Category Archives: Human Interest

12Dec/22

Daydreaming’s dark side: the compulsive, complex fantasy disorder that dominates some people’s daily lives

Giulia Poerio, University of Sussex

Despite what we’re often taught to believe, daydreaming can be immensely useful. Not only can it be a source of pleasure and a way to relieve boredom, research shows that our ability to mentally escape the present can also boost creativity, problem-solving and planning, and provide an antidote to loneliness.

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09Dec/22

TIME Names the 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine

The cover story, by TIME’s Simon Shuster who spent nine months reporting on the invasion, during which Zelensky and his team have granted him unparalleled access to work inside the presidential compound, features an exclusive interview with President Zelensky on his private train while on a trip to the newly liberated city of Kherson on Nov. 14. Near Kherson, Shuster also reported from the bomb-proof military bunker, where Zelensky held a strategy session with officers in charge of the southern front. Continue reading

02Dec/22

Black Twitter shaped the platform, but its future lies elsewhere

keisha bruce, UCL

From cartoon memes to cancel culture, hashtag activism and “new” languages, it’s undeniable that Black Twitter has shaped much of today’s internet culture.

“Black Twitter” describes a digital gathering of culturally connected Black people who use Twitter to discuss matters related to Black communities. These cultural conversations and inside jokes have resulted in new trends, digital behaviour and changes in the platform’s digital tools.

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15Nov/22

Elon Musk: how being autistic may make him think differently

Punit Shah, University of Bath; Luca Hargitai, University of Bath, and Lucy Anne Livingston, King’s College London

The business magnate and new owner of Twitter Elon Musk revealed a while ago that he is autistic. Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, is autistic. Musk, a fellow of the prestigious Royal Society and Time’s 2021 Person of the Year, is autistic. One of the most famous people on Earth is autistic. Perhaps it is worth letting that sink in?

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06Nov/22

Why putting your artistic calling on hold might not always be such a bad idea

Katie Bailey, King’s College London

As a boy, Terry loved music and taught himself trombone, guitar and the tuba. Right through school and university he played in the evenings in jazz groups, musical theatre and marching bands. He started work as an accountant in his early twenties, but his wide social circle in the music world meant he was still out playing gigs every evening.

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04Nov/22

Why Tutankhamum’s curse continues to fascinate, 100 years after his discovery

Claire Gilmour, University of Bristol

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 was a monumental event for archaeology. It was the first largely intact ancient Egyptian royal tomb to be found and hence provided major insights into the burial practices of royalty. It also gave a glimpse of what other undiscovered, lost or robbed tombs of pharaohs might have been like.

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24Oct/22

Why are so many people delighted by disgusting things?

Bradley J. Irish, Arizona State University

Halloween is a time to embrace all that is disgusting, from bloody slasher films to haunted houses full of fake guts and gore.

But the attraction to stuff that grosses us out goes beyond this annual holiday.

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23Oct/22

Why is 13 considered unlucky? Explaining the power of its bad reputation

Many elevators do not have a floor numbered 13 because of common superstitions about the number.
Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Barry Markovsky, University of South Carolina Continue reading