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Mobile phones are now part of our way of life. They allow us to take our online lives everywhere: to the shops, on our daily commute, on a run or to the gym, and even (go on, admit it) into the toilet. And sometimes we even use them to make phone calls.
But even as COVID-19 forced us to embrace sanitiser and a more structured hand washing routine in the past 18 months, mobile phones have got away pretty unscathed.
And they’re filthy.
Bond University’s Lotti Tajouri has been researching the use of mobile phones in hospital settings, and he’s found hospital staff are no different to the rest of us. 52% of hospital staff surveyed took their phones with them into the toilet, and 57% said they’d never sanitised their phones, even though they know their phones are probably contaminated.
Watch Lotti explain what his team found on the phones in our hospitals, show (under UV light) how easily contamination moves from our phones to our hands – and all over our homes – and explain the personal story of a family emergency that led to his research.
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Wes Mountain
Multimedia Editor
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Wes Mountain/The Conversation
Wes Mountain, The Conversation; Chynthia Wijaya, The Conversation
Watch Lotti Tajouri explain how mobile phones are vectors for bacteria and viruses, why this is a problem in our hospitals, and how you can sanitise your phone to help stop the spread of disease.
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Portrait of Sir James Stirling, ca. 1833.
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Jeremy Martens, The University of Western Australia
James Stirling was WA’s first governor from 1829-39. He condoned numerous acts of murder by white settlers.
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Jakob Weis, University of Tasmania
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covaxx.
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Deborah Gleeson, La Trobe University
Developing nations can’t make COVID vaccines because some rich nations won’t support waiving patents. Unless Australia and others do more, the world will keep living with “grotesque” vaccination gaps.
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Politics + Society
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Blair Williams, Australian National University
Political biographies show us who is ‘worthy’ of being written about … and who is overlooked in history.
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Graeme MacRae, Massey University; I Nyoman Darma Putra, Universitas Udayana
Many Balinese believe COVID-19 cannot be fought with health measures alone, and requires ritual offerings and prayer. But collective ritual places people at more risk.
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Environment + Energy
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Charith Rathnayaka, University of the Sunshine Coast
Dried foods are a staple in many Aussie diets, but the industry is under threat as recurring drought makes fruit and vegetables harder to process.
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Business + Economy
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Ben Walker, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Erin Roxburgh-Makea, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Stephen Cummings, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Ki te tini o ngā umanga Māori, he whānui kē atu ngā hua ka whāia tēnā i ngā putanga ahumoni anake. He rautaki reanga-maha ō rātou, he whakanoho rātou i te painga mō te katoa hei ahunga mō te ihu o te waka. He akoranga i konei mō ētahi atu umanga.
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Ben Walker, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Erin Roxburgh-Makea, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Stephen Cummings, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Māori businesses often prioritise more than financial results, have multi-generational strategies and put community at the centre of planning. Other businesses could learn from this.
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Sophia Duan, RMIT University; Alemayehu Molla, RMIT University; Hepu Deng, RMIT University; Richard Tay, RMIT University
Imagine if you had the option of booking and paying for multiple public transport and shared services using a single app.
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Science + Technology
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Ben Egliston, Queensland University of Technology; Marcus Carter, University of Sydney
Facebook is adamant its new “smart glasses” won’t be a privacy nightmare. But it is clearly bidding to normalise the use of wearable tech. And if video Ray-Bans go mainstream, what comes next?
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Arts + Culture
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Annamarie Jagose, University of Sydney; Lee Wallace, University of Sydney
The third season of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None explores the complexities of a lesbian relationship. It is like nothing the show has done before.
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Health + Medicine
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Tim Olds, University of South Australia; Carol Maher, University of South Australia; Verity Booth, University of South Australia
Studies have shown a drop in physical activity for kids during lockdowns, which could impact their long term health. But their mums are getting more active.
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