reader's digest

ON

industry rushes to mine our ancient satellite?

BY Ceridwen Dovey

rdasia.com 99

READER’S DIGEST

o matter where in the world we are,
when we look at the full Moon we
see something that has remained
unchanged since our ancestors first
gazed at it. Unlike Earth’s surface,

N in constant flux due to the effects of
the atmosphere, changing weather
patterns, shifting continents and moving water, the
Moon’s features have remained mostly the same for
more than four billion years.

Since 2019’s anniversary hullaba- spacecraft in the next few years, and PHOTO:(PREVIOUS PAGE): GETTY IMAGES
loo celebrating 50 years since Neil some are gearing up for crewed Moon
Armstrong took his “small step” onto missions: NASA’s Artemis programme
the Moon and left a boot-print be- is ambitiously aiming for 2024; the
hind on that ancient landscape, the European Space Agency and China
voices calling for a new golden age National Space Administration say
of space activities have grown loud- they’ll establish a joint Moon Village
er, fuelled by the recent discovery of sometime in the 2020s, and China
water-ice on the Moon. also plans to build its own lunar base
by 2030.
The presence of lunar water-ice was
initially theorised after a 1998 NASA Added to the mix, for the first time,
mission, but in 2019, NASA confirmed are private companies, following a
there are significant ice deposits on move by Western space agencies to
the Moon. Water means the possibili- form public-private partnerships to
ty of human habitation, and it can also commercialise space activities and re-
be split into hydrogen and oxygen for duce costs. NASA has authorised nine
rocket fuel. A permanent Moon base US companies to bid on commercial
would be the first step in any plans to payload deliveries to the Moon over
extract resources or launch missions the next decade. Japanese company
elsewhere, especially to Mars. ispace wants to mine the Moon and
establish a settlement named Moon
All the major spacefaring nations Valley as a base from which to mine
now have designs on the Moon. In asteroid belts. An American compa-
January 2019, China landed the first ny called OffWorld plans to establish
probe on the Moon’s far side. The robotic mining and manufacturing
US, India, Russia, Europe, South Ko- workforces both “on and offworld”.
rea and Japan will send up robotic

100 may 2021

Saving the Moon

An artist’s impression of a mining operation on the Moon

PHOTO:ALAMY Morgan Stanley analysts have estimat- buzz phrase is ‘in situ resource utilisa-
ed the global space industry – current- tion’, which means rather than bring-
ly worth around US$350 billion – will ing lunar resources back to Earth they
be worth more than US$1 trillion by would instead be used on the Moon
2040. Goldman Sachs Research has to enable settlement and onward jour-
predicted the world’s first trillionaire neys, including forays to resource-rich
will make their fortune mining aster- asteroid belts.
oids.
Silicon Valley tech titans have
Untold riches funded several space start-ups. In
May 2019, spaceflight company Blue
These new space-mining corporations Origin (owned by Amazon founder
are keen to get in early on what they Jeff Bezos) unveiled its lunar lander.
see as an emerging market of untold Another company, Moon Express,
riches. Water-ice is not the Moon’s has attracted major investment from
only potentially lucrative resource. Paypal co-creator and Trump backer
It’s believed there are also rare-earth Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. And, of
metals such as yttrium, samarium and course, there’s Elon Musk’s company
lanthanum, all used in modern elec- SpaceX.
tronics, as well as platinum-group
metals, and possible future energy “Water is the oil of the solar sys-
sources like Helium-3. The current tem,” Moon Express’s website reads,
“and the Moon will become a gas

rdasia.com 101

READER’S DIGEST

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic aims to provide spaceflights to space tourists

station in the sky”. Space commerce social sphere to the Moon is our first PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
boosters often describe space as step in securing our future,” so that
the new Wild West, enthusiastical- “a new generation will look up and
ly comparing the Moon boom to see lights on the Moon, and know
gold rushes of times past, with little that they are part of a multi-world
awareness that this is not the most species.”
inspiring analogy for those aware
of the social and environmental Richard Branson, founder of Vir-
harm – and economic inequalities – gin Galactic, promotes his space
caused by resource grabs on Earth. tourism company by saying, “We
can truly bring positive change to
The trouble is, when it comes to life on Earth”, while Mars Society
mining the Moon, the pro-mining founder Robert Zubrin believes we
camp likes to claim that they are the must go to space so we don’t go to
ones who will save the Earth. war with each other on Earth over
dwindling resources.
On Moon Express’s website, they
say their mission is to return to the It’s powerful, rousing stuff. Life on
Moon, “Earth’s 8th continent, a new Earth has certainly been enhanced
frontier,” and unlock “its myster- by space innovations, including
ies and resources for the benefit of GPS, weather forecasting and wi-
humanity”. The website claims that fi. There would be genuine advantages
“expanding Earth’s economic and

102 may 2021

Saving the Moon

from other space dreams, such as con- Bill McKibben thinks it doesn’t make

tinuous solar power beamed from on sense to spend time or money on

high. One large metallic asteroid sup- space. “The least hospitable square

posedly holds enough quantities of inch of Earth is ten times more hospi-

certain metals to sustain human use table than the most hospitable corner

on Earth for millions of years. of the rest of the galaxy,” McKibben

Those who propose mining space says. “That we’re going elsewhere in

resources describe them as ‘near in- order to have a pristine Earth is ab-

finite’, and say once we’re released surd. It’s more likely that the ... idea of

from the prison of resource scarcity, an exit gives us permission to wreck

world peace will automatically ensue. this place.” Other commentators

In a 2014 New Republic article, Rachel counter that investing in space sci-

Riederer called out ence and technologies

these would-be space does not equate to giv-

miners for believing ing up on Earth, and

that a sky “full of in- that those innovations

finite riches and abun- could well improve life

dance” would create as we know it in ways

peace on Earth. “Why we can’t predict.

wouldn’t riches from “POLLUTION Until now, however,
the heavens cause con- there’s been hardly any

flicts and problems?” OF THE LUNAR consideration of the
she writes. “Their vul- ATMOSPHERE space environment as
gar terrestrial cousins something worth pro-
always have.” IS A REAL tecting. This is partly

It does seem danger- POSSIBILITY” due to the unknown
ously naive to believe environmental effects

that, when space ex- of mass space tourism,

ploration ramps up, we’ll be our best rocket launches or Moon mining. It’s

selves out there. Margaret Weitekamp, also the result, writes Australian space

curator of space history at the Smith- archaeologist Alice Gorman, author of

sonian National Air and Space Muse- Dr Spacejunk vs the Universe, of the

um in Washington, DC, observes there general tendency to see space “as a

has “always been this sense that space resource to be exploited [rather] than

is aspirational, perfecting, different. an environment to be managed”. She

But it’s an extension of who we are on has called for the establishment of

the ground, run through this lens of “international environmental impact

great expense and great danger.” assessments” to be required for “all

American climate change activist proposed space projects”.

rdasia.com 103

READER’S DIGEST

There’s already evidence that rock- nuclear warfare on the surface of the
et plumes may deplete ozone, and Moon, and be hard pressed after the
vaporised space debris could affect dust had settled to tell anything had
the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere. happened.”
Hydrazine fuel, often released un-
burned in the early stages of lift-off, But he’s wrong: we can mess up
is known to cause diseases in people the Moon. Its ‘surface boundary ex-
living near rocket launch sites. osphere’ – now recognised as a very
fragile, thin atmosphere – is vulner-
Possible pollution able to being altered. NASA has ac-
knowledged that “irreversible pol-
Worse, nuclear power is once more lution of the lunar atmosphere is a
being touted as the only viable option real possibility”. Philip Metzger, an
for Moon missions. NASA and the US American planetary scientist, says
Department of Energy recently tested that with “many, many landings on
a nuclear fission reactor prototype, the Moon, eventually you’ll put so
called KRUSTY (the Kilopower Reac- much [exhaust] gas into that environ-
tor Using Stirling Technology), as a ment that the atmosphere is no longer
power source for long-duration lunar a collision-less atmosphere”, in which
missions, heralding a new era of sup- the constituent gas molecules nev-
posedly “safe” and “efficient” nucle- er collide with one another. “Then it
ar-powered space exploration. Over becomes a layered atmosphere. Once
the past half century the Soviets have that happens, suddenly it takes a very
sent more than 40 nuclear reactors long time for all that gas to escape
into space. back to space, hundreds of years.”

Historically, many prospective One environmental risk all
space ‘colonists’ have been untrou- stakeholders agree on is
bled by the risk of contaminating the that posed by space debris.
Moon’s environment. Marshall T. Sav- There’s already about 5000
age, a space settlement fanatic who satellites in orbit around Earth, of
penned a book about “colonising the which roughly 2000 are operational,
galaxy in eight easy steps”, wrote in a plus hundreds of millions of tiny piec-
1995 Space Governance article: “We es of debris. Ninety-five per cent of the
can’t really mess up the Moon, either stuff in low-Earth orbit is classified as
by mining it or building nuclear pow- ‘space junk’. More space debris makes
er plants. We can ruthlessly strip mine accessing space costlier in terms of
the surface of the Moon for centuries loss of equipment (and possibly of hu-
and it will be hard to tell we’ve even man life). There’s also the risk of the
been there. The same is true of atom- Kessler effect: a cascade of collisions,
ic power. We could wage unlimited

104 may 2021

Saving the Moon

Companies plan to launch large numbers of satellites into very low orbits,
which are the most valuable slots

PHOTO:ALAMY to the point where the most useful major spacefaring nations. It defines
orbital slots become permanently outer space as a global commons, the
clogged. province of all humanity, free to be
used and explored “for the benefit and
“We are in the process of messing in the interests of all countries”, “on a
up space, and most people don’t re- basis of equality” and only for “peace-
alise it because we can’t see it the way ful purposes”.
we can see fish kills, algal blooms or
acid rain,” Michael Krepon, an expert Article II of the OST has become the
on nuclear and space issues, said in major sticking point in the new space
2015. Maybe we’ll understand only race. It forbids “national appropriation
when it’s too late, “when we can’t by claim of sovereignty, by means of
get our satellite television and our use or occupation, or by any other
telecommunications ... when we get means”. No nation can make a territo-
knocked back to the 1950s”. rial claim on the Moon or on any other
celestial bodies, such as asteroids.
The current clashes over space are
rooted in the nitty-gritty of interna- While the OST contains no explicit
tional space law. There are five mul- ban of appropriation by private en-
tilateral UN treaties governing space, terprise, Steven Freeland, a professor
most importantly the 1967 Outer specialising in space law at Western
Space Treaty (OST), which has been Sydney University and Australia’s
ratified by 109 states, including all representative to the UN Committee

rdasia.com 105

READER’S DIGEST

on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space interests” in the US, Freeland says.
(COPUOS), says discussions at the There have been Acts proposed in re-
time of the OST negotiations clearly cent years to enable a corporate space
show the states parties, including the culture of “permissionless innovation”,
US, were “of the opinion that Article with little regulatory oversight. In a
II prohibited both public and private 2017 speech, President Trump’s space
appropriation”. law adviser Scott Pace said, “It bears
repeating: outer space is not a ‘global
Yet this perceived legal uncertainty commons’, not the ‘common heritage
is the loophole that commercial com- of mankind’, not ‘res communis’ [area
panies are now exploiting. They’ve of territory that is not subject to legal
actively lobbied for an interpretation title of any state], nor is it a public
of OST Article II in the domestic space good.”
law of certain countries, to allow for
private ownership of resources ex- Even if you accept the US govern-
tracted from the Moon or other celes- ment’s interpretation of Article II –
tial bodies. They argue that, because that space resources, but not the ter-
the OST declares all humans are free ritory on which they’re located, can
to “use” space, companies can exer- be owned – what happens if someone
cise this right by mining anywhere mines an asteroid out of existence,
they like. They won’t claim ownership which is an act of outright appropri-
of the land itself, but will claim owner- ation?
ship of the resources they mine there.
Should the public trust that
They’ve already had a major win in companies mining in space
this regard. The space industry lobby will do the right thing?
in the US put pressure on members of We’re still uncovering the
Congress to reinterpret the US’s obli- full extent of terrestrial mining com-
gations under international space law, panies’ cover-ups. For instance, in-
to become more ‘business friendly’. house scientists at Exxon – now Exx-
The outcome was the 2015 Commer- on-Mobil, one of the biggest oil and
cial Space Launch Competitiveness gas companies in the world – knew
Act, signed into law by President Oba- long ago that burning fossil fuels was
ma. Since then, companies owned by responsible for global warming, but
US citizens have been given the right they actively buried those findings
to claim ownership of – and sell – any and discredited climate change sci-
resources they mine off-Earth. ence for decades.

Further emboldened by the Trump We live in a world where ‘meta-
administration, the “commercial national’ companies can accrue and
[space] industry is becoming far more exercise more wealth and power than
aggressive in how it lobbies for its own

106 may 2021

Saving the Moon

traditional nation-states. Silicon Val- Araxia Abrahamian recounted a chill-

ley is believed to be becoming more ing comment from an American space

powerful than not only Wall Street executive: “We just want to work with

but also the US government. Bran- a government who won’t get in the

son and other space billionaires way.” Companies anywhere in the

like to reassure the masses they’re world can stake resource claims in

“democratising” space: just as plane space under this new law; their only

travel started out for the wealthy and requirement is an office in Luxem-

gradually became cheaper, so too bourg.

will space travel. Yet this convenient- This sets a murky precedent of

ly overlooks the fact that railroads, ‘regulatory forum-shopping’, where

airlines and now space industries companies choose to incorporate in

have all been heavily states where they’ll be

subsidised by taxpay- most leniently super-

ers. “When we take a vised. In 2018, a Silicon

step back and notice Valley start-up called

that private corpora- Swarm Technologies

tions are often even illegally launched four

less accountable than miniature satellites

governments, then WHAT HAPPENS known as CubeSats
it seems mistaken to into space from India.

say these decisions IF SOMEONE They’d been refused
have been democra- MINES AN launch permission in
tised,” Ryan Jenkins, ASTEROID OUT the US due to safety
an emerging sciences concerns over wheth-

ethicist at California OF EXISTENCE? er the satellites could
Polytechnic State Uni- be tracked once in or-

versity, says. “They’ve bit. Fined US$900,000

merely been privatised.” by the US Federal Communications

Lenient supervision Commission, the company was sub-
sequently given permission to start

In 2017, Luxembourg – already a cor- communicating with its satellites,

porate tax haven, complicit in inter- and launched more CubeSats as part

national investor tax avoidance and of a payload on a SpaceX rocket that

evasion – followed the US’s lead and November. In January 2019, the com-

passed a space-resources law that pany raised $25 million in venture

allows companies to claim resourc- capital.

es they extract from space as private Space start-ups that are prepared –

property. Guardian journalist Atossa unlike Swarm Technologies – to play

rdasia.com 107

READER’S DIGEST

An artist’s impression of what asteroid mining might (possibly) look like

by the rules are nonetheless still pro- that the Outer Space Treaty did not go ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES
posing to launch their own swarms far enough towards establishing rules
of hundreds or thousands of satellites of lunar engagement.
into very low orbits around Earth.
SpaceX has already launched over A new treaty was proposed, which
1000 internet-beaming Starlink sat- came to be called the Moon Agree-
ellites, aiming to have a constellation ment. This received unanimous ap-
of at least 30,000 in orbit eventually. proval from the UN General Assem-
The UK’s Royal Astronomical Socie- bly, and opened for signature in 1979.
ty said these satellites will “compro- In stark contrast to the 1967 OST,
mise astronomical research” due to however, the Moon Agreement has
light pollution, and questioned why only 18 states parties to the treaty,
there’d been no proper consultation of which one is Australia (India and
with the scientific community before France have signed but not ratified
launch. the treaty). None of the spacefaring
nations with a crewed space pro-
What protections exist gramme would sign it.
for the Moon? After the
Moon landing in 1969, The Moon Agreement reaffirms
there was a growing many of the same general principles
sense in the international community as the OST: that the Moon is the “prov-
ince of all mankind”, to be used and
explored only for peaceful purposes.

108 may 2021

Saving the Moon

But in Article 11, the Moon Agree- needs of the developing countries ...
ment states the Moon and its natural shall be given special consideration”.
resources are the “common heritage
of mankind”, which means something In spite of the rhetoric of all hu-
quite different to “province of man- mans being comrades on Spaceship
kind”, explains Joanne Gabrynowicz, Earth, when it came down to it, the
editor-in-chief emerita of the Journal wealthy, spacefaring nations were
of Space Law. The term province of not prepared to contemplate the
mankind affirms that space is for the possibility of sharing the financial
use and exploration of all humans or other benefits of space-resource
(gender-biased language notwith- prospecting with poorer nations.
standing). Common heritage of man-
kind is a term yet to be clearly defined, Treaties
but suggests the Moon is the reposi-
tory of many varied forms of human Australia’s ratif ying of the Moon
heritage, not just economic but also Agreement wasn’t so much to do with
historical, religious, cosmological, cul- divvying up space resources, but to
tural and scientific – all of which must support the principles of non-nuclear
be taken into account when deciding proliferation. The Moon Agreement
what can be done there. “This was the put in place stronger prohibitions
first source of controversy in the Moon against nuclear weapons in space
Agreement,” says Gabrynowicz. and on the Moon than the OST, and
Australia’s representatives to the
The next controversy was that, UN understood these were security
while in theory the Moon Agreement and arms control treaties more than
allows for the use and exploration of space treaties.
the Moon, the conditions on this use
(and any proposed mineral extrac- Kerrie Dougherty, former curator
tion) are stringent. of space history at Sydney’s Power-
house Museum, says it’s often forgot-
The Moon Agreement calls for the ten that Australia held the chair of the
states parties to establish a more UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses
detailed international governance of Outer Space’s Scientific and Tech-
regime once the exploitation of the nical Subcommittee for more than 30
natural resources of the moon is years, and was “therefore influential
“about to become feasible”. Consider- in the development of many aspects
ation must be given to environmental of the space regime that is governed
risks. Most significantly, there must by the various UN treaties”. Now that
be mandatory and “equitable sharing the Australian Space Agency has been
... in the benefits derived from those established, she believes the country
resources, whereby the interests and is in a strong position to play mediator
once again.

rdasia.com 109

READER’S DIGEST

Since the establishment of the “expresses the desire to prevent the

Australian Space Agency in 2018, Moon from becoming an area of in-

those who strongly support the growth ternational conflict”.

of local space commerce have been

hinting – rather loudly – that Australia Many of the most passion-
should consider withdrawing from the ate advocates for priva-
Moon Agreement. tising space believe it will
transform what has been
“The train is moving very quickly

for the space industry here, and we’re mostly a military domain, governed

concerned that developing a regime by secrecy, into a place of free trade.

through the UN is not going to be a Others believe, just as passionate-

fast process,” William Barrett, of the ly, that allowing commercial opera-

Space Industry Asso- tors to undermine the

ciation of Australia, principles of non-ap-

said at a discussion of propriation encoded

the Moon Agreement within international

hosted by his associa- space law is a sure-fire

tion. “People in indus- way to hasten global

try want to know: can I conflict in space. Nikki

protect my assets? And “SPACE FORCES Coleman, an Austral-
I’m not sure how long WILL ... PROTECT ian space and mili-
they’re prepared to wait MILITARY AND tary ethicist, returned
for an answer on that.” from the UN Institute
COMMERCIAL for Disarmament Re-
However, when Alex- INTERESTS” search’s Space Security
andra Seneta, the Aus- Conference in Geneva
tralian Space Agency’s in 2019 feeling con-
executive director of

regulation and inter- cerned at “the glacial

national obligations, was asked at the pace at which we make and change

same event if Australia might consider laws regarding space” compared

withdrawing from the Moon Agree- with the “breakneck pace at which

ment, she responded emphatically. commercial groups are now entering

“No. These treaties are black-letter space”.

international law. We are committed In 1997, the US Space Command

to multilateralism, not unilateralism, (disbanded in 2002 but re-established

when it comes to space.” Along with in 2019 under President Trump, with

Steven Freeland, Seneta represents responsibilities for space-warfight-

Australia at meetings of UN COPUOS. ing) laid out their future for space in

The Moon Agreement, in her view, their ‘Vision for 2020’: “Historically,

110 may 2021

Saving the Moon

military forces have evolved to pro- global conversation about space gov-
tect national interests and investment ernance and security.
– both military and economic ...
Annie Handmer, a scholar of the
“Likewise, space forces will emerge history and philosophy of science at
to protect military and commercial the University of Sydney, has studied
national interests and investment in both the Antarctic Treaty System and
the space medium.” the outer space treaties. She believes
Australia’s track record using science
There is no separating “the militari- diplomacy in Antarctica is something
sation, weaponisation and privatisa- it should draw from as a global leader
tion of space,” says Bruce Gagnon, an in space diplomacy.
American activist who has rallied for
social justice and peace in space for In centuries past, the Moon was
almost 30 years, and in 1992 founded thought to be two-faced, to have a
the Global Network Against Weapons dual personality. It could be welcom-
and Nuclear Power in Space. “It’s a ing and serene, or the harbinger of
seamless web.” lunacy and mayhem. The Earth has
two faces to show to the Moon, too.
Many people within the wider Aus- Which one will we choose when the
tralian space community believe, like time comes?
Dougherty, that Australia should use
its position as a party to the Moon THIS IS AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF AN ESSAY
Agreement to play a leadership role ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE’S
in restarting a crucially important JULY 2019 ISSUE AS ‘MINING THE MOON’.

Puzzle NO MORE SCISSORS
Answers
Earth does. To be balanced, each element must win against
From pages two other elements and lose against two. We already know
that metal is defeated by fire and water, and it can’t win
122-124 against itself, so it must beat earth and air. Now earth has
lost to air and metal, so it must beat water and fire.

BREAKFAST PLATES 15. PIC-A-PIX: PENNY

SUDOKU TREASURES 32 232
4 6 3 2 10 10 2 3 2 0
496521378 21211221 2
153879426 2 6
287634519 3 8
925187643 2 322
731456982 2 22
648293751 0 22
514968237 2 322
362715894 0 8
879342165 1 6
2

rdasia.com 111

TA L K S

WHAT’S
NEW IN
RD TALKS

Join over 100,000 readers who enjoy listening to our podcasts.
Each story guaranteed to thrill, engage and inspire.

READ BY Zoë Meunier

THE HAND ON THE DIAMONDS ARE MY THANK YOU YEAR
MIRROR FOR SHARING How writing 365 notes of
Imagine if we shared what appreciation to friends,
A widow finds mysterious we desired? What a group family and acquaintances
evidence of her late of women learnt from one reconnected me to what’s
spectacular necklace.
husband’s efforts to reach important in my life.
her from the other side.

TO LISTEN GO TO:

www.rdasia.com/podcasts

RD RECOMMENDS

Non
Fiction

Hitler’s Horses

Arthur Brand PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

A uthor Arthur Brand is an art detective
who recovers lost treasures. Hitler’s
Horses is the true story of how Brand went
undercover to investigate one of World War II’s
unexplained mysteries: the disappearance of
the three-metre-high Striding Horses – Hitler’s
favourite statues that stood sentinel outside his
window in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. During
his investigations, Brand discovers a terrifying
world where neo-Nazis and former KGB agents
work in collaboration to sell Nazi art and forgeries
worth millions of dollars.

COMPILED BY DIANE GODLEY

rdasia.com 113

READER’S DIGEST

How to The Husband The 16:8
Train Your Dog Poisoner Intermittent
Fasting
Jen & Ryan Tate Tanya Bretherton
Jaime Rose
PENGUIN RANDOM HACHETTE Chambers
HOUSE
After WWII, women PAN MACMILLAN
Whether you’re who had gone out to
thinking of getting work and contributed to Unlike most diets, the
a pet pooch or you the war effort suddenly focus on intermittent
acquired one during found themselves fasting (IF) is on when
the pandemic, this disenfranchised – to eat, not so much on
comprehensive guide freedoms lost and what you eat. According
to raising and training troublesome husbands to Chambers, an
dogs of any age is an regained. When some accredited dietitian,
indispensable resource. of these women headed it really is as simple
Ryan and Jen Tate are back into the kitchen, as fasting for a period
respected dog and they did so with of the day (mostly
animal behaviourists sinister intent. In her overnight) and eating
with 30 years’ fourth non-fiction title, within a certain
experience between sociologist and critically window. Providing
them. In this book they acclaimed author Tanya expert advice, recipe
offer practical advice so Bretherton investigates inspiration and meal
you can stay in control women in post-war plans – removing the
and enjoy your dog. Sydney who looked daily dilemma of what
Topics include resolving for deadly solutions to eat and when –
behavioural issues such to what they saw as Chambers’ quest is to
as barking, digging and impossible situations. help people turn IF into
chewing, and learning A fascinating read. a long-term lifestyle.
for adult dogs.

114 may 2021

RD Recommends

The Cat with Raising Girls Who
Three Passports Like Themselves

CJ Fentiman Kasey Edwards & Dr
Christopher Scanlon
SILVER VINE PRESS
PENGUIN
Fentiman’s heart- RANDOMHOUSE
warming memoir
portrays how a According to the
Japanese cat taught her authors, when you
about an old culture raise a girl who likes
and new beginnings. herself, she will
Struggling to fit in, she strive for excellence,
unexpectedly receives nurture her physical
a job offer she can’t and mental health, insist
refuse as well as a on healthy relationships, and
homeless kitten. The be joyful and secure – everything
silver tabby grounds you want for your daughter. Based
her in Japan, which on a decade of research and
in turn helps open their own experiences,
her heart and mind this book details the
to reconnect with qualities that enable
her estranged family girls to thrive. Packed
and experience the with evidence-
unexpected, like the based advice, it is
naked men’s festival, an essential guide
forest bathing, the to raising your
temples of Takayama daughters to
and Cat Island. be happy and
confident.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

rdasia.com 115

The Last Convict Fiction The Moroccan
Daughter
Anthony Hill The Great Escape
from Woodlands Deborah Rodriguez
PENGUIN Nursing Home
PENGUIN
Meticulously researched Joanna Nell
over 16 years, award- You may know
winning author and HACHETTE hairdresser turned
historian Anthony author Deborah
Hill has recreated the Best-selling author Rodriguez from her
life of Samuel Speed, Joanne Nell is also a previous novels, such
the last convict to be general practitioner as The Little Coffee Shop
transported to Australia with a passion for of Kabul. In her latest
and survive. A few women’s health and novel, Rodriguez regales
months before his elderly care. So, it’s us with a modern-day
death in 1938, Speed not surprising that story of forbidden love
shared his story with a her character-driven set in North Africa.
journalist, which formed novels centre around When Amina goes
the foundations of The these subjects. back home to Morocco
Last Convict. Homeless Creating young-at- to attend her sister’s
and starving, Speed heart characters, Nell’s wedding, she realises it
burns a stack of barley third novel is set in a is time to confront her
in order to be locked nursing home where father with her secret,
up for the night and newly arrived ‘inmates’ her American husband.
given food and shelter, Hattie and Walter plan But behind the ancient
but finds himself to return home ASAP. A walls, she is caught
sentenced to seven charming yet poignant in a web of lies and
years in the colonies. tale that shows it’s never clandestine deals.
too late to laugh and
116 may 2021 form new friendships.

RD Recommends

Podcasts

Short & Curly

Aimed at primary school children and their parents,
this fun-filled ethics podcast discusses hard-to-
answer questions such as: Is it fair to punish the
whole class? Is it ever OK to fight back against a bully?
From banning lollies to colonising other planets, this
podcast helps kids find their way around tricky topics.

My Parachute Won’t Open!

Skydiving has associated risks, such as one in
1000 parachute openings not going to plan. When
Timothy Verissimo looked up, he expected to see
a comforting canopy above him. Instead the New
Zealand high school student saw a mass of twisted
cords. His story will send chills down your spine.

The Apology Line

If you could call a phone number and say you’re
sorry anonymously … what would you apologise for?
For 15 years, thousands of callers flooded the line,
confessing to everything from shoplifting to infidelity,
drug dealing to murder. Then the man at the other
end of the line decided to stop listening passively.

LibriVox Audio
Book
This month we highlight the most
prominent site for free audio book
downloads, http://www.librivox.org,
which provides open access to over
15,000 books. The texts are all in the
public domain and include classics such as
Treasure Island and Frankenstein.

HOW TO GET PODCASTS To listen on the web: In a search engine, look up
‘The Apology Line’, for example, and click on the play button. To download: Download
an app such as Podcatchers or iTunes on your device and simply search by title.

TO LISTEN TO RD TALKS GO TO
www.rdasia.com/podcasts and click on the play button.

rdasia.com 117

THE P reston Woodruff held it to-
GENIUS gether for months during the
SECTION pandemic – working in his
garden and workshop, shar-
Sharpen Your ing meals with his daughter,
Mind and walking in the forest behind his
home. Then a sneeze sent him over
The Art of the the edge.

‘GOOD’ Woodruff was sleeping soundly
MELTDOWN when he woke to an uncomfortable
feeling in his nose. He reached for the
Not all emotional eruptions box of tissues on his nightstand. He
are bad. Here’s how to lose tried and tried to dig one out. The en-
tire wad remained tightly wound.
it the right way
So Woodruff grabbed the box,
BY Elizabeth Bernstein crushed it in his hands, and flung it at
the far wall of his bedroom. Alone in
FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL the dark, he slammed his head back
on the pillow and swore.

“I momentarily lost it,” says Wood-
ruff, a retired philosophy professor.

Welcome to the meltdown. Have
you had one lately?

It’s what happens after you’ve held
it together through a pandemic and a
quarantine, working from home and
homeschooling – on top of the dish-
es and the laundry and your regular
familial responsibilities. Then, when
something seemingly small happens,
suddenly you’re alone in your car
screaming or sobbing to your dog
about, well, everything.

People lost control of their emo-
tions before this past year, of course.
But we’ve been doing it a whole lot
more because of our sustained levels
of stress, anger and fear. It’s no won-
der our fuses have been short.

118 may 2021

The Genius Section

Think you’ve never had a melt- can hurt people around us or leave

down? Think again. Although we typ- us feeling worse. Good ones are rare,

ically expect meltdowns to look like ideally take place when we’re alone,

the adult version of a toddler’s tan- and leave us feeling better than we

trum – wailing, whining, whimpering did before.

– psychologists say they can manifest To have a productive meltdown,

in different ways: crying, rage, silence experts say we should accept that it’s

or an emotional shutdown. “Often, happening (or about to). We need to

people don’t identify with the word identify what will make us feel bet-

meltdown because of the stigma of ter – and explain this to others. We

having a mental health crisis,” says should be careful to manage the

Amanda Luterman, a negative effects and
explore the meaning
psychotherapist. “They THEY CAN MANIFEST afterwards.
will just say they are IN CRYING, RAGE,
having a really horrible SILENCE OR AN Woodruff, of the
day.” tissue tantrum, has

What most melt- EMOTIONAL minor meltdowns
downs have in com- SHUTDOWN several times a week
mon is a loss of emo- these days and makes

tional control – often a point of taking his

manifested physically – and a sense frustration out on inanimate ob-

of helplessness. They occur when we jects – throwing a piece of wood

no longer have the emotional resourc- across his workshop or slamming

es to deal with our stress. And they’re silverware into the dishwasher. But

typically triggered by something small Woodruff makes sure to keep his

and unanticipated – a stubbed toe, a outbursts brief. “It’s wasted energy

spill on our shirt, or (for me recently) and wasted time to focus too long

a broken backspace key on the laptop. on the hostility of the moment,” he

Yet meltdowns have an upside. They says. “I let it out, and then I have an

allow us to release tension, and once immediate feeling of relief.”

we do that, we can think more clearly Mike Veny was walking to his vehi-

because we’re no longer spending all cle one afternoon when he received

our energy trying to hold it together. an e-mail from a colleague stating

“A meltdown is the body’s natural that some information he needed for

mechanism to let go, to cleanse itself a project wasn’t available. He began

of painful emotions,” says psychologist stomping down the street, ranting

Tal Ben-Shahar. “It lets us reset.” about a growing list of complaints:

Not all meltdowns are created a colleague who annoyed him, the

equal. Bad ones happen often and state of the country, whether people

rdasia.com 119

READER’S DIGEST

were looking at him funny, how his chest and stomach.) “What do I need
dad hadn’t called him all week. now?” (Time to feel his emotions
rather than suppress them.)
“It spiralled faster and faster until
things felt 10,000 times worse than Next, he went to the gym and
they really were,” says Veny, who worked out. When he got home, he
owns a company that provides men- did yoga, which he says helps him let
tal-wellness and diversity training for go of his emotions.
corporations.
In bed that night, Veny realised he
Luckily, Veny has a plan for dealing had a smile on his face. “I felt free of
with meltdowns. He sat in his vehicle whatever it was that had been cook-
for 20 minutes and thought about the ing up inside me,” he says. “I felt
answers to three questions: “What like I was in control again, like I had
do I feel?” (Anger, but also sadness taken my power back.”
at losing work and fear of whether he
would get the coronavirus by going to REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF WALL STREET JOURNAL
the gym.) “Where do I feel it?” (In his (OCTOBER 6, 2020), © 2020 BY DOW JONES &
COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE.

TIPS ON HOW TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE MELTDOWN

ACCEPT IT Don’t judge others, especially kids, in-law. Instead, plan a
yourself. A meltdown lets that you can express healthy rebellion that
you release tension and painful emotions in a way satisfies the need to
frees up energy that was that doesn’t negatively assert control in your life,
spent suppressing affect others can be an says psychologist Jenny
emotions. important lesson. Taitz. For example, turn
“Having an occasional off your phone, then go
KNOW WHAT YOU NEED meltdown and do something you enjoy
recovering from it helps yourself, explore the
Some people prefer to be people see that we can meaning of your
left alone. Others want a be OK through these meltdown, and move on.
hug or a pep talk. Be expressions,” says Carrie Get some exercise or try
clear with your loved Krawiec, a marriage and steady breathing.
ones about your needs. family therapist. Reflect on what
happened. Apologise if
MODEL A GOOD TRY AN ‘ALTERNATE you’ve upset others –
and forgive yourself.
MELTDOWN No kicking REBELLION’ When we Having a meltdown
the dog, punching the lose control, we often makes you human.
wall, or full-blown want to rebel: quit our
meltdowns in front of job or tell off our father-
children – it can frighten
them. But showing

120 may 2021

FAMILY FUN

Spot the Difference

There are ten differences. Can you find them?

3

Tap Maze

Which tap
carries which
colour of paint?

Check your answers for Family Fun on page 128.

rdasia.com 121

READER’S DIGEST

PUZZLES (PIC-A-PIX: PENNY) DIANE BAHER. MORE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT LEARNPICAPIX.COM; (NO MORE SCISSORS) DARREN RIGBY

Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind
stretchers, then check your answers on page 111

32 232

4 6 3 2 10 10 2 3 2 0

2

6

8

322

22

22

322

8

6

2

Pic-a-Pix: Penny Moderately Difficult

Reveal a hidden picture by shading in groups of horizontally or vertically adjacent
cells. The numbers represent how many cells are in each of the corresponding row or
column’s groups. (For example, a ‘3’ next to a row represents three horizontally
adjacent shaded cells in that row.) There must be at least one empty cell between
each group. The numbers read in the same horizontal or vertical order as the groups
they represent. There’s only one possible picture; can you shade it in?

122 may 2021

95 78 BRAIN POWER
9 brought to you by
876
51
3 73
62
8
14
7 823

87 26

Sudoku To Solve This Puzzle

Put a number from 1 to 9 in each empty square
so that: every horizontal row and vertical column
contains all nine numbers (1-9) without repeating
any of them; each of the outlined 3 x 3 boxes has
all nine numbers, none repeated.

No More Scissors Moderately Difficult "Write, Erase, Rewrite"

Simone decides to create a variant of the game
rock, paper, scissors. It will feature five elements.
So far, she has decided that:
• Water puts out fire
• Fire melts metal
• Water rusts metal
• Air blows away earth
Simone will ensure that the new game is balanced,
meaning that each element wins against as many
other elements as it loses to. Under this system,
between earth and fire, who wins?

READER’S DIGEST

Puzzle
Answers

PAGE 111

Breakfast Plates Difficult

A cafe offers three options for breakfast: Unlike the waiter, the cook doesn’t need
to know which customer gets what:
• bacon and eggs he only needs to know how many of each
• pancakes breakfast plate to make (for example,
• sausage and hash browns three plates of bacon and eggs and one
plate of pancakes). Considering this,
If four students come in, the waiter and assuming that each student asks for
could get any of 81 different orders, only one breakfast plate, how many
since each person could ask for any one different possible orders are there that
of the three things, and 34 = 81. the cook could receive?

21211221 (BREAKFAST PLATES) DARREN RIGBY; (TREASURES) FRASER SIMPSON

Treasures Easy 2
3
Can you locate 12 hidden 2
treasures in the empty cells 2
of this grid? The numbers 0
outside indicate how many 2
treasures are in each row or 0
column. Each arrow points 1
directly towards one or more
of the treasures and does
not share a cell with one.
An arrow may be
immediately next to a
treasure it points to, or it may
be further away. Not every
treasure will necessarily have
an arrow pointing to it.

124 may 2021



READER’S DIGEST

TRIVIA

Test Your General Knowledge

1. Which common cloud type most and bared teeth recently deployed

resembles a fluffy white cotton to scare off bears? 1 point

ball? 1 point 9. What Spanish building did

2. In what year was the Association Frank Gehry design using software

of Southeast Asian Nations first made for the aerospace
(ASEAN) established? a) 1948. industry? 3 points
b) 1967. c) 1977? 1 point
3. The leopard seal is an apex 10. There is growing evidence
predator on which continent? from geologists that New Zealand
is part of a 93% entirely submerged
1 point mass of continental crust known
as what? 1 point
4. What was the first human-made
object to orbit the Earth? 2 points 11. Which form of arthritis most
5. Singapore is one of only three commonly affects the large joint
surviving independent city-
states in the world. Name of the big toe? 1 point
one of the other two.
12. Which one of these
1 point technologies is the newest:
the compass, irrigation or
6. Compared to other gunpowder? 1 point
seasons, heart attacks are
more common during spring. 13. What beloved children’s

True or false? 1 point book characters were created by

7. In Western art, what is Finland’s Tove Jansson? 2 points

a memento mori? 15. Rhubarb’s stems 14. Which girl group PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/DIANA TALIUN
had worldwide hits
2 points are delicious and with ‘Boombayah’ and
nutritious, but which ‘Playing With Fire’?
8. In which country part of this plant is toxic
were robotic wolves

with flashing red eyes for humans? 1 point 1 point

16-20 Gold medal 11-15 Silver medal 6-10 Bronze medal 0-5 Wooden spoon

ANSWERS: 1.Cumulus. 2. 1967. 3. Antarctica. 4. The Soviet satellite Sputnik 1. 5. Monaco and the
Vatican City. 6. False: they’re more common during winter and summer. 7. A symbol or artwork intended
to remind the viewer of their mortality. 8. Japan. 9. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. 10. Zealandia also
known as Te Riu-a-Māui or Tasmantis. 11. Gout. 12. The compass, which dates back to the 11th century.
13. The Moomins, a family of round, white trolls. 14. Blackpink. 15. The leaves.

126 may 2021

The Genius Section

WORD POWER

Order in the Court!

All rise! This month, we’re taking you to court.
The law has a language all of its own and your score is
contingent on your knowledge of legal lingo. After you’ve
made your case, turn to the next page for the verdict

BY Sarah Chassé

1. acquit – A: appear in court twice. 8. docket – A: witness stand.
B: declared not guilty of a crime. B: list of court cases.
C: pay a fine. C: ceremonial gavel.

2. defendant – A: person who does 9. appeal – A: higher court’s review.
without a lawyer. B: person who is B: plea deal. C: damages awarded.
held in contempt. C: a person who is
charged with a criminal offence. 10. deposition – A: parole hearing.
B: testimony. C: lawyer’s brief.
3. exculpate – A: banish from a
country. B: settle quickly. 11. negligent – A: careless.
C: clear of blame. B: honorable. C: jailed.

4. affidavit – A: written declaration. 12. transcript – A: stenographer.
B: first offence. C: star witness. B: a typed copy of what is said in
court. C: judge’s collar.
5. perjury – A: failing to appear.
B: lying under oath. 13. punitive – A: involving money.
C: skipping jury duty. B: related to corruption.
C: related to punishment.
6. sequester – A: cross-examine.
B: approach the bench. C: isolate. 14. lenient – A: merciful.
B: biased. C: bankrupt.
7. remand – A: return to custody.
B: pay a small fine. 15. presume – A: return from a
C: overrule an objection. recess. B: believe without proof.
C: give evidence.

rdasia.com 127

READER’S DIGEST

Answers reinforcement instead of punitive
measures.
1. acquit (b) declared not guilty of a 14. lenient (a) merciful. Colleen hoped
crime. The judge directed the jury to the judge would be lenient about her
acquit Smith of the murder. many parking tickets.
15. presume (b) believe without proof.
2. defendant (c) a person who is In most legal systems, people are
charged with a criminal offence. presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Another word for ‘an accused’ is VOCABULARY RATINGS
‘defendant’.
5-8: Fair 9–12: Good 13–15: Word Power Wizard
3. exculpate (c) clear of blame.
I’m not trying to exculpate myself – I FAMILY FUN ANSWERS See Page 121
admit that I stole a cookie!
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
4. affidavit (a) written declaration.
Anthony submitted a sworn affidavit TAP MAZE
that he was out of town.

5. perjury (b) lying under oath. “This
woman has committed perjury – you
can’t believe anything she says,” the
prosecutor began.

6. sequester (c) isolate. Jurors were
sequestered for months during the high-
profile criminal trial.

7. remand (a) return to custody.
The defendant has been remanded to
prison until her sentencing.

8. docket (b) list of court cases. “What’s
on the Supreme Court’s docket this
morning?” asked the reporter.

9. appeal (a) higher court’s review.
After losing the case, the defence team
decided not to seek an appeal.

10. deposition (b) testimony.
In his deposition, John claimed that Sam
committed the murder.

11. negligent (a) careless.
The negligent driver caused a three-car
pile-up on the freeway.

12. transcript (b) a typed copy of what
is said in court. The judge’s sentencing
remarks were recorded in the transcript.

13. punitive (c) related to punishment.
The teachers used positive

128 may 2021