AI to help stock our pantries ... and feed astronauts
Space experiments are among a number of ways AI is being used to investigate the future of food: whether it can be preserved for longer, made to taste differently or grown without the threat of disease.
Ultimately, decisions about whether AI-modified foods are ready to feed to distant travellers or grace dining tables will be up to Australian regulators.
Meanwhile, government-funded research centre Plants for Space launched in October and is aiming to produce food suitable for consumption during long-term missions to the stars.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
Because foods generally expire within days or weeks of purchase, the team is probing how to make items last long past their expiry date.
Genetically modifying and gene-editing foods could be a solution, according to Plants for Space investigator Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes.
Genetic modification occurs when foreign DNA is inserted into a product to enhance its nutrition profile, improve drought tolerance or reduce the need for pesticides.
It's similar to genome editing that rewrites DNA from the original food to enhance its colour, nutritional value or remove diseases.
Some foods can also be genetically modified using nutrient-rich water, rather than soil and seeds, which may be helpful when humans start planet-hopping.
"(Genetically modified organisms are) basically evolution on steroids - what happened for millions of years to produce a plant or a product that is edible for humans, we can do in a week," Prof Fuentes tells AAP.
"Every plant is way different and you need substitute soil, so they need to be modified."
Scientifically altering plants can take hours but the scientist, who also works at the University of Melbourne, sees AI as a way to simplify the process and reduce costs.
Prof Fuentes is working on 3D-printed artificially intelligent noses and tongues that use sensors to monitor the aroma and taste of objects.
Not only could they help deem food safe but accommodate an astronaut's taste, he says.
"We obtain all the biometrics, the emotional response, physiological response, heart rate, blood pressure (of people)", he says.
"AI can give a certainty using nutritional algorithms, as well, that it is not going to pose any problem."
3D printers can also create proteins, fats and carbohydrates and these space experiments could also solve food production challenges on Earth.
"We are looking into how to reduce food waste and try to increase the usability of 100 per cent of the resources we have," Prof Fuentes says.
"In really harsh environments like the desert, Antarctica, war-torn countries as well underground, using vertical farming, all those problems are ... being solved from our way of thinking on how to produce food in space."
AI is also being used to predict the outcome of crossbreeding plants, says British molecular biologist and SynBioBeta chief executive John Cumbers.
Large-language models can be used to find patterns and relationships within foods, he says, allowing researchers to develop proteins and enzymes that can reduce food pollutants.
"Let's say a farmer is trying to cross a tomato that has a large body of fruit with a tomato that has a rich-red colour," Mr Cumbers explains.
"They take the male plant and the female flowers ... and they're doing the cross pollination of the plants.
"Instead of guessing what the tomato is going to produce, at a molecular level you can now look at the sequence of DNA of the tomato.
"You can make a new tomato that might have a red colour through genetic engineering, rather than through a random process of selection which is what traditional farming does."
The CSIRO is also investigating ways to expand AI's role in the food production industry but but is strictly bound by safety and policy outcomes.
The removal of cells and proteins is a complex task, as it is hard to identify and isolate the safe characteristics of plants.
Bananas, cotton, canola, Indian mustard and safflower are the only genetically modified foods allowed in Australia, while in the US, potatoes, corn, apples and sugar beets can be modified.
"As more datasets become available and tools mature, we expect broader uptake across the sector," a CSIRO spokesperson tells AAP.
"Farmers, breeders and researchers use AI to model climate impacts, optimise fertiliser use, predict crop yields, accelerate traditional crop breeding and develop new food products based on nutritional or functional properties."
Elsewhere, Australia's food production sector is variously using AI to identify wine berries affected by smoke and eradicate weeds from native crops.
At Delungra in northern NSW, farmer Martin Murray expects AI will be increasingly adopted as more advanced solutions arise.
"Genome sequencing is a bit like when you go to buy a car," he says.
"You're not involved in the design and testing of the HiLux, you just go to Toyota.
"At the end of the day, it's just another tool that plant breeders are using to help them breed better varieties that help us grow more grain and make us more profitable."
Although genome edited or genetically modified food may become a future reality for farmers and scientists, one question persists: will people eat it?
Mr Cumbers says research proves there are health benefits but it will be up to governments to regulate the safety of products.
"There's a lot of other things that can cause negative harm to your health from food, like eating too much sugar, drinking alcohol, eating food high in sodium," he says.
"I don't really think there's any evidence there's any negative effects from genetically modified food .. as it has been around for a number of decades now."
Stored meats, tomatoes and even onions can't last a few weeks let alone a seven-to-10 month journey to Mars but Australian scientists say artificial intelligence may help bridge the 225 million kilometre gap.
Space experiments are among a number of ways AI is being used to investigate the future of food: whether it can be preserved for longer, made to taste differently or grown without the threat of disease.
Ultimately, decisions about whether AI-modified foods are ready to feed to distant travellers or grace dining tables will be up to Australian regulators.
Meanwhile, government-funded research centre Plants for Space launched in October and is aiming to produce food suitable for consumption during long-term missions to the stars.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
Because foods generally expire within days or weeks of purchase, the team is probing how to make items last long past their expiry date.
Genetically modifying and gene-editing foods could be a solution, according to Plants for Space investigator Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes.
Genetic modification occurs when foreign DNA is inserted into a product to enhance its nutrition profile, improve drought tolerance or reduce the need for pesticides.
It's similar to genome editing that rewrites DNA from the original food to enhance its colour, nutritional value or remove diseases.
Some foods can also be genetically modified using nutrient-rich water, rather than soil and seeds, which may be helpful when humans start planet-hopping.
"(Genetically modified organisms are) basically evolution on steroids - what happened for millions of years to produce a plant or a product that is edible for humans, we can do in a week," Prof Fuentes tells AAP.
"Every plant is way different and you need substitute soil, so they need to be modified."
Scientifically altering plants can take hours but the scientist, who also works at the University of Melbourne, sees AI as a way to simplify the process and reduce costs.
Prof Fuentes is working on 3D-printed artificially intelligent noses and tongues that use sensors to monitor the aroma and taste of objects.
Not only could they help deem food safe but accommodate an astronaut's taste, he says.
"We obtain all the biometrics, the emotional response, physiological response, heart rate, blood pressure (of people)", he says.
"AI can give a certainty using nutritional algorithms, as well, that it is not going to pose any problem."
3D printers can also create proteins, fats and carbohydrates and these space experiments could also solve food production challenges on Earth.
"We are looking into how to reduce food waste and try to increase the usability of 100 per cent of the resources we have," Prof Fuentes says.
"In really harsh environments like the desert, Antarctica, war-torn countries as well underground, using vertical farming, all those problems are ... being solved from our way of thinking on how to produce food in space."
AI is also being used to predict the outcome of crossbreeding plants, says British molecular biologist and SynBioBeta chief executive John Cumbers.
Large-language models can be used to find patterns and relationships within foods, he says, allowing researchers to develop proteins and enzymes that can reduce food pollutants.
"Let's say a farmer is trying to cross a tomato that has a large body of fruit with a tomato that has a rich-red colour," Mr Cumbers explains.
"They take the male plant and the female flowers ... and they're doing the cross pollination of the plants.
"Instead of guessing what the tomato is going to produce, at a molecular level you can now look at the sequence of DNA of the tomato.
"You can make a new tomato that might have a red colour through genetic engineering, rather than through a random process of selection which is what traditional farming does."
The CSIRO is also investigating ways to expand AI's role in the food production industry but but is strictly bound by safety and policy outcomes.
The removal of cells and proteins is a complex task, as it is hard to identify and isolate the safe characteristics of plants.
Bananas, cotton, canola, Indian mustard and safflower are the only genetically modified foods allowed in Australia, while in the US, potatoes, corn, apples and sugar beets can be modified.
"As more datasets become available and tools mature, we expect broader uptake across the sector," a CSIRO spokesperson tells AAP.
"Farmers, breeders and researchers use AI to model climate impacts, optimise fertiliser use, predict crop yields, accelerate traditional crop breeding and develop new food products based on nutritional or functional properties."
Elsewhere, Australia's food production sector is variously using AI to identify wine berries affected by smoke and eradicate weeds from native crops.
At Delungra in northern NSW, farmer Martin Murray expects AI will be increasingly adopted as more advanced solutions arise.
"Genome sequencing is a bit like when you go to buy a car," he says.
"You're not involved in the design and testing of the HiLux, you just go to Toyota.
"At the end of the day, it's just another tool that plant breeders are using to help them breed better varieties that help us grow more grain and make us more profitable."
Although genome edited or genetically modified food may become a future reality for farmers and scientists, one question persists: will people eat it?
Mr Cumbers says research proves there are health benefits but it will be up to governments to regulate the safety of products.
"There's a lot of other things that can cause negative harm to your health from food, like eating too much sugar, drinking alcohol, eating food high in sodium," he says.
"I don't really think there's any evidence there's any negative effects from genetically modified food .. as it has been around for a number of decades now."
Stored meats, tomatoes and even onions can't last a few weeks let alone a seven-to-10 month journey to Mars but Australian scientists say artificial intelligence may help bridge the 225 million kilometre gap.
Space experiments are among a number of ways AI is being used to investigate the future of food: whether it can be preserved for longer, made to taste differently or grown without the threat of disease.
Ultimately, decisions about whether AI-modified foods are ready to feed to distant travellers or grace dining tables will be up to Australian regulators.
Meanwhile, government-funded research centre Plants for Space launched in October and is aiming to produce food suitable for consumption during long-term missions to the stars.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
Because foods generally expire within days or weeks of purchase, the team is probing how to make items last long past their expiry date.
Genetically modifying and gene-editing foods could be a solution, according to Plants for Space investigator Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes.
Genetic modification occurs when foreign DNA is inserted into a product to enhance its nutrition profile, improve drought tolerance or reduce the need for pesticides.
It's similar to genome editing that rewrites DNA from the original food to enhance its colour, nutritional value or remove diseases.
Some foods can also be genetically modified using nutrient-rich water, rather than soil and seeds, which may be helpful when humans start planet-hopping.
"(Genetically modified organisms are) basically evolution on steroids - what happened for millions of years to produce a plant or a product that is edible for humans, we can do in a week," Prof Fuentes tells AAP.
"Every plant is way different and you need substitute soil, so they need to be modified."
Scientifically altering plants can take hours but the scientist, who also works at the University of Melbourne, sees AI as a way to simplify the process and reduce costs.
Prof Fuentes is working on 3D-printed artificially intelligent noses and tongues that use sensors to monitor the aroma and taste of objects.
Not only could they help deem food safe but accommodate an astronaut's taste, he says.
"We obtain all the biometrics, the emotional response, physiological response, heart rate, blood pressure (of people)", he says.
"AI can give a certainty using nutritional algorithms, as well, that it is not going to pose any problem."
3D printers can also create proteins, fats and carbohydrates and these space experiments could also solve food production challenges on Earth.
"We are looking into how to reduce food waste and try to increase the usability of 100 per cent of the resources we have," Prof Fuentes says.
"In really harsh environments like the desert, Antarctica, war-torn countries as well underground, using vertical farming, all those problems are ... being solved from our way of thinking on how to produce food in space."
AI is also being used to predict the outcome of crossbreeding plants, says British molecular biologist and SynBioBeta chief executive John Cumbers.
Large-language models can be used to find patterns and relationships within foods, he says, allowing researchers to develop proteins and enzymes that can reduce food pollutants.
"Let's say a farmer is trying to cross a tomato that has a large body of fruit with a tomato that has a rich-red colour," Mr Cumbers explains.
"They take the male plant and the female flowers ... and they're doing the cross pollination of the plants.
"Instead of guessing what the tomato is going to produce, at a molecular level you can now look at the sequence of DNA of the tomato.
"You can make a new tomato that might have a red colour through genetic engineering, rather than through a random process of selection which is what traditional farming does."
The CSIRO is also investigating ways to expand AI's role in the food production industry but but is strictly bound by safety and policy outcomes.
The removal of cells and proteins is a complex task, as it is hard to identify and isolate the safe characteristics of plants.
Bananas, cotton, canola, Indian mustard and safflower are the only genetically modified foods allowed in Australia, while in the US, potatoes, corn, apples and sugar beets can be modified.
"As more datasets become available and tools mature, we expect broader uptake across the sector," a CSIRO spokesperson tells AAP.
"Farmers, breeders and researchers use AI to model climate impacts, optimise fertiliser use, predict crop yields, accelerate traditional crop breeding and develop new food products based on nutritional or functional properties."
Elsewhere, Australia's food production sector is variously using AI to identify wine berries affected by smoke and eradicate weeds from native crops.
At Delungra in northern NSW, farmer Martin Murray expects AI will be increasingly adopted as more advanced solutions arise.
"Genome sequencing is a bit like when you go to buy a car," he says.
"You're not involved in the design and testing of the HiLux, you just go to Toyota.
"At the end of the day, it's just another tool that plant breeders are using to help them breed better varieties that help us grow more grain and make us more profitable."
Although genome edited or genetically modified food may become a future reality for farmers and scientists, one question persists: will people eat it?
Mr Cumbers says research proves there are health benefits but it will be up to governments to regulate the safety of products.
"There's a lot of other things that can cause negative harm to your health from food, like eating too much sugar, drinking alcohol, eating food high in sodium," he says.
"I don't really think there's any evidence there's any negative effects from genetically modified food .. as it has been around for a number of decades now."
Stored meats, tomatoes and even onions can't last a few weeks let alone a seven-to-10 month journey to Mars but Australian scientists say artificial intelligence may help bridge the 225 million kilometre gap.
Space experiments are among a number of ways AI is being used to investigate the future of food: whether it can be preserved for longer, made to taste differently or grown without the threat of disease.
Ultimately, decisions about whether AI-modified foods are ready to feed to distant travellers or grace dining tables will be up to Australian regulators.
Meanwhile, government-funded research centre Plants for Space launched in October and is aiming to produce food suitable for consumption during long-term missions to the stars.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
It has until 2030 - the next time humans are scheduled to rocket to the moon - to come up with the right stuff but is also investigating how to fulfil the dietary requirements of NASA's 2040 Mars launch.
Because foods generally expire within days or weeks of purchase, the team is probing how to make items last long past their expiry date.
Genetically modifying and gene-editing foods could be a solution, according to Plants for Space investigator Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes.
Genetic modification occurs when foreign DNA is inserted into a product to enhance its nutrition profile, improve drought tolerance or reduce the need for pesticides.
It's similar to genome editing that rewrites DNA from the original food to enhance its colour, nutritional value or remove diseases.
Some foods can also be genetically modified using nutrient-rich water, rather than soil and seeds, which may be helpful when humans start planet-hopping.
"(Genetically modified organisms are) basically evolution on steroids - what happened for millions of years to produce a plant or a product that is edible for humans, we can do in a week," Prof Fuentes tells AAP.
"Every plant is way different and you need substitute soil, so they need to be modified."
Scientifically altering plants can take hours but the scientist, who also works at the University of Melbourne, sees AI as a way to simplify the process and reduce costs.
Prof Fuentes is working on 3D-printed artificially intelligent noses and tongues that use sensors to monitor the aroma and taste of objects.
Not only could they help deem food safe but accommodate an astronaut's taste, he says.
"We obtain all the biometrics, the emotional response, physiological response, heart rate, blood pressure (of people)", he says.
"AI can give a certainty using nutritional algorithms, as well, that it is not going to pose any problem."
3D printers can also create proteins, fats and carbohydrates and these space experiments could also solve food production challenges on Earth.
"We are looking into how to reduce food waste and try to increase the usability of 100 per cent of the resources we have," Prof Fuentes says.
"In really harsh environments like the desert, Antarctica, war-torn countries as well underground, using vertical farming, all those problems are ... being solved from our way of thinking on how to produce food in space."
AI is also being used to predict the outcome of crossbreeding plants, says British molecular biologist and SynBioBeta chief executive John Cumbers.
Large-language models can be used to find patterns and relationships within foods, he says, allowing researchers to develop proteins and enzymes that can reduce food pollutants.
"Let's say a farmer is trying to cross a tomato that has a large body of fruit with a tomato that has a rich-red colour," Mr Cumbers explains.
"They take the male plant and the female flowers ... and they're doing the cross pollination of the plants.
"Instead of guessing what the tomato is going to produce, at a molecular level you can now look at the sequence of DNA of the tomato.
"You can make a new tomato that might have a red colour through genetic engineering, rather than through a random process of selection which is what traditional farming does."
The CSIRO is also investigating ways to expand AI's role in the food production industry but but is strictly bound by safety and policy outcomes.
The removal of cells and proteins is a complex task, as it is hard to identify and isolate the safe characteristics of plants.
Bananas, cotton, canola, Indian mustard and safflower are the only genetically modified foods allowed in Australia, while in the US, potatoes, corn, apples and sugar beets can be modified.
"As more datasets become available and tools mature, we expect broader uptake across the sector," a CSIRO spokesperson tells AAP.
"Farmers, breeders and researchers use AI to model climate impacts, optimise fertiliser use, predict crop yields, accelerate traditional crop breeding and develop new food products based on nutritional or functional properties."
Elsewhere, Australia's food production sector is variously using AI to identify wine berries affected by smoke and eradicate weeds from native crops.
At Delungra in northern NSW, farmer Martin Murray expects AI will be increasingly adopted as more advanced solutions arise.
"Genome sequencing is a bit like when you go to buy a car," he says.
"You're not involved in the design and testing of the HiLux, you just go to Toyota.
"At the end of the day, it's just another tool that plant breeders are using to help them breed better varieties that help us grow more grain and make us more profitable."
Although genome edited or genetically modified food may become a future reality for farmers and scientists, one question persists: will people eat it?
Mr Cumbers says research proves there are health benefits but it will be up to governments to regulate the safety of products.
"There's a lot of other things that can cause negative harm to your health from food, like eating too much sugar, drinking alcohol, eating food high in sodium," he says.
"I don't really think there's any evidence there's any negative effects from genetically modified food .. as it has been around for a number of decades now."
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From Evelyn Hugo to NASA: Author Taylor Jenkins Reid reaches for the stars
Taylor Jenkins Reid recalls a moment writing her new novel, Atmosphere: A Love Story, set against NASA's robust 1980s shuttle program, where she felt stuck. She went, where she often goes, to her husband to talk it through. "I said, 'I can't write this book. I don't know enough about the space shuttle. I don't know what happens when the payload bay doors won't shut and you have to get back within a certain amount of revs, but they can't land at White Sands. They have to land at Cape Kennedy.' And he's like, 'Just listen to yourself. You know so much more than you knew a couple months ago. Keep doing what you're doing.'" Atmosphere follows astronomer Joan Goodwin, who is selected to join NASA's astronaut program. She and fellow trainees become like family and achieve their dream of going to space - until tragedy strikes. The story unfolds in two timelines: One when Joan first joins the NASA program and the other in December 1984 when a mission goes terribly wrong. The duo behind Captain Marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, are adapting the book into a film with a cinema release in mind. Reid knew that she had to do more than just her average six to eight weeks of research. Research and rabbit holes, by the way, are Reid's jam. She's written blockbuster novels set in the golden age of Hollywood in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the 1970s rock scene in Daisy Jones & the Six, 1980s surf culture in Malibu Rising and professional tennis in Carrie Soto is Back. With Atmosphere, though, it took extra time, reading and understanding. "It feels like a fever dream now when I think about it," Reid said. "It was a very intense period of time. " For this endeavor, she needed assistance: "I had to reach out to people, complete strangers that I did not know and say, 'Will you please help me?'" She was surprised at how many people said yes. One of the most important voices was Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving flight director. "He spent hours of time with me," Reid said. "He helped me figure out how to cause a lot of mayhem on the space shuttle. He helped figure out exactly how the process of the connection between mission control and the space shuttle work. The book doesn't exist if he hadn't done that." Question: How has writing Atmosphere changed you? REID: I'm really into astronomy. Last Thanksgiving my family took a road trip to the Grand Canyon. I routed us through Scottsdale, Arizona, because I wanted to go to a dark sky park. Because of light pollution, we can only see the brightest stars when we go out and look at the night sky in a major city. Whereas when you go to a dark sky park there is very limited man-made light. So you can see more stars. We got there and it was cloudy. I was beside myself. The next night we got to the Grand Canyon and all the clouds had disappeared and you could see everything. I stood there for hours. I was teary-eyed. I can't emphasise enough: If anyone has any inclination to just go outside and look up at the night sky, it's so rewarding. Q: Last year you left social media. Where are you at with it now? REID: I didn't realise how much social media was creating so many messages in my head of, you're not good enough. You should be better. You should work harder. You should have a prettier home. You should make a better dinner. And when I stopped going on it, very quickly I started to hear my own voice clearer. It was so much easier to be in touch with what I thought, how I felt, what I valued. I was more in touch with myself but also I'm going out into the world and I'm looking up at the sky and I am seeing where I am in relation to everything around me and I starting to understand how small my life is compared to the scale of the universe. Q: Serena Williams is executive producing Carrie Soto for a series at Netflix. Did you meet her? REID: Yes. It's the only time I've been starstruck. I was in my bones, nervous. I had to talk to myself like, "Taylor, slow down your heart rate." The admiration I have for her as an athlete but also as a human is immense. The idea that I might have written something that she felt captured anything worth her time, is a great honor. And the fact that she's coming on board to help us make it the most authentic story we possibly can, I'm thrilled. It's one thing for me to pretend I know what it's like to be standing at Flushing Meadows and win the US Open. Serena knows. She's done it multiple times. And so as we render that world, I think it is going to be really, really special because we have Serena and her team to help us. Q: Now for your favorite question. What's up with the Evelyn Hugo movie? REID: There's not much that I am allowed to say but a lot of times I think people mistake me not saying anything as a lack of interest or focus and that's not the case. Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right. We're all hard at work. We're taking it very seriously and I give Netflix so much credit because they have such an immense respect for the readership of that book. They want to make them happy. AP/AAP Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page and bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease. Taylor Jenkins Reid recalls a moment writing her new novel, Atmosphere: A Love Story, set against NASA's robust 1980s shuttle program, where she felt stuck. She went, where she often goes, to her husband to talk it through. "I said, 'I can't write this book. I don't know enough about the space shuttle. I don't know what happens when the payload bay doors won't shut and you have to get back within a certain amount of revs, but they can't land at White Sands. They have to land at Cape Kennedy.' And he's like, 'Just listen to yourself. You know so much more than you knew a couple months ago. Keep doing what you're doing.'" Atmosphere follows astronomer Joan Goodwin, who is selected to join NASA's astronaut program. She and fellow trainees become like family and achieve their dream of going to space - until tragedy strikes. The story unfolds in two timelines: One when Joan first joins the NASA program and the other in December 1984 when a mission goes terribly wrong. The duo behind Captain Marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, are adapting the book into a film with a cinema release in mind. Reid knew that she had to do more than just her average six to eight weeks of research. Research and rabbit holes, by the way, are Reid's jam. She's written blockbuster novels set in the golden age of Hollywood in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the 1970s rock scene in Daisy Jones & the Six, 1980s surf culture in Malibu Rising and professional tennis in Carrie Soto is Back. With Atmosphere, though, it took extra time, reading and understanding. "It feels like a fever dream now when I think about it," Reid said. "It was a very intense period of time. " For this endeavor, she needed assistance: "I had to reach out to people, complete strangers that I did not know and say, 'Will you please help me?'" She was surprised at how many people said yes. One of the most important voices was Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving flight director. "He spent hours of time with me," Reid said. "He helped me figure out how to cause a lot of mayhem on the space shuttle. He helped figure out exactly how the process of the connection between mission control and the space shuttle work. The book doesn't exist if he hadn't done that." Question: How has writing Atmosphere changed you? REID: I'm really into astronomy. Last Thanksgiving my family took a road trip to the Grand Canyon. I routed us through Scottsdale, Arizona, because I wanted to go to a dark sky park. Because of light pollution, we can only see the brightest stars when we go out and look at the night sky in a major city. Whereas when you go to a dark sky park there is very limited man-made light. So you can see more stars. We got there and it was cloudy. I was beside myself. The next night we got to the Grand Canyon and all the clouds had disappeared and you could see everything. I stood there for hours. I was teary-eyed. I can't emphasise enough: If anyone has any inclination to just go outside and look up at the night sky, it's so rewarding. Q: Last year you left social media. Where are you at with it now? REID: I didn't realise how much social media was creating so many messages in my head of, you're not good enough. You should be better. You should work harder. You should have a prettier home. You should make a better dinner. And when I stopped going on it, very quickly I started to hear my own voice clearer. It was so much easier to be in touch with what I thought, how I felt, what I valued. I was more in touch with myself but also I'm going out into the world and I'm looking up at the sky and I am seeing where I am in relation to everything around me and I starting to understand how small my life is compared to the scale of the universe. Q: Serena Williams is executive producing Carrie Soto for a series at Netflix. Did you meet her? REID: Yes. It's the only time I've been starstruck. I was in my bones, nervous. I had to talk to myself like, "Taylor, slow down your heart rate." The admiration I have for her as an athlete but also as a human is immense. The idea that I might have written something that she felt captured anything worth her time, is a great honor. And the fact that she's coming on board to help us make it the most authentic story we possibly can, I'm thrilled. It's one thing for me to pretend I know what it's like to be standing at Flushing Meadows and win the US Open. Serena knows. She's done it multiple times. And so as we render that world, I think it is going to be really, really special because we have Serena and her team to help us. Q: Now for your favorite question. What's up with the Evelyn Hugo movie? REID: There's not much that I am allowed to say but a lot of times I think people mistake me not saying anything as a lack of interest or focus and that's not the case. Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right. We're all hard at work. We're taking it very seriously and I give Netflix so much credit because they have such an immense respect for the readership of that book. They want to make them happy. AP/AAP Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page and bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease. Taylor Jenkins Reid recalls a moment writing her new novel, Atmosphere: A Love Story, set against NASA's robust 1980s shuttle program, where she felt stuck. She went, where she often goes, to her husband to talk it through. "I said, 'I can't write this book. I don't know enough about the space shuttle. I don't know what happens when the payload bay doors won't shut and you have to get back within a certain amount of revs, but they can't land at White Sands. They have to land at Cape Kennedy.' And he's like, 'Just listen to yourself. You know so much more than you knew a couple months ago. Keep doing what you're doing.'" Atmosphere follows astronomer Joan Goodwin, who is selected to join NASA's astronaut program. She and fellow trainees become like family and achieve their dream of going to space - until tragedy strikes. The story unfolds in two timelines: One when Joan first joins the NASA program and the other in December 1984 when a mission goes terribly wrong. The duo behind Captain Marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, are adapting the book into a film with a cinema release in mind. Reid knew that she had to do more than just her average six to eight weeks of research. Research and rabbit holes, by the way, are Reid's jam. She's written blockbuster novels set in the golden age of Hollywood in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the 1970s rock scene in Daisy Jones & the Six, 1980s surf culture in Malibu Rising and professional tennis in Carrie Soto is Back. With Atmosphere, though, it took extra time, reading and understanding. "It feels like a fever dream now when I think about it," Reid said. "It was a very intense period of time. " For this endeavor, she needed assistance: "I had to reach out to people, complete strangers that I did not know and say, 'Will you please help me?'" She was surprised at how many people said yes. One of the most important voices was Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving flight director. "He spent hours of time with me," Reid said. "He helped me figure out how to cause a lot of mayhem on the space shuttle. He helped figure out exactly how the process of the connection between mission control and the space shuttle work. The book doesn't exist if he hadn't done that." Question: How has writing Atmosphere changed you? REID: I'm really into astronomy. Last Thanksgiving my family took a road trip to the Grand Canyon. I routed us through Scottsdale, Arizona, because I wanted to go to a dark sky park. Because of light pollution, we can only see the brightest stars when we go out and look at the night sky in a major city. Whereas when you go to a dark sky park there is very limited man-made light. So you can see more stars. We got there and it was cloudy. I was beside myself. The next night we got to the Grand Canyon and all the clouds had disappeared and you could see everything. I stood there for hours. I was teary-eyed. I can't emphasise enough: If anyone has any inclination to just go outside and look up at the night sky, it's so rewarding. Q: Last year you left social media. Where are you at with it now? REID: I didn't realise how much social media was creating so many messages in my head of, you're not good enough. You should be better. You should work harder. You should have a prettier home. You should make a better dinner. And when I stopped going on it, very quickly I started to hear my own voice clearer. It was so much easier to be in touch with what I thought, how I felt, what I valued. I was more in touch with myself but also I'm going out into the world and I'm looking up at the sky and I am seeing where I am in relation to everything around me and I starting to understand how small my life is compared to the scale of the universe. Q: Serena Williams is executive producing Carrie Soto for a series at Netflix. Did you meet her? REID: Yes. It's the only time I've been starstruck. I was in my bones, nervous. I had to talk to myself like, "Taylor, slow down your heart rate." The admiration I have for her as an athlete but also as a human is immense. The idea that I might have written something that she felt captured anything worth her time, is a great honor. And the fact that she's coming on board to help us make it the most authentic story we possibly can, I'm thrilled. It's one thing for me to pretend I know what it's like to be standing at Flushing Meadows and win the US Open. Serena knows. She's done it multiple times. And so as we render that world, I think it is going to be really, really special because we have Serena and her team to help us. Q: Now for your favorite question. What's up with the Evelyn Hugo movie? REID: There's not much that I am allowed to say but a lot of times I think people mistake me not saying anything as a lack of interest or focus and that's not the case. Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right. We're all hard at work. We're taking it very seriously and I give Netflix so much credit because they have such an immense respect for the readership of that book. They want to make them happy. AP/AAP Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page and bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease. Taylor Jenkins Reid recalls a moment writing her new novel, Atmosphere: A Love Story, set against NASA's robust 1980s shuttle program, where she felt stuck. She went, where she often goes, to her husband to talk it through. "I said, 'I can't write this book. I don't know enough about the space shuttle. I don't know what happens when the payload bay doors won't shut and you have to get back within a certain amount of revs, but they can't land at White Sands. They have to land at Cape Kennedy.' And he's like, 'Just listen to yourself. You know so much more than you knew a couple months ago. Keep doing what you're doing.'" Atmosphere follows astronomer Joan Goodwin, who is selected to join NASA's astronaut program. She and fellow trainees become like family and achieve their dream of going to space - until tragedy strikes. The story unfolds in two timelines: One when Joan first joins the NASA program and the other in December 1984 when a mission goes terribly wrong. The duo behind Captain Marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, are adapting the book into a film with a cinema release in mind. Reid knew that she had to do more than just her average six to eight weeks of research. Research and rabbit holes, by the way, are Reid's jam. She's written blockbuster novels set in the golden age of Hollywood in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the 1970s rock scene in Daisy Jones & the Six, 1980s surf culture in Malibu Rising and professional tennis in Carrie Soto is Back. With Atmosphere, though, it took extra time, reading and understanding. "It feels like a fever dream now when I think about it," Reid said. "It was a very intense period of time. " For this endeavor, she needed assistance: "I had to reach out to people, complete strangers that I did not know and say, 'Will you please help me?'" She was surprised at how many people said yes. One of the most important voices was Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving flight director. "He spent hours of time with me," Reid said. "He helped me figure out how to cause a lot of mayhem on the space shuttle. He helped figure out exactly how the process of the connection between mission control and the space shuttle work. The book doesn't exist if he hadn't done that." Question: How has writing Atmosphere changed you? REID: I'm really into astronomy. Last Thanksgiving my family took a road trip to the Grand Canyon. I routed us through Scottsdale, Arizona, because I wanted to go to a dark sky park. Because of light pollution, we can only see the brightest stars when we go out and look at the night sky in a major city. Whereas when you go to a dark sky park there is very limited man-made light. So you can see more stars. We got there and it was cloudy. I was beside myself. The next night we got to the Grand Canyon and all the clouds had disappeared and you could see everything. I stood there for hours. I was teary-eyed. I can't emphasise enough: If anyone has any inclination to just go outside and look up at the night sky, it's so rewarding. Q: Last year you left social media. Where are you at with it now? REID: I didn't realise how much social media was creating so many messages in my head of, you're not good enough. You should be better. You should work harder. You should have a prettier home. You should make a better dinner. And when I stopped going on it, very quickly I started to hear my own voice clearer. It was so much easier to be in touch with what I thought, how I felt, what I valued. I was more in touch with myself but also I'm going out into the world and I'm looking up at the sky and I am seeing where I am in relation to everything around me and I starting to understand how small my life is compared to the scale of the universe. Q: Serena Williams is executive producing Carrie Soto for a series at Netflix. Did you meet her? REID: Yes. It's the only time I've been starstruck. I was in my bones, nervous. I had to talk to myself like, "Taylor, slow down your heart rate." The admiration I have for her as an athlete but also as a human is immense. The idea that I might have written something that she felt captured anything worth her time, is a great honor. And the fact that she's coming on board to help us make it the most authentic story we possibly can, I'm thrilled. It's one thing for me to pretend I know what it's like to be standing at Flushing Meadows and win the US Open. Serena knows. She's done it multiple times. And so as we render that world, I think it is going to be really, really special because we have Serena and her team to help us. Q: Now for your favorite question. What's up with the Evelyn Hugo movie? REID: There's not much that I am allowed to say but a lot of times I think people mistake me not saying anything as a lack of interest or focus and that's not the case. Everyone is working incredibly hard to get this movie made and everyone knows that there is a lot of pressure to get it exactly right. We're all hard at work. We're taking it very seriously and I give Netflix so much credit because they have such an immense respect for the readership of that book. They want to make them happy. AP/AAP Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page and bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease.
Perth Now
20 hours ago
- Perth Now
Elon Musk's big win over Australia
Elon Musk's X and Canadian activist Chris Elston have scored a major win against the eSafety Commission and transgender activist Teddy Cook in a landmark ruling from the Administrative Review Tribunal. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday evening, rescinds a takedown order issued by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant over a controversial social media post on X from February 2024. In the post, Mr Elston slammed the proposed appointment of Mr Cook, a biological female, to a World Health Organisation panel on healthcare delivery. Mr Elston, who goes by the X name Billboard Chris, took aim at WHO's panel of experts hired to draft policy regarding trans people while also misgendering Mr Cook. The post reads: 'This woman (yes, she's female) is part of a panel of 20 'experts' hired by the WHO to draft their policy on caring for 'trans people'. People who belong in psychiatric wards are writing the guidelines for people who belong in psychiatric wards.' Ms Grant labelled the remarks 'degrading' and issued a takedown notice to X on March 22, threatening the company with a fine of up to $782,500 for any refusal to remove the post. X complied and the post was blocked, but the company and Mr Elston filed a legal challenge against the notice, and on Tuesday evening, ART deputy president O'Donovan ruled in their favour, setting aside the removal order. The post from Billboard Chris about Mry Cook that was subject to the takedown notice. Administrative Review Tribunal Credit: News Corp Australia 'The post, although phrased offensively, is consistent with views Mr Elston has expressed elsewhere in circumstances where the expression of the view had no malicious intent,' Mr O'Donovan said. 'For example, his statement placed on billboards that he is prepared to wear in public 'children are never born in the wrong body' expresses the same idea about the immutability of biology that he expresses, albeit much more provocatively, in the post. 'When the evidence is considered as a whole, I am not satisfied that an ordinary reasonable person would conclude that by making the post Mr Elston intended to cause Mr Cook serious harm.' Mr O'Donovan also said there was no evidence Mr Elston intended for Mr Cook to read or receive the post. 'In the absence of any evidence that Mr Elston intended that Mr Cook would receive and read the post, and in light of the broader explanation as to why Mr Elston made the post, I am satisfied that an ordinary reasonable person would not conclude that it is likely that the post was intended to have an effect of causing serious harm to Mr Cook,' the ruling reads. Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant issued the takedown notice in March 2024. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia The ruling centred around the Online Safety Act, which offers a reporting scheme for adult cyber abuse. The Act defines adult cyber abuse as material targeting a particular Australian adult that is both intended to cause serious harm and is also menacing, harassing or offensive in all circumstances. If the material meets both of these two criteria, eSafety holds the power to order its removal. The ruling has been heralded in some quarters as a victory for freedom of speech. Victorian Liberal parliamentarian Moira Deeming celebrated the ruling on X, writing, 'Wow! Than you Billboard Chris and Elon Musk.' Alliance Defending Freedom International executive director Paul Coleman called the ruling a 'decisive win' for free speech. 'In this case, the Australian government alarmingly censored the peaceful expression of a Canadian citizen on an American-owned platform, evidence of the expansive reach of censorial forces, even beyond national borders,' he said. 'This is a victory not just for Billboard Chris but for every Australian – and indeed every citizen who values the fundamental right to free speech.' Mr Cook was formerly ACON's director of LGBTQ+ community health. The eSafety Commission has been contacted for comment.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Sea ice loss risks more icebergs, threatens wildlife
Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said. Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said. Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said. Extreme sea ice loss in Antarctica over the past few years is leading to higher ocean temperatures, more icebergs and habitat dangers for penguins. The oceans surrounding the southern continent have already been trending warmer than average and researchers say the ongoing loss of sea ice is contributing as dark water absorbs more sunlight without a reflective frozen barrier. Species like the Crabeater seal and Adelie penguin rely on sea ice for habitat, with the latter reliant on large chunks during their "catastrophic moult" period when they need to stay dry for weeks at a time. Less sea ice will make it harder for the penguins to find a suitable spot to shed their feathers, leaving them more exposed to predators. Tougher conditions for ships supplying Antarctic missions are also a problem with low ice coverage, the international study led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership researchers has found. Really low summer sea ice is also associated with more icebergs breaking away from the coastline. Years with the least summer sea ice have produced more than twice as many icebergs as the years with the most summer sea ice. Lead author of the study, the AAPP's Edward Doddridge, said up until about 2015, sea ice was around average or even a bit above. "But since 2016 it has been consistently low, and the last few years have been extraordinarily low," he said during a media briefing. The wide-ranging study into the consequences of sea ice loss lands as uncertainty clouds the future of global climate science under the Trump administration. Dr Doddridge said the US Department of Defense planned to stop sharing its global sea ice coverage satellite data with the international community. The uncertainty was "deeply concerning", the sea ice scientist said, but other country's satellites would continue to supply some information. Other Australian-based climate researchers have been alert to risks hanging over earth observation data and climate modelling, given the US has traditionally played a major role. Christian Jakob, director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, was worried about the growing possibility of losing access to the satellite data that was key to global cloud coverage research. Cloud cover shrinkage is thought to be contributing to unexpectedly fast warming. "If those satellites were not renewed, if there were no successors to these satellite missions, then some of the information we have will disappear," Professor Jakob told AAP. Research into the impacts of sea ice loss highlights a number of knowledge gaps but report co-author Will Hobbs, also from the University of Tasmania's AAPP, said the findings supported a rapid transition to net zero. "Climate projections indicate that continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that we're already seeing, and exacerbate the far-reaching negative impacts of sea-ice loss," Dr Hobbs said.
