Latest Stories from Jamie
#EndSARS: Nigerian changemakers unite against police brutality
#EndSARS is fast becoming the biggest change movement for young activists in Nigeria’s history. Here’s how you can help. While fights to end police brutality within the US have grabbed headlines consistently throughout 2020, Nigeria’s #EndSARS movement had been bubbling under the surface years before the heinous shootings that shocked the world this week. Going viral for the first time in 2017, #EndSARS appeared on Twitter following a series of disturbing...
Is gaming’s industry shift making loot boxes even more controversial?
The controversy surrounding microtransactions in gaming is back, and – you guessed it – EA is at the forefront. There are a few constants in life: the sun will rise and fall, seasons will come and go, and EA will continue to cause a raucous in the gaming community for an excessive focus on microtransactions within its games. In case you’re unfamiliar with the term microtransaction, it refers to in-game...
NASA is building a 4G network on the moon before 2022
The space agency is looking to launch a 4G mobile network on the moon before 2022, and Nokia has been identified as a surprise partner to build it. Just as 5G arrives to planet Earth, it appears its predecessor is headed to the moon. Not even astronauts will get away with leaving people on ‘read’ soon. NASA raised eyebrows today with the news that it’s teaming up with Nokia as part...
Does cancel culture exist or are the powerful playing victim?
Is Gen Z’s desire for change inadvertently ushering in an age of cancel culture, or are the rich and privileged using the concept to shield themselves from scrutiny? Rife with hypocrisies from both sides of the fence, cancel culture has been one of 2020’s hottest topics. Those being criticised for propagating cancel culture claim that the concept doesn’t exist, and instead is a catch-all defence or tool of delegitimisation used...
Microwaving plastic waste is generating clean reusable hydrogen
Chemists have successfully converted plastic waste into a clean reusable source of hydrogen. Could this become a viable way of reversing the damage caused by plastic pollution? A team of chemists at the University of Oxford have developed a potentially revolutionary way of repurposing plastic waste sustainably and quickly using microwaves. Currently, everyday plastic waste takes around 1000 years to degrade naturally, but research leader Professor Edwards’ new method...
Struggling airlines make bank with pop-up plane restaurants
As airlines search for novel ways of generating revenue during Covid-19 without leaving the runway, jumbo jet restaurants are proving incredibly popular. Here I was thinking that airplane food was without doubt the least exciting aspect of flying through a tin can at 36,000 feet, but it would appear the powdered egg and liquid mash offered by economy class isn’t indicative of the overall quality of dining available to flyers. When...
The man opening the world’s eyes to the plight of refugees through gaming
Having spent 22 of his 24 years in a refugee camp, the inspiring Luyal Mayen is now educating the world on the plight of his people through his game Salaam. Luyal Mayen endured a brutal start to life. One of 680,000 displaced by a relentless civil war spanning decades in South Sedan, Mayen was born en route to a refugee camp in Northern Uganda and grew up within its borders. With...
Carbon Capture: a controversial solution to the climate crisis?
As the world collectively pushes to meet emission reduction goals by 2030, controversial ‘Carbon Capture’ projects are being backed with huge investment. When it comes to saving the planet from an impending climate crisis, is there really room for cutting corners? The answer so far is a solid maybe. We’re now more environmentally conscious than ever before. Everyone from the biggest multiconglomorates to modest family businesses are finally starting to adopt...
Facebook’s new ‘Emotional Health Centre’ addresses Covid blues
Right on cue for World Mental Health Day, Facebook has announced the launch of a new Emotional Support centre for users struggling with challenges imposed by COVID-19. Understandably, physical health is at the forefront of everyone’s minds at the moment. Though we appear to have navigated the first initial peak of COVID-19, the immediate safety of ourselves and our fellow citizens remains the priority. However, as national health services begin...
Prisons to curb inmate extremism and organised crime using AI surveillance
Prisoners’ phone calls could soon be monitored by AI technology to prevent notorious criminals and terrorists offending from behind bars. We’ve all seen the Netflix dramas and old cop shows that depict prison gangs as highly dangerous threats, but how do real life governments monitor the communication of inmates behind bars? Not very well, apparently. Recorded warnings to inmates that phone calls are being ‘recorded and monitored’ inside conventional prisons has...
