World and Press August 1 2022

8 News & Topics

8 News & Topics August 1 2022 | World and Press Bayeux Tapestry deal to repair frayed relations ART • HISTORY The V&A is paving the way for a return of the tapestry to Britain after 950 years. By David Sanderson 1 IT ISthought to have been stitched in Britain in the aftermath of King Harold taking an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings. And now, after one deal unravelled, hopes have been rekindled that the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman invasion of 1066 could finally make a return trip across the Channel to Britain. 2 The Victoria and Albert Museum has sealed an agreement that could pave the way for a temporary appearance, and which could prove a poke in the eye for the British Museum. It has signed a memorandum of understanding to “share research and expertise” with the Bayeux Museum in Normandy, which holds the 70m-long embroidery. It is also seeking a financial donor to help to underwrite a joint conservation project. It hopes this will A section of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting King Edward the Confessor and Harold Godwinson. | Photo: Getty Images/Pictures from History lead to “future opportunities for research, curatorial and scientific exchange”, a hint that a larger project could become a reality. 3 In 2018, Theresa May, then prime minister, and President Emmanuel Macron of France agreed to bring the tapestry to Britain for the first time in 950 years, but the plans were shelved amid deteriorating relations and claims that the work was in poorer condition than had been thought. It had been due this year. That deal led to a face-off between cultural institutions, with the British Museum, the Tower of London, Battle Abbey – on the site of Harold’s demise – and the V&A all staking a claim. 4 Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, said at the time that it would be the “most significant” loan ever from France to Britain, and his museum would be “honoured and delighted” to display it. The V&A, however, has an extensive textile collection, its own global renown, and a chairman, Nicholas Coleridge, who has revelled in its rivalry with the British Museum. 5 In 2019, Coleridge celebrated the V&A’s museum shop overtaking the British Museum’s to become the country’s most successful. He said: “The British Museum shop increasingly sells teddy bears wearing police helmets while the V&A shop sells the most beautiful jewellery and incredibly lovely William Morris drying up towels.” 6 Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said last year that it would be “fabulous” to carry out conservation work on the tapestry in Britain, and it was suggested that public viewings of the work in progress could be a lucrative draw. 7 The V&A issued a statement yesterday, saying: “We would be delighted if it could be shown in Britain in the future (subject to the principles as outlined by the 2018 agreement between the two governments and the prerogatives of the French state)”. It described the tapestry as “a unique work of art and historical document, and an iconic symbol of England and France’s shared history”. 8 The mayor of Bayeux said last year that the tapestry could cross the Channel if Britain agreed to undertake and underwrite the ¤2 million restoration. Only a handful of cultural institutions have the facilities and textile knowledge to undertake such a project. 9 The V&A wants to create a digital database of the tapestry, using 180 glass negatives a photographer took in 1872. They were made into full-size copies which were coloured by hand and became the longest composite photograph made in the 19th century. 10 The tapestry is one of Europe’s cultural treasures, depicting one of the most important events in Britain’s history. When the planned loan was announced in 2018, it was hailed as a symbol of an enduring post-Brexit relationship between Britain and France. © The Times, London/News Licensing This article originally appeared in The Times, London. 0 – 1 BAYEUX TAPESTRY“ÆbaIj‰… "tœpIstri‘ Teppich von Bayeux — frayed ausgefranst; h.: (fig) angespannt — to pave the way (fig) den Weg ebnen — to stitch besticken — in the aftermath of nachdem — to unravel “øn"rœv´l‘ zerfasern; h.: (fig) nicht zustande kommen — to rekindle “Æri…"kInd´l‘ wiedererwecken — to depict zeigen — Norman normannisch — Channel Ärmelkanal 2 to seal schließen — a poke in the eye (fig) schwere Niederlage — memorandum of understanding “Æmem´r"œnd´m‘ Absichtserklärung — embroidery “Im"brOId´ri‘ Stickarbeit — donor “"d´Un´‘ Geldgeber — to underwrite unterstützen — conservation Restaurierung — curatorial “ÆkjU´r´"tO…rI´l‘ kuratorisch 3 – 5 to shelve auf Eis legen — amid “´"mId‘ vor dem Hintergrund — deteriorating “dI"tI´ri´reItIN‘ s. verschlechternd — faceoff Wettstreit — demise “dI"maIz‘ Ableben — to stake a claim (fig) Anspruch erheben — loan Leihgabe — renown “rI"naUn‘ Renommee — chairman Verwaltungsratsvorsitzender — to revel in s.th. “"rev´l‘ seine wahre Freude an etw. haben — rivalry “"raIv´lri‘ Rivalität — drying up towel Geschirrtuch 6 – 7 fabulous “"fœbj´l´s‘ fantastisch — public viewing öffentl. Besichtigung — draw Publikumsmagnet — to issue abgeben — subject to vorbehaltlich — principle Grundsatz — to outline darlegen — prerogative “prI"rÅg´tIv‘ Vorrecht — unique “ju…"ni…k‘ einzigartig — iconic “aI"kÅnIk‘ bekannt 8 – 10 to undertake durchführen — glass negative Fotoplatte aus Glas — composite “"kÅmp´zIt‘ zus.gesetzt — cultural treasure “"treZ´‘ Kulturschatz — to hail feiern — enduring fortbestehend In a pandemic of medical misinformation, how do you deal with conspiracy believers? PSYCHOLOGY Researchers say health-related conspiracy theories appeal to – but do not satisfy – a need to make sense of the world. An anti-vaccine protester wears a sign calling the pandemic a hoax outside the Victorian State Parliament in Melbourne, Australia. | Photo: Getty Images By Donna Lu 1 WITHHOLDING judgment, appealing to critical thinking, and restoring a sense of personal control are among techniques that may be helpful while speaking to people who believe in healthrelated conspiracy theories, experts suggest. Medical misinformation has spread widely during the coronavirus pandemic, contributing to higher COVID death rates among the unvaccinated and causing frayed relationships between friends and family members with opposing views. 2 Writing in the ‘Medical Journal of Australia’, psychology researchers have suggested practical tips on how to talk to someone who firmly believes in healthrelated conspiracies. Especially during times of social unrest or uncertainty, people may turn to conspiracies to explain large-scale events, said Dr Mathew Marques, a co-author of the paper and a lecturer at La Trobe University. 3 Conspiracy theories appeal to – but fail to satisfy – three universal psychological needs, according to the paper’s authors. These include a “need to make sense of the environment around us … [and] an existential need to reduce the threat and the vulnerability faced in everyday life”, Marques said. “We know that people, when they’re made to feel more anxious, are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. 4 “The [need] is one that I think most of us can appreciate, especially during lockdowns over

World and Press | August 1 2022 News & Topics 9 Plants grow in lunar soil brought to Earth by Apollo astronauts SCIENCE The plant is edible, but not especially tasty. mit Audiodatei By Joel Achenbach 1 PLANTS CANgrow in lunar soil. They don’t love it – they become stressed, and may turn purple after initially looking green – but they can still germinate in lunar soil, send roots through it, sprout leaves, get bigger, and potentially be edible. 2 That’s the remarkable result of an experiment conducted by researchers at the University of Florida who planted seeds in samples of lunar rock and dust brought home half a century ago by the Apollo astronauts. The study, published Thursday in the journal ‘Nature Communications Biology’ and funded by NASA, is the first known example of plants being grown in lunar soil, said co-author Anna-Lisa Paul, a University of Florida plant molecular biologist. 3 Paul and her colleague and co-author, Robert Ferl, sought four grams of lunar soil from NASA and wound up with 12 An Arabidopsis plant grown in lunar soil is placed in a vial for eventual genetic analysis. | Photo: Tyler Jones/ University of Florida, IFAS grams – four each from three missions: 11, 12, and 17. They planted seeds of the fast-growing, weedy plant thale cress, or Arabidopsis. They had no idea what to expect when they first added water to the samples. The soil had been sealed and archived at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The samples had never been exposed to air, liquid water, or any of the other pleasantries of Earth. 4 “We didn’t know if they were going to blow up. We didn’t know if they were going to fizzle and bubble,” Paul said. They did not blow up. They did not do anything at all, in fact: The samples were extremely hydrophobic, and repelled water as if it were the most disgusting thing ever invented. Researchers labored to get the lunar soil to gradually soak up water. They also added a nutrient solution. 5 But what happened next was further proof that, as Jeff Goldblum’s character famously put it in the movie ‘Jurassic Park,’ “life finds a way.” The plants germinated, and began to leaf out. They struggled, some more than others, depending on where the soil samples came from. The soil scooped from the surface by the Apollo 11 astronauts was not as congenial to growth as that from the two later Apollo missions. 6 A subsequent analysis showed the plants activated stress genes akin to those seen in plants exposed to harsh conditions, such as salty water. The researchers concluded that the lunar soil could be used for plant production and experiments on the moon but is “not a benign growth substrate,” as the study put it. “I think it’s amazing that the plant still grew,” Ferl said. “Right, it’s stressed, but it doesn’t die. It doesn’t fail to grow at all. It adapts.” 7 The experiment is encouraging for NASA and other space agencies that hope to be able to support human missions on the moon’s surface by taking advantage of natural resources. “The idea of bringing lunar soil into a lunar greenhouse is the stuff of exploration dreams,” Ferl said. “If you look back at science fiction, plants have always been part of the deep exploration agenda.” 8 Eden the moon is not. The radiation-baked surface is essentially sterile. Lunar soil contains some familiar elements, including iron and magnesium. But it lacks many of the minerals found on Earth. And the soil has a different, harsher texture: lots of tiny, sharp shards. It contains microscopic pieces of glass left over from meteorite impacts. You wouldn’t want to breathe it. 9 But the plants germinated, and grew, and for a few days looked really quite verdant before they seemed to figure out that they did not like growing in soil not of this Earth. And their roots did not grow straight like the roots from seedlings planted in simulated lunar soil that served as the control substance for the experiment. “The roots were more bent and gnarly,” Paul said. Still, she said, the plants would be edible. “It is edible, but it’s not especially tasty. It’s not considered a food crop per se,” she said of thale cress. The plant was picked in part because it has been so thoroughly studied previously, including on missions to the International Space Station. … © 2022 The Washington Post 0 – 2 LUNAR SOILErde vom Mond — edible “"ed´b´l‘ essbar — to germinate “"dZ‰…mIneIt‘ keimen — to sprout leaves; s.w.u. to leaf out Blätter treiben — remarkable “rI"mA…k´b´l‘ bemerkenswert — sample Probe — to fund finanzieren — plant molecular biologist “m´"lekj´l´‘ Pflanzenmolekularbiologe(-in) 3 to wind up with “waInd‘ (coll) schließlich haben — weedy unkrautartig — thale cress “TeIl‘ Ackerschmalwand — to seal versiegeln — to archive “"A…kaIv‘ archivieren — pleasantries h.: Annehmlichkeiten 4 to blow up explodieren — to fizzle zischen — to bubble blubbern — hydrophobic “ÆhaIdr´"f´UbIk‘ wasserabweisend — to repel “rI"pel‘ abweisen — to labor to do s. bemühen zu tun — to soak up aufsaugen — nutrient solution “"nju…tri´nt‘ Nährlösung 5 – 6 to scoop entnehmen — congenial to s.th. “k´n"dZi…ni´l‘ e-r S. zuträglich — subsequent “"søbsIkw´nt‘ anschließend — akin to “´"kIn‘ ähnlich wie — to conclude zu dem Schluss kommen — plant production Pflanzenzucht — benign “bI"naIn‘ günstig — growth substrate “"søbstreIt‘ Wachstumssubstrat 7 – 8 space agency Raumfahrtbehörde — greenhouse Gewächshaus — the stuff of exploration dreams der Stoff, aus dem Forscherträume gemacht sind — deep exploration Erkundung des erdfernen Weltalls — Eden the moon is not ein Paradies ist der Mond nicht — radiation-baked “ÆreIdi"eIS´n‘ von Strahlung ausgedörrt — sterile “"steraIl‘ unfruchtbar — texture “"tekstS´‘ Beschaffenheit — shard Scherbe — microscopic “ÆmaIkr´"skÅpIk‘ mikroskopisch klein — meteorite impact “"mi… ti´raIt‘ Meteoriteneinschlag 9 verdant “"v‰…d´nt‘ grün — seedling Setzling — simulated imitiert — bent krumm — gnarly “"nA…li‘ knorrig — food crop Nahrungspflanze the last few years: a feeling of isolation or not being connected to other people. These underlying needs tend to better explain belief in conspiracy theory than … not rationally processing [things] or some sort of ‘faulty mechanism’ that in the past people have made suggestions [about].” 5 The researchers suggest listening empathically to individuals who believe in health-related conspiracies such as COVID-19 being a hoax. “Often, people’s reaction is to tell somebody that they’re wrong … or ridicule them. That’s not going to really cause anybody to change their mind,” Marques said. 6 Marques advocates “really trying to understand the motivations for when somebody’s speaking to you – whether it’s a patient or if it’s a close family or friend”. “Maybe they’ve had a previous poor experience with medical authorities or practitioners, and so will be highly suspicious of those authorities and individuals.” Other suggestions include making social contact and offering support to people that may help to redress a sense of lack of control in their lives. For someone who has lost a job, for example, aiding them financially could be helpful, Marques said. 7 For conspiracy believers who perceive themselves as critical thinkers, the researchers suggest it may be helpful to appeal to this characteristic and encourage thorough evaluation of information. Evidence has also shown that “inoculating” people against misinformation before they are exposed to it – often called “prebunking” – can help prevent people falling for health conspiracies. The technique involves countering myths and lies before they are presented unopposed. 8 This can be challenging because specific conspiracies change over time, Marques said, but they often portray “a powerful group involved in a malevolent cover-up against an unsuspecting public”. © 2022 Guardian News and Media Ltd 0 – 2 MISINFORMATION Falschinformation(en) — conspiracy believer “k´n"spIr´si‘ Anhänger(in) von Verschwörungstheorien — to appeal to s.th. etw. ansprechen; s.w.u. an etw. appellieren — to withhold judgment nicht urteilen — to restore wiederherstellen — sense Gefühl — the unvaccinated “Æøn"vœksIneItId‘ die Ungeimpften — frayed zerrüttet — unrest Unruhen — large-scale umwälzend 3 vulnerability “Ævøln´r´"bIl´ti‘ Verwundbarkeit — anxious “"œNkS´s‘ ängstlich; beunruhigt 4 – 5 to appreciate “´"pri…SieIt‘ h.: verstehen — underlying unterschwellig — to process nachvollziehen — faulty “"fO…lti‘ fehlerhaft — to make a suggestion about s.th. auf etw. hinweisen — empathically “Im"fœtIk´li‘ einfühlsam — hoax “h´Uks‘ Schwindel — to ridicule “"rIdIkju…l‘ verspotten 6 to advocate doing “"œdv´keIt‘ s. dafür aussprechen zu tun — poor schlecht — medical authority “O…"TÅr´ti‘ medizinische Einrichtung — medical practitioner “prœk"tIS´n´‘ Mediziner(in) — to be suspicious of s.o. “s´"pIS´s‘ jdm. gegenüber Vorbehalte haben — to redress überwinden — to aid helfen 7 to perceive “p´"si…v‘ wahrnehmen — thorough “"Tør´‘ sorgfältig — evaluation Auswertung — to inoculate s.o. against s.th. “I"nÅkj´leIt‘ jdn. gegen etw. impfen; h.: jdn. für etw. sensibilisieren — to be exposed to h.: in Berührung kommen mit — prebunking angeeignete Skepsis gegenüber Falschinformationen (to debunk widerlegen) — to fall for s.th. auf etw. hereinfallen — to counter widersprechen; h.: entlarven — myth “mIT‘ Mythos — unopposed unwidersprochen 8 to portray darstellen — malevolent “m´"lev´l´nt‘ böswillig — cover-up Vertuschung — unsuspecting ahnungslos