Adelaidean 11 September 2000 Vol 9 No 16
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Adelaidean NEWS FROM ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY 11 SEPTEMBER, 2000 Extreme sports a risky business for tourists THEY are the newest breed of Dr Palmer has researched why ordinary “athlete”, and they are about as far Australians are attracted to extreme sports as removed from an Olympic athlete as part of a paper titled Shit Happens: the selling of you can possibly get. risk in extreme sports, which she will present at the Australian Anthropological Society Unlike Olympians, these new athletes do no Conference in Perth later this month. training, make no personal sacrifices, and in many cases don’t even have to try when “I’m interested in why people feel the need to partaking in their chosen sports. risk their lives like this—why they want to put their lives in the hands of people they’ve never And unlike Olympians, these new athletes are met—and how the commercial operators sell risking far more than normal sporting injuries their services in such a way that makes them when they “compete”—they are quite often attractive to people,” she said. risking their lives. “Part of it stems from the fact that anyone can Who are they? do these activities. You look at an Olympic According to an Adelaide University researcher, athlete, they spend years training constantly, such as Into Thin Air, which details an ill-fated they are ordinary young Australians aged making lots of sacrifices and just generally trip to Mount Everest in 1996. between 18 and 35—Mr Joe and Ms Jo being incredibly dedicated to their sport, and Average—who are travelling around the world “I find this kind of ‘selling a disaster’ curious and you compare to it to doing these so-called questionable.” in increasing numbers to take part in so-called extreme activities, where basically all you have “extreme sports”, such as bungee jumping, to do is show up. Another interesting point to emerge from the mountaineering and canyoning. rise of these tourist-oriented extreme sports is “Much of this is purely about hedonism, in that Department of Anthropology lecturer Dr that they differ markedly from their competitive, people want to do these things for themselves— made-for-television counterpart, Dr Palmer said. Catherine Palmer says average Australians are their motivation is one of self-gratification. A taking part in these activities under the large part of that is because of the way these “Competitive extreme sports, like BMX riding misapprehension they are high thrill, but low sports are marketed by the operators.” and skateboarding, are more like traditional risk. sports, because skill is needed and you do need Of greatest interest—and concern—for Dr to train in order to be successful,” she said. “These sports are sold to people as being high- Palmer are that these tragedies, which usually “The risk is still there, but it’s much more of a thrill, but at the same time low-risk—and that’s involve young middle-class Western travellers, obviously not the case,” Dr Palmer said. controlled risk. have produced a burgeoning new literary and Extreme fun, or danger? “Things can and do go wrong, and when that media genre: the adventure saga, an “But while the competitive sports are happens, the nature of the activities mean lives autobiographical account of the disaster as predominantly a male domain, these tourist- tourist-oriented activities give women a chance are lost. penned by a survivor. based extreme sports attract both male and to take part in the kinds of ‘thrill-seeking’ “The Interlaken disaster last year is a prime “While the Interlaken tragedy is yet to make it to female participants. activities that have traditionally been the example of the tragic consequences which can print or the big screen, we have seen in recent “Not a lot has changed about the traditional preserve of men.” occur when things go wrong.” times films such as The Perfect Storm or books place of men and women in sport, and these —Ben Osborne Joint programs Biotechnology research to grow discussed by new from embryonic start ADELAIDE-BASED biotechnol- based therapies for Parkinson’s Disease consortium ogy company BresaGen expects and genetic diseases of the bone marrow, to receive human embryonic using the mouse and rat as model systems,” he said. ADELAIDE University has moved a step closer stem (ES) cells in the near future to offering new Masters degrees in from the University of Wisconsin, The most useful population of human stem collaboration with three international partner USA. cells for therapeutic purposes are the institutions. The cells are intended for use in the embryonic stem cells. In December 1998, BresaGen Cell Therapy Program which is two USA research teams announced the The University hosted a two-day meeting with representatives conducted in the Department of Molecular isolation and stable regeneration of human of the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), Waseda Biosciences at Adelaide University under the ES cells in culture. Despite the great University (Japan) and Universiti Putra Malaysia to discuss scientific direction of Professor Peter promise offered by these cells, their source how two new Masters programs should be developed. Rathjen. and acquisition raised important ethical Participants included Professor Daryl Le Grew, Vice-Chancellor Nerve cells derived from mouse embryonic questions. Stem cells are embryonic cells, among the stem cells. of Canterbury, Dr Shurijo Urata, Professor of the School of first to appear as a fertilised egg develops. Human ES cell lines come from two Social Sciences at Waseda, Dr Muhamad Awang, Deputy different sources. One line is isolated from They have the ability to develop into cancer, and AIDS. Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at UPM, and Professor Penny most of the specialised cells in the human human foetal tissue obtained from Boumelha, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) of Adelaide. body including blood, skin, muscle and Parkinson’s disease provides a model of terminated pregnancies, the other was It was the second meeting between the institutions since nerve cells. They also have the capacity to how such treatment might occur. The obtained from surplus early-stage human they agreed to explore the formation of a consortium earlier divide and proliferate indefinitely in disease is caused by dysfunctional nerve embryos donated by individuals undergoing this year. culture. cells in a particular area of the brain. Using IVF treatment. It is cells from this second cell therapy, these faulty cells could be line that Bresagen will use. The meeting discussed curriculum development for the Scientists can use these two unique replaced with healthy, stem cell-derived Despite the fact that both tissue proposed Masters programs. It also explored models for properties of stem cells to produce nerve cells. delivery and structure, industry sponsorship opportunities seemingly limitless supplies of most human sources are donated with the informed and the roles and commitment of each partner. It was cell types, paving the way for the treatment “Scientists in the Cell Therapy Program consent of the donors, the destruction of have been able to produce nerve, muscle agreed that a Memorandum of Understanding for the project of diseases by cell replacement. In fact, embryos for stem cell isolation has and blood cells from mouse ES cells and should now be prepared. cell therapyhas the potential to treat any attracted criticism from some pro-life, disease that is associated with cell would like to demonstrate the same religious and bioethics groups. The central Further meetings are planned this year. dysfunction or damage, including stroke, transitions using human ES cells,” said ethical argument hinges on the status of an BresaGen’s Dr Paul Tolstoshev. embryo. —John Drislane diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, heart attack, spinal cord injury, “BresaGen is focusing on developing cell- Continued Page 6 INSIDE Space future in Ratbag makes ASO concert a safe hands its mark tribute to Cary page 5 page 7 page 8 Approved For Print Post 565001/00046 For Print Post Approved PAGE 2 SEPTEMBER 11, 2000 ADELAIDEAN COMMENTARY WHAT’S IN AN OLYMPIC RING Associate Professor Rob Woodbury culmination of years of honing knowledge, throughout an event, a 12-year-old is rapt in the School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture conditioning, technique and especially resolve. awesome performance that such focus can & Urban Design The experience of success in elite competition produce. That 12-year-old takes in more than is one of intense focus—mind and body are athleticism: she sees character and models on entirely dedicated to one goal. Every aspiring it. Olympians carry responsibility beyond The torch relay has been to Adelaide and gone Olympian must surmount enormous obstacles themselves and they gain from this apparent onto Sydney. I am happy to have seen it and to to gain his or her place on the team. The burden. Reputation and trust—the external have been part of the very real community spirit process of getting there is akin to a forge—it things that endure after the close of an athletic around this wonderful and worthwhile event. It takes innate talent and transforms it into tough career—are built much more on bearing than seemed to me to be celebrating three things. ability. You are a different person for having accomplishment. First, it heralded the upcoming Olympic Games. gone through it. It was a preamble to what is perhaps really “The It comes full circle. Olympic achievement forms Greatest Show on Earth”. Second, it was a This story too misses an important point. a lasting web of community where all involved national celebration of Australia. Among the Behind most Olympians stand mentors. contribute and benefit. The Olympians torch runners were some of South Australia’s Coaches, friends, elders and family share in and themselves are the most visible manifestation of most famous and accomplished people.