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...
Current in Offbeat
Activist wears a month’s worth of trash as a suit
Environmental activist Rob Greenfield wore a month’s worth of his own rubbish to demonstrate how much we generate on a regular basis. It also makes for quite the fashion statement. Next time you’re taking your bins out, perhaps consider donning those discarded bags of cardboard and food waste as...
Bees are now considered fish in California
A new court ruling has decided that some species of bee can now legally be considered fish in order to provide extra protection under the California Endangered Species Act. Consider yourself an expert on bees? Are you an academic on all things honey, hives, and bumbling? Those clued up on the...
Sean Paul speaks out on climate change and social issues
You know him for his club bangers, but the Jamaican dancehall legend has had more on his mind lately. Sean Paul is speaking out on environmental issues, Jamaica’s colonial past, and dancehall’s newest Gen-Z artists. I got the right temperature fi shelter you from the storm, sings Sean Paul inside...
Is the quarter-life crisis the new midlife crisis?
We’ve all heard of the midlife crisis, but could a quarter-life crisis be just as prevalent? An increasing number of people are feeling lost, confused, and overwhelmed in their mid-20s. What causes these feelings and how can we deal with them? Let’s find out. Picture it. You’ve finished studying, you’ve...
Opinion – Cringe is unavoidable, let’s embrace it
Post-pandemic, we’ve entered the era of total surrender, ferality, and delusion. As we continue exchanging societal norms with unapologetic liberation, why not throw abandoning our feelings of embarrassment into the mix? Is it me, or does a new personality shift seem to be rearing its head almost every week...
Japanese city to pay couples to live near old people
To combat an ageing population in Japan, the city of Chiba in Greater Tokyo is subsidising newlyweds who move into specially chosen buildings that house predominantly older residents. Ever looked at a care home and wanted to live next door? Consider yourself particularly accustomed to the company of elderly people? Starting next month, Chiba in Greater Tokyo will be subsidising up to $2,319 to new couples who move into specially...
How reading can improve our mental health
Warmer weather and longer evenings are finally here. A welcome respite from endless winter days, summer is often seen as a chance to get outside and focus on our mental health. And while it may not involve much physical activity, reading a book in the sun may be just the brain food you need. With the change in the seasons comes a change in priorities. Today this is largely driven by...
Explaining Gen Z’s unsurprising adoption of nihilism
Young people face a world of uncertainty. Climate change, political turmoil, growing wealth inequality, and many more knock-on capitalist trends have caused a rise in nihilistic attitudes. What is nihilism - and how can it both be freeing and oppressive? Whichever way you look at it, the world faces an ambiguous future. Regular IPCC reports present a bleak late-century climate, largely destroyed by rising emissions. Wealth inequality continues to grow....
How have LinkedIn influencers impacted modern working culture?
LinkedIn influencers are telling us all to grind harder and be better. Meanwhile, companies are masking toxic work culture with free fruit and ping pong tables. Has the rise of the LinkedIn influencer tricked us all into accepting sub-par working conditions? We’ve all seen that meme poking fun at LinkedIn influencers. A LinkedIn user satirises the oh-so deep and meaningful content that seems to dominate everyone’s feed, telling the story...