JULY 2022 • ISSUE 38
ISSN 2306-0735
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editorial
Emotional Well-Being
B
efore we jump into our latest edition, I’d like to welcome our new Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Ing. Simon G. Fabri, to THINK! An engineer by
To communicate with us and follow the latest in research news twitter.com/ThinkUMtweets
profession, Fabri is currently Professor with the Department of Systems
and Control Engineering as well as Pro-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer. He has been instrumental in bringing this edition on Emotional WellBeing to life! You’re stuck in traffic despite your best efforts to leave early. Your hands
To see our best photos and illustrations instagram.com/thinkuni
grip the steering wheel tightly, and you clench your teeth in frustration. You grow indignant at the terrible road design; the motorist ahead of you has their hand dangling out of the window, and even that annoys you. Your mind begins racing, each impression riling you up further, your train of thought hijacked by anger.
To view some great videos youtube.com/user/ThinkUni
Despite our best efforts, keeping our emotions in check is a daily battle. What makes it particularly challenging is that outbursts of ‘negative’ emotions (such as anger or sadness) are frowned upon. You’re expected to keep your emotions in line, to suppress anything unpleasant stirring within you until you’re in the privacy of your own home.
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While we might admire people who can keep a level head, our emotions can give us the strength we need to tackle difficult situations. Righteous anger gives us the courage to face aggressors; sadness allows us to empathise with others; while disgust tells us when something is wrong or dangerous. Emotions aren’t something we ought to suppress, nor are they a source of shame. Our emotions are what add colour to our lives. Rather than letting
For our archive from the University of Malta Library um.edu.mt/library/oar
them hijack our train of thought, we should learn to listen to them and pick up on the subtle cues they give us before they overwhelm us. Being in sync with our emotions is key to our well-being.
contribute
Prof. Ing. Simon G. Fabri
David Mizzi
Editor-in-Chief
Editor
simon.fabri@um.edu.mt
david.mizzi@um.edu.mt
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focus
contents
Emotional Well-Being
Issue 38 • July 2022 toolkit
The Microscopic World in Sharp Focus
4 without borders
Bringing Politics to the People
6
The beating heart is synonymous with emotion. Beyond the heart we see a clearing, or lichtung as Heidegger calls it. It is through this empty space that other beings manifest giving us room to empathise and explore our emotional well-being.
design
8
Flickering through Darkness in Experimental Animation
focus articles
opinion
10
Pedantic Pedagogy
Voluntourism: Do Locals Benefit as Much as Volunteers? 11
14
10 student
Eco-Anxiety
12
VR Experience Helps in Understanding and Treating Schizophrenia
16
Animal Rights: A Question of Pain
20
Covid and the Elderly
24
Claiming the Right to a Relationship 28 What a Trip, Man.
32
Fighting Toxic Online Game Behaviour
36
Games, TAMED, and AI Empathy
40
When It Feels Like Too Much
44
CONTRIBUTORS TOOLKIT Prof. Ruben J Cauchi Zach Muscat WITHOUT BORDERS Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo DESIGN Prof. Vince Briffa Nicole Pace OPINION Annabelle Farrugia Victoria Vella STUDENT Martina Camilleri
FOCUS Dr Claire Lucille Azzopardi Lane Emma Clarke Prof. Alexiei Dingli Dorianne Fenech Jonathan Firbank Dr Paulann Grech Becky Jones Christian Keszthelyi Dr Konstantinos Makantasis David Mizzi Antónia Ribeiro Ian Rizzo Dr Alexei Sammut Dr Godwin Sammut Prof. Josianne Scerri Peter Singer Prof. Georgios N. Yannakakis
FEATURES Martina Borg Dorita Galea Dr Jefferson de Oliveira Mallia Freya M. Robinson Dr Carmel Serracino Dr Vasilis Valdramidis IDEA Jonathan Firbank START UP Caroline Curmi Keith Vanhear FICTION Martina G. Mifsud TEXT
ALUMNI Timothy Alden Michelle Mifsud LAB TO LIFE Samuel Ridgeway Dr Ing. Marc Anthony Azzopardi Prof. Ing. Victor Buttigieg Charles Grech TO-DO LIST Sarah Kim Toppin’ Up ILLUSTRATIONS Gabriel Izzo Nicole Pace
THINK is a research magazine published by the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office at the University of Malta. To subscribe to our blog, log into thinkmagazine.mt/subscribe and fill in your details. For advertising opportunities, please contact think@um.edu.mt.
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PHOTOGRAPHY James Moffett Sarah Zammit
feature
feature
Helping the Hatcheries: How Can We Improve the Output of Aquaculture?
Bringing the Iliad to Life Students breathe new life into Homer’s Epic
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Is there a way to help ensure the survival of young fish?
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idea feature
Cutting EDGE Research: the Genomes of Maltese Plants
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The Worth of your Time: Lockdowns, the Great Resignation, and an Anti-Work Movement The Great Resignation
Studying the genome of two endemic plants lab to life
Maltese Innovation Promises New Era in Accessing Space
start up
Launching Malta’s first satellite
Revyl: Three Taps to Your Ticket Keeping your tickets safe at the push of a button
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63
fiction
Bird Songs and Conquering Thought Esoteric Epochs
66
alumni
What Makes a Book Autism Friendly?
to-do list
What makes a book autism friendly? Michelle Mifsud explains how
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Brought to You by Toppin’ Up
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THINK I D E A S
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R E S E A RC H
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P E O P L E
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U N I V E R S I TY
July 2022 - Issue 38
EDITORIAL
Prof. Ing. Simon G. Fabri EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Mizzi EDITOR DESIGN
Gabriel Izzo DESIGNER Nicole Pace DESIGNER
ISSN 2306-0735 | Copyright © University of Malta, 2022 The right of the University of Malta to be identified as Publisher of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Act, 2001. University of Malta, Msida, Malta Tel: (356) 2340 2340 | um.edu.mt All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of research and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this magazine are correct and active at the time of going to press. However the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent issues.
COPYEDITING
David Mizzi PROOFREADING
Amy Borg PRINTING
Print It, Malta
ERRATUM ISSUE 37
In our announcement about the doctoral school graduations we mistakenly claimed that "this year marks the 50 year anniversary since the University of Malta awarded its first Ph.D. degree." This should have been "this year marks 47 years since the University of Malta awarded its first Ph.D. degree".
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toolkit
The Microscopic World in Sharp Focus Author:
T
James Moffett
he Leica Thunder Imaging System not only lives up to
Leica Thunder Imaging System splits natural light into
its grandiose name, it also exceeds it in its purpose.
different wavelengths to excite different fluorescent
At first glance, the system looks just like your traditional
stains, and the processor captures the illumination
microscope with a flatscreen monitor connected to
of these stains independently, while the software
it. THINK finds itself in the Motor Neuron Disease
compiles the images to produce razor-sharp results.
Laboratory at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and
The laboratory’s primary research focuses on motor
Biobanking at the University of Malta. The dim lighting
neuron diseases such as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral
around the setup creates an impressive atmosphere.
Sclerosis) by utilising fruit flies as specimens under the
Images flash on the attached screen, and the sophisticated
microscope’s powerful lens. These insects serve as a
high-tech features of this specialised microscope
model organism of ALS by removing genes causing the
become clearer. 'There is no other microscope like this,'
disease. ALS flies typically end up with weakness of the
says Mr Zachary Muscat, Accounts Manager at Evolve
muscles used for flight. Prof. Cauchi emphasises the
Ltd. — suppliers of this equipment to the University.
impact of the Thunder microscope for such research.
While traditional microscopes have no issue focusing
'What we can do now is dissect the organism and see
on normal cells, they tend to struggle with tissue
what is actually happening at a molecular level in the
samples. Tissue samples are somewhat thicker, and
neurons and muscles. Previously, that was difficult to do.'
a typical microscope causes blurring at the centre
Besides ALS, the laboratory is also focusing on projects
of the projected image. Clarity and sharpness are
concerning COVID-19. Research is being conducted on
critical in a field that requires precise analysis of
the ACE2 receptor, that same receptor which coronavirus
samples, and the distortions caused by such image
particles bind themselves to before entering human cells.
processing can severely limit the researcher.
'So with the microscope, we are also looking at the location
Being only one out of a hundred currently in use
of this receptor and how we can actually find therapeutic
worldwide, the Leica Thunder Imaging System is capable
approaches that decrease the levels of this receptor.' In the
of removing this blurring in real time. Prof. Ruben J
long run, this will have a significant impact on the health
Cauchi, who leads the laboratory, explains the concept
sector by providing it with crucial information for the
behind this piece of technology. 'It looks like a normal
creation of specific drugs which can be used not only for
microscope,' he says. 'The difference is that it has a tower
COVID-19 but also potentially for future pandemics.
toolkit
with a powerful processor, and this is its core facility.'
4
Its high processing power, combined with technology
Equipment supplied by Evolve Ltd. through collaboration
typically used for gaming, allows for the enhancement of
with the University of Malta, and made possible with
images beyond the capabilities of a standard microscope.
funding from the Malta Council for Science & Technology
While traditional microscopes use natural light, the
COVID-19 R&D Fund (Project COV.RD.2020–22).
toolkit
Muscles of a fruit fly stained for motor neuron terminals using the Leica Thunder Imager (left) and a standard fluorescence microscope (right).
5
without borders
Bringing Politics to the People Author:
David Mizzi
P
olitics does not exist in a vacuum. As much as we might be disillusioned with our political system or
claim indifference, there is no denying that it impacts our daily life. The way our taxes are invested, which policies are implemented, and the way public institutions are run all depend on politics. As Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo puts it, ‘Politics is exercised by the people, for the people, and therefore, it shapes and in turn is also shaped by social and economic transformations.’ Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo (Head of Department of the Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy) has developed a cross-disciplinary text to democratise the learning of political science. He explores the relationship between idealpolitik and realpolitik and aims to connect academia with the real world of politics, policy making, religion, economics, and public administration. The cover of the book, featuring a rainbow cake, might lead to some confusion as readers wonder about the connection between pastry and politics. Dr Vassallo provides some context: ‘In the 1970s, Prime Minister Dom Mintoff coined the term “kejk” to explain the concept of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As the GDP grows, so too does the cake and its slices. Mintoff’s metaphor
without borders
is still used today, as it reflects the need to increase
6
Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo Photo by James Moffett
Vassallo’s text expands on this metaphor. The five layers
the size of the cake through economic growth and
of the cake: governance, religion, economy, administration,
diversification, while at the same time to share the cake
and the public are the fundamental ingredients. If we want
through social justice and respect to the common good.’
the cake (and the country’s GDP) to grow, then these
layers need to be understood together. Understanding these nuanced layers requires a team of experts from different disciplines. Working alongside sociologists, political scientists, economists, and public officials, Vassallo manages to create an insightful catalogue to explore these layers. While politicians would like us to think that they are the crux of the political system, it takes experts from various fields to manage a country effectively. The role of the politician is to ensure that these various sectors synchronise their efforts. After all, the overarching goal is not to win an election but for the country to grow and improve the quality of life of its citizens. Vassallo points out that ‘politics needs good governance and an effective public administration to function properly. The political economy is steered by the political class in consultation with stakeholders, including employer associations and trade unions. The political discipline goes beyond political parties as it also calls for civil society represent people’s interests, values, and aspirations.’ The book gathers the views of 25 academics and
Kollox Politika? Malta University Publishing
contributors, all experts in their fields, and it is published
interest public officials looking to better understand their
by the Department of Public Policy in collaboration
role in relation to the state, the economy, and society.
with Malta University Publishing and Campus FM.
Interdisciplinary is the basis of this publication.
The book is sure to be a gold mine for students studying politics, economics, sociology, history, religion, public
Special thanks to the European University of the Seas,
administration, and European studies. It should also
the Department of Public Policy, and Campus FM.
without borders
groups, including religion, as crucial interlocutors to
7
design
Flickering through Darkness in Experimental Animation Author:
N
Monika Kopčilová
ot Always Everywhere but Always Somewhere. As part
darkness, dust, and humidity paired with the intermittency of
of her Master of Fine Arts in Digital Arts at the
light created a ghostly layer of mould upon the architecture,
Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, Department of
adding a tactile effect to the unphysical darkness and light.
Digital Arts (University of Malta), Nicole Pace developed an
ceiling through ten analogue DIY slide projectors, triggered by
to try and record darkness and light. Why this medium? And
ten delayed passive infra-red (PIR) sensors.’ Each projector was
what is the message behind it? Monika Kopčilová turns the
made using a concealed PVC tube and a light bulb, a convex
spotlight on this illuminating art.
lens, and part of a scan printed on acetate film. The motion
Questions about the exact nature of darkness and light have vexed physicists for years. But what does art have to say about the topic? Despite being something we experience
lights creating an immersive effect of situational darkness. Actually recording darkness and light, however, proved more challenging. Initially, Pace attempted to use different
absence of light. When faced with complete darkness or a
light sources to try and capture darkness and light. However,
very bright light, most people would say that they can’t see
trailing an LED flashlight over a flatbed scanner in a darkroom
anything. The artist explains, ‘One might say that they cannot
proved much more effective, and she was able to capture a
see anything when in a dark space, when the thing they are
visual trace of darkness and light. These trails, featuring the
seeing is darkness itself.’
method of scanography, were the basis of the projection
Showcased in June 2021 at Spazju Kreattiv as a part of a
installation, split into ten fragments for each slide projector. For Prof. Vince Briffa, Pace’s supervisor, the project treads
the polarities of darkness and light – the two non-physical
the animate intersections between light and dark(ness),
elements that physically affect us. The aim was to capture
introspectively unearthing questions that surround the two
the presence of darkness rather than just illustrate it.
extremes through her discerning artistic sensibility. Pace’s
Through a series of heat-sensitive sensors, the viewer
final installation sheds light on the endless nuances that both
becomes a part of the exhibition. Specifically, they serve
unite and separate the two opposites, affirming Paul Klee’s
as a switch that triggers darkness interrupting light,
assertion that ‘Art does not reproduce the visible; rather,
depending on the viewer’s movements.
it makes visible.’
In this scenario, the observer becomes the darkness
design
sensors detect the heat of a passing person; this turns off the
every moment, darkness is often mislabelled as the mere
collective degree exhibition called Ennead, the art piece used
8
‘A series of ten light scans were projected onto the sloping
interactive installation, experimenting with a flatbed scanner
Pace concludes: ‘The experimental aspect of animation
pertaining to presence, causing an interruption and
that drove this project is often misconceived. Animation is not
interaction within the work, instead of just being a passive
limited to character or commercial aspects – it is not a genre
spectator. A dark and often forgotten alcove proved to
but a technique, and it can also be a fine art. I look ahead to
be the perfect place for Pace’s installation. The contained
continue working within this flickering of being and time.’
Opposite page: A scanography light trail experiment. Top left: Not Always Everywhere but Always Somewhere, exhibited at Spazju Kreattiv, June 2021. Top right: A viewer experiencing the exhibit, turning off the corresponding fragment of the light trail in sync with their movement.
Images courtesy of Nicole Pace
design
Bottom: Series of ten slide projectors triggered by the PIR sensors.
9
opinion
Pedantic Pedagogy Author:
Victoria Vella
I
t is fair to say that our perceptions of what is the norm have
front was not popular — nor even available in most cases.
changed drastically since 2020. Simple things like going to
There are various reasons for this stemming from people’s
the shops became a daunting task, predetermined by the mask
nature to be reticent to change, difficulty adapting to new
you had to wear, the amount of sanitizer you carried with
technologies, or the outdated idea that people need someone
you, the application of alcohol rub as soon as you entered,
breathing down their necks to ensure good work or good
and being watched by eagle-eyed supervisors to ensure social
marks in courses. As many of us know, this is not the case,
distancing was in place. Gone were air-kisses or hugs when you
and often giving people the freedom to work or study in their
met a friend, substituted by a cursory elbow thump, if that.
own time can yield better results. Almost overnight, video
Thankfully, we finally seem to be staggering towards
conferencing software and platforms transformed how courses
a light at the end of the tunnel. This is not to say that
and training were being given, and this has given people who
the pandemic is over, more that as symptoms and
otherwise would not have chosen a digital path the chance
deaths have subsided, the acceptance that this is just
to explore new opportunities and further their knowledge
another thing we have to live with has emerged.
through online courses and life-long learning opportunities.
It may be controversial to say, but the silver lining —
Nowadays, online courses and blended/hybrid learning
for Malta especially — has been to push different
have become the norm for many — and not just the tech-
generations and demographics into a more digital world,
savvy. We are able to connect with people, continue
from companies realising that ‘remote working’ is a viable
studies, and provide life-long learning opportunities to
option without reducing productivity, to my 92-year-
many who may not have had the opportunity before due
old grandmother in the UK learning to use a smart
to economic, social, and transportation issues. Malta
phone to keep in touch with family here in Malta.
University Consulting, for example, offers a number of
We had to change how we did everyday things. As a society, we were not ready for all the changes that
courses, ranging from understanding autism to business classes, to facilitate personal and professional growth.
ensued, but looking back, I am amazed that we have come as far as we have in a relatively short span of time. If
Victoria Vella is a Consulting and Training Executive with
anything, the pandemic has brought about a more flexible
Malta University Consulting – Photo by Marika Montebello
structure when working, shopping, and also learning.
(Picturesque)
opinion
The education/training landscape has been one of the
10
most drastically hit by the changes brought about by the
For more information, visit our website Courses - MUC
pandemic. Although distance learning has been around for
(maltaconsulting.mt), or contact us on
a very long time, the idea of remote learning on a national
trainingservices@muhc.com.mt
opinion
Voluntourism: Do Locals Benefit as Much as Volunteers? I
Annabelle Farrugia
believe we primarily choose to volunteer because of one, selfless reason: our heart. Travelling to volunteer,
However, it is also true that organisations and volunteers are striving to be more ethical and sustainable. In my opinion,
or voluntourism, is an emotionally enriching and
unskilled volunteers are only a problem if they choose to
rewarding experience. You’re tasting a totally different
join the wrong project. Unprepared volunteers are those
culture in all its raw authenticity whilst ‘supporting’
who have not been well informed about the community’s
someone or a community. It is gratifying; hence, there’s
needs and how the organisation plans to achieve their goals.
also a personal gain. But does volunteering actually
Thus it is the organisation’s responsibility to foster an
help the local community? And do the locals benefit
environment of sustainable volunteering with long-term
as much as we do? I believe there is simply no reason
goals, projects, and financial plans. For instance, using
why both sides can’t benefit in different ways.
funds to engage permanent local staff whom volunteers
Whereas organisations, volunteers themselves, and their proud (if initially worried) families often portray the commendable aspect of volunteering, attracting
can work with, rather than replace, minimises dependency and creates a collaborative work ethic for both sides. More importantly, in my opinion, is the individual
adventurous tourists to help rural communities has become
volunteer. In asking the right questions, understanding
widely criticised by the media. The local community’s
that change occurs gradually, and more significantly,
eventual dependency, coupled with unskilled volunteers,
respecting the different culture by taking into account
are amongst the most-cited adverse aspects.
the local perspective, one is immediately more mindful
Concerning dependency, one must question what would happen to an existing project if volunteers stopped
of the ethical consequences of their actions. Do the locals benefit as much as voluntourists do? I
visiting. For example, when the next pandemic hits and
really think we’d have to ask them first. Speak to them,
borders are closed again, will that newly built clinic retain
interact; that’s where understanding the local perspective
the necessary equipment and staff to function within
comes in! On the other hand, I strongly believe that cross-
the rural community without the organisation being
cultural exchanges — where equitable, collaborative, and
present? If the answer holds even a trickle of doubt, then
honest discussions take place, and where friendships are
the project has been well funded but not sustainably
formed — are the most intangible assets of volunteering
planned. Furthermore, we live in a predominantly
for both locals and volunteers. Therefore, if all the aspects
individualistic society wherein a volunteer can be more
of a person’s well-being along with sustainability are
concerned about their own experience as opposed to
strongly being considered, the world can only benefit
how they’re actually contributing to the community.
from more understanding and active individuals!
opinion
Author:
11
student
Photo by Jean Claude Vella
Eco-Anxiety Martina Camilleri
H
ave you ever felt stressed about your future when hearing about environmental issues and climate change in the news? Have you ever felt particularly anxious
about the future of humanity and our planet? Well I can assure you, you are not alone. There is a formal term for this phenomenon: eco-anxiety. The American Psychology Association describes eco-anxiety as ‘the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations.’ While this is not
yet considered a psychological illness, it can have numerous mental consequences in some people. Eco-anxiety does not affect everyone in the same manner. Various studies in the last few years have shown that eco-anxiety tends to impact younger generations the most, mainly children and youths. Surveys show that many young people rank climate change as the most significant societal problem. In one recent study published in The Lancet Planetary Health and conducted in 10 different countries among 16 to 25-year-olds, 59% of respondents stated that they are very or extremely worried, while 84% of participants said that they felt at least moderately worried. Moreover, the majority of respondents ‘felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty,’ about climate change. Eco-anxiety also tends to be more prevalent among people who are aware of the environment and knowledgeable on climate change. This group feels largely responsible for solving this problem that has been dumped onto its shoulders by governmental inaction and earlier generations. This might also explain why it is quite common for young students studying in the environmental field to feel the symptoms of eco-anxiety. As a student currently following a sustainability-related course, I am aware that it can get quite overwhelming. In fact, as part of a recent Sustainability Week on university campus, a workshop was organised to help students cope with the symptoms of eco-anxiety. While coping mechanisms vary from one individual to another, these are some things you can try out if you find yourself in a similar situation: • Explore a healthy outlet to give your thoughts a break through physical exercise, meditation, and deep breathing. • Share your feelings with friends or note them down in a journal. • Take tangible action by making small but necessary lifestyle changes. • Make your voice heard through lobbying, petitions, and marching in the streets,
students
or by joining sustainable organisations.
12
Martina Camilleri is currently reading for an MSc in Sustainability Science, Policy and Society at Maastricht University.
Ħa tapplika?
um.edu.mt/apply
14
focus
Emotional Well-Being
F
or this edition, we’ve taken a broad
understand emotions, how the pandemic
understanding of emotional well-
has affected the emotional health of the
being. We explore how computers are
elderly, as well as extend the discussion
being trained to interpret particular cues to
on emotional well-being to animals.
VR Experience Helps in Understanding and Treating Schizophrenia A VR simulation to help train nursing staff recognise certain disorders
16
Animal Rights: A Question of Pain What about the emotional well-being of our four-legged friends?
20
Covid and the Elderly How has Covid affected the well-being of the elderly?
24
Claiming the Right to a Relationship Why are people with disabilities often denied romantic relationships?
28
What a Trip, Man. Can psychedelics be used to treat mental illness?
32
Fighting Toxic Online Game Behaviour Teaching an algorithm to recognise toxic behaviour in video games
36
Games, TAMED, and AI Empathy Teaching machines to read our emotions
40
When It Feels Like Too Much 44 focus
The dedicated professionals helping students with their mental health
15
16
focus
VR Experience Helps in Understanding and Treating Schizophrenia Author:
Christian Keszthelyi
The University of Malta’s Department of Artificial Intelligence and Department of Mental Health have teamed up to create a simulation to better understand and potentially help treat schizophrenia. Christian Keszthelyi steps through the looking glass to see what living with schizophrenia is like. pronged approach: actually helping patients
kicks in, the player finds
and educating their surrounding communities
themselves in a commonplace
on how to support people with psychosis.
office. The game prompts the player to carry on with mundane
tasks: answer ringing phones, handle files,
BEGIN SIMULATION In this context, researchers at the University
talk to the receptionist. But then, all of a
of Malta are looking into VR and, in the longer
sudden, voices start calling to the player from
term, augmented reality (AR) solutions to tackle
unknown sources. The voices get louder,
both aspects of this issue. Achieving progress
berating the player for being unworthy, flooding
in this field would be a game changer for our
the player’s mind so much that completing
societies at large. Breaking the cycle of isolation
the humdrum tasks is almost impossible.
requires direct, highly active treatment in
While this might sound like an interesting premise for an indie game, it is also an incredibly useful educational tool. It allows
troubling situations so that patients learn how they can safely and confidently enter them. Early studies established that people could
healthcare students to safely experience
distinguish between physical and virtual
symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia
realities. Researchers found positive indications
first hand, helping them to better empathise
that participation in virtual experiences,
and treat their future patients.
applied with customised care to the patient,
Many patients with psychosis experience
did not worsen the symptoms. Researchers
everyday social situations as anxiety-provoking.
have considered safety risks to ensure that
The fear patients experience in such situations
experiences in VR will not trigger psychotic
may force them to withdraw from social
episodes in either healthy individuals or patients.
activities. This jolts them into a self-generating
The project started as a niche exercise. ‘We
cycle of isolation that alienates them from their
had been approached by the Faculty of Health
communities, which in turn, leads to the further
Sciences, as they were looking for a solution
deterioration of physical and mental health.
to help their students understand what it
This is an issue that can be tackled with a two-
means for someone to live with schizophrenia. focus
A
s the virtual reality (VR) headset
17
Left and right: Screenshots from a VR simulation showing auditory hallucinations in red text.
Traditionally in class, a student would stand behind a
schizophrenia: hallucinations. Obviously, hallucinations
peer and every now and then say something in their
refer to different senses; there are five types of
ears to imitate auditory hallucinations. We decided to
hallucinations. But here we are focusing on auditory
simulate this with virtual reality,’ Prof. Alexiei Dingli,
and visual hallucinations,’ Dr Alexei Sammut, Lecturer of
Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of
Mental Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences, says.
Information & Communication Technology, says.
DID YOU HEAR SOMETHING? The VR environment mimics a normal day in an office
common type when people see things that are not there; tactile, when an individual feels a sensation of touch; olfactory, such as smelling malodour; and
such as carrying boxes or sorting out some files. But
gustatory, when tasting is affected by hallucinations. Additionally, this project can be included in therapy.
sensations that have been modelled based on research
If a schizophrenic person becomes the ‘player’ of this
into how schizophrenic patients experience their days.
experience, they can learn how to accept and function
The VR experience moves beyond interactive, three-
with their chronic condition. ‘Once you do not resist
dimensional video footage. It is fully responsive and
these voices but start understanding and accepting
specifically customised to the player by artificial intelligence
these voices, then their impact is reduced, which can
(AI). No single session provides the same set of events.
improve quality of life,’ Sammut explains in a nutshell.
‘You are immersed — not just watching a 3D virtualreality clip. You are free to roam in this office-based environment, where we have plenty of occurrences to simulate, from a telephone ringing to organising documents
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH But how does AI tie into the big picture? Using smartwatch
in a storage room or taking orders and executing
technology or similar monitoring, AI can learn about the
commands,’ Prof. Josianne Scerri, Associate Professor of
vitals, such as heart rate or blood pressure, of the ‘player’ to
Mental Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences, says.
make sure that the environment they are experiencing is just
The project was piloted on mental health nursing
as engaging as it should be. ‘If the player is getting bored,
students. They care for and support, or will do after their
the AI will pump up the game a little bit. If they are super
studies, individuals with schizophrenia. The (to-be) nurses
excited, the AI will wind it down a little bit,’ Dingli says.
have had an overwhelming experience during the pilot.
When using the technology with schizophrenic people,
What does the ‘player’ of the VR game experience,
it is necessary to be very careful and alert. ‘If the individual
though? ‘We simulate one of the main symptoms of focus
hearing sounds and voices; visual, the second most
scenario. The ‘player’ is tasked with mundane missions then auditory and visual hallucinations start intervening,
18
Hallucinations impact all the five senses: auditory,
is experiencing hallucinations and we are actually
increasing these hallucinations with the VR environment
as the player, go and speak to the receptionist, which
without being mindful about and reactive to the patient’s
triggers hallucinations. But if you decide to ignore the
needs, that will have a detrimental effect,’ Scerri explains.
receptionist and keep going to your desk, something
Normally the virtual experience would focus on the hearing
else will happen, like a telephone will start ringing, which
voices approach because that is where a dialogue can
will eventually trigger a hallucination,’ Dingli explains.
be built between the person and the different voices. AI
Therefore, even though the users are unaware, the
can also help here in making sure that the conversation
AI is triggering the educational, awareness-raising, or
between the individual and the generated voices is just
therapeutical — depending on the player — events.
demanding enough to be manageable for the person.
Showing such results, the project has immense
In such a scenario, a psychologist can monitor and
potential to move beyond professional education
intervene when they see fit. In fact the voices can also be
toward raising awareness among the general public.
controlled by a psychologist, ensuring that the discussion
Bringing such an experience to people would help
between the individual and the voices is in reality a
with fending off the stigma of mental health issues.
discussion between the patient and the medical professional, while the VR world represents it as if it was reality. The AI also helps in making sure that the user cannot avoid unpleasant experiences. ‘Imagine that first you,
Unfortunately, the follow-up project which targeted a much wider audience for awareness-raising never received funding, and development is still pending. Today, this is the most crucial issue for progressing the project beyond education to the education of the public and therapy for individuals with mental health issues. Following the user input from the first project and the experiences the researchers have gathered, the potential of a further developed digital solution is limitless both for patients and the general public. The immersive experience of the VR solution can illuminate people on how schizophrenia manifests in the everyday life of their peers. Additionally, it can be implemented in therapy to help schizophrenic people handle and live with their condition. Moving beyond VR and utilising AR in the long run, which would mean that the real, physical world is embellished by virtual objects and sensations, could expand the beneficial effects of the technology exponentially. focus
Following the user input from the first project, and the experiences the researchers have gathered, the potential of a further developed digital solution is limitless both for patients and the general public.
19
20
focus
In the past few decades, animal rights issues have been an emerging topic, with debate growing louder, especially relating to the suffering that accompanies raising animals for human food production.THINK talks to Australian philosopher Peter Singer to discuss animal ethics.
furry friends, extending the same principle to farm animals
we tend to focus on people: specific
is less straightforward. Is animal well-being something that
age groups or vulnerable segments of
ought to be taken into consideration?
society. But is emotional well-being limited to humans? The concept of
CAN THEY SUFFER?
human superiority has dominated history. Philosophers
Following the footsteps of Jeremy Bentham, the founder
and scientists have attributed this to our ability to speak
of utilitarianism, who said ‘it is the greatest happiness of the
languages, create technologically advanced tools, and use
greatest number [of people in society] that is the measure
them, making us the superior species. After all, following
of right and wrong,’ Australian contemporary philosopher
Aristotle’s Great Chain of Being (and flexibly interpreting
Peter Singer argues that the interests of animals should be
it), humans have evolved enough to create the internet and
considered in modern societies because of animals’ ability
share cat memes in the same time it took for a cockroach
to experience suffering.
to evolve into a, well, cockroach. This has formed the basis of our ethical and legal stance
In his milestone publication Animal Liberation, Singer argues that all beings capable of suffering must be worthy
towards animals, at least in the West. A human person is
of equal consideration. For instance, he says that giving lesser
granted a host of rights which protect their physical and
consideration to beings based on their species corresponds
mental well-being. The Universal Declaration of Human
to human discrimination based on skin colour. Animal rights
Rights, for example, enshrines ‘the right to life, liberty, and
should be based on their capacity to feel pain and not on
security of person’ based on the idea that ‘all human beings
intelligence, he adds.
[...] are endowed with reason and conscience.’ In contrast, no such universal declaration exists for animal
‘We are members of the species Homo sapiens, living among a vast number of members of other species that have,
rights. Instead, nations legislate animal rights on a local level,
like us, evolved on this planet. Among them are trillions of
as is the case in Malta with the Animal Welfare Act. While
non-human animals who, like us, can feel pain and pleasure,
most pet owners will strive to ensure the well-being of their
whose lives can be full of suffering or enjoyment. How should focus
W
hen we speak of emotional well-being,
21
Professor Peter Singer Image courtesy of www.petersinger.info/photos
we act towards them? How much do their interests count
authorities introduced to monitor that standards are being
when they clash with our own interests?’ Singer told THINK.
followed. This would potentially drive up the costs of meat
This point should not be understated. While the argument that animals are rational is still up for debate, by appealing to
This brings us to the manner in which animals are raised
the fact that they can feel pain, Singer is neatly circumventing
for food. Singer points out that animals left to graze in fields
the issue and reminding us of the tangible implications of
and eat grass contribute to the food supply by converting
animal rights. But if it is clear that animals can feel pain (and
low-value materials (that are inedible to people) into dairy,
that pain is something which should be avoided), shouldn’t
meat, and eggs, whilst factory-farmed animals are fed grain
we be upholding these values?
or soy, which reduces the amount of food available for
CAN WE EAT THEM? Singer argues that of all the ways human activities affect
Besides being inefficient in the way resources are converted, factory farming produces meat and dairy through animal suffering. ‘In affluent countries, where we have a wide
justification the most. ‘Far more animals are affected by
choice of foods, no one needs to eat meat. Many studies
this than any other human activity. Worldwide, more than
show that we can live as healthily, or more healthily, without
77 billion mammals and birds are produced for food each
it. We can also live well on a vegan diet, consuming no animal
year, most of them crowded indoors, living miserable lives
products,’ Singer told THINK. He also acknowledged that
in conditions completely unsuitable for their needs. If we
vitamin B12 is the only essential nutrient not available from
include fish farming, the number of vertebrate animals we
plant foods, but it is easy to take a supplement obtained from
raise more than doubles, and if we add the wild fish we haul
vegan sources.
killed may be more than a trillion,’ Singer told THINK. Establishing cohesive and ethical rights that ensure the
focus
human consumption.
animals, raising them for food is the aspect that needs
out of the oceans and kill in painful ways, the total number
22
and other animal products.
IT’S AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM The consequences of humanity’s exploitation of animals
well-being of animals would have a sizeable impact on
extend beyond animal well-being. Humanity still carries
several industries. Farms would need to be restructured and
with it relics of archaic thinking, envisioning the world as
We are members of the species Homo sapiens, living among a vast number of members of other species that have, like us, evolved on this planet. Among them are trillions of non-human animals who, like us, can feel pain and pleasure, whose lives can be full of suffering or enjoyment. How should we act towards them? How much do their interests count when they clash with our own interests?
its own domain to exploit, rather than a space it cohabits
expectancy. Additionally, the economic aspects must also
harmoniously with other species. Our methods of harvesting
be fine-tuned, while paying special attention to world
meat cheaply, besides causing pain to animals, are negatively
hunger which has lately been on the rise, following a
impacting the climate. ‘If global consumption of meat
decade-long steady decline, currently affecting 9.9 per
continues to rise, eliminating emissions from fossil fuels
cent of people globally.
will not be enough to prevent the earth warming beyond
According to Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher
the 2oC limit set by the Paris Agreement on climate change,
and author of Sapiens, ‘We have mastered our surroundings,
let alone the safer 1.5oC target that would be necessary to
increased food production, built cities, established empires,
prevent the inundation of low-lying Pacific island nations,’
and created far-flung trade networks. But did we decrease
Singer points out.
the amount of suffering in the world? Time and again, massive
From a utilitarian standpoint, the ramifications of our
increases in human power did not necessarily improve the
actions, besides negatively affecting animals in the immediate
well-being of individual Sapiens, and usually caused immense
sense, also extend to the rest of the planet as well as future
misery to other animals.’ Perhaps it is time we re-evaluate
generations. The old chestnut, ‘the greatest good for the
how we define progress, particularly if that progress comes
greatest number of people,’ shows us that even if we were
at the expense of others, human or not.
to take an anthropocentric stance, the way we produce meat will negatively affect humanity as a whole through global warming. While a polarised (and often ferocious) debate amplifies the divide between communities regarding eating or not eating animal products, many aspects must be considered
Further Reading
which goes well beyond preferences and beliefs. Humans
World Hunger: Key Facts and Statistics 2022.
are yet to fully understand how plant-based diets and diets
(2022). Retrieved 4 May 2022, from https://www.
including animal products affect our overall health and life
actionagainsthunger.org/world-hunger-facts-statistics focus
in research-based, scientific discourse on eating meat (or not),
23
24
focus
Covid and the Elderly Author: Dorianne Fenech
Elderly people in residential care homes have been particularly affected by the pandemic and the safety measures associated with it. Isolation, loneliness, and the lack of physical touch are a few factors that have impacted their mental well-being.
of relaxation and bonding,’ she says. Not only do these
for everyone. Social isolation has left its
interactions help us feel good, but research has shown that
mark both physically and, most of all,
soothing touch can also strengthen the immune system.
mentally. Family relationships have suffered, particularly where the elderly have been
involved. Family members could not see their elderly loved
LONG-TERM EFFECTS Today’s technology may have helped in reducing the
ones not only because of restrictions but out of a sense
psychological impact caused by the lack of physical touch, but
of responsibility. While these precautions have helped
not in all cases. Connection through technological devices
us to avoid numerous deaths, they have taken a toll on
also has its downsides. For instance, relatives had to find the
residents’ and their relatives’ emotional well-being.
right time to be able to connect with their loved ones, and
ISOLATION AND LONELINESS In residential care homes, relatives were only allowed to
not everyone had easy access to such technology. Not all the elderly were familiar with today’s technological devices, and those suffering from dementia and cognitive problems
pick up or send necessities such as clothes on particular
may have encountered difficulties communicating through
days, and even then, such items had to be quarantined.
these devices due to the severity of their conditions.
Food and other favourite items were not allowed to
Apart from the lack of physical interaction and adding
be sent. From a resident’s view, this may have brought
to the increasing frustration, only one relative per day was
up feelings of being neglected by their family.
allowed to visit their resident and only when the resident
The lack of physical touch only adds to the feeling of
was critically ill. This was permitted through the use of
neglect. Dr Paulann Grech (senior lecturer, Department of
protective barriers such as separation doors or separation
Mental Health, University of Malta) explains that physical
screens, further adding to the sense of detachment.
touch actually benefits mental and physical health. ‘Meaningful touches such as hugs and hand-holding during stressful times slow down the heart rate, lower
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRUGGLES According to a 2020 study, physical distancing due
blood pressure, and decrease stress hormones. Oxytocin
to COVID-19 can cause extreme mental health issues,
is released during these interactions and leads to feelings
especially in the elderly already dealing with such problems. focus
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has been a burden
25
This situation has led to excessive frustrations and uncertainties, increasing preoccupations for both residents and relatives and exacerbating mental stress.
The separation from loved ones,
maintaining mental health, let alone
of feeling lonely, especially if they
coupled with boredom and a loss of
in treating mental health issues.
had problems with mobility or other
freedom, can cause deterioration in an individual’s mental health. Relatives were preoccupied even when residents needed to be transferred to a
need to apply for caring services, such as telecare, Meals on Wheels, and home help. In some cases, hiring
concerning elderly people in residential
private carers for 24hr services
for COVID-19 or after attending
facilities were only one aspect of the
was necessary; however, this was
appointments outside the residential
pandemic. The elderly living in private
a luxury that few could afford –
home. Communication barriers could
homes have presented somewhat
especially families with additional
have been another issue for elderly
bigger problems, concerns, and needs.
financial burdens due to lockdowns.
Family members might have been
Anxiety and distress can be
increased workload on residential staff
hesitant to visit their vulnerable
experienced due to physical
meant that it was not always easy to
relatives out of fear. After all,
isolation at home and can induce
communicate effectively with residents
nobody wants to be responsible for
drastic negative effects on the
and their relatives. In quarantine
unknowingly infecting their loved ones.
mental health of the elderly. In fact,
wards and certain residential homes,
On the other hand, relatives were
WHO recommends that relatives
residents were not allowed to venture
increasingly worried as they could not
should check on older people and
out of their wards or rooms. So
accompany elders for appointments
take some time to talk and get
physical interaction was also limited
and in cases where they might require
involved in their daily routines.
among the residents themselves.
hospitalisation. This was not just due
The need to admit elders to
to the restrictions imposed. There
residential care homes has increased,
frustrations and uncertainties,
were cases where family members
but at a cost. This was coupled
increasing preoccupations for both
ended up in quarantine, preventing
with concerns and worries that the
residents and relatives and exacerbating
them from taking care of their elders’
elderly might be at a higher risk
mental stress. This has led to increasing
daily basic needs like providing food,
of being infected. Admission to
mental health issues across the whole
house-keeping, and self-care.
residential care settings has also
This situation has led to excessive
focus
The problems mentioned above
health problems. This increased the
quarantine ward, either if found positive
persons in residential care. The
26
OLDER ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY
proved somewhat difficult as such
population. Moreover, activities or
Such situations also resulted in
outings were not being organised,
other concerns and worries. Elders
admissions had to be stopped due to
which goes against all protocols in
living alone may have been in danger
the pandemic. These uncertainties
only added to the fear that many, not
and other needs. This could not be
“We Are at Risk Too”: The Disparate
just residents, had to grapple with.
done anymore, leading to a sense of
Mental Health Impacts of the
isolation, unworthiness, and a lack of
Pandemic on Younger Generations:
purpose. Relatives would have been
Nous Sommes Aussi à Risque: Les
concerned about the possibility of
Effets Disparates de la Pandémie Sur
depression creeping in on their elders.
la Santé Mentale des Générations
This fear and uncertainty may have led to relatives suffering mental
Practically this was a complete
Plus Jeunes. The Canadian Journal
health symptoms. Although such
social isolation situation and not
Of Psychiatry, 66(7), 634-644. doi:
symptoms are prevalent across all
just from family members. These
10.1177/0706743721989162
ages, a recent study published in the
elders could not attend any activities
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry stated
with their loved ones. There were
Galea, M., Sammut, A., Grech,
that early anxiety symptoms in 50,000
not even any activities to attend
P., Scerri, J., Calleja Bitar, D., &
Canadians of all ages were diagnosed
as these were all cancelled. Social
Dimech Sant, S. (2022). Psychosocial
during the pandemic. It also showed
distancing had to be imposed in
Impact of COVID-19 on Malta’s
that younger people were at a higher
all public places such as shops or
Elderly. Athens Journal Of Health
risk of suffering from poor mental
hairdressers. The world had all of a
And Medical Sciences, 9(1), 11-
health. In an article by Abbott, studies
sudden become cold, and this pushed
22. doi: 10.30958/ajhms.9-1-1
done so far consistently showed
the elderly’s resilience to its limits,
Data was collected over an 8
that young people and people with
causing more mental health issues
month period (April 2020 - March
young children are more vulnerable
than ever before: a trauma whose
2021). Each month included
to psychological problems. This
residue is still to be experienced.
data from 500 participants. The study was anonymous.
higher vulnerability, coupled with the increased worries for their elderly
Further Reading:
relatives, would have contributed
Abbott, A. (2021). COVID’s mental-
Javed, B., Sarwer, A., Soto, E.,
to elevated poor mental health.
health toll: how scientists are
& Mashwani, Z. (2020). The
tracking a surge in depression.
coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic's
elderly may have been involved in
Nature, 590(7845), 194-195. doi:
impact on mental health. The
actively supporting their families,
10.1038/d41586-021-00175-z
International Journal Of Health
Before the pandemic, some of the
Planning And Management, 35(5),
friends, and neighbours by taking care of children, groceries, cooking,
El-Gabalawy, R., & Sommer, J. (2021).
993-996. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3008 focus
IMPACT ON YOUNGER PEOPLE
27
28
focus
Author:
Becky Catrin Jones
Everyone should have the right to explore intimate relationships, break up and make up, and find a place where they are comfortable in their sexuality. So why is it that people with disabilities are so often denied these experiences? Becky Catrin Jones speaks to Dr Claire Azzopardi Lane about her pioneering work.
With a speciality in disabilities and sexuality,
A SENSE OF SHAME ‘There is a cultural issue with persons with disabilities
she’s currently Deputy Dean of the Faculty
and sexuality that is linked to religion,’ Azzopardi Lane
for Social Wellbeing at the University of Malta
says. Leftover ideology from days when Malta was a
(UM), head of two departments,
strict Catholic country means that those with disabilities,
and she teaches in a couple more. Understandably,
particularly intellectual disabilities, have been seen as
she has a busy community engagement schedule.
‘eternal children’ — pure, angelic figures who couldn’t
Perhaps the many hats that Azzopardi Lane wears are a reflection of the very pioneering work she’s done in a subject that just wasn’t discussed a decade ago and is still proving difficult to get on the agenda. In the grips of a general cultural
possibly be considered sexual beings. ‘These people were infantilised, desexualised, and are not expected to have any kind of sexual needs,’ she says. Catholic teachings also discourage the ideas of sexual
taboo surrounding sexual health, reproductive rights, and
expression and exploration outside of marriage. But people
well-being in Malta, the idea that everyone might be entitled
with disabilities are often not even given the space to form
to freedom of sexual expression was rarely debated. People
relationships, let alone consider marriage, which immediately
hardly ever talked about sex openly, and when they did it
leaves them out of this life experience.
was a hard fought battle to earn the right to. But the idea of
Building even further on this is the underlying issue of
expanding that conversation to include the sexual well-being
eugenics. Although thankfully this is mostly a thing of the
of people with disabilities was completely unimaginable.
past, some of the ideas linger in the policing and sexual
In fact, the availability of any kind of sex education for
suppression of people with disabilities. ‘People are sometimes
someone with a disability in Malta has been pretty much
seen as being of lower “value” in the eyes of society, that
non-existant. When Azzopardi Lane returned from her
they should not want to procreate, so they are not given
PhD studies nearly 12 years ago, she made it her business
the opportunity,’ Azzopardi Lane suggests.
to help people realise the damage that preventing these conversations was having on people with disabilities.
The side effect of this is that people with disabilities, and particularly women, have not been offered any kind of focus
D
r Claire Azzopardi Lane is very busy.
29
Dr Claire Azzopardi Lane Photo by Rene Rossignaud
education about sexuailty, relationships, or birth control. Being
about heteronormative relationships, conversations about
mental health and quality of life — not being able to discuss
LGBTQ+ relationships have been even harder to get on the
particular topics means that the individual has very little space
agenda. ‘We had big problems getting people to understand
to express, or even understand, some of their feelings.
that a person could be disabled and gay, lesbian, bisexual,
'There’s a lot of fear surrounding the exploration of
visibility, role models, or any kind of portrayal in the media
again that it’s bad,' Azzopardi Lane says. The roots in
makes it more isolating for those who belong to both
religious teaching mean that people are often made to
communities, which has an even greater impact on the
feel ashamed of their sexual needs, and this leaves them
individual’s mental health.
given any sense of what constitutes informed consent.
THE BURDEN ON MENTAL HEALTH According to Azzopardi Lane’s research, sexual
It has taken time, research, and education for counsellors and health service providers, but Azzopardi Lane’s work is slowly changing perceptions. For the first time, Malta Pride Festival speeches were accompanied by sign language translation. NGOs like MGRM’s Rainbow Support Service
suppression has a clear impact on emotional well-being.
now operate from the premises of Agenzija Zghazagh,
Feelings of loneliness and isolation from a lack of
which is accessible, and the MGRM office in Mosta has
opportunities to be in a relationship and frustration from
also been made accessible. These small changes are
not being able to explore sexuality can often lead to
opening the door and welcoming people who have
problems with mental health further down the line. Dealing
never been offered a space at the table before.
with these feelings of internalised suppression within the
focus
trans*, or non-binary,’ Azzopardi Lane recalls. The lack of
sexuality, because people have been told time and time
vulnerable to be taken advantage of, never having been
30
As much of a struggle as it was to get people to talk
excluded from these conversations can have a huge impact on
‘The first step is to allow people with disabilities to
individual who has never been allowed the space to explore
be accepted as a sexual person. And then having been
can sometimes be more challenging than trying to change
accepted as having intersectional identities — to show
the views of the people around them.
that it is in fact possible to be disabled and gay!’
The first step is to allow people with disabilities to be accepted as a sexual person. And then having been accepted as having intersectional identities — to show that it is in fact possible to be disabled and gay!’
Azzopardi Lane’s work has been an uphill struggle; in the face of so much ingrained stigma and shame, it has been
that — platforms for dating, relationships… but at least this education is helping them lose that sense of shame.’ The hard work continues to pay off in the world of national
difficult to open up the conversation at all. ‘Sometimes I feel a
policy too. In 2014, Azzopardi Lane and colleagues managed to
little bit sad, because things that I was talking about 10 years
get sexuality and parenthood included in the National Disability
ago are still only being discussed today,’ she says.
Policy of Malta. Based on the UN Convention on the Rights
But she does see some little sparks of hope. More and
of Persons with Disability, they launched a further strategy to
more, her students’ research is uncovering small successes
improve these rights only last year. The visibility of the topic
that were not heard of when Azzopardi Lane started in this
is definitely growing — Azzopardi Lane often writes articles in
field. Stories of dates with girlfriends, or residential homes
magazines and newspapers which help people learn more. But
permitting overnight stays with partners, or even just parents
now the challenge lies with implementation of these policies.
accepting the fact that their sons and daughters would like to
And so Azzopardi Lane’s busy schedule continues.
explore a relationship. One particularly joyous story is about
Promoting education and visibility, she runs training sessions
a woman who wanted to get married and came to her social
for professionals, NGOs, and even disability services related
workers feeling empowered to ask for help to achieve this.
staff on how to approach these subjects in an open and
A number of people with disabilities are finally being given
positive way. Where previously social workers might not have
access to sex education through NGOs and disability services
felt prepared to talk about sexual relationships with their
that have invested in training on the need to have open
clients, they are now more ready to have these conversations.
discussions on this subject. And it’s not just the off-putting
‘It is certainly taking time, but I can appreciate how the
stuff about sexually-transmitted diseases and unwanted
subject has grown,’ she says. The positive stories that come
pregnancies — people are also being taught about the beauty
back to her demonstrate how empowerment and understanding
of sexuality and the joy of relationships.
is changing how people approach their own sexuality. ‘There’s
‘Of course, sex education is just the tip of the iceberg,’ Azzopardi Lane remarks. ‘People need so much more than
a lot more to do, but those who we reach are actually growing and developing their sense of self and autonomy.’ focus
TIMES ARE CHANGING
31
What a What What a a trip, man. trip, trip, man. man. Author: Antónia Ribeiro
Psychedelics conjure images of hippies and tie-dye, or they may trigger images of junkies and erratic behaviours. However, psychedelic drugs are gaining a reputation as possible therapies for many psychiatric disorders, and researchers are not shy about praising their benefits. Meanwhile, psychedelics are illegal in most countries, deemed dangerous, and their use socially condemned. THINK explores the ambiguity behind this class of drugs.
F
or he past 20 years, a
Hyped by science but banned
new trend in research
by governments, how can these
has resurfaced the
substances bring such polarizing views?
enormous therapeutic potential of psychedelics.
Depression, substance abuse, anxiety,
Users of psychedelics often report increased empathy and a change of awareness towards the world or one’s self. These types of drugs are highly
known to bind to specific receptors
sought after as a tool for spiritual
(PTSD), and obsessive compulsive
in the brain. The way in which
journeys as they open 'the doors of
disorder (OCD) are just some of
psychedelics cause their hallucinogenic
perception,’ as Aldous Huxley puts it.
the conditions being targeted.
and therapeutic effects is yet unknown.
For example, during episode
What we can tell is that by binding
242 of the podcast Making Sense
to 5-HT2A receptors (which regulate
by Sam Harris, Dr James Fadiman
serotonin) psychedelics alter serotonin
(a psychologist and researcher in
acid diethylamide (LSD) was used
signalling in the brain. By doing so, they
psychedelics) describes one psilocybin
extensively in the 50s and early 60s as
can influence many biological functions
induced trip: 'Some of my cherished
a treatment for psychiatric disorders.
such as learning and memory, mood,
beliefs were disassembled about
However, with the United Nations’
motor behaviour, and even pain.
what was valuable and not valuable
psychedelics has long been known in the scientific field. Lysergic
1961 Single Convention on Narcotic
focus
Psychedelics are a subtype of drugs
as a stimulant (similar to cocaine).
post traumatic stress disorder
The therapeutic potential of
32
WHAT ARE PSYCHEDELICS?
to its effects, it can also be classified
Classic psychedelics include
in my life. It wasn’t a therapeutic
Drugs, LSD became hard to access,
mescaline (a natural hallucinogenic
breakthrough but just an awareness
and research was halted. Like LSD,
extracted from some species of cacti),
that there was more to the way the
other psychedelics such as psilocybin,
psilocybin, LSD, and DMT (present
world was. But it was still me, it was
extracted from various fungi, and
in ayahuasca, a spiritual and religious
still my personality and my issues.'
MDMA (the main component in Ecstasy)
drink from indigenous communities
were studied and later disregarded
in South America). MDMA can be
doses of LSD, psilocybin, and similar
as dangerous drugs of abuse.
considered a psychedelic, although due
psychoactives, following a particular
Fadiman advocates that taking small
schedule, can help improve mood
to helping treat alcohol and nicotine
only treatments available to help
and ease some disorders without
addiction. What are the workings
decrease pain are oxygen masks
the visual hallucinations of normal
behind these promising results? That
or sumatriptan injections. Studies
doses. Although his evidence is
requires more research, but a possible
suggest that LSD and psilocybin can
anecdotal, it may be that individuals
explanation is that 'psilocybin might
stop on-going attacks and increase
can benefit from psychedelics without
help break the addictive pattern of
the time between episodes.
entering an altered psychological
thoughts and behaviors [...] thus
state. So in what instances may
helping people to quit the habit.'
THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS To summarise a long and complex
as a psychedelic is debatable, it
In a recent study, Psilocybin
has revealed its potential as a
combined with therapy improved
therapy for PTSD, again when
depressive symptoms. As one
coupled with psychotherapy.
participant explained to BBC News,
Due to their effects on the 5-HT2A
list of studies and observations,
'The drug gives us part of a healing
receptor and serotonin signalling,
both LSD and psilocybin have
process.' In this study, brain scans
psychedelics may be potential
shown positive effects in the
showed that the psychedelic increased
therapeutics for other conditions,
treatment of anxiety, OCD, cluster
the connectivity between areas of
but there are insufficient studies
headaches, alcohol and nicotine
the brain, which in some cases led
to come to conclusions just yet.
addiction, and depression.
participants to feel more connected
The bucket list of future studies
Looking at initial studies from
with their reality. However, taking the
includes conditions such as autism,
the 60s, a dose of LSD could help
drug also caused some 'dark feelings'.
Alzheimer’s disease, and glaucoma,
Another possible application
as well as assessing effects on the
studies found that psilocybin, in
for psychedelics is treatment for
immune system, cell differentiation
combination with psychotherapy, can
cluster headaches, the most severe
and growth, tissue regeneration,
help alleviate anxiety and depression
type of headaches, which cause
interaction with memory and learning,
in terminal cancer patients, in addition
extreme pain. At the moment, the
and improvement of creativity.
treat addiction. More recent clinical
focus
psychedelics be beneficial?
And although MDMA’s classification
33
Interestingly, many sources highlight the long-term
paper from 2020 looked for cases of LSD overdose
effects of psychedelic consumption, like better mood,
and found three case reports (two in 2000 and one
increased empathy, or a more optimistic take on life.
in 2015). Here, overdose refers to the ingestion
Besides the long-term effects of microdosing and the
of doses much larger than the ones taken in
initial 60s studies on addiction, modern clinical research
recreational contexts. The three individuals who
reports that psilocybin and ayahuasca improve emotional
overdosed on LSD benefited from long-term effects
and cognitive processes for up to four weeks.
after the overdose, such as decreased pain and
The persistent effects after the substance has cleared from the blood suggests a biological adaptation, namely
alleviation of morphine withdrawal symptoms. Psychedelics should not be considered innocuous,
neuroplasticity, which has been associated with learning
however. Overdose symptoms can include nausea,
and memory. Studies suggest that the beneficial effects of
anxiety, fever, and even seizures. Buying from the
psychedelics are related to the formation and strengthening
black market is like buying a mystery box, and you
of the neuronal connections in the brain, but more studies
never know what you are getting in the mix.
are required to understand if these structural changes
Then there is the risk of a 'bad trip' — featuring
are responsible for the long-term effects of the drugs.
scary hallucinations, anxiety, and even psychosis
RISKS There are a panoply of reasons for taking psychedelics. Some do it to cope with psychiatric disorders, others
symptoms, which can lead users to act erratically. This is one of the reasons why many advocates for psychedelic use recommend the use of a guide. If you read this article looking for the answer
for the spiritual experience, the opportunity to connect
to 'Are psychedelics good or bad?', the answer is:
with the foggy thoughts that our daily lives keep us from
both. They are drugs, after all, and their effect
acknowledging. And maybe some do it to see pretty colours.
on our brain chemistry and structure is not fully
No matter the reason, as with any drug, psychedelics
understood. Concurrently, the therapeutic potential
bring considerable risks that need to be accounted for.
is immense and the prospects of helping understand
First, we need to consider that the drugs one buys
the human brain exciting. Far out, man.
from a dealer are not the same pure and controlled substances researchers study in labs. As Dr Godwin
Further Reading:
Sammut, scientific officer with the Faculty of Science,
de Vos, C., Mason, N., & Kuypers, K. (2021). Psychedelics
Department of Chemistry at the University of Malta and
and Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review Unraveling
court report expert in forensic toxicology, explains, the
the Biological Underpinnings of Psychedelics. Frontiers In
drugs one gets from a dealer are rarely pure, and the list
Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.724606
of substances seeping into the streets increase everyday. Sammut refers to LSD, usually distributed as blotting
Haden, M., & Woods, B. (2020). LSD Overdoses: Three
papers, as an example. When analyzing the blotting
Case Reports. Journal Of Studies On Alcohol And Drugs,
papers being distributed in Malta, LSD is not the only
81(1), 115-118. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2020.81.115
substance detected. Buying a bag of magic mushrooms poses a similar challenge — you can never be sure which
Psilocybin for Tobacco Addiction Study Receives First
species you have been dealt, and mushrooms can go
Federal Psychedelics Grant for 50 Years. Neuroscience
from innocuous to deathly poisonous. Something else not
from Technology Networks. (2021). Retrieved 23 November
accounted for is potency. One can never be sure of what
2021, from https://www.technologynetworks.com/
is inside a small pill, much less how much of it is present.
neuroscience/news/psilocybin-for-tobacco-addiction-
According to Sammut, the hallucinogenic effect, with
study-receives-first-federal-psychedelics-grant-for-
altered vision and surrounding awareness, can pose a
50-years-354912?fbclid=IwAR2XQnhNJM3Q0To3gG
danger in itself. Erratic behaviours, falls, or other accidents
4nKPkocz6avbS3EyfaAtWGIcfbTc25lf56VEy7t9Y.
can cause harm to the user or others surrounding them.
focus
Nonetheless, between 1993 and 2014 in the UK,
34
Tatala, D. (2020). Every psychedelic study currently
only six reported deaths were related to the use of LSD
going on in Europe. ICPR 2020. Retrieved 23
or psilocybin. Unlike other drugs, psychedelics are not
November 2021, from https://icpr2020.net/
addictive, and the risk of harmful overdose is very low. A
europes-psychedelic-science-renaissance/.
Types of Psychedelics Mescaline Extracted from cacti
Effects Effects LSD can improve: • • • • •
Anxiety Obsessive compulsive disorder Addiction (alcohol and nicotine) Depression Cluster headaches
Psilocybin can improve:
Psilocybin Present in some mushrooms
LSD Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, a lab-made drug, created in the 1930s
DMT The psychoactive component of ayahuasca, a spiritual drink from South America. Ayahuasca is made with Banisteriopsis caapi vines and leaves from Psychotria viridis, where DMT is present
• • • • •
Anxiety (when paired with psychotherapy) Obsessive compulsive disorder Addiction (alcohol and nicotine) Depression (when paired with psychotherapy) Cluster headaches
MDMA can improve: • PTSD (when paired with psychotherapy)
Long term use of psychedelics show: • Better mood • More empathy • Improved emotional and cognitive processes
How? • Neuroplasticity - the formation and strengthening of connections between neurons (the brain cells that make us think, move and generally be alive). New connections are formed that may influence positive feelings
Other potential benefits (more studies need to be done):
MDMA A psychedelic and a stimulant (similar to cocaine)
• • • • • • • •
Autism Alzheimer’s disease Glaucoma Immune system Tissue regeneration (wound healing, for example) Cell differentiation and growth Memory and learning Creativity
focus
Full list of references available on thinkmagazine.mt
35
focus
Fighting Toxic Online Game Behaviour 36
For Honor gameplay screenshots Images courtesy of Jason/Flickr.com (top) and Nick72 Italy/Flickr.com (opposite)
Author: David Mizzi
If you’ve played video games online before, you’re probably already familiar with the toxic behaviour found in some online communities. But what if there was a more effective way to moderate online games? David Mizzi speaks to Prof. Georgios N. Yannakakis about his latest research with For Honor.
toxic behaviour. Oftentimes players do not even bother
and immerse yourself in a friendly online game.
reporting transgressive behaviour, leaving the perpetrators
As the opposing team pushes back, tensions
unpunished. This could be because of the effort involved in
are high. Suddenly you start receiving flak from
reporting, reports not being effective, or simply that toxicity
one of your teammates — aggressively calling
has become a normalised part of the player experience.
you out on your mistakes and harassing you with insults.
You try to mute the player, but your game and fun lie ruined. For many gamers, joining an online multiplayer game
Some online communities in particular, such as MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas), are notoriously toxic. This could be because of their inherent competitiveness or
means enduring toxic behaviour. Others avoid the online
anonymity. One such game from Ubisoft, For Honor, an online
space entirely and stick solely to single-player games. For
battle arena which has players decking it out as Knights, Vikings,
numerous video game publishers, encouraging players to
or Samurais, formed the basis of the Institute’s research.
enjoy online experiences means directly tackling the problem
In 2020, Ubisoft reached out to Prof. Georgios N.
of toxic online behaviour. However, the problem isn’t limited
Yannakakis from the Institute of Digital Games to develop
solely to game publishers; it affects a swathe of institutions
a solution that could complement community reporting.
ranging from voice-chat applications such as Discord to law
‘Partners from Ubisoft and other universities reached out
enforcement. Teaming up with Ubisoft, the world-renowned
to me and said we have all of this rich data, and we would
French video game company, the Institute of Digital Games at
need some help to process it,’ Yannakakis explains. ‘This isn’t
the University of Malta have developed an AI to help identify
the first time the Institute has worked with the industry,’ he
and combat toxic behaviour. As a key player in the industry,
grins. Yannakakis, working alongside a team of international
Ubisoft’s focus is on implementing a rapid and solid reporting
experts, wanted to see if it was possible to identify toxic
system to help encourage prosocial behaviours.
behaviour simply by observing in-game behaviour.
REPORTING OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR
DO TOXIC PLAYERS PLAY DIFFERENTLY?
In the vast majority of online games, toxic behaviour is
The data provided by Ubisoft presented the team with
moderated through community peer-reporting. While a good
a dataset of almost 1,800 sanctioned players. Sanctioned
initiative, this approach presents a number of limitations, the
players refers to players that have engaged in toxic behaviour
biggest one being that it is up to the community to report
and been reported. This was compared to unsanctioned focus
Y
ou sign in, ready to join the multiplayer server
37
IS THE PLAYER SANCTIONED?
YES
How severe is the toxic behaviour?
Is the behaviour offensive or does it provide an unfair advantage?
NO
players to create a sanction matrix which organised players according to the severity and type of toxic behaviour. Through this, the team realised it was not only possible to
The final — and most crucial — step was to see whether the random forests could predict the type of toxic behaviour. Splitting toxic actions into offensive behaviour and unfair
distinguish sanctioned from unsanctioned players through
advantage, the model was able to predict this with an 87.5%
their in-game behaviour, but it was even possible to predict
accuracy on average, with a 95% confidence interval lying
the sanction severity and type. Essentially it is possible to
between 86.7% and 88.5%.
identify a toxic player based on the types of matches they play
It is important to note that the reported results are on
(a custom, ranked, or tournament match), how many matches
unseen data. The RFM was trained on 80% of the data
the players abandoned, movement (whether they stand still,
provided by Ubisoft, and then it was tested on the remaining,
walk, run, or sprint), match performance, and chat actions.
unseen 20%.
‘These characteristics were the result of careful analysis.
The beauty of RFM is that it’s an ‘expressive AI’ method.
They list the characteristics on one side: whether players
While deep neural networks (the most popular AI algorithm
are aggressive to their teammates, the frequency of their
nowadays) present a slog of data as millions of billions of
chats, and how they play. Not all of these characteristics
parameters, RFMs present the data in a more accessible,
were relevant, but we wanted to see what behaviours could
human-readable, manner. ‘This makes it easier for the
correlate to toxic behaviours,’ clarifies Yannakakis.
entire production team to consult with it. So the level
To put this into perspective, sanctioned players are more
designers can understand and use this information
likely to run, less likely to play practice matches, have a lower
when designing levels, programmers when coding, or
score (wins), and tend to play significantly more in vs AI modes
the writers when penning dialogue. It is a transparent
(a type of online match where the player fights against bots).
model,’ explains Yannakakis.
While organising the data is (relatively) straightforward enough, the next challenge is training an AI to distinguish and predict toxic behaviour. This is where the data science and
A NEW DAWN FOR ONLINE GAMING The outstanding success of this research promises to
machine learning aspect comes in, Yannakakis’ area of expertise.
create a more positive online gaming experience. However,
To do so, the team used a Random Forest Model (RFM).
it does raise a fascinating ethical question. If we can predict
SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES ‘RFM is a good, old-fashioned machine learning method,’ explains Yannakakis. In its simplest form, RFM is a series of
player behaviour with a high degree of accuracy, should we be preventing transgressive behaviour before it even occurs? And if it is possible to predict player behaviour in a game, can we also by extension predict people’s behaviour in real life?
if-then rules with multiple paths. These multiple paths create
The study makes it crystal clear that the algorithm should
multiple decision trees to help process the data. Rather than
supplement the manual efforts of community managers, rather
trying to predict something at once, the decision is split
than become a completely automated system. Final human
across different ‘clusters’.
verification is ultimately necessary to fairly impose sanctions.
The first step was to see whether the random forests
‘We are after a complementary approach. If you simply
(the set of decision trees) could distinguish between
automate the entire system, then who controls the
sanctioned and unsanctioned players within a data set.
predictions? You end up having this dystopian system where
This is a binary (yes or no: whether a player is sanctioned
the AI decides who is toxic and who isn’t. The last thing we
or not) classification task the random forests needed to
want is for the AI to have complete control,’ laughs Yannakakis.
decide about, based on the data fed. On average, it was
The next generation of online games may very well utilise
able to do so with a 95% success rate on unseen players!
the findings of Yannakakis and the rest of the team. With
The next step was to predict the severity of the toxic
a little luck, online warriors might soon fight with honour
behaviour: whether it merits a warning or a ban. The model
in a safer, non-toxic environment!
was able to accurately predict this 85% of the time, with
focus
a 95% confidence interval across 100 runs lying between
38
84 and 85%. This means that in 95 out of 100 tries,
Prof. Yannakakis is also the current Editor in Chief of the
the program would be able to predict toxicity correctly
IEEE Transactions on Games, the top-tier journal for
with an accuracy between 84 and 85%.
technical games research: https://transactions.games
RANDOM FOREST MODEL Test Sample Input
Tree 1
Prediction 1
Tree 2
Prediction 2
(. . . )
(. . . )
Tree 600
Prediction 600
Average All Predictions
Random Forest Prediction
focus
For Honor gameplay screenshots Images courtesy of Nick72 Italy/Flickr.com (middle, bottom right) and Badass Dream/Flickr.com (bottom left)
39
focus
Games, TAMED, and AI Empathy
40
Author: Jonathan Firbank
TAMED is a University of Malta project developing ‘affective computing’ in video games, which would enable them to interpret human emotions. Jonathan Firbank goes into detail with Dr Konstantinos Makantasis
industry. The most revolutionary release was Half Life 2, Valve’s flagship title. A great
TAMED TAMED stands for ‘Tensor-based Machine learning
deal of its technological innovation was in
towards genEral moDels of affect’. The University of
service to making characters that players
Malta’s (UM) Institute of Digital Games is developing
could empathise with. Valve wanted to ‘broaden the
‘affective computing’. This is essentially artificial
emotional palette in games’, allowing ‘players to see the
psychology technology that reads a user’s emotions.
characters as real people’. In-game characters were given
Video games are uniquely suited for researching artificial
accurate facial muscles to make expressions which were
psychology and uniquely positioned to benefit from it.
informed by the work of psychologist Dr Paul Ekman.
Dr Konstantinos Makantasis, post-doctoral researcher at
Hundreds of pages of dialogue were honed for years,
UM and key researcher at TAMED, elaborates: ‘Models of
then given to an experienced cast of Hollywood actors.
affect refers to machine learning models capable of predicting
The work paid off, and Half Life 2 set a standard that
humans’ emotional states when they are performing a task,
has been improved upon since. The universally acclaimed
such as playing a game, watching a movie, listening to music.’
Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption series applied the
As Makantasis explains, research began in the 90s, but the
same principles to much more powerful game engines and
models that were developed weren’t powerful enough.
hardware. They cemented themselves as classics thanks
‘Emotions are subjective, while computers are deterministic
largely to a cast of characters that players empathised
and operate in a fully objective manner.’ Prior models suffered
with. Over and over again, new standards have been set
from a common issue in machine learning, the ‘generalisation
for visual assets, virtual physics, and storytelling as the
problem’. ‘Models can accurately predict the emotional
industry raced toward a standard that competes with live-
state of users whose data has been processed and used
action media. But merely improving existing methods has
for building the models but fail to predict the emotional
diminishing returns; the gaming industry is overdue for a
state of other users.’ This is an issue that has plagued the AI
technological leap of Half Life 2’s magnitude. And the next
space, with limited data sets resulting in biased systems.
leap in technology might not make you empathise with characters. It might make characters empathise with you.
‘The TAMED project tries to address this problem by introducing novel methodologies that cover the whole chain focus
2
004 was a landmark year for the gaming
41
Dr Konstantinos Makantasis Photo courtesy of Maria Kontorinaki
of affect modelling: models’ input, models’ output, and
characters. Makantasis describes video games as ‘eliciting
models’ form.’ Here, the ‘input’ data includes but is not limited
a plethora of emotions’. TAMED is positioned to take full
to heart rate, facial expressions, and utterances, which can
advantage of this as the project is partnered with Massive
be captured with sensors as well as your device’s camera
Entertainment. This game developer is under Ubisoft’s
and microphones. Another source of data comes from how a
umbrella and has been releasing progressively more ambitious
player interacts with a game. Gamers might be familiar with
products for years, currently developing games under the Star
‘going on tilt’, where frustration impacts how they play. This
Wars and Avatar licences a decade after successful releases
and any other emotional response in-game is an important
in the Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed chronologies. This allows
source of data. Instead of simply cataloguing these seemingly
TAMED’s technology to be paired with complex commercial
endless variables, TAMED takes a holistic approach. ‘We
games in addition to simpler, in-house testbeds. It also
believe that all these modalities are not independent. On
hints at how leading developers see the future of gaming.
the contrary, they should be combined together into unified, complex, but compact data representations revealing all
TAMED is their interactivity. Interpreting user interactions is
potentially useful information for predicting users’ emotions.’
a novel source of data. Makantasis explains, ‘the content of an
TAMED’s solution to emotions’ subjectivity is an elegant
other data capture methods that TAMED utilises, ‘capturing
models predict changes in emotions’ intensity.’ Rather than
this kind of information does not require specialised sensors
attempting what Makantasis calls ‘absolute predictions’,
and is not an invasive task’. This information leads to very
TAMED seeks to make ‘relative predictions’. If a user
accurate models of affect, since the emotional state of a user is
responded positively to one part of the game and negatively
embedded in the content of interaction. And most importantly,
to another, TAMED could compare their responses and use
this kind of information does not consist of users’ direct
machine learning to build a profile of that user: ‘For example,
measurements, such as facial or physiology data. Interpreting
the heart rate of different users may vary, but the temporal
interactivity does not require users to sacrifice privacy, a virtue
changes in their heart rate may follow similar patterns.’ That
that seems increasingly rare in machine learning spaces.
Video games are uniquely placed to collect emotional
focus
interactive task has some very important properties.’ Unlike
one. ‘Instead of predicting the intensity of emotions, our
data could then be used to personalise the user’s experience.
42
The most vital (and unique) aspect of video games for
‘While modelling players’ behaviour is a well-studied problem, building players’ emotional profiles has not
data. They can be extremely fluid in terms of genre and
been given much attention.’ Out of all the data capture
tone. The aforementioned Half Life 2 takes players through
methods that TAMED incorporates, this is the most
bombastic action sequences, dystopian tension, outright
useful and the most revolutionary. Makantasis believes
horror, and moments of calm and levity with relatable
this approach could be crucial for the sake of making the
Understanding emotional states is the first crucial step for assessing and ensuring mental well-being. This can be done through games, by developing games that adapt to users’ mood and “stir” users’ mood in a specific direction. best user experience possible, which in turn generates
empathic AI, on the other hand, is intended for video
consumer loyalty. TAMED’s vision is ‘games that, in a
games. It could one day be a major tool in the field of mental
dynamic and automatic manner, adapt to players’ moods.’
health. ‘Healthcare solutions can benefit from emotion
It’s clear the applications of this technology extend
modelling to automatically assess the mental health of patients,’ continues Makantasis. ‘Understanding emotional states is the first crucial step for assessing and ensuring
far beyond gaming. The term ‘artificial psychology’
mental well-being. This can be done through games, by
actually predates the first commercial video game. It
developing games that adapt to users’ mood and “stir”
was coined by Dan Curtis in 1963 for what was then a
users’ mood in a specific direction. But this can also be
theoretical academic discipline. As more and more AI
done almost everywhere else as well — in workplaces, in
systems process our data, the theoretical is becoming
medical centres, hospitals, university, and school classes.’
actual. TAMED accelerates this by proposing a novel
The use cases for empathic AI extend further still. It could
way of acquiring subjective emotional data that doesn’t
herald a new age for the marketing industry. It could realise
depend on vast datasets, which means less computational
science-fiction’s visions of empathic operating systems.
power is needed and less ‘generalisation problems’ are
It could reinforce the abuses of modern surveillance
created. Curtis’s vision of an AI that works autonomously
states (which Makantasis believes can be prevented with
with new, abstract, or incomplete data is manifest in this
robust regulation and public awareness). It’s fitting that a
concept. As Makantasis states, ‘Artificial intelligence
technology with so much utility has been born from a multi-
is ubiquitous in our everyday life. Mobile applications
disciplinary space. Makantasis explains, ‘affective computing
suggest movies to see, songs to listen to, they help us
lies at the intersection of computer science, artificial
to find the best route to go to our work, and so on.
intelligence, and psychology. Computer science skills aren’t
Equipping these applications with emotional intelligence
enough to develop artificial intelligence agents for predicting
is the next big thing. Recommendations based not
emotions. I have to understand and investigate the emotion
only on users’ historical data but also on their current
manifestation mechanisms from a psychology point of view.
mood will be more accurate and more to the point.’
This multidisciplinarity is what excites me most.’ In the same
The most glaring use for emotionally intelligent AI is in
vein, TAMED’s results are ‘not the effort of an individual, but
the field of mental health, which closes the loop that Half
the final outcome of a synergy. I would like to thank Prof.
Life 2 began. Dr Paul Ekman’s facial expression expertise,
Georgios Yannakakis and all the people from the Institute
which was so crucial to the game’s development, was
of Digital Games and Massive Entertainment who were
originally intended for treating mental disorders. TAMED’s
involved in a way or another with the TAMED project.’ focus
ARTIFICIAL PSYCHOLOGY
43
Wh e n It Fe e ls
focus
Li ke Too M uch
44
Author: Emma Clarke
The pressures of university can have a negative impact on students’ mental well-being. Even taking the first step and asking for help can be a challenge. Emma Clarke meets with the University of Malta’s counselling services to find out more.
at all unusual. University, both at undergraduate and
LOOK FOR HELP Dr Joan Camilleri is the head of the counselling service
postgraduate levels, can be a challenging time for
at the University of Malta (UM). Her specialised team is
many people.
made up of six full-time professionals, all women, each with
I first walked into a university counsellor’s office
a different background and area of expertise. Ms Elena
when I was 24 years old. I was on the brink of what should
Borg, for example, is a gestalt psychotherapist specialising
have been a new, exciting phase of my life: I had moved
in panic disorders. Dr Karan Carachi has experience in a
to a beautiful Scottish city far from my hometown and
range of adult mental health disorders, including anxiety,
embarked on the PhD program that had been a dream of
depression, and trauma. Joan Camileri herself has worked
mine for almost three years. The lab coats, the expensive-
with prison inmates and has interests in eating disorders
looking machines, lunchtime seminars, prestigious academics
and adult mental health. Ms Donatella Pace Olivari is the
aggressively debating gene function in the canteen next to
unit’s social worker.
me while I sipped coffee — it was surreal, but I felt that I was in the exact place I needed to be. Imagine my surprise when I began finding myself hiding in
The multidisciplinary nature of the team at UM shows that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mental health. Different people find different therapies helpful.
the bathroom outside the lab for increasing lengths of time,
‘It’s why it’s so important that we have such a range of
breathing deeply to stave off a dark panic that had begun
experience,’ says Camilleri. In a similar way, the different
creeping up on me almost every day. I was feeling intense
counselling professionals each have their personal reasons
amounts of pressure and isolation, and in the midst of the
for being motivated by the work. Ms Sandra Schembri
stress, my world had slipped into greyscale. I felt that I had
Wismayer is a cognitive behavioural therapist. She recalls
tricked my way onto the program with the expertise of a
a moment from her youth when she was facing difficulties
con artist and that I would soon be caught out — a common
in her life and realised that ‘changing your perception of
fear among graduate students that I later learned from my
things can change everything.’ This realisation inspired her
counsellor had a name: ‘imposter syndrome’.
career as a counselling professional. Charmaine Mifsud focus
I
didn’t know it at the time, but my experience was not
45
Team members of the Ġ.F. Abela Junior College (JC) Wellbeing Services and the University of Malta Counselling Services. From left to right: Anna Maria Borg Bartolo (JC), Fleur Mifsud Bons (JC), Elena Borg (UM), Marika Attard (UM), Claire Gouder (UM), Sandra Schembri Wismayer (UM), Joan Camilleri (UM), Charmaine Mifsud Cardona (UM), Donatella Pace Olivari (UM) Photo by James Moffett
Cardona on the other hand, who is a systemic families therapist, notes how her experience shows that ‘tending
research has found that the prevalence of mental health
the inner child can pave the way for healing.’
concerns such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM Understanding the problem is the first step to tackling it.
It seems that even our younger students are at risk of poor mental health. Not everyone is equally at risk; if you are transgender or
mental health of students at UM. A local 2009 study by Cefai
part of the gender non-conforming population, you are more
and Camilleri found that first, third, and final year students
likely to suffer from mental health concerns, and women are
tend to be the most stressed. Of those surveyed, 96% found
significantly more likely to experience anxiety and depression
university life to be very stressful and referenced exams and
at university than men. The factors that feed into mental
assignments to be the greatest source of stress.
health are complex and varied, and everyone’s experience
that the most stressed students tended to be the students in transition, either from college to university or from university into professional life. These changes, combined with the pressure of academic performance, can create a challenging environment. At one point, my head of school had implied that a mental
focus
are higher in European students than in the wider population.
The team is engaging with research to better understand the
A later study in 2021 by Dalli Gonzi and Camilleri noted
46
The story is similar for undergraduate students: substantial
is slightly different.
WHAT CAN BE DONE? When the issue feels so widespread, it can be difficult to know where to start. How can we support our students? For me, the university counsellors were the first people to help. They understood the symptoms which to me had felt
health crisis was a ‘rite of passage’ for a PhD student. His
so mysterious, like strange imposters in my personality. Best
words had shocked me, but the research suggests that
of all, the university counsellors responded with concern
he could be right — a 2018 survey published in Nature
and compassion instead of shame and criticism. I was not
Biotechnology found that 39% of graduate students suffered
surprised to see that new research, published in 2021 in
from moderate to severe depression during their studies
the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, found that
— that’s compared to just 6% of the wider population.
university in-house counselling services are highly effective
The survey had respondents from 26 countries and 234
at reducing depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and academic
institutions, so the issue is not unique to any one country.
distress while increasing mental well-being. Data was
The first step is the hardest
COUNSE LLI NG SE RVICES CAN H E LP
Changing your perception of things can change everything.
taken from 5,000 students across four different university
Further Reading
counselling services, and the paper shows that university
Cefai, C., Cooper, P., & Camilleri, L. (2009). Social, Emotional
counselling reduced distress in students from 60% to 27%
and Behaviour Difficulties in Maltese Schools.
post-counselling. The counsellors have different reasons for joining the
Broglia, E., Ryan, G., Williams, C., Fudge, M., Knowles, L., &
service, but they are united by their passion for the tools that
Turner, A. et al. (2021). Profiling student mental health and
they offer and their desire to help students. Ms Charmaine
counselling effectiveness: lessons from four UK services
Mifsud Cardona notes that ‘giving the students the resources
using complete data and different outcome measures.
they need to support them now will serve them for the rest
British Journal Of Guidance & Counselling, 1-19.
of their lives. In this work, we’re catching the issues early.’
doi: 10.1080/03069885.2020.1860191
The team is also invested in helping to train university staff to better support struggling students. This element of
Dalli Gonzi, R., & Camilleri, J. (2021). The Role of
the service is critical. My own experience is that academic
Appreciative Inquiry to Supporting Students’ Healthy
supervisors who may be more experienced in writing
Transition into the Post-Graduate World: A Case Study
publications and grant proposals than handling mental health
at the University of Malta. Sustainability, 13(10), 5365.
matters can contribute to the shame that struggling students
doi: 10.3390/su13105365
might feel. Half of the students surveyed by Cefai and Camilleri had found both academic and non-academic staff
Evans, T., Bira, L., Gastelum, J., Weiss, L., & Vanderford,
to be unsupportive. At UM, the counselling service is actively
N. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate
working to provide that support to staff, even for the times
education. Nature Biotechnology, 36(3), 282-284.
that they might be facing difficulties of their own.
doi: 10.1038/nbt.4089
Whether universities are currently experiencing a mental health crisis or these issues are simply coming more to light is difficult to say. Arguably what matters most is that students and staff alike who are struggling know where to find support when they need it. If that’s you, the university service can be focus
reached online.
47
feature Like the generations of leaves, the lives of mortal men. Now the wind scatters the old leaves across the earth, now the living timber bursts with the new buds and spring comes round again. And so with men: as one generation comes to life, another dies away. Book VI of Homer's Iliad
Bringing the Iliad to Life Author: Martina Borg
Innovative teaching methods can make even the most ancient works feel contemporary.
Y
ou may be forgiven for thinking that an epic
written forms, scholars believe that the works were originally
poem composed during the 8th century BCE
transmitted orally, a performative tradition that ultimately
would have nothing to offer a 21st century
inspired Serracino in his teaching of the work.
audience. But perhaps as evidenced in the quote above, beneath the veneer of heroic
battles and tragically fated lovers, Homer’s Iliad ultimately
works in a different way was born when one of his students
Serracino, lecturer of Classics at the Department of Classics
demonstrated exceptional engagement and decided to put up a
and Archaeology makes use of engaging teaching methods
play inspired by the Iliad during his first year running the course.
FALLING FOR THE CLASSICS ‘I was first bitten by the Classics bug when I was at university
‘All the students in the group got involved in the end, and staff were also very happy to participate. The fact that the students engaged with the work so much as a result of this got me thinking about changing the assessment method of
myself, reading for an Archaeology degree. I didn’t expect to be
my course,’ he says, explaining that the course grading is now
so immersed in the work, but reading Homer for one study unit
split between a creative project and a write-up (worth 60%
is what ultimately pushed me to specialise in Greek and Latin,’
and 40% respectively). This year, however, Serracino decided
he says, describing his first encounter with Homer’s epic works.
to test a different teaching method to try and instil more
Homer, who is believed to have lived during the 8th century BCE, is still recognised as one of the most influential
feature
Serracino explains that the idea to start teaching the
deals with the essence of the human experience. Dr Carmel
to bring Homer’s seminal works to a modern audience.
48
BREATHING LIFE INTO TEACHING
creativity into the way the lectures are carried out as well. ‘I decided to introduce a variety of activities into the
poets of all time. He is known for his epic poems: the Iliad
lectures. We had a range of “chair in the middle exercises” for
(set during the ten-year Trojan War) and the Odyssey (which
instance, where students took turns to role-play a character
focuses on Odysseus’ ten-year journey home after the fall
from the Iliad as the rest of the class prepared questions and
of Troy). Although we nowadays know these works in their
debates for them to address in character.’
Opposite: Skye Vassallo dressed as Achilles during a 'chair in the middle' exercise. Top left: A detail from Skye Vassallo's visual novel game. Top right: Andrew Cassar installing oars on his model of a Homeric warship. Images courtesy of Skye Vassallo (opposite, top left) and Andrew Cassar (top right)
Although this method might seem daunting, and though
Stesichorus, Herodotus, and Euripides. Stesichorus proposed
it was unlike any of his own experiences of being taught the
that there was only an image of Helen in Troy, and Herodotus
classics, Serracino stressed how impressed he was by the level
and Euripides wrote about Helen being in Egypt during the
of participation and dedication his students showed.
Trojan War. These views helped Vassallo to form the theory at
they presented new and surprising interpretations of
the heart of her game: that the woman who resided in Troy was only a phantom Helen, with the real Helen waiting elsewhere.
characters I have been reading about for so many years.
‘The inspiration for this type of project came from my love
Naturally, I found these reactions very encouraging, and
for visual novel games. They deliver stories both visually and
I even asked the students to participate in the design
textually at the same time, while also giving the player the power
of the lectures sometimes.’
to change their fate in the game, which felt like the perfect way
Serracino goes on to explain that he felt the interactive
to bring the Iliad into present-day media,’ she says, adding that
nature of the lessons led to the students truly internalising
the innovative way of teaching ultimately pushed her to realise
the subjects, and it resulted in some outstanding work in their
that she could connect with these monumental works in a fun
creative projects, a sentiment which is echoed by the students.
way and on a deeper level than she had ever imagined.
In fact, Classics (Hons) student Skye Vassallo took inspiration from the role-playing exercise for her creative project.
CLASSICAL WORKS AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS ‘For my project, I designed a visual novel game based off
Another student who took inspiration from character appearances was Classics (Hons) student Kayleigh Frostick, whose project is an Ancient Greek abecedarian-style ‘book’ influenced by a mixture of Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies and Ancient Greek pottery. For the uninitiated, an abecedarian poem is an acrostic poem that spells out the
the perspective of Helen of Troy: an interactive story where
alphabet either word by word or line by line, which gives you
the player experiences various events of the Iliad and also
an idea of the complexity of this project. If that’s not impressive
has to make certain decisions along the way, which will
enough, Frostick even used the Greek alphabet for this task…
produce different outcomes,’ Vassallo explains, adding that
‘I corresponded 24 soldiers who met their end within the
the player essentially role-plays as a 21st century student
Iliad to each letter of the alphabet in an overarching poem with
approached by the gods to replace Helen due to her recent
accompanying illustrations, serving as a sort of memoir for
mysterious disappearance.
these fallen soldiers.’ She adds that the process of creating the
‘The actual project included character designs, the written story, and a playable demonstration of the first chapter,’ she adds. Vassallo goes on to explain that the inspiration for the plot
accompanying illustrations also helped her to reignite her passion for art, and she hopes to continue building on this type of work. ‘Sometime in the future, I would also like to refine this project
of her project came from an idea floated by some ancient
and perhaps even publish it or others like it one day. A fresh take
authors she came across in preparation for the classes, namely
on classical literature can never go wrong,’ she shrugs.
feature
‘Some of them even dressed up as the characters, and
49
Details of Marsha Iaci's graphic novel (left) and Kayleigh Frostick's abecedarian-style ‘book’ (right). Images courtesy of Marsha Iaci (left) and Kayleigh Frostick (right)
Bachelor of Humanities student Carmelina Sammut says
pieces, including a Homeric warship model made out
helped her to visualise characters that often feel larger than
of recycled materials, a graphic novel focusing on a
life. ‘I ultimately was drawn to the character of Patroclus,
retelling of the epic battle between Hector and Achilles,
which shaped my final project: an analysis of the friendship
and an original song written from the perspective of King
between Patroclus and Achilles.’
Menelaus — Helen’s wronged husband and consequently
Sammut goes on to explain that visualising the characters in that way was something that she hoped she could carry on into other subjects and study-units, namely philosophy, which she is currently tackling. ‘It grounds the arguments presented and helps humanise even the most complex philosophers,’ she explains with a laugh. She adds that although initially she was sceptical about the
the Trojan war.
OLD SKILLS AND NEW PASSIONS Speaking to Serracino, it’s not hard to see how his passion for the subject can be so infectious in a classroom, but he does nothing to claim credit for his students’ impressiveness and instead relishes watching how
has meant that she remembers these characters much more
students discover new talents. Indeed Vassallo hopes to develop her project into a
do a Classics degree, and this method of teaching has made
playable game, Frostick expressed a wish to apply her skill
it feel easy to grasp and study,’ she says.
to other classic works, and a number of students said they
Similarly Bachelor of Humanities student Mariella Bose also spoke about how surprised she was to discover this new method of teaching. ‘I first attended university in the
would adopt similar methods of character analysis to other study-units. ‘I recently ran into a student who had previously done
70s, and I expected a conservative approach to the subject,’
the course, who following his exposure to radio work for
she says. ‘Dr. Serracino’s way of teaching brought us as
his creative project, has continued to work in radio,’
students together to talk, research, and discuss various
Serracino says with a glint of joy and pride.
aspects of the epic. The lectures were not a one-way street
‘There is an invisible legacy in these works which we still
but involved each and every one of us working together.
carry with us nowadays, even in the popular culture we
We were made to delve deeper into the psychological and
consume now. I have studied Classics for about thirty years
emotional make-up of the heroes and the gods,’ she adds.
now, but they still surprise and inspire me in equal measure,’
In fact, even students who only audited the class without submitting a project sang praises of this teaching method,
he says, adding that the works ultimately prove that the human experience remains the same.
with 3rd year Classics student Andrew Debono telling THINK
Serracino hopes to adopt similar teaching methods
that the sessions helped shape his personal impression of the
for other courses he oversees in the Classics department
epic through his engagement with the literary masterpiece.
to prove how important non-traditional teaching methods
‘I hope to continue building on the work we have done
feature
one of the central figures leading the Greek army during
concept of learning through games and activities, the process than she expected. ‘This study-unit has given me an urge to
50
A number of other students produced some impressive
that the focus on individual characters in the work ultimately
can be. 'When I was young, I dreamt of creating a live-action
during these lectures by employing similar techniques
movie version of the Iliad, and even if things didn’t pan
and exercises in my readings of other Classical works too.
out exactly that way, seeing these creative renditions of
Moreover, I also wish to read Homer’s Iliad in the original
the work from my students feels like I’m fulfilling my dream
Greek text,’ he added.
of breathing new and original life into these masterpieces.’
feature Helping the Hatcheries:
How Can We Improve the Output of Aquaculture? Author:
European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) grown in ABTs facilities. Photos courtesy of AquaBioTech Group © 2022
Becky Catrin Jones
With a growing worldwide population, the use of aquaculture systems to relieve the pressure on wild stocks of fish has become invaluable. However, a major challenge still faced in aquaculture is ensuring the survival of young fish. Project HatcheryMatch, a collaboration between AquaBioTech Group (ABT), University of Malta (UM), Fishery Machinery and Instrument Research Institute, and Qingdao Blue Granary Marine Fishery Development Co., Ltd., aims to solve this problem. Dr Jefferson de Oliveira Mallia of UM and Freya Robinson of ABT speak to Becky Catrin Jones about their latest developments. commonly found in the Mediterranean, the Northeast
up. With the global population increasing,
Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea), an important part of the Chinese
the pressure on farms worldwide is
economy. Although turbot can be found in Mediterranean
rising alongside the need to dramatically
waters, China is now the leading producer of farmed turbot.
improve output without compromising
However, a significant obstacle faced by these partners was
on cost, people, or the environment. One of the many challenges in aquaculture is ensuring
improving the conditions for these young fish — the pressure to increase stock often led to a decrease in water quality
that recently hatched fish survive to juvenile age. These
and reliance on added chemicals as well as difficulties in
newly hatched larvae are vulnerable to changes in
ensuring the larvae had access to the right nourishment.
temperature and water quality, food availability, and exposure to pathogens and bacteria in their environments. AquaBioTech Group (ABT), a Maltese-based international
Around the same time, ABT was fostering discussion with the Food Sciences and Nutrition research group (led by Prof. Vasilis P. Valdramidis) at the Department of
company working on aquatic and environmental issues,
Food Sciences and Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences
have been tackling this problem head-on for many years.
of the University of Malta (UM) about some interesting
With projects in 55 countries focusing on different
developments in their field, looking at the antimicrobial
ways of improving aquaculture, ABT are working to
effects of ultrasound. The group were studying an exciting
improve the longevity and sustainability of aquaculture
method of disinfecting food and water used in food processing
and reduce the reliance on wild fish stocks.
and were looking to see how they could scale this up.
Partnerships with companies and research institutes in
As the new Sino-Malta call for funding had a specific portion
China, fostered by the Sino-Malta Fund, have led the company
dedicated for aquaculture, Dr Jefferson de Oliveira Mallia
to focus some of its time on turbot (a large species of flatfish
and Prof. Vasilis Valdramidis saw the opportunity to apply
feature
T
he future of fish farming needs a shake-
51
ABT's research facilities where the live feed system and ultrasound device will be trialed (above). Artemia under the microscope. Artemia are one of the species of live feed often used in fish hatcheries and will be the main species of interest for testing the live feed system (left). Photos courtesy of AquaBioTech Group © 2022
their specific knowledge to an area they hadn’t previously
is well documented in decontamination of foods or on an
explored — could their ultrasound cavitation device be used to
even larger scale in the destruction of rock faces exposed
disinfect water and eliminate harmful bacteria in fish farming?
to lots of fast-moving bubbles in incoming waves.
USING ULTRASOUND And so Project HatcheryMatch was born. Combining
works and its final antimicrobial effect. But by working in the lab, Mallia can replicate and manipulate these
partnership focuses on four elements that aim to improve
environments for testing. This way, the research group
the survival of fish from hatching to juvenile stage. To
makes sure that there is no change in water quality from
do this, each partner focuses on one area — ABT on
using cavitation devices that would impact the fish.
on cleaning and imaging to monitor embryo health.
The final part of UM’s project will involve incorporating other technologies that will aid the disinfection process and
Although the main focus of the project is turbot, the
are known to work well with cavitation to tackle other kinds
same principles will apply to sea bass, a large contributor
of pathogens. One such example is UV-C light, which can be
to the Maltese economy, and zebrafish, a small fish often
added to the system to enhance the disinfection process.
used in biological research. Each of these fish can be infected by the build-up of similar pathogens in aquaculture systems. For this reason, the UM group received three
FEELING HUNGRY One of the other challenges faced by these young
pathogens to get started in testing their theories: Vibrio
fish is getting access to the right food at the right
anguillarum, Aeromonas veronii, and Aeromonas salmonicida.
time. As the fish grow from larvae to juvenile stages,
Mallia, alongside group leader Prof. Valdramidis,
feature
the presence of other solids, can impact how the device
know-how from both academia and industry, the
feeding, UM on disinfection, and two Chinese partners
52
Other properties of the water, such as its softness or
the nourishment they need changes, meaning that
had been working on a way to improve the process of
different types of feed need to be circulated at the right
microbial inactivation with a process called cavitation,
time. This is both technically challenging and time-
using ultrasound. When ultrasound waves move and
consuming and can lead to a lot of waste. The ideal
pass through water, they create pockets of high and low
solution would be to have an automatic feeding system,
pressure, like tiny bubbles, as they go by. As the waves
which could release the right food at the right time.
continue and build up, this can cause localised areas
ABT already uses a system for the adult fish it
of intense high pressure or high temperature, which
keeps on site. ‘But this is easier to do, as the adults
ultimately makes the bubbles collapse, taking with them
all need the same food,’ says Freya Robinson,
any bacteria in the surrounding area which has been
project coordinator at ABT. ‘We can set this up
caught in the extreme pressure. This process of cavitation
and just let it run with very little manual input.’
Illustration of the cavitation process that uses ultrasound waves to decontaminate water from pathogens
For the larvae, a little more effort is needed. ABT’s role in Project HatcheryMatch is to design a similar system which is more suited to the needs of young fish and their reliance
CHANGING THE FUTURE Although the pilot project takes place in China, the
on live feed in particular. The new system will be controlled
learnings from Project HatcheryMatch are very easily
by artificial intelligence, which can pump the correct feed
applied closer to home. ‘There is very little literature about
into the water depending on which stage of the life cycle
the use of cavitation in aquaculture and definitely not
the fish are in. The system should be able to reduce manual
concerning the pathogens that we’re currently studying,’
labour by keeping its own timings, so it’s not necessary for
says Mallia. Pursuing this further could provide even more
a staff member to be constantly checking how things are.
opportunities to study the use of their technology in other
WORKING ACROSS BORDERS A project this size is not without its challenges. Besides time zones, language, and technical difficulties, keeping
aspects of food production and aquaculture. The UM group also hopes to delve a little deeper, working out the mechanisms by which the inactivation of pathogens occurs. For ABT, the results seen in turbot can be applied to
track of a multi-continent project is hard work. But
their own fish stocks, primarily sea bass and zebrafish,
commitment and dedication to regular catch-up meetings
both of which are key to the Maltese economy. In
and guides explaining how to speak one another’s
time, this can be expanded even further to other
technical language is keeping the project on track.
fish and their multitude of worldwide partners.
‘It really helps that both Jeff and I have some experience
Partnerships between industry and academia are
of academia and industry,’ said Robinson. ‘Scientific
so valuable, and ABT and UM are onto a good thing.
research and exploration is important, but at the same
Both Mallia and Robinson are confident that the
time you’re still trying to reach industrial deadlines.’
end of the project will not spell the end of this new
The different priorities and focus of academic partners
collaboration between UM and ABT. ‘We’re hoping
such as UM do not always match the short time scale,
that this collaboration will go beyond the current
results-focused mentality of industry. Factors such
project,’ says Robinson. Both industry and academia
as cost, short deadlines, and understanding what is
look to gain here — not only improving aquaculture
achievable by each partner in a given time takes clear
systems here and now, but also expanding a research
communication. Luckily, Robinson’s role at ABT means
field that has huge untapped potential.
she’s an expert in finding such delicate balances. Project HatcheryMatch funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through the Sino-Malta Fund 2020
of our bigger projects involving 28 partners!’
(Science and Technology Cooperation) (SINO-MALTA-2020-14)
feature
‘This is actually quite a small-scale project for us; four partners is more manageable than some
53
feature
Cutting EDGE Research: the Genomes of Maltese Plants Author:
Ines Ventura
Conservation is a 21st century hot topic. It is a top priority worldwide to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. But how can we even begin to conserve our natural environment if we don’t understand it? Ines Ventura investigates.
W
hy is it that some plants thrive in arid
THERE’S A METHOD TO MY SEQUENCING
environments while others struggle?
Our genomic information is the equivalent of a book.
Through years of evolution, plants have
Each letter corresponds to a piece of information that,
developed unique coping mechanisms
when put all together, captures the unique story of each
such as having a thick, waxy covering
book. Likewise, when we are sequencing, we are actually
to keep them cool. But for biologists, this is hardly a satisfying
reading each individual letter until we can read the
answer. What are the exact, genetic factors that help these
entire sentence. Breaking down the genetic information,
plants survive?
commonly known as DNA, into small fragments allows
The Endemic de novo Genomes (EDGE) Project aims to find out what these characteristics are by sequencing the
feature
genomes of selected endemic plants. This type of information,
54
equipment to read the sequence, and then bioinformaticians assemble the information into digital models. Sequencing these genomes is hardly straightforward
contained in the genes of each individual, determines the
though. ‘First, we had to identify the individual plants
physical features that the researchers are interested in.
in the field,’ explains Dorita Agius, Senior Lecturer in
Limonium melitense and L. zeraphae are two types of sea
Biology at Junior College and the PhD student involved
lavender, endemic to the Maltese Islands. Being adapted to
in the project. There are at least three Limonium species
harsh environments, these species are able to survive soil
in Malta, and only two of them are endemic to the
salinisation (a high amount of salt in the soil) and grow on
islands. ‘That was one of the challenges of this project,
rocks. To date, the researchers from the University of Malta
to make sure that we didn’t have the non-endemic
involved in this project were able to read and assemble
plants.’ To do so, Agius performed morphological studies,
the entire genomic information of these Limonium species,
categorising each species based on their size, shape,
sequencing the first endemic Maltese plant.
and structure.
A population of L. melitense at San Niklaw Bay in Comino Image courtesy of Maria Galea
SEQUENCING TO SAVE THE PLANET Besides conserving endemic flora, the act of sequencing
with the French Plant Genomic Centre in Toulouse, France —
allows scientists to better understand the unique properties
a research centre dedicated to plant genome exploration. The
of these plants. Limonium species, for example, have
EDGE project used third-generation sequencing technology,
therapeutic uses and function as an antibacterial, anticancer,
also known as long-read sequencing. Generating substantially
anti-inflammatory, and antivirus agent. While sea lavender
longer reads, it identifies repetitive sequences in the genome
species are frequently referred to in alternative medicine
better than its predecessors, resulting in more accurate
practices as beneficial, it has been difficult to pinpoint exactly
genome assemblies.
why they are helpful.
‘We sequenced a novel genome, not having a reference
It turns out that these characteristics are an outcome
sequence available for alignment,’ explained Agius. ‘That’s
of small compounds produced by the plants that are not
why it is called de novo.’ The researchers were able to
directly involved in their normal growth, development, or
generate a genome model and will eventually be able to
reproduction. Known as secondary metabolites, several
annotate it. Their results were robust since the assemblies
of them have already found applications in modern medicine.
(the overlap of the shorter fragments to deduce the complete
These genomic studies can highlight which metabolic
genome sequence) are over 95% complete.
pathways produce these types of compounds, as well as
The selection of which technique to use in sequencing studies is defined by the genome size of the organism.
identify new components that can be used in therapeutics. Agricultural productivity is another example of how
Therefore, researchers estimated the genome size of both
genome sequencing can better society. By comparing
L. melitense and L. zeraphae using flow cytometry with help
genomes of species with and without specific adaptations,
from the laboratory of Prof. Jaroslav Doležel, an expert in
researchers can identify naturally occurring genetic variations
this field from the Institute of Experimental Botany in the
that enable plants to adapt to various environmental stresses
Czech Republic.
such as temperature, light, salinity, the presence of heavy
It’s important to highlight the difference between these studies and genetic engineering. While sequencing is limited
metals in the soil, and pathogens. In a scenario in which the global population is expected
to reading the genetic information, genetic engineering
to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, these mechanisms can be
implies DNA manipulation. For the EDGE Project, the goal
adapted to increase the current crop production rate
is to sequence the genome. However, it would be possible
to guarantee an adequate food supply worldwide. By
to use this information in experiments involving genetic
identifying key genetic information that enables higher
engineering further down the line.
tolerance to increased temperatures, it can help prevent
feature
The DNA of each individual was then extracted and sequenced. These steps were performed in collaboration
55
Limonium sp. living at the edge on minimal resources Image courtesy of Maria Galea
L. zeraphae at Reqqa Point in Gozo Image courtesy of Maria Galea
crop failures. These traits are also extremely important
as threatened with extinction, possibly reaching 50%
in the face of climate change. In the worst-case scenario,
by the end of this century. We also might soon face the
a total increase of more than 4°C (from pre-industrial levels)
possibility of massive ecosystem collapse on a global scale.
by 2100 is expected. Having crops that can withstand
It’s imperative to reach Earth BioGenome Project’s major
these increased temperatures is crucial to avoid severe
milestones and discover the remaining 80 to 90 percent
food shortages.
of species that are currently hidden from science for the
‘Can it fight climate change? Possibly, but we’re talking
first time in history. Therefore, the knowledge generated
many years and many other projects down the line,’ replies
by the Maltese EDGE project can help to revolutionise
Agius with humour. ‘The identification of genes that enable
our understanding of biology and evolution, conserve,
plants to adapt to such specific and harsh environments
protect, and restore biodiversity, and create new benefits
can bring knowledge to different fields and help to improve
for society and human welfare.
actual problems.’ In a local research environment dominated by human
Currently, Agius is working at the Centre of Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, with Dr J. P. Ebejer (PhD
genome studies, Agius decided to pursue a plant genomic
supervisor), Dr Rosienne Farrugia (co-supervisor),
study. ‘It was the wow factor,’ laughs Agius, ‘to give the first
and Dr Sandro Lanfranco (co-supervisor) and Prof.
two genomes of Maltese endemic plants to the University
Joseph Buhagiar, both from the Department of
of Malta, genomes which are possibly useful for medical
Biology. Agius teaches at the Department of Biology
applications, climate change adaptations, and evolutionary
of Junior College.
feature
studies.’ The expertise of Maltese researchers on this
56
matter also allows them to contribute to a current and
Project EDGE (REP-2020-009) is financed by the Malta
larger research project known as Earth BioGenome
Council for Science & Technology, for and on behalf of
Project. The International Union of Conservation of
the Foundation for Science and Technology, through
Nature now counts more than 40,000 species (28%)
the Research Excellence Programme.
idea
The Worth of your Time
Lockdowns, the Great Resignation, and an Anti-Work Movement Author:
Jonathan Firbank
Jonathan Firbank investigates the conditions that led to the ‘Great Resignation’, where millions of people resigned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He discovers that it is less a consequence of an ‘anti-work movement’ and more a result of the mental health issues that workplaces can cause.
lockdown in January 2020. As its effectiveness became evident, other countries started
INDUSTRIAL HOURS The working week as we know it today is a fairly
to follow in China’s footsteps, most
new invention, pioneered in the industrial revolution
using less draconian measures. Some
as industrialists optimised the time they took from
countries resisted this economic disruption, but over
workers. The religious practice of not working on a
time, it became clear that lockdowns were, at the time,
Sunday gave workers a break, and eventually public
the best defence against contagion. Within a year, most
outrage extended this into Saturday for many people.
had followed suit; over half of the world’s population was in some form of state-mandated isolation. In China and other developing countries, lockdowns
A century later, a communications revolution meant employers could monopolise workers’ time when they were at home. Phone calls and emails haunted workers, keeping
threatened poverty. For most people, no work means no
their minds at their jobs even during unpaid hours. Most
pay, and this could only be compounded by new expenses
recently, computerised adherence systems in entry-level jobs
and the mental health burden that this new world placed
mean that whilst on shift, every second of a worker’s time
upon them. But wealthier countries provided financial
can be monitored and databased. Amazon delivery drivers
support, dramatically cushioning the blow these changes
are tracked via satellite to make sure they don’t stop for too
represented. Parts of these populations were deemed
many rests. Call centre workers are humiliated by having
‘essential workers’, struggling on in public-facing jobs that
toilet breaks timed and logged against their contracted hours.
were now extremely dangerous. But as their lives worsened,
Shifts are staggered so employees can’t socialise with one
lives for some ‘non-essential workers’ were actually getting
another on breaks, which are kept to a sparse legal minimum.
better. They had time to reflect. The whole world was sick,
And the reward for enduring this Kafkaesque nightmare?
but they felt healthier than before. Something must
A legally minimum wage that does not keep up with
have been very wrong with how things were before.
inflation, forcing workers to choose between food and idea
C
hina initiated the first anti-COVID-19
57
society but often goes undiagnosed. Lockdowns gave some people a chance to feel well and caused them to hesitate when they were asked to return. A significant number of people sacrificed financial security in favour of their mental health after re-evaluating the worth of their time. One of those people was a US citizen, Frank. His last name is withheld in case this article is used to sabotage future employment. He worked two entry-level jobs throughout the pandemic with progressively worse working conditions, until he finally quit for the sake of his mental well-being. The first employer is currently being investigated by Ohio state for malpractice that includes potentially illegal dismissals and attempts to withhold pay. ‘I can’t give certain details of the first job due to an NDA [a legally binding non-disclosure agreement]. Even while so many people were sick, we were told if we didn’t maintain Cartoon posted as a meme on the r/antiwork subreddit
profit margins throughout the pandemic, we would be fired.
heating. The modern citizen finds themselves in a position
fired anyway. There were no mask mandates. HR was meant
where their entire life is spent, in the words of the great
to inform us if a colleague tested positive for Covid but
comedian Doug Stanhope, ‘working five to enjoy two’.
didn’t. Someone who normally sat next to me and someone
THE COST OF TIME This is a bad deal. Workers’ time was sold at bargain
sick with Covid but nobody notified me. When I figured it out on Tuesday and I wanted to get a test, a manager pulled me aside and asked me to wait until after work on
post-industrial capitalism is characterised by supply and
Friday, presumably so they could keep me working. My life
demand more than by the working week. The supply of
in the abstract mattered less than corporate productivity.’ Frank's second job during the pandemic had far worse
throughout the world. Lockdowns further restricted labour,
conditions. Frank found himself in an overtly bigoted
and government relief gave workers options beyond
workplace culture, where racist and homophobic slurs
returning to their regular jobs. Many amongst the working
were used to describe customers. When his trainer
class were able to invest money for the first time, and
discovered that Frank’s girlfriend was black, Frank overheard
crypto-currency exploded, creating overnight millionaires.
extreme, racist comments about him and his partner.
A comparatively tiny amount of people became rich from these experiments, but the new money flooding
idea
who sat directly behind me both disappeared — they were
prices, so employers bought as much as they could. But
labour was already being impacted by ageing populations
58
I met this goal but was never paid my bonuses and then got
He confronted his superior and quit immediately. Frank chose unemployment over terrible working
into markets inflated pension funds, enabling a swathe
conditions. This wasn’t an easy decision to make: ‘A lot of
of people to take early retirement. But these financial
employers feel that if somebody is unemployed, there must
windfalls don’t account for everyone who was handing in
be a problem with them. They don't want to risk it. Every
their notice. Work-related mental illness permeates modern
day is a struggle as more and more demands on money
come at me. I'm going to have to get a job that I'm overqualified for and doesn't pay a living wage just so that I
working experiences and crowdsourcing ways to deal with them. ‘Bossware’ demanded technical solutions, and these were provided by /r/antiwork, an anarchist community that exploded in popularity during lockdown. The once niche and cerebral community homogenised into a space to protest workplace culture as its user base grew to millions of people. Mainstream media spotted this growth and created a narrative in which /r/antiwork was interwoven with what was dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’: the vast group of people that had collectively decided that they were being undervalued by employers. But reddit’s influence is vastly overestimated. ‘I don't think that this is really a "movement" as much
can go in the hole slower than I am now, and honestly,
as it is work conditions, expectations, and the internet
it all just makes me feel like I just shouldn't bother.’
letting us share these experiences. Why should I work
CLOCKING OUT People found that working from home was often healthier than spending their waking hours in the workplace. By
myself to exhaustion and new mental-health lows to enrich people who, at best, don't give a damn about me and at worst, actively exploit me?’ says Frank. The truth is that there is no workers’ organisation big
working from home, they managed to strike a balance
enough to account for the millions of people quitting
between their financial security and their own well-being.
throughout the pandemic. Attempts at wide-scale
Yet there is an ongoing conflict between employees and
unionisation have been quickly crushed. Instead, the
employers over returning to the office. The prominent
Great Resignation is due to millions of people making
advocates for physically returning to work are managers,
individual decisions. Many found their pay no longer
employers, or corporate-sponsored politicians, with no
compensated them fairly. Some found the money to stop
allies amongst groups concerned with workers’ welfare.
going somewhere that harms them. Others were forced
In addition to the impact on mental health, commuting
to resign by long Covid or mental health issues. Some
to an office directly reduces a worker’s wage thanks to
moved in with family. Some just reduced the time they
the record-high cost of public transport and fuel, which
were willing to sell. Some are searching for better work
is rising at a rate that has never been seen before.
as this article is being written and will have rejoined the
Large institutions are slow to change the status
labour pool by the time you read it. Some simply retired.
quo, and it's difficult to remotely enforce extreme
The movement that created the Great Resignation was
micromanagement. This hasn’t stopped employers
one that has thrived since the industrial revolution. A
from trying. Some home workers were forced to install
simple culture of employers maximising returns. Wages
‘bossware’ on personal computers. ‘Bossware’ refers
have decreased against inflation. Micromanagement and
to software indistinguishable from remote access tools
exploitation have been automated and optimised. Barriers
used to steal money from vulnerable people. It monitors
to entry are higher than ever, but job security is increasingly
screens, logs keystrokes, catalogs mouse movement, and
rare. Working in these conditions should pay a premium.
occasionally activates cameras, microphones, and GPS.
It took a global catastrophe for workers to realise it. idea
Why should I work myself to exhaustion and new mentalhealth lows to enrich people who, at best, don't give a damn about me and at worst, actively exploit me?
But people were socialising remotely as well, sharing their
59
start up
start up
60
Revyl app screenshots courtesy of Vlad Kalashnikov
Revyl: Three Taps to Your Ticket Author:
Caroline Curmi
While easy in principle, getting access to events through an online ticketing process can be a fickle and stretched-out process. Caroline Curmi meets Revyl directing manager Keith Vanhear to discuss the birth of his e-ticketing business and the hurdles that come with the team’s first year operating Malta’s newest online ticketing system.
course at the time, and some study-units were shared with
term. Among the students passing through the
software development students,’ Vanhear explains. ‘I literally
University quadrangle was Keith Vanhear, who was
happened to sit next to Vlad one day, and we got talking
becoming increasingly vexed by the difficult process
about this idea I had.’ One long chat later, Vlad Kalashnikov
of buying an online ticket for a party. The frustration
was ready to invest his software development skills in
melted into inspiration soon after. Having mulled over multiple ways of tackling the problem,
the project. Vanhear uses a simple metaphor to illustrate the team
Vanhear took his idea to Joe Bartolo, manager at the
dynamic: ‘If we could think about it as a car, there’s the
University of Malta’s TAKEOFF Business Incubator, whom
engine of the vehicle, and there’s the body of the vehicle.
he had met through one of his study-units with the Centre
Gabriel takes care of the engine, and Vlad takes care of the
for Entrepreneurship & Business Incubation. ‘He challenged
body.’ From a more technical perspective, Gabriel heads
me on my thoughts and processes, and we started to build
the infrastructural element while Vlad is responsible for the
the foundations, the building blocks there,’ Vanhear explains.
functionality of the app. Meanwhile, Vanhear is the assigned
What followed was a nine-month-long journey to fuse
driver, occupying the role of managing director.
Revyl’s concept within reality.
FORMING THE TEAM Vanhear teamed up with an old friend from Junior College
WHAT IS REVYL? The concept is simple: Revyl is a one-stop ticketing platform where attendees can not only purchase a ticket —
and fellow University of Malta student Gabriel Xuereb:
which Vanhear describes as a ‘three-taps-and-out’ process —
‘We always used to come up with ideas...try this, try that...
but also have it stored directly on the app for ease of access.
and when I was inspired to start Revyl, I talked to him first
‘We’re trying to make sure that the ticket is always easily
knowing he is a developer,’ says Vanhear. A somewhat
accessible. This way attendees are not put through the added
coincidental pairing brought in the third member of the
hassle of retrieving a ticket stored somewhere on their email
team: ‘I was following the BSc Business and Computing
or their file system,’ Vanhear elaborates.
start up
I
t was a morning like any other during the scholastic
61
Vanhear, who had to submit his thesis and pitch his idea in the span of five days: ‘You have to get up and remember why you are doing this,’ Vanhear insists. Having first tried out his presentation with Bartolo, Vanhear reveals that the moment of truth came when he was standing in front of his assessors, all eyes intently on him: ‘Preparation is all well and good, but once the moment comes, you have to do your pitch as best you can …’ his voice trails off, but Vanhear indicates the butterflies almost took over. Despite the obvious stress, he managed to secure the project some much-needed funding. As one of four projects to secure aid from the TAKEOFF Seed Fund, the team utilised the first weeks of summer to develop more rapidly before proceeding to contact event organisers and inform them about the newest online ticketing platform on the local market. Keith Vanhear Image courtesy of Keith Vanhear
REVEL AND THE FUTURE: BOOKING THEIR FIRST EVENTS Revyl’s soft launch came through during the Miss Malta
The platform provides additional tools for event organisers. Firstly, there is a website where organisers can easily create
Vanhear says he is thrilled with the outcome: ‘Of course
events by filling in a simple online form. From the website,
we were very anxious to launch our first event, because
events can easily be published on the app. Secondly, the
not only did we have to scan the event ticket but also the
organiser can download the Revyl Organiser app — a separate
COVID-19 vaccine certificate as that was the rule at the
app aimed at organisers — to assist with managing events,
time.’ Since the certificate could not be uploaded to Revyl,
checking in attendees, and scanning tickets.
it had to be shown separately, which prevented the scanning
Vanhear reveals that Revyl does not have a limit to the
minor setback, feedback from users was very good, with
thousand, or even one hundred thousand — it all depends on
the only issue the team encountered being a number of
the organiser, COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time, and
audience members accidentally purchasing more tickets
the capacity limit of the venue.’
than they needed. Vanhear confirms that such transactions
Following an initial meeting with Bartolo in September, the
were refunded and all was well. Following their success with the Miss Malta events, April 2022 saw the Revyl team lend their services to the
team focused their energy on laying down the foundations for
Miss Supranational beauty pageant. Vanhear admits that
Revyl. One of the building blocks was the brand identity: ‘As
the team is doing its best to reach out to event organisers
we were thinking about the name, we came across the word
to create collaborative efforts with future events. Their hope
“to revel” — which means to have fun and entertain oneself,’
is to include events such as parties, which cater for younger
Vanhear explains, adding that the second ‘e’ was replaced with
audiences who themselves might be more prone to using
‘y’ for the cool factor. Almost a year later, Vanhear admits the
mobile applications.
name was overthought: ‘We should have made it simpler so the audience doesn’t need to google it to understand it.’
start up fiction
process from flowing as smoothly as intended. Despite this
number of tickets it can process: ‘We can sell one, one
APPLYING FOR THE TAKEOFF SEED FUND
62
beauty pageant. Spread over four events in November 2021,
Along with his co-founders, Vanhear is now making plans to expand the technology they have built together and recruit
Vanhear reveals that thanks to Bartolo’s assistance, the
more talented people to join their team. Since these are still
application process was relatively straightforward. However,
in their ideation phase, Vanhear is careful not to divulge too
the pitching session proved most challenging, especially
much information, yet he indicates that their focus is shifting
due to its clash with the team’s end-of-semester exams and
towards marketing and sales efforts. As our conversation
assessments. The trio had to be especially strict with their time
draws to a close, Vanhear credits Bartolo one more time:
management in order to perform well on all fronts, especially
‘He was and continues to be my mentor.’
lab to life Maltese Ground Station Lowers the Cost of Accessing Space Author: Samuel Ridgeway
The night sky might remind you of space, but do you think of space when looking down at your phone? From checking the weather to looking up directions or calling friends, there are a myriad of satellites above that keep you informed and your phone connected. Now a team of researchers and engineers from the University of Malta’s Astrionics Research Group (ASTREA) are developing their own satellite and ground station for Malta to take its place in the night sky above.
applications in space. The use of commercially available
great expense of parts, maintenance, and
components can help make future space projects more
launching. However, Charles Grech, Dr Ing.
affordable by eliminating the need for custom parts.
Marc Anthony Azzopardi, Prof. Ing. Victor Buttigieg, and the rest of the ASTREA research
‘Nobody wants to be the first one to use these devices in space unless they have been tested and shown to
team are producing innovative, low-cost solutions. The
work well in space environments — the radiation, the
research comes at an important time as the 2022 Malta
temperature swings,’ explains Azzopardi. ‘The satellite acts
National Space Strategy undergoes consultation.
as an in-orbit demonstration. In a laboratory, you can only
E.T. PHONE HOME The ASTREA team is developing Malta’s first satellite, UoMSat, which will be used to test components in space.
approximate the conditions. To mimic all aspects of the space environment would become so expensive it would probably be cheaper to just launch and see what happens.’ This small, low-cost satellite is ideal for this application:
It is a pico-satellite or PocketQube, measuring 5cm x 5cm
demonstrating that the components function well
x 5cm, and it weighs no more than 250 grams. That’s
in space, reducing the risk of using them in future
about the same volume and weight as a smartphone.
missions, and allowing for space research to borrow
This may sound small, and it is. ‘By taking on particular constraints, it makes the challenge all the more interesting. But we're not just making it difficult for difficulty’s sake,’ says Azzopardi. ‘There are also valid reasons for going small:
technology from the mobile phone industry.
VALLETTA, WE HAVE A PROBLEM Launching a satellite is only half of the challenge.
reducing the size and launch costs, launching in low space
You also have to track and communicate with it.
orbit while not contributing to space debris, and smaller
That’s where a ground station comes in.
satellites can be launched repeatedly to maintain a service.’
Trying to find your lost phone down here on earth can
The size of UoMSat offers the team another advantage.
be challenging enough, but for the research team, they
It can easily house advanced components typically used in
have to find a 125cm3 needle in the haystack of space.
mobile phones such as microprocessors, sensors, battery
Whizzing across the sky at some 7km per second, 500km
technology, and case materials that have potential for
above sea level, the satellite will orbit the Earth every 90
lab to life
S
pace is often out of reach due to the
63
Z
PLANE WAVE
E1
E0
E2
E3
E4
x
When waves from multiple sources interact, they tend to combine and interfere along many different directions. The process of constructive interference is when the peaks and troughs of individual waves add up to create a stronger resultant wave in a particular direction. Using the phased array, we can control that direction by adjusting the relative phase of each individual source in the array.
Φ1 Φ2 Φ3 Φ4
TIME
minutes and will be visible from Malta for three passes in the morning and three passes in the evening, with
demands of existing traditional systems already opens up
each pass lasting between 5 and 10 minutes. Only during
other opportunities. The performance of the system is not
those short windows will the research team be able to
comparable to military grade systems, but nonetheless,
send and receive data directly from their satellite.
with practically no additional costs, we're starting to tap
Typically, ground station antennae are steered with
Charles Grech. ‘If you don't know the location of the satellite,
the drawbacks of wear and tear, slow steering response,
you’re basically waving a wand and pointing to every possible
expensive maintenance, and an inability to track multiple
location of the sky, and you'll find it's just not going to be
satellites at once pushed the research team to look for
feasible, considering a satellite would cross the sky within
a different solution. They landed on a phased array.
a couple of minutes. So we’re creating a tool via this beam
A phased array system consists of a series of antennae
steering to scan the sky to see where the highest power
that each emit or receive a signal with a specific time delay.
signal is coming from. This would tell us the direction of
This means the antenna can point without any physical
arrival of the satellite signal and implicitly where it is in orbit.’ The ground station’s dome of antennae will take pride
to a specific continuous hum. You can hear it in both ears,
of place on the roof of the University of Malta’s Faculty
but the noise is louder in your right ear — indicating that
of Engineering building, on top of the University’s new
the humming is coming from the right. Both antennae
Radio Lab. In order to build a compact system to fit on
are picking up the signal, but it is stronger on the right,
the roof, Grech had to design an impressive 20-sided
indicating where the satellite is. The multiple antennae of a
geometric dome, with each triangular side consisting of four
phased array does this in many directions using constructive
triangular patches of antennae. There are still challenges
interference as radio waves combine to electronically
to reducing the size, because the team are using ultra high
steer the beam — both for receiving and sending signals.
frequency (UHF) radio waves of 435MHz which have a
GROUND CONTROL TO UNIVERSITY OF MALTA Phased arrays are typically used in telecommunications
wavelength of around 70cm, compared to the 89.7MHz used by radio stations. Each ground station antenna, of which there are seventy-two, needs to be around half this length and spaced out for a good reception. Furthermore,
and military applications. They are expensive to deploy
the satellite would ideally have its own 35cm antennae — a
and may easily involve six or seven-digit figure costs.
difficult task for something with sides only 5cm long!
The ASTREA team’s challenge has been to build a small lab to life
into certain benefits at a high level. That's critical,’ explains
mechanical parts to point them at the moving satellite. Yet
movement. Imagine each of your ears is an antenna listening
64
‘Coming up with an entry-level system which meets the
system capable of fulfilling their needs for only €10,000.
Azzopardi explains, ‘So we establish a link. We send a command. We interrogate the satellites, and the satellite
relays the information back down, also as a radio wave.’ The ground station phase array locates the satellite in the sky by electronically steering towards its radio signal; the station sends a radio signal to the satellite asking it for a process like data transfer; the satellite sends a radio signal back to the station with the data encoded in it; and the ground station receives that data, and the researchers can review it. The appeal of this innovative, affordable ground station design extends beyond the University. In addition to being able to receive signals from other satellites using UHF radio waves, it further reduces the cost of accessing space, and the technology could be packaged and used by other universities or companies.
ONE SMALL SATELLITE FOR MALTA... One giant leap for Malta’s space policy. This is what the ASTREA team are working towards. Grech smiles, ‘From a personal point of view, I mean this is Malta’s first satellite. So every person contributing to the project is contributing to basically a historic aspect for the country. You know, there is a certain element of pride that one also gets from the project.’ Malta’s first National Space Policy was published in 2017, potentially accelerated by the fact that the satellite project was already underway and the University’s researchers were showing interest in space. This year sees a consultation on the 2022 Malta National Space Strategy, and there are hopes of continued funding, ambition, and awareness of the efforts to put Malta in space. Collaboration will also continue to be an essential part of the ASTREA team’s research. ‘Having one project which combines the different capabilities and strengths helps bring the community together. This was highly student driven. Different students started coming in and chipping in to the different subsystems that would eventually come a together to do a complete satellite. From nearly every aspect, this project was developed incrementally by many, many students, and there’s probably been a couple of dozen by now,’ says Azzopardi. Currently, the satellite is due to be fully functional by 2024, with a launch date to be confirmed once funding for it is secured. Grech looks forward to that, ‘We are proud. We certainly will be chuffed the day we launch, and even more chuffed after having managed to read any [data] out of it!’ When that day comes, you can look up at the night sky and see a glint of Malta among the stars. Perhaps before then, you will only need to look up to the roof of the University of Malta Engineering Faculty, and you’ll see the ground station — a reminder of space close to home, a reminder that space is within reach. Project ASTREA is financed by the MCST, for and on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology, through FUSION: The R&I technology Development Programme 2019.
lab to life
3D rendering of the geodesic dome of antennae arrays which will sit on top of the University's new Radio Lab at the Faculty of Engineering.(below) Photos courtesy of Charles Grech
65
fiction
Bird Songs and Conquering Thoughts Written by
Martina G. Mifsud
O
pen it.
wounds with yellow-stained cotton. It pulsed to the rhythm
Dominic frowned at the sealed crimson
of his heart when he bandaged it. However, he paid no mind
letter on his desk. A small bird pecked at it
as he returned to his desk and stared at the unopened letter,
incessantly, as if it held seeds within. House
imagining it burning under his gaze and disappearing forever.
sparrow, he thought. Birds like those belonged among flocks
He grabbed it and set it back down again when there was a
of pigeons, picking out bits from the concrete. Instead it was
knock on the door. He was about to ignore it when it knocked
here on a chilly January morning.
again — more persistently. It reverberated in his apartment
His small apartment was not a place for any animal. It was too cramped for anything living except for him.
creaked open. He held the edge firmly and peeked. His friend, Rich, stood there, about to knock again. The
a wooden door leading to the outside wedged between
20-year-old’s skin looked horribly tanned. Rich, whose nose
them. A subtle odour of mould seeped through the flaxen-
bridge was so low (almost in line with his cheekbones) that
coloured walls. The only natural light came from a book-sized
Dominic had to resist the urge to grab it and jerk it upwards.
window over his desk, which faced the outside door. The light
His face was in a distorted expression of dismay.
patch of bleached wood occupied the centre of the room. He shooed the brown-marked bird away, and with a chirp, it took off. Its feathers, its feet, and its delicate beak turned to glass, and the bird struck the ground, shattering into small, glimmering pieces. A single glass feather rested on the bird’s remains, which Dominic picked up and crushed in his hand. Warm red liquid bloomed like welts on his palm. He rose and cleaned his hand in the bathroom sink, grinning triumphantly fiction
and ears until he unlocked the door with a click, and it
The bathroom and the kitchen counter faced each other,
bleached the floorboards, and now a small window-shaped
66
His hand sang with stinging pain as he disinfected his
No. Not yet.
as he picked out shards of glass sticking out of his skin.
'You look horrible,' Rich said. 'What do you want, Swann?' he demanded, his voice as sharp as the edge of a knife. 'Relax, I come in peace. I just need to talk to you.' Rich scanned him from head to toe. 'Am I interrupting something?' Dominic glanced at the unopened letter and then back at him. 'I’m busy.' 'You’ve been cooped up in there for days, man. You need to talk to someone.' 'What I need is some quiet.'
Finally, he said, 'Fine, but remember
In a fit of rage, he shoved the birds’
this: birds may learn to fly on their
nest off his desk, and it splattered
Rich dropped his gaze.
own, but first they need a nest to
into white dust that flew everywhere
take off from.'
and anywhere, covering not just the
'Oh,' he said. A smile grew on his face, teeth shining like pearls. 'For how long?'
The words lingered in the air as
Dominic played with the doorknob
he walked away, and the songbirds
floor, but his cupboards, his cabinets, the patch of bleached wood which
absently. 'Since the beginning of the
stopped pecking each other and flew
seemed to be growing larger,
year, but it’s become worse these
out behind him, singing to themselves
and larger—
past two days. Ever since I received
and, to his surprise, him too.
He sat down and stared at the
**** Five hours later, and the letter was
letter. Something in him wanted to
It barely had a chance to ruffle its
still on the desk, but its colour had
him wanted Rich to stubbornly barge
feathers before the first songbird
darkened to scarlet. Almost black, like
into his apartment and open his letter
began to peck its head, as if it was
the night outside the house was trying
for him. To be done with it. He crossed
trying to crack its skull open.
that letter.' A second songbird joined the first.
leap out and tear it apart. A part of
to consume it. Like the slight bite in
his arms and slumped on his desk as
'I remember when I received mine.'
the air, like the quiet that hung in his
if a weight landed on his back. The
Rich chuckled at the memory. 'It was
apartment. Like the bird that pecked
clock on his desk ticked. A child would
frogs for me. I opened it on the tenth
at his letter. Everything wanted to
have torn it open with excitement. An
morning I found frog eggs in the
consume everything.
adult, with impatience. But Dominic
bathroom sink.'
The birds kept coming and coming.
'What happened after you opened it?'
Two warblers appeared out of
'I can’t tell you that,' he said playfully.
nowhere and played with his letter,
was neither. How would he open the letter? What would he find? It was different for everyone.
'I’m sorry, but you’ll have to see for
tossing it to each other in mid-flight
A bird landed on the kitchen
yourself. It’s different for everyone.'
as he tried to grab it. A skylark sang
counter and inched towards him
on his bed, overcome with joy as if no
cautiously. His head remained buried
doorknob. 'Then you understand why
worries existed in its world. One time,
in his arms. He was done with these
I need to do this by myself.'
a nest of six little chicks had appeared
distractions. Done with these doubts,
on his kitchen counter, peeping for
these questions, and no answers to
his mind, as always. He would never
their mother bird. When their mother
any of them. All he wanted to do was
let a wrong word slip, and if he did, he
finally came (it was another house
lie down and stay still forever. All he
would ruminate for days — at least,
sparrow), she had earthworms in her
wanted was—
from what Dominic remembered about
beak. The chicks ate them, and after a
his friend. The problem was, though,
few minutes, their eyes rolled up into
Dominic looked up slowly. The bird. It
that he could never guess what words
their sockets, and they died. Dominic
hopped next to the letter and nudged
turned the cogs of his mind until he
saw the mother nudging their dead
it with its beak, nudged it towards him.
spoke them.
bodies as if trying to bring them back.
He grabbed the letter and opened it.
Dominic’s grip tightened around the
Rich hesitated. Something occupied
A peck on his arm. One. Two. Three.
fiction
A songbird landed next to Rich’s polished shoes. It pecked at the door.
67
alumni
What Makes a Book Autism Friendly? Author: Timothy Alden
We might fondly remember our first Read with Me Ladybird book, but for some children on the spectrum, the experience of reading a book can be challenging. University of Malta alumna Michelle Mifsud is writing her first book written specifically with this in mind.
W
hat makes a book autism
languages with sciences, and it felt like the
friendly? Asking Michelle
perfect fit. As a child, I was obsessed with
Mifsud that question,
the movie Paulie, which I watched on repeat.
the conversation takes
The little girl in it had a stutter, and that was
us on a journey to
my first introduction to speech therapy.’
unexpected places. It is only fitting, given that Michelle is writing a story to take children
eyes open for further learning opportunities. She
on an adventure intended to both delight
would find herself studying at the Royal College
and inspire the imagination. Like any journey,
of Speech and Language Therapists, where King
however, we should start at the beginning. We
George VI, who awarded Malta the George Cross,
asked Michelle what first gave her the idea to
received speech therapy for his stammer. There,
write an autism-friendly book for children.
Michelle undertook a short training course on
Our tale therefore begins at the University of
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inclusive storytelling for children with additional
Malta, where Michelle graduated in 2016 as a
needs. She learned how rhythm and rhyme can be
speech language pathologist. She later obtained
instrumental in teaching these children. Having
her MSc from the University of Sheffield in 2020
always loved writing, an idea bloomed in Michelle's
in Language and Communication Impairment
mind on the flight out of London. Scribbling
in Children, with distinction no less.
down her ideas, a vision began to take shape.
‘I loved my time at the University of Malta,’
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Having started on this journey, Michelle kept her
What started as an idea became a collaboration
Michelle tells us. ‘They were genuinely my best
as her sister and avid writer, Marilyn Formosa,
years, where I met the friends of a lifetime.
joined in the effort to write this book. They
I was lucky to have had very supportive
were also joined by a friend who offered to do
lecturers and an encouraging department. I
the pictures for them. What set these pictures
got into the course because I wanted to merge
apart from usual ones, however, was that these
Featured illustrations courtesy of Sharon Naudi
would be hand-painted in watercolour. The artist, Sharon Naudi, is also a literacy support teacher, making her especially suited for this role. What followed was research to discover the ingredients for an autism-friendly book.
WHAT MAKES A BOOK AUTISM FRIENDLY? A questionnaire was sent to parents with children on the spectrum, asking them what they thought their children liked and disliked when reading books and challenging them to imagine how their child might react to certain pictures or ideas. Many parents indicated that they liked books which had tasks or questions in the story, so that they could interact with their children while reading the book. One clear conclusion was that there was no magic rule and no clear guide on how to write or paint the book. Both out of personal interest and recognising that space is a fascinating subject for many children today, Michelle wanted to depict a trip through the stars. Along the way, Michelle and her sister planned for animals in extraordinary colours. ’What was clear, however, was that while patterns and trends such as rhyme, rhythm, and colour might be broadly ticking all the boxes for everyone,’ Michelle explains.
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appealing, everyone is different, and there is no key to Michelle Mifsud
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Nonetheless, from broad experience
goes that some children on the
inclusive combination of techniques,
as well as her training, Michelle's vision
spectrum in Malta may associate the
offering innovations to therapists,
crystalised, but the journey was far
Maltese language with stress, because
teachers, and parent groups
from over. The book will take more
they find social situations difficult, and
alike. It emphasises not only the
time to print, and asking Michelle
those situations usually require the
aforementioned use of rhyme, rhythm,
about the experience of publication
use of Maltese. Several children on
and even poetry, but the value of
in Malta was insightful in of itself.
the spectrum tend to pick up a lot of
storytelling to educate children.
language from television and tablets.
Education which involves storytelling
This helps them to mimic the accent
simply leads to better results —
and intonation with a high degree of
being more engaging, interesting,
printers were resistant to taking on
precision. Therefore, children on the
and exciting. In one study from
this sort of book in English. Although
spectrum prefer English, because
2011, with continuous exposure to
preferring to write in English to express
as the language of digital media, it
particular stories, students gradually
her vision, printers pushed hard for a
is a more controlled environment,
realised that they could achieve a
Maltese book, given the substantial
and they therefore develop more
higher level of comprehension by
number of English language books
comfortable associations with it. For
listening to larger meaningful units
imported regardless. That being said,
example, digital media offers the
rather than individual words.
the team is very grateful to have found
chance to edit and reflect before
a local printer who supports their work.
posting, while physical interactions
enjoyed the most so far about the
Regarding the choice of language,
are instantaneous. Digital media can
experience of writing her book,
Michelle shared a fascinating insight,
also be enjoyed alone in comfort and
she pointed to the rhyme written
‘Children on the spectrum often
privacy, with the choice of stimuli
throughout the story and the creative
prefer to speak in English rather than
open to picking and choosing.
use of language — not to mention
PRINTING LOCALLY An unexpected discovery was that
Michelle’s studies have helped to
the friendly bickering with her sister
her that they can barely understand
inform her about the various ways to
about the choice of vocabulary and
their child, speaking in English with
encourage more active learning. One
the number of syllables! However,
American accents, despite being in a
of these techniques, ‘Lis’n Tell’, has
while enjoying the writing itself,
purely Maltese speaking environment.
found its way into her book. ‘Lis’n Tell’
she also pointed to the thrill of
Maltese.’ Some parents have told
has been at the forefront of the use
seeing their words brought to life in
said that there is a huge debate around
and development of storytelling in
watercolour. Her collaboration with
this phenomenon. One popular theory
speech and language therapy. It is an
Sharon was outside the paradigm
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Asked why this is the case, Michelle
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Asking Michelle what she had
of what most local printers would accept — but it was a way to see her ideas brought faithfully to life in a new medium. After all, Michelle pointed out, it simply would not be the same without the whole team involved from its inception. Looking ahead, Michelle is not yet sure when the book will be printed. While the journey is not yet over, there is much to look forward to when Michelle is ready to print what will be her very first book. Her experience has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to Malta, and writing the book has been educational in itself. Evidently, when the time is right, and the book is ready, Malta's children will be in for a special treat, with a valuable teaching resource created in the process. Further Reading: Al-Mansour, N., & Al-Shorman, R. (2011). The effect of teacher’s storytelling aloud on the reading comprehension of Saudi elementary stage students. Journal Of King Saud University - Languages And Translation, 23(2), 69-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jksult.2011.04.001
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Education which involves storytelling simply leads to better results — being more engaging, interesting, and exciting.
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