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Wimbledon to make key change to all-white dress code

<a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/female-tennis-stars-speak-out-against-all-white-wimbledon-dress-code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wimbledon’s controversial all-white dress code</a> is expected to undergo a major change after the prestigious tennis competition faced months of pressure from female athletes. The 1880s rule restricts players to wearing only white clothing - including undergarments such as underwear and bras - and has been the subject of criticism for the toll it takes on female players in relation to their periods. Current guidelines require players to wear all-white, with undergarments that can be seen during play or because of sweat only allowed to have a “single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre”. Now, Wimbledon bosses are due to scrap the undergarments rule for female players, which will come into effect from 2023 and will allow for different coloured underwear and bras to be worn. The archaic rule became the subject of widespread attention after stars spoke about the anxiety around getting their period while competing, including Australian player Daria Saville who admitted she has needed to skip her period altogether and British star Heather Watson revealing she would likely take birth control to stop her period ahead of Wimbledon. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wimbledon</a>, wanna chat periods? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AddressTheDressCode?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AddressTheDressCode</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/mcjAioqMw4">pic.twitter.com/mcjAioqMw4</a> — gabs (@gabriellaholmez) <a href="https://twitter.com/gabriellaholmez/status/1543197239182508033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> At the same time,the rule drew fresh criticism when Romanian player Mihaela Buzarnescu was forced to swap her bra for her coach’s prior to her first-round match in July, after officials noticed hers was too dark. "My bustier was too black and could be seen up here," she told Eurosport at the time. "The white one I had was too transparent and you could see everything underneath and I couldn't wear it, so I borrowed from my coach, I took her bustier.” A group of protestors also made headlines during the ladies’ singles final, gathering outside Wimbledon dressed in white shirts and red undershorts with signs reading “About bloody time”, “Address the dress code” and “You can do it Ian Hewitt”, referring to the All England Club chairman. Gabriella Holmes and Holly Gordon, who organised the campaign Address the Dress Code to highlight the anxiety women face while competing in all-white, were among those protesting, telling <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/09/protesters-at-wimbledon-urge-end-to-all-white-dress-code-due-to-period-concerns#:~:text=3%20months%20old-,Protesters%20at%20Wimbledon%20urge%20end%20to%20all%2Dwhite,code%20due%20to%20period%20concerns&text=Campaigners%20are%20urging%20Wimbledon%20organisers,female%20players%20who%20are%20menstruating." target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> they began calling for change after opening up to each other about the challenges of playing sport while menstruating. “We’ve come down today because we want Wimbledon to address the white dress code that doesn’t take into consideration female athletes on their periods,” Holmes said at the time. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/wimbledon-protest.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Members of the public have begun calling for action too, including Gabriella Holmes and Holly Gordon, the women who started the campaign Address the Dress Code. Image: Getty Images “We want to make it really known to Wimbledon that the rules they are making at the top, they’re all already filtering down to grassroots levels. We are already seeing tons of young girls who drop out of sports when they start their period or by the time they’ve hit puberty they’ve stopped sports altogether. “We think it’s the time to address those barriers for young girls getting into the sport and it starts at the top, so that’s Wimbledon. We want women to be able to focus on the tennis and on the sport and not have to worry about other factors when competing at this level.” More athletes have since spoken out about the issue, with Andy Murray’s mother and coach Judy describing it as a “traumatic experience” and noting that other sports had already dropped similar rules. “One of the biggest problems previously in sport was that it was always white shorts, white kit and so on in lots of different sports,” Murray told the Daily Mail. “Everything was white. Nearly all sports have moved over to colour now. “I think it’s certainly a much more open talking point, if you are wearing all white and then possibly have a leak while you’re playing. “I cannot think of a much more traumatic experience than that.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Indeed, it is time to address the dress code in sports and especially in Tennis competitions like Wimbledon. #<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AddressTheDressCode?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AddressTheDressCode</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZMD9OXg1iN">https://t.co/ZMD9OXg1iN</a> — OJEApads (@OJEApads) <a href="https://twitter.com/OJEApads/status/1555134095717441541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></blockquote> Since the announcement of the rule change, tennis icon Billie Jean King has slammed the rule, saying it was one of her biggest “pet peeves”. “My generation, we always worried because we wore all white all the time,” she told CNN. “And it’s what you wear underneath that’s important for your menstrual period. “And we’re always checking whether we’re showing. You get tense about it because the first thing we are is entertainers and you want whatever you wear to look immaculate, look great. We’re entertainers. We’re bringing it to the people.” In a statement, the All England Club stated they were in discussions over ways to support players and prioritise women’s health. “Prioritising women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs is very important to us, and we are in discussions with the WTA, with manufacturers and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that,” the statement read. Image: Getty Images

Lifestyle

These emojis make you ‘old’ according to Gen Z

Language is an ever-evolving thing, full to the brim with nuance and meaning that might not seem obvious upon first glance - and it turns out that emojis are no exception. Members of Generation Z have taken to social media claiming that using certain emojis is a sign that you’re “officially old” and that the popular thumbs-up emoji is actually rude. According to users on Reddit, the official list of “cancelled” emojis includes: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ❤️ (Red heart) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 👍 (Thumbs up) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 👌 (“OK” hand) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ✅ (Tick or Checkmark) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 💩 (Poo) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 🙈 (Monkey covering eyes) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 😭 (Loudly crying face) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 👏 (Clapping hands) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 💋 (Lipstick kiss mark) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 😬 (Grimacing face) </li> </ul> Many younger users also considered the thumbs-up emoji to be rude, explaining that it gives off a passive-aggressive or even confrontational air. “For younger people (I’m 24 for reference) the thumbs-up emoji is used to be really passive-aggressive,” one person wrote. “It’s super rude if someone just sends you a thumbs up. So I also had a weird time adjusting because my workplace is the same.” They chalked up the difference in the workplace to a “generational communication culture difference”. “Everyone my age in the office doesn’t do it, but the Gen X people always do it,” they wrote. “Took me a bit to adjust and get out of my head that it means they’re mad at me.” Others agreed, saying using it in the workplace makes team members “unaccommodating” and seems “unfriendly”. “I understand what you mean, my last workplace had a WhatsApp chat for our team to send info to each other on and most of the people on there just replied with a [thumbs-up emoji],” one commenter said. “I don’t know why but it seemed a little bit hostile to me, like an acknowledgment but kind of saying ‘I don’t really care/am not interested’? Don’t know if that’s the way you feel but I got used to it in time and I’m just as bad for sending a thumbs up now.” Another said: ““It’s not that odd to see it as passive-aggressive. Just imagine how would it feel to go into your boss’ room, say something, and then see him turn to you, look you in the eye, and [give a thumbs-up].” But, older users expressed their confusion at this emoji etiquette, with one saying it must be “a younger generational thing”. “So it’s like a sarcastic thing? Man I’m getting old lol,” one wrote. Another defended their use of the thumbs up, saying it “means many things”. “It means ‘I approve’ or ‘I understood and will obey’ or ‘I agree’. If anything, my only objection would be that some days it might be hard to tell which one it means,” she offered. “But it is generally pretty clear.” “It’s just a way to say ‘i’ve read your message and have nothing to add and I hope and pray to all the gods all the bazillion people in this group chat have nothing to say on it too,’” another chimed in. Linguists have been studying emojis since the appearance of the modern emoji in 2015. In her book Because Internet: Understanding how language is changing, linguist Gretchen McCulloch explains that some emojis, like most of those that have been “cancelled”, are gestures, like the ones we make with our hands while talking. While these can be quite universal, like the thumbs up or smiling emojis, there can also be nuance based on culture and the writing systems people use. With younger people interpreting emojis such as the thumbs-up as “rude” or “old”, it seems there is nuance between generations too. Image: Getty Images

Entertainment

Train driving dream comes true for brain tumour survivor

Three years after doctors found a large tumour growing in his brain, seven-year-old Broly Blackmore has seen his dream of becoming a train driver come true. The young boy from Hallett, South Australia, had the tumour removed when he was just four years old after he collapsed and was rushed to hospital by helicopter. If it wasn’t removed that night, doctors told his mother, Corrine Maidment, that he wouldn’t make it. In the years since, Broly’s life has become relatively normal, albeit with regular brain scans and physio trips - and he has had his wish of driving a train granted by the Starlight Foundation. The seven-year-old went on a trip on the Pichi Richi steam train, travelling from Quorn to Port Augusta as a “trainee train driver”. "Ever since he was only a couple of months old everything has always been about trains … diesels aren't as good as steam trains apparently," Ms Maidment said, adding that he barely slept the night before the big day. "According to everyone in the train, they weren't allowed to do anything without his say so … at one point, he told the fireman, the guy who does the coal, 'That's my seat. I need to sit there'. "He was boss for the day." The Pichi Richi railway, an outback steam train experience that has been operating since 1973, later shared a sweet photo of Broly on the train. “Last Sunday, Pichi Richi Railway was able to grant a wish for a very special visitor, 7 year old Broly who was having his wish granted with help from Starlight Children's Foundation Australia’s ‘Wishgranting Program’,” the railway <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PichiRichiRailway/posts/pfbid032C45MeP339xWYPL321ZTFjXXsehYJh7pWe2xkX812DkCLCBZgZyp8UVNGVzF7ztvl">wrote</a>. “Broly loves trains so Starlight contacted Pichi Richi Railway and Broly was lucky enough to ride in the cab of engine W934 for the day with our crew on the Pichi Richi Explorer service. “A very special day for our crew, Broly and his family.” Although Broly’s wish was given to him while he was in hospital, Ms Maidment said they had waited until he was old enough to decide how he wanted to spend it. "He's had the wish sitting there since he was in the hospital ... but we wanted to wait until he was old enough to make a decision himself so he'd know what the wish was and he'd remember it," she said. Images: Blackmore family, Starlight Foundation, Pichi Richi Railway (Facebook)

Health

6 ways doodling can make you smarter, happier and more productive

Doodling and attention Like a perpetually active toddler, the human brain constantly demands stimulation. When you’re in a setting that’s noticeably devoid of stimuli (say, on a long plane ride, or in an ultra-boring meeting) your brain compensates by creating its own stimulation in the form of daydreams. And while zoning out is a fine way to pass the time, it’s a dismal way to absorb information. Doodling, on the other hand, engages the brain’s planning and concentration centres just enough to keep you living in the moment – and according to some researchers, it may be even more effective for retaining information than active listening. In one study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, subjects who monitored a monotonous phone message for names of party guests recalled 29 percent more information later if they were doodling during the call. Meanwhile, in a 2012 study of science students who were asked to draw what they learned during lectures and reading sessions, doodlers not only retained more information, but also reported more enjoyment and engagement with the material. Doodling and memory In general, multitasking lowers cognitive performance on tasks, makes you think harder than you have to, and decreases productivity. However, recent experiments out of Waterloo University suggest that doodling might be an exception. In a series of tests, subjects were given 40 seconds to either draw a word in detail or write it by hand as many times as they could. When quizzed later, doodlers recalled more than twice as many words as writers did. Give this a try in your next meeting: Don’t just write down the crucial points – draw them. Doodling and mindfulness So, doodlers, your pen is moving and your brain is engaged – do you feel the zen yet? According to Jesse Prinz, a philosophy professor at City University of New York Graduate Center, doodling keeps participants in a state of “pure listening” that borders on meditation. “Doodling helps hit that sweet spot between listening too much and listening too little,” Prinz says. “It keeps you in a state where your mind can’t wander, and your mind can’t also reflect or think more deeply about what you’re hearing… it’s to such a great extent that if I do not doodle, I find myself having difficulty concentrating.” With your mind so engaged, it becomes hard not to feel yourself in the present moment. And with meditation comes relaxation. Doodling and your mood Beyond the kindergarten wisdom that drawing is just plain fun, there may be psychological forces improving your mood when you put doodles to paper. The key: keep it positive. In a 2008 study where participants were asked to either draw something that was making them unhappy (to “vent” their emotions) or something that made them happy, those who focused on the positive showed a greater short-term elevation in mood than those who vented. So when you doodle through your next boring meeting, draw yourself on a train to your dream holiday location instead of drawing your blowhard boss tied to tracks. Doodling and creativity This may seem like a no-brainer, but creative acts lead to creative thinking. Take this case study from a 2014 paper published at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology: An architecture student hit a creative block while designing a new kindergarten building. To ease his mind, the student began habitually doodling his own signature, larger and larger. As the doodles grew in size, the student began seeing an outline for the building in the negative spaces between the letters of his name. The doodle soon became the architectural sketch on which he based his building. Doodling and stress Creative activities have been proven across dozens of studies to reduce stress, decrease negative emotions, and even improve the health of people who participate in them. The end product doesn’t even have to be a masterpiece; as the great doodling philosopher Charles Schulz wrote, “the joy is in the playing.” In no form of art is this more true than doodling, a game where your brain talks to itself by using your hand as a medium. There is no concern for the end product, or who else might see it. Relax in the fact that a doodle is just a little present from you, for you. Written by Brandon Specktor. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/6-ways-doodling-can-make-you-smarter-happier-and-more-productive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a>

Health

Kate Middleton makes rare appearance with Charles and Camilla

The Duchess of Cambridge has stepped out in <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/kate-middleton-prince-charles-camilla-rare-joint-royal-engagement/1feb8a05-2842-44b0-ac85-98ef13aaab43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a rare public appearance</a> with her father and mother-in-law, with the trio last spotted in public together nearly a decade ago.Prince Charles, Camilla, and Kate Middleton appeared for the first time together in March 2012 at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which was also the first joint engagement for Charles and Camilla in nine years.On Thursday, the trio appeared at the Trinity Buoy Wharf, London’s former docklands, to support students taking part in Charles’ Foundation School of Traditional Arts.<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/kate-art.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />Kate speaks with a student during a life-drawing class. Image: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty ImagesThey were welcomed by David Armstrong-Jones, the Queen’s nephew and Princess Margaret’s son, who is also the Vice President of the Prince’s Foundation.She appeared animated while speaking with students in a pattern-cutting studio, while Camilla praised one student for their skills with a sewing machine.“You’re obviously very good at this. I did it so long ago but I’m very bad at it now,” Camilla said, according to UK newspaper <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kate-middleton-wears-recycled-dress-26127293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mirror</a>.The royals also met with students taking sculpture courses and spoke about working with wax, before joining some newer students in a life drawing class.Image: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Lifestyle

Missing tennis star makes public appearance

Missing Chinese tennis champion Peng Shuai has made her <a rel="noopener" href="https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/peng-shuai-hold-video-call-speaks-with-olympic-officials-ioc/231011ea-4cf6-4cee-910b-aae84a608433" target="_blank">first direct contact</a> with officials outside China in a video call with Olympic officials several weeks after she disappeared from public view. The three-time Olympian disappeared from public view on November 2 after alleging online that she was sexually assaulted by a former member of China’s ruling Communist Party. Ms Shuai spoke with officials from the International Olympic Committee from Beijing, and told them that she was safe and well, according to a statement from the organisation. “She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time,” the statement <a rel="noopener" href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-president-and-ioc-athletes-commission-chair-hold-video-call-with-peng-shuai" target="_blank">said</a>. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845785/peng1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9e6eafe7a6504dabad172c4a2ddd00f0" /> Image: International Olympic Committee Along with IOC President Thomas Bach, Ms Shuai spoke with Emma Terho, the Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, and IOC Member in China Li Lingwei, who the IOC said “has known Peng Shuai for many years from her time in the Chinese Tennis Federation”. Ms Shuai “thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being” and said she is spending “her time with friends and family right now”. “Nevertheless, she will continue to be involved in tennis, the sport she loves so much,” the statement said. Mr Bach invited Ms Shuai to join him for dinner when he is in Beijing next year “which she gladly accepted”, the IOC said. Ms Terho and Ms Lingwei were also invited. “I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern,” Ms Terho said in the statement. “She appeared to be relaxed. I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhereIsPengShuai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhereIsPengShuai</a> <a href="https://t.co/t8SPCrqnMl">pic.twitter.com/t8SPCrqnMl</a> — wta (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1461418624858607616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote> Concerns about her safety began to grow after her disappearance and the rapid removal of her post from social media, prompting calls to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing in February. The 30-minute call came as footage emerged of her at a youth tournament in Beijing, according to images released by the organiser. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Peng Shuai autographs balls for the kids at the opening ceremony of Junior Tennis Challenger Finals in Beijing. <a href="https://t.co/uPVxlNK1cQ">pic.twitter.com/uPVxlNK1cQ</a> — Shen Shiwei沈诗伟 (@shen_shiwei) <a href="https://twitter.com/shen_shiwei/status/1462235050607472643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote> The images, posted by the China Open on social media service Weibo, made no mention of the allegations or Ms Shuai’s disappearance. She was pictured standing next to a court, waving and signing commemorative tennis balls. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/tennis-world-reacts-to-disappearance-of-chinese-player" target="_blank">Tennis stars</a> and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have been especially vocal since Ms Shuai’s disappearance, while the IOC has previously remained quiet. On Saturday, the organisation said it would “continue our open dialogue on all levels with the Olympic movement in China”. WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon expressed concern for Ms Shuai’s safety after two videos appearing to show her in a restaurant were shared online by Hu Xijin, editor of nationalistic newspaper The Global Times. “While it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference. This video alone is insufficient,” Mr Simon said. “Our relationship with China is at a crossroads.” Image: Getty Images

News

Message in a bottle found after 37 years

A nine-year-old girl in Hawaii has <a rel="noopener" href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/japanese-students-message-in-a-bottle-turned-up-in-hawaii/46ce3dd6-e6f4-45b9-8cd9-396f95d101a9" target="_blank">found a bottle</a> containing a message from 1984 … fully 37 years after Japanese high school students dropped it in the ocean. The message inside the bottle, titled “Ocean current investigation”, was written by students and placed in the Kuroshio Current near Miyajima Island in western Japan. The letter, dated July 1984, asked the finder to return the bottle to Choshi High School, in eastern Japan. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844278/https___prodstatic9net-24.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b86eb4b6483a434689df971911c6be14" /> Image: Choshi High School Hawaiian local media named the finder as nine-year-old Abbie Graham, who made the discovery while on a family trip to the beach near the Hawaiian city of Hilo. The bottle had travelled some 7000 kilometres. In a press statement, the school said it had released 450 bottles in 1984 and an additional 300 in 1985 as part of its survey of ocean currents. 51 of the bottles have been found so far, with the school adding that the most recent find was the first since 2002. Other bottles have washed up in Washington state in the US, Canada, the Philippines, and the central Pacific Marshall Islands. Mayumi Kanda, a former student at Choshi High School and a member of the science club in 1984, said she was surprised to hear of the bottle’s reappearance after so long. Ms Kanda said the news had “revived the nostalgic memory of my high school days”. The school said its pupils planned to send Abbie a thank-you note for returning the bottle, along with a miniature Tairyo-bata - a type of fisherman's flag used to indicate a good haul - as a gift. Image: Getty

Travel

Air pollution could be making honey bees sick

Whether it’s exhaust fumes from cars or smoke from power plants, air pollution is an often invisible threat that is <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1">a leading cause</a> of death worldwide. Breathing air laced with heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter has been linked to a range of chronic health conditions, <a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-pollution-thats-hurting-our-health-25242">including</a> lung problems, heart disease, stroke and cancer. If air pollution can harm human health in so many different ways, it makes sense that other animals suffer from it too. Airborne pollutants affect all kinds of life, <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.en.27.010182.002101">even insects</a>. In highly polluted areas of Serbia, for instance, <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/5197/">researchers found</a> pollutants lingering on the bodies of European honeybees. Car exhaust fumes are known to interrupt the scent cues that attract and guide bees towards flowers, while also <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41876-w">interfering with</a> their ability to remember scents. Now, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2009074117">a new study from India</a> has revealed how air pollution may be depleting the health of honey bees in the wild. These effects may not kill bees outright. But like humans repeatedly going to work under heavy stress or while feeling unwell, the researchers found that air pollution made bees sluggish in their daily activities and could be shortening their lives. Unhealthy bees in Bangalore India is one of the world’s <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/264662/top-producers-of-fresh-vegetables-worldwide/">largest producers</a> of fruit and vegetables. Essential to that success are pollinator species like the giant Asian honey bee. Unlike the managed European honey bee, these bees are predominantly wild and regularly resist humans and other animals eager to harvest their honey. Colonies can migrate over hundreds of kilometres within a year, pollinating a vast range of wild plants and crops across India. Researchers studied how this species was faring in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, where air pollution records have been <a href="https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/you-think-delhi-is-polluted-bengalurus-pollution-levels-will-leave-you-breathless/articleshow/69065577.cms">reported as</a> some of the highest in the country. The giant Asian honey bees were observed and collected across four sites in the city over three years. Each had different standards of air pollution. The number of bees visiting flowers was significantly lower in the most polluted sites, possibly reducing how much plants in these places were pollinated. Bees from these sites died faster after capture, and, like houses in a dirty city, were partly covered in traces of arsenic and lead. They had arrhythmic heartbeats, fewer immune cells, and were more likely to show signs of stress. There are some caveats to consider, though. For one thing, areas with high pollution might have had fewer flowering plants, meaning bees were less likely to seek them out. Also, the researchers looked at the health of honey bees in parts of the city purely based on different levels of measured pollution. They couldn’t isolate the effect of the pollution with absolute certainty – there may have been hidden factors behind the unhealthy bees they uncovered. But, crucially, it wasn’t just bees that showed this trend. In a follow-up experiment, the study’s authors placed cages of fruit flies at the same sites. Just like the bees, the flies became coated in pollutants, died quicker where there was more air pollution, and showed higher levels of stress. The threat posed by pesticides is well known. But if air pollution is also affecting the health of a range of pollinating insects, what does that mean for ecosystems and food production? Fewer cars, more flowers Our diets would be severely limited if insects like honey bees were impaired in their pollinating duties, but the threat to entire ecosystems of losing these species is even more grave. Crop plants account for less than 0.1% of all flowering species, yet 85% of flowering plants are <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.464.6928&rep=rep1&type=pdf">pollinated by</a> bees and other species. Giant Asian honey bees like the ones in Bangalore form large, aggressive colonies that can move between urban, farmed and forest habitats. These journeys expose them to very different levels of pollution, but the colonies of most other types of wild bee species are stationary. They nest in soil, undergrowth or masonry, and individuals travel relatively short distances. The levels of pollution they’re regularly exposed to are unlikely to change very much from one day to the next, and it’s these species that are likely to suffer most if they live in towns or cities where local pollution is high. Thankfully, there are ways to fix this problem. Replacing cars with clean alternatives like electrified public transport would go a long way to reducing pollution. Creating more urban green spaces with lots of trees and other plants would help filter the air too, while providing new food sources and habitat for bees. In many parts of the UK, roadside verges have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/roadside-wildflower-meadows-are-springing-up-across-the-uk-and-theyre-helping-wildlife-in-a-big-way-120014">converted to wildflower meadows</a> in recent years. In doing so, are local authorities inadvertently attracting bees to areas we know may be harmful? We don’t know, but it’s worth pondering. From September 2020, Coventry University is launching a citizen science project with the nation’s beekeepers to map the presence of fine particulate matter in the air around colonies, to begin to unravel what’s happening to honey bees in the UK. Air pollution is likely to be one part of a complex problem. Bees are sensitive to lots of toxins, but how these interact in the wild is fiendishly difficult to disentangle. We know <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-014-0308-z">cocktails of pesticides</a> can cause real damage too. But what happens when bees are exposed to these at the same time as air pollution? We don’t yet know, but answers are urgently needed. Written by Barbara Smith and Mark Brown. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/air-pollution-could-be-making-honey-bees-sick-new-study-144155">The Conversation.</a>

Travel

A chemical engineer explains: What makes pepper spray so intense? And is it a tear gas?

In recent weeks, the world has looked on as governments use chemical irritants to control protesters and riots. Whether it’s tear gas, pepper spray, mace or pepper balls, all have one thing in common: they’re chemical weapons. Chemical warfare agents have been used twice in Sydney in the past week alone. Police <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-07/sydney-police-defend-pepper-spray-use-on-protesters/12330558">pepper-sprayed</a> demonstrators at Central Station, following Saturday’s major Black Lives Matter protest. The next day, tear gas <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-08/tear-gas-fired-into-exercise-yard-of-sydney-long-bay-jail/12332572">was used</a> to break up a fight at Long Bay jail, as prison guards filled an exercise yard with tear gas canisters – also impacting nearby residents. These events followed the deployment of <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/05/politics/park-police-tear-gas/index.html">chemical riot control agents</a> – specifically “pepper bombs” – in Washington DC last week. They were used to clear protesters from a public park so President Donald Trump could walk from the White House to a nearby church for a photo opportunity. The White House made a highlight reel to celebrate Trump’s heroic walk across the street for his bible photo op... US Attorney General William Barr said “<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2020/06/the-continuing-tear-gas-debate/">there was no tear gas used</a>”, claiming “pepper spray is not a chemical irritant. It’s not chemical.” I’m a chemical engineer and chemist who studies chemicals in the environment. So I thought I’d clear the air about what makes pepper spray such a powerful chemical irritant, and a chemical weapon. What’s inside pepper spray? The active compounds in pepper spray are collectively known as capsaicinoids. They are given the military symbol OC, for “oleoresin capsicum”. The most important chemical in OC is capsaicin. This is derived from chilli peppers in a chemical process that dissolves and concentrates it into a liquid. Capsaicin is the same compound that makes chillies hot, but in an intense, weaponised form. Not all capsaicinoids are obtained naturally. One called nonivamide (also known as PAVA or pelargonic acid vanillylamide) is mostly made by humans. PAVA is an <a href="https://cot.food.gov.uk/committee/committee-on-toxicity/cotstatements/cotstatementsyrs/cotstatements2002/pavastatement">intense irritant</a> used in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/09/pepper-spray-used-in-non-violent-situations-in-prison-pilot">artificial pepper spray</a>. Is pepper spray a tear gas? We’ve established pepper spray is a chemical, but is it also a kind of tear gas? “<a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/riotcontrol/factsheet.asp">Tear gas</a>” is an informal term and a bit of a misnomer, because it isn’t a gas. Rather, tear gas refers to any weaponised irritant used to immobilise people. More specifically, tear gas is often used to describe weapons that disperse their irritants in the air either as liquid aerosol droplets (such as <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a28904691/how-tear-gas-works/">gas canisters</a>), or as a powder (such as pepper balls). This definition distinguishes tear gas from personal self-defence sprays which use foams, gels and liquids. Tear gas canisters typically contain the irritants 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS) and phenacyl chloride (CN). Both CS and CN are man-made chemicals discovered in a lab, unlike capsaicin (the traditional ingredient in pepper spray). But despite capsaicin coming from chilli peppers, pepper spray is still a weaponised irritant that can be delivered as an aerosol or powder. It should unequivocally be considered a type of tear gas. Pepper spray as a weapon The chemical irritants OC, CS and CN have military symbols because they are chemical weapons. They are termed “<a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/06/10/rubber-bullets-protesters-victoria-snelgrove-boston">less-lethal</a>” because they are less likely to kill than conventional weapons. Their use, however, can still <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2020/06/08/tear-gas-and-pepper-spray-can-maim-kill-and-spread-coronavirus/#47f17a2a725f">cause fatalities</a>. Technically, pepper spray and other tear gases are classified as lachrymatory agents. <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-tear-gas-139958">Lachrymatory agents</a> attack mucous membranes in the eyes and respiratory system. Pepper spray works almost instantly, forcing the eyes to close and flood with tears. Coupled with coughing fits and difficulty breathing, this means the targeted person is effectively <a href="https://healthland.time.com/2011/11/22/how-painful-is-pepper-spray/">blinded and incapacitated</a>. Because lachrymatory agents work on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544263/">nerve receptors</a> that help us sense heat, they also induce an intense burning sensation. The combined effects of pepper spray can last anywhere from 15 minutes to more than an hour. Lachrymatory agents emerged on the <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-introduce-poison-gas">battlefields of World War I</a>. Artillery shells were filled with chemicals such as <a href="https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/05/17/chemical-warfare-ww1/">xylyl bromide and chloroacetone</a> and fired at enemy soldiers. Agents that induce choking, blistering and vomiting were added as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/science/chemical-weapons-world-war-1-armistice.html">chemical arms race</a> escalated. In the 1920s, the <a href="https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/bio/1925-geneva-protocol/">Geneva Protocol</a> was enacted to ban the use of indiscriminate and often ineffective chemical weapons on the battlefield. Today, the unjustified use of chemical riot control agents <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/04/201242913130963418.html">threatens to erode</a> the systems that are meant to protect us from the most dangerous weaponised chemicals. Written by Gabriel da Silva. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-makes-pepper-spray-so-intense-and-is-it-a-tear-gas-a-chemical-engineer-explains-140441">The Conversation.</a>

Entertainment

Duchess Camilla makes acting debut in charity project

The Duchess of Cornwall has performed her first ever character role since joining the British Royal Family as she joined Oscar winners for a charity reading. Appearing alongside Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi and actors Lupita Nyong’o and Josh Gad, Duchess Camilla took part in the sixth episode of James and the Giant Peach, with Taika and Friends on YouTube. “I’m not much of an actor but I’ll do my best,” Camilla told Waititi, a New Zealand filmmaker, before she began reading the Roald Dahl classic from her Birkhall residence. The Duchess played the part of the Ship’s Captain in the story. One of her lines read: “Holy cats! Send a message to the Queen at once! The country must be warned!” <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4g1wRIMNV9M"></iframe></div> The project is an initiative from the Roald Dahl Story Company to raise funds for Partners in Health, who are working on the front line amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Duchess, who is royal patron of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, said in a statement: “I hope this campaign will raise vital funds to support those most in need at this very challenging time – as well as helping families and children currently in lockdown to find a moment of comfort through the joy of reading.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The Duchess of Cornwall has joined <a href="https://twitter.com/TaikaWaititi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaikaWaititi</a> and The <a href="https://twitter.com/roald_dahl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@roald_dahl</a> Story Company for her first character reading in Episode 6 of James and The Giant Peach with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TaikaAndFriends?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TaikaAndFriends</a>. 📖 <a href="https://t.co/lMcITcoDb7">https://t.co/lMcITcoDb7</a> — Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClarenceHouse/status/1265629629194416130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2020</a></blockquote> The readings have also been joined by a number of other celebrities, including Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Chris Hemsworth.

Entertainment

Woman makes ‘monstrous’ knitted masks to encourage social distancing

An Icelandic woman has promoted social distancing through a novel, innovative way: knitting. Knitwear designer Ýrúrarí Jóhannsdóttir has gone viral after sharing her knitted masks and other isolation creations on social media. The 3D masks – which feature knits of mouths, teeth and jutting tongues – have been described by fans as “grotesque”, “<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/icelandic-knitwear-designer-tongue-masks-yrurari-johannsdottir">trippy</a>” and “<a href="https://10daily.com.au/news/a200505cmtfy/woman-makes-grotesque-knits-to-scare-people-into-social-distancing-20200505">freakish</a>”. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DKJ3xgUWt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DKJ3xgUWt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I’ve been experimenting with some of my sweater ideas to wear on a face, always interesting to see the outcome 👽 It has been fun to see masks inspired by mine, good use of quarantine time to knit💜But a reminder again, my masks are not made for safety, knitted masks are not safe to start with! Take care 🦠❌🦠❌🦠 #mask #knitting #fashionforbankrobbers</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/yrurari/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Ýrúrarí</a> (@yrurari) on Apr 16, 2020 at 10:00am PDT </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4JbBOABY5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4JbBOABY5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ýrúrarí (@yrurari)</a> on Apr 12, 2020 at 3:22am PDT </div> </blockquote> The 27-year-old designer said she has always been interested in tongues because “they are kind of rude, sticky, and strange”. She extended her work from sweaters to face masks due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I didn’t really make the masks to wear,” she told <a href="https://mashable.com/article/knitted-face-mask-tongue-lips/">Mashable</a>. “In my mind they are more like wearable sculptures, not made for safety [but] more as a fun approach to the rule of keeping distance.” “If you look scary enough people will stay away!” Jóhannsdóttir said the masks promoted the idea that “using masks can be fun”. “Everything we put on us can also be fun if we want it to, and bringing smiles to people’s faces in times like these is also important,” she told <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/icelandic-knitwear-designer-tongue-masks-yrurari-johannsdottir">Vogue</a>. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PcEsSAByb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PcEsSAByb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ýrúrarí (@yrurari)</a> on Apr 21, 2020 at 4:27am PDT </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aQTE0gOyo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aQTE0gOyo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ýrúrarí (@yrurari)</a> on Apr 25, 2020 at 9:16am PDT </div> </blockquote>

Entertainment

Why marathon can make you more self-compassionate

Unsurprisingly, running a marathon is tough. It takes months of training before runners even make it to the starting line and this preparation can, at times, feel like punishment. The marathon runner in training can often be found limping around with blisters, sore muscles and blackened or lost toenails. Not, perhaps, an image we might naturally associate with the idea of “self-compassion”. A relatively new concept, self-compassion has been hailed as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvtZBUSplr4">more robust alternative to self-esteem</a>. While compassion refers to the demonstration of sympathy and concern for others in times of suffering, self-compassion entails showing this <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15298860309032">same understanding to ourselves</a>. One of first skills needed for self-compassion is self-kindness – extending compassion to yourself, even when you feel like you have failed, which can be challenging to say the least. Often when faced with failure, we implicitly assume self-criticism is necessary in order to motivate strong future performance. But in reality this <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886909001226">strategy often falls flat</a>. Giving oneself a harsh talking to doesn’t just make us feel bad, it also interferes with our ability to calmly examine a situation and identify what to change in order to improve – an essential component of <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15298860902979307">psychological resilience</a>. Perhaps this explains why studies have found positive associations between self-compassion and <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00330.x/full">psychological wellbeing</a>, <a href="http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jscp.2010.29.7.727">physical health</a> and strong <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00677.x/full">relationships with others</a>. But what does all of this have to do with running a marathon? Training for a marathon can revolutionise self-perception, making kind self-talk – where you speak directly to yourself either mentally or out loud – easier for even the most reluctant of individuals. This shift isn’t prompted by changes in physique, but of mind. After dedicating oneself to a marathon, the anatomy receives a perceptual upgrade and transforms from a mere body into an essential tool. You begin to see the true value in your own body and the strength that it has. Research suggests that working towards purposeful goals <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00427.x/full">enhances our sense of self-worth</a>, so under the conditions of marathon training, self-care – looking after ourselves physically – is not only viewed as essential for performance, but as something we deserve. Commit to a goal, invest time, energy and emotion in that goal, and anything that threatens the performance of the body – literally the vehicle needed to carry you to your end target – is unacceptable. This relates to the second element of self-compassion: a balanced perspective. Described as caring for ourselves in an enduring way, a balanced perspective ensures happiness and health in the long-term. This can also be tricky, given we are typically geared toward instant gratification and struggle to connect the immediate rewards of pleasurable items such as food, alcohol and cigarettes, with their long-term consequences. In fact, neurological research suggests that we literally <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656877/">see our future selves as different people</a>. However, training for a marathon can help perceptual balance, because it directs our attention away from our immediate concerns and towards the future. Research suggests that goals cognitively activate stimuli <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065260102800089">which help us achieve them</a>. This means the motivation to complete a marathon makes objects and activities which are relevant to our long-term health implicitly attractive and easier to engage with. More specifically, setting a goal which requires us to plan and monitor progress over weeks or months can help to bridge the gap between current and future happiness. Sticking to a schedule and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029202000122">receiving feedback</a>, such as identifying weekly mileage goals and achieving new distance targets, can make us more willing to make choices that will benefit us later on. This might be resisting the instant pleasure of one too many drinks on a Friday night, or getting enough sleep so that we feel at our best when training. The third and final component of self-compassion is common humanity. This refers to the understanding that suffering is a natural and shared part of being human. Based on the idea that feeling isolated in our pain <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-6494.7102004/full">exacerbates perceptions of inadequacy</a> and insecurity, common humanity is an important part of <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15298860309027">avoiding negative cycles of self-pity</a>. Running is sometimes considered an isolated and fiercely competitive sport, but this isn’t necessarily true. Runners step in to help one another in times of difficulty – just <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/video/2017/apr/24/london-marathon-david-wyeth-matthew-rees-video">look at Matthew Rees</a> who helped fellow runner David Wyeth complete the last 300m of the 2017 London Marathon, to the detriment of his own timing. Running provides a sense of human connection, because it shows that struggle is normal. Being one in a field of thousands, communally suffering in the pursuit of a common goal, is paradoxically satisfying. Perhaps because it allows us to appreciate just how small we are in the scheme of things. So, while marathon training may be painful, sometimes we have to experience a degree of suffering in order to truly value ourselves, to appreciate others, and to learn what it means to be self-compassionate.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82956/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rhi-willmot-227867">Rhi Willmot</a>, PhD Researcher in Behavioural and Positive Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-become-self-compassionate-run-a-marathon-82956">original article</a>.

Health

The hotel that offers free stays for couples who make babies

This Valentine’s Day, a Canadian hotel is raising the game with a special offer. Hotel Zed is bringing back its Nooner Valentine’s Day promotion for the fifth year in a row, inviting couples to book a four-hour room for CA$59. However, there’s a new twist this year: If a pair welcomes a baby into their lives nine months after the Nooner stay, they will win a free stay at any Hotel Zed of their choice for the next 18 years. “I don’t think we’re going to convince someone who’s not thinking about having a baby to have a baby. But if you’re serious about expanding your family, why wouldn’t you try?” Hotel Zed CEO Mandy Farmer told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/hotel-zed-valentines-special-offer/index.html">CNN</a>. “If you succeed, you’ll win a way to celebrate your baby’s conception for the next 18 years.” Farmer told <a href="https://www.insider.com/canadian-hotel-zed-offers-free-stays-for-couples-who-can-make-babies-during-a-valentines-day-promo-2020-1">Insider</a> the prize might give the lucky winners “a new annual tradition”. “Definitely beats a stale box of chocolate or another flower bouquet!” Conception is not the only way couples can win the prize. The promotion is open to everyone regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, and therefore applies to pairs who welcome their baby through adoption or surrogacy. Couples are required to submit documentation with dates to receive the <a href="https://www.hotelzed.com/specials/valentine-s-day-nooner-baby-maker/">Nooner Baby Maker prize</a>.

Travel

Synonyms to use that will make you a better writer

Put it in writing Good writing is considerate of its audience. You want to think about your reader and consider the best way to get your message across to them. Even in the digital age, the right word elevates your writing and the wrong one drags it down. If you’re writing in a business context, you want to make a good impression and come across as professional. You want to be efficient, but not overly dry. While keeping your writing clear of grammar and spelling errors is a given, you’ll also want to use words that avoid cliché and relay your message with aplomb. You’ll also want to avoid these overused words that make you sound boring. Instead of using “a lot” A lot is a descriptor that skews ultra-casual. If you describe your background by saying, “I have a lot of experience,” or convey your aptitude with “I have a lot of ideas,” you come across as too laid-back and imprecise. Laura Hale Brockway, at Entrepreneur, offers 32 alternative synonyms for “a lot.” She offers descriptors like “a great deal” or “a copious amount” as a stand-in for the informal term. Choose a synonym that elevates your message and offers precision like “myriad” or “several.” Instead of using “fine” “Fine” is a rejoinder to questions about either quality or physical health. However, it’s become so common that it now means “OK” or “average.” If you’re writing in a business setting or descriptively, “fine” seems polite, but there are other options that can get specific about what you’re describing. A simple synonym is “well,” as in “I’m feeling well.” You can also use synonyms like “exceptional” or “skilful” to describe quality. If you do mean “fine” in the sense of passable, use “mediocre” or “average” instead. Instead of using “very” Very is a qualifier that’s often overused. How many times have you peppered emails or business communications with this word? Have you ever written “I’m very excited about the upcoming project” or “Your work is very good?” Eliminate “very” unless it adds necessary and real meaning to the idea you describe. If it’s important then use synonyms for “very” like “remarkably,” “substantially,” “emphatically,” or “profoundly.” Otherwise, using “very” adds sloppy imprecision to your writing. Instead of using “great” Great is a superfluous term that often shows up in place of “yes” or “good” in written writing. It’s a shorthand term that conveys enthusiasm but has become so common that it’s lost its nuance as a descriptor. Consider more precise words like “choice” or “breathtaking” to describe a state of being or an object’s quality. Here are some more options from Daily Writing Tips like “deluxe” and “favourable” that get closer to the idea you’re trying to convey. Looking for more great synonym options for words like great? Instead of using “crazy” Using “crazy” (or “insane”) is common, but it’s an imprecise way to express what you really mean. Katie Dupere at Mashable explains that the term is insensitive and makes light of mental health issues. The term is also far from what you mean to say. Look carefully at what you’re actually trying to convey when you write, “The midterm was crazy” or “The project was insane.” It’s best to stay away from casual idioms in formal writing. You also want to stay mindful about how such terms could affect your reader. Consider words like “busy,” “intense,” “erratic,” and “wacky” as synonyms. Let the idea of what you truly want to convey be your guide. Written by Molly Pennington, PhD. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/12-synonyms-that-will-make-you-a-better-writer?slide=all">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a>

Entertainment

What makes wine dry?

When you take a sip of wine at a family meal or celebration, what do you notice? First, you probably note the visual characteristics: the color is generally red, rosé or white. Next, you smell the aromatic compounds wafting up from your glass. And then there’s the sensation in your mouth when you taste it. White wine and rosé are usually described as refreshing, because they have brisk acidity and little to moderate sweetness. Those <a href="https://www.winemag.com/2017/09/21/why-calling-a-wine-dry-or-sweet-can-be-simply-confusing/">low levels of sugar</a> may lead you to perceive these wines as “dry.” People also describe wines as dry when alcohol levels are high, usually over about 13%, mostly because the ethanol leads to hot or burning sensations that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b03767">cover up other sensations</a>, especially sweetness. People also perceive red wines as dry or astringent because they contain a class of molecules called polyphenols. <a href="https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55360215200">As an enologist</a> – a wine scientist – I’m interested in how all the chemistry in a glass of wine adds up to this perception of dryness. People are good at evaluating a wine’s dryness with their senses. Can we eventually come up with a way to automatically assess this dryness or astringency without relying on human tasters? The chemistry at the vineyard Everything starts with the grapes. If you taste a mature grape skin or seed at harvest, it will seem dry or astringent to you, thanks to a number of chemical compounds it contains. Large molecules called condensed <a href="https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/df422991-82ed-4125-b0f7-8395a63d438f/201005-tannin-management-in-the-vineyard.pdf">tannins</a> are mostly responsible for the astringency perception. These compounds are made up of varying types and numbers of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2002-0825.ch015">smaller chemical units called flavanols</a>. Tannins are in the same family of molecules, the polyphenols, that give grapes their red or black color. They tend to be larger in grape skins than in grape seeds, and consequently the skins tend to be more astringent, while the seeds are more bitter. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2002-0825.ch015">Grape varieties differ in how much</a> of each of these compounds they contain. In Vitis vinifera cultivars, like Pinot noir and Cabernet sauvignon, the tannin concentration varies from a relatively high 1 to 1.5 mg/berry. In cold-hardy hybrid grapes found in the Midwestern United States, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation3030047">like Frontenac and Marquette</a>, the concentrations are much lower, ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 mg/berry. <a href="https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/df422991-82ed-4125-b0f7-8395a63d438f/201005-tannin-management-in-the-vineyard.pdf">Factors in the vineyard</a> – including site, soil qualities and amount of sun – affect the final concentration of tannins in the fruit. The chemistry in your mouth Basically, the more tannin there is in a wine, the more astringent it will be. When you take a sip, the large tannin molecules <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2014.08.001">interact with proteins from your saliva</a>. They combine and form complexes, reducing the number of salivary proteins available to help lubricate your mouth. It leaves your mouth with a dry sensation – like if a snail were to lose its mucus layer, it would dry out. Because everyone has a different composition and concentration of saliva proteins, and because the flow rate of saliva as you bring wine into your mouth varies, your perceptions of an astringent or dry wine won’t be the same as those of your friends or family. The alcohol level, pH and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2011.12.042">aroma of the wine</a> also influence how intensely and for how long you perceive a red wine’s dryness. Since wine dryness is a perception, the most appropriate tool to appraise it is sensory evaluation. It requires panelists trained on the wine aroma, taste and mouthfeel based on prepared standards and other wines. But winemakers would love to have a quick, simple way to objectively measure astringency without relying on human tasters. That way, they could easily compare this year’s wine to last year’s, or to another wine that is not available to be tested. Can we scientifically evaluate dryness? The challenge for me and my colleagues was to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b01480">see if we could match up</a> the quantified chemical <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.09.043">and physical properties</a> in a wine to the trained panelists’ perceptions. First, we used analytical methods to figure out the different sizes of tannins present in particular wines, and their concentrations. We investigated how these tannins interacted and formed complexes with standard salivary proteins. My collaborators and I also used a physical approach, relying on a piece of equipment with two surfaces that are able to mimic and measure the forces of friction that occur in a drinker’s mouth between the tongue and the palate as wine and saliva interact. The friction forces increase between drier surfaces and decrease between more lubricated surfaces. Then, we trained human panelists to evaluate the intensity of dryness in the same wines and in a wine containing no tannins. People perceived the wine containing the higher concentration of larger tannins as drier for a longer time than the wine without tannins. That made sense based on what we already knew about these compounds and how people sense them. We were surprised, though, by our physical measurements in the lab, because they provided the opposite result as our human tasters’ perception. In the presence of too large or too many tannins in the wine, we recorded lower friction forces than in wines low in tannins. Based on the mechanical surfaces test, it seemed like there would be less dry mouthfeel than we’d expect in high-tannin wines. My colleagues and I are planning to investigate this unexpected result in future research to improve our understanding of the dryness perception. All its chemical and physical variables are part of what makes drinking wine a richly personal and ever-changing experience. Considering the impact of astringency on how individuals perceive a particular wine, a quick measure could be very helpful to winemakers as they do their work. So far, we haven’t been able to create a simple scale that will tell a winemaker that tannins at one certain level match up with a very particular dryness perception. But we enologists are still trying. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/aude-watrelot-831853">Aude Watrelot</a>, Assistant Professor of Enology, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/iowa-state-university-1322">Iowa State University</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-makes-wine-dry-its-easy-to-taste-but-much-harder-to-measure-123506">original article</a>.

Lifestyle

Airline makes female passenger take pregnancy test ahead of flight

A Hong Kong airline has apologised after it demanded a passenger take a pregnancy test before allowing her to board a flight to the US Pacific island of Saipan. 25-year-old Japanese citizen Midori Nishida was checking in for a flight at Hong Kong International Airport when a staff from the low-cost airline Hong Kong Express asked her to take a pregnancy test as part of a “fit-to-fly” assessment. Despite having marked on a check-in questionnaire that she wasn’t pregnant, the staff escorted Nishida to a washroom and handed her a pregnancy test, barring her from boarding until the test came back negative. Nishida told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ticket-passport-pregnancy-test-flying-to-saipan-can-be-complicated-11578664961">Wall Street Journal</a> that the experience was “very humiliating and frustrating”. The airline indicated in the permission form that the test was required for women who are “observed to have a body size or shape resembling a pregnant woman”. It was reportedly part of Hong Kong Express’s response to immigration concerns in Saipan. The island, the largest of the US commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands, is a popular destination for birth tourism, allowing foreign nationals to ensure their babies become American citizens. There is <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/saipan-birth-tourism-airlilne-pregnancy-test-intl-hnk/index.html">no federal law</a> banning pregnant foreign citizens to enter the country or give birth on US soil. “We would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone who has been affected by this,” the airline said in a statement. “In response to concerns raised by authorities in Saipan, we took actions on flights to Saipan from February 2019 to help ensure US immigration laws were not being undermined. “Under our new management, we recognise the significant concerns this practice has caused. We have immediately suspended the practice while we review it.”

Travel

4 money-saving resolutions you should make this year

Could this be the year you get your finances in order? A savings plan doesn’t need to be overwhelming, try these seven tips that Patty Cathey, financial advisor at Smart Retirement Plan uses with her clients to keep them on track. 1. Track your spending Some financial mishaps happen simply because we aren’t paying close enough attention to our spending habits. Once you have taken an inventory of your finances, watch your spending for unnecessary expenses. “Take out the magnifying glass and take notice of the details in your financial picture,” Cathey advises. “Comb through your credit card statements to see if there’s any unnecessary spending or charges. Are you paying for a gym membership or cable channels you don’t use? Is there a charge you didn’t make that could be fraud? Paying attention to the little things can make a big difference in your finances.” 2. Start small When the New Year rolls around, the temptation is to make extreme financial resolutions all at once. But don’t get so caught up in your resolutions that you set yourself up for failure. Cathey advises her clients to make small changes to their spending, since they are more maintainable over time. “Taking a baby step in cutting your spending can start you on the path to even bigger savings,” Cathey encourages. “For example, instead of cutting out your morning coffee completely, cut out one cup per week in January. Same thing goes for bringing a lunch to work: try packing a lunch one day. You may find it’s easier than you realise.” By February you may be skipping two lattés and bringing your lunch twice a week. 3. Wait before you swipe Make a new habit of waiting before you spend on an unplanned purchase. Did you spot a piece of house decor at Target during a nappy run? Take time to think about the purchase before you swipe your credit card. “Apply the 48-hour rule by giving yourself a mandatory waiting period before making a big purchase,” Cathey says. “Many times, you’ll forget about the item you so desperately wanted when you’re in the store. If you still want or think you need it after 48 hours, talk over the purchase with a spouse or loved one.” 4. Pay yourself first Even if you mean well, life can get in the way of prioritising saving for emergencies or getting ready for your retirement. David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire, encourages individuals with big financial goals to start by making their savings automatic each time they get paid. “Adding a small amount to your savings is pain free and pays off in the long run” he says. Then, utilise online banking tools to efficiently distribute money into different accounts including: retirement, emergency and mortgage payments, credit card, and other recurring bills. Source: <a href="https://www.rd.com/advice/saving-money/financial-resolutions/">RD.com</a> Written by Mary Sauer. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/money/7-money-saving-resolutions-you-should-make-this-new-yea">Reader’s Digest</a>.

Finance

5 noises your dog makes and what they really mean

Pet parents, fess up: how often have you wished that your dog could talk? Chances are, pretty often. But the thing is, your dog is talking to you every day, all day long – you just have to figure out what he’s saying. It’s not as simple as decoding a bark or howl, the two sounds we most commonly associate with our furry friends. Dogs actually make a plethora of telling sounds, and each has its own distinct meaning. Here’s what you need to know to better understand your canine companion. 1. Barking You might have noticed that a dog’s bark varies greatly. That’s because barking is a dog’s way of communicating a variety of messages and emotions, including excitement, happiness, fear or even an alert to danger. “With such varying meanings behind a dog’s bark, it’s no surprise that the pitch and forcefulness of the noise – just like with a human’s voice – can imply the reason behind their vocalisation,” says veterinarian Danielle Bernal. “For instance, a fear-driven or panicked bark is often higher in repetition and intensity. This is compared to a monotonous bark that may communicate boredom.” 2. Incessant barking There’s a difference between brief barking and non-stop barking. “When the barking does not stop, it is often caused by anxiety in your furry friend,” says veterinarian Evelyn Kass-Williamson. “Dogs may bark like this because they’re experiencing separation anxiety, or because they’re getting mixed messages from different family members and aren’t sure what to do. Be sure you are consistent when around these dogs, and above all, try to relax so they can, too.” 3. Whining Like barking, whining can also have a number of different meanings. Though we often associate whining with a negative emotion, that’s not always the case with dogs. In fact, it can simply be a dog’s way of getting human attention, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). What is your pup trying to say? Possibly that he wants to play, eat or go outside. Whining may also be a sign of stress, fear or pain. It’s important to take all factors into consideration when deciphering your dog’s whining. 4. Howling Howling is that classic head-back, guttural call that’s most often associated with wolves. “Howling links back to our dogs’ ancestor, the grey wolf,” explains Dr Bernal. “As pack animals, wolves traditionally used this communication method to call to their pack to signal distress or motivate them to regroup for a hunt.” In terms of your domesticated dog, she says, that howl is often triggered by common noises like a siren, the sound of a child’s toy, or the command of an owner. 5. Sighing We often tie feelings of boredom or frustration to sighing, but that’s not the case for canines. According to the AKC, sighing is generally indicative of contentment, especially if it’s combined with half-closed, sleepy eyes. If your dog is wide-eyed and fully alert, however, it could be his way of catching your attention and asking for a little TLC or playtime. <a href="https://www.rd.com/advice/pets/noises-your-dog-makes/">Source: RD.com</a> Written by Wendy Rose Gould. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/10-noises-your-dog-makes-and-what-they-mean">Reader’s Digest</a>.

Lifestyle

5 things you should never ever do in a hotel room

Your health and your wallet will thank you if you never do these things in a hotel room. 1. Steal the bathrobes “Guests sometimes take home essential amenities that the hotel provides during their stay, like shampoo, lotion, and other vanity products,” says Ryazan Tristram, photographer and travel blogger for <a href="https://everythingzany.com/">everythingzany.com</a>. “However, people sometimes take home the bathrobes as well, which is a no-no.” You could be charged extra or fined for taking pricier items, including linens, artwork and electronics. 2. Cook anything without a proper kitchen area “We always want to save money when we travel,” says Tristram. “Some guests will bring their portable cooking appliances with them during their stay, and this can cause a few problems, primarily if the hotel room doesn’t have any kitchenette area.” These cooking appliances can set off a hotel’s fire alarm system or cause an actual fire, so stick with no-cook meals if you want to save a few bucks on food. 3. Keep your bathroom door ajar when taking a shower There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a steamy shower at a hotel, but beware what the vapour can do if released into your room. “A hotel’s hot showers can cause a lot of steam, and as a result, can trigger the hotel’s fire alarm system inside your bedroom if you leave the bathroom door open,” says Tristram. 4. Restock the minibar There’s no crime in enjoying a drink from the hotel fridge. After all, that’s their purpose. “But if you plan on taking a bottle of whiskey out of there, just accept that you’ll still be paying for it,” says Sophia Borghese, a consultant for La Galerie Hotel in New Orleans. “Don’t try to fake the hotel staff out by replacing the liquor with a half-sipped bottle of Diet Coke. This happens more often than you might think, and those who do it still get charged for taking that [expensive little] bottle of spirits.” 5. Use the fire sprinkler as a coat hanger Closets are great for hanging clothes. Fire sprinklers are not. Bob Tupper, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Culture-Tuppers-Exploring-Europe/dp/0990961001/?tag=reader0b-20">Drinking In the Culture: Tuppers’ Guide to Exploring Great Beers in Europe</a>, says he saw people using the safety devices as coat hooks – a silly stunt that could not only set off a hotel’s fire alarm but also burst the pipes, causing water to flood into rooms. Source: <a href="https://www.rd.com/advice/travel/never-do-in-hotel-room/">RD.com</a> Written by Noelia Trujillo. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/tips/15-things-you-should-never-ever-do-hotel-room">Reader’s Digest</a>.

Travel

How to make Jamie Oliver's bay salt prawn skewers with summer veg

Time to prepare 25 mins | Serves 4 Warmer weather brings memories of sun, seafood and barbeques - so why not combine them all? This recipe from Jamie Oliver puts a yummy twist on the good ol' shrimp. The bay salt flavour is unconventional but that's what makes this BBQ prawn recipe taste so delicious. Recipe from <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes">jamieoliver.com/recipes</a> Ingredients: <ul> <li>20 raw king prawns, from sustainable sources (ask your fishmonger), peeled and black veins removed</li> <li>4 small courgettes</li> <li>10 bay leaves</li> <li>1 tablespoon sea salt</li> <li>3 tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>Juice of ½ lemon</li> <li>2 large handfuls freshly podded peas</li> <li>2 large handfuls freshly podded broad beans</li> <li>1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked\</li> <li>A few chive flowers, optional</li> <li>Sea salt</li> <li>Freshly ground black pepper</li> </ul> Directions 1. First of all, get your barbecue good and hot. If you're using wooden skewers, soak four of them in some cold water for 10 minutes, so they don't burn when you put them on the barbie later. Thread 5 prawns on to each skewer, make sure you poke through the fat and the thin part of each prawn. Slice the courgettes into ribbons with a speed peeler or a mandolin. 2. To make the bay salt, crumble the bay leaves into a pestle and mortar and add the salt. Bash up the bay leaves until you have a vibrant green salt and all the bay leaves have broken down and released their natural oils. 3. Sprinkle each of the prawn kebabs with a good pinch of the bay salt. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and pat and rub everything in. Place the skewers on the hot barbecue for a couple of minutes on each side. Fill the rest of the barbecue with the courgette slices – as they are so thin, they'll only need cooking on one side. After 2 minutes, turn over the skewers and cook for a further 2 minutes while you start taking off the courgettes. 4. Pour 3 tablespoons of good olive oil into a large bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the peas, broad beans and grilled courgettes. Tear over the mint leaves and the chive flowers, if using. Season with a little salt and pepper and gently mix everything together. 5. Serve the vegetables in a big bowl in the middle of the table with the skewers on a wooden board next to it. Perfect light, healthy summer eating. Tips <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/seafood-recipes/bay-salt-prawn-skewers-with-summer-veg/">Jamie says: </a>The combination of bay leaves and prawns is quite an unconventional one, but I think it's a winner. This recipe will make enough for a decent batch of bay salt – you can use it instead of normal salt. You won't need as much as you would normally use though, as the bay gives it extra flavour. Bay salt is great if sprinkled over a shoulder of lamb, a chicken or a piece of pork before roasting. You can keep it in a container for a couple of months if you dry it out first. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/bay-salt-prawn-skewers-with-summer-veg.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

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Wimbledon to make key change to all-white dress code

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Why marathon can make you more self-compassionate

The hotel that offers free stays for couples who make babies

Synonyms to use that will make you a better writer

What makes wine dry?

Airline makes female passenger take pregnancy test ahead of flight

4 money-saving resolutions you should make this year

5 noises your dog makes and what they really mean

5 things you should never ever do in a hotel room

How to make Jamie Oliver's bay salt prawn skewers with summer veg

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Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

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Wimbledon to make key change to all-white dress code

These emojis make you ‘old’ according to Gen Z

Train driving dream comes true for brain tumour survivor

6 ways doodling can make you smarter, happier and more productive

Kate Middleton makes rare appearance with Charles and Camilla

Missing tennis star makes public appearance

Message in a bottle found after 37 years

Air pollution could be making honey bees sick

A chemical engineer explains: What makes pepper spray so intense? And is it a tear gas?

Duchess Camilla makes acting debut in charity project

Woman makes ‘monstrous’ knitted masks to encourage social distancing

Why marathon can make you more self-compassionate

The hotel that offers free stays for couples who make babies

Synonyms to use that will make you a better writer

What makes wine dry?

Airline makes female passenger take pregnancy test ahead of flight

4 money-saving resolutions you should make this year

5 noises your dog makes and what they really mean

5 things you should never ever do in a hotel room

How to make Jamie Oliver's bay salt prawn skewers with summer veg

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