Oh God, Just Give Us All A Break!

'Woke' scientists claim that female animals, monsters, robots and magical creatures are 'underrepresented' in children's cartoons. From Frozen's Olaf to Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc, many of the most loveable characters in children's cartoons are non-human. But experts from UC Berkeley point out that the majority of these characters are portrayed as male.

Ah, Berzerkley, no wonder! 

In fact, in some popular movies, such as Disney's Moana, female non-human characters have no screen time at all.

Well, why should that matter when the movie’s main character is a YOUNG GIRL!? 

Dr David Bamman, who led the study, said: 'I think our research is so important because it exposes the gender disparity that exists not only within movies broadly, but even within animation. 

'It shapes the ways children get acclimated to what's considered the norm.'

I wonder if the young David Bamman ever dreamed of being the first person to invent a world-changing device, or cure cancer, instead of wasting his career whinging about ‘representation’.

Bet You Won't See The Elites Eating It Though...

“If we’re going to address the world’s insatiable craving for animal meat, we’re going to have to replace like for like.” That means cultivating meat from cells in brewery-like factories or making taste-identical plant-based meats. In both cases, for people to buy them, the products must also cost the same or less than conventional meat.

In most cases, for people to buy them, you'd have to hold a gun to their head. Or maybe that's just me?  

These alternative proteins are the electric vehicles (EVs) of food, Friedrich says; the same experience, but better: “Just like a car doesn’t now need a combustion engine, a phone doesn’t need a cord, and you can take pictures without film, you can make meat without the need for live animals.”

It's Frankenfood. I suppose it's a natural progression from the 'science' that seems to believe it's possible to change women into men and vice versa. 

But such progress will require governments to ramp up their support for the scientists overcoming the obstacles in this still-embryonic field. They have done it before for previous transformative technologies, from penicillin to the internet to renewable energy, Friedrich says.

All vastly useful inventions, that had no viable alternative at the time, or like this, did but it suited governments and lobbyists to pretend the viable alternative had become problematic.  

If China went all-in for example, he says, conventional meat could be all but history by mid-century: “They took EV sales [at home] from 1% to more than 50% in the 10 years to 2025, and that’s a tougher tech challenge and scaling challenge than alternative meats.”

China? You're pinning your hopes on China?! The population of which eats everything with wings that isn't a airplane, and everything that with four legs that isn't a table? Well, good luck with that!

Friedrich is a compelling advocate for his goal of ending industrial agriculture, with answers for the many criticisms: “It’s just a shockingly inefficient way of producing food. It takes nine calories of crops to get one calorie of chicken, 10 or 11 calories of crops to get one calorie of pig meat or farmed fish and 40 to 100 calories of crops to get one calorie of beef.”

That's industrial factory farming. But - for example -  lamb and goat can be produced on land that is useless for any other type of food production.

Frequently raised is the “yuck factor” of cultivated meat. This is overblown, Friedrich says. “People are not eating meat because of how it’s produced,” he says. “They’re eating meat because it’s delicious and affordable. All of the polling indicates significant enthusiasm for cultivated meat, especially among people who eat the most meat.”

Who are you polling, Friedrich ? Is it the people who are expected to eat this? Because, let's face it, this stuff isn't going to be on the menu at Davos or the Oscars, is it? 

Who Says University Won't Learn Ya Nuthin'..?

You'll never guess....

Alligators are armored apex predators, with railroad-spike teeth and a bite force without peer in today's world. They have survived for millions of years almost entirely unchanged, because they are the perfect killing machine and absolutely dominant in their environment.

So, how can we, rather soft, squishy humans, avoid being the target of one of these monstrous beets? (sic) Well, fortunately for us, a study from the University of Florida has the answer for reducing our risk of alligator attack:

Stay away from alligators.

 Well, I never! 

H/T: The Jannie via email

And Yet, No One Is Concerned About The Cause Of This Rising Need…

More than £100m was spent last year by local authorities and the government on failed efforts to block support for children and young people with special educational needs in England, according to analysis by the Guardian. The enormous cost in legal fees and staff resources came after councils won just 136 out of more than 10,000 tribunals in 2022-23, a success rate of 1.2%, as record numbers of families took to the courts to challenge councils over agreements known as education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

Why is the cost rising? Well, believe it or not, the cause isn't the litigation, that's just a symptom... 

Experts said the surging numbers of appeals and mounting costs were evidence that special education provision was becoming an adversarial battle between cash-strapped councils and desperate families...

And are we having more of these cases? Reader, we are. 

The number of children applying for and being granted EHCPs has shot up in recent years as school and council budgets have dwindled, leaving EHCPs as the only way for families to get extra funding and support for a child and their place of education.

In fact, the number has risen to almost unbelievable levels: 

Department for Education (DfE) figures show that nearly one in 19 children aged between five and 15 in England now have an EHCP...

Why is no-one looking into this? Why is the legal battles it causes the focus instead?  

Surely They Should First Ensure That It Is..?

The government must urgently reassure consumers that feed additives given to cattle to reduce methane emissions are harmless, and a vital tool in tackling the climate crisis, the chair of an influential parliamentary committee has warned.

But is it? Is anyone who isn't already a die-hard 'anthropogenic global warming' fanatic claiming that it is?

Lady Sheehan, chair of the environment and climate change committee of the House of Lords, called on ministers to step up as a row has blown up over the prospective use of the additive Bovaer in British dairy herds supplying Arla, the dairy company.

“The government has the evidence it can use” of the product’s safety, she said. “I can see why the government wouldn’t want to throw its weight behind recommending one of the feed additive options out there because there are others, but the government can point to the evidence to date that the FSA has licensed it and has reassured [consumers] that it is safe.”

Unfortunately, love, the government insisting something is safe doesn't hold as much weight as it once did... 

She said seaweed, willow and maize added to cattle diets were also showing promise in reducing methane, and should be further explored.

So we no longer know whether our tea tastes funny because the milk's off, or it's got a tang of seaweed? 

Arla announced last month it would start trials of Bovaer in the UK, but an online backlash ensued with some people claiming they would boycott the dairy. Arla and the manufacturer of Bovaer, DSM-Firmenich, have been forced to make public statements that the additive – which has been developed over 15 years and was certified by the UK’s food safety watchdog over a year ago – is safe.

Consumers don't want to buy your product with this stuff in it. What's hard to understand about that?  

Sheehan put the row down to “misinformation and disinformation” spread on social media. She added: “The government needs to continue with the trials that it’s doing to stay on top of this, to make sure what the long term effects are.”

So if it's a 'trial' and they don't know what the long term effects are already, how can you claim it's safe? 

The Media Lying To Us Again....

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are displacing healthy diets “all over the world” despite growing evidence of the risks they pose and should be sold with tobacco-style warnings, according to the nutritional scientist who first coined the term.

“UPFs are increasing their share in and domination of global diets, despite the risk they represent to health in terms of increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases,” Monteiro told the Guardian ahead of the conference in São Paulo. “UPFs are displacing healthier, less processed foods all over the world, and also causing a deterioration in diet quality due to their several harmful attributes. Together, these foods are driving the pandemic of obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes.”

And how does 'The Guardian' choose to illustrate this article? Not with anything any normal person would consider 'food', but rather sweets and snacks: 

Want to see some real ultra-processed foods? Here they are:

Although judging by their continuing presence on the 'yellow sticker' shelves, not enough people are buying it. 

 

Of All The Things We Need To 'Keep Track Of'...

...I think we can do without this, frankly!

The world is awash in a global network of people buying and selling spiders and scorpions with very little regulation or monitoring, a new study has found.

Translation: Experts in tiny field worry there’s not enough to keep them employed, drum up ‘threat’ only they can dissipate…

Haven't The Movies Warned Us About This?

He suggested scooping up the object from the bottom of the Pacific with a magnet in order to examine the 'artificial' object and added that retrieving the object could be an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of getting his hands on alien technology.

Please don't, it rarely ends well! 

Aren't They All Just Signs...?

...that it's a cat?

It's Hard To Sum Up How Little I Care...

BBC Newsnight went an entire week without featuring a single live interview with a guest from a minority ethnic background, according to an analysis of national media output.

Cheers, Joey! 

Who wasted my precious time with this 'news'..?

...according to a survey conducted by the Women in Journalism group...

Ah.  

Some media groups, reluctant to comment publicly, acknowledged failings but pushed back on the report’s methodology, saying the survey only took into account print newspaper front pages rather than websites, and was selective in its analysis of the television and radio schedules. Women in Journalism said it was restricted in its media monitoring ability due to the limited funding available for such projects.

I'm astounded anyone wasted money on this worthless 'research'... 

Science, Bitches!

Michelle Jefferies, director of resources at the Farnworth school, said: "The idea of ‘Blueberry Breakfast’ was first suggested by Mr Roach our executive headteacher.

"His science teacher routes (sic) have never left him and he had read an article in relation to the positive effects of blueberries on both concentration and memory.

"The European Journal of Nutrition attributed high levels of anthocyanins — brain boosting organic compounds— in blueberries to enhanced cognition in children."

Did it say the effect kicked in an hour after scoffing a bowlful, then?

Bradley Blackburn, in year 11, said: "I’m definitely coming in early tomorrow for breakfast.

"I think it’s a great idea by school and helps us all to feel positive and confident before our exams."

Classmate Talia Barton added: "Even if it doesn’t taste like my favourite drink I will still drink it if it helps me focus in my exam."

Meanwhile, in Dundee:

Headmistress Gillian Knox sent pupils home with a letter saying: ‘Red is often used to energise body and mind, and some research indicates that it can increase heart and breathing rates. [This is] not the calm, relaxed learning state we hope to achieve.

‘A recent study linked red to impaired performance on achievement tasks.

‘Our staff feel that red needs to remain a key element of our uniform but that it would be best used in small amounts, for example, in our school tie.’

What next, voodoo..?

Mass 'Medication' Is The Answer!

People across the UK should increase their daily intake of vitamin D because gloomy British winters do not provide enough sunshine to maintain healthy levels throughout the year, government health advisers have recommended.

Hmmmm, really? Are we sure there aren't some other reasons?

The SACN report said the new recommended intake should apply throughout the year “as a precautionary measure” to cover those who do not get much sun, such as those who are housebound or cover their skin for cultural or religious reasons. It would ensure that 97.5 per cent of the population reached healthy levels of vitamin D.

Ah. Thought so.

There's also the skin cancer hysteria which has led most Brits in the younger generation to fear the sun's rays more than Dracula, of course.

The average British diet is not conducive to a high intake of vitamin D, which can be obtained from relatively few food sources including oily fish, red meat, certain mushrooms and, to a lesser extent, from eggs.

No problem! I love all those, I'm not housebound and I have no religion. I'm gold!

“Given current intake levels of vitamin D from foods, at less than 5mg per day, the draft recommendation of 10mg is unlikely to be achievable from these foods alone, particularly for groups where there is advice to limit oily fish consumption to two servings a week, such as girls and pregnant women,” said Helena Gibson-Moore, a scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation.

“Taking some exercise in the sunshine, while avoiding sunburn, is sound advice for all.”

Dr Martineau said that it was unlikely that the entire population would be willing to take supplements to fill its vitamin D deficit, so the best solution would likely be the routine fortification of food and drink, something which already occurs in other countries.

Oh. Well, looks like I'm going to get an overdose then.

Seriously, why is the answer to 'Some groups are at risk of..' always to force everyone else to consume the 'antidote'?

There’s No ‘Racist Science’ Or ‘Non-Racist Science’…

…there’s just science:

It angered me that there was a new wave of racist science getting undue and often largely uncritical publicity. I began to explore the arguments and saw that they were based on bad science (or a poor understanding of science). This needed to be exposed.

That’s from the lavish publicity blurb for Gavin Evans’ new book, ‘Black Brain White Brain: Is Intelligence Skin Deep?’ masquerading as a news article in the ‘Haringey Independent’.

I hope to puncture the latest bubble of racist science, and, in the longer terms, I would like the book to be a reference to be used against future race science claims.

Really? And how are you planning on achieving this?

I started with reading the work of race science proponents – people like Satoshi Kanazawa, Richard Lynn, Charles Murray, Nicholas Wade and many others – and then went back to the basics and did extensive secondary research into four areas: archaeology, evolutionary theory, genetics and IQ theory, reading scores of academic papers and books while picking the brains of friends and academic colleagues who were experts in these areas – evolutionary biology, genetics, neurology and psychiatry.

Ah. Right. OK. Rigorous scientific methods, there…

Because They Do Such A Bang-Up Job Teaching Reading, Writing And Arithmetic…

The survey of 10,000 pupils aged 14 and 15 in secondary schools across the UK found that more than half failed to identify what researchers described as good judgments when responding to a series of moral dilemmas, leading researchers to call for schools to have a more active role in teaching character and morality.

Good god! How on earth are they supposed to do (or perhaps in some cases, undo) in a school day what parents are supposed to have done all their lives?

“A good grasp of moral virtues, such as kindness, honesty and courage can help children to flourish as human beings, and can also lead to improvements in the classroom. And that level of understanding doesn’t just happen – it needs to be nurtured and encouraged,” said Prof James Arthur, director of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, which conducted the research.

Blimey! If that’s not a scary-sounding name, I don’t know what is…

So…what sort of moral dilemmas did these survey respondents have to look at, anyway?

In one moral dilemma designed to test courage, pupils were asked to rate the best and worst actions and justifications available to a school girl who was selected for a prestigious sports squad whose looks were being exploited by its coach for publicity.

The survey found that in many cases, pupils responded based on their self-interest, or from the perspective of avoiding involvement if they could act as if it was not happening.

Ah! I see! No great moral dilemmas here, just another warped attempt to shoehorn left-wing identity politics into the mix, and demand action when it ‘proves’ that not enough notice is taken of them.

While the range of schools surveyed included both state and private schools, the authors said there was a danger that those schools most interested in developing character were more willing to take part, as were teachers already interested in character education, potentially biasing the sample.

In addition, researchers warned that the moral dilemmas “may stimulate responses more in line with social desirability than a person’s actual moral responses in life” – meaning that pupils may have been giving what they perceived to be socially acceptable answers, rather than what they truly believed.

Junk science then. Best ignored.

“What Killed The Dinosaur, Mummy? Was It A Meteorite?”

“No, sweetie. It was the march of the ecomentalists through our institutions…”

He was erected in the aftermath of the Winter of Discontent and has stood tall through the governments of six prime ministers.

But now Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s beloved dinosaur cast, is to be moved from his spot in the entrance hall where he has welcomed wide-eyed visitors since 1979.

In his place will hang the huge skeleton of a blue whale, the biggest creature on Earth, and the largest example of its kind in the world.

Oh no! Why is he going? I'll miss him, he's always the first thing I see when I go to my favourite place in London.

“If I am honest there has been concern about Dippy going,” said Sir Michael, “But a lot of people do not realise that it is not actually a real dinosaur whereas the whale will be the real thing. Which I think is important. ”

Oh. So…it’s all a question of accuracy? Well, that's a shame, but who could really argue ab...

Oh.

Sir Michael added: “As the largest known animal to have ever lived on Earth, the story of the blue whale reminds us of the scale of our responsibility to the planet.

“This makes it the perfect choice of specimen to welcome and capture the imagination of our visitors, as well as marking a major transformation of the Museum.

“This is an important and necessary change. As guardians of one of the world’s greatest scientific resources, our purpose is to challenge the way people think about the natural world, and that goal has never been more urgent.”

Ah! Right. Got it, now.

Sorry, kiddiewinks, but Dippy has to go so we can show you what awful bastards you’ll all grow up to be if you don’t do something about global warming & the rape of Gaia.

Ohhh, Ohhh, I Know The Answer!

*waves hand in air*

Is it because they are polar bears, and not human beings?

Some More ‘Research’ We Can Safely Ignore

Most major restaurant and fast-food chains fail to provide basic standards of food for children, research suggests today.

Yes, the numbers of children stumbling out onto the high street with rickets or kwashiorkor or uncontrollable diarrhea is stunning, isn't it? Or even dying!

Meals aimed at children are still dominated by unhealthy options such as chicken nuggets, burgers and sausages – with few fruit or vegetables, a survey of 21 of the nation’s most popular chains found.

Well, they’re called things like ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken’ and ‘Burger King’ and ‘Pizza Hut’, not ‘Finger Lickin’ Broccoli’ or ‘Lettuce A Go Go’.

But this is, of course, just more rent-seeking, and from the usual suspects too:

. The campaign, run by the Soil Association and Organix, is calling for the restaurant industry to improve children’s menus.

Which translates as ‘Buy and serve more of our produce and less of our competitors produce’…

Joanna Lewis, head of policy at the Soil Association, said: “Our investigation reveals that most high-street restaurants are not even meeting the most basic standards families should expect when they eat out. Most are still churning out children’s menus dominated by the usual suspects – burgers, nuggets and pizzas – turning the table into a battlefield for any parents wanting their child to eat well.”

Well, only for those who've not yet learned how to say ‘Eat your greens or you aren't getting a dessert’.

And who can afford to take their children out for a meal every day? An occasional treat of nuggets and pizzas won’t hurt, providing they aren't being fed the same stuff at home as well.

And if they are…well, how is that the restaurant’s problem?

I'm All In Favour Of This!

In one more article helping along the denormalisation of e-cigarettes, we see this howler:

'Although we did not see any studies in their entirety, we noted one of the documents referred to a trial related to vaporising propylene glycol and children...

I've got a little list, scientists, if you need more test subjects!

H/T: Kevin Kirk via email

The Killer In My Dining Room...

I'm watching it.

It sits there, eyeing me.

Plotting my doom. It knows it just has to be patient.

It's....the sweater I'm drying on the radiator.

Wait. What?

A study carried out by the Mackintosh School of Architecture found that many homes had too much moisture indoors.

Up to a third of this moisture was attributed to drying laundry. The researchers have called on housebuilders to build dedicated drying areas into new housing to address the health concerns.

*boggle*

A study of 100 homes by the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit in Glasgow found 87% dried their washing indoors in colder weather.

Ummm, well, yes. It's Glasgow. Not famed for it's sunny climate, is it? I doubt that figure drops much in summer!

A total of 75% of households, which were of mixed styles, had moisture levels which could lead to dust mite growth. There was also a strong association between drying laundry and mould spores.

'Could'. 'Association'. This is more pointless 'science', isn't it?

The researchers want to see dedicated drying areas incorporated into new housing.

Have they even seen any new build housing? There's barely room to fit humans in, never mind airing cupboards!

Leg-Iron's right - reality long outstripped satire!

H/T: Robert Hale via email

More Pointless ‘Research’ Designed To Give The Answer A Pressure Group Wants…

One in 10 deprived inner-city children visits a fast food outlet every day, research suggests.

Researchers found that half of schoolchildren living in poor urban areas may be consuming fast food twice a week.

And who published this ground-breaking ‘research’?

Data published in the online journal BMJ Open showed that 54% of these children bought food or drink from a fast food or takeaway outlet at least twice a week.

Aha! Well, I’m sure they picked their data to be scrupulously fair…

The authors quizzed 193 pupils aged 11 to 14, living in Tower Hamlets, London, about their weekly fast food preferences and habits.

They attended two schools which operate an "open gate policy" at lunch time.

Well, they’d pretty much have to, wouldn’t they?

Two-thirds of the children were entitled to free school meals.

And didn’t eat them? I guess we can safely ignore the ‘Guardian’s’ clamouring for more of this, then, as they clearly aren’t in such desperate need as it thinks…

One in three was overweight or obese.

According to what measurement? The now-thoroughly-discredited BMI?

And…how come it’s suddenly OK to profile?

Seven out of 10 children from black ethnic backgrounds and more than half of those from Asian backgrounds purchased fast food or drinks more than twice a week.

Dangerous waters, there!

The key influence for buying such food was its taste, with 92% of children saying they enjoyed eating meals from fast food outlets.

Having seen what gets dished up in school lunches, who’s surprised?

They also said fast food products were readily available and they bought such products due to peer influence.

And the conclusions? Well, c’mon, I could probably write them, knowing the mindset of these people and the way they’ve conducted their ‘research’:

The authors write: "These schoolchildren are exposed to an environment that is likely to cause obesity, and it is not surprising that in this situation, many of these children are already overweight or obese and will likely become obese as adults.

"Clearly, actions need to be taken to either limit the ability of these children to access fast food outlets or to change the foods they purchased at these outlets."

Or, alternatively, we could just ignore it as the product of interfering doom-mongering nannystaters that it is?