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I've worked a little bit with data from the AEMO. I'm not a power distribution engineer, but I did to learn enough to be able to explain it badly. So here goes...

One way to think of it is that all of the equipment on a given segment of the network synchronises to the frequency of the network, but tries to nudge it ever so slightly closer to 50Hz. If every piece of equipment on the network does this, the network as a whole trends towards the correct frequency. The system can tolerate some drift, so each piece of equipment acting independently can force the network as a whole to keep to 50Hz as long as it isn't overloaded.

A typical alternator that you may find in a generation plant is designed so that it will produce 50Hz when fully loaded, that is, whenever the amount of power that it's designed to generate is being drawn. When none of the power is being drawn, it physically turns around 4-5% faster, so it might run at 52 Hz if you did nothing. So if the full power output of the generator is not being used, you need to physically slow it down.

That's easy, but of course the specific technique depends on how the alternator is being physically turned. If you can turn down the amount of fuel (trivial for hydro, almost as easy for a gas turbine), you do that, or you might use a mechanical or electromechanical governor on a coal plant.

The problem happens when the network is overloaded. When you draw more power from an alternator than it is rated to produce, this acts like an electromechanical brake, and it will run slower than 50Hz. You can't force an overloaded alternator to run faster, so any attempt to increase the frequency won't work. The only fix is to not overload it by adding more power to the system or reducing demand.

One of the key reasons why the South Australian government wanted to build the Tesla battery was because the AEMO couldn't get a generator turned on in time and so had to shed load by deliberately causing blackouts in South Australia. The amusing thing about TFA is that we may have just discovered that the Tesla big battery may be designed to protect the SA grid from the AEMO.

Just for completeness, I'm using the word "network" here to refer to a region for which the frequency is synchronised. I believe this is true for most of the NEM; TFA seems to indicate that Hornsdale (SA) and Gladstone (QLD) are synchronised. However, I seem to recall from the data that Tasmania's connection is via a HVDC link which can work in either direction, so presumably Tasmania's frequency doesn't need to be synchronised to that of the mainland.

The AEMO, by the way, is essentially a big integer linear program plus some human intervention in the case of emergencies. The ILP represents the network constraints (e.g. the capability of every generator, the maximum current of every distribution line, a squillion contract clauses) and tries to minimise dollars per kWh.

That's Russia's standard method of operation though. They seek to inflame debates, not weigh in on them. So they will support both sides of an argument, or the weaker/anti-government side of the argument, just to make people lose faith with each other and with their government. This is a pretty good description of it. Russia doesn't actually care who "wins" the argument, only that the argument is as divisive and fractious as possible.

For months, scientists have been reporting the Great Barrier Reef is recovering.

http://www.cairnspost.com.au/n...
https://www.theguardian.com/en...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

Here's an article with no paywall:
Judge Denies QUT Admin's Racism Appeal

I am from Australia and even our government sponsored ABC News run anti-Trump "opinion" and "analysis" articles daily on their news site http://www.abc.net.au/news/ and have done ever since he was elected. It is ridiculous and shows a complete bias on their part. I don't think there is any maliciousness involved, just a bunch of people involved in an echo chamber constantly reinforcing their group-think.

The ABC's Chris Uhlmann did the Trump G20 "tear down" a few months ago. He then toured the US blowing his own horn, and now works for a commercial TV network here in Aus. If that wasn't enough, the ABC had other "journalists" follow up with more front page "analysis" pieces touting how wonderfully insightful the tear-down was. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

The ABS website have even had a sections called "Trumps America" as a way of highlighting him since he took office.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/don...
The content has calmed down now since the USA amazingly didn't implode when he took office but look back and see the bias they have run against him since he became president. The language, the content, what news they have chosen to omit.

But hey, at least it gives content to second rate comedians:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/pro...

I am from Australia and even our government sponsored ABC News run anti-Trump "opinion" and "analysis" articles daily on their news site http://www.abc.net.au/news/ and have done ever since he was elected. It is ridiculous and shows a complete bias on their part. I don't think there is any maliciousness involved, just a bunch of people involved in an echo chamber constantly reinforcing their group-think.

The ABC's Chris Uhlmann did the Trump G20 "tear down" a few months ago. He then toured the US blowing his own horn, and now works for a commercial TV network here in Aus. If that wasn't enough, the ABC had other "journalists" follow up with more front page "analysis" pieces touting how wonderfully insightful the tear-down was. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

The ABS website have even had a sections called "Trumps America" as a way of highlighting him since he took office.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/don...
The content has calmed down now since the USA amazingly didn't implode when he took office but look back and see the bias they have run against him since he became president. The language, the content, what news they have chosen to omit.

But hey, at least it gives content to second rate comedians:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/pro...

I am from Australia and even our government sponsored ABC News run anti-Trump "opinion" and "analysis" articles daily on their news site http://www.abc.net.au/news/ and have done ever since he was elected. It is ridiculous and shows a complete bias on their part. I don't think there is any maliciousness involved, just a bunch of people involved in an echo chamber constantly reinforcing their group-think.

The ABC's Chris Uhlmann did the Trump G20 "tear down" a few months ago. He then toured the US blowing his own horn, and now works for a commercial TV network here in Aus. If that wasn't enough, the ABC had other "journalists" follow up with more front page "analysis" pieces touting how wonderfully insightful the tear-down was. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

The ABS website have even had a sections called "Trumps America" as a way of highlighting him since he took office.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/don...
The content has calmed down now since the USA amazingly didn't implode when he took office but look back and see the bias they have run against him since he became president. The language, the content, what news they have chosen to omit.

But hey, at least it gives content to second rate comedians:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/pro...

I am from Australia and even our government sponsored ABC News run anti-Trump "opinion" and "analysis" articles daily on their news site http://www.abc.net.au/news/ and have done ever since he was elected. It is ridiculous and shows a complete bias on their part. I don't think there is any maliciousness involved, just a bunch of people involved in an echo chamber constantly reinforcing their group-think.

The ABC's Chris Uhlmann did the Trump G20 "tear down" a few months ago. He then toured the US blowing his own horn, and now works for a commercial TV network here in Aus. If that wasn't enough, the ABC had other "journalists" follow up with more front page "analysis" pieces touting how wonderfully insightful the tear-down was. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

The ABS website have even had a sections called "Trumps America" as a way of highlighting him since he took office.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/don...
The content has calmed down now since the USA amazingly didn't implode when he took office but look back and see the bias they have run against him since he became president. The language, the content, what news they have chosen to omit.

But hey, at least it gives content to second rate comedians:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/pro...

Although concrete may seem t to take more energy to put up and take down, what about the maintenance you must do with wood? That requires a lot of materials that take energy to produce also...

Not to mention that unlike a wooden structure, concrete can scrub CO2 from the air after it is built.

I remember for years the phrase was "mathematically a bumblebee can't fly".

Well, that myth that theoretically a bumble bee can't fly is mostly a myth, you know.

Here's a longer explanation of where the myth comes from: http://www.abc.net.au/science/...

I dunno about American coal, but apparently Australian coal is too expensive for those markets: http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

Maybe if you vote R's into office long enough you can have some kind of migrant slaves to mine your coal, but "good paying mining jobs" are not coming back.

True, because the extraction process will be automated as much as possible.

Why this is difficult for people in these areas to comprehend is something I have a little trouble comprehending. This is a lot like the fracking that went on around here.

We heard herbs, Jerbs JERBS! People were seeing new careers for themselves, restaurants were expanding, Hotels were seeing dollar signs. Even banks managed to be taken in.

And I was a damned Cassandra - a gloomy gus, telling people that those jobs were only temporary. Buster Killbuzz, that's me.

Including some folks that lived beside us years ago. Wife had a decent job, the husband worked mostly menial jobs.He got a fracking job, pulling a decent paycheck. They decided to buy a house, and in true American fashion, mortgaged themselves to the hilt. Despite my warnings that the job was only for a few years.

Yup, he's driving taxi now, and they are bankrupt. The restaurant owners lost their asses, others who catered to the frackers are finished.

The whole state is serviced by just a handful of people now, just as it was in the early 1970's after the last gas field jerbs boom.

The point is, all you have to do is say jerbs, Jerbs, JERBS!, and for some bizzare reason, people will believe you even if the answer is plainly obvious that they are at best temporary in the case of fracking, and a cynical bold face lie in the matter of coal jobs.

I certainly don't care if the jobs are temporary, as long as that is known to all. The gas companies didn't lie, they just allowed people to believe a falsehood. But the coalfield jobs were never coming back ever, and that was known. Except to the people who bought the big lie.

I dunno about American coal, but apparently Australian coal is too expensive for those markets: http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

Maybe if you vote R's into office long enough you can have some kind of migrant slaves to mine your coal, but "good paying mining jobs" are not coming back.

Some background reading so that you can appear knowledgeable when my articles finally get through the editorial filters ;)

The main motivation for Chinese to want to go abroad is to escape the hot smoggy climate, and move somewhere cool and green. They love the UK for this reason. When they can't see the skies for the pollution, the government has no option to act. Just do an image search for pollution in China. Those pictures look like something out of a dystopian futureworld.

http://static4.businessinsider...

http://www.museumofthecity.org...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/ima...
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/stati...

On a clear day:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multi...

The article says this: "Queensland Law Society president and succession law specialist Christine Smyth said the law was changed in 2006 to allow for less formal types of documents to be accepted as wills."

Earlier in the article it states: "The Queensland Government's website says for a will to be valid, it must be in writing and "signed by you in front of two witnesses, both of whom must be over 18 years old, cannot be visually impaired and should not be included as beneficiaries in the will."

I would presume that the website would include any changes to the law from eleven years ago.

It is not the first drone-aircraft collision and it will not be the last. There a five identified in this report (one fatal): https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/...

There has since been one reported potential collision in Australia http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

In any case, it does not require a collision for an unmanned aircraft to be a safety threat that needs to be mitigated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Nobody wants to wait until irresponsible use of unregulated aircraft brings down a high capacity aircraft on final before investigating options.

Australia has recently done a full five yearly census, so census data is NOT just estimated.

And if you knew how well that went you wouldn't be so confident in the numbers...

Either that or I am not American and the only pay attention to big weather news, major storms. So no record cold weather where I am from but lots of record hot weather, Australia, and no death cults, that seems to be an American thing, you know the war industrial complex and being in a near permanent state of war and all. Now apparently that polar vortex https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... is also fed by "A polar vortex strengthens in the winter and weakens in the summer due to its dependence on the temperature difference between the equator and the poles.", so well, well, perhaps you should study more and when it comes to weather in the US, I should, well, who is kidding who, I will still only pay any attention to major destructive storms because, yeah, I am on the other side of the world (So yeah, you missed the cold snap created by increased temperature difference between the pole and the equator and the increased moisture at the equator). I find the severe weather interesting as I come from a city that does not experience it at all, Adelaide, storms seem all a little distant, apart from the heat waves when they hit 45C, man that is killer hot and not an ounce of breeze when it gets that hot.

To be fair of course, it was reported different here, http://www.abc.net.au/news/201..., note "Meteorologists predicted the lowest temperatures in two decades in some areas of the country".

That is a workable JG. It has been trialled and is similar to 'Full employment Initiatives' which were part of the reforms post WW2 in USA, Canada, UK, Australia.

You turn up when you want and get paid. So if you want to only work 9 hours one week then that's it. UBI has many good points but they are also encompassed in a JG.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

actually providing some evidence of documented death from casual contact with peanuts

There's this thing called Google. Use it. People don't need to die to invalidate the claim, and there are hundreds out there.

e.g. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...
Just the first google result. I'm sure you can find more if you don't rely on people spoon feeding you common knowledge.

On the other hand, there is abundant evidence across all sectors that simply changing the name on a resume to a female sounding name or to a black sounding name reduces the number of callbacks you receive on that resume.

Most of this is anecdotal evidence, or fake resumes "to test bias", not real resumes and real people.
Here are some real life results.

Except that's a lie, as Australians have found out, on the opposite, using blind recruitment reduces chances of women and minorities:

Blind recruitment trial to boost gender equality making things worse, study reveals
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

But I live in the US,

And yet you haven't been talking about the US in this thread, but other places.

The last guy they told us to trust famously said

You're out of touch, here's the guy telling you to trust you

. Stop worrying about crap you can change. Tell us about today.

Maybe if you weren't so naive, you would be wiser.

Not to mention Darwin in 2015 had a wet bulb temp of over 30 for 11 out of the 12 months 9 Months above 31.

The problem is that kids need to reach a certain age before they get vaccinations. An infant will be susceptible to viruses that non-vaccinated kids spread and can die before they are old enough to get the vaccine.

The maps are wildly inaccurate. I know in my location drones are treated like model aircraft. The laws about those in not restricted zones but alllowed safe zones ie generally restricted but can be flown at designated safe locations. They could be sued for the entirely inaccurate map versus the reality http://www.abc.net.au/news/201....

Remember this is the same dickhead who uses encrypted messaging platforms.

This guy once was the Communications Minister as well as invested in a start-up ISP in the 90s.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

It looks like it has not been passed: http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

I have always been a proponent of enacting legislation that creeps its way to the places I would like it to get: Maybe every two years increase the smoking age by one year. Every five or ten years add another statutory holiday. Every five years reduce the standard working week by an hour.

Similarly we should peg the minimum wage to be some fraction of the legislators' salary, or set a company's minimum salary to some fraction of the maximum compensation recieved by the executives.

It does have profound influences on society, especially when you consider our 'extended mind' can also be a 'shared mind'.
e.g. the Internet, and thats where all the drama is about 'fake news', and increasing efforts to control our extended mind through censorship, eavesdropping etc.

Its always been there though, through mainstream media, i think the difference is that as we become more empowered through accessible information we are becoming more aware of it.

We are still waking up, but once awake our democratic systems will correct the flaws that exist in current institutions.

Podcast about it the extended mind below;
http://www.abc.net.au/radionat...

You are such a dip shit.

Leigh Creek didn't close because it ran out, it closed because the power station closed in the first place. They are currently covering the leftover coal with 2 metres of material so it is sealed and safe.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

Mine manager Peter Kelly said the priority was to make sure any remaining coal does not spontaneously combust.
"The way we do that was cover any potential coal areas with inert cover, material that doesn't burn, around 2m thick, we also batter the angles down so the oxygen can't get in underneath and then we cover it."

Its complex. ""$8 million per year would've kept the power station operational," (29 Mar 2017)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

It isn't just trees making coal, then or today.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/...

I'm not claiming we are going to use coal that is starting its transformation now. But it is happening.

Some disagree.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/...

Malcolm Turnbull confirms he uses Wickr, WhatsApp instead of unsecure SMS technology

Why would they bother with hackers in order to influence elections? Couldn't they register some obscure corporation in the US and simply use 'Citizens United' in order to bribe their way to power?

This is what is happening in Australia. Although in their case, there is no need to hide behind an Australian registered corporation.

If the Paris Accord only requires Presidential approval to be enforced, it only requires Presidential disapproval to end immediately.

If Obama can do it all by himself, Trump can undo it all by himself - immediately if desired.

And note that every other country that has a domestic ratification requirement for a treaty has followed that route and gotten the Paris Accord TREATY ratified domestically.

Like the UK.

Like Australia

Like India

Like China

Like Japan

The US doesn't have to leave the Paris Agreement because without Senate ratification the US never agreed to the TREATY.

Here's one temporary sequestration example:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201...

Enough said.

I am gravely more concerned with bushfire pollution.

Housing in Australia has several components to it which I will try to cover in this post. I live in Melbourne Australia and I want to provide insight to people interested in learning more. 1. The 1980s Hawke/Keating Market reforms set the country up for the past 30 years of economic growth. Anyone denying that is crazy. They floated the currency, freed up the market for global trade and set the nation on a path to long term wealth. They did however over stamp on the breaks in 1991 causing a short recession. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... 2. Negative Gearing and the Capital Gains Tax concessions are two massive tax breaks for existing home owners. Their effects are huge and not to be underestimated. Negative gearing allows any loss on a property such as repair work or investment loss to be written off against the owner's taxable income. Originally it was introduced to boost investment in the housing market. The Capital gains discount allows a property owner to not pay tax on 50% of their profit on a property when they sell it. In the current market this has created a situation where it is better to leave a property empty, appreciating in value and then sell it without the hassle of dealing with tenants and property management firms. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201... 3. Foreign investment. Market research data from Vancouver shows that implementing a 15% tax on foreign property investment caused a property price drop of around 20%. Where that money is coming from doesn't really matter, the point is that foreign investment accounts for approximately 8-11% of properties purchased in the market. https://www.bloomberg.com/news... 4. Recent studies of water usage in Melbourne and Sydney show that upto 80,000 properties in Melbourne alone lie vacant. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ne... and http://www.afr.com/real-estate... 5. Immigration, 182,000 people migrated to Australia in 2015-16 the 2016-17 stats are not available http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats... This is a large number by Australian standards, but most immigrants are not rich enough to buy property outright. Mostly they increase competition in the rental market. Most of these people are settling in Sydney and Melbourne with an estimate of 70-80% of people moving to these two cities. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201... 6. The mining/resources boom. In the late 1990s/early 2000s the mining/resources boom brought a ton of wealth into Australia, this prevented a natural correction from occurring in the property market. More money flooded into the market which has helped to inflate prices and keep the cycle going. Now, with all of these factors combining there are many things occurring in the domestic market. Yes the car industry is closing, but overall that's not a big deal so far, because we haven't been exporting many cars for years and it's been a government funded jobs program. Wages are stagnant and growth is quite low at the moment, at the same time we have seen layoffs increasing especially in the mineral states such as Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The biggest threat to the economy in my opinion is high house prices growth at a time of high unemployment growth. We are seeing areas which most people would not consider desirable to purchase housing in (traditionally poverty stricken high crime areas)

Housing in Australia has several components to it which I will try to cover in this post. I live in Melbourne Australia and I want to provide insight to people interested in learning more. 1. The 1980s Hawke/Keating Market reforms set the country up for the past 30 years of economic growth. Anyone denying that is crazy. They floated the currency, freed up the market for global trade and set the nation on a path to long term wealth. They did however over stamp on the breaks in 1991 causing a short recession. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... 2. Negative Gearing and the Capital Gains Tax concessions are two massive tax breaks for existing home owners. Their effects are huge and not to be underestimated. Negative gearing allows any loss on a property such as repair work or investment loss to be written off against the owner's taxable income. Originally it was introduced to boost investment in the housing market. The Capital gains discount allows a property owner to not pay tax on 50% of their profit on a property when they sell it. In the current market this has created a situation where it is better to leave a property empty, appreciating in value and then sell it without the hassle of dealing with tenants and property management firms. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201... 3. Foreign investment. Market research data from Vancouver shows that implementing a 15% tax on foreign property investment caused a property price drop of around 20%. Where that money is coming from doesn't really matter, the point is that foreign investment accounts for approximately 8-11% of properties purchased in the market. https://www.bloomberg.com/news... 4. Recent studies of water usage in Melbourne and Sydney show that upto 80,000 properties in Melbourne alone lie vacant. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ne... and http://www.afr.com/real-estate... 5. Immigration, 182,000 people migrated to Australia in 2015-16 the 2016-17 stats are not available http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats... This is a large number by Australian standards, but most immigrants are not rich enough to buy property outright. Mostly they increase competition in the rental market. Most of these people are settling in Sydney and Melbourne with an estimate of 70-80% of people moving to these two cities. http://www.abc.net.au/news/201... 6. The mining/resources boom. In the late 1990s/early 2000s the mining/resources boom brought a ton of wealth into Australia, this prevented a natural correction from occurring in the property market. More money flooded into the market which has helped to inflate prices and keep the cycle going. Now, with all of these factors combining there are many things occurring in the domestic market. Yes the car industry is closing, but overall that's not a big deal so far, because we haven't been exporting many cars for years and it's been a government funded jobs program. Wages are stagnant and growth is quite low at the moment, at the same time we have seen layoffs increasing especially in the mineral states such as Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The biggest threat to the economy in my opinion is high house prices growth at a time of high unemployment growth. We are seeing areas which most people would not consider desirable to purchase housing in (traditionally poverty stricken high crime areas)

Tell it to the BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/magazi... or http://www.abc.net.au/news/201... or https://www.forbes.com/sites/a... or https://cosmosmagazine.com/bio... or http://scholar.harvard.edu/fil... or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.... Let me guess, you love firing lead bullets at firing ranges with your buddies, as much as possible.

Gone are the days of:

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

The Illiberal Left's War on Speech continues and we've almost lost it... Major positions have been surrendered without or with little fight:

• "Safe spaces" on campuses have been weaponized and are used to suppress opinions, that make others "uncomfortable";
• The nonsense of "gender-neutral pronouns" and "transgenderism" in general came out of nowhere — a pregnant woman coming to a hospital to give birth claims to be a man, and is offended, when referred to as "mommy" by the nurses.
• Though one can not (yet!) be arrested for making others "uncomfortable" with one's opinion, one may already be fired for same.
• "Hate speech" is already illegal in many Western countries — with movement afoot to bring the same oppression into the US.
• Though the Bill of Rights is still, supposedly, the law of the land, its treatment has changed:

  “This isn’t really the ’60s anymore [...] people can’t really protest like that anymore.”

• The "right to be forgotten", having never existed before, is suddenly "a thing". Can't wait to discuss the court-ordered memory-erasures on SlashDot...

If on the other hand, I deliberately try to serve cookies containing peanuts to you, knowing you're deathly allergic to peanuts

Peanut allergy is real. So, apparently, is the effect of strobing images on epileptics. But it is still worrying...

Recall, that "trigger warnings" are already "a thing". What if my political opinion "triggers" somebody — causing them pain and/or other suffering? For now, such snowflakes are content to escape the brutal realities of life in "safe spaces". Unfortunately, those prolifereate and are already used to silence certain opinions.

True, FBI is not yet used to go after the "triggering" folks, but that can't be far off. When the current crop of students enters real life and their careers place (some of) them into actual decision-making positions, Law Enforcement will equate such triggering with assault — and doctors, currently in pre-med at those same campuses, will certify in court that the "victims'" "pain" is real...

Oh, and did you know, movement is seriously afoot to make "hate speech" a crime too?

tell someone that my intention is to do you harm

Yep. Right here... I do consider certain Illiberals to be beyond repair and do wish to make them uncomfortable — my very /. signatures are designed to mock something they hold dear. Intentionally.

Whatever this intent says about my own character flaws, it is still protected by the First Amendment today. But we are already sliding down the slippery slope... The First Amendment may be protecting a nebulous "right" to sell pornography (except for the child sort, for some reason), as well as to (quietly!) video-tape police. But, if the current trends aren't reversed, it will — in a generation — become illegal to say certain things because of the "painful reaction" such speech might cause...

It's not uneducated parents that are the problem. It's a lot of middle-class mothers who are totally convinced by the pseudo-science and rubbish that's peddled on the internet and by "Wellness" gurus. Australia seems to be infested with them.

Someone has just been hammered for this.

The Paleo Diet is alive and well here, pushed by a chef who somehow has become a dietary-science expert and made a mint from pushing books that contain dangerous pseudo-diets.

We also seem to be very susceptible to charlatans spruiking special-cancer treatments that do nothing but give false hope, drain someone's bank account and leaves them dead quicker.

First off, I completely agree about your point with so-called "wellness" gurus and other charlatans like David "avocado" Wolfe. These people are doing more to increase sickness and disease than most wars in the last 50 years.

However the Paleo diet has some science behind it, a high protein, low carbohydrate diet has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss and muscle gain. Older Australians like myself knew it as the CSIRO diet before it got hipstered into "paleo". its a diet designed for weight management.

It's not uneducated parents that are the problem. It's a lot of middle-class mothers who are totally convinced by the pseudo-science and rubbish that's peddled on the internet and by "Wellness" gurus. Australia seems to be infested with them.

Someone has just been hammered for this.

The Paleo Diet is alive and well here, pushed by a chef who somehow has become a dietary-science expert and made a mint from pushing books that contain dangerous pseudo-diets.

We also seem to be very susceptible to charlatans spruiking special-cancer treatments that do nothing but give false hope, drain someone's bank account and leaves them dead quicker.

I mean, there are plenty of bits of progress that don't take us back to the dark ages being proposed.

For example, lets invest heavily in solar, wind and nuclear power.

Even those are opposed by the coal/oil drilling nut jobs.

Q: What did South Australia have before candles?

A: Electricity.

Have a look at the South Australian experiment in renewable energy: http://search.abc.net.au/s/sea...

The majourity of Muslims live in Asia! Particular Indonesia, Malaysia, India and China, and if you want to count it in: Pakistan. All those nations have no problems with radical Muslims or Sharia.

Indonesia: "Aceh Province, on the northern tip of Sumatra island, stands alone in having formally established Shariah law in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country with a relatively secular Constitution. In Aceh, women are required to dress modestly, alcohol is prohibited, and numerous offenses -- from adultery to homosexuality to selling alcohol -- are punishable by public whipping.

Aceh (pronounced AH-chay) began its experiment with Shariah in 2001, after receiving special authorization from Indonesia's central government, which was intent on calming separatist sentiment in the deeply conservative region. Now, Shariah police officers roam the province, raiding everything from hotel rooms to beaches in a hunt for immoral activity.

In the decade and a half since, Indonesia as a whole has drifted in a conservative direction, and Aceh, once an outlier, has become a model for other regions of the country seeking to impose their own Shariah-based ordinances, alarming those who worry about the nation's drift from secularism."

Malaysia: "The Malaysian Parliament is set to debate a controversial bill that could see stricter forms of sharia law introduced in the state of Kelantan, but critics have warned the so called hudud bill would result in whippings and even the amputations of limbs for crimes such as theft. [..] Kelantan's state capital Kota Bahru is deeply religious and many of its citizens live by a strict adherence to Islam. At shops and supermarkets there are separate queues for males and females, while signs advising women to cover up are common outside offices and government buildings."

India: An interesting political situation with a complex history. The Muslims there are said to be very much not extremists. But maybe that's more because of the history and the current political climate, where Hindus are the dominant population and agitators (after having been dominated earlier by Muslims themselves), and the Muslims that are there were the ones who stayed in India, while practically all the Indians left Pakistan during the split. Even so, India still suffers Islamic terror attacks, especially from neighboring Pakistan (remember those bloody borders), and there are calls for Muslim-rule areas within India.

Pakistan: A hotbed of terrorism and militant Islam, and dominated by Sharia.

China has problems with Islamic separatists, but they are an authoritarian state and have managed to keep a lid on it.

Other countries you haven't mentioned:

Afghanistan: Taliban and al Qaeda.

Philippines: Home to an Islamic separatist movement. In the news recently.

Or I can name several countries in Africa, like Mali, Nigeria, and Somalia.

Or I could talk about Russia.

I'm going to stop here because I don't want to make an exhaustive list.

Turkey was "safe" before Erdogan came

Yes, because a popular military commander picked up the pieces from the Ottoman empire and forced a secular government on the nation. Several military coups and a nearly century later, it's being undone by an elected Muslim leader, and the last military coup has failed.

Do you see a pattern here? ISLAM HAS BLOODY BORDERS. It's founding prophet was a military warlord who imposed Sharia law.

The ISIS idiots on the other hands are simply power hungry idiots. That they es

Check out the national FM broadcast commercial-free free-to-air radio station "Triple J" from Australia. They live stream through their website and are well worth a listen.

Conversations, Richard Fidler, Radio National (ABC Australia0
Not tech specific; but very well done long form interviews on a diverse range of subjects.
http://www.abc.net.au/radio/pr...