The Know Daily - Monday 7 August 2023

_{Monday 7 August ∙ Read in 5m 20s ∙ Listening to The Bangles}

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An Australian start-up has developed an eco-friendly carrier bag which dissolves in hot water in seconds. Sydney-based Cassava Bags uses cassava starch (a powder made from cassava, a type of root vegetable) in a range of plastic-free bags including carrier bags, bin liners and pet waste bags. As well as dissolving in water, these non-toxic items break down in the earth within months.

🌊 The Bibby Stockholm barge

Reports suggest that the first asylum seekers will be moved onto the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge later today.

What’s the story?
The barge, which is moored off Portland in Dorset, will house up to 500 men aged 18-65 over the next 18 months while their asylum claims are assessed. 

The Bibby Stockholm arrived in Portland nearly three weeks ago, but has so far remained empty due to health and safety concerns. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick offered a guarantee that the barge is a “safe facility” after the Fire Brigades Union warned that it is a “potential death trap”, citing concerns including overcrowding and access to fire exits.

Why is the barge so controversial?
In an open letter to barge owner Bibby Marine, more than 40 organisations and campaigners labelled the plans “cruel and inhumane”, expressing concerns over the welfare of those on board. The barge has also faced considerable opposition from Portland residents over the potential impact on local services.

What does the government say?
Ministers have repeatedly stated that housing asylum seekers on barges will help cut costs for the taxpayer. The government has also said that the Bibby Stockholm offers basic and functional accommodation, having previously housed oil and gas workers. But as the BBC has pointed out, “the key difference is that its capacity - which used to be 222 - has been doubled to 500 by putting bunk beds in its cabins”.

On Sunday, Labour’s shadow immigration minister confirmed to Sky News that his party would continue to use barges to accommodate asylum seekers, should they be elected.

🎦 When science meets cinema

A new, “world first” cinema capable of monitoring how audiences respond to films is set to open in Bristol next year.

Tell me more.
An innovative, 36-seat cinema - officially called an Instrumented Auditorium - is being equipped with state-of-the-art monitoring technology which will enable it to record data on how audience members react to the content they are watching and hearing in real time.

The “controlled environment” will be able to record audience members’ biometric responses to content, including their “their heart rate, eye movement and brain activity”, said a statement from the University of Bristol.

Researchers will even be able to “monitor the electrical properties of people’s skin to gauge their subconscious emotional and sympathetic responses”.

What’s the thinking behind this?
The initiative is designed to provide insights which could in turn influence “future commissioning, directorial and production approaches to content creation”, said Screen International.

“The Instrumented Auditorium will allow us to stream data that captures audience responses moment by moment, providing unique insights that take us way beyond current questionnaire-based methods,” said a professor of neuropsychology at the university.

What’s the bigger picture?
Anything from “TV adverts to therapy videos” could be tested at the cinema facility, said Bristol Live, and the university claims that there is “enormous potential for future applications of this research”.

Future uses of the technology may look at how people with various forms of mental illness - including depression and anxiety - respond to content differently, to “help learn more about people with the condition and how they see the world”, said Planet Radio.

Would you be up for catching a film at the Instrumented Auditorium - or does the idea of having your responses captured give you the creeps? Share your thoughts by replying to this email.

⚽ Women’s World Cup: European champions England are taking on Nigeria this morning for a spot in the quarter-finals. The game has been described as the “biggest test” for the Lionesses in the tournament so far.

🇳🇪 Niger coup: The military leaders who detained Niger’s president have closed the country’s airspace until further notice, citing the threat of military intervention from its West African neighbours. They have rejected global calls to reinstate President Bazoum.

💰 Second jobs for MPs: Over the past year, MPs have earned £10m from second jobs and freelance work, a Guardian analysis has found. Boris Johnson’s extra income accounts for £4.8m - almost half of the total. The vast majority of the rest was made by Conservative MPs.

🚀 Out of this world: A mother and her 18-year-old daughter - a student at Aberdeen University - are heading to space later this week after winning a spot on Virgin Galactic’s second commercial flight. They’ll be the first mother and daughter to go to space together.

🎬 A billion for Barbie: Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster has brought in $1.03bn at the global box office just 17 days after it was released. Writer-director Gerwig has become the first solo female director with a billion-dollar movie.

Trivia answer: B) Back when the Edinburgh Festival first began in 1947, it was seen as a way to “celebrate and enrich European cultural life” in the wake of the World War Two.

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