woroni VOL. 69, issue 3, 2019
WO R O N I T E A M CONTENT
Joesefine Ganko Canada Gavin Seren Heyman-Griffiths Stefanie Kam Kida Lin Phoebe Lupton Abigail Manning Riddhi Mehta Luke Minihan Alisha Nagle Ruth Purcell Erin Ronge Soumyadeep Sengupta Andy Yin Sophie Johnson
RADIO
Albie Ryan Bec Donald-Wilson Salome Wilson Louis Festa Michael Katsavos Eve Crossett Isobel Lindsay-Geyer Tarsha Jane Felix Friedlander Dorothy Mason Rishi Dhakshinamoorthy
PHOTOGRAPHY Callum Scarborough Hannah Nigro
ART
TV
Abigail Border Maddy McCusker Adrian Schmidt Tanya Thongpanich Eliza Williams Millie Wang
Bremer Sharp Ria Pflaum Claire Holland Jaime Howell Jasmine Ryan Nicholas Ang Cathy McGrane Krishna Gogineni Lucy Skeldon Scott Koh
NEWS Dan Le Mesurier Amber Jones Grace Sixsmith Haswanth Palaparthy Shane Xu Nick Richardson
CONTRIBUTE
BUSINESS Gil Rickey Sheawin Leong Shae Iqbal Sumedha Verma
WORDS TO: ALISHA@WORONI.COM.AU ART TO: GEORGIE@WORONI.COM.AU
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS // 1
4 NEWS 5 News Flash 6 Criticism Comes for Insensitively Placed Socialist Alternative Posters Haswanth Palaparthy 7 Long-Awaited Review into Free Speech on Campus Released Bella Di Mattina 8 PhB to be Restructured and Rebranded Grace Sixsmith 9 Art Izaak Bink
10 CAMPUS 11 Thinking About Honours? Look No Further Sophie Johnson 12 Is ANU Really Australia’s Best University? Alex Lee 14 Do International Students Need Integration? Kida Lin 17 What We Can Learn from the Christchurch Terrorist Attack Phoebe Lupton 18 The Budget 2019-20: Why does it matter? Felix Ryan 20 The Dissasitisfied Pigs Kida Lin 21 ACT – Constructing Roads Since 1913 Samia Ejaz
22 True Love. Real Love. Why Does the Distinction Matter? Kieran Knox 24 Stargazing In Canberra: Bringing Science to the People Imed Krisna Wisnu Gupta 25 Art Emi Cashman 26 Real Memoirs of an Exchange Hiroki Hunter 28 Studying Abroad: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between Sophie Johnson
29 ARTS
43 DISCOVERY 44 Peering into a Black Hole Andy Yin 46 Mathematics: Use and Abuse Fabian Circelli 48 Chaos is a Ladder Riddhi Mehta 49 The International Student Boom... And Why it Might Not Last Long Soumyadeep Sengupta 50 The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Recent Developments Gabriele Natalia Siahaan
30 Soul Greta Kerr
52 Editing our Future: Gene-editing Regulation is Going Global Alex Sloan
31 Photograph Cathy Egan
54 The Brain as a Laboratory Isabel Richards
32 Boxed Vaishnavi Rathinam
55 Message from Mars Ruben Steffens
34 Photography showcase: Aryanne Caminschi
56 AIDS: Yes, it’s still a massive issue, and no, I won’t let Australians forget about it yet Ruth Purcell
36 CULTURE 37 Meet Me At The Vernissage Maleika Twisk and Dot Mason
58 AR and Language learning Zena Mason
38 A Brief History of Film Photography Cathy Egan
60 Digging up the Past to Understand the Present Tarryn K Myburgh And Annika Mason
39 The Oscars as a Microcosm of Politics Shayan Lahijanian
62 The Technological Advances of Vegetarianism Tash Salisbury
40 Screenshots and Snapshots – the Changing Nature of Cultural Preservation Abigail Manning
64 That Pale Blue Dot Thomas Cernev
42 A Look at the Works of Sally Rooney Lucinda Janson
Cover page art : Georgie Kamvissis Divider page art : Tanya Thongpanich
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E D I TO R S
NOAH YIM
ALISHA NAGLE
BELLA DI MATTINA
JONATHAN TJANDRA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTENT
NEWS
MANAGING EDITOR
BEN LAWRENCE
GEORGIE KAMVISSIS
STEPH DAVID
JULIA FARAGHER
DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
AR T
RADIO
TV
EDITORS’ WELCOME When I started at Woroni two years ago I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. My reasons for applying to be a content sub-editor were simple: 1) I wanted to meet people outside of my college; 2) I really wanted to write about the arts; and 3) I was a smartarse and did the application and testing to prove that I was pretty good at editing. I could not have foreseen back then the incredible growth and change in the organisation, and even the growth and change I have gone through over this time. I am so proud to have contributed to Woroni. It has given me opportunities to learn, has supported me in my growth and has given me a wealth of experiences. I am so proud of the family which is fostered within Woroni. Some of my best friendships have been fostered here, I have met the most incredible people, and they have supported through some dark moments. I am so proud of Woroni. For all of its imperfections and insecurities it always strives to tell student stories, and thereby colour-in the canvas of campus. I close this chapter of my university experience, and my life, feeling much the same as when I finish reading a copy of this magazine: I have experienced a whole array of emotions, have been exposed to new perspectives and have been inspired by the talent of all who were involved. Ben Lawrence – Signing off as Deputy Editor-in-Chief
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C A L E N DA R WEEK 10
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Pub Choir at Kambri 13 MAY
WEEK 11
WEEK 12
EXAMS
Reconciliation Day
T W T
SEM 1 EXAM PERIOD BEGINS
F S S
SEM 1 TEACHING PERIOD ENDS Election Day 18 MAY
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NEWS
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N e ws f l a s h ANUSA has found $150 000 of SSAF funding owed last year. The amount raised concerns among SRC members, who questioned how the money could be forgotten. A change in personnel was blamed for the non-payment.
The ANUSA SRC 3 also revealed how much money has been spent on Friday Night Party and O-Week. Friday Night Party generated $37,369.47 and O-Week $18,332.89 in profit. This money will go back into ANUSA’s reserves.
The ANU’s Fenner School of Environment has published research into hydro power and it’s viability as an alternative to non renewable energy. Professor Jamie Pittock, who was responsible for the research, said the research into hydro projects could help make solar and wind energy the source of Energy for the eastern seaboard. The method does raise concerns about environmental damage.
The Environmental Collective has also been hard at work. A small group from the collective drove out to Collarenebri at the end of Term 1 to provide drinking water to the community. The community has been lacking a water supply since their river dried up. The move to spend thousands of the Collective’s funds on the philanthropic effort was supported by the Collective, but raises questions about what SSAF money can be spent on by departments. A meeting was brought on 3 May, to amend the Clubs Regulations to allow profit making events to receive funding from the Clubs Council. The meeting reached a quorum of 40 undergraduate students within a matter of minutes, defying past struggles to attain quorum at ANUSA’s last OGM on March 21. An interpretation was made to restrict clubs from profit-making events in March. The status quo prior to the March interpretation was to allow profits for Clubs Council events under a certain cap. This interpretation followed legal advice from ANUSA’s lawyer, who was “never originally consulted” about the ANUSA Clubs Council Regulations. This interpretation will likely be displaced by the SGM’s motion, which passed unanimously.
6 // NEWS
criticism comes for insensitively located socialist alternative posters AUTHOR // HASWANTH PALAPARTHY In the wake of the Christchurch tragedy, the Socialist Alternative (SAlt) have been criticised for their potentially insensitive advertising. Posters advertising an event on the ‘rise of fascism,’ with ‘Christchurch’ in block letters were plastered outside ANU Counselling only days after the tragedy, which saw 51 people killed.
Similar posters were also put up inside safe spaces such as the Women’s Department’s Rapunzel Room. However they were removed from the autonomous space for other reasons: while the Women’s Department does advocacy work for women and non binary students, it is non-partisan.
Student James Eveille was concerned by the position of these posters. He was with friends at ANU hangout Coffee Grounds when he saw the posters affixed to the entry sign for ANU Counselling. “We saw they were about the Christchurch attack and thought that was quite improper in a place where students may be receiving grief counselling,” said Eveille.
“The Rapunzel Room is a wonderful, inclusive space for our members where they can relax and wind down,” said Women’s officer Priyanka Tomar. “As per our goal of representing, advocating and supporting all women and non-binary students on our campus, we remain non-partisan with no direct affiliation.”
“I obviously messaged Socialist Alternative immediately and have received no response to date,” he noted. Like James, Woroni also reached out to SAlt for comment and received no response. The posters were removed shortly after James notified ANU Counselling. ANU Facilities, responding to Woroni for comment, said the removal of SAlt’s posters from ANU Counselling was not political. “The ‘rules’ around putting posters up on campus, are that they need to be posted to the allocated poster boards around campus – i.e. they cannot be posted to building signage, wayfinding signage and the like.”
“This is why it has been so disappointing to hear that some individuals have been utilising the space inappropriately to advertise their political organisations,” she added. Tomar, acknowledging the importance of political interaction between students, suggests that there are “more suitable opportunities to advertise” events to their membership. She outlined that autonomous Facebook groups and collective meetings might be more suitable as they “don’t breach [their] members’ sense of safety and comfort”. Such avenues are always available for contributions and campaigning.
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long-awaited review into free speech on campus released AUTHOR // BELLA DI MATTINA A report into the state of freedom of speech at Australian universities has been released by former Chief Justice Robert French. The report, which follows a contrary December 2018 audit from the Institute of Public Affairs, found no evidence of a free speech crisis.
their ‘support for free speech’ and gave the ANU a ‘red’ rating for its protection of free speech.
“We remain concerned that sector-wide legislative or regulatory requirements would be aimed at solving a problem that has not been demonstrated to exist and any changes could conflict with fundamental principles of university autonomy.”
bling a free speech crisis The audit took issue with the ANU’s policies the Australian system. against blasphemy, specifically the ANU’s Discipline Rule aimed at – Gareth Evans preventing speech that ANU Chancellor causes offence on the basis of ‘religious belief’ or ‘national or ethnic origin’. As evidence of this, it noted that ANU cancelled events with speakers associated with Hizb ut-Tahrir.
French noted that this concern for academic freedom was sustained by some University Chancellors, including ANU’s outgoing Chancellor Gareth Evans. In the Chancellor’s Oration at the National Conference on University Governance, the Chancellor disparaged “‘attempt[s] by some students and staff to shut down argument and debate, on the basis that people should not be exposed to ideas which with they strongly disagree”. However even Evans noted “we do not presently have anything remotely resembling a free speech crisis in the Australian system”. The audit into Free Speech on Campus, which sparked the review, was conducted by the Institute for Public Affairs, a think tank dedicated to economic and political freedom. The 2018 audit compared universities for
“We do not presently have anything remotely resem-
”
The audit says “these policies are a serious threat to freedom of inquiry. In the process of exploring and contesting ideas, particularly in contested fields such as religion and politics, it is not uncommon for an individual to be offended.” The audit was not without factual error, reporting that the ANU had divested from fossil fuels.
in
8 // NEWS
PhB to be Restructured and Rebranded AUTHOR // GRACE SIXSMITH The prestigious Bachelor of Philosophy (PhB) degree is being restructured after the disestablishment of the program run by the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS). The Bachelor of Philosophy degree is “an exciting research-focused degree at the ANU. It is an integrated program leading to an Honours award. It is designed for intellectually ambitious students who aspire to study at the highest level.” The CASS degree, introduced in 2003, was disestablished after a long period of low enrollments. The first year course for the CASS PhB degree had limited enrollments even through to 2015. The low enrollments have lead to it being discontinued for 2020. The review into the degree began in 2018, with the recommendations being handed down by the then Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Marnie Hughes-Warrington in December 2018. ANUSA Vice-President Campbell Clapp said that the aim of the review was “to ensure that the PhB is providing a unique and satisfying experience to students, whilst also meeting the standards of an undergraduate degree and providing appropriate structure to an undergraduate degree.”
There are 12 recommendations from the report, indicating what could be changed about the degree to keep it relevant for students. Recommendation 2 suggests that the degree should be renamed to the ‘Research and Development’ degree to indicate the integral role of research in the degree. This is complemented by Recommendation 9, which concerns marketing of the PhB degree so that it is recognisable as a research degree to allow for prospective students to make more considered decisions. Recommendation 7 suggests lowering the entry requirements down to an ATAR of 96, as opposed to the current 99 ATAR score. This comes on the basis of evidence suggesting that students who achieve an ATAR of 96 are more likely to obtain a 6.0 GPA while studying at university. Recommendation 11 proposes that the restructured ‘Research and Development’ degree could be combined with other degrees as part of ANU’s flexible double degree program. Recommendation 12 advocates for Work Integrated Learning to be emphasised, with at least one 6-unit Internship course being undertaken by each student. The report and recommendations on a whole emphasises the importance of having research based degrees for undergraduates, and indicates hope for the continuation of research based degrees at the ANU in the future, even if the PhB is no more.
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IZAAK BINK
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CAMPUS
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Thinking About Honours? Look No Further AUTHOR // SOPHIE JOHNSON, Woroni Uni Life Sub-Editor If you’re nearing the end of your undergraduate degree, you might be asking yourself: should I do an honours year? As it got towards the sticky end of my third year, I was asking myself the same question. There are a tonne of upsides to doing honours: you get free reign with a topic of your choice all year, it puts off having to enter the dreaded real world, and it’s an added bonus to your resume. But there are other things to consider as well. Honours is hard. It seems like it’s going fine, and then all of a sudden you have to have a chapter of your thesis to your supervisor. There are difficulties. For me, I was heading towards the second semester of my third year. I was set to graduate at the end of December and… well, the plans were a little sketchy from then on, but I was looking at moving home and Figuring It Out. But, as I considered moving home for an indefinite period of time, and entering the Real World as a fully-fledged Adult with a Degree, I wasn’t looking forward to it. My friends were all pursuing four-year degrees, and I was polishing off the final third year of mine. There were jokes to have and mistakes to be made in the next year that I would miss out on. I won’t lie to you and say that that didn’t play a huge part in my decision making. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in any clear sense, all I had was a vague idea of what I didn’t want. Which basically was missing out on a tonne of stuff, and to set off at a mere 20 years of age into the professional world. I wanted to put it all off just that little bit longer, and honours let me do that. Now, I was lucky, which meant I had the GPA to be accepted into honours even though it wasn’t something I’d really thought about. I talked it over with my parents, spoke with one of my favourite professors about whether it’d be smarter to pursue a masters instead, and ended up with a freshly minted application to my honours year, all within the space of a month or two. I had a sparkling, vague idea of a thesis topic, a supervisor who’d signed off on me, and I waited with bated breath for my acceptance. And honestly, this may end up just being an ad for honours, because so far I’m loving it. I get on with my supervisor, I’m writing a 20,000-word thesis on
a topic I’m excited about, an experience which is so new and refreshing that I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve written essays I’ve enjoyed before: I chose my entire degree based on my interests rather than more practical choices, and I enjoyed my undergrad so much that I did more courses than were necessary to complete my majors. But for my thesis, I got to choose entirely what I’m interested in: I chose the era, the focus, the texts, everything. It means I’ve dived in headfirst, and have written the first chapter already. Not to mention that I’ve made friends in my honours classes that I get on with and understand. There’s a bonding moment when you realise that you’re all facing the same trials and tribulations: all of my classes are spent with the same group of people, and we all share the same interests, since we’re all doing honours in the same thing. Of course, honours isn’t for everyone: if you’re ready to leave and you’re done with your degree, if you know what you’re doing and you’re excited about it, then there’s no need. If you’re ready, then fly the nest, and best luck with it all. If you’re thinking about it though, then it can be hard to tell if honours is the right decision for you. That said, it opens more doors into whatever you want to go into, and honestly, what can it hurt? At worst, you spend an extra year doing something you maybe shouldn’t have, end up with an “(Hons)” attached to the end of your name/degree, and put off real decision-making a while longer if that’s what you’re looking for. It also lets you think about post-graduate programs and qualifies you for any overseas programs you like. And if it goes well? You make and cement friends, spend a year chasing your passions, get an added bonus on your resume, and may end up having one of the best years of your degree. I’m only a quarter of the way through, so check back in with me when the stress of September thesis polishing hits, but so far, things aren’t looking too bad at all.
12 // CAMPUS | ANU
Is ANU Really Australia’s Best University? AUTHOR // ALEX LEE What if I told you that the Australian National University was by far the lowest ranked of the Group of Eight (Go8) research-intensive universities in Australia? Would you believe me? Well, according to the 2018 CWTS Leiden Ranking, which is based exclusively on data drawn from the Web of Science database, ANU is 202nd in the world and 8th in Australia – behind USyd, UniMelb, UQ, UNSW, Monash, UWA and Adelaide. This represents a sharp fall from 2015, when CWTS Leiden ranked ANU 1st in Australia. Indeed today, Leiden ranks ANU behind a number of universities in the world, including the University of Tehran, the University of Belgrade, Charles University in Prague and King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. So, is ANU really in a precipitous decline? Have we fallen behind a list of universities so long and diverse it would be impossible to name them all? Are we about to fall behind universities like Newcastle and Wollongong? Not exactly. In CWTS Leiden’s eyes, that’s a real possibility. But even if you only scratch the surface you will discover ranking universities is an extremely inexact ‘science’. It is worth pointing out that according to British-based QS and Times Higher Education, two of the most widely used rankings of international higher education, ANU is thriving. In 2019, QS placed ANU at 24th in the world and 1st in Australia, placing us above UniMelb (39th) and battling it out with other rival universities like Yale (15th) the London School of Economics (38th) and the University of Tokyo (23rd). This year, Times Higher Education ranked ANU 2nd in Australia and 49th in the world, a strong showing, but somewhat further behind a number of elite American and British Universities. On the other hand, the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities or Shanghai Rankings, published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, sees ANU slip behind UniMelb, USyd and UQ, falling to 69th. US News Global University Rankings also ranks UniMelb, USyd and UQ ahead of us. UniMelb (26th) is placed ahead of USyd (31st), followed by UQ (42nd), Monash (62nd), ANU (66th) and UNSW (70th). We could go through the list of higher education rankings to see how ANU fares in terms of global
competitiveness. But with wildly different position rankings even within the Go8 and the growing number of rankings, it would take far too long. So what is going on? Is Leiden biased against the ANU? Or does QS inflate our position? Surely if we are the best university, no matter how you slice and dice the data, ANU should at least be one of the top two universities in Australia, right? The simple truth is that university rankings are flawed. The UK Higher Education Policy Institute or HEPI deems them “methodologically flawed”. The Centre for Global Higher Education at the UCL Institute of Education calls them “junk”. The Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education pronounces them “useless”. We can run through some of the major problems with university rankings. Firstly, rankings are manipulatable. Times Higher Education itself has noted that universities can, and do, inflate their scores with various tactics. Some universities will intentionally encourage more and more student applications to increase their rejection rate and enhance ‘exclusivity’ metrics. When it comes to academic reputations, universities can, and do, take measures to improve this subjective measure. For example, University College Cork in Ireland had apparently asked its academics to get sympathetic academics from other universities to rate them highly. Secondly, the wealth and location of a university matters. The more money a university has, the more resources it can direct towards boosting its rankings. Universities in English-speaking countries also have a massive advantage as academic output in English is far more likely to be cited around the world when compared to languages like Russian and Japanese. English-speaking universities also get a huge boost when it comes to how ‘international’ the university is. With English increasingly becoming the global language, universities that use a language of instruction that is regionally limited are going to struggle to attract a large international student body. Thirdly, rankings place a lot of weight on research. Rankings are fixated on academic output. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this as a measure, for
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 13
the typical undergraduate student looking for fantastic teaching, a great social environment, access to high-quality education resources, exchange opportunities, industry partnerships and so on, rankings are not really telling you much. Finally, ranking agencies do not necessarily think the same things are important. They are not trying to measure the same indices and may choose to change their methodology over time. This accounts for much of the wild ranking fluctuations experienced by almost all Australian universities across the rankings, and it also makes year on year improvements or deteriorations difficult to measure within the same ranking. Are global university rankings all bad? Of course not. Measuring the quality of a university is inherently difficult. Being able to gauge the volume and quality of research being produced by academic institutions is important. In fact, each of the metrics has utility in specific circumstances. The harder question is: are rankings worth it? Universities in Australia and around the world have, and will continue to, develop expensive and time-consuming strategies to improve their Surely if we are the best university, no matter how you slice and dice the data, ANU should at least be one of the top two universities in Australia, right? The simple truth is that university rankings are flawed. The UK Higher Education Policy Institute or HEPI deems them “methodologically flawed”. The Centre for Global Higher Education at the UCL Institute of Education calls them “junk”. The Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education pronounces them “useless”. We can run through some of the major problems with university rankings. Firstly, rankings are manipulatable. Times Higher Education itself has noted that universities can, and do, inflate their scores with various tactics. Some universities will intentionally encourage more and more student applications to increase their rejection rate and enhance ‘exclusivity’ metrics. When it comes to academic reputations, universities can, and do, take measures to improve this subjective measure. For example, University College Cork in Ireland had apparently asked its academics to get sympathetic academics from other universities to rate them highly.
Secondly, the wealth and location of a university matters. The more money a university has, the more resources it can direct towards boosting its rankings. Universities in English-speaking countries also have a massive advantage as academic output ins English is far more likely to be cited around the world when compared to languages like Russian and Japanese. English-speaking universities also get a huge boost when it comes to how ‘international’ the university is. With English increasingly becoming the global language, universities that use a language of instruction that is regionally limited are going to struggle to attract a large international student body. Thirdly, rankings place a lot of weight on research. Rankings are fixated on academic output. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this as a measure, for the typical undergraduate student looking for fantastic teaching, a great social environment, access to high-quality education resources, exchange opportunities, industry partnerships and so on, rankings are not really telling you much. Finally, ranking agencies do not necessarily think the same things are important. They are not trying to measure the same indices and may choose to change their methodology over time. This accounts for much of the wild ranking fluctuations experienced by almost all Australian universities across the rankings, and it also makes year on year improvements or deteriorations difficult to measure within the same ranking. Are global university rankings all bad? Of course not. Measuring the quality of a university is inherently difficult. Being able to gauge the volume and quality of research being produced by academic institutions is important. In fact, each of the metrics has utility in specific circumstances. The harder question is: are rankings worth it? Universities in Australia and around the world have, and will continue to, develop expensive and time-consuming strategies to improve their rankings. And, as we have established, investing in teaching quality, student satisfaction and facilities will not necessarily improve rankings. It is unlikely that ANU will ever be consistently ranked number 1 in the Go8 and it really doesn’t matter. The quality of our university is far more important than a score out of 100.
14 // CAMPUS | MULTILINGUAL
Do International Students Need Integration? AUTHOR // KIDA LIN, Woroni Comment Sub-Editor Having a constructive discourse on minority representation is hard. That’s why I find Kai Clark’s article “There is No Such Thing as an ‘International’ Student” particularly refreshing (published in Vol. 69, Issue 2 of Woroni). The article offers a number of valuable insights and sincere suggestions. It calls for the increased representation of international students. It speaks against pigeonholing different groups and calls out xenophobia. As will become clear, I disagree with many things in this piece; but there are also many, many more that I wholeheartedly embrace.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I should preface my discussion with one more point. Proposals for change are often subject to remarkably harsh scrutiny. Legitimate concern aside, what underlines such (at times enthusiastic) scrutiny is often a desire to preserve the status quo. Think, for example, about the fact that those who oppose affirmative action on the grounds that it’s not the most effective way to address injustice are unlikely to be proponents of other progressive policies either. Think, also, about the fact that those who lament unionisation on the grounds that it hurts workers are probably not going to vote for mass redistribution in any event. Point
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER // 15 being, for all that I will say later, Clark’s article makes an invaluable contribution to the ongoing discussion on minority representation. So much for the set-up. Clark’s main argument in the piece is that “international students” are not a homogenous group, and hence “there is no such thing as an international student”. My worry, though, is that Clark runs the risk of replacing one form of over-generalisation with another. Clark presents, unwittingly I believe, a picture of international students as many groups with diverse interests that are nevertheless internally homogenous. We are told that, “they see themselves as who they are: a citizen of their home country.” We are told that, “they are more likely to relate more with others from their country than with other overseas students.” We are told that, “[this] is why cultural and country-specific clubs are so popular… as they create a place for ambitious overseas students to cut one’s teeth in student leadership.” These descriptive claims are worrying not only because they either are widely inaccurate or rely excessively on stereotypes. They also carry off-putting normative connotations. We are told, later in the piece, that the “institutional change” we need is simply that “student leaders” and residential staff understand the “legal, cultural, and socioeconomic barriers” international students face. Informed by the above-mentioned conception of international students, one can’t help but wonder what kind of understanding such institutional change will produce. To be fair, Clark does mention that “even… simple descriptions [like Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Singapore] hide the complexities and contradictions of these places”. I don’t know, however, whether “ethnically homogenous China with its ‘new rich’ and rising middle class” — referenced by Clark in the same paragraph — obscures more than just the “complexities and contradictions” of a place. Of course, at the level of university and residential policies, some degree of generalisation is unavoidable. The question rather is whether generalisation is unfairly and disproportionately directed at some particular groups. In fact, as an international student myself, I find it slightly puzzling that, for an article published in the university newspaper, people like me are referred to almost exclusively as “they”. Perhaps it’s just a matter of the proper use of grammar; I am not sure. I do, however, struggle to find any shred of agency for people like me in this picture. We seem merely to be passive recipients of “inclusion” and “support”— if only we could be integrated; if only “student leaders” and staff could help us. Now, how to understand the agency of disadvantaged groups is a very general problem for historians, sociologists and philosophers. For example, we do not want to theorise indigenous peoples solely through the lens of victimhood, nor should we only sing a feel-good anthem about their triumphant resistance. The point is not that Clark doesn’t resolve
this intricate issue. Rather, it is simply very curious why international students are singled out. There are presumably a great many students who have difficulties adjusting themselves to the new environment. A great many, perhaps, “want to be included into the community but are struggling”. Even some of the seemly specific problems identified by Clark are hardly unique to international students. We are told that, “a Chinese dumpling making event, for example, does not necessarily appeal to South Asian students as it would to East Asian students.” Clark then says, “this is exacerbated when you continue to see events that continue to borrow upon one cultural region over another”. I am again quite puzzled by this. Isn’t this just a general problem of how to accommodate the interests of minorities in democratic institutions? How is it different from, say, political factions dominating certain student societies on campus? Perhaps I am being unfair here. It’s certainly true that just because something is a general problem doesn’t mean that it is not serious. It’s also true that many of the issues identified by Clark, such as the under-representation of certain groups of international students, are very real. The question, though, is how we should approach these issues. I see no reason why we ought to prioritise, say, “providing services and support to struggling international students” over “providing services and support to all those who are struggling”. I cannot agree more when Clark says, “we must be careful of how we use language to refer to overseas students”. That’s why, given the prevailing social message, we should caution against framing international students predominantly as powerless victims to be provided for. Clark also calls for international students be “respected for their cultural diversity and humanity”. I agree; better yet, why not drop the “cultural diversity”? Of course, it might be said that some issues are in fact primarily faced by international students. Perhaps, as Clark mentions, these are issues associated with English language skills and cultural differences. As I have written elsewhere, though, I personally find over-generalisations and (well-intentioned) assumptions about my identity a bigger irritation than the lack of meaningful support or services. There are simply way more instances where I am told, “oh, so you study philosophy… not… finance?” Now, it should be pointed out that different students do in fact have different needs and interests. It’s also the case that the ANU should provide better support and services to its students. (I once had to wait three weeks for a counselling session, which is a common experience of many.) But this makes it all the more important not to generalise— particularly when it comes to groups about whom so many generalisations have already been made. Perhaps, Clark and I do not really disagree after all. There is indeed no such thing as an international student. What should be remembered, though, is that there is also no such thing as a non-struggling student.
16 // CAMPUS | COMMENT
國際學生需要被融合嗎？ Kida Lin, Woroni 社評欄的編輯 對少數族群代表度 (minority representation) 做出建設性的討 論很難。 這就是為什麼 Kai Clark 的文章 “There is No Such Thing as an ‘International’ Student” （發表於上一期的Woroni）讓人耳目一新。文章提供了許多有價值的見解和真誠的建 議。作者倡議改善國際學生的代表度， 譴責同化不同群體， 也 反對仇外心理。當然，我對這篇文章有很多不同意的觀點，我 想首先指出這篇文章中可圈可點的地方。 即使顯而易見，我也需要再多做一些解釋。改變社會的提案 (proposals for change) 經常受到非常苛刻的審查 (scrutiny)。除 了一些必要的顧慮之外，有些人之所以有時過度批判某個提案 是因為他們期望維持現狀 (a desire to preserve the status quo) 。例如，那些反對平權法案 (affirmative action) 的人士，他們 常常會說這樣的提案不是解決不公正 (address injustice) 最有效 的方式。但是這些人大多也不會支持其他解決不公正的提案。 再比如那些反對工人組成工會的人，他們說他們反對工會是因 為工會傷害了工人的利益。但這些反對的人也大多不會支持 其他的改善工人福利的措施，譬如大規模的資源重分配 (mass redistribution)。所以，儘管我和Clark 有很多不同的觀點，我 覺得他的文章對關於少數族群代表度的討論還是做出了建設性 的貢獻。 我已經做了足夠的鋪墊。 Clark 文章的主要論點是國際學生 不是一個同質 (homogenous) 的群體。正如標題所說的， “我 們所謂的國際學生並不存在” (“There is No Such Thing as an ‘International’ Student”)。不過，我的顧慮是Clark 將對一個群 體的過度概括 (over-generalisation) 替換成了另一種形式上的過 度概括。 Clark 不經意地將國際學生描繪成一個個不同的小圈 子，每一個圈子內卻仍然還是同質的。 Clark 說， “國際學生的身份認同就是這樣：他們覺得自己就 是自己祖國的公民。” Clark 說， “他們更傾向於同來自他們自 己國家的人打交道，而不是同其他的國際學生來往。” Clark 說， “這個就是為什麼以國籍或文化為界線的學生組織(cultural and country-specific clubs) 非常流行。這是因為這些學生組織 給國際學生提供了一個競選學生領袖的機會。” 我覺得這樣的 描述令人擔憂。它們要不就是很不準確， 或者就過分的依賴 刻板印象 (stereotypes)。這樣的言論也有令人反感的規範性意 味 (normative connotations)。我們被告知，我們需要的“制度 變革” (“institutional change”) 只是“學生領袖”和住宿員工理解 國際學生面臨的“法律，文化和社會上的經濟障礙”。我不禁在 想，Clark 所謂的制度變革會帶來什麼樣的 “理解”。
事實上，作為一名國際學生，我覺得令人費解的是為什麼一篇發 表在校報的文章，像我這樣的國際學生幾乎總是被稱作 “他們”。 或許作者只是想用正確的英文語法，這我不得而知。然而，我覺 得在Clark的描述中，我看不到國際學生有任何的主權 (agency) 。國際學生似乎只是“包容” (“inclusion”) 和“支持” (“support”) 的 被動接受者— 似乎像我這樣的國際學生只能”被融合”， 只能被“ 學生領袖” 和其他學校員工幫助。 當然，如何理解弱勢群體 (disadvantaged groups) 的主權是 一個複雜的問題。這是一個歷史學家，社會學家和哲學家都有 廣泛討論的議題。譬如說，我們不希望僅僅通過受害者的視角 (the lens of victimhood) 來看待原住民 (indigenous peoples)。 我們也不希望僅僅著眼於原住民慷慨激昂的抗爭 (triumphant resistance)。所以我的觀點不是Clark沒有解決這個如此複雜的 問題。相反，我只是非常好奇為什麼國際學生會被單獨挑選出 來談論。畢竟，很多學生都有遇到適應新環境困難。也有很多 學生，如Clark所說的， “希望融合但不知道要怎麼做。” 即便是文章中提到的一些看似具體的問題也不是國際學生所獨 有的。Clark說， “例如，餃子製作活動可能僅僅會吸引東亞的 學生。大多的南亞學生並不會太感興趣。” Clark 接著說， “這 樣的情況快速的惡化當你感覺大多的活動都像是在為某些特定 群體量身定做。” 我再次對這點感到疑惑。難道這不就是民主制 度 (democratic institutions) 中常見的問題嗎？就是說，難道大 多的民主制度不都會遇到如何顧全少數群體的權益的問題嗎？ 這和，譬如說，某些學生派系 (factions) 主宰某些在校內的學生 社團有什麼區別呢？ 或許我有些偏見。毫無疑問，僅僅因為某些問題具有廣泛性並 不意味著它不重要。同樣，上面提到的許多問題，例如某些國 際學生群體沒有足夠的代表度，都是非常確切的。但關鍵的是 我們應該如何處理這些問題。我不知道為什麼我們要說， “為陷 入困境的國際學生提供服務和支持”， 而不是， “為所有陷入困 境的學生提供服務和支持”。當Clark 說， “在我們談論國際學生 的時候，我們要注意我們的用語。” 我完全同意。這就是為什麼 我覺得我們不應該將國際學生僅僅定位成無能為力的受害者。 Clark 還說， “國際學生應該被尊重因為他們的人性 (humanity) 和文化多樣性 (cultural diversity)”。我同意。但為什麼不僅僅著 眼於人性呢？ 當然，國際學生確實有自己獨特的困境。或許正如Clark所講 的， 國際學生遇到與英語語言技能和文化差異相關的問題。但 對我來說，正如我在其他地方寫到的，我覺得對我身份的過度 刻板印象和（善意的）假設 比缺乏任何來自學校的支持或服務 更令人煩心。譬如說，我常常被問及，“喔，所以你學哲學喔。 。 不是。。 金融學？”
平心而論，Clark是有提到“即使有些詞彙— 譬如說 ”來自中國大 陸，台灣，香港和新加坡的學生“— 常常會隱藏這些地方的複雜 性 (complexities) 和矛盾 (contradictions)”。但我不知道當Clark 提到， “同質化群體譬如中國的 ‘新富人’ (‘new rich’) 和崛起的中 產階級”， 背後隱藏的或許不僅僅是一個地方的複雜性和矛盾。
我應該承認不同學生確實有不同的需求和利益。 ANU也應該為 學生提供更好的支持和服務。 （我曾經要為一個心理諮商的會 面(counselling session) 等三個星期。很多其他學生也有類似的 經歷。）但這也正說明了為什麼我們不應該一概而論— 特別是 當我們討論那些已經被一概而論了很久的群體。
當然，從大學制度政策的層面來看，某種程度的概括 (generalisation) 是不可避免的。我們需要問的是針對某些群體的概括是 不是不公平和不成比例的 (unfairly and disproportionately)。
或許，我終究和Clark有著同樣的觀點。或許，正如Clark所講 的， “所謂的國際學生並不存在”。但我們更應該記住的是，所 謂的什麼問題都沒有的模範學生也並不存在吧。
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER // 17
What We Can Learn from the Christchurch Terrorist Attack AUTHOR // PHOEBE LUPTON, Woroni Creative Sub-Editor
CONTENT WARNING: discussions of hate crimes The Christchurch terrorist attack was a long time coming. An act of hatred and violence, it was unmistakably a product of the right-wing extremism that has been creeping up on us in recent years. On 15 March, an Australian man entered two Christchurch mosques and proceeded to shoot and kill fifty people. The perpetrator was a member of a white nationalist group, his victims were Muslim. According to an article published in DW, this attack is the ‘deadliest’ of its kind to ever have occurred in New Zealand. In her commentary on this tragedy, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described it as one of the country’s ‘darkest days.’ It is fair to say that the whole world was shaken by what happened on that day. When I first learnt that the attack had happened, I was sad and angry that this is what the world had come to. But I was not surprised. For a number of years now, racist rhetoric has dominated politics. United States President Donald Trump has advocated building a wall between the USA country and Mexico, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested that refugee communities are home to ‘rapists, murderers and paedophiles’ and Brexit, a procedure that is likely to disproportionately affect immigrants to the United Kingdom, is nearing. There is a blatant intolerance for difference, an intolerance that shouldn’t exist in 2019. This is a problem that pervades all corners of the world. But we can do something about it. We can start by becoming more careful with our words. ‘Political correctness’ can feel like an inconvenience but insults and disrespect are worse. It is common knowledge that a significant downside of social media is its ability to provide a platform for even the most despicable of views. Many people feel that they can say whatever they want without consequence. As a firm believer of freedom of speech, everyone has a right to express their opinions. This does not mean that all
opinions should go unchallenged. If a racial or religious slur is made in passing conversation, you may not think that it will do any harm in the long-term. But what happens when slurs turn into prejudice against a group of people, which then turns into hatred? Situations like the Christchurch terrorist attack happen. Someone actively targets a group of innocent people in their place of worship – a place of peace. Lives were lost. Lives of ordinary New Zealanders who just wanted to exercise their right to religious freedom. Lives of people who are constantly and consistently vilified in the media and in the political sphere. We can also start by extending kindness to people who are different from us. All too often, we see difference as undesirable, hence the existence of prejudice and discrimination. But what if I told you that someone who is of a different gender, ethnicity, religious background or sexual orientation from yours has more in common with you then you’d think? All human beings want comfort, safety, respect. We are all deserving of love – why not offer it to each other? We can learn so much from the Christchurch terrorist attack. It is not the first incident of its kind, and it will not be the last. A matter of merely months after the attack in Christchurch there was another religiously-motivated attack in Sri Lanka. This segregation and separation of groups exists on a global scale, and when this snowballs into violence we have no choice but to treat it as a failure of humanity. Had we fostered a society of kindness and togetherness instead of one of division and judgement, these terrorist attacks may never have happened. All we can do now is let each other live our lives freely, something which the victims of the attack could not do. As Jacinda Ardern says, “The answer to hate lies in our humanity.” In the aftermath of what has happened in the world as of late, remember that our shared humanity is all that can save us.
18 // CAMPUS | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
The Budget 2019-20: Why does it matter? AUTHOR // FELIX RYAN Out of all events in the Australian political calendar, the Federal budget is rarely the pivotal moment in an average person’s voting habits. This is understandable. To fully comprehend any sort of nation-wide and long-term piece of economic policy – let alone a Federal budget – requires a considerable investment of time and research that many outside of academia or economics-related professions do not have. Furthermore, reporting and coverage in the mainstream media often gives us a shallow understanding the complexities at hand. However, budgets are a critical part of a government’s blueprint for the short to long term, outlining a national direction and plans for the machinery of government. Budgets have the power to make or break a nation’s economy – particularly on the eve of an economic downturn.
operations through investment. Often, these groups need to take out loans from financial intermediaries (banks) to properly and safely finance their activities, in the process creating a debt – in this case, private debt if the borrower is not government affiliated. Thus, debt is often a natural by-product of a growing or booming economy. As history professor, Yuval Noah Harari has pointed out, the idea and process of debt have been a fundamental part of allowing economic growth and development in areas from science to technology. By representing imaginary goods or gains on future investment as credits (or debt), institutions and individuals can more confidently lend to the borrower to undertake entrepreneurial and economic activity essential to an economy’s growth, paying the borrower as stipulated in the terms of this debt.
To analyse the 2019-20 Federal budget, one should look into the economic conditions and probable future of the Australian economy. On the surface, Australia has had a fortunate run of economic prosperity for nearly 30 years. Continual economic growth has seen unprecedented development relative to the OECD – that would lure one to believe that Australia’s economic future is no serious cause for concern. The economy’s uncanny ability to miss financial earthquakes like the GFC has restrained many from considering less pleasant alternatives. Unfortunately, the actual predicted outcome is not so bright. More economists are expecting a major downturn in the economy to occur as soon as 2019. Many of these forecasts are steeped in an understanding of the dangerous levels of household and corporate debt in Australia that have long been incubating.
Problems arise, however, when this level of debt is left unchecked and grows out of control. Numerous models show that when individuals or firms have a strong tendency to invest, the level of private debt in an economy begins to rapidly increase relative to GDP (i.e. the debt to GDP ratio increases). This can easily be passed off as economic growth, since debt is often used to power economic activity and, as debt to GDP increases, the percentage of GDP debt also increases. Just before a crisis, volatility in unemployment ceases, giving the impression of economic tranquillity. Critical mass –when the economy’s GDP and employment crash to zero – occurs when this debt growth begins to slow down, resulting in a potentially cataclysmic economic crash.
Without getting too technical, it is worth outlining the exact mechanisms by which debt can hinder an economical performance. Economic activity to grow an economy comes from several sources, such as consumer spending, investment by individuals and businesses, and, in some cases, government policy. The former two are common ways economies grow on the private side of the economy – through consumers spending more on goods and services, and businesses driving development and expanding
In Australia, we are close to hitting this critical mass of debt. Since 1995, debt to GDP has skyrocketed from 120 per cent to 210 per cent in 2015. Most worryingly, this ratio has begun its decline since then, dropping to 205 per cent in 2017, signalling the approach of critical mass. If no policy action is taken, the only way out of this situation for the near future would be an impossible increase in household borrowing. This would make total private debt nearly 250 per cent of GDP, which would be the highest level ever recorded in the OECD. Given this, it is likely an unavoidable economic slowdown is on the cards.
ARTWORK : ABIGAIL BORDER // 19
Returning to the original question at hand: does this budget have what it takes to mitigate the worst of a hypothetical but probable crisis? As a short-term measure, the budget has sound and robust policies at its disposal. During any kind of economic calamity or financial crash, it is imperative that the government ensures that the economic activity continues. The tax cuts proposed in the budget are one such stimulating measure: $158 million worth of tax relief has a high chance of increasing the spending of consumers, particularly those in lower socio-economic levels who stand to gain up to an extra $1080 annually in income. Furthermore, plans for extensive investment into essential infrastructure is a sure-fire way to keep the economy ticking over in a recession, as demonstrated by Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. The promised $2.6 billion will largely contribute to regional and urban road upgrades and construction. This on top of further funding for upgrading telecommunications in regional and rural areas will likely help to create jobs in a hypothetical contracting economy, and may help to stabilise and stimulate economic demand, particularly in these centres. But aside from these measures, the budget fundamentally does not seem equipped to deal with the possibility of a recession. Many of the underlying assumptions that are used to justify budgetary spending or restraint are highly unrealistic. For example, an assumption of a 0.4 per cent growth in health spending in real terms is improbable given the retirement of the boomer generation and increased strain on health systems this brings. The defence has received a similar projection for its expected unlikely growth, since such departments often need huge amounts of funding to achieve their policy goals. The budget is constructed in a way to discourage further spending; effectively limiting the scope of government policy for the near future. Overall this budget is one of restraint and prudence, taking the title for the lowest projected spending in the past 50 years. While in normal economic times this stance is welcomed, in the lead-up or during a recession it is not the right mindset to have. Such assumptions will have to be violated for the government to help
restart the economy through spending, such as once-off lump sum payments to consumers or businesses, or increased spending on public works, and further tax cuts. Otherwise, non-intervention for the sake of sticking to budgetary goals will likely make the situation worse. It is clear from the nature of the budget that some policymakers do not anticipate a recession despite the growing evidence and support for this viewpoint. Even if a recession does not originate in Australia, growing economic woes in the US or elsewhere could easily create a chain reaction effect, much like in the GFC, that could severely damage the unprepared Australian economy. While it is easy to criticise a budget for its lack of preparation, one must remember these are highly politicised documents, and they often shirk economic truth for the purposes of political warfare. Economic predictions can be lost in the desire to one-up a political opponent; most if not all political parties are guilty of this, both in Australia and across the globe. Nonetheless, it is important to realise such faults and make alternate suggestions from an economic perspective. Investment in infrastructure and tax cuts are solid short-term measures, but these alone will not be enough. Longer-term investments that pay for themselves, such as investments into increasing economic productivity and technology, are all incredibly powerful ways to stimulate short-term and long-term growth well after a crisis has subsided. Even better, ways that tackle the heart of the problem, like gargantuan levels of private debt, are a promising way to delay or avert the crisis before it begins. History has shown us time and again that poor governmental policy in the face of recession – be it in the Great Depression, the EU crisis (specifically Greece, Ireland and Cyprus) and the GFC – only makes the situation far worse. Australia has weathered crises before, and with sensible and diligent policy-makers in government, business and banking, we can weather it again.
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The dissatisfied Pigs AUTHOR // KIDA LIN, Woroni Comment Sub-Editor The 19th Century Utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill once proclaimed, “it is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.” Mill was, in essence, espousing a distinction between higher and lower pleasure. If pleasure is what really matters, as Utilitarians contend, it seems hard to deny that there is something importantly different between the pleasure of reading Shakespeare and that of binge-watching Netflix. When it comes to pleasure, we might say, quality seems to matter as much as quantity.
Of course, I caution myself against over-generalisation and exaggeration. In another attempt at some philosophical rationalisation, I also think about Mill’s critics. Mill was responding to his Utilitarian precursor Jeremy Bentham, who famously argued that we should aim for “the greatest good for the greatest number”. As many of Mill’s critics point out, the spirits of equality, which are essential for Utilitarianism, will be lost if we differentiate higher from lower pleasure. Some go as far as dismissing talks of higher pleasure as mere philosophical snobbery.
I sure did get a lot of pleasure from something lately. In the past week, I have spent more than twenty hours listening to a true crime podcast called ‘CaseFile’. I’m still trying to figure out why it appeals to me, and I would like to think that it is something like “a unique and succinct way of storytelling”. I tell myself that, after all, I was only late to the true crime frenzy as I was put off by the genre’s epitomising sensationalism.
Interestingly, it was this emphasis of equality that inspired contemporary philosopher Peter Singer to advocate for the interests of animals. I sometimes wonder what Mill would have made of the fact that the most influential 21st Century Utilitarian made his name championing the happiness of, among other things, pigs.
From time to time, though, I was awakened to the sobering realisation that I do like the thrills of mysteries, murders and abductions. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if I was getting the kind of lower pleasure that Mill despised. Of course, I assure myself that it is not the gruesome details of murder cases that I enjoyed; I was rather fascinated by, say, the fact that reality can sometimes be more far-fetched than fiction. If I try harder, I might convince myself that I was in fact “delving into the complexities of human psychology and empathising with a diverse range of human experiences”. When I am not the in the mood of self-denial, though, I realise that this is nothing more than my desperate attempt at rationalisation. My friends recently mentioned to me that one of them did a solo camping trip for ten days while the other hitch-hiked around the country. Never considered myself risk-averse, my immediate response was, “geez, that’s dangerous! You know that backpackers murder case? Friends were taken aback, and I was also quite surprised. I’d like to think of myself as self-reflective, and I did know about the “mean world syndrome”– the tendency that people perceive the world as more dangerous than it is due to media coverage. Yet, I underestimated how the way pleasurable experiences gradually shape even my very deeply held preferences.
To be fair, in a less known passage, Mill says, “and if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party to the comparison knows both sides.” This is Mill’s eloquent way of saying, “deep down we know that Shakespeare is better than Netflix all along.” Not well-versed about Shakespeare, I nevertheless attest to the pull of Mill’s argument. After hours of ‘CaseFile’, I console myself with episodes of the ‘New York Times Book Review’; half a season of ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ is complemented by browsing literary classics on Amazon for an hour. This seems to raise an interesting question about personal identity: are we defined by what we do or who we aspire to be? Surprisingly, I find many prominent philosophical answers unsatisfactory. For example, the Stoics argue that we should find contentment in who we are whereas the existentialists champion radical aspiration and change. My admiration for the Stoic tranquillity and the existentialist heroism aside, I’ve come to the realisation that our choice is ultimately not between dissatisfied Socrates and a satisfied fool. Perhaps, our quest is to become someone who aspires to an ideal while reconciled with the inevitable gap between who we are and who we aspire to be.
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 21
ACT – Constructing Roads Since 1913 AUTHOR // SAMIA EJAZ Walter Burley Griffin – who, in case you’re wondering, designed Canberra – invested some serious thought over the layout of this prestigious city. There were warm fuzzy feels, great expectations and great things happening in general. Of course, a new city in its entirety was to rise from what was previously grassland, so it’s apparent why infrastructural reconstruction eventually became desirable. It was revolutionary – so much so that our ambitious roads and transport authorities just could not live down the feeling, and henceforth pledged to forever maintain a dynamic system of road construction, for the culture. We find ourselves in an era emblazoned with the fluorescent glow of makeshift roadside signs. Some of them warn you of the horrors of speeding past a road under the process of resealing. Others are a bit nicer, purposed to be taken-for-granted, like the 40km/h speed limit signs around areas targeted for perfectionist reconstruction. There are orange cones lining the path to your doorstep, always at utmost attention. Some of these are subject to ill-fate and become fallen warriors, their martyrdom caused by drivers who blatantly do not care to drive around them. There have been whispers amongst the Canberrafolk. These whispers carry the forgotten memories of ancient times, of times when Horse Park Drive once let drivers cruise at the blistering speed of 80km/h. Alas, they are but rumours – for any north-sider can hold testament to never having had the privilege of driving over 40km/h. Then there are those among us who take little heed of the law and choose to be bold. Such brave souls have risked everything that is nothing by driving past 60km/h. We fear their boldness. It makes us yearn for the perhaps unreachable fantasy of having the courage to do so ourselves. But the roads and transport authorities are smarter. The growing acts of rebellion on the part of drivers has resulted in severe counter-action. They have since resorted to pre-medieval punishment schemes which comprise of inflicting discomfort upon all members of the public, regardless of who is deserving. In accordance, they inaugurated
Canberra’s most radioactive construction spectacle yet... the Light Rail. Construction for the Light Rail commenced a while ago, to put it in simple terms. In fact, this blessed addition to Canberra’s never-ending road construction aspirations has integrated itself with Canberra’s identity so well, we are not even looking forward to its completion. All things considered, the greater public has become oblivious to the entire purpose of the construction. That there ever was an endgame. This construction has grown on us – everything about it, including the barren tracks, lined with the infamous orange cones that run from the very heart of Gungahlin to the very heart of Civic. They leave a trail of traffic congestion in their wake, irradiating their surroundings with strict speed-limit restrictions. And let’s turn a complete blind eye to the fact that the route targeted for construction happens to be the only major connection to the city from northside Canberra. Because construction for the culture, right? Yet travel times within Canberra are still not taken at face-value. Tourists, interstate visitors and those from overseas are all subjected to false allegations about travel time – with one such example being the infamous claim that the city is at a 20-minute drive from literally anywhere in Canberra. For sure... except that they’ve conveniently excluded the fact that this only occurs under exceptional circumstances. Circumstances wherein, by some unearthly force of nature, road construction ceases. As we all know, such circumstances will never present themselves, period. And hence it is said that road construction and, more appropriately, its re-construction, will live on forever and always. This feat has woven itself into the very essence of Canberra, becoming one with its identity and making a mark on our history. We as a people have accepted its fundamental niche in our existence – but just how willingly we did so remains the subject of much controversy. So, this one’s to Canberra – for the culture.
22 // CAMPUS | UNI LIFE
True love. real love. why does the distinction matter? AUTHOR // KIERAN KNOX University is a cocoon. The young residents who enter its halls and pathways inextricably changed and transformed. A unique environment, it straddles the line between two social worlds; the adult and the child. In many ways, the average student lives a dichotomous life of independence, creating their own structures and habits, while also being catered to. This tertiary stage of our lives acts as the little strip of earth after a gate. We are not fully out in the wilderness, instead standing on its precipice. Before, we were told to not step beyond this metaphorical gate. The rules and structures of school and home forbade it. Now, those same structures are abandoned, leaving oneself in all consuming freedom. More importantly, this freedom allows one of society’s most taboo subjects to bubble forth from the psyche.
Sex. A word of incredible power. Yet, none of us can disagree, university acts as a centre for the carnal. While some dive into those hedonistic depths, and others cautiously watch the waters, the majority of people’s sexual activity starts or intensifies in university. That is a good thing. However, the emotional half of this sexual perspective: simple attraction, love, is vastly misunderstood. Love has the ability to blind oneself, and render awareness null. It is, to me, one of the hardest challenges any person can face. To begin, let me distinguish between two forms of love/attraction. There is true love. True because it is not blemished by contextual reality. True love is the rosy glasses, the infatuation, the uncontrollable drumming in our chests. It does not respect the more pragmatic aspects of love and attraction. It
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 23
smooths out the jagged edges of someone’s personality and appearance to create a deceptively soft flower that we do not hesitate to pick. Thus, it is true, abrogating complication, and idealized. Real love on the other hand is often associated with long term relationships. It thrives off of contextual reality. It’s the bickering couple who tread familiar territory in their arguments, easily kissing away what appeared to be a cataclysmic conflict. Real love is a more human love; taking away idealism to still smile at the person beneath the rosy tint. Now this is a simple distinction, we all know the difference between infatuation and honest affection. Yet, are we capable of applying these labels accurately? Distinguishing between such forms of love, in my opinion, creates one of the backbones of being a mature adult. Society, history, culture has created a narrative that assumes marriage and long-term companionship are essential to a happy life. There is enormous pressure to find someone to love. That pressure is exacerbated by different generational models of romance. For example, most of my extended family met their spouse around the age of 18 – 22 and have stayed with that person for 30+ years. At my family gatherings there is an unspoken expectation that I will find ‘the one’ quite soon. As friends find caring and gentle companions, it only solidifies what I know to be an irrational fear in my heart. That perhaps I will be the one to buck the trend. This pressure, and our own genuine desire, crushes true and real love together into one all-encompassing attraction, thereby, removing objectivity when analysing our own feelings. Suddenly, the beautiful, but clearly non-compatible, individual in our life shows surreptitious signs of reciprocating our feelings, and you run yourself ragged chasing a dream. Suddenly, you assume the person you’ve been seeing will understand your need to end things, and let you them down more severely than you were aware. Without that clear distinction between true and real love, we only make ourselves, and others around us, unhappier.
We become unhappy because suddenly our rejections skyrocket, or ‘the one’ doesn’t love us back. We break hearts as we pretend that everyone left in agreement about what happened or why it happened, clumsily tying off relationships without their due closure. We hurt those around us, looking too deeply within or too far beyond the horizon. Neglecting the people who are right there beside us, whether they are friends or someone who watches us with that rosy gaze. In my belief, the majority of early relationships follow this pattern. We enter into an idealised romance that does not account for pragmatic factors. They can work, sometimes for years, but they are not sustainable. This does not mean that real love is the answer, as awareness of our flaws can create resentment and the desire for something ‘better’. Instead, objectivity must be placed at the forefront of our minds again with regards to our own feelings. Look at that special someone, and really think about why you feel the way you do. The answer can be ugly and confronting. However, growing isn’t just a 21st or landing a steady job, it’s a perspective change as you notice things you never had to before. That shift is difficult no matter how old you’ll ever be. There is a third type of love I forgot to mention. Honest. A combination of the two previous areas. If idealism sabotages a relationship, then pragmatism and awareness of flaws can poison one. Being able to look at someone and see them with starry eyes once again will only reaffirm the choice you’ve made. As someone told me, “There’s a lot of true love floating around, some real love, and not a lot of honest love. Wonder where the fuck I’m at.”
24 // CAMPUS | CANBERRA
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS
STARGAZING IN CANBERRA: BRINGING SCIENCE TO THE PEOPLE AUTHOR // IMED KRISNA WISNU GUPTA As an international student studying Economics, I always try my best to ‘go the extra mile’ to appreciate disciplines outside of my area of interest. What better way to do this than by exploring what lies beyond the ANU campus? Exploring the differences between Jakarta and Canberra is one of my favourite past times. Not only is it a fun thing to do, it can prove rather pleasant, especially during the warmer (autumn) seasons! One of the differences I enjoy seeing is how ANU and Canberra often work together, facilitating linkages between an episteme community and the broader community when it comes to holding public events. One example of this collaboration between the episteme (in this case, scientific) community and the broader public was a public astronomy night at Mount Stromlo. Although public transportation is not readily available here in the evening, this fact alone would not discXourage me from attending the event. Thankfully, I had friends who were willing to give me a ride. From Mount Stromlo, one can see the skies in its unadulterated glory, without the glare of city lights or skyscrapers. ANU College of Science had set up 12 telescopes in the outdoors, and volunteers helped explain what we were gazing at through each telescope. Sadly, it was a cloudy night, so there were not many stars I could train my gaze upon. However, I did get my eyes on Jupiter. While the quality of my stargazing experience, contingent upon the weather, could have been better, I cannot deny: it was truly a dazzling and astonishing astronomical experience! Not only did the event provide us with the chance to marvel at the wonders of the galaxy, we also learned about astronomy and astrophysics. I was lucky to have had the chance to enjoy a lecture from Professor Paul Francis of the ANU Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics. His topic was ‘What we Didn’t Know About the Universe’. Covering topics like the universe expanding, dark matter, and dark energy – Professor Francis shared how there is much debate, even among scientists, about the concept of ‘dark’! It was delivered in a language that was accessible even to the layman. I went home feeling satisfied. My journey to Mount Stromlo that night was something I had never experienced before. Coming from a country where academic dissemination to the public on such topics is limited to magazines and newspapers, Mount Stromlo Public Astronomy Night was very enlightening. It certainly helped me gain a deeper respect for
the universe. And it was also child-friendly, which I am sure must have inspired some future generations of astronomers and astrophysicists! The event led me to start thinking about whether I’d had such an opportunity back home in Jakarta. In Jakarta, I work five days a week. I live on the outskirts of Jakarta and have to travel for long hours to get to work in the city, with barely any time to do anything when I arrive home. In the mornings, I leave for work very early to avoid a fraction of traffic. This is one major reason why I rarely have the time or energy to attend events like these, even when the opportunity arises. I live in Depok, very close to Universitas Indonesia (University of Indonesia), one of the finest public universities in Indonesia. To the best of my knowledge, I have never come across any event in Jakarta where scientists hold public lectures like this and share knowledge with the broader community. Of course, Jakarta and Depok lack mountains, therefore making it difficult to stargaze, but I quite like the idea of having a city and a university rally their resources together to provide the public with the opportunity to gain a better appreciation of the world from a scientific perspective. Some food for thought here. When I return to Jakarta after completing my studies at the ANU, I might have the chance to organise something similar. Sadly, I am neither an astronomer nor an astrophysicist. Alas, I wonder – would this be a good enough reason for me to make a switch in the choice of my PhD career? Imed Krisna Wisnu Gupta is a PhD candidate at the ANU.
EMI CASHMAN // 25
26 // CAMPUS | ANECDOTE
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS // 27
REAL MEMOIRS OF AN EXCHANGE AUTHOR // HIROKI HUNTER Konnichiwa! Hey everyone, my name’s Hiroki, I’m a lost university student on exchange at the University of Tokyo and I’ll be taking over the ANU Global Programs Existentialist Blog for this week. Follow me on my exciting and interesting time in Tokyo as I hopelessly try to ‘find myself’. If you have any questions (about courses, accommodation, general pessimism, etc.), feel free to pm me! It’s hot. With my cheap roundabout ticket, I finally arrive at Narita airport. I have returned to Japan. Though I am familiar with the country, this is the first time for me being here on exchange. The sky clouds over, pale grey I notice. It is simply a hot day; the time is around lunch. In Japanese, it is common to create onomatopoeias for concepts in English we think not to have sound. The humidity is such that in Japan you would say the heat goes ‘jime-jime’. The sound of cicadas also echoes throughout the city. Coming from Australia, I hated this sensation of humid heat. It was as if my clothes had found themselves in a relationship with my body and entangled themselves into every gap they could find. I appear to have become one with my clothing. It’s hot. I want to drink beer. My 23-kilogram black canvas suitcase has no handle. It seems to have been broken quite dramatically. Perhaps the airport staff had a bad day and decided to take out their anger on my bag. As my arms ache and my clothes attempt to flamenco dance with my body, I decide it would be best to drop my bag at the dorm before proceeding with my life. Now onto how to navigate this great maze of Tokyo rail. A giant map sprawls in front of me. I stare at the coloured lines blankly. Hanzomon line, Keio Inokashira line, Oedo line, Trampo line. I am currently on the dark blue line? So, I must somehow get to the pink line so that I can transfer to the cyan line and change onto the red line. Is this what happens in the background when I use my computer? Does electricity feel this way as it rushes through cables? Electricity probably actually knows what it’s doing. I appear again to have been outdone by an inanimate object. As I board the first train, the cream and red coloured seats create an inviting image. Looking at the many tourists, I wonder how they perceive the view outside of their window. Does it live up to expectations? Is it as much like the movie ‘Blade Runner’ as they thought? Would they be able to describe the scenery in poetic, eloquent ways fitting for a short story? The trains glide through the colourfully grey city. Buildings of varying height greet me and appear to angle themselves slightly as we speed by in the train.
I arrive at the dorm and am greeted by a small-statured, middle-aged man. He is dressed in a white shirt too large for his hunched body and a dark grey overcoat. Though I wouldn’t describe the man as stylish, if you were to compare him to my own pathetic state, he would appear very fashionable indeed. He states his name but, due to the heat, his words melt away. All that reaches my ears is that his name is ‘Lotion’. This Lotion has such fantastic hair. Split in the middle, almost as if a small Moses parted the sea upon his head. Lotion mumbles “welcome” and shows me to my room. Once we arrive he explains everything to me. “This is the toilet,” “this is the bed,” “this is the curtain,” “this is the stain on the ground left by the previous tenant”. With each new object of interest, Lotion points his slender index finger to highlight the space which it occupies. When the thorough process is complete he asks, “Do you have any questions?” I shake my head, he bows his head and quickly leaves. As he bows, I search to see if there is a small apostle on his head. The room is tiny and filled with objects, but holds a sense of emptiness. There is a bed, but no covers; there is a toilet, but no paper – it’s a new place of living. It’s hot. A thought goes out to other exchange students who had never been to Japan before. I wonder how much harder they must be finding this than I am. The thought only lingers briefly. Soon it is replaced by a deep thirst for a tall, silver can of Japanese beer. Near the dorm there is a Family Mart™ convenience store. The harsh white light, the strong air-conditioning, the ‘relaxing’ constant music – I love all of this. The aisles of snacks and instant ramen make a maze. It’s like a different world. The beers at the convenience store are always cold: what a joy. I also buy a fami-chiki™, fried chicken which some corporate genius™ has decided to put right next to the register. How could a fried-chicken-liking, recently-Australia-departed, beer-thirsty-person like myself resist such a temptation? Perhaps I should become vegetarian – the half-thought appears briefly. I return to the dorm and pull out the small speaker system, which I brought from home. I play ‘Abbey Road’ by The Beatles and drink my 500ml can of Asahi Superdry. This is perhaps the most exciting day of my exchange. It’s hot.
28 // CAMPUS ARTS | FICTION | EXCHANGE
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS
Studying Abroad: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between AUTHOR // SOPHIE JOHNSON, Woroni Uni Life Sub-Editor
Ah, studying abroad. If you’ve been at ANU for more than a semester, or maybe even if you haven’t, then you’ve probably heard about and might be considering spending a semester abroad. You’ve gotten settled in, you’re excited about Canberra, but those three or four years seem like a long time to spend in one place. Well, you’re absolutely right! Three or four (or even five) years is a long time, and studying abroad for a semester is a great way to break it up. ANU has an amazing study abroad program with tonnes of universities to choose from, particularly in Europe and Asia (the pickings are slightly slimmer in America), and the process is simple and easy. But, this isn’t just an ad to make you want to study abroad. Spending an entire six months away sounds like the best time ever, but it comes with its hardships. I spent the second half of my second year in Nottingham, England, and while it was incredible, memorable, and not something I’d give up for the world, there were definitely moments that made me second-guess my decision. Travelling is fun. We all know that, and regardless of which semester you go in, you’ll undoubtedly get to spend a fair bit of time travelling around wherever it is you want to go. For me, it was my first time travelling without my parents, I got to go with my best friend, and it was amazing. There were times that were tough; note to anyone planning on travelling with someone: make sure you spend some time apart. But we got to know each other better, we saw some amazing things, and I know that we’re closer because of it. But travel isn’t really the part we need to chat about, because travel isn’t (and wasn’t) edgy.
What is edgy, is spending the rest of the semester in a foreign country, with no one else that you know. My best friend was in Ireland, and I was in England, and so while we were fairly close, we weren’t exactly right next door to each other. Not to mention we’d blown all of our money travelling before getting to uni, so there wasn’t much wiggle room for holidays during term time. That meant I was pretty much by myself. One thing that I didn’t take into account was the time difference. I’m in fairly constant contact with my family: our group chat is almost always going off, and I call my sister and my parents once a week. But when I was in England, for most of my day, my family was asleep. I would send a message and get no response, organising times to call was really hard, and I didn’t feel as connected, or as safe. When your family aren’t awake and easily available, you’re suddenly more isolated than ever. I made some great friends over there, and had Chinese food with my flatmates once a week, but there were definitely times when I was lonely. Looking back, it’s not something I focus on very much – it’s overtaken by memories of the girls I’m still in contact with a year and a half later, travelling, and having a great time, and experiencing new things. But hindsight isn’t 20/20 and I know that at the time there were moments when it was tough – tougher than I’ve found being away from my family ever before. This is neither an ad in favour of exchange nor a warning as a deterrent. Exchange was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The only thing that you have to consider is whether it’s right for you.
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ARTS
30 // ARTS | POETRY SATIRE
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSCKER
SOUL AUTHOR // GRETA KERR
lovers meeting and departing sound like an old song your Father played once, perhaps When he held your Mother’s hand like he meant it for the first time Firmly, Tenderly like cradling someone else’s child by the neck Softly, In Time with the rise and fall of the baby’s chest As you move from left foot to right foot gingerly lovingly And think about skin the way it feels and transmits light
CATHY EGAN // 31
32 // ARTS | FICTION
BOXED AUTHOR // VAISHNAVI RATHINAM
CONTENT WARNING: child abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, trauma It’s been over a decade since it happened, but when I see him I still freeze. Family dinner is every Thursday night. It’s supposed to be Mum, Dad, and my twin Charlie, but when I knock on the door, I know there’s every chance my godfather Patrick could be there too. By the time I’m pulling up on the driveway my stomach is usually in knots. Tonight, Mum opens the door with a smile and says the dreaded words. ‘Patrick’s joining us.’ I stare at her. ‘Miles, come on, it’s raining.’ She ushers me in, but then ducks off to the kitchen and leaves me to fend for myself in the hallway. I can hear Dad in the living room, and along with his voice I hear Patrick’s. For a moment, I think about turning around and just slipping back out the door. Then he comes into view, and I’m stuck. ‘Miles!’ Patrick is Dad’s oldest friend. They went to school together. He’s been around my whole life, often at family dinners and Christmases and birthdays, but it’s only since I was twelve that I’ve felt lightheaded and queasy every time I hear his name or he gets close. He’s coming towards me now, hand outstretched. I have to move. My tongue’s stuck to the roof of my mouth as I shake his hand, feeling his fingers intertwined with mine. ‘How’ve you been?’ He asks. ‘Fine,’ I mutter, looking at his chin rather than meeting his gaze. ‘Just fine?’ ‘Good.’ ‘That’s what I like to hear.’ He squeezes my hand another time before finally letting it go. He shepherds me into the living room. Charlie’s sitting at the table next to Dad. He’s not looking at anyone, especially not me. ‘Hi Dad,’ I say, glad to focus on someone else’s face. He nods at me, just as Mum comes back in holding a bottle of wine. ‘Can I get a drink?’ I ask immediately. ‘Sure, honey.’ She hands it over. I open it, grab a glass and fill it. Patrick sits himself next to me and I take a deep swig. Charlie still won’t look at anyone. He’s poking at his food, sullen, tight lipped. ‘How’s Liz?’ Dad asks me now. ‘Who?’ ‘That girl you said you were seeing.’ ‘Her name’s Laura, Dad. And we broke up.’ ‘Oh. Well, that’s a shame. She sounded nice.’ She was nice. But she got sick of me jolting every time she touched me without warning, and inventing reasons for why she couldn’t spend the night. I wanted to be disappointed when she called it off, because I knew I should be, but I was relieved to not have anyone to explain anything to. ‘What about you, Charlie?’ Patrick says now. ‘Are you seeing anyone?’ Charlie mutters something under his breath. ‘What was that?’ He shakes his head. Mum reaches out to rub his shoulder. He shrugs her off, and nobody says anything. It’s not that there’s anything terribly wrong with our family. It’s just that we never really talk. Mum and Dad never quite knew the names of friends, or girlfriends. I don’t remember a time that anything uncomfortable was addressed. When we were five and the dog died, he hadn’t really died – he’d gone to live on a farm, where he’d have more room to enjoy himself. Whenever Mum and Dad argued, it was in hissing, hushed voices in the middle of the night, and their faces were always arranged into smiles by the time morning came. Our culture has always been one of polite, stiff silence. Like the one filling the room now. I drain my glass and reach for the bottle again. ‘God, it’s really pouring out there,’ Mum says. ‘This reminds me of that time when you two were about twelve,’ Patrick says. ‘There were thunderstorms all weekend and I had to keep you kids entertained inside. Remember?’ He’s looking right at me. I don’t know if he doesn’t understand what happened, or if worse, he does, and he’s twisting the knife in. But of course I remember that weekend. Patrick was smiling, always loud, unrestrained in a way Mum and Dad weren’t. Never did it cross my mind that there could be something ominous behind that smile. It’s not something that enters your head, is it? A child can’t even conceive of it. You trust, because that’s the only option you have.
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 33 I remember being twelve years old, with Charlie, while Mum and Dad were out of town. Patrick was charged with looking after us. I remember him with a beer in his hand, coaxing us to try a sip. I hated it. I spluttered, and Patrick patted me on the back, laughing. Then his hand slid down to my waist. He squeezed my hip, too hard, and I stiffened. Charlie stood there and watched us, face whitening. The angry roll of thunder sounded outside, and I found my face pressed to the wood of the floor. I twitched, but Patrick wouldn’t let me up. What happened next has ruled my life. There was the searing pain between my legs, and the pressure of Patrick’s body over mine. Rain hammered down outside and the smell of it crept in under the doorway. The scent of alcohol on his breath filled my nostrils. Worst of all though, was Charlie’s face as he sat there, watching. Charlie’s face was my face, and it was frozen in an expression of shock, eyes wide, his mouth open in a noiseless scream. He was seeing something he couldn’t un-see, and he was afraid he was next. He was right. Except when Patrick turned on him, I looked away. ‘Don’t you remember?’ Patrick asks now. He’s the only one who has poked holes in the politeness of family dinnertime. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that he enjoys the act of overstepping. I remember the silence between Charlie and I after it happened. It lasted about two weeks. Then he showed up in the doorway of my bedroom and said the words. ‘I want to tell Mum and Dad.’ ‘We can’t.’ He’d blinked at me. ‘Why not?’ ‘We just can’t.’ I knew on some clear, profound level that what Patrick had done was wrong. The wrongness was terrifying. It was something I could barely fathom and yet it had happened inside of my body. It was like what he’d done had put the wrongness inside me. I didn’t want exposure. I wanted to bury it. Charlie must have felt this on some level as well, because after I told him no, he never brought it up again. And I guess we lived the next ten years doing that – trying to bury what couldn’t be buried. I do remember us both adamantly insisting we were old enough to look after ourselves, after that. We’d skirt around the fact sometimes. We’d get awkward and quiet when Patrick came over. Charlie would occasionally say how he hated him. But we’d never bring the real ugliness of it out into the open. We lived our lives in the aftershock of something we couldn’t bear to put words to. I stuffed what happened in a box and shoved it to the back. Sometimes it was manageable – it was dull, something I wasn’t connected to. But other times, like when Laura had touched me, or these dinners when Patrick was in attendance, suddenly the entire thing was so vivid, real, like I was right there all over again. ‘Remember?’ Patrick prods me now. Charlie knocks over his water. ‘I’ll get a towel,’ I say, springing upwards. ‘I’ll help.’ He’s on my heels as I head to the kitchen. I can feel his eyes boring into me as I look for a tea towel. ‘I want to tell Mum and Dad.’ I haven’t heard those words since we were twelve. I turn around. ‘Miles,’ his voice cracks. ‘I don’t think this is going to go away on its own. I’ve tried.’ I look at his face – my face – and I know he’s right. This method of survival isn’t sustainable. But then I think about what I’ve shoved into that box. It’s been festering for so long. It’s overwhelming to consider taking the lid off. ‘I can’t,’ I say. He opens his mouth. Then I hear Patrick call out. ‘Did you boys get lost in there?’ We look at each other. ‘We’re fine,’ I call. Charlie shoots me a look, but he doesn’t say anything. Some day. That’s what I want to tell him, and myself. Someday, but not today. Outside, it’s still pouring.
Readers seeking support and information can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and the Domestic Violence Crisis Service on 1800RESPECT. ANU Counselling also provides on the day appointments every weekday at 9 am.
34 // ARTS | PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE: Aryanne CaMINSCHI Jasmine, 19. I’ve always loved reading. When I was little I used to hide a torch under my bed just so I could read all the way through the night. Often the only times I felt like I could focus was when I was curled up, reading a book. Honestly, I think I just liked stories. I still get excited by characters, and plots sparked curiosity. These days I want to tell the stories, not just read them.
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Yasmine, 18. When I was a kid I used to be curious about how cars moved and where they went. I thought that, if there was a God, then they would be moving them like toy cars on a mat, arms twisting and becoming tangled as highways turned convoluted. Now I’m curious about how it happens that we share a stretch of road with other people in their cars, heading off to their own lives filled with their unique people and experiences. For a few fleeting moments we are on the same path and then we diverge, possibility to never cross paths again. Whack.
36
CULTURE
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSCKER // 37
MEET ME AT THE VERNISSAGE AUTHOR // long-time fans MALEIKA TWISK and DOT MASON With Vernissage My Heart, Austrian band Bilderbuch have released their weirdest and most wonderful album yet. Mizzy, pass auf! I first heard about Bilderbuch from a stupidly handsome Austrian backpacker in Peru. Mattias, who had two stories he liked to tell on rotation, enjoyed nothing more than to recount the time he went to a Bilderbuch gig and smoked a joint as long as his arm. The second story was about how he once greened out in front of a giant speaker blaring Bilderbuch (quelle surprise) and was woken up by the police a couple hours later. Mega geil, ja? Mattias was a bit of an airhead but he sure had good taste. Bilderbuch have been one of my favourite bands ever since. ‘Bilderbuch’ means picture-book in German. It’s a fitting name for a band that makes innocent, effervescent tunes about playing frisbee, drinking soda, tax evasion, and children smoking spliffs. But Bilderbuch were not always this ingeniously bizarre. After a few years dabbling in fairly ordinary rock, they rose from relative obscurity in 2015, when they released Schick Schock to the critical acclaim of German-speaking hipsters everywhere. It was time for Bilderbuch’s frontman, Maurice Ernst, to ditch the skinny jeans and kiss his side fringe goodbye. Bilderbuch said aufwiedersehen to their indie origins, and departed into something considerably more interesting. With every album since Schick Schock, Bilderbuch have incrementally cranked up the weirdness of their image. I like to imagine that we’re the frog and they’re the pot of increasingly hot water. With Schick Schock came the music video for ‘Maschin’. It features Maurice sitting in a bright yellow 1990 Lamborghini Diabolo, playing with its luxurious features, and stroking its shiny exterior with equally fluro yellow leather gloves. The music video for the single of
their following album, ‘Bungalow’ from Magic Life, is intercut with images of Maurice seductively vacuuming, his bare chest smeared with oil. In the video for ‘Frisbeee’ from their latest album Vernissage My Heart, we have the entire band dressed as psychedelic cowboys playing space frisbee. What a treat. Musically, Vernissage My Heart is both a continuation and a departure from Bilderbuch’s earlier material. It’s considerably more guitar driven than the previous two albums, but retains their penchant for autotune and strange synthesised noises. It’s got a feel-good, melancholic, trip-of-a-lifetime air about it – a vibe that is only enhanced by the wacky videos and strange costumes. And, it’s funny. Bilderbuch play on phonetics to create what is essentially gibberish, even to those who Deutsch sprechen. As far as I can understand with my Intermediate German, the lyrics are a dadaist ensemble of words that don’t make much narrative sense but play with sound and meaning in a way that contributes richly to their unique image. With each album, Bilderbuch fixate on a few select themes. With Vernissage My Heart it’s frisbee, space, and memory cards. Bilderbuch have no comparison, and without a doubt, Vernissage My Heart will be one of my favourite albums of 2019. Despite their genius, Bilderbuch still only tour German-speaking countries. It seems the rest of the world has yet to get up to speed with Austrian pop. But, if we create enough of a following here in Canberra, maybe – just maybe – one day we’ll have the privilege of seeing them live in Australia. Kiffe und höre Bilderbuch! Wir lieben Bilderbuch!
38 // CULTURE | FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS
A Brief History of Film Photography AUTHOR // CATHY EGAN Cameras are everywhere these days. Take any smartphone and you can start documenting and sharing the world around you with thousands of people online in just thirty seconds. It’s incredible. I picked up a small Lomography film camera a year ago on a trip to Melbourne and I’ve loved learning how it works. But how did it all begin? The camera as we know it today has admittedly humble beginnings. It can be traced back to the ‘camera obscura’, the natural optical phenomenon where if the light from an image of a scene is passed through a small hole, the scene will be inverted and projected on the other side. It was noticed continuously throughout human history. There is evidence that people from the Palaeolithic period used the camera obscura to trace animals onto stone walls. Aristotle noticed the phenomenon occurring through the holes in leaves, and in the 17th century, Johannes Vermeer is theorised to have used the camera obscura to capture photorealistic portrayals of life in his famous paintings. The reflected image was most visible when projected into a dark space. Because of this, people manipulated this phenomenon by manually creating camera obscuras in rooms with minimal light. In Latin, the term translates to ‘dark room’. Overtime this ‘dark room’ became smaller and smaller, to create the basis for what would become the body of film cameras. In 1827, a French inventor named Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used light sensitive material called ‘Bitumen of Judea’ to permanently capture the projection of his estate gardens onto a pewter plate. After an eight-hour exposure period he had created the first photograph. Ten years later, Louis Daguerre built on Niépce’s work by exposing iodized silver plates to light and developing the plates to mercury fumes. This shortened the exposure time and led the way for popularisation of portraiture photography. For the next fifty years, many inventors each unveiled new methods and chemicals to create sharper, faster, and more accessible images, however it was not until the mid-1880s that film rolls finally came into being. The rolls were invented by George Eastman and allowed amateurs who did not have a working knowledge of chemistry to create photos. Eastman was a co-founder of Kodak, and used the film rolls as a primary selling point for his new venture. They were
lightweight and at first could hold 100 exposures that people could send in to the company for developing. The film rolls were originally made of coated paper but soon became celluloid. This method of photography quickly became the standard until the advent of digital photography. Around this time, flash photography was also created by Adolf Miethe and Johannes Gaedicke in Germany using magnesium powder flash-lights. In 1890 Jacob Riis took this technology even further when documenting the immigrant slums in New York City. He lit magnesium powder on a frying pan. Before lighting the powder, Riis would remove the lens cap and quickly replace it once the powder was lit. The use of flash allowed him to illuminate ‘even the darkest corner’ of New York at night, and present the photos in the Evening Sun Newspaper. His photography received widespread acclaim as prior to this photography appearing alongside news reports was unheard of. Riis felt that words alone would be ineffective at explaining to the wealthy residents of New York the harsh conditions of these areas and is one of the first pioneers of photojournalism. Public opinion on photography continued to make leaps and bounds over time. At first it was seen as a true-to-life documentation with very minimal artistic input. However, Alfred Stieglitz, a German photographer and art curator, began promoting photography as an art form. He was instrumental in the development of photography as a fine-art. He raised awareness of its existence through giving exposure to other artists in his exhibitions which became revered. He paved a new path in photography that other artistic film photographers such as Imogen Cunningham, Ilse Bing, and Ansel Adams followed to their fame. Photography as both an art form and tool for documentary does not feel like it has been around for a long time. Certainly not as long as painting or sculpture. However, even within the past 200 years, it has amassed such a rich and interesting history. This is not even mentioning the development of cinema, digital cameras, or the countless genres of photography that have sprouted out over time. Pursuing photography as a hobby has led to very a deep but fascinating rabbit hole. I think we should all stay curious about the things that interest us.
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS // 39
The Oscars as a microcosm of politics AUTHOR // SHAYAN LAHIJANIAN The Oscars, hosted yearly, have often been criticised by mass media and actors alike for its lack of diversity in award nominations. Since the election of Donald Trump, the Oscars have grown more political in nature. Many memorable speeches, given by notable figures in the film industry, were centred around tough criticism of Trump’s policies and behaviour through direct or indirect means – particularly on social issues such as gun reforms, sexual harassment (me too) and racial and religious diversity. This form of political speech has cemented the Oscars as a platform for leftist/progressive/Democratic rhetoric and issues for some, and a platform to address issues of social justice for others. Subconsciously or otherwise, this has not only made an impact on the nominations of films and actors, it is transforming the film industry as a whole. The result is evident through the nominations of the Best Picture award. That included ‘A Green Book’ (Winner) featuring Mahershala Ali who also won his second Best Supporting Actor award. Other notable titles were ‘Black Panther’, a movie that created a significant buzz regarding its mostly black cast represented in the appropriate environment, with attention paid to the minute details of African culture. ‘BlackKKKlansman’, was another movie that centred on issues of racial tension and who can forget ‘Roma’, featuring Yalitza Aparicio, the first Indigenous American to be nominated (and that too for her debut film). Alfonso Cuaron won his second Best Director award, being the fifth time the award has gone to a Hispanic American in the last six years. However, these accomplishments on their own are meaningless. It was only a few years ago where the Oscars experienced a complete uniformity of white nominations. The American political climate has had a profound and obvious effect on the Oscars and its nomination. However, the Academy still holds ultimate and unilateral authority to nominate whom and what films it wishes, despite the movement’s influence. While encouraging the appropriate representation in films, it is pertinent to view the increasing profitability of corporate morality, in times where addressing or not addressing social problems shapes public opinion. Film studios, like all other companies, are ultimately interested in their own financial gains. Given an opportunity for large-scale profit, it would be merely illogical to ignore such a profitable rhetoric where the mobilisation of forces surrounding issues of social justice, would only serve to benefit the film studio and build its reputation. Capitalising on social issues is not limited to the film industry. The NFL protests are a great example of this. Nike capitalised on this political environment through their ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything’
advertisement. As a result, Nike experienced a nine per cent stock increase and an increase in brand value. Giving coverage to minorities has become a focal point for profit. In the film industry, gambles taken on minority and female directors, actors and stories have generally been successful. A prime example is Patty Jenkin as director of ‘Wonder Woman’, featuring a strong female lead, Gal Gadot, and supporting actresses, Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen. The film emanated a strong form of female identity and was even praised by some for its lack of digital editing on thigh cellulite. The movie ended up grossing $821 million worldwide. The success of films promoting racial diversity, like ‘Black Panther’ or ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, grossing $1.35 billion worldwide and $238 million respectively only further cement to film studios the profitability of such films. The growing popularity of these films is undoubtedly affected by the political climate, however, the demographic changes in the world’s largest population of English moviegoers are likely also central to this trend. The composition of America is fundamentally shifting; non-white Americans are entering the middle class at higher rates. This economic progress allows non-white Americans to experience higher amounts of leisure time and consequently consume an increasing number of films. Simultaneously, it allows a greater opportunity for younger, non-white Americans to enter the entertainment world that is strife with difficulty and low pay, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a median hourly wage of $17.49 for actors. This combination allows for a greater pool of talent of non-white descent to rise in the film industry to satisfy a new population of filmgoers that are hungry to see a reflection of themselves on screen. The Oscars today are shaped by resurgent progressive movement and a small scale model of the American demographic change.
40 // CULTURE | CONNECTION
SCREENSHOTS AND SNAPSHOTS – the changing nature of cultural preservation AUTHOR // ABIGAIL MANNING, Woroni Senior Content Sub-Editor
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS // 41
Uniformly centred text, tiled backgrounds, inconsistent colour schemes, and cringy fonts. These are the hallmarks of 90s and early 00s website design, and one of the draws of browsing the Australian Web Archive. Much of the coverage of this monumental achievement in digital preservation has focussed on the huge aesthetic developments that have happened on the web. But beyond this, it is important to see the archive both as a step forward in cultural preservation, and as a reminder of the challenges and innovations still to come. The Australian Web Archive has been a project 23 years in the making. A massive collaboration by the National Library of Australia, state libraries, and other heritage institutions. It is the combination of webpages preserved and archived from 1996 onwards in the PANDORA archive, along with archives of Commonwealth government websites, and snapshots (unarchived) of the entire au web domain, collected annually since 2005. The online sphere of Australian culture preserved as if in amber, websites in forms that are long since gone from the internet today. Countless pages and images, all fully text searchable. It is essentially a digital time machine. Following the lead of headlines marvelling at ‘ugly’ 90s graphic design, my first stops on a tour of the Australian internet, were my school, several government departments, and as many companies as I could think of. To access sites you search them as you would on Google, and then once on the page, toggle through time using the calendar at the bottom of the snapshot. Forgoing any more recent captures, I immediately clicked back to the earliest dates I could find. Initially it is entertaining just to see government departments with navigation menus conspicuously full of clipart, headings written in very large, very bold, times new roman font, or Arnott’s biscuits with grey and orange text directly, and borderline illegibly, displayed on a bright red background. I could go on. But what focussing on design fundamentally misses is that these are not just screenshots of a computer 20 years ago. They are preserved websites, you can click and browse and explore, and know that this was exactly how the website was at that time. If exploring the world wide web can be analogous to travelling, then the AWA is a time machine. This becomes particularly evident if you, as I did, fall down the rabbit hole of news websites. The Sydney Morning Herald in January 1999, articles on the Clinton impeachment alongside the introduction of the Euro, and the second retirement of Michael Jordan. ABC News in September 2001, with constant articles on the aftermath of 9/11, and a death toll counter at the side of the page rising with each passing day, accompanied by reports on the collapse of Ansett Australia, and the first asylum seekers arriving in Nauru. Elections, Olympics, terrorism attacks, the GFC, all of it is captured and preserved in its context.
Of course, being able to see the various events and cultural phenomena shaping a society at any given moment of time could be similarly achieved by flicking through a physical newspaper. If you can find one – an increasingly unlikely occurrence. One of the most devastating things to learn, when you encounter the study of history, whether in high school, university, or as a hobby, is the struggles of preservation. The amount we simply can never know about past eras, because the remnants are gone or incomplete. In Australia we are lucky to have many cultural institutions who tirelessly work to preserve Australian history and culture: The National Museum, National Library, National Gallery, National Archives; and those are just the ones with proximity to Lake Burley Griffin, on both a state and federal level there are countless others. The 20th century will be one of the best-preserved eras in human history. So many books, letters, photographs, newspapers, journals, maps etc preserved and digitised. A treasure trove of windows into the past. But the time of paper is passing. We can return to our newspaper and see how the 21st century presents new challenges in this space. Our information has become more fleeting. Where before the news of the day would be printed in a fixed and concrete publication, ready made for collecting, archiving, digitising, even pre-labelled with a date. Now the news appears when it breaks or at irregular intervals, on scattered news websites both free and behind paywalls. It propagates across social media and google searches. And then, as soon as it appears, it is gone, lost in the constant tide of new content. Even now, the work of the AWA, is not quite enough to capture the rapid speed of information online. When pages and articles are buried within days the collection of data needs to somehow be far more frequent. There needs to be a way to capture more complicated content, like videos. And, a larger challenge, we need to find a way to collect and preserve the content on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. More and more often cultural activities and phenomena are occurring entirely on social media, only bleeding over into websites and traditional media if they are reported on by news publications. As with many incredible achievements, we must enjoy the archive with the knowledge that there is still work to do. The Australian Web Archive is an incredibly significant step towards finding preservation methods to fit our new era, where the events that shape our society flit ephemerally through our consciousnesses and are then lost in the aether. It is a reminder that the present moment we live in will soon be part of our history. It exists, because in 1996, there were people with the incredible foresight to begin the process of archiving Australian websites. Now, it is down to us, to take on the challenges of preserving our era of history, and foresee as best we can, the developments to come.
42 // CULTURE | REVIEW
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS
A look at the works of Sally Rooney AUTHOR // LUCINDA JANSON Like many students, I came to uni not knowing who I was or who I wanted to be. After a frankly boring high school experience, I thought life 600 odd kilometers from home would be the perfect place to reinvent myself. While I’ve certainly grown since my days as a terrified 18-year old, my uni experience hasn’t been nearly as eventful, or emotionally fraught, as that of the protagonists in Sally Rooney’s highly-acclaimed novels, Conversations with Friends (2017), and Normal People (2018). In the first of the novels the narrator Frances, a 21-year old student in Dublin, begins an adulterous affair with an older, married man, while her former girlfriend is enamoured of the wife. Normal People has a tighter focus, telling the tale of the off-and-on again relationship of Connell and Marianne, as they navigate moving from school in a small, rural town to university in Dublin. These crude plot summaries, however, fail to capture the power of Rooney’s prose, and her skill in anatomising the complexities of interpersonal relationships. The strength of these novels lies not in their rather conventional plots, which follow the contours of the adultery novel within the bildungsroman format, but in their acute observations of millennial life, and their incisive exploration of power dynamics within relationships. Both novels have been nominated for, and have won, numerous literary prizes, with Normal People even long-listed for the prestigious Man Booker prize. Rooney has been acclaimed as the voice of the millennial generation, with critics pointing to her integration of electronic communication and her portrayal of life for young people under late capitalism. Yet this does a disservice to the breadth and complexity of Rooney’s achievement. Rooney’s novels perfectly capture the sense of uncertainty and helplessness of being a young adult, in any time period. Her characters learn, as Frances does at the end of Conversations, that “[y]ou live through certain things before you understand them. You can’t always take the analytical position.” Rooney’s characters navigate friendship, love, work, family relationships, and mental and physical health issues. They are largely young and naïve, yet unwilling to let on that they are confused and uncertain about their lives. They speak in a flat, affectless tone, continually making jokes in order to avoid moments of intimacy and attachment. They look to each other, and to older authority figures, for advice and models about how to live, but ultimately fail to find guidance. In Conversations, Frances idolises her friend, and sometime girlfriend, Bobbi, assuming that she will go on to great things after studying politics. When Bobbi claims dismissively that she will “work in a university if I can”, Frances is upset, replying “I just don’t see
you as a small-jobs person.” In Normal People even the ostensibly confident Marianne ends the novel confused and uncertain as to her future, claiming that she has not ‘adjusted’ to life after school, but rather ‘has been degenerating’. Rooney hence articulates the quintessential millennial struggle, that even hard work and good grades will not be enough for a post financial crisis generation competing for too few jobs. Rooney locates any hope for the future not in personal development or economic prosperity, but rather in the renewal of interpersonal connections. While Normal People has often been praised by critics as the better novel, I would argue that Conversations, with its intense first person focus, ultimately arrives at bolder conclusions. Frances’ epiphany at the end of Conversations addresses her own selfishness, and reaches towards a more generous vision. Although the moment is bathetic, it is nevertheless a turning point for Frances, and for the novel. Missing Bobbi and ill with untreated endometriosis, Frances ends up kneeling in a church, answering her own kind of twenty-first century, late capitalist catechism, “Do I sometimes hurt and harm myself, do I abuse the unearned cultural privilege of whiteness, do I take the labour of others for granted…yes, yes”. This melodramatic moment is soon undercut as Frances faints, then returns home to eat a boxed chocolate cake in bed. Nevertheless, the experience spurs Frances to reconcile with Bobbi, and she writes in an email that “now I see that nothing consists of two people, or even three.” Frances’ attempt to look beyond the self, and beyond her immediate romantic partner is not replicated in Normal People, which ultimately has a less comprehensive vision. Its almost claustrophobic focus on Connell and Marianne limits its potential to make broader arguments about human connection. I do not want to detract, however, from Rooney’s achievement. In hypnotic and highly readable prose, she has created two masterpieces out of the mundanity and absurdity of life in your early twenties. I wish my clueless 18-year old self could have read them.
43
DISCOVERY
44 // DISCOVERY | SPACE
Peering into a Black Hole AUTHOR // ANDY YIN
IMAGE : EVENT HORIZON TELESCOPE // 45 Over four days in April 2017, eight radio telescopes across the world swivelled and looked simultaneously at one spot in the night sky, somewhere in the constellation Virgo. At the heart of the galaxy Messier 87 lay their target: a supermassive black hole named M87* (pronounced ‘M eighty-seven star’). Two years later, these radio observations gave us the first image of a black hole. “Nature has conspired to let us see something that we thought was invisible,” said Sheperd Doeleman, director of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project. “This is a long-sought goal for us and we find it tremendous.” Long-sought is apt: the 200-strong EHT team surmounted extraordinary challenges to bring M87* to light. Although the black hole has a huge diameter of nearly 0.4 light years, it is also 53 million light years away, making it an extremely small target. In astronomy, the whole sky is divided into an arc of 180 degrees. Of that, M87* only takes up 42 micro-arcseconds, or about ten billionths of one degree. Because of the nature of light, there is a calculated smallest angle that any given telescope can see, depending on the telescope’s size. To resolve M87* would have required a telescope the size of planet Earth. The EHT team did the next best thing. They observed M87* simultaneously with eight radio telescopes at six geographic locations – Arizona, Chile, Hawai’i, Mexico, Spain and the South Pole. Together, they formed an immense virtual telescope with the same resolution as an Earth-sized one. Its clarity was equivalent to being able to spot an orange on the moon. However, it’s not exactly like an actual Earth-sized telescope – more like a mirror whose reflective coating has worn off, leaving only a handful of silvered spots. As the Earth turns, some of the gaps in coverage are filled out, because the position of M87* relative to each telescope changes, giving that telescope a new point of view. Another challenge was combining the signals. With a real radio telescope, incoming signals are bounced to a central focal point, where they form an image. With this virtual telescope, the data had to be manually stitched together after the fact – like synchronising eight broadcasts of the same event from different angles. For this purpose, each telescope had to be equipped with a super-accurate atomic clock. After the data was combined, it was passed to image reconstruction experts, whose task was to fill in the remaining gaps and convert the data to a full image of M87*. The EHT project included three dozen computer scientists, including postdoctoral fellow Katherine Bouman, who received worldwide attention for her work on the reconstruction algorithms. The task was not simple. Speaking at a TEDx talk in
2017, Dr Bouman outlined the key difficulty: “There are an infinite number of possible images that are perfectly consistent with our telescope measurements.” To narrow the possibilities, the reconstruction algorithm needed to be given assumptions about how the image was supposed to look. But, “when it comes to images from the black hole,” said Dr Bouman, “we’re posed with a real conundrum – we’ve never seen a black hole before.” Although extensive simulations of M87* had been done using Einstein’s theory of general relativity, training an algorithm on simulated images would have almost been a circular argument. The EHT project aimed to check if general relativity’s predictions held up near the extreme gravity of a black hole. At worst, an algorithm trained on these predictions could only confirm, not deny them. Aware of this bias, and hoping to combat it, the imaging experts separated into four sub-teams. Each team was forbidden to contact the others and reconstructed the image independently. When the teams reconvened, they revealed to each other four strikingly similar images: a ring surrounding a circular shadow. This helped convince them that the reconstruction was reliable and not an artefact of faulty assumptions. The ring is radiation emitted from the accretion disc – a swirling loop of gas and dust that orbits the black hole, accelerated by its strong gravity and heated to millions of degrees by near lightspeed collisions. The shadow is the region where light from the disc can’t reach us – it passes too close to the black hole, and spirals inward under gravity. The shadow is actually about 2.6 times bigger than the black hole itself, based on calculations using general relativity. This lets us measure the radius of M87*. According to general relativity, the radius of a black hole has an exact relationship to its mass, so the EHT team was able to conclude that M87* is 6.5 million times heavier than the Sun. A black hole of such immense mass exerts a significant influence on the surrounding galaxy, by dragging huge amounts of gas and dust into its accretion disc, and then launching jets of material out into the galaxy with the force of its rotation. Future study of M87* will include research on its effect on galactic evolution. In part, this has inspired the new name for the black hole – “Pōwehi” – meaning, in Hawaiian, ‘embellished dark source of unending creation’. We can expect to hear more about Pōwehi and the EHT in the near future. The telescope’s next target will likely be closer to home: Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the object predicted to be a supermassive black hole at the centre of our own galaxy. It is a thousand times less massive than that of Pōwehi but much faster-rotating, so imaging Sgr A* will provide a useful point of contrast in the study of black holes. And, of equal importance, it will bring another dark piece of the cosmos within human sight.
46 // DISCOVERY | MATHEMATICS
ARTWORK : ABIGAIL BORDER
Mathematics: Use and Abuse AUTHOR // FABIAN CIRCELLI While we are all aware that the posts on our newsfeed and our Amazon purchase suggestions are determined by algorithms, there are many other aspects of life in which algorithms have replaced human decision-making Crime tracking algorithms log locations of recorded criminal activity in order to direct police officers to high-crime areas, the justification being that these areas require the most policing. Surprise, surprise: the areas the algorithms choose, tend to be impoverished regions. This is not because poor people enjoy committing crimes. While an impoverished woman may steal from the local supermarket to feed herself one night, underage drinking and drink driving occur at a rich neighbourhood party. Whom do the police arrest? This woman now faces a hefty fine for her crime, further increasing the difficulty of her life. Because the police have caught many criminals in the poor area, the algorithm deems it a ‘high-crime area’, and then more police officers patrol the area the following night. The more officers there, the more criminals caught. The algorithm sees this area as having an even higher crime density, and the cycle continues. Meanwhile, fewer and fewer officers target wealthier neighbourhoods, where it’s likely that equally as many crimes occur unnoticed. Who designs these algorithms? Rich and privileged quantitative analysts and actuaries, or, in other words, graduates of top universities. The biases of these people seep into the algorithms they design, and consequently the poor become poorer while the rich become richer. The judicial system and even the education system are other areas in which algorithms have begun to decide whether people go to jail, or whether a teacher is fired, to name a few. Even if people notice these biases, they often cannot question them: the decisions of algorithms are deemed certain. For example, a primary school teacher in Washington DC, revered by students and colleagues, was fired in 2012 because an algorithm said she should be. Furthermore, complex decision-making algorithms are written in mathematics that uses almost impenetrable notation. It is difficult for someone without a strong mathematical or computer science background to understand what they do. Currently, it is very challenging to monitor algorithm abuse as a government, because the few people who understand how these algorithms work are the ones designing them for corporations and the government. Only a small subset of this group is aware of the biases of the algorithms they design. Thus, algorithms go unchecked because no one is there to check them. So how do we solve the problem of algorithm abuse? In my opinion, it is essential to begin teaching the ethics and potential abuse of algorithms in university classes. ‘Hard STEM courses’ are sorely lacking a human side. Few classes at university will discuss the ethics of algorithm use. The toxic ‘hard science’ subculture of science, which focuses first and foremost on logic and quantitative thinking over ethics, ensures these discus-
sions rarely enter the classroom. Without education on algorithm abuse, a maths or computing graduate can become a quantitative analyst without having ever been properly forced to think about the ethics of the algorithms they learn about and create. Courses facilitating students to do exactly this should be mandatory. But it’s not only computer science and mathematics graduates who should be able to change the way we use algorithms. There should be more classes solely dedicated to the abuse of mathematics. This way, students who have not studied mathematics since high school can still have a deep understanding of algorithm abuse and why it exists. Honestly, in my experience, mathematics and hard science classes teach technology, while arts, social science, and humanities classes tend to discuss the ethics and abuse of these technologies. There is something disturbingly ironic about the fact that art majors, who are often negatively stereotyped by STEM majors, are the ones who think about and deal with the problems caused by STEM theories, because STEM majors are too ‘busy’ developing them. More compassionate and thoughtful graduates aware of the issues with algorithms can explain the situation to people from other areas, breaking down the dense mathematics behind which the biases of algorithms hide. This will lead to greater awareness and understanding of these issues by the general public. We can demand that companies reveal the algorithms they use, and, working together as a society, we can challenge biased algorithms. Everyone can play a part. However, teaching students to be aware of their biases is one thing, and changing the way people design algorithms is another. Biases need to be actively fought against. As Cathy O’Neil argues in Weapons of Math Destruction, there must be greater diversity in fields where algorithms are used – more people of colour, more women, and more people from impoverished areas. This requires supporting them land jobs in fields where they currently are discriminated against. Greater understanding of algorithms all around, and diversity in areas currently dominated by a certain demographic (rich white men), are key to stopping algorithm abuse. It’s important to not label yourself as ‘not a maths person’ because everyone has a responsibility to maintain a fair society. All of us with the time to do so, should make an effort to understand how mathematics is being abused via algorithms; that is the only way we can expose it. A final word: I don’t hate algorithms. They have much potential to increase efficiency. They can filter through thousands upon thousands of variables with no difficulty, which cannot be said for humans. But they are only unbiased if their designers are. Algorithms need to be created with ethics in mind, with the repercussions affecting all members of society considered. They need to be created by a diverse group of people, who understand the limitations of algorithms. This change needs to happen.
ADRIAN SCHMIDT
48 // DISCOVERY | INTERNATIONAL
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS
Chaos is a Ladder AUTHOR // RIDDHI MEHTA, Woroni International Sub-Editor “Chaos is a ladder”. This line was said by Littlefinger in ‘Game of Thrones’, making it one of the character’s most definitive lines, as well as one of the series’ most notable moments. When things are in disarray, Littlefinger manipulates the situation to serve his own interests and gain power. He uses the chaos generated by the struggles of others to wiggle his way to the top. While the world of Westeros may be fantasy, the political power play and realpolitik demonstrated in the series is definitely not. The biggest ‘chaos’ over the past couple of years, that has captured the attention of people and media worldwide, would undoubtedly have to be Donald Trump’s tumultuous presidency. Prominent journalist, John Cassidy, categorised Trump’s strategies as that of ‘attention-grabbing, chaos’ and ‘diversions’. He uses these to obtain what he wants and if he can’t get it, he shuts down the government for weeks. His presidency is merely a tool to serve the ambitions of those who finance him and to catapult his family’s wealth and status. These actions essentially leave the whole country in a state of confusion and disorder, and its position in the world as a Great Power under threat and constant scrutiny. US, since the beginning of the Cold War, has taken on a patriarchal role in international relations, continuously meddling in the affairs of other countries (see: Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and countless others). Being the only great power right after WWII and after the Cold War gave the US superiority over others. While the US largely served their own interests, they did, in some cases, practice altruism, prioritising their political and security needs over their economic needs, which lead to a weakened economy. This sense of superiority has instilled a false sense of confidence and importance in them, assuming their supposed position as the world’s leader. However, since the 2016 presidential election, America has been transformed into a source of instability, unpredictability and disruption, leading to a decline in its importance in world politics. Protectionism is not uncommon to the US. Previous administrations, especially under Republican leadership, have practised protectionism before. However, Trump’s administration has been shaking the very foundations of global trade, resulting in the current trade wars. Out of which, the trade war between US and China has been the most publicised. While international media attention has largely focused on the souring trade relations between the two countries and the numerous talks and deals being bargained on both ends, what has gone fairly unnoticed is China’s rapid push to gain economic and political ascendancy across the globe. China doesn’t fall into
the chaotic pit of threats the American government issues and the promises they make. The Chinese leadership seems to understand the superficiality of the American threats and hence are not influenced by their words. The developing world is often not fairly represented in media and as such, very few sources have been reporting on China taking a huge interest in developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. Under a rather convincing façade of philanthropy, China has been offering loans to poor nations for a development boost. They have been using a strategy referred to as ‘debt-trap diplomacy’, where they offer up large amounts of loans for huge infrastructural developmental projects in poor nations, and when these countries are unable to pay the stipulated amount back, they demand other concessions in exchange for debt relief. This opinion is however debatable, as some argue that these development projects are ultimately beneficial to the countries involved. Optimists term these ventures as ‘white elephant projects’ that are politically motivated and economically unsustainable for China to follow, much like the US in the Cold War era. These projects yield significant, and in some cases, inclusive growth. That being said, China may possibly be successful in achieving what the Western world often fails to do – paving the way to tackle global inequality. They may potentially be effective in spreading economic development gains in countries that have historically suffered from neglect and discrimination, often at the hands of western imperialist countries. It is hard to tell whether China is playing the villain or the hero. Its moves are calculated and its motivations complex. Discounting and downplaying the enormous influence and impact they currently hold over the developing world will only do a disservice to us. There is no denying that China is moving up the ladder, in reach for power. Instead of individual everyday items, we are now looking at entire infrastructures of countries being ‘made in China’. In a new world, built by China, should we then be looking to them as the new world leader?
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS // 49
The international student boom... and why it might not last long AUTHOR // SOUMYADEEP SENGUPTA, Woroni Business & Economics Sub-Editor There are several theories surrounding the recent deluge of international residents in Australia. Over the last five years there has been a massive boom in the number of international students arriving here recently, particularly in the major four big universities: ANU, University of Sydney, University of NSW and Monash University. The Australian Population Research Institute (APRI) released a new report in November 2018, which claims that Australian universities are relying heavily on overseas students for their revenue. The increase in overseas students has resulted in a chronic shortage of student accommodation across Australia. It is predicted that if the exponential growth of international students continues, then the shortage will soon become even more acute. Universities are being forced to expand their campuses and construct new student accommodation to provide for the international as well as domestic students. The group-of-eight universities are depending on the fact that international student fees is relatively higher than the domestic students. The international students have to pay almost 30-40 per cent higher tuition fees than the domestic students across Australia. Being an international student myself, I can relate to the struggle that the international students are facing due to this high increase in the tuition fees. Each year, these universities are increasing tuition fees along with the intake of both international as well as domestic students. Universities can currently afford to increase their fees to this extent as a result of the immense popularity of our institutions in the international market. The majority of our international students come from China, India and Nepal. The sudden boom of international students has proven beneficial to the economy and helped Australian universities grow due to a boost in finances – but this might not last long. In a recent national survey, it has been found that a majority (54 per cent) of Australians want to limit our intake of international students in future.
One of the biggest supports to Australia’s economy is China. At the 19th National Congress, the Communist Party of China claimed that education will be a driving force in the country’s development in future and thereby, increasing investment in its own universities to develop and uplift the standards of the Chinese education system. This will stifle the flow of Chinese students choosing Australia over their own country. Australian educational institutes have become dangerously dependent on the international market for their revenue. This need to accept a greater number of international students has in turn impacted the prestigious value of Australian universities in the overseas market. Recent reports have shown that Australian universities have plummeted their educational standards to maintain the profits and inflow of international students. There has been an ongoing pressure to address the problem “of going easy” on the international students due to their poor language skills. In January, the Victorian government issued a review of the entry requirements into their universities as evidence surfaced of international students with poor English language proficiency eroding the educational standards. There have been several reports such as the 2018 ABC investigation, proving that Australian universities have lowered their teaching standards to pass underperforming international students and thus maintain the foreign student trade. These issues will be detrimental to future ranking of Australian universities in the world education market. As countries such as China improve and uplift their educational system there will be more competition for Australian institutions. Universities must pay more attention to the quality of their teaching and develop the standards of their curriculums to attract quality and dedicated foreign students. Otherwise, Australia will lose its attractiveness as a place to study, and the foreign student trade will eventually collapse.
50 // DISCOVERY | WORLD POLITICS
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Recent Developments AUTHOR // GABRIELE NATALIA SIAHAAN Under the United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution of 1947, Jerusalem has the legal status of being a ‘Special International Regime’ administered by the UN. This means that the authority of the city “shall be appointed by the Trusteeship Council (of the United Nations) and shall be responsible to it… on the basis of special qualifications and without regard to nationality.” However, Palestine claims sovereignty over East Jerusalem as its capital city, while Israel claims sovereignty over the whole city. Without an agreement between both states on the status of Jerusalem, the recognition of Jerusalem as a particular country’s capital city is highly contentious. The conflict has been ongoing for over a century and has recently resurfaced to international attention, with states’ announcing moving their embassies, or raising the possibility of moving their embassies, to Jerusalem.
The US, under President Trump, officially moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-may 2018. With this embassy move, the US recognises West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Despite public knowledge that the US is an ally of Israel, this move raises questions about its stance on international law, considering that the move contradicts the 1947 UN resolution. Trump refers to this move as a “step to advance the peace process,” yet the move sparked protests in various countries. A few days after, Guatemala did the same, noting that a large majority of its exports goes to the US. Moreover, Czech Republic President, in November 2018, opened a Czech Cultural Centre in Jerusalem, in what Czech leaders referred to as “the first step in the plan to move the Czech embassy to Jerusalem.” Likewise, Honduras, Brazil, and Romania are also considering relocating their embassies.
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 51 Paraguay and Australia presented interesting cases. On 21 May 2018, Horacio Cartes, then Paraguay president at the time, officially opened the Embassy of Paraguay in Jerusalem. In less than 4 months, the new leadership under Benitez reversed this decision and moved the embassy back to Tel Aviv. As for Australia, its freshly elected Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on October 2018 that it would consider moving the embassy to Jerusalem. This consideration is often assumed to be linked with the 2018 by-election in Wentworth. With over 12 per cent of voters identifying as Jewish, a victory for a liberal candidate in Wentworth would mean a one-seat majority for Liberal Party in the Lower House. This move, however, sparked criticism both domestically and internationally. Indonesia, for example, expressed its utter disappointment towards this announcement and in response, postponed the signing of the multi-billion dollar free-trade deal between the two countries. The postponing of the trade deal upset Australian Farmers. In addition, the Australian general public and other countries like New Zealand and Malaysia also condemned this move. Possibly for this reason, Australia’s final decree was to place only its Trade and Defence office in West Jerusalem and to acknowledge Palestinian aspirations to have East Jerusalem as their capital city. An equally interesting question is what the UN is doing regarding the Embassy moves. The UN appears to be incapable to release any binding resolution on this issue and is only capable to take the matter to the General Assembly. As evidence, on December 2017, the US vetoed the UN Security Council resolution, which affirmed that “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded.” The veto prompted the failure of the resolution, and the resolution was then submitted to the General Assembly by Yemen and Turkey. This non-binding UN General Assembly resolution was voted ‘Yes’ by 128 countries, thereby adopted by the UN. The UN called upon “states to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem.” The UN also acted upon the human rights violations against the Palestinians. Following the 2018 attacks by Israeli soldiers against unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for greater protection for Palestinians and deploring the use of any “excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force” by the Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The UN Human Rights council also adopted a resolution for an independent ‘Commission of Inquiry’ to investigate the human rights violation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on May 2018. Significantly, the US and Australia were the only countries who voted ‘No’ for the resolution, arguing that Palestinian group Hamas, which the US considers a terrorist organisation, confronted the Israeli army in the first place.
With the Embassy moves and the UN’s minimal role in the political arena, the future of Palestinian sovereignty may seem grim. In recent times however, there have been a few more countries who have recognised or are considering recognising the State of Palestine. Colombia, in August 2018, became the last South American country to recognise Palestine as a “free, independent, and sovereign state.” Similarly, Spain and Ireland announced their unilateral recognition of the State of Palestine, should peace negotiations continue to stall. In addition, the topic of recognition acquires more salience following the upcoming elections in the UK and Australia. On September 2018, British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn declared that as soon as Labour is elected into office, his government will recognise the Palestinian State. The Australian Labour Party (ALP), as well, released a non-binding recommendation urging the next Labour government, once elected, to prioritise the recognition of the Palestinian state. With complex historical, religious, moral, and political implications, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to be one of the most challenging topics to discuss. From a human security perspective, the issue still possesses great importance to not only politicians and scholars but also to humanity. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, many are wounded, and even more are seeking both physical and emotional refuge.
52 // DISCOVERY | ADVANCEMENT
Editing our future: Gene-editing Regulation is Going Global AUTHOR // ALEX SLOAN In the age of CRISPR, gene-editing technology is moving fast and regulators are scrambling to keep up. In November 2018, Chinese scientist He Jainkui shocked the world by announcing the birth of the first germline-edited babies: twin girls with the pseudonyms Nana and Lulu. He edited the genomes of these girls to give them resistance to HIV by deleting CCR5, a gene required for the virus to enter the cell. This announcement sparked widespread condemnation from scientists and medical professionals worldwide, with criticism focussing on both the secretive nature of the project and its lack of medical necessity. Both embryos were healthy prior to He’s intervention and, without exposure to HIV, this change will provide them with little benefit.
ethical considerations. Within a week of the letter’s publication, the World Health Organisation (WHO) convened an expert advisory committee. The committee concluded in its first meeting that the WHO should establish a registry of all human germline editing research. This registry is to be backed by the organisations that fund and publish scientific research, many of whom have expressed their support. While not quite a binding international agreement, this is a step towards greater global co-operation in regulating the development and use of this technology.
This announcement added fuel to growing concerns that regulation is not keeping up with this rapidly emerging technology. Currently, regulation varies widely across the globe. While illegal in Australia, germline editing remains legal in the US, Russia and much of South America.
Germline gene editing involves making changes to the DNA that can be passed from the individual whose genome is edited on to their offspring. Embryos are generated through in-vitro fertilisation and edited with the CRISPR-Cas9 DNA-editing system before being implanted into the mother. The edit is present in all cells of the resulting child’s body. This differs from previous gene therapies, which edit the patient’s genome in specific tissues with the edits not being passed on to the patient’s future children.
In March 2019, a group of 18 scientists co-signed an open letter to the scientific journal Nature, calling for a moratorium on germline editing until a global regulatory framework can be established. This letter, endorsed by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), cited technical, scientific, medical and
So, what is germline gene editing? And why is it so controversial?
Germline editing has enormous potential. If applied successfully, it could eventually eradicate herita-
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 53
ble genetic disease, allowing millions to live happier, healthier lives, while relieving a substantial financial burden from healthcare systems worldwide. It could also extend beyond the scope of conventional medicine, providing a way to improve on our existing biology, by lengthening our lifespans and improving intelligence and athletic ability. However, while it promises a lot, germline editing is a technology fraught with risk and ethical concerns. These must be properly managed. The human body is a complex system of which our knowledge is far from complete. A single gene may contribute to a wide range of processes, which can vary across different tissues and under different conditions. With this level of complexity, it is near impossible to fully understand the outcome of an edit before it is performed. Any change comes with the risk of unintended side effects. While this risk can never be avoided entirely, precautions can be taken to limit it. Edits that interconvert genes between known, naturally arising variants (e.g. replacing a non-functional copy of a gene with a common, functional variant) are inherently less risky than introducing something entirely new. When evaluating the potential effects of this kind of edit, the existing population that carries the variant can be used to study the effect that the edit may have. Additionally, comprehensive genetic screening of edited embryos can be used to reduce the chance of unintended edits being introduced elsewhere in the genome, so-called ‘off-target effects’.
Effective regulation will be required to ensure that the risk to the patient is minimised prior to approval of research or clinical use. Ethical decisions must also be made as to which changes provide sufficient benefit to justify the associated risk. An additional factor that needs to be considered is whether editing should be limited to bringing people up to current standards of health, or whether it should also be used to enhance our capabilities. If human enhancement is allowed, then accessibility will become a major issue. As with all new technologies, the first recipients of germline editing will likely be those with means. If the wealthy could improve the characteristics of their children so that they become more capable than the poor, it could widen existing wealth divides, resulting in inequality on a scale not previously seen. The wealthy would have not only the capital, educational and social advantages they currently possess, but would also possess superior physical traits, creating further barriers to social mobility. Thankfully this appears quite far off, but it is something that regulators and society as a whole must consider as the clinical use of germline editing becomes more established. Whether germline editing becomes a triumph of modern medicine or the key to a dystopian future depends on how it is managed. The recent moves by the WHO are promising, though more attention and discussion will be needed before the technology starts seeing further use outside of research. While the path the international community will take in regulating this technology remains unclear, we should expect to see germline editing in the news more often in the near future.
54 // DISCOVERY
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER
the brain as a laboratory AUTHOR // ISABEL RICHARDS
“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”
– Arthur C. Clarke Innovations in science can transform the world. Breakthroughs in medicine have applications in cancer therapy. Renewable energies combat climate change and are unlimited resources. And artificial intelligence can perform complex tasks like a human and reduce error. But despite all the discussion of innovation, scientists fail more than they succeed. It is difficult to come up with novel ideas and make them a reality. Innovation involves taking risks and delving into the impossible, but we often dismiss our best ideas as they seem unachievable, limiting the potential for creating something truly remarkable. In fact, many major inventions begin as fiction. Science fiction is the ‘literature of ideas’ that speculate about the future. The genre surfaced almost 300 years ago during a period of vast developments in technology. This included the development of the steam engine and the use of pure iron to build machinery, railways and water pipes. Inspired by these breakthroughs, sci-fi stories explored imaginary advances in science and technology and how they affect society. Many scientists acknowledge the influence of scifi on sparking new research ideas and inspiring breakthroughs. For example, Victor Appleton’s 1911 novel Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle inspired NASA researcher Jack Cover to invent ‘Tom A. Swift’s Electric Rifle’ (TASER) 60 years later. Worlds created in films and novels become part of our culture and play roles in the latest scientific debates. The works of Frankenstein and ‘Blade Runner’ continue to spark discussions on AI consciousness, for instance. While feeding the imagination about what is possible, the genre allows us to envision the future before we have the equipment to make it a reality.
There are plenty of modern inventions that were present in sci-fi worlds before they existed in society. A simple Google search will give you hundreds of examples. In the 1888 novel, Looking Backward, the protagonist wakes up in the year 2000 to find that cards are used as money. Brave New World, published 20 years before antidepressants were even a subject of scientific experimentation, features a mood-altering medicine that keeps people sane. And the flip phone, wireless headset and 3D printer debuted in ‘Star Trek’, not in a tech lab. Of course, sci-fi inventions are not exact replicas of what we have today, but what matters is that the core concepts are there. Sci-fi doesn’t answer how we make a self-driving car or find a cure for cancer, but it encourages the imagination. Eventually we do need solutions to the ‘how’, but sci-fi shows us we can start somewhere. Such stories investigate the usefulness and implications of scientific creations – it’s like carrying out an experiment in the brain instead of a physical laboratory. In this way, experimentation can be as harmless or as dangerous as the author, or ‘inventor’, would like. Some authors experiment with the positive effects of scientific innovation, and others investigate negative outcomes. While dystopian sci-fi is important for considering worst-case scenarios, utopias are more valuable for innovation. We picture disaster so often that we rarely consider what we actually want to see happen. Utopian sci-fi lets us concentrate on positive developments. Works by author Jules Verne exemplify the value of utopian sci-fi. His 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon explores how amazing it would be to orbit and land on the moon. Verne imagined that a mission to the moon would launch from Florida, and that the craft would be composed of aluminium, both of which were correct. He also made a respectable guess at the program’s price tag. Though the popular book didn’t really give scientists and engineers any technical help, it did promote ambition and its predictions were eventually realised. Through sci-fi experiments, a habit of unrestricted imagining emerges. Creating a dream helps us know where we want to go and gives us the motivation to one day make it there. Ultimately, thinking with a utopian mindset counters our tendency to inhibit imagination. This is important as, when we look back, we notice that many developments which once seemed impossible are now massive parts of our lives.
ARTWORK : TANYA THONGPANICH // 55
Message from Mars AUTHOR // RUBEN STEFFENS Let’s talk about Mars. The theme for this edition of Woroni is ‘Curiosity’ and what says curiosity more than Mars? Not only because space and interplanetary exploration is bloody cool but also because the only inhabitant (that we know of) is named Curiosity. In light of some recent NASA news regarding habitat printing, it seems like a good time we discuss how to go about settling on our dusty, red neighbour. Since 2015 NASA has run a 3D-Printed Habitat Competition, where teams are tasked with creating sustainable shelters suitable for the Moon and Mars (and beyond...?) using resources available on the planet. The thing that makes this so nifty is that 3D printing rovers would be dropped on the planet’s surface and set to the task of printing settlements out of Mars dust. On March 27 SEArch+/Apis Cor were announced as the winners of the visual construction stage, designing a series of spiral like towers. NASA aims to send its first mission to Mars in 2033 and SpaceX even sooner in 2024. With an increased interest and the emergence of a whole new age of exploration, lets iron out a few of our own planetary kinks. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from trying to sculpt our planet’s resources, it’s that there’s always a string of unintended consequences that arise. The way we seem to learn most about our own environment is in reflection. Every accord or agreement made to ensure the longevity of our national parks, ozone layer, oceans, etc has come as a reaction. We are fundamentally bad at proactive and cautionary exploration. This is not a skill set that will be welcomed on a planet with no oxygen and an average temperature of 66° below freezing. This for all intents and purposes is a challenge for all of humanity. To achieve the goal of interplanetary settlement we not only need to figure out how to get there, but also learn how to adapt to life on an incredibly hostile planet. A planet so unforgiving that even venturing outside will expose you to toxic dust, freezing temperatures and enough radiation to rapidly produce cancer cells within a living body. A mission like the one Mars is presenting us with needs to be addressed with systematic proactivity by a unified body. Governance like this takes time. Let’s practice on Earth.
Climate change has put us in such a pickle that in order to front this problem head on we need to approach it together, as a species. There has never been an issue greater than that of climate change. Our world will literally burn if we continue to focus on what separates us, rather than how we can front an issue together. It will take more than keep cups and reusable bags to address the systemic negligence that has led us to our current situation. The Mars mission requires unification, so too does tackling climate change. Recent models predict that this Canberra winter will be the coldest winter on record, which will no doubt be followed by another hottest summer on record at the end of the year. Not only this but we now have our first ever climate refugees knocking on the doors of Australia and New Zealand asking for resettlement because the land that their houses were on doesn’t exist anymore. In a central Puerto Rican rainforest scientists found a 98 per cent decrease in ground insect populations over the last 35 years, due to a heating climate. The reef has incurred so much damage due to coral bleaching that it now has a definite departure date. The data is there. In order to survive on Mars, we need to approach it with a unified effort. In order to survive on Earth, we need to approach it with a unified effort. Action needs to occur so rapidly in order to mitigate just some of the issues we already face today that we can no longer allow the systemic complacency of climate change to continue in our government. At the time that this article was written the Coalition and Labor have just released their budgets and neither addressed climate change in the manner required. As young agents of change we need to do everything within our power – there is no plan B. For life on Mars to be possible, we require a new approach to the way we think about people. Separation and difference are political tools. We are all human. We all like living. We all hate Canberra winters. Let’s get together as a species and have a really good crack at rewriting the way in which we think because one day… maybe… it might get us to Mars.
56 // DISCOVERY | RESEARCH
AIDS: yes, it’s still a massive issue, and no, I won’t let Australians forget about it yet AUTHOR // RUTH PURCELL, Woroni Research Sub-Editor Talk of HIV or AIDS is almost always accompanied by fear, shame, and uncertainty. I was brought up in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – the epicentre of the AIDS pandemic. Here, mention of the disease triggers a deep, visceral response in almost everyone, and you’d have a tough time finding someone without a devastating personal story to accompany these emotions. In my case, I cannot think of HIV without thinking of Max, our family gardener who was too embarrassed to admit to the possibility that he may have contracted HIV before it was too late, leaving behind a two-week-old baby daughter; or of Elizabeth, our family domestic worker who is filled with so much shame over her HIV-positive status thxaat she cannot even utter the name of her illness or the antiretroviral drugs which keep her alive. This is how stigma and misinformation kill. This is a tragedy. When I moved to Australia, however, I noticed that the AIDS narrative was somewhat shifted here. The queer* community have the spotlight, not the impoverished. Most stories of AIDS set in South Africa are woven with a heart-wrenching, secondary tale of extreme poverty. However, for Australians the automatic association with HIV/AIDS is homosexuality. Nevertheless, despite this difference in the AIDS stereotype between South Africa and Australia, it became blatantly obvious to me that a common
thread runs between the HIV/AIDS narrative prevailing in each of my two homes: ignorance among the general public. Let’s start with the very basics—something that still causes great confusion: What is the difference between HIV and AIDS? HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus; AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. So while people who have HIV and people who have AIDS are infected by the same pathogen (the human immunodeficiency virus), these two illnesses are not actually the same thing and the terms ‘HIV’ and ‘AIDS’ are not interchangeable. Put simply, AIDS is an advanced form of HIV infection. The virus, HIV, attacks white blood cells, a critical component of the immune system. Specifically, HIV invades CD4+ T cells (among a few other immune cells) by inserting its viral DNA into the genome of the cells and taking over their cellular machinery, using this resource to replicate viral particles, and eventually bursting out of an infected cell (and thereby killing it) for further invasion. Essentially, over time, this serves to lower the CD4+ T cell count of an HIV-positive person, destroying the immune system of the infected individual. When this CD4 count drops below a critical threshold of 200 cells/µL of blood (normal range is around 500-1,500 cells/µL), a person is only then
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 57 described as having full-blown AIDS and not just an HIV infection. Around 19.6 million people live with HIV in East and Southern Africa. In Australia, on the other hand, there are around a quarter of a million people living with AIDS, of which 63 per cent of HIV cases affect men who have sex with men (MSM) and 25 per cent of cases are attributable to heterosexual sex. Much of the devastation of AIDS in South Africa, specifically, is a consequence of the shocking government response to the epidemic during the presidency of Thabo Mbeki from 1999-2008. Mbeki was an AIDS denialist who actively blocked the roll-out of lifesaving anti-retroviral drugs to the South African population. Although an improvement (in that he didn’t deny an entire population access to the drugs required to keep them alive) the following president, Jacob Zuma, was notorious for making careless HIV/ AIDS-related statements that, given his position and influence, had the power to set the work of AIDS-activists back years. For example, he claimed, in court, that he took a shower after sex with an HIV-positive woman in order to prevent transmission. Obviously, this is a ridiculous claim with no scientific-backing yet it was a statement he (damagingly) refused to retract. So how did we end up in this devastating mess? Backtrack to a little history: HIV is thought to have crossed from chimpanzees to humans in the 1920s, likely in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Before the 1980s when AIDS was first identified in the USA, it is unknown how many people died from the virus. Sporadic cases of AIDS were noted before the 1970s but the current epidemic is largely understood to have begun around the mid- to late 1970s, and by the 1980s it had spread to almost all continents. Initially, AIDS presented as a series of gay men with horrendous cancers and bacterial infections usually only observed in the highly immunocompromised, and increasingly, AIDS became known as a disease of the gays and of drug-injectors, even originally being named GRID (gay-related immunodeficiency). In an era of prolific homophobia and lack of compassion for drug users, such a notion set in motion the development of the enormous stigma which still surrounds HIV/AIDS today. But the outlook for HIV-infected individuals now truly is indescribably better than 30 years ago when such a diagnosis was an unalterable death sentence. AZT (zidovudine), an antiretroviral, was the first drug made available to manage HIV. Although antiretrovirals cannot cure HIV and only work to limit replication of the virus so as to keep the infection at untransmissible levels, these drugs have turned HIV from an unstoppable killer to a manageable disease which does not have to negatively impact an infected individual’s life (if only we didn’t stigmatise the disease in the way we do). Recently, however, there has been much celebration over the second reported case ever of an HIV remission. At this stage it is hard to know whether this can truly be reported as a ‘complete cure’ as
there are only two instances on which to base a physiological definition of a ‘cure’. Nevertheless, this marks a huge advance in our understanding of how we may eventually manage to cure and prevent HIV in anyone. Importantly, both cases of HIV-remission involved the patients being treated for cancer (not HIV) and receiving a bone marrow transplant from a donor who was genetically-resistant to HIV. (This is not a viable option for HIV-treatment in the the general population as the risks associated with a bone marrow transplant are enormous.) Genetic resistance to HIV is very rare, having been observed in under 1 per cent of the human population but, at the very least, the phenomenon provides insight into the potential ways we can engineer protection against the disease. By transplanting bone marrow from a resistant individual to an HIV-infected patient, white blood cells that are resistant to invasion by HIV slowly begin to populate the patient’s body leaving the viral particles nowhere to replicate which eventually results in totally clearance of HIV from the body and the patient being in remission. This sounds simple enough. Yet we’ve only managed to pull it off twice. And it took us 12 years to repeat the feat. HIV-resistance is attributable to mutations in the CCR5 receptor: one of the proteins found on immune cells and utilised by HIV for cellular invasion. People with a deletion mutation in their CCR5 gene are naturally immune to HIV infection as they express a nonfunctional version CCR5, rendering HIV unable to enter immune cells and cause illness. Of course, prevention is always better than a cure and work to develop an HIV vaccine has been ongoing for years but has proven very difficult for numerous reasons. Essentially, HIV is just very good at being a virus: it mutates rapidly (a major challenge impeding vaccine development) and hides out in the body without being detected by immune cells extremely effectively. Our first successful attempts to prevent HIV began with the highly effective PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medication. Although effective, these drugs often cause severe side-effects and need to be taken for extended periods of time. In the case of PrEP, a daily tablet needs to be taken for the entirety of the period for which the individual wishes to be protected from the disease. Clearly, a vaccine providing lifelong protection with negligible side effects after a single dosage is sorely needed. In terms of eradicating HIV once and for all, we’re not there yet but we’re working on it. For the time being, however, proper management of the disease by HIV-positive individuals is the most effective way to stop its spread. Current antiretrovirals are incredibly effective and are able to bring the virus down to undetectable levels in a patient. The rule of thumb, “U=U” (undetectable = untransmissible) is an effective principle for HIV-positive individuals to apply such that they can live an essentially normal life knowing they are not putting others at risk of becoming infected. For now, HIV still has the upper hand in this battle but, with scientific research in the field moving at its current rate, imagining living in an HIV-free world is becoming increasingly less of a sci-fi fantasy.
58 // DISCOVERY | LANGUAGES
AR and Language learning AUTHOR // ZENA MASON I have been trying to learn Mandarin since 2015, and Japanese for much longer than that. Consequently, I’ve spent a long time thinking about how various tools could aid my language-learning. It occurred to me while watching a gorgeous dog play with its owners on a beach in Batemans Bay that, in a world where everybody speaks different languages, to be able to tell anyone, in real time, about your dog would be incredible. What’s its name? What does it like to eat? Are there any plants nearby that are toxic to it? What’s that insect wandering around in the vicinity of your dog, and does it pose any lethal danger to your pet? Dogs, insects, plants, beaches. What the hell do these everyday objects have to do with language-learning? I say everything. The current situation of language-learning is that it is so disconnected from anything that is occurring in real life. So, when people learn a second language it often feels as if they are doing this simply to show off their brilliance in memorising long lists of seemingly irrelevant gobbledygook that someone from the relevant foreign country may or may not understand. If you’re lucky, you might get language exposure if you happen to point at a native speaker (who probably also wants to learn English from you) and get them to explain something in your shared environment in their own language. Through many years of trial and tribulation, you’ll likely get good enough at a language to be self-sufficient. However, you will never get the intimate one-on-one teaching of the most basic and fundamental aspects of a language that you got from your parents or caregivers
when you were growing up. Otherwise, if you’re really committed to learning a language, you will simply end up investing endless hours to begin a long and painfully boring career in translation. You learn all those words for what? To transfer them to another, different set of words? Typically, language-learning is best done in childhood when there is an adult figure who can teach the child everything: from what the colours of the rainbow are to the shared social conventions of the shared language environment. Once the child reaches adulthood, there are many social barriers (such as the amount of time one is required to spend working in a job versus obtaining knowledge) which prevent a person from learning a new language in quite the same way. Consequently, less time can be invested in making sure that learners of a second language have the same immersive learning experiences that they had when introduced to their mother tongue. They have gone through the arduous process of first language acquisition, but their mother tongue becomes their cage. In particular, English acquisition is a gilded cage because of all the opportunities it offers, along with the limitations it has and Anglo-centric assumptions it forces us to make about the rest of the world. Upon understanding this, my interest in augmented reality (AR) was ignited: use AR to teach language! Since the rise of ‘Pokemon Go’, smartphone app developers have been scrambling to get on the AR-wave. But a quick search on the Android app store reveals only a few haphazard titles of truly
ARTWORK : ABIGAIL BORDER // 59 underwhelming programs which merely superimpose various objects on the camera. The trouble with smartphones is they do not have big enough screens to incorporate many buttons or functions and they have limited battery lives for a constantly active internal camera. It would pretty awesome to have a ‘Pokemon Go’ for language learning, but if you were to go around tagging things in the hopes of teaching people words, in reality the best way to describe the situation would be: Confusion.
would no longer have to be translated into English to get a broader ‘reach’, it could be made understandable to anyone, regardless of what languages they know.
If people don’t know coding there’s no way that they can use a smartphone to teach non-English speakers wanting to learn physics that that round 3D object is called an ‘orange’ and that if you drop it on particular surfaces, it may roll, splatter, or be sliced in half depending on the situation that it finds itself in.
The main argument against AR is that there is scope for people to delude themselves into a false reality. Additionally, people could trick themselves or others into thinking something is there when it isn’t or vice versa, resulting in injuries from falling in holes or hitting objects you can’t see due to an augmented obstruction. According to Meron Gribetz, co-founder and CEO of Metavision, augmented reality should not deceive users about the nature of reality, but simply add to it in a way that does not cause harm. For instance, with Pokemon Go, users are not deluded into thinking that the Pokemon they are interacting with are real. As long as users of an AR app are aware of what is real and what is not, there should be minimal problems.
So, this is where I started looking into AR headsets. Currently, the potential applications for AR headsets are huge. Language teachers can make language learning programmes using spatial learning without the need for expensive props. Mechanics can fix your car without having to consult a thick engineering manual. You can follow along with personal trainers in real time doing exercises no matter where you are in the world. Remember in Star Wars where Princess Leia was sending a message as a holographic image? That will be possible too. All you need to do is model a 3D-image with your hands, upload the file to your programme and attach information to that file. Language learning companies such as Mondly are already beginning to take advantage of AR technology. Students using Mondly can interact with a virtual reality language instructor in real time to practice travel and daily life phrases in another language. However, since it is a smartphone app, it requires a lot of coding to create the graphics and artificial intelligence, and it removes the human component of interacting with a real person in another language. It teaches you that automated ‘service talk’ used in cafes and hotels. But is it an authentic experience? Does it encourage creativity and experimentation? Adventure and discovery? No, but these are improvements that current AR-research is beginning to address. With apps like ‘italki’ (an app for tutors and students) and ‘LingQ’ (an app for micro-translating and creating audio versions of documents) adopting this kind of technology, you could do things like book real time language classes with students from around the world without worrying about learning props. Or you could facilitate users to look up words in any foreign language document they come across in normal life, be it a street sign or an instruction manual. Some apps such as ‘Drops’ focus on teaching concrete nouns as well as some abstract nouns and verbs, but with AR you could assign any object in real life with nouns to be learned, and go a step further by making videos of interactions between objects and verbs in other languages. A cooking lesson in French
One day, when augmented reality headsets are more mainstream, adventure and discovery will be possible in every aspect of learning. We can take everything we love about the virtual world and place it back in the real world where it belongs.
Another challenge for AR is that computers still do not have the capacity to understand natural human language and they still rely on tools like barcodes and QR codes to identify things. However, if one were to create an online, crowdsourced platform using information generated by paying users (like many platforms now such as LingQ), communities made up of people who own AR headsets will naturally develop. As with many emerging technologies, there will be implications for public safety, policy, and law which will need to be given careful consideration. But in many ways, I feel that a world with AR headsets would be an exciting place to live. Zena Mason is a postgraduate student at ANU just about to begin a degree in linguistics. She has a special interest in language acquisition.
60 // DISCOVERY | ARCHAEOLOGY
Digging up the Past to Understand the Present AUTHOR // TARRYN K MYBURGH and ANNIKA MASON Traditionally, archaeological research conducted in the Philippines has focused on the period of Spanish contact. However, there is increasing interest in preSpanish archaeology, giving us greater knowledge of ancient Philippine culture and practices and how these have influenced modern Philippine life. For the past 11 years, Marc Oxenham, PhD from the Australian National University (ANU) and Victor Paz, PhD from the University of the Philippines (UP) have been running an archaeological field school in the town of Catanauan, Philippines, aimed at teaching students from both universities not only the history of the Philippines but also the functional skills required for archaeological excavations. This past summer we were fortunate enough to participate in the exciting research being carried out in Catanauan, under the supervision of some of the leading experts in the field.
coexisting for a time. Further, there is evidence for early cremation burials dated from 9000-9500 years ago (as determined by means of radiocarbon dating) to the Late Palaeolithic. 2) The Neolithic is defined by food production, crops and domestication of animals, polished stone, unbevelled adzes, body ornaments, and more complex and decorative pottery. This change in dominant lifestyle is a result of migration of farming and seafaring communities through ISEA from mainland Asia, the primary hypothesis being these people originated in China and moved into ISEA through Taiwan.
When studying pre-Spanish Philippine history, there are three distinct time periods: Palaeolithic, Neolithic, and Metal age – defined by changes in subsistence and settlement patterns, human migration, tool-use, pottery, and cultural practices including mortuary practices – these time periods are applied throughout Island South East Asia (ISEA), though the dates may vary.
3) The Metal age is defined by the use and trading of copper, bronze, and iron, with the oldest items of copper and bronze dating to approximately 600-500 BCE in southern Sumatra. In Europe, distinct Copper, Bronze and Iron ages (related to the dominance of each metal) are observed in the archaeological record. However, this is not the case in ISEA archaeology. Instead, we see copper, bronze and iron tools all being used simultaneously around the same time. The Metal age is also associated with the first evidence of contact with traders from Hindu and Buddhist civilizations.
1) In the Palaeolithic from the first Pleistocene appearance of stone tools to the start of the Neolithic, we see dominance of hunter-gatherer groups in ISEA. This period was characterized by flaked and unground stone, bone or shell tools, and both archaic hominins and early modern humans
In January 2019, ANU once again participated in the Catanauan Archaeological and Heritage Project, now running in its 11th season. The project is co-directed by Professor Marc Oxenham from ANU’s School of Archaeology & Anthropology in conjunction with the Archaeological Studies Program at UP. Involvement
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS // 61
in this research is offered to undergraduate students as a fieldwork-based course at ANU. Run at the Napa Site in Catanauan, approximately 8 hours from Manila (the capital of the Philippines), the course focuses heavily on learning basic archaeology and excavation skills but also emphasises the importance of the local and wider community. A large part of this project – as it is also a Heritage Program – is aimed at the involvement of the community, with members assisting in site-planning and management, the excavation process, and curation of artefacts. Such community involvement has been a recent and hugely beneficial focus of Archaeology in the Philippines: a notable example being the Ifugao Archaeological Project which ran ethnohistoric workshops in the community. It aimed to get a better understanding of the community’s interpretation of their own history, such that foreign experts can help preserve historic sites in the most meaningful way possible. The Napa Site in Catanauan is 2000 years old and contains mainly jar burials and some extended burials. However, there is no evidence of habitation or other use of the area. These burials are located under large coral markers – coral pieces laid out in an oval shape – and underneath what is called a shell midden layer. This layer is comprised of shells, mainly small sea shells but also some larger deep-sea shells, some of which show evidence of the contents being eaten. The burial jars can be classified as primary – the original body was placed in the jar – or secondary – bones of an individual were taken out of its original jar and placed in a
new one, often with other individuals. These jars are quite large and can fit a person in a foetal position, though every jar is unique and so fits different sizes of people, including small jars for infant burials. Jar burials are found throughout ISEA dating to the Neolithic and Metal Ages. Each jar contains burial goods such as glass beads, bone and shell beads, worked shell and worked animal bones, and even metal objects such as knives and tangs (a type of sword). Throughout the course, several visiting researchers gave lectures and many returning participants from around the world were also given the opportunity to share their research and academic projects with our research group. We were heavily encouraged to pursue individual passions and projects while on the trip with, for example, one UP art student undertaking a project to attempt to recreate the pottery used in the burial and votive jars at the site. One other UP student is currently making an interactive textbook about archaeology based on the site, and a lecturer at UP is making a documentary film about the site and its history. This project and the option for ANU students to participate in the ongoing research here as a course is an amazing opportunity for anyone looking to get out of Canberra and try something new. It is run with the assumption that you have no knowledge of archaeology or excavation and the supervisors are very thorough in teaching you a bit about everything happening on the site.
62 // DISCOVERY | SUSTAINABILITY
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 63
the technological advances of vegetarianism AUTHOR // TASH SALISBURY As a recent vegetarian convert, I’ve been bombarded with so many questions about my decision to cut meat from my diet. Before getting on the ‘vego train’, I was pretty apprehensive about vegetarianism and veganism. I often associated it with extreme animal rights activists and the “I’m a vegan, so I must tell everyone” memes that have been taking Facebook by storm the past few years. I have always been a very active person and when this was combined with a family history of iron deficiency, I was encouraged to eat more meat for health reasons. I never really got on board with animal rights activism enough to cut out meat (although I believe that this is a very legitimate reason to be vegetarian), and if a year ago you told me that I would be vegetarian in the future, I probably would’ve found some bacon to eat in front of you. However, over the course of the last year I became increasingly concerned about the environment and I began to see the enormous benefits of vegetarianism. Almost 20,000 litres of water are used to produce 1kg of beef, which is an astronomical figure in comparison to producing wheat, which uses 1/10 of the water quantity of beef production. In addition, the horrific implications of overfishing, particularly of salmon in the Atlantic, is something that I refuse to support. It was such negative consequences that instigated my decision to become vegetarian. Despite what I would’ve told you a year ago while eating a beef burger topped with extra bacon, I surprisingly don’t miss eating meat. Although I did enjoy eating it, particularly fish, for me the negative impact on the environment just doesn’t compare to the enjoyment I would get from eating a kebab. Although I think there are enormous environmental benefits of both vegetarianism and veganism, there are definitely some drawbacks. One of the main things about many vegetarians and vegans that I struggle with, is that people are so judgemental of those who do eat meat and make them out to be horrible human beings. The argument often portrayed in the media, that humans have always eaten a vegetarian diet and that eating animals is inherently wrong, is something that angers me immensely. For some people, it is just not feasible for them to eat a vegetarian diet for a myriad of health and accessibility reasons. At the end of last year, I had a conversation with my grandma about my recent switch to a no-meat diet. She said to me, “I probably would have been vegetarian too, but in my day you just ate what was put on your plate.” This really struck me, as it was the answer to my disagreement with the high-and-
mighty you-are-a-horrible-person-if-you-touch-meat philosophy. It’s not realistic for everyone to be vegetarian or vegan based for a number of factors, and this was such a perfect example for me. I hate seeing people shutting down others who aren’t vegetarian or vegan. From a sustainability perspective, I believe that if people are happy to chat about the impacts of the meat industry, become more aware of the production chain of their food and perhaps reduce their weekly meat intake, it would be fantastic. If everyone did that, and was encouraged by the vegetarian movement rather than being shut down and shamed for eating meat, so much more progress would actually be achieved - both in terms of reducing meat consumption and potentially improving the sustainability of the meat industry, so it has less negative environmental impacts. Taking it a step further, I genuinely believe that 50 years ago it was impossible to be a vegetarian healthily (and even more so for vegans). Blood tests, knowledge of human nutrition and a wide availability of vitamins and fresh produce just weren’t nearly as accessible as they are today. It was only in 1956 that the structure of B12 – an essential vitamin found only in meat and dairy products was determined. Making it almost impossible to adequately supplement a vegan diet in this era due to the insufficient amount of knowledge of these essential nutrients. Through the war years packaged and processed foods were essential for survival in many countries throughout the world, but today new research comes out every month about human nutrition and dietary requirements. I am so lucky that I am able to have a blood test to check my iron levels, and adjust my diet accordingly because the concentration of nutrients in almost every food item is known. This just wasn’t possible in past times, making it extremely difficult to have a vegetarian and vegan diet. The latest research, the EAT Lancet commission, emphasises the eating of fresh fruit and vegetables, with a huge cut on meat and dairy products. Processed meat is now considered a Type 1 carcinogen. The vegan and vegetarian train is getting faster and longer, and with it people are getting caught up in virtue signalling about the way people should never have eaten meat. Not only is this destructive to the movement, the reality is, is that these kind of diets have not been possible or helpful for very long. Despite these negative aspects, I believe that with greater support and encouragement, we as a society will be able to bring our meat consumption to a level that is environmentally sustainable without further creating a divide between those of us that eat meat and those who don’t.
64 // DISCOVERY | ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 64
That Pale Blue Dot AUTHOR // THOMAS CERNEV 2019 is an important year. For one, there’s an Australian Federal election. Then there’s the very real possibility that Australia will continue to break climate records, and at a global level, it’ll be four years since the Paris Agreement. Political turmoil, and its relationship to climate change and sustainability at large is not unique to Australia. Just have a look at Trump’s America, and the climate revolution that Ocasio-Cortez is leading. But while Britain debates Brexit, and the Australian Federal Parties duel over budgetary estimates, the world is quite literally at breaking point environmentally. Climate change as a result of the burning of fossil fuels first gained wide interest in the mid to late 20th Century and has since evolved past being merely the interest of scientists and (some) policy makers. Its effects, both long and short term are starting to pose real Global Catastrophic Risks (GCR), which are ultimately leading humanity down a dangerous road towards Existential Risk (ER). Okay, GCR and ER, sounds pretty hectic right? It is. Existential risks have extreme severity and basically result in humanity becoming extinct. Global Catastrophic Risks on the other hand are not quite as bad, they’re generally seen as events that create large amounts of damage both economically and to human life. But here’s the problem: enough GCRs can lead to an ER. In our current state there’s a possibility that’s where we’re heading with climate change thanks to paralysed governments, industry that can be hesitant to cooperate, and the passing of global environmental tipping points. But how do ER and GCR emerge from climate change? As humanity is slowly but surely discovering, climate change has effects across every aspect of our lives. We’ve already passed the Biodiversity and Nitrogen Cycle tipping points, and it’s more than likely that we will pass the others too. These tipping points govern critical earth systems, so from the combination of passing them, with the increased frequency of natural disaster and droughts due to climate change, it is likely that GCR and ER will emerge. For example, consider a climate change induced drought resulting in famine, which displaces people, raises the risk of pandemic and ultimately elevates global security tensions. A form of this occurred in the Arab Spring where climate change affected crop production and migration, ultimately serving to add pressure in a region that was already strained. The good news is that we know climate change can lead to GCR and ER, which means we can create policies and laws to help mitigate it. However, for this to be successful we need politicians and indus-
try leaders that are ready to work together. Progress has been seen with Australia working towards its commitments for the Paris Agreement, a global agreement to limit climate change to below 2ºC and ideally below 1.5ºC, but we have a long way to go. This progress, however, is cloudy at best. Conflicting reports have Australia unable to meet its obligations by 2030, whilst on the other hand they are set to be reached five years early. In light of this, at a political level, we need our leaders to shift their focus to that of long-term. Currently, the continued pursuit in Australian Parliament for the development of new coal projects is perhaps one of the greatest current failures of Australian politics. It illustrates a short term outlook, as new coal projects are underpinned by serious environmental threats and financing issues. One has to ask why such projects are being pursued at all? The actions and attitudes of our parliament, reflected through their current opinions, will not only be judged by the Australian people through the results of the upcoming election, but by the world through our commitment to the Paris Agreement. So what do we need to do? Australia has made progress in the last few years, but we need our politicians to put more effort into climate change. We need to work towards 100 per cent renewable energy generation, develop a comprehensive roadmap towards electric vehicle uptake and the phasing out of combustion vehicles. We need to be leaders for the world on combating climate change and take the Paris Agreement as a challenge to go above and beyond. Most importantly, we need our politicians to realise that climate change is something that transcends party ideologies, and that the only way that we’re going to mitigate the existential and global catastrophic risks associated with it is if we all work together. Earth is our responsibility, we owe it to future generations to leave it in a better condition than it has been passed to us, and as Carl Sagan famously put it: “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” With this in mind and the Federal election this year, if you want to see more action on climate change then make your voice heard - every little bit counts.
w We acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Woroni is written, edited and printed. We pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that this land – which we benefit from occupying – was stolen, that sovereignty was never ceded and that no acknowledgement will ever bring it back.