PONDERWALL - Magazine of Science & Culture

THE SCIENCE OF FOREST THERAPY

One in every 200 men is a descendant of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan (1162 – 1227) is known for having unified the Mongolian tribes and establishing a large empire in Central Asia. He used ingenious military tactics and ferocious brutality to defeat the Chinese dynasties in the south

IF I CAN DREAM: THE ELVIS TRIBUTE TO MARTIN LUTHER KING

History

Elvis Presley recorded the song “If I Can Dream” just two months after the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. Both were born and raised in the Deep South.

ALMOST 50 YEARS OF EQUAL PAY LEGISLATION – BUT THE WAITING CONTINUES FOR WOMEN

Politics

It will take 217 years for women to achieve equal pay according to the WEF. So we can expect many stories such as the case of Carrie Gracie at the BBC.

WEAPONISED RESEARCH: HOW TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR SOURCES SAFE IN THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE

Technology

Hackers may not only be reading your published research work – they could also be tracking your online activity and even listening in on your conversations.

COLLEGE-EDUCATED COPS ENFORCE THE LAW MORE AGGRESSIVELY

Politics

Study found that college-educated law enforcement officers were more likely than others to search the vehicles they pulled over.

LONDON’S EXTRAORDINARY SURPLUS OF EMPTY LUXURY APARTMENTS REVEALED

Politics

Around one in 20 homes in Central and West London lies empty, according to the United Kingdom government’s statistics agency.

DOMAIN NAME FRAUD: IS THE GLOBAL INTERNET IN DANGER?

Technology

In late February 2019, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that manages the IP addresses and domain names used on the web, issued a warning on the risks of systemic Internet attacks.

TALKING TO MARS: NEW ANTENNA DESIGN COULD AID INTERPLANETARY COMMUNICATION

Technology

When enough of these antenna elements – 256 in this case – are combined together just right into what antenna engineers call an array, the whole can transmit and receive much greater power.

BEYOND INVISIBILITY: ENGINEERING LIGHT WITH METAMATERIALS

Technology

We can build metamaterials to respond in particular ways to certain frequencies of light. For example, we can create a smart filter for infrared cameras.

THE SONG THAT HAD ONE BRITISH POLITICIAN WISHING FOR THE SEX PISTOLS’ SUDDEN DEATH

History

When the Sex Pistols came out with “God Save the Queen” 40 years ago, on May 27, 1977, it was instantly greeted with widespread, visceral condemnation.

FROM DEPRESSION TO PARKINSON’S DISEASE: THE HEALING POWER OF DANCE

Science

Dance and movement therapy goes beyond simply dancing. DMT uses dance and movement to promote insight, integration and well-being.

WE CALCULATED EMISSIONS DUE TO ELECTRICITY LOSS ON THE POWER GRID – GLOBALLY, IT’S A LOT

Science

Annual emissions due to energy loss from the transmission of electricity on the power grid is more than emissions from some industries. Measured in millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.

APOSTROPHES: LINGUISTICS EXPERT IMAGINES A HAPPIER WORLD WITHOUT THEM

Arts

The Apostrophe Protection Society is no more. John Richards, who founded the Society in 2001 in order to help maintain the correct use of the “much abused” punctuation mark, has thrown in the towel.

THIS SMALL GERMAN TOWN TOOK BACK THE POWER AND WENT FULLY RENEWABLE

Geography

With 100% of its electricity coming from renewable sources, the German town of Wolfhagen is demonstrative of what can be achieved when municipalities adopt innovative approaches to the ownership and governance of key infrastructure.

LIFE ON MARS? EUROPE COMMITS TO GROUNDBREAKING MISSION TO BRING BACK ROCKS TO EARTH

Science

The European Space Agency (ESA) have fully committed to mission plans to collect samples from the surface of Mars and return them to Earth

ARE THERE 400,000 FEWER CHILDREN IN POVERTY IN THE UK THAN THERE WERE IN 2010?

Politics

Boris Johnson’s bold claim about children in poverty needs careful consideration – it is a very partial truth that completely misrepresents wider realities.

THE WALL CEMENTED PINK FLOYD’S FAME – BUT DESTROYED THE BAND

Arts, History

Forty years ago, on Nov. 30, 1979, the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd released its 11th studio album, “The Wall.”

ANXIETY: A PLAYLIST TO CALM THE MIND FROM A MUSIC THERAPIST

Arts, Science

Anxiety: a playlist to calm the mind from a music therapist Shutterstock/Stokkete Elizabeth Coombes, University of South Wales It may seem like we are living in an age of anxiety, where feeling worried, upset and

HIGH-TECH CONCERT HALL MEASURES BRAIN WAVES AND HEART RATES DURING PERFORMANCES

Arts, Technology

The LIVELab at McMaster University is a research concert hall. It functions as both a laboratory and theater, opening up opportunities for music research.

POLICING THE BERLIN WALL: THE GHOSTLY PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE STASI’S HIDDEN CAMERAS

History

Surveillance occurred through the collection of documents, audio, video, human odors – and around two million photographs now held in the Stasi archive.

CLIMATE CHANGE: WHY SWEDEN’S CENTRAL BANK DUMPED AUSTRALIAN BONDS

Economics, Politics

Sweden’s central bank says it will no longer invest in assets from governments with large climate footprints, even if the yields were high.

GUT MICROBES CAN GET YOU DRUNK AND DAMAGE YOUR LIVER

Science

Some people may contain intestinal microbes that are secreting alcohol, which might make them act as if they were drinking.

NOT ONE BUT TWO AUSSIE DISHES WERE USED TO GET THE TV SIGNALS BACK FROM THE APOLLO 11 MOONWALK

History, Technology

When Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Moon, Australians saw the images first. They used a second Aussie dish to bring the historic images to the world.

OVER 70% OF THE EU MILLIONAIRE BANKERS LIVE IN THE UK, EBA REPORT REVEALS

Economics, Politics

The UK continues being home to the large majority of the EU millionaire bankers. About 3,567 of them live in the UK, whereas only 390 live in Germany, 233 in France and 201 in Italy.

MIKE TYSON TOP 10 MOST PUNISHING FIGHTS

Sports

Mike Tyson was born on June 30th, 1966 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. His real name is Michael Gerard Tyson. He started competing as a professional boxer in 1985 and retired twenty years later in 2005.

IMPEACHMENT: TWO QUOTES THAT DEFINED THE FIRST DAY OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

Politics

Wednesday’s public testimony in the House of Representatives’ impeachment hearings did not make a lot of news about the substance of what is at stake.

POLICE THREATENED IRAQI PROTESTERS WITH DOGS – THEY THREATENED BACK WITH A LION

Misc

The police threatened the Iraqi protesters with trained dogs. One of the protesters answered by bringing a lion and threatening to let it attack both the dogs and the police.

OIL COMPANIES ARE THINKING ABOUT A LOW-CARBON FUTURE, BUT AREN’T MAKING BIG INVESTMENTS IN IT YET

Politics

An analysis by the Carbon Disclosure Project shows that investor-owned oil companies currently are spending 1% to 4% of their capital investment on low-carbon energy sources.

I TRAVELED TO AMERICAN SAMOA 5 TIMES TO STUDY THE SECRET OF ITS FOOTBALL SUCCESS

Sports

Samoans have become the most overrepresented group, per capita, in the NFL. About 180,000 people of Samoans descent live stateside, while another 55,000 live in American Samoa, a U.S. territory.

HOW NEW YORK’S UNION SQUARE HELPED SHAPE FREE SPEECH IN THE US

Geography

New York’s Union Square gained a reputation as a site for political rallies during the Civil War. Following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in 1861.

AERIAL THREAT: WHY DRONE HACKING COULD BE BAD NEWS FOR THE MILITARY

Technology

Imagine a defense operation in which a drone is sent out to spy on enemy territory. The enemy identifies the drone but instead of disabling it, compromises the sensors (vision, sonar, and so on) to inject false data.

HOW TO SEE STARS AND TACKLE LIGHT POLLUTION IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Science

Local action on light pollution – by people in their homes or local councils dimming and reducing non-essential lighting in parks – might seem small in scale, but the results can be impressive.

CAPTIVE BREEDING HAS A DARK SIDE – AS DISTURBING CZECH DISCOVERY OF TRAFFICKED TIGER BODY PARTS HIGHLIGHTS

Politics

The rotting remains of a number of tigers, lions and cougars were recently discovered in a raid in Prague. Exotic wildlife trade is booming in Europe.

THE US IS A WHOLE LOT RICHER BECAUSE OF TRADE WITH EUROPE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER EU IS FRIEND OR FOE

Politics

The European Union is the largest U.S. trading partner in terms of its total bilateral trade and has been for the past several decades.

‘I HAVE A JOB BUT I’M HOMELESS’ – THE WORKING POOR WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO RENT

Politics

One in every 200 people in Britain is homeless – sleeping on the streets or stuck in temporary accommodation, including hostels and B&Bs.

THE PRESTIGIOUS HARPY EAGLE

Geography

A video of the harpy eagle, filmed in South America in 2015.

STRANGE SPATIAL PHENOMENON FILMED IN FRANCE

Misc

This video was filmed in Toulouse, France, on December 9th 2010. It clearly shows a source of light that is neither an airplane, nor a known celestial object.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN NBC AND CBS TO BE THE FIRST TO FILM A BERLIN WALL TUNNEL

History

In 1962, NBC and CBS were at work on two separate, secret documentaries on escape tunnels being dug under the Berlin Wall.

MONSANTO WINS $7.7B LAWSUIT IN BRAZIL – BUT FARMER’S FIGHT TO STOP ITS AMORAL ROYALTY SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE

Politics

A Brazilian court has decided in favor of Monsanto, the agribusiness conglomerate, in a landmark class-action lawsuit filed by Brazilian farmers’ unions.

NINJA CAT FIGHTS BACK

Misc, Sidebar

MCDONALD’S FIRED ITS CEO FOR SLEEPING WITH AN EMPLOYEE – RESEARCH SHOWS WHY EVEN CONSENSUAL OFFICE ROMANCES CAN BE A PROBLEM

Politics

McDonald’s ousted its CEO over a consensual relationship with an employee, just a week after U.S. Rep. Katie Hill stepped down due to a similar allegation.

WHY PARIS IS THE PERFECT CITY TO INTRODUCE BREAK DANCING TO THE OLYMPICS

Arts, Sports

Along with surfing, climbing and skateboarding, break dancing has been proposed for inclusion at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

BRONZE AGE DISCOVERY REVEALS SURPRISING EXTENT OF BRITAIN’S TRADE WITH EUROPE 3,600 YEARS AGO

History, Politics

Research reveals evidence of a copper-mining bonanza in Wales 3,600 years ago that reached France, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

US GREEN ECONOMY GROWTH DWARFS DONALD TRUMP’S HIGHEST HOPES FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY

Economics, Politics

While Donald Trump may be “the world’s most powerful climate change denier”, our latest research suggests that he took over over a thriving green economy.

HOW GAMBLING BUILT BASEBALL – AND THEN ALMOST DESTROYED IT

History, Sports

In baseball’s infancy, it was thought of as a boy’s game. But over the course of the 19th century, gambling deepened adult interest in the sport.

ROAD RAGE RIDER SMASHES CAR’S WINDOW THEN INSTANTLY REGRETS IT

Misc

Bike rider smashes car’s window in a violent road rage then gets beaten up.

KOMODO DRAGON EATING MONKEY

Misc

Comodo dragon eating monkey in a shocking video.

HALF A BILLION ON HALLOWEEN PET COSTUMES IS LATEST SIGN OF AMERICA’S OUT-OF-CONTROL CONSUMERISM

Economics, Politics

Americans will spend US$8.8 billion on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations this year, including half a billion dollars on costumes for their pets.

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS PRO NICK KYRGIOS THROWS CHAIR ONTO COURT DURING MELTDOWN

Misc

During the Italian Open, tennis pro Nick Kyrgios threw a chair onto the court after receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION EXCEEDS ITS 40% TARGET

Politics

The European Commission has exceeded the target set by President Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014 committing that, by the end of his mandate, 40% of the Commission’s middle and senior managers should be women.

A SMALL NEW ZEALAND SONGBIRD THAT HIDES FOOD FOR LATER USE PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO COGNITIVE EVOLUTION

Geography, Science

The spatial memory performance of the New Zealand robin, shows male birds with superior memory abilities also have better breeding success.

WHY DO POOR CHILDREN PERFORM MORE POORLY THAN RICH ONES?

Politics

Research has shown that children of poorer parents display substantially worse math and reading skills by the time they start grade school.

SCHOOL FUNDING: PROMISED INCREASES ARE ACTUALLY REAL-TERM CUTS – AND POORER SCHOOLS ARE HIT HARDEST

Politics

The NEU suggests that, when inflation is taken into account, over 16,000 schools will have less income in April 2020, compared to 2015.

RED PLANET RUMBLES: NASA’S RECORDINGS OF MARSQUAKES LET US LISTEN TO THE MARTIAN HEARTBEAT

Science

Thanks to the audio recordings of distant rumblings on Mars released this week by NASA, we finally know what the red planet sounds like.

WULINGYUAN: CHINA’S AVATAR MOUNTAIN

Geography

One of the most stunning and beautiful places in the world, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area in China’s Hunan Province has more than 3,000 sandstone pillars.

BEFORE WALT DISNEY, THERE WAS LOTTE REINIGER – THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S FIRST ANIMATED FEATURE

Arts, History

The oldest surviving animated feature was not made by Walt Disney, but by a German puppeteer named Lotte Reiniger: The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926).

EVEN WITH A DEAL, EVEN WITH AN ELECTION, THESE BREXIT QUESTIONS WILL STILL NEED TO BE ANSWERED

Politics

Once out of the EU, Britain has less bargaining power. Its future relationship is still to be negotiated – and that arrangement will last.

JOHN COLTRANE’S LOST FILM SOUNDTRACK AND FIVE MORE MUST-SEE MOVIES FOR JAZZ LOVERS

Arts

John Coltrane – a giant of the jazz world – wrote and recorded in 1964 a soundtrack for the French-Canadian movie Le Chat Dans le Sac.

THE DANISH CONCEPT OF ‘HYGGE’ – AND WHY IT’S THEIR LATEST SUCCESSFUL EXPORT

Geography

If you’re reading this in a comfortable chair, surrounded by tasteful soft furnishings and perhaps even a candle or two, that sense of cosiness you’re feeling might just be hygge.

IN 19 STATES, IT’S OKAY TO HIT KIDS WITH A WOODEN BOARD

Politics

Sadly, despite all evidence to the contrary, many principals do believe that corporal punishment is effective for some students.

THESE CELEBRITIES CAUSE 10,000 TIMES MORE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM FLYING THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON

Politics

The jet-setting habits of Bill Gates and Paris Hilton mean that they produce 10,000 times more carbon emissions from flying than the average person.

WE ANALYSED 101 COMPANIES’ STATEMENTS ON MODERN SLAVERY – HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND

Economics, Politics

Something as criminal as forced labour and modern slavery makes it hard for buyers to act in any other way than reporting it to the authorities.

LONDON BECOMES THE WORLD’S FIRST NATIONAL PARK CITY, COMMITTED TO GIVING PEOPLE ACCESS TO NATURE

Geography, Politics

London has been officially designated the world’s first national park city, with a week-long festival of free outdoor events and a ceremony at City Hall to mark the occasion.

INSPIRED BY SCI-FI, AN AIRPLANE WITH NO MOVING PARTS AND A BLUE IONIC GLOW

Technology

The plane uses electroaerodynamic propulsion, which was investigated as far back as the 1920s by an eccentric scientist who was researching anti-gravity.

FORMULA ONE MOTOR FIRMS ARE BECOMING TEXTBOOK CASES IN HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY BRANCH INTO OTHER SECTORS

Sports, Technology

Formula one companies have been reinventing themselves for the digital era and selling their tech know-how to other sectors.

FIGHT TO PRESERVE ELFDALIAN, SWEDEN’S LOST FOREST LANGUAGE

Geography

Elfdalian is used only by 2,500 people but is a treasure trove for linguists. It has preserved linguistic features that can’t be found elsewhere.

BALD EAGLE WALKING

Misc

Bald eagle walking on the beach at Anchor Point on the Cook Inlet and Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The eagle was enjoying a fish snack.

SPACE MAY SOON BECOME A WAR ZONE – HERE’S HOW THAT WOULD WORK

Politics, Science

At a summit in early December 2019, NATO is expected to declare space as a “warfighting domain”, partly in response to new developments in technology.

PAUL GASCOIGNE TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS WHY MOST WOMEN DON’T REPORT SEXUAL ABUSE OR RAPE

Politics

The jury of eight men and four women found Paul Gascoigne not guilty of sexual assault. He was also cleared of the lesser charge of common assault.

WHO OWNS THE MOON? A SPACE LAWYER ANSWERS

Politics, Science

Countries such as Russia and somewhat less explicitly Brazil and Belgium hold that the moon and asteroids belong to humanity as a whole.

NETHERLANDS POLICE TRAIN EAGLES TO CATCH DRONES

Misc, Technology

Netherlands Police are training eagles to catch drones to prevent illegal use. They said that they will investigate the birds’ safety as safety continue.

RESEARCHERS INVENT DEVICE THAT GENERATES LIGHT FROM THE COLD NIGHT SKY – HERE’S WHAT IT MEANS FOR MILLIONS LIVING OFF GRID

Science, Technology

What if we could generate electricity from the cold night sky? Researchers at Stanford and UCLA have just done exactly that.

THE JOKER’S ORIGIN STORY COMES AT A PERFECT MOMENT: CLOWNS DEFINE OUR TIMES

Arts, Politics

One of the most famous jester figures of the modern age is the Joker, who made his debut in the first issue of Batman comics in 1940.

IF IMPEACHMENT COMES TO THE SENATE – 5 QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Politics

If the House of Representatives concludes its impeachment inquiry by passing articles of impeachment of President Trump, attention will turn to the Senate.

TELETEXT WAS SLOW BUT IT PAVED THE WAY FOR THE SUPER-FAST WORLD OF THE INTERNET

Technology

The BBC has announced that 2020 will mark the end of the Red Button text service – the final incarnation of what was originally known as CEEFAX and Oracle.

OPIUM, RAT HAIR, BEAVER ANAL SECRETIONS – AND OTHER SURPRISING THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND IN FOOD

Politics

For example, a natural flavoring called castoreum is a thick odorous secretion obtained from the anal glands of beavers.

ON GERMANY’S NATIONAL SOCCER STAGE, WHY HAVE EAST GERMANS GONE MISSING

Politics, Sports

Why is German soccer so dominated by players and clubs from the West? And what does this imbalance say about the state of the German reunification?

BARN OWLS REFLECT MOONLIGHT IN ORDER TO STUN THEIR PREY

Science

We’ve been following a Swiss population of barn owls for more than 20 years, monitoring their hunting behavior with cameras and GPS trackers.

HOW RUPTURE WITH MAINLAND EUROPE CAUSED BRITAIN TO FALTER FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS

Geography, History

Mainland Europe has always been essential to Britain’s prosperity. When the relationship with Europe is poor, the lot of ordinary Briton is poorer for it.

CAR-FREE PARIS? IT WAS ALREADY A DREAM IN 1790.

Geography, History

Car-free Paris? It was already a dream in 1790 Le Pont-Neuf et la Pompe de la Samaritaine, vue du quai de la Mégisserie, painting by Nicolas Raguenet (circa 1750-1760). Musée Carnavalet Arnaud Exbalin, Université Paris

FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY SEES THE FUTURE IN HARD-TO-RECYCLE PLASTIC

Economics, Politics

How will they adapt as fossil fuel demand wanes with the rise of renewable energy and battery power? The answer is plastic.

FORD BRIDGEND CLOSURE: THE UK’S CAR INDUSTRY COULD STAGE A REVIVAL BY RECYCLING RARE EARTHS

Economics, Technology

The intended closure of Ford’s Bridgend engine plant in 2020, with the loss of 1,700 industry jobs, has sent shock waves through Wales.

HOW THE PRETZEL WENT FROM SOFT TO HARD – AND OTHER LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ONE OF THE WORLD’S FAVORITE SNACKS

Geography

The pretzel, a German food, and one of the fastest-growing snack foods in the world, recently crossed a billion dollars a year in sales.

A DANISH WORD THE WORLD NEEDS TO COMBAT STRESS: PYT

Geography

Pyt doesn’t have an exact English translation. It’s more a cultural concept about cultivating healthy thoughts to deal with stress.

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: BUILDING AN ECONOMY ON THE TEMPLATE OF NATURE

Economics, Science

The concept of a circular economy which is actively supported by influential institutions such as the Ellen MacArthur foundation, or EU research programs.

COMPUTER SCIENCE NOW COUNTS AS MATH CREDIT IN MOST STATES – IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?

Science

29 states passed legislation allowing computer science to count in place of a science course. Are these changes are helping students or hurting them?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A RAINDROP HITS A PUDDLE

Science

The beauty of puddle waves is no small thing by itself. By connecting nature with its primal language – mathematics – we gain access to its control panel.

POLICE PHOTO LINEUPS: HOW BACKGROUND COLORS CAN SKEW EYE WITNESS IDENTIFICATION

Politics, Science

Identification parades can be powerful evidence in securing convictions in criminal cases. But eyewitness evidence is notoriously prone to errors.

ANGRY EATING DOG

Misc, Sidebar

HOW ONE NHS ANAESTHETIST IS FIGHTING INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RESEARCH FRAUD

Politics, Science

Consultant anaesthetist at Torbay Hospital on England’s south coast has developed statistical methods to help spot signs of fraud in medical research.

WEBCAMS IN NURSING HOME ROOMS MAY DETER ELDER ABUSE – BUT ARE THEY ETHICAL?

Politics

Papp’s fight to monitor her mother’s care reflects a reasonable fear. About 1.3 million Americans live in nursing homes, and elder abuse can be a killer.

JUSTICE STEVENS, BABE RUTH AND THE BEST LAW CLERK ASSIGNMENT EVER

Politics, Sports

Babe Ruth’s famous, and controversial, “called shot” home run during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs

THE BEATLES’ REVOLUTIONARY USE OF RECORDING TECHNOLOGY IN ‘ABBEY ROAD’

Arts, History

The Beatles’ album “Abbey Road” holds a special place in the hearts of the band’s fans. But few realize how groundbreaking its tracks were for the band.

WHY THE BRITISH ARE HIDING INFORMATION ABOUT RUDOLF HESS

History

The Russian scholar, Andrei Fursov, explains in this video the reason why the British authorities insist to keep Rudolf Hess’s files classified until 2050.

IPCC REPORT PAINTS CATASTROPHIC PICTURE OF MELTING ICE AND RISING SEA LEVELS – AND REALITY MAY BE EVEN WORSE

Geography, Science

Based on almost 7k peer-reviewed research, the report is a cutting-edge crash course in how human-caused climate breakdown is changing our ice and oceans.

STOLEN FINGERPRINTS COULD SPELL THE END OF BIOMETRIC SECURITY – HERE’S HOW TO SAVE IT

Technology

Traditional passwords are something you know. Biometric features are something you are. Unlike passwords, biometric data can’t be changed if it’s stolen.

HOW MULTINATIONALS CONTINUE TO AVOID PAYING HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAX – NEW RESEARCH

Economics, Politics

New research estimates that $420 billion in corporate profits is shifted out of 79 countries every year. This equates to $125 billion in lost tax revenue.

NEW TELESCOPE WILL SCAN THE SKIES FOR ASTEROIDS ON COLLISION COURSE WITH EARTH

Science, Technology

An international team of scientists is constructing the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope in Chile, which will be an essential tool for asteroids alert.

HOW SWEDISH LITERATURE REFLECTS THE BENEFITS OF A SHORTER WORKING DAY

Arts, Economics, Geography, Politics

The world should be inspired by Swedish culture, with more fika, more time for leisurely reading about non-work topics, and more lagom towards jobs.

MORE THAN A MILLION UK SMALL BUSINESSES SEE BREXIT AS MAJOR OBSTACLE TO SUCCESS

Economics, Politics

Over one million UK SMEs, around a quarter of the total, were concerned about how Brexit would affect the success of their business.

WHY THE GERMAN LANGUAGE HAS SO MANY GREAT WORDS

Geography, Politics

Backpfeifengesicht may join other German words that have found a place in English, like Weltschmerz (world-weariness) and Zeitgeist (spirit of the time).

SOUTH AMERICA’S SECOND-LARGEST FOREST IS ALSO BURNING – AND ‘ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY’ CHARCOAL IS SUBSIDIZING ITS DESTRUCTION

Geography, Politics

The fires raging across the Amazon have captured the world’s attention. Meanwhile, the second-largest forest, Gran Chaco, is disappearing in plain sight.

HOW EDWARD SNOWDEN COULD LOSE HIS BOOK ROYALTIES TO THE US GOVERNMENT.

Politics

Instead of trying to ban Snowden book, the US authorities have tried something else. They are suing the publisher Macmillan, seeking to seize any profits.

ZERO-HOURS CONTRACTS HAVE A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON CAREER PROGRESSION – LABOUR IS RIGHT TO BAN THEM

Economics, Politics

Labour has reaffirmed its plans to rid the UK of zero-hours contracts, said shadow chancellor John McDonnell at the Labour Party conference.

WHY HISTORIANS ARE FIGHTING TO SAVE THOMAS COOK’S ENORMOUS ARCHIVE

Economics, History

Thomas Cook’s enormous 178-years heritage is about to be lost and a number of business historians are fighting to save it.

MANUFACTURING STILL MATTERS: FIVE REASONS WHY THE IMF IS WRONG

Economics, Politics

According to new IMF research, countries need no longer rely on manufacturing for productivity growth. Here are five reasons why IMF is wrong.

THESE THREE FIRMS OWN CORPORATE AMERICA

Economics, Politics

BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street are the largest shareholders in 90% of S&P 500, including Apple, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, General Electric and Coca-Cola.

ARRESTS OF 6-YEAR-OLDS SHOW THE PERILS OF PUTTING POLICE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Politics

The arrest of two six-year-olds in a Florida school in October has shown, sometimes one threat to the students is the officers themselves.

URBAN FORESTS CAN STORE ALMOST AS MUCH CARBON AS TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

Geography, Science

New study by researchers at University College London shows that pockets of London’s urban jungle store as much carbon per hectare as tropical rainforests.

DISCOVERY OF PREHISTORIC BABY BOTTLES SHOWS INFANTS WERE FED COW’S MILK 5,000 YEARS AGO

History

Clay vessels that have been found in Germany could have been used to supplement breast milk and wean children more than 5,000 years ago.

ASTRONAUTS’ BRAINS ARE SUBJECT TO LONG-LASTING DAMAGE DUE TO LOW DOSE SPACE RADIATION

Science

Physicists at Colorado State University have developed a facility that allows researchers to deliver a slow and realistic deep space radiation exposure.

FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES REACH US$87 BILLION IN EU COUNTRIES – AND THEY’RE GROWING

Economics, Politics

In 2017, EU countries spent US$87 billion subsidizing the cost of fossil fuels. This is nearly 2.5 times more than they spent in 2010.

NO, IT’S NOT OK FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO USE YOUR PRESCRIPTION DETAILS TO RECRUIT YOU FOR A STUDY

Politics

People providing their personal information to the government, to access government services, are doing so through necessity, not choice.

THE ANSWER TO FORECASTING BITCOIN MAY LIE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Economics, Technology

Using daily observations from 2011-2018, we created an ANN with three predictors: returns, 50-day buy-sell signal and 200-day buy-sell signal.

DRUG USE IN ENGLAND AND WALES IS UP FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW

Politics

One of the most striking elements of the data is the ease with which people, especially young people, can obtain controlled drugs.

NOW THAT CANNABIS IS LEGAL, LET’S USE IT TO TACKLE THE OPIOID CRISIS

Politics

There’s growing evidence for the use of cannabis in treating opioid addiction. A study of found that those who used cannabis used opioids less often.

TEENAGE SEXTING LINKED TO INCREASED SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, DRUG USE AND POOR MENTAL HEALTH

Science

Researchers have found links between sexting and factors such as sexual activity, drugs and alcohol use and emotional health.

I CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION, 50 YEARS LATER: THE SONG THAT ALMOST NEVER WAS

Arts, History

Fifty years ago, the Rolling Stones released their breakthrough single (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, which debuted during the first week of June 1965.

MILLENNIALS ARE $1 TRILLION IN DEBT BUT THEY’RE BETTER AT SAVING THAN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS

Economics, Politics

Millennials have racked up over US$1 trillion of debt. Yet, in comparison to previous generations this group is significantly more fiscally conservative.

THE AMAZON’S TALLEST TREE JUST GOT 50% TALLER – AND SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW HOW

Science

The laser scanning technology that has enabled this and other recent mammoth tree discoveries isn’t just a plaything for tree lovers.

NEW YORK’S NEW RENTAL PROTECTIONS WON’T END THE OUTSIZE INFLUENCE OF BIG DEVELOPERS WHO PAY THE CITY’S BILLS

Politics

New York has the second most expensive rental market in the United States. More than half of all New Yorkers spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

SUPERBLOCKS: BARCELONA’S CAR-FREE ZONES COULD EXTEND LIVES AND BOOST MENTAL HEALTH

Geography, Politics

Barcelona’s urban superblocks are neighborhoods of nine blocks, where traffic is restricted to major roads, opening up streets to pedestrians.

ANIMATED HISTORY OF POLAND – 1000 YEARS IN 8 MINUTES

Geography, History

This animation takes you through 1000 years of history in about 8 minutes, 140 events that feature 500 characters from different historical periods.

WHY DO ONLY SOME PEOPLE GET ‘SKIN ORGASMS’ FROM LISTENING TO MUSIC?

Arts, Science

The experience feels like waves of pleasure running all over your skin. Some researchers have even dubbed it a “skin orgasm.”

RADICAL REFORMS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE GONE UNNOTICED AND UNCHALLENGED AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF BREXIT

Politics

Reforms to the way local authorities are funded are the most radical and least discussed changes made by conservative governments since 2010.

HOW MANY AMERICANS BELIEVE IN CLIMATE CHANGE? PROBABLY MORE THAN YOU THINK, RESEARCH IN INDIANA SUGGESTS.

Science

Around 80% of the American respondents reported believing that climate change was occurring “somewhat” or “to a great extent.”

5 CHARTS SHOW HOW YOUR HOUSEHOLD DRIVES UP GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Politics, Science

Household consumption – food, housing, transportation, apparel and other personal services – is an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

WE ASKED PEOPLE TO DO CLIMATE CHANGE MATHS. THEIR ANSWERS DEPENDED ON THEIR POLITICS

Politics, Science

We asked people to do climate change maths. Their answers depended on their politics Will J Grant, Australian National University In an ideal world, people would look at issues with a clear focus only on

AUSTRALIA BANS VIDEO GAMES FOR THINGS YOU’D SEE IN MOVIES. BUT GAMERS CAN ACCESS THEM ANYWAY

Technology

The Australian Classification Board has refused classification for at least four video games, effectively banning them in Australia.

LIGHTS IN THE SKY FROM ELON MUSK’S NEW SATELLITE NETWORK HAVE STARGAZERS WORRIED

Science

Musk is reported to be planning for up to 12,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. But this fleet of satellites could forever change our view of the heavens.

HOW BREXIT UNCERTAINTY IS HURTING THE UK ECONOMY – IN FOUR CHARTS

Politics

Each day brings with it new drama in United Kingdom’s politics and the course of Brexit – and it’s playing havoc with the UK economy.

IN ANOTHER NEWLY DISCOVERED SONG, WOODY GUTHRIE CONTINUES HIS ASSAULT ON ‘OLD MAN TRUMP’

Arts, History

The invective was directed against a man Guthrie had dubbed his “worst enemy”: Fred C. Trump, the landlord of the Beach Haven apartment complex.

HORIZON EUROPE: THE EU PLANS TO SPEND €100 BILLION ON RESEARCH – HERE’S HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM IT

Science

As the EU research budget has grown (from €3.8b in the 1980s to €100b for 2021-27), so has the pressure to produce greater socioeconomic benefit.

PLAGIARISTS OR INNOVATORS? THE LED ZEPPELIN PARADOX ENDURES?

Arts, History

Fifty years ago – in September 1968 – the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin first performed together, kicking off a Scandinavian tour billed as the New Yardbirds.

WHY WE NEED TO GET BACK TO VENUS?

Science

Venus is a planet almost exactly like Earth. It’s about the same size, is made of about the same stuff and formed around the same star.

DESERT FOX VS ARABIA’S JERBOA

Misc

SUSPENDING PARLIAMENT COULD BE THE ACT OF A CREDIBLE MADMAN OR MASTER BLUFFER – TOP GAME THEORIST ON BORIS JOHNSON

Politics

Boris Johnson has adopted what the late Nobel laureate game theorist, Thomas Schelling called the “madman theory” in his parliament suspension.

WOLF SPIDER VS BLACK WIDOW

Misc, Sidebar

TOP 5 MICROSOFT FAIL MOMENTS

Sidebar, Technology

1929-1930: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF LINCOLN’S ASSASSINATION.

History

Eyewitness accounts video recording of Lincoln’s assassination.

HOW WE DISCOVERED UK SHALE GAS RESERVES ARE AT LEAST 80% SMALLER THAN THOUGHT

Science

According to our new research, UK shale gas reserves may be just one sixth of the current official estimate; 1,300 trillion cubic ft down to 200 trillion.

POLAND INVITES NATIONALISM IN ITS COMMEMORATION OF WWII BY MOVING LOCATION AND INVITING TRUMP

Politics

Poland changed the site of the usual WWII commemoration ceremony from Westerplatte to Warsaw and, for the first time, invited a U.S. president to speak.

50 YEARS AGO, JIMI HENDRIX WOODSTOCK ANTHEM EXPRESSED THE HOPES AND FEARS OF A NATION

Arts

One of the most powerful, searing renditions of the national anthem ever recorded, Jimi Hendrix’s iconic Woodstock anthem, almost never happened.

A CYBERATTACK COULD WREAK DESTRUCTION COMPARABLE TO A NUCLEAR WEAPON

Technology

People may be worried about nuclear tensions rising, but I think they’re missing the fact that a major cyberattack could be just as damaging.

SHOULDN’T THERE BE A LAW AGAINST RECKLESS OPIOID SALES? TURNS OUT, THERE IS

Politics

The number of Americans who died each year from a drug overdose while taking prescription painkillers soared from 3,500 in 1999 to more than 17,000 in 2017.

HUGE WILDFIRES IN THE ARCTIC AND FAR NORTH SEND A PLANETARY WARNING

Science

The arctic and far North are burning. This summer, over 600 wildfires have consumed more than 2.4 million acres of forest across Alaska.

FACEAPP’S FINE PRINT MEANS YOU EFFECTIVELY CAN’T SUE THEM, UNLESS YOU SEND A LETTER TO THEIR RUSSIAN OFFICE

Politics, Technology

Faceapp can do whatever it likes with your photos. More concerning is the range of disturbing conditions users unwittingly sign up to.

WHY FEWER AND FEWER AMERICANS ARE GETTING DIVORCED

Politics

The number of divorced persons per 1,000 Americans fell from 4.7 in 1990 to 2.9 in 2016. Who is driving this downward trend?

REDEFINING THE KILOGRAM MEANS REDEFINING HOW WE MEASURE WEALTH

Science

On World Metrology Day 2019, the kilogram was fundamentally redefined. Its value is now defined by the energetics of a hoard of photons.

KATY PERRY LIABLE FOR US$2.8M FOR DARK HORSE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT – BUT THE REAL LOSER IS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Arts, Misc

A jury has decided that Katy Perry should pay $2.8m in damages to Flame for copyright infringement of his song Joyful Noise.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: WHY THE TRANSFER WINDOW HAS LOST SOME OF ITS EXCITEMENT

Sports

English clubs spent £1.24 billion in 2018, even though they just reached 2017 record of £1.4 billion, 2019 window seems to have been an endurance event.

THE NEW FIELD OF SONOGENETICS USES SOUND WAVES TO CONTROL THE BEHAVIOR OF BRAIN CELLS

Science

Sonogenetics offers a novel therapeutic strategy for various movement-related disorders including Parkinson’s, epilepsy and dyskinesia.

DATA REVEALS THE VALUE OF AN ASSIST IN BASKETBALL

Sports

More than 90 percent of corner three-point shots are assisted, while shots above the break are assisted at a rate just above 70 percent.

WE FOUND RESERVOIRS OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA ACROSS LONDON

Politics, Science

antibiotics resistant bacteria found in london reservoirs

Out of the 600 bacteria we found, nearly half were MRSA and multidrug resistant, meaning they were immune to treatment from several types of antibiotics.

GERMANY’S DEEP ROOTED OBSESSION WITH SAVING – A BRIEF HISTORY

Economics, Politics

Germans not only save more than their UK counterparts, but the deep rooted national habit has more implications for Germany than those numbers would reveal.

STIFF MUSCLES ARE A COUNTER-INTUITIVE SUPERPOWER OF NBA ATHLETES

Sports

For elite athletes like professional basketball players, muscle stiffness is not only something that is necessary, you could say it’s their superpower.

OPIOID EPIDEMIC MAY HAVE COST STATES AT LEAST $130 BILLION IN TREATMENT AND RELATED EXPENSES – AND THAT’S JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

Politics

The devastating health effects of the opioid epidemic have been well documented, with over 700,000 overdose deaths and millions more affected.

HOW THE GOVERNMENT CAN STEAL YOUR STUFF: 6 QUESTIONS ABOUT CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE ANSWERED

Politics

Civil asset forfeiture laws let authorities seize property – cash, a house, a car, a cellphone – that they suspect is involved in criminal activity.

SPACE JUNK: A RECYCLING STATION COULD BE CLEANING UP IN EARTH ORBIT BY 2050

Politics

By 2050, Gateway Earth – a fully operational space station with a facility to recycle old satellites and other junk – could be up and running.

FACEBOOK ALGORITHM CHANGES SUPPRESSED JOURNALISM AND MEDDLED WITH DEMOCRACY

Politics

A few months before the 2016 election, an even bigger algorithm change toward friends and family posts took a second toll on publisher traffic.

THEY MAY OWE NOTHING – HALF MILLION DOLLAR DIALYSIS BILL CANCELED

Misc

Fresenius, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., has agreed to waive a $524k bill for a man who received 14 weeks of dialysis.

WORLD BANK RULING AGAINST PAKISTAN SHOWS GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE IS BROKEN

Economics, Politics

Secretive World Bank tribunal ordered Pakistan to pay a mining company $5.8 billion — nearly as much as the IMF loan — to resolve a dispute.

BORIS JOHNSON BY NUMBERS: THE NEXT UK PRIME MINISTER’S CAREER SUMMED UP

Politics

It is hard to pin down just what it is Johnson believes in, given his habit of doing and saying whatever is needed to achieve his goals.

WHAT’S REALLY BEHIND BASEBALL’S HOME RUN SURGE?

Sports

It seems that recent changes to the ball are playing a role in the uptick in home runs. Other factors are the climate and advanced analytics.

OUR DATABASE OF POLICE OFFICERS WHO SHOOT CITIZENS REVEALS WHO’S MOST LIKELY TO SHOOT

Politics

When all the officers that fired at a civilian were black, a person was 2.0 times more likely to be black than when all the officers who fired were white.

GLOBAL INEQUALITY IS 25% HIGHER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A CLIMATE-STABLE WORLD

Economics, Politics

The gap in GDP per capita between richer and poorer countries is 25% higher than it would have been in a climate-stable world.

HOW THE 1869 CINCINNATI RED STOCKINGS TURNED BASEBALL INTO A NATIONAL SENSATION

Sports

The Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional baseball team in 1869 and went on to win an unprecedented 81 straight games.

WASHINGTON STATE’S BIG BET ON FREE COLLEGE

Politics

Washington state enacted the landmark Workforce Education Investment Act into law in May 2019. The main idea behind it is to make college more affordable.

TRANSFER DEADLINE MEDICALS – HOW INACCURATE TESTS MAY LEAD TO CLUBS MAKING THE WRONG DECISIONS ABOUT PLAYERS

Sports

Premier League clubs paid £217m in wages to injured players in 2017-2018. So financially, football clubs need to ensure a footballer can actually play.

HOW WOULD ENGINEERS BUILD THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE TODAY?

Technology

Engineers have suggested reconstructing the Golden Gate Bridge in a way that would limit ongoing maintenance and operation bills.

SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS WILL SOON BE UNRECOGNISABLE – TIME FOR AN URGENT PUBLIC CONVERSATION

Politics

Face recognition highlights bigger questions around which types of surveillance cameras and systems are acceptable to society.

TO UPGRADE OR NOT UPGRADE? THAT IS THE ALL-TOO-FREQUENT QUESTION

Technology

The question of whether or not to go for the upgrade or stick with the devil you know is an increasingly common contemporary dilemma

GREEN BAY PACKERS FANS LOVE THAT THEIR TEAM DOESN’T HAVE AN OWNER – JUST DON’T CALL IT COMMUNISM

Politics, Sports

Wasn’t the principle virtue of the Green Bay Packers based in a communist idea: collective ownership of the means of production?

WHEN WORLD LEADERS THOUGHT YOU SHOULDN’T NEED PASSPORTS OR VISAS

Politics

In 1914, France, Germany, and Italy made passports mandatory. The passport conference of 1920 wanted to restore the pre-war freedom of movement regime.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA’S SHOWDOWN WITH THE BIGGEST ACADEMIC PUBLISHER AIMS TO CHANGE SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING

Science

The high stakes standoff between Elsevier, the world’s largest publisher of scholarly research, and the University of California.

GAMERS USE MACHINE LEARNING TO NAVIGATE COMPLEX VIDEO GAMES – BUT IT’S NOT FREE

Technology

Some video games track your activity as you play. The aim is to create systems that can learn about the game, and coach you to become a competent player.

FURTIVE LOOKS, NERVOUSNESS, HESITATION: HOW NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION INFLUENCES THE JUSTICE SYSTEM?

Politics

Pauses in answers, body movements, elusive or angry looks, confusion, anxiety — the facial expressions and gestures made by witnesses matter in court.

SPIDER GLUE’S STICKY SECRET REVEALED BY NEW GENETIC RESEARCH

Science

The glue has the potential for many unique applications and is biodegradable, water soluble and stays sticky for months or even years.

WHAT THE TORONTO RAPTORS HAVE TAUGHT US ABOUT RESILIENCE

Sports

The Toronto Raptors have won their first NBA title in franchise history, and their star player, Kawhi Leonard, was crowned the most valuable player.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO DISMANTLE THE AGENCY OVERSEEING 2 MILLION FEDERAL WORKERS

Politics

Trump wants to dismantle the agency overseeing 2 million federal workers – and weaken safeguards against partisanship.

LIBRA: FOUR REASONS TO BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS ABOUT FACEBOOK’S NEW CURRENCY

Technology

Facebook has unveiled libra, a controversial cryptocurrency that will enable users to make international payments over Messenger and other group platforms.

MUSIC ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT PREDICTS HIGHER GRADES IN MATH, SCIENCE AND ENGLISH

Arts

Music matters for its own sake, but also because music engagement is significantly related to better high school achievement.

U.K. PROPOSAL TO ‘BCC’ LAW ENFORCEMENT ON MESSAGING APPS THREATENS GLOBAL PRIVACY

Politics

The proposal’s function is to give law enforcement power to listen in on encrypted apps communications (like those on WhatsApp, for example).

REWILDING: AS FARMLAND AND VILLAGES ARE ABANDONED, FORESTS, WOLVES AND BEARS ARE RETURNING TO EUROPE

Geography

Large parts of Europe have been passively rewilding for decades as people have moved out of rural areas toward urban conglomerations.

COUNTERFEIT ALCOHOL, SOMETIMES CONTAINING JET FUEL OR EMBALMING FLUID, IS A GROWING CONCERN FOR TOURISTS ABROAD

Politics

Counterfeit alcohol brings a new level of risk, as it may include added ingredients, such as methanol, known to be extremely harmful to health.

THE FUTURE OF PERSONAL SATELLITES TECHNOLOGY IS HERE – ARE WE READY FOR IT?

Science

How can we be sure that hobbyists aren’t launching their own “spy” satellites, or deploying low-cost CubeSat networks that could be used nefariously?

SYLVIA PLATH’S NEW SHORT STORY WAS NEVER LOST – SO WHY IS THE MEDIA SAYING IT WAS JUST DISCOVERED?

Arts

“Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom” has been preserved – and has been accessible to the public – at Indiana University’s Lilly Library.

FIVE OPTIONS FOR BREXIT TRADE EXPLAINED

Politics

Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, a no-deal Brexit, staying in the customs union, staying in the single market, and the so-called Common Market 2.0 idea.

CHINA’S SPONGE CITIES AIM TO RE-USE 70% OF RAINWATER – HERE’S HOW

Politics

China’s sponge city initiative has an ambitious goal: by 2020, 80% of urban areas should absorb and re-use at least 70% of rainwater.

WHY THE U.S. REJECTS INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE: LOOKING BACK AT NUREMBERG

Politics

Faced with U.S. rejection of international criminal justice, supporters of the ICC usually invoke the precedent of the Nuremberg Trials.

AUSTERITY HAS PUSHED THE UK’S POOREST HOUSEHOLDS FURTHER INTO DEBT – HERE’S HOW

Politics

Debt is a growing problem for people on low incomes and it has been made worse by the austerity policies that followed the 2007-08 financial crisis.

BACKGROUNDER: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT INDONESIA’S 1965 ANTI-COMMUNIST PURGE

History

In less than 48 hours, Suharto had roundly defeated the 30th September Movement. At about the same time, the abductees’ bodies were found in an old well in an area known as Lubang Buaya (Crocodile Hole) in east Jakarta.

IAN MCEWAN’S MACHINES LIKE ME AND THE THORNY ISSUE OF ROBOT RIGHTS

Arts

McEwan questions what it means to be human – if these machines are just like me, does that mean they have rights, like me?

EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY, BUT IT’S NOT THE FOURTH OF JULY

Misc

The Fourth of July can be a miserable day for dogs. That’s because dogs are hardwired to be afraid of sudden, loud noises.

FROM MINIATURE SATELLITES TO GIANT SUN SHIELDS – THE EXTREME TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMING SPACE ENGINEERING

Technology

While Apollo was an example of engineering on a heroic scale, future space ventures can deliver lasting societal benefits beyond flags and footprints.

NEOLIBERALISM HAS TRICKED US INTO BELIEVING A FAIRYTALE ABOUT WHERE MONEY COMES FROM

Politics

There is nothing natural about money. There is no link to some scarce essential form of money that sets a limit to its creation.

I BUILD MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMS THAT COULD DISCOVER THE DRUGS OF THE FUTURE

Science

Discovering a new drug is one of the most challenging tasks in biology. It takes over 10 years and about US$2.6 billion to bring an average drug to market.

THE GUTS OF AN APPLE IPHONE SHOW EXACTLY WHAT TRUMP GETS WRONG ABOUT TRADE

Technology

The guts of an Apple iPhone show exactly what Trump gets wrong about trade The components of an iPhone add up to a different cost than the phone itself. Poravute Siriphiroon/Shutterstock.com Jason Dedrick, Syracuse University;

US POVERTY STATISTICS IGNORE MILLIONS OF STRUGGLING AMERICANS

Politics

Those who may have some income but lack other key necessities, like health insurance and quality education, are invisible in official poverty data.

LONG HOURS AT THE OFFICE COULD BE KILLING YOU – THE CASE FOR A SHORTER WORKING WEEK

Politics

UK employees have the longest working week in the European Union. But this does not make the UK a more productive nation.

BASEBALL TEAMS NEED TO PROTECT FANS FROM FOUL BALLS

Sports

Injuries occur much more frequently than many may realize. A 2014 analysis found that more than 1,750 fans are hurt each year by batted balls at MLB games.

WHY CREDIT RATING AGENCIES ARE STILL GETTING AWAY WITH BAD BEHAVIOR

Politics

The dominant credit rating agencies – S&P, Moody’s and Fitch – have been accused of faults including: false ratings, flawed methodology, and political bias.

WITH CRYPTOCURRENCY LAUNCH, FACEBOOK SETS ITS PATH TOWARD BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT NATION

Technology

“Like all enterprise DLT it is blockchain in name only and an monopoly to extract massive seignorage from billions of users. A monopoly scam” says Roubini.

HOW QUEBEC GOT 80 PER CENT OF FATHERS TO TAKE PATERNITY LEAVE

Geography

Today, 80 per cent of Quebec fathers stop working when a child arrives so they can help care for their little one for several weeks.

RORY STEWART: SPIES HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF BECOMING POLITICIANS

Politics

One of the surprises of the contest to become leader of the Conservative Party – and with it prime minister – has been the candidacy of Rory Stewart.

MOST OF US DRUG ARRESTS INVOLVE A GRAM OR LESS

Politics

Roughly two out of every three arrests by state and local law enforcement target small-time offenders who are carrying less than a gram of illegal drugs.

STATISTICS RUINED BASEBALL BY PERFECTING IT

Sports

Since sportswriter Henry Chadwick popularized the box score in the 19th century, baseball fans have had a love affair with statistics.

SOVIET-ERA TREATMENT COULD BE THE NEW WEAPON AGAINST ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Science

Every year an increasing number of health tourists are travelling to Eastern bloc countries to receive an old Soviet medical treatment.

AI DEVELOPS HUMAN-LIKE NUMBER SENSE – TAKING US A STEP CLOSER TO BUILDING MACHINES WITH GENERAL INTELLIGENCE

Technology

In a new study, a deep neural network was trained for simple visual object detection spontaneously developed this kind of number sense.

CHELSEA IS USING OUR AI RESEARCH FOR SMARTER FOOTBALL COACHING

Sports

Researchers are working with Chelsea football academy to develop a system to measure decision-making skills using artificial intelligence (AI).

JOHN LENNON DOPPELGANGER MEETS RICHARD STALLMAN

Arts

LEE HARVEY OSWALD’S RADIO INTERVIEWS OF AUGUST 1963 ON THE WDSU RADIO

History

Oswald had two interview on the New Orleans radio station WDSU. The first program took place on August 17, 1963. The second on August 21, 1963.

TESTING OF BACKLOGGED RAPE EVIDENCE LEADS TO HUNDREDS OF CONVICTIONS

Politics

Hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits, also known as sexual assault kits (SAKs), languish in evidence storage facilities across the U.S.

HACKERS SEEK RANSOMS FROM BALTIMORE AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE US

Technology

The people of Baltimore are under an electronic siege that has prevented residents from obtaining building permits and business licenses.

THE WAR ON WOMEN COACHES

Sports

In 1972, more than 90% of female collegiate athletes were coached by women. Today that number hovers around 42% at the NCAA Division I level.

WE MADE A MOVING TECTONIC MAP OF THE GAME OF THRONES LANDSCAPE

Arts

The striking landscape of Game of Thrones has led some researchers to build climate simulations that explain the erratic seasons depicted in the show.

D-DAY SUCCEEDED THANKS TO AN INGENIOUS DESIGN CALLED THE MULBERRY HARBOURS

History

When allied troops stormed the beaches at Normandy on June 6, 1944, they were using a remarkable and entirely untested technology: artificial ports.

THE NEXT CYBERATTACK COULD COME FROM SOUND WAVES

Technology

Researchers from the University of Michigan have found a new way of using sound to interfere with devices containing accelerometers.

WHEN ALLEN GINSBERG MET THE HEAD OF THE CIA AND OFFERED HIM A WAGER

Arts

Allen Ginsberg, counterculture icon, and CIA director R.Helms met in 1971 in a drawing room of the Corcoran Gallery, in a fittingly bizarre encounter.

GETTING POORER WHILE WORKING HARDER: THE CLIFF EFFECT

Politics

There is no place in the country where a family supported by one minimum-wage worker with a full-time job can live and afford a 2-bedroom apartment at the average fair-market rent.

U.S. LAWS PROTECT POLICE, WHILE ENDANGERING CIVILIANS

Politics

U.S. Laws Protect Police While Endangering Civilians. The ritual of an unnecessary police killing with no real accountability has become painfully familiar.

A FEW DAYS WITH LENIN AND TROTSKY IN 1920

History

A Few Days With Lenin And Trotsky In 1920 By the American cartoonist Ellison Hoover.

HOW UK POPULATION WILL LOOK LIKE BY 2061 UNDER HARD, SOFT OR NO BREXIT SCENARIOS

Politics

What the UK population will look like by 2061 under hard, soft or no Brexit scenarios DeymosHR/Shutterstock Nik Lomax, University of Leeds; Paul Norman, University of Leeds; Philip Rees, University of Leeds, and Pia Wohland,

NEW ZEALAND TO PRIORITIZE WELL BEING OVER GDP IN NEW ‘WELL BEING’ BUDGET

Politics

The Wellbeing Budget signals a new approach to the way governments work, by placing the wellbeing of New Zealanders at the heart of what we do.

INDIANA BECOMES 34TH STATE TO PAY EXONEREES FOR WRONGFUL INCARCERATION

Politics

Indiana governor signed legislation to provide state compensation for innocent Hoosiers who were exonerated of crimes they did not commit.

UNOOSA AND ESA JOIN FORCES TO ADDRESS THE SPACE DEBRIS CHALLENGE

Science

UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a joint statement on their wish to cooperate on the challenge of space debris.

GENETICS EXTENDS THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW

Politics

Genealogists help solve crimes, sometimes identifying suspects with the DNA of distant relatives they’ve never met. Concerns about privacy issues persist.

BUILDING PRIVACY RIGHT INTO SOFTWARE CODE

Technology

The best way to avoid privacy problems is to take the task of privacy protection away from humans and entrust it to the computers themselves.

ICELAND LANDSCAPES

Geography

BREXIT: HOW THE END OF BRITAIN’S EMPIRE LED TO RISING INEQUALITY THAT HELPED LEAVE TO VICTORY

History

The echoes of empire have continued to reverberate in British political life. These echoes had a strong influence on why people voted for Brexit.

FACEBOOK WANTS TO COMBAT FAKE NEWS WITH ID CHECKS – WITH GRAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRIVACY

Technology

From April 2019, Facebook will request ID verification for people who wish to advertise or promote political posts or ads.

THROUGH HIS ART, A FORMER PRISONER DIAGNOSES THE SYSTEMIC SICKNESS OF FLORIDA’S PENITENTIARIES

Politics

While imprisoned, he made a series of pencil drawings on the back of stray sheets of paper to document the brutality of his time spent behind bars.

GAME OF THRONES: TEASING HINTS FROM WELSH LANGUAGE AND LEGENDS HAVE BEEN HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Arts

The events of medieval Britain were a source of inspiration in Game of Thrones. Characters’ names contain hints at events yet to come.

THE NOT-SO-NOBEL PAST OF THE NOBEL PRIZES

History

“The Nobel Prize has interrupted my work. I’m not sure it is a useful interruption, though it certainly is a pleasant one.” 2010 Physics laureate Andre Geim.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS PUTTING EVEN RESILIENT AND ADAPTABLE ANIMALS LIKE BABOONS AT RISK

Science

The final baboon species, the chacma baboon from South Africa (known for raiding tourist vehicles to steal treats) is predicted the worst habitat loss.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS GUIDE: HOW SHOULD REMAINERS USE THEIR VOTE

Politics

what are the options for Remainers in the European Elections? With so many options, the vote is likely to be split across several parties.

HOW CRYPTOCURRENCY SCAMS WORK?

Technology

Millions of cryptocurrency investors have been scammed out of massive real money. In 2018, losses from cryptocurrency-related crimes were US$1.7 billion.

FACEBOOK’S CRYPTOCURRENCY: A FINANCIAL EXPERT BREAKS IT DOWN

Technology

Unlike Bitcoin, which is not pegged to any other currency, Facecoin will need the backing of real money to maintain its fixed price.

COMPLICATIONS AND QUANDARIES IN THE ICT SECTOR – STANDARD ESSENTIAL PATENTS AND COMPETITION ISSUES

Technology

Complications and Quandaries in the ICT Sector – Standard Essential Patents and Competition Issues Ashish Bharadwaj, Vishwas H. Devaiah, Indranath Gupta Introduction Many countries have formulated policies and re-oriented their economy to foster innovation as

PHARMACOLOGIST LOOKS AT THE UNTAPPED HEALING COMPOUNDS OF MARIJUANA

Science

Marijuana is more than just a source of cannabinoids. It is a particularly rich source of medicinal compounds that we have only begun to explore.

PI MIGHT LOOK RANDOM BUT IT’S FULL OF HIDDEN PATTERNS

Science

Despite the endless string of unpredictable digits that make up pi, it’s not a random number. And it actually contains all sorts of surprising patterns.

BASEBALL’S BIGGEST PROBLEM ISN’T PACE OF PLAY – IT’S TEAMS TANKING

Sports

Baseball’s biggest problem isn’t pace of play, it’s teams tanking. The game is healthy. The league isn’t. Tanking, or intentionally losing, is endemic.

DECLASSIFIED ARCHIVES SHOW US HELPED ARGENTINE MILITARY WAGE DIRTY WAR THAT KILLED 30,000

Politics

Newly declassified United States military and intelligence documents recently delivered to Argentina offer new details about the country’s brutal military.

HOW WE DISCOVERED THREE POISONOUS BOOKS IN OUR UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Arts

Rare poisonous books on various historical topics in the University of Southern Denmark’s library collection contain large concentrations of arsenic on their covers.

TO WIN THE BATTLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MULTIPLY THE LEGAL GEEKS

Technology

To win the battle of artificial intelligence, the digital law has to increasingly integrate other disciplines especially computer science and cognitive psychology.

NEW DATA PAINT AN UNPLEASANT PICTURE OF POVERTY IN THE US

Politics

The annual cost of child poverty comes to around $1 trillion. Meanwhile, every dollar spent reducing child poverty is estimated to yield $7 in the future.

ALGORITHMS ARE MAXIMIZING PROFITS FOR ONLINE RETAILERS BY COLLUDING TO KEEP PRICES HIGH

Technology

Algorithms are maximizing profits for online retailers by colluding to set prices above where they would otherwise be in a competitive market.

HACKING THE STRESS SYSTEM TO LET PSYCHOLOGY INFLUENCE PHYSIOLOGY

Science

Can the brain’s conscious mechanisms exert a significant influence on the body’s autonomic functions? New research suggests yes.

WHY ABUSIVE HUSBANDS KICK DOGS BUT ANGRY NEIGHBORS POISON THEM

Misc

Romantic partners are significantly more likely to kick or hit, family members more likely to stab and neighbors more likely to poison an animal.

SOMERVILLE ANNOUNCES LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG PHARMA OPIOID COMPANIES

Politics

The suit alleges these companies deceptively and illegally promoted opioids and that they failed to investigate, report, maintain effective control, and take steps to terminate suspicious orders of the highly addictive prescription drugs.

CHEATING WORKERS OUT OF WAGES IS EASIER THAN EVER

Politics

Workers timekeeping software was the focus of a study that documents how it could be used to facilitate wage theft. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

WHY HEALTH IMPLANTS SHOULD HAVE OPEN SOURCE CODE

Technology

Open-source approach must be adopted by medical implants’ manufacturers. This will reduce vulnerability to attacks and faulty code.

PLANNED BURNS CAN REDUCE WILDFIRE RISKS, BUT EXPANDING USE OF ‘GOOD FIRE’ ISN’T EASY

Science

Fire managers intentionally ignite fires within a predetermined forests area to burn brush, smaller trees and other plant matter.

BOOKS ACROSS HISPANIC WORLD ARE STILL SCARRED BY FRANCO’S CENSORSHIP

History

Between 1936 and 1966, all books published in Spain had to be submitted to Franco’s national board of censors for examination.

HOW ONE GERMAN CITY DEVELOPED THEN LOST GENERATIONS OF MATH GENIUSES

Science

The story of the rise and fall of mathematics in Göttingen has been forgotten, but its legacy survives in other mathematical powerhouses around the world.

HOW YOUR EMPLOYER USES PERKS LIKE WELLNESS PROGRAMS TO CONTROL YOUR LIFE

Economics

Benefits, particularly those that employees deem necessary or exceptionally valuable, enable employers to exercise surveillance over workers.

IF YOU’RE COMING OFF ANTIDEPRESSANTS, WITHDRAWALS AND SETBACKS MAY BE PART OF THE PROCESS

Science

Returning to a lower dose of antidepressants and slowing down the discontinuation over a longer period may be a sensible way to go.

THERE’S A MASSIVE CYBERSECURITY JOB GAP – WE SHOULD FILL IT BY EMPLOYING HACKERS

Technology

With three million unfilled cybersecurity posts worldwide, the only way to fill such a large job gap is to employ hackers.

I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED: WHY DO OUR COMPUTING DEVICES SEEM TO SLOW DOWN

Technology

Whether you’re using a phone, tablet, PC or other devices, the most useful zero-cost action you can take is to uninstall unnecessary apps and add-ons.

KARDASHIANS CANCELLED? AT $500k PER INSTAGRAM POST THEY WON’T CARE

Arts

No woman in history has ever been afforded such lavish media coverage. Maybe Diana, Princess of Wales. For now, Kim Kardashian is never out of the media.

UNDER THE SPELL OF A GENERATOR’S THRUM, A FAULKNER MASTERPIECE WAS BORN

Arts

In 1929, Faulkner was a newlywed who had recently moved out of his parents’ on the University of Mississippi’s campus to an apartment a few blocks away.

3 TIMES POLITICAL CONFLICT RESHAPED AMERICAN MATHEMATICS

Science

History shows that mathematics is much more than equations and facts. It’s a living discipline shaped, in part, by the political forces around it.

YOUR CAR IS MORE LIKELY TO BE HACKED BY YOUR MECHANIC THAN A TERRORIST

Technology

When it comes to car hacking, you should be more worried about dodgy mechanic dealers than one-off hackers with criminal intent.

HE HELPED WRONGFULLY CONVICT A VEGAS MAN. TWO DECADES LATER, HIS DAUGHTER WORKED ON A LAW TO MAKE AMENDS

Politics

Nevada bill will compensate men and women wrongfully convicted in the state for the years they spent behind bars and grant them certificates of innocence.

THE MATRIX 20 YEARS ON: HOW A SCI-FI FILM TACKLED BIG PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS

Arts

The Matrix reaches for a view close to that of the 18th century philosopher, Kant, who insisted that reality conforms to the terms of our perception.

WHY GLASGOW’S BOLSHEVIST UPRISING IN 1919 WASN’T QUITE THE RED THREAT MANY BELIEVED

History

January 31, 2019 is the centenary of Bloody Friday 1919, in which thousands of protesting workers were attacked in Glasgow’s main civic square by police.

DID A CENSORED FEMALE WRITER INSPIRE HEMINGWAY’S FAMOUS STYLE?

Arts

She is the extraordinary World War I nurse who wrote like Hemingway before Hemingway. She was arguably the originator of his famous style.

APRIL 15 IS THE DAY TOBACCO COMPANIES PAY $9 BILLION COMPENSATION, BUT IS IT ENOUGH?

Politics

April 15 is the day when the five largest tobacco companies pay US$9 billion dollars to state governments, each and every year, forever.

WHAT IF THE FBI TRIED TO CRACK AN ANDROID PHONE? RESEARCHERS ATTACKED ONE TO FIND OUT

Technology

Researchers attempted to replicate what the FBI had wanted to do on an Android phone to crack it open and found some useful results.

MOUNT ETNA: VOLCANO IS SLIDING TOWARDS THE SEA AND NOW WE KNOW WHY

Geography

Mount Etna slide is caused by gravity, which makes a collapse more likely but we can’t give an indication of when or even if this will actually happen.

USING COMPUTERS TO CRACK OPEN CENTURIES-OLD MATHEMATICAL PUZZLES

Science

Software will help mathematicians solve important problems and enhance their understanding of the nature, beauty and effectiveness of mathematics.

A HAPPY ENDING FOR GAME OF THRONES? NO THANKS.

Arts

New research finds that exposure to “Game of Thrones” is associated with or resulted in lower levels of just world beliefs.

STUDY SHOWS HOW SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS IN GERMANY AND ENGLAND PRESENT EUROPE IN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAYS

Politics

Europe is seen more expansively and positively in the German textbooks. Unlike the English books, German materials presented clear loyalties to Europe.

AUSTRIA PARLIAMENT IN VIENNA

Arts

austria parliament

REGULATIONS NEEDED AFTER CRYPTOCURRENCY CEO TAKES PASSWORDS TO HIS GRAVE

Technology

CEO was the only one who knew the password to an encrypted offline cryptocurrency repository where the firm had enshrined the vast majority of clients.

FORMER BOXER PUNCHES POLICE DURING PARIS YELLOW VESTS PROTESTS

Politics

Video of a former French boxer punching a group of policemen and pushing them back during the yellow vests protests in Paris.

AUSTRIA PARLIAMENT BUILDING – A WONDERFUL WORK OF ART

Arts

Austria parliament building in Vienna is a wonderful work of art that looks more like a museum than a political building.

CAN YOU BE HACKED BY THE WORLD AROUND YOU?

Technology

Attackers may embed malicious software in the physical world, just waiting for unsuspecting people to scan it with a smartphone or a specialized device.

PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULDN’T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A JOB AND A HEALTHY BABY

Politics

Pregnant women in low-income work often face an unappealing choice: lose their job or perform duties that endanger their health and that of their baby.

BLACK HOLE PHOTO CONFIRMS EINSTEIN’S THEORY OF RELATIVITY

Science

Black holes are long-time superstars of science fiction. But their Hollywood fame is a little strange given that no-one has ever actually seen one.

ALGERIANS CONSTRUCT A WALL ON MAYOR’S DOOR AFTER HE REFUSED TO LISTEN TO THEIR DEMANDS

Misc

To express their anger against the mayor, who had refused to receive them in his office, angry Algerians constructed a wall that traps him inside.

ANALYSIS OF 4 MILLION PITCHES SHOWS JUST HOW MANY MISTAKES UMPIRES MAKE

Sports

Imagine how much the player and fan experience would improve if more than 34,000 annual umpires incorrect calls vanished.

SIMPLE OPTICAL CLOAKING DEVICE USING FOUR MIRRORS

Science

A Scientist from the University of Rochester explains a simple do-it-yourself optical cloaking device using four mirrors.

OMNIVORE SHARKS AND CANNIBAL HIPPOS – THE STRANGE DINNERTIME IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Science

Some animals break the “rules” we’ve set for them. If the plant-eating shark was a shock, what about supposedly strict vegetarians turning to meat?

POSSESSED TALKING CAT

Misc

Video of a cat showing signs of possession and trying to talk to his owner in a scary way.

EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION HAS BEEN PROMISING SELF-PROGRAMMING MACHINES FOR 60 YEARS. SO WHERE ARE THEY?

Technology

Evolutionary computation has been studied by researchers for over 60 years. Yet, the idea still isn’t used widely outside the research community.

CANADA AND MEXICO GET RICH TRADING MARIJUANA

Politics

Medical Marijuana industry was worth about US$7.2 billion in 2016, according to Forbes, and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17%.

IT’S POSSIBLE TO WRITE FLAW-FREE SOFTWARE, SO WHY DON’T WE?

Technology

Strong software engineering, or more usually formal methods, is a methodology that uses mathematics to ensure error-free programming.

THE FAMOUS 1992 COMP.OS.MINIX NEWSGROUP LINUX ARGUMENTATION BETWEEN TANENBAUM AND LINUS TORVALDS

Technology

Tanenbaum’s famous 1992 comp.os.minix newsgroup posting in which he criticizes Linux’s monolithic kernel as well as Linus Torvald’s very long response.

YOUR PET ON POT OR CBD: NOT A GOOD THING, A TOXICOLOGIST EXPLAINS

Science

Many prescription and over the counter drugs as well as foods that are safe for humans are not safe for pets. This includes pot and CBD.

WHY THE PLACEBO EFFECT SCARES BIG PHARMA?

Science

The placebo effect has become an established reality in medicine. In many cases, providing sugar pills leads to the same results as a real treatment.

WHY ARE AMERICANS GETTING THEIR MEDICAL DEGREES IN CUBA? HIGHER QUALITY AND DEBT-FREE SYSTEM

Politics

Cuba medical degrees have become popular among American students. The Cuban education system is debt-free and the medical program is very advanced.

US ACCUSED OF FEEDING DEAD KITTENS TO HEALTHY ONES IN ANIMAL CANNIBALISM EXPERIMENTS SINCE 1982

Politics

In a long animal cannibalism experiment, the US is accused of feeding dead kittens to healthy ones since 1982. The experiment used over 3000 cats.

AL PACINO LAUGHING SCENE IN THE MOVIE “AND JUSTICE FOR ALL”

Arts

Al Pacino’s laughing scene in the movie “And Justice For All” is one of the most hilarious and spontaneous laughing scenes in the history of cinema.

LINUS TORVALDS WAS APPROACHED BY THE NSA FOR BACKDOOR IN LINUX

Politics

Linus Torvalds was approached by the National Security Agency for backdoor in Linux, according to his father Nils Torvalds.

THE FED WON’T LET GERMANY INSPECT ITS OWN GOLD

Politics

The Federal Reserve refused in 2013 to let Germany inspect its own gold stored in the US. This raised questions about whether it still in the vaults or not.

LINUX KERNEL 5.0 INITIAL REVIEW

Technology

Initial review of the new kernel 5.0 of Linux operating system.

HOW TO RECOVER GOLD FROM COMPUTER MOTHERBOARD

Misc

Computer motherboard has a small but valuable amount of gold in it. This video describes an easy process of extracting that gold.

NIXON AND REAGAN ADVISER CLAIMS LBJ KILLED JFK

History

THE TRUE COLORS OF EUROPE ANCIENT STATUES

History

The true colors of the ancient statues of the Greek and Roman civilizations.

CROCODILE JOINS COUPLE IN THE POOL

Misc

Crocodile joins a couple who were having a romantic moment in the swimming pool.

AMAZON HQ: TEXAS EXPERIENCE SHOWS WHY NEW YORKERS WERE RIGHT TO BE SKEPTICAL

Politics

New York offered Amazon US$3 billion to build a second HQ on the promise of 25k jobs. Later, Amazon backed out, citing political opposition to its plans.

JFK ASSASSINATION: WHO WAS THE UMBRELLA MAN?

History

Who was the umbrella man in the JFK assassination footage?

NEW EVIDENCE FOR A HUMAN MAGNETIC SENSE THAT LETS YOUR BRAIN DETECT EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD

Science

Do human beings have a magnetic sense? Biologists know other animals do. They think it helps creatures including bees and birds navigate through the world.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NATURAL WORLD IF ALL THE INSECTS DISAPPEAR?

Science

Despite their ubiquity in the animal kingdom, a report warned of a “bugpocalypse”, as surveys indicated that insects are declining at an alarming rate.

WHAT THE COINCHECK HACK TELLS US ABOUT HOW AUSTRALIAN REGULATORS WILL HANDLE A CRYPTOCURRENCY HACK

Technology

In the past eight years, more than a third of all cryptocurrency exchanges have been hacked. The total losses exceed US$1 billion.

HOW THE FORD F-150 BECAME KING OF CARS

Misc

Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the US, a title it has held for the last 36 years. More than 40 million F-Series trucks have been sold since 1948.

THE PROMISE OF THE LEARN TO CODE MOVEMENT

Technology

Computer science and programming education must suit the needs of 21st-century learners. Otherwise, the cost will be a disillusioned workforce.

LESSONS FROM SPIDER MAN: HOW A VIDEO GAME COULD CHANGE SCIENCE EDUCATION

Misc

The millions of people playing “Spider-Man” video game have been unwittingly introduced to principles of quantum mechanics.

WHY DON’T BIG COMPANIES KEEP THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS UP TO DATE?

Technology

When senior executives at companies aren’t tech-savvy, they often lack understanding of what’s at stake and how to quickly protect valuable information.

DRUG AND DEVICE MAKERS PAY THOUSANDS OF DOCTORS WITH DISCIPLINARY RECORDS

Politics

Critics of industry payments to doctors say they can influence recipients to prescribe drugs that cost more, may not be necessary or are similar to cheaper generics.

SCIENTISTS HAVE A WORD FOR STUDYING THE POST-TRUTH WORLD: AGNOTOLOGY

Arts

Agnotology is not often discussed, because studying the absence of something, in this case knowledge in the post truth world, is incredibly difficult.

CIVILIZATION VI: GATHERING STORM SHOWS VIDEO GAMES CAN MAKE US THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

Technology

Civilization VI, the latest in a popular series of video games adds new features, most notably climate change and natural disasters.

COULD CONSCIOUSNESS ALL COME DOWN TO THE WAY THINGS VIBRATE?

Science

Why is my consciousness here, while yours is over there? Why is the universe split in two for each of us, into a subject and an infinity of objects?

ENDANGERED SPECIES COULD BE SAVED FROM EXTINCTION BY MATHEMATICAL MODELS

Science

It’s now possible to predict how likely an endangered species is to go extinct, with mathematical models acting as windows into the future.

WOMEN ARE BETTER THAN MEN AT THE BASKETBALL FREE THROW LINE

Sports

Women shoot basketball free throws at 3 percent higher consistency than men. Men and women are very close, but the women edge out the men.

HOW BIG PHARMA IS HINDERING TREATMENT OF THE OPIOID ADDICTION EPIDEMIC

Politics

Drugs do exist to reverse opioid overdoses or treat long-term opioid addiction. But while opioids have become easier and easier to obtain through illicit markets and sellers on the dark web, a drug that could save countless lives has become increasingly out of reach.

THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS WHO DESERVED A NOBEL PRIZE

Science

Although the Nobel committee never acknowledged its mistake but the U.S. Department of Energy awarded her the prestigious Fermi Award.

BARRACKING, SHEILAS AND SHOUTS: HOW THE IRISH INFLUENCED AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH

Politics

Irish influence on Australian English and on Australians is less than you’d expect on the surface, but everywhere once you start looking.

EFFORTS TO CONTROL CYBER WEAPONS IGNORE THE AGENTS WHO USE THEM

Technology

Global efforts are underway to govern the tools used in cyber attacks, but the expertise of cyber operatives has so far seen limited attention.

THE MYTH OF THE DISAPPEARING BOOK

Arts

After years of growth, publishers reported a fall in their e-book sales, introducing new doubts about the potential of e-books in the publishing industry.

Bees Can Perform Basic Math Including Addition And Subtraction

Science

Bees are able to use symbols to perform basic math operations including addition and subtraction, shows new research.

NEW CALEDONIAN CROWS SMART ENOUGH TO SOLVE TRICKY PROBLEMS

Science

New Caledonian crows can plan out a sequence of three behaviors while using tools in order to solve an intricate problem.

POTENT PAINKILLER MAKER EXPLORED EXPANDING INTO OPIOID ADDICTION TREATMENT MARKET

Politics

Not content with billions of dollars in profits from a potent painkiller, its maker explored expanding into the treatment of opioid addiction.

CLANDESTINE EMPLOYMENT OF INDIANS IN ITALY

Ponderwall's Picks, Sidebar

STAY ALIVE AND IF SOMETHING MOVES, SHOOT IT: THE PHENOMENAL SUCCESS OF FORTNITE

Technology

The online videogame Fortnite Battle Royale was launched in September 2017. Since then the game had amassed 125 million active players by June and made US$1.2 billion (A$1.6 billion) for the developer, Epic Games.

LONG-LOST RECORDS SURFACE IN WRONGFUL CONVICTION CASE

Politics

When the lawsuit went to trial in 2010, the judge granted a request by attorneys to disallow questioning about the officer’s disciplinary history.

HOW REALISTIC ARE CHINA’S PLANS TO BUILD A RESEARCH STATION ON THE MOON?

Science

The first lunar base would likely be an unmanned facility run by automated robotics – similar to Amazon warehouses – to ensure that the necessary infrastructures and support systems are fully operational before people arrive.

WHY DO SPIDERS HAVE HAIRY LEGS?

Science

Have you ever seen a spider with ears? Well, no (that would actually look funny!) That’s because spiders use hairs on their legs to listen!

DO BLIND PEOPLE SEE IN THEIR DREAMS?

Brainteasing

Researchers found that the born-blind subjects did experience rapid eye movements during sleep, even though they were fewer than the eye movements experienced by sighted individuals.

SPACE SUBJECTS THAT WILL GET THE WORLD’S ATTENTION IN 2019

Science

2019 will be a big year for all things related to space; a suggestion borne out by developments at the International Astronautical Federation’s International Astronautical Congress. The event is held each year during the first week of October to commemorate the launch of Sputnik on 4 October 1957.

WHY DO DOOR KNOBS FEEL COLD?

Brainteasing

By touching a door knob or a metal object, heat is transferred from one’s hand into the metal object. However, it is not the heat transfer that makes metals feel cold, otherwise wood would feel just as cold.

THE PHYSICS OF CARBON DATING

Brainteasing, Science

Radioactive carbon used in radiocarbon dating is carbon that is radioactive. Since it is active, it is unstable, and therefore tends toward stability. This is common in nature; for example, if you hold an object at a certain height, it has the potential to fall, the potential energy that is.