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...
You can now buy hangover prevention pills
A Swedish pharmaceutical company has developed a supplement that claims to reduce alcohol concentration in the blood by half within 30 minutes of having a drink. Unless you’re superhuman – or, of course, underage – likelihood is you’ve experienced a hangover before. Enjoying a beveragino (or five) often leaves us bedridden,...
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...
The Queen’s favourite cheesemaker might lose its royal warrant
Upon learning that Dairy Crest Limited was recently fined £1.5 million for committing a series of environmental offences, it looks like Lizzie might strip the company’s right to display the coat of arms on its packaging. Whether or not you’re a fan of the British monarchy, I’m sure we can...
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 done a little travelling and it feels like everyone around you is getting either married or pregnant. You could probably...
The brand turning reclaimed life jackets into a fashion statement
Founded by former refugee Mohamed Malim, Epimonia is a start-up dedicated to raising awareness about the global displacement crisis. Today, over 280 million people around the world live outside their home country. Most of them are migrants, people who choose to leave in search of better opportunities. A staggering 35 per cent (100 million) of them, however, are refugees. Those fleeing their native lands due to war,...
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...
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....
