the current state of conventional journalism, weakened by the migration of resources to online search engines where advertising and algorithms trump fact checking and truth telling.

    Among the topics covered is the 2022 Russian invasion of Bucha in Ukraine, in which multiple civilians were killed, with bound bodies left in the streets. At the time, the Kremlin rebuffed Ukrainian allegations of war crimes as a fake narrative and went so far as to state that the civilian massacre was a staged event.

    Western journalists, including New York Times staff, used satellite imagery to piece together events in the lead-up to the atrocity. As a result, they were able to verify what the Ukrainians had told them, but with the powerful addition of visual evidence, which transcended any “he said, she said” narrative.

    If truth is the first casualty of war, this important use of technology for such crucial purpose offers a ripple of accuracy in an ocean of falsehood.

    In highlighting the significance to the human brain of narrative and storytelling, the documentary offers chilling insights regarding the conspiracy theory path that led to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in 2021. History is filled with tales of societies falling for false narratives, and the assault on the Capitol adheres to these criteria.

    From stereotyping to the creation of insider-outsider narratives (where certain groups are presented as relatable and others as negative and untrustworthy), it is only a small leap to negative assumptions about those deemed outsiders. In the case of January 6 Capitol attack in 2021, the documentary makes clear the groundwork was laid long before any violence took place.

    And so, we are reminded that the fiction that the 2020 election was stolen by Joe Biden was promoted, shared, amplified and repeated back (between Donald Trump, social media and sympathetic television networks) until the protesters were whipped into a frenzy. The result of this unchecked political propaganda was death and destruction.

    Those in Moser’s film offer a chilling reminder that as long as the lie of the “Big Steal”, as it is known now, remains alive as truth in the minds of many Americans, then it can happen again. If the relentless pursuit of accuracy is a core component of journalism, we can see that this pursuit is under constant siege as lies propagate at lightning speed and citizens choose their own truths.

    The documentary taps into the key question of our era: how do we know what we know? In an age of information warfare, truth is a valuable and vulnerable commodity. As humans, we have created technology so advanced that it is already outsmarting us.

    And truth is often diluted, polluted or drowned out completely in our daily communication torrents. This, combined with the nefarious agendas of bad actors means that individuals, communities and our way of life are under significant threat. The consolation, as presented by Moser’s work, may be that technology can also get us out of this predicament. That’s assuming that we want it to.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Clodagh Harrington 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 to Build a Truth Engine documentary makes for sober but crucial viewing in our age of disinformation – https://theconversation.com/how-to-build-a-truth-engine-documentary-makes-for-sober-but-crucial-viewing-in-our-age-of-disinformation-242554

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What poll watchers can − and can’t − do on Election Day

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mollie J. Cohen, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Purdue University

    Poll watchers keep an eye on voting in Georgia in November 2022. AP Photo/Ben Gray

    When most people think of their experience of voting in person, they may remember other voters at the polls, or the hardworking election officials checking people in and helping people submit their ballots. But in many elections, a third group is often present: poll watchers.

    Poll watchers are ordinary citizens who volunteer to observe elections on behalf of an organization. Many of them do so on behalf of a specific political party. Other volunteers are nonpartisan poll watchers; they observe the action at polling places on behalf of nonpartisan organizations, including domestic groups and international election watchdogs such as the Carter Center or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

    The United States has not historically relied extensively on international election monitors, and they are prohibited in some states, such as Tennessee. Most often, when journalists and academics like us refer to poll watchers in the U.S., we mean partisan election observers.

    If all goes well on Election Day, poll watchers’ jobs will be tedious. They will simply watch voters performing the key acts of democracy: filing into the precinct, engaging with poll workers and casting ballots. Partisan poll watchers will also likely observe the tabulation of ballots and receive an official copy of the results in case they choose to conduct a simultaneous tally.

    What do poll watchers do?

    Poll watchers protect their organization’s interests at polling places. By observing as ballots are cast and counted, poll watchers can help ensure that only eligible voters participate and that blatant election rigging – like stuffing the ballot box with unauthorized ballots – does not occur.

    As observers independent of the government officials they are monitoring, poll watchers can add an extra layer of transparency and accountability to election proceedings and help to ensure that elections are free and fair.

    Poll watchers, like this one in Detroit in 2020, monitor all aspects of voting and tabulation.
    AP Photo/David Goldman

    However, poll watchers can also undermine the integrity of elections. For example, poll watchers may overzealously – and illegally – challenge a citizen’s eligibility to cast a ballot without cause. Or their presence may intimidate or pressure voters.

    In the 1980s, for example, the Republican Party in New Jersey recruited uniformed, off-duty police officers to watch the polls and posted signs offering a reward for information about people violating election laws. A lawsuit over that activity led to a nationwide court order barring the Republican National Committee from using poll watchers without clearance from a federal judge. The order was lifted in 2018.

    Historical records show that, since the early 1800s, poll watchers from both parties frequently challenged the eligibility of African Americans and likely immigrants, often leading to their removal from the voter rolls. In cases like these, poll watchers can undermine the core democratic principle of voters’ freedom to participate.

    It is also important to remember that many poll watchers are partisans – they work on behalf of their political parties. In fact, in recent years a central goal of the Republican Party has been recruiting and deploying poll watchers. Our research shows that in the current era of polarized partisan politics in the United States, the mere presence of partisan actors at polling locations can undermine voters’ trust in elections.

    What are the rules?

    While the history and partisan nature of election observation may raise concerns about voter intimidation, a variety of federal and state laws protect voters on Election Day.

    Poll watchers are subject to federal laws that protect voters from intimidation and interference. Many states also have additional regulations that govern what poll watchers can do when observing elections.

    For instance, some states require formal training. The state of Georgia, for example, requires all partisan poll watchers to complete training provided by their political party. Watchers in Ohio, on the other hand, must be registered voters but are not required to complete formal training.

    Another important difference between states is whether they allow poll watchers to directly interact with voters. In some states, such as Georgia, poll watchers may not speak to voters. In others, such as Ohio, poll watchers can speak with voters but can’t threaten voters for choosing a certain candidate or encourage them to vote for another.

    Poll workers, like these in New York City in 2020, often make sure poll watchers can see what’s happening.
    AP Photo/John Minchillo

    Challenging voters’ eligibility

    A final important difference between states rules about poll watchers is whether they can challenge the eligibility of a voter. Good-faith challenges can arise when a poll watcher has a strong reason to believe that a voter is not eligible to vote in the district where they are voting. Pennsylvania poll watchers, for example, are allowed to keep a list of eligible voters and could register a challenge if they believe someone not on that list is attempting to vote.

    Poll watchers who operate in bad faith may make challenges based on little or no evidence, with the intention of distracting poll workers, demoralizing voters and slowing voting, rather than ensuring the rules are followed correctly.

    Poll watchers generally raise challenges at the polling place directly with election administrators, who are local volunteers and employees. Voters whose eligibility is challenged may have to cast a provisional ballot and present additional proof of their identification and residence to election officials, either on Election Day or in a later legal proceeding. Importantly, many states have strong regulations that aim to protect voters against arbitrary challenges to their eligibility. Challengers in Florida, for example, must submit a formal written oath attesting to the accuracy of their challenge and are subject to prosecution if the challenge is determined to be “frivolous.”

    If a poll watcher suspects that something is amiss at a polling location while voters are casting ballots or while ballots are being tabulated, they can raise concerns with local election administrators or other election officials, such as local boards of elections. They may also pass the word up through the political party they are representing.

    Many issues are straightforward to address, and election workers respond immediately. More complex concerns – or allegations reported to party leaders by many poll watchers in different locations – may ultimately lead to legal action in the courts.

    Mollie J. Cohen has received funding from the Russell Sage Foundation.

    Geoffrey D. Sheagley receives funding from the Russell Sage Foundation.

    – ref. What poll watchers can − and can’t − do on Election Day – https://theconversation.com/what-poll-watchers-can-and-cant-do-on-election-day-241544

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The 27 Club isn’t true, but it is real − a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Zackary Okun Dunivin, Postdoctoral Fellow in Communication, University of California, Davis

    Many members of the 27 Club are outsize in their cultural influence. Psychology Forever/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    There’s a certain allure to the notion that some of the world’s brightest stars burn out at the age of 27. The so-called 27 Club has captivated the public imagination for half a century. Its members include legendary musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The idea is as seductive as it is tragic: a convergence of talent, fame and untimely death at a singular age.

    But is there any truth to this phenomenon, or is it merely a story we tell ourselves and each other about fame and youth?

    In our newly published research, my colleague Patrick Kaminski and I explore why the 27 Club persists in culture. We didn’t set out to debunk the myth. After all, there is no reason to think that 27 is an especially dangerous age beyond superstition.

    Rather, we wanted to explore the 27 Club to understand how such a myth gains traction and affects people’s perception of reality.

    Is the 27 Club real?

    The origin of the 27 Club dates back to the early 1970s, following the deaths of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison – all at age 27, within a span of two years.

    This uncanny coincidence left its mark on collective memory. It wasn’t just their age. It was the common thread of musical genius, countercultural influence and the tragic allure of lives cut short by a cocktail of fame, drug use and the struggle of being human. The narrative is not just compelling but almost mystical in its synchronicity.

    Analyzing data from 344,156 notable deceased individuals listed on Wikipedia, we found that while there’s no increased risk of dying at 27, those who do die at that age receive significantly more public attention. Using Wikipedia page views as a proxy for fame, our study revealed that the legacies of these 27-year-olds are amplified, garnering more visibility than those who die at adjacent ages.

    This increased visibility has a strange effect: People are more likely to encounter those who died at 27 than other young ages, even if they are not aware of the myth. This in turn creates the appearance of greater risk of mortality at 27. The myth of the 27 Club is a self-fulfilling prophecy: It became “real” because we believed it.

    Why is the 27 Club a thing?

    We believe this phenomenon can be understood through three interrelated concepts: path dependence, stigmergy and memetic reification.

    Path dependence refers to how random events can set a precedent that influences future outcomes. The initial cluster of high-profile deaths at age 27 was statistically improbable – we estimate that one in 100,000 timelines would have four such famous deaths at age 27 – but it established a narrative pathway that has persisted and shaped collective reality.

    Stigmergy describes how traces of an event or action left in the environment can indirectly coordinate future events or actions. In the digital age, platforms such as Wikipedia serve as repositories of collective memory. The existence of a dedicated 27 Club page, with links to its members’ pages, increases the visibility of those who die at 27. This creates a feedback loop: The more we click, the more prominent these figures become, and the more the myth is reinforced.

    Finally, what we call memetic reification captures how beliefs can shape reality. We draw from a sociological concept called the Thomas theorem, which states that if you “define a situation as real, they are real in their consequences.” The 27 Club myth has tangible effects on cultural memory and fame. By imbuing significance into the age of 27, society elevates the legacies of those who die at that age, making the myth materially consequential.

    Why do myths endure?

    Why do such myths endure? At their core, myths are not about factual accuracy but about narratives that resonate with people. They thrive on mystery, tragedy and the human penchant for finding patterns even in randomness. The story of the 27 Club is poetic, encapsulating the fleeting nature of genius and the fragility of life. It’s a story that begs to be told and retold, regardless of its veracity.

    This isn’t an isolated phenomenon. Cultural patterns often arise from chance events that, through collective commitment and storytelling, become embedded in our understanding of the world.

    Your social world shapes what you value and how you behave.

    Consider the evolution of language – why do we call a dog a “dog”? There is nothing doggy about the word. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein observed that nearly all symbols are arbitrary. Some countries drive on the left side of the road while others on the right. While the choice to adopt left- or right-side traffic is influenced by neighboring countries or car producers, ultimately these followed from an arbitrary resolution to the need to pick one side or the other. These conventions began as random occurrences that, over time, became standardized and meaningful through social reinforcement.

    The 27 Club serves as a lens through which you can examine the power of mythmaking in shaping perceptions of history and reality. It highlights how collective beliefs can have real-world consequences, influencing who becomes immortalized in cultural memory. It’s a testament to the complex interplay between chance events, storytelling and the mechanisms by which myths are perpetuated.

    Though we may appear to dispel the myth of the 27 Club, let’s not abandon the story. We’re myth trusters, not myth busters. In unraveling the myth, we’re acknowledging the profound ways in which narratives influence our collective consciousness. By understanding the processes behind myth formation, we can better appreciate the richness of culture and the stories people choose to tell.

    Zackary Dunivin has received funding from the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Grant 1735095 “Interdisciplinary Training in Complex Networks and Systems.”

    – ref. The 27 Club isn’t true, but it is real − a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality – https://theconversation.com/the-27-club-isnt-true-but-it-is-real-a-sociologist-explains-why-myths-endure-and-how-they-shape-reality-242693

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Stennis Plants Artemis Moon Tree

    Source: NASA

    A tree-planting ceremony at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Oct. 29 celebrated NASA’s successful Artemis I mission as the agency prepares for a return around the Moon with astronauts on Artemis II.
    “We already have a thriving Moon Tree from the Apollo years onsite,” NASA Stennis Director John Bailey said. “It is exciting to add trees for our new Artemis Generation as it continues the next great era of human space exploration.”
    NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement Next Gen STEM Project partnered with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service to fly five species of tree seeds aboard the Orion spacecraft during the successful uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022 as part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative. 
    The Artemis Moon Tree species included sweetgums, loblolly pines, sycamores, Douglas-firs, and giant sequoias. The seeds from the first Artemis mission have been nurtured by the USDA into seedlings to be a source of inspiration for the Artemis Generation.
    The Moon Tree education initiative is rooted in the legacy of Apollo 14 Moon Tree seeds flown in lunar orbit over 50 years ago by the late Stuart Roosa, a NASA astronaut and Mississippi Coast resident.
    NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC), located at the site, planted companion trees during the Oct. 29 ceremony. Bailey and NSSC Executive Director Anita Harrell participated in a joint planting ceremony attended by a number of employees from each entity.
    The American sweetgum trees are the second and third Moon Trees at the south Mississippi site. In 2004, ASTRO CAMP participants planted a sycamore Moon Tree to honor the 35th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969.
    The road to space for both Apollo 14 and Artemis I went through Mississippi. Until 1970, NASA Stennis test fired first, and second stages of the Saturn V rockets used for Apollo.
    NASA Stennis now tests all the RS-25 engines powering Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. Prior to Artemis I, NASA Stennis tested the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage and its four RS-25 engines.
    The Artemis Moon Trees have found new homes in over 150 communities and counting since last spring, and each of the 10 NASA centers also will plant one.
    As the tree grows at NASA Stennis, so, too, does anticipation for the first crewed mission with Artemis II. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration.
    The flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities – the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft – for the first time with astronauts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: From Logistics to Legacy: NASA Employee is a Part of Something Great

    Source: NASA

    Every task at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is not simply work for Tessa Keating – it is a meaningful step toward a part of something great.
    “It has been a dream career. I count it an honor to share the NASA story and humbled to know our team witnesses a part of history,” said Keating, a NASA public affairs specialist in the NASA Stennis Office of Communications. “Every day is an opportunity to contribute to the NASA legacy that will last beyond today. “
    Keating plans onsite logistics, serves as a protocol officer, and coordinates the Space Flight Awareness Program for NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center. In fact, she organized much of the recent Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy Award ceremony at NASA Stennis in August, except for one part. As the ceremony finished, NASA Stennis Director John Bailey said one more award was to be given.
    No one was more surprised than the logistics coordinator herself when Keating’s family joined her on stage. The 21-year NASA Stennis employee was honored for her outstanding contributions in sharing the NASA story of exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all with a diverse audience and for equipping everyone with a broader knowledge and appreciation of the center’s vital role within NASA.
    “I am not sure I will ever be able to top that in my NASA career,” Keating said.
    It became a full-circle moment that she described as a great honor. The Silver Snoopy is the astronauts’ personal award and is presented to less than 1 percent of the total NASA workforce. Reid Wiseman, a NASA astronaut and commander for the upcoming Artemis II mission around the Moon, presented the award to Keating, along with a lapel pin flown aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission.
    As NASA returns to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for the Artemis Generation, Keating says it will be extra-special watching Wiseman and the Artemis II crew lay the groundwork for future milestones.
    Keating helped lay the groundwork ahead of the successful Artemis I mission. She served as lead logistics for onsite guest operations in 2021 when NASA conducted the most powerful propulsion test in more than 40 years at NASA Stennis. A full-duration hot fire of the first SLS (Space Launch System) core stage and its four RS-25 engines culminated a year-long series of integrated tests. Keating coordinated the viewing of the hot fire for some 200 agency leaders and guests, despite restricted settings due to COVID-19.  
    “It was truly a highlight. I had grown up hearing my parents and grandparents talk about engines that were tested during the Apollo era, and I had never experienced something of that magnitude,” Keating said. “I was able to live it, feel it, and watch the next part of NASA history onsite.”
    For Keating, the groundwork for a NASA career came following graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from William Carey University and a master’s degree in Communications from The University of Southern Mississippi, both schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Having grown up in Pearl River County, Mississippi, for most of her life, she knew about NASA Stennis. However, she did not think she could ever work at the center because her strengths were in areas beyond math and science.
    Following some additional exploration and conversations with influential people in her life, Keating discovered she, in fact, could be a part of something great at NASA Stennis.
    “The possibilities are endless at NASA when you allow yourself to put your best foot forward and research the many opportunities that are available. There is always room for various types of studies,” Keating said. “I credit where I am in my career to God and to the people who have helped to guide my path. I will be forever grateful.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lagniappe for November 2024

    Source: NASA

    Explore Lagniappe for November 2024 featuring:

    NASA Stennis Takes Key Step in Expanding its Range Operations Work
    NASA Stennis Plants Artemis Moon Tree
    NASA Employees Complete Agency Leadership Program

    The month of October is known for becoming cooler in these parts, and there sure were plenty of recent cool moments for NASA Stennis that set the tone for the future.
    Last month, the center marked a milestone for testing a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
    Crews safely lifted and installed the interstage simulator component that will be used for future testing of NASA’s exploration upper stage on the B-2 side of the Thad Cochran Test Stand.
    Why does this matter?
    When the new upper stage is ready to fly following testing at NASA Stennis, it will allow NASA to send astronauts and larger payloads to the Moon on a single mission.
    It is expected to fly on Artemis IV when astronauts will live and work in humanity’s first lunar space station, Gateway.
    How exciting! This mission will make possible new opportunities for science and preparation for human missions to Mars.
    The massive interstage simulator component lifted and installed at NASA Stennis is 103 tons, or 206,000 pounds. When you learn about the exploration upper stage, and how it functions, it makes sense. The upper stage is powered by four engines and provides more than 97,000 pounds of thrust.
    Speaking of missions to the Moon, have you ever asked yourself why are we returning to the Moon?
    A few goals NASA has set for Artemis missions include: preparing for future exploration missions deeper into space – including Mars – by developing and proving new technologies and capabilities, while learning how to live and operate on the lunar surface; finding and using water and other critical resources needed for long-term exploration; and investigating the Moon’s mysteries to learn more about Earth and the universe for the benefit of all.
    These long-term plans build on more than 50 years of NASA’s experience and are reigniting everyone’s passion for discovery.
    I believe it because the grandgators have been talking NASA nonstop lately.
    All of this culminates with inspiring the Artemis Generation and encouraging young people to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
    Throughout the month of October, NASA Stennis representatives have been doing just that, sharing the cool ways NASA explores, innovates, and inspires all of humanity and the Artemis Generation.
    Such stops have included Congressman Bennie Thompson’s College and Career Fair in Greenville, Mississippi, located in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta area, bordering the state of Arkansas; Cruisin’ the Coast, where car enthusiasts from over 37 states and Canada drive to the Mississippi Gulf Coast annually; and various college and career fairs throughout Pearl River County and Hancock County, areas where many NASA Stennis employees live.
    October indeed was a cool month, and November has started off that way, too. NASA Stennis representatives participated in the NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show Nov. 1-2, one of Pensacola’s largest events with more than 150,000 in attendance.
    It marked just the fifth time in history that the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels have flown together. This event also celebrated the 55th anniversary of NASA’s lunar landing.
    Pretty cool, huh?
    > Back to Top

    NASA Stennis Achieves Milestone in Preparation for Future Artemis Testing
    NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, achieved a key milestone this week for testing a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.

    NASA Stennis Takes Key Step in Expanding its Range Operations Work
    NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has entered into an agreement with Skydweller Aero Inc. for the company to operate its solar-powered autonomous aircraft in the site’s restricted airspace, a key step towards achieving a strategic center goal.

    NASA Stennis Conducts Water Flush at Fred Haise Test Stand

    NASA Employees Complete Agency Leadership Program

    NASA Stennis Plants Artemis Moon Tree

    NASA Stennis Crews Continue Exploration Upper Stage Preparations

    > Back to Top

    LSU Engineering Students Visit NASA Stennis

    U.S. Ambassador Visits NASA Stennis

    NASA Stennis Highlights Return to the Moon in Louisiana

    NASA Stennis Hosts Office of the Chief Information Officer Teams

    Start Your Engines: NASA Stennis Cruises on the Coast

    Stennis Hosts Family Day at INFINITY

    Java with John: Brewing Conversations and Connection with NASA Stennis Employees

    NASA Attends Blue Angels Airshow

    NASA Attends Picayune Street Fair

    > Back to Top

    > Back to Top

    Every task at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is not simply work for Tessa Keating – it is a meaningful step toward a part of something great.

    > Back to Top

    Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail).
    The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin.
    To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Emergency Management – World Tsunami Awareness Day: Long or strong, get gone – but where to?

    Source: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

    New Zealanders know the catchphrase “If an earthquake is Long or Strong, Get Gone” – but do you know where to “get gone” to?

    Today is World Tsunami Awareness Day, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)’s Chief Science Advisor Professor Tom Wilson is urging people across Aotearoa New Zealand to take a few minutes to check their tsunami zone and plan their evacuation route.

    NEMA’s annual emergency preparedness survey shows awareness of the need to self-evacuate in a long or strong earthquake near the coast has risen from 75% to 86%.

    “It’s really encouraging to see high awareness of our Long or Strong, Get Gone advice,” Dr Wilson says.

    “However, many people may not know if they’re in an evacuation zone, and where they should evacuate to.

    “The National Tsunami Evacuation Zone Map lets you look up the address of anywhere you live, work or play, and it will tell you straight away if you’re in a tsunami evacuation zone.

    “Give it a go now, and practice your route. It’s a nifty tool that could save your life.

    “All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami, and we have a lot of coastline. In a local-source tsunami – like one caused by an earthquake on the Hikurangi fault along the North Island’s East Coast – immediate self-evacuation is key to survival.”

    Professor Wilson says research into the 5 March 2021 tsunami sequence shows that people often wait for an official warning before evacuating, when they should leave straight away.

    “Awareness may be high, but the science tells us that people aren’t always doing the right thing in the heat of the moment.  The more we plan and practice now, the easier it will be when we have a real tsunami event.

    “To mark World Tsunami Awareness Day, take a few moments with your whānau today – and find out what to do if a tsunami strikes.”

    Dr Wilson says 2024 marks twenty years since the Boxing Day Tsunami, which claimed 230,000 lives across India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka on 26 December 2004.

    “The Boxing Day tsunami is a tragic reminder of the devasting power of tsunamis, and a reminder that we need to learn and plan.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –