Daniela Bernal

The Republic of Ireland will become the world’s first country to sell off its investments in fossil fuel companies, after a bill was passed with all-party support in the lower house of parliament.

The state’s €8bn national investment fund will be required to sell all investments in coal, oil, gas and peat “as soon as is practicable”, which is expected to mean within five years. Norway’s huge $1tn sovereign wealth fund has only partially divested from fossil fuels, targeting some coal companies, and is still considering its oil and gas holdings.

Shop prints  —  Shop shirts

Shop prints  —  Shop shirts

It’s something that plant lovers have long suspected, but now Australian scientists have found evidence that plants really can feel when we’re touching them.

Not only that, but different sensations trigger a cascade of physiological and genetic changes, depending on the stimulation the plants are receiving, whether it’s a few drops of rain, or a little soft pat, which is probably the coolest thing we’ve heard all week.

“Although people generally assume plants don’t feel when they are being touched, this shows that they are actually very sensitive to it,” said lead researcher Olivier Van Aken from the University of Western Australia.

“While plants don’t appear to complain when we pinch a flower, step on them or just brush by them while going for a walk, they are fully aware of this contact and are rapidly responding to our treatment of them,” he added.

But first thing’s first, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and anthropomorphise the crap out of this situation, as we humans love to do. Although this whole thing sounds super adorable and touchy feely, plants don’t have brains and they don’t ‘think’.

We also don’t have evidence to suggest that they actually 'feel’ in any way resembling our perception of the sense.

That said, previous research has shown that plants do have pretty good awareness of their surroundings. For example, they can 'hear’ when they’re being chewed on by insects, and release chemicals to stop it. And they’re also able to communicate with each other via a subterranean 'internet’ of fungus.

While there’s no visible response to any of this stimulus, what this input does is help the plant stay aware of its surroundings and prepare itself for any potential danger, or get ready to take advantage of changing weather conditions.

The works in Disguise: Masks and Global African Art are organized around the idea that masquerade is always an art of becoming.

Nick Cave’s costumes, known as “Soundsuits” from the sounds they make when performed, draw from African and Caribbean masquerade traditions. Cave’s costumes enable performers to be seen free from the constraints of being placed in categories, becoming another body able to transform their environment into an otherworldly space. Cave’s Soundsuits may also serve as a sort of armor, protecting against the violence of racial stereotypes and giving their wearers an outsize, fanciful, and transcendent presence.