US professors raise concerns about college students’ reading ability
College professors in the United States are noticing a considerable drop in the number of students willing to do reading for their course. Is an uptick in short-form digital content to blame, or is it something else? In an age where our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter...
Current in Change
Activists urge UEFA to break up with airline sponsorships
As airline sponsorships become more intrinsically linked to European football, activists are urging clubs and governing bodies to break away from this ecologically damaging association. There’s rarely a quiet day at UEFA HQ, and Valentine’s Day brought forth a fresh batch of criticism to the association’s door. The Union of European...
What the Sephora cookie tells us about the productivity-pay gap
After the beauty retailer reached $10 billion in revenue this month, employees were gifted a ‘stale’ biscuit as thanks. Sephora – one of the leading beauty retailers in the world – made headlines last week after it amassed a staggering $10 billion in revenue. But the attention wasn’t for reasons...
Misinformation threatens the ‘super election year’ of 2024
In its risk report, the World Economic Forum warns how Indian elections in 2024 could be swayed by the rampant spread of misinformation and disinformation. Close to 3 billion voters - approximately a quarter of the world's population - are expected to be heading to electoral polls this year and...
Human activity is pushing most migratory species to the brink of extinction
According to a new UN report, 1 in 5 migratory animals are threatened with extinction. By publishing the research, the organisation hopes that success stories included in the report will spark collective conservation action around the globe. Every year, billions of animals embark on epic journeys across the world’s continents...
Children’s Mental Health week highlights shortcomings in system
Mental health struggles aren’t exclusive to adults. Many children around the world are at odds with how to deal with their mental and emotional wellbeing – and in the UK, children’s’ crisis organizations are sounding the alarm. It was established by the children's mental health charity Place2Be, with the intention...
Is Wall Street about to scupper the psychedelics industry?
Money is pouring into the burgeoning psychedelics industry and an influx of startups are racing to patent key ingredients found in ‘magic mushrooms.’ Wall Street is moving in to monopolise the sector. It’s becoming increasingly clear that mushrooms are good for more than just ayahuasca trips on university graduates’ gap years. Scientific studies are feeding hype about the effectiveness microdosing psilocybin may have in treating mental health disorders such as depression...
Why are French farmers blocking routes into Paris?
Thousands of tractors have blocked routes in the capital as farmers demand better pay and fewer environmental regulations. Tensions between France’s farmers and government reached boiling point this week, after thousands of tractors threatened to blockade Paris for an indefinite period. The protest is the culmination of a months-long demand for better pay among French farmers, who feel threatened by environmental regulations and competition from cheap imports. ‘This is the final...
Is the BJP weaponising Hindu sentiment for electoral gain?
Allegations of the BJP weaponizing Hindu sentiment for electoral gain continue to grow stronger. Is the supposed ‘reclamation’ of temples the latest boon for Narendra Modi? As Prime Minister Narendra Modi ceremoniously unveiled the new Ram Mandir in Ayodhya earlier this month, the visual was striking - the country's most powerful political leader inaugurating a religious temple for the majority community. The contradiction, nonetheless, made me uneasy even as chants of...
Canada’s oil sands emit 6300% more pollutants than previously thought
The recent study has highlighted the lack of a unified monitoring framework to guide monitoring in the oil sands region, affecting nearby indigenous communities. The oil sands, colloquially known as the tar sands are a mixture of bitumen, water, sand, and clay. Canada’s Athabasca oil sands are one of the largest reserves of crude oil in the world and hold an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen. The nation...
