Tag Archives: Creative Commons

02Jun/23

Fast X review: proof that there’s method in the madness of the Fast & Furious franchise

Joshua Gulam, Liverpool Hope University; Dr Sarah Feinstein, University of Leeds, and Fraser Elliott, The University of Edinburgh

There’s a scene in the latest Fast & Furious film, Fast X, where Aimes (Alan Ritchson) – the government agent tasked with apprehending Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew – gives a rundown of the heroes’ backstory:

Let’s start back at the beginning … Los Angeles, 2001 … Humble roots, local kids … Street racers who became hijackers … Graduated to high-speed smuggling, mobile jailbreaks, train robberies … If it could be done in a car, they did it … If it violates the laws of God and gravity, they did it twice.

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30May/23

‘They just ignored my tears, they ignored my unhappiness’: former Irish nuns reveal accounts of brainwashing and abuse

Karen Hanrahan, University of Brighton

Any thoughts of escaping to a more natural life was regarded as being sinful. The idea of being unfaithful to your vocation was a step on the way to hell. It would be a mortal sin.

These are the words of Mary, my mother. She was just 15 when she entered a convent in Ireland in 1950 and 34 by the time she finally managed to leave. She had been expressing doubts to her superiors since her early twenties but years of “brainwashing” and the very real fear of her and her family facing eternal damnation made breaking her vows seem impossible.

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30May/23

Why more foam makes for the best beer-drinking experience – and always has

Anistatia Renard Miller, University of Bristol

What makes for the ultimate beer drinking experience? Some like theirs in a frosty glass, others with a wedge of lime. But when it comes to froth – or the head as it’s commonly known – what’s the best amount and how can it be achieved?

Too much froth and you’re left with a smear of bubbles across your face and hanging from your nose as you desperately try to get at the beer beneath. But too little will cause problems in your stomach.

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23May/23

MRI scans and AI technology really could read what we’re thinking. The implications are terrifying

Joshua Krook, University of Southampton

For the first time, researchers have managed to use GPT1, precursor to the AI chatbot ChatGPT, to translate MRI imagery into text in an effort to understand what someone is thinking.

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22May/23

African architects challenge Venice exhibition to decolonise and start new conversations

Tomà Berlanda, University of Cape Town

Presented since 1979, the Venice Architecture Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia) is possibly the most influential architecture exhibition in the world. For the first time, this year’s edition is curated by an African architect, Lesley Lokko. She has ensured that a strong African presence is the central feature of the show. Indeed, the 2023 exhibition is part of an undeniable shift towards a more just representation in global architecture.

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21May/23

Beatrix Potter’s famous tales are rooted in stories told by enslaved Africans – but she was very quiet about their origins

Emily Zobel Marshall, Leeds Beckett University

Peter Rabbit, the cute and wily bunny who wears a bright blue jacket, is the best-selling creation of English author Beatrix Potter. Originally published in 1902, the Tale of Peter Rabbit – the first of 23 tales in the series – has since been translated into more than 45 languages and sold over 45 million copies.

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14May/23

Israel at 75: how inept British intelligence failed to contain Jewish independence groups

Steven Wagner, Brunel University London

Before they were Israeli, the Jewish community of Palestine – the Yishuv – had been Britain’s close junior partner. A dispute over Britain’s restrictions on Jewish immigration to Palestine began in 1939, but was set aside during the struggle to defeat Hitler.

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13May/23

The ‘gay world cup’: why LGBTQ+ audiences love Eurovision

Matt Weaver, University of Portsmouth

In 1956, seven European countries – Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and West Germany – gathered in Lugano, Switzerland for the first ever Eurovision Song Contest. The competition was only broadcast in select countries, meaning only a small number of viewers watched Swiss entry Lys Assia win the grand prize with the song Refrain.

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04May/23

Tiredness of life: the growing phenomenon in western society

Sam Carr, University of Bath

Molly was 88 years old and in good health. She had outlived two husbands, her siblings, most of her friends and her only son.

“I don’t have any meaningful relationships left, dear,” she told me. “They’ve all died. And you know what? Underneath it all, I want to leave this world too.” Leaning a little closer, as though she was telling me a secret, she continued:

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02May/23

Buzzfeed News: sad demise of a clever, innovative site that led the way in digital journalism

Sean Dodson, Leeds Beckett University

Buzzfeed News, once a shining star of digital journalism, has announced it will shut its award-winning news division for good, laying off about 60 journalists in a move its founding editor, Ben Smith, described as “the end of the marriage between social media and news”.

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