Latest Stories from Jessica
Five sustainable housing initiatives supporting the refugee crisis
Last year, 89.3 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict, violence, and climate change. Let’s look at the architects creating sustainable housing projects to meet their needs. When war erupts in one part of the world, it’s not an isolated issue. The consequences are felt by all – albeit at varying degrees – and practical solutions for developing new housing is one that requires collective effort. The...
Perfume makers are leaning into gender-fluid scents
Perfume brands begin to pull back from focusing on gender-orientated marketing, as women tire of being told to smell like a precious flower and men reject tree-like scents - and some just want a wonderful mix of both. I might only be speaking for myself when I say this, but there are few simpler pleasures in life than knowing that you smell good. Scents are capable of evoking emotions and memories,...
What was achieved at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen?
It’s no secret that the fashion sector has a lot of work to do to solve its sustainability problem. The industry’s latest summit proved how challenging that will be. Last week, leaders of the fashion industry came together to tackle some of the business’ biggest issues at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen. The focus of the meeting was ‘alliances for a new era,’ which implied that – despite most brands...
New TikTok feature allows users to set screen time reminders
Self-regulating our social media consumption has proved to be difficult. Now, app designers are incorporating time-sensitive features to prevent us from getting lost in endless scrolling loops. Tapping into social media has become as ingrained into our daily habits as checking text messages, e-mails, and news notifications. But unlike apps used for practical reasons like talking to friends and getting work done, the black hole of inifite content available on social...
Study says drinking lager could promote gut health in men
According to new research, men who drink one lager a day – alcoholic or not – have more diverse gut microbes. Great news, as good gut health is known to prevent several chronic diseases. The benefits and dangers of alcohol have been long debated in medical science, but that’s hardly stopped it from being widely consumed across the world. It’s estimated that 2 billion people consume alcohol on a regular...
What the emerging woolly mammoth tusk says about our planet
The internet is going crazy over a mammoth tusk found poking out of an Alaskan riverbank, but is its emergence a warning sign for humanity? Pessimism isn’t my forte, but when age old specimens previously hidden inside frost and within rocks suddenly become visible to the naked eye – the climate concern bell in my brain starts ringing. Researchers from the University of Alaska’s Sanctuary Lab were on a mission to...
Rubbish bins are talking dirty to Swedish citizens to prevent littering
Don’t be startled, Swedes - there’s no one living inside your public bins. They’ve simply been fitted with recordings of women talking dirty to encourage you from putting your rubbish exactly where it’s supposed to go. I’m on the fence about whether this is totally weird or somewhat genius. To discourage people from littering in the streets of Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city, two local rubbish bins have been fitted with...
Will ‘forever chemicals’ hinder human reproductive ability?
Samples taken from 100 men in Denmark reveal the presence of a ‘cocktail’ of toxic chemicals, causing scientists to question how these chemicals are affecting our ability to reproduce. While a large portion of Gen-Z isn’t exactly rushing to populate the Earth (duh, it’s burning!), there’s been concern in recent years that declining sperm counts in men could lead to population problems in the future. Research from the early 90s...
What safe water at Gaza City’s beach means for Palestinians
Decades of tension has affected water quality at Gaza Beach, forcing locals to choose between protecting their physical wellbeing or enjoying life’s simple pleasures. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, home to 2.3 million Palestinians who have been confined to 362 square kilometres due to the Israeli occupation. To the west of Gaza City lies a beach, one of the only places...
Research says being lonely shrinks brains and increases dementia risk
We might be out of lockdown, but social isolation hasn’t ended for everyone. Loneliness prevails across all generations – and science says it’s not so great for our brains. At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt lonely. Whether you moved to a new place, ended a close and valued relationship, or had a best friend move away for good – avoidance of this gut-wrenching feeling is one that causes...
