What’s it like to live with synesthesia?
Do you associate certain colours with numbers and letters, or see time as a colourful shape? You might have synesthesia – one of the most weird and wonderful neurological conditions. When I was in my late teens, I asked my mother how she ‘saw a year’. In hindsight, this sounds rather...
Current in Offbeat
Dyson reveals air purifying headphones that block pollution
The vacuum company Dyson has just announced its new over-ear headphones that include an air-purifier for your mouth. A little dystopian, but a novel example of how we’ll need to adapt with a changing climate and world. Dyson has just unveiled a new set of headphones that include an air-purifying...
This robot dog will help identify safety issues in Pompeii
Called ‘Spot’, this four-legged robot will be exploring the ruins of Pompeii, diving underground to examine and monitor tunnels and ancient structures. A new robot ‘dog’ is being deployed in Pompeii to monitor and analyse various underground structures. The ancient archaeological park was close to becoming an ‘in peril’ heritage...
Feral girl summer proves we’re officially in our unhinged era
Following in the footsteps of goblin mode and all its deviant glory, this latest trend is yet another rebellious buck against the new wave of self-optimisation that most of us are sick and tired of seeing on our feeds. Hot on the heels of #goblinmode, a direct departure from the...
Contactless payment implants are now officially a thing
In London, a tech company called Walletmor is implanting customers’ hands with contactless payment microchips. Is this the future of financial convenience, or a step too far? For the price of £230, which somewhat ironically is way beyond the contactless payment limit, London tech company Walletmor will implant your...
Could memorial coral reefs replace traditional graveyards?
For those trying to remain eco-friendly well into the afterlife, being cremated and turned into a host for living coral might sound rather pleasant – but is this new trend actually sustainable? Although most people presume that once we’re dead nothing really matters, humans often ask each other (or state...
Is potato milk the future of sustainable dairy alternatives?
In efforts to curb global carbon emissions, the mission to create the most sustainable milk alternative has now landed on potatoes. Plant-based milks now line the shelves of grocers and coffee shops everywhere. From soy, coconut, cashew, and almond, as well as hemp and oat milk, those looking to ditch dairy products have been spoiled for choice in recent years. In fact, over a quarter of Britons now consume plant-based milk regularly,...
Goblin mode: a rejection of the self-improvement movement
As we enter the pandemic’s third year armed with fears of another world war, many have given up on the prospect of bettering themselves, choosing instead to embrace the comforts of lethargy. During the early days of coronavirus, the public’s approach to lockdowns was more or less split in two. There were those of us with enough aspiration to channel our abundant newfound time into ditching toxic habits and embracing ones...
Sweden is now using crows to pick up litter
Forget everything you thought you knew about litter, waste management, and birds. Sweden is shaking things up by using crows to clean up discarded cigarette ends. Have you ever looked at a murder of crows and thought – they look like a suitable clean-up crew? Wondered if your local birds could be upstanding citizens keeping the pavements cigarette free? You can rest easy knowing those fowl-based musings are finally being...
The curious hair-filled implements helping with oil spills in Peru
The Peruvian government has declared an environmental emergency after 6,000 barrels of crude oil spilled off the coast of Lima. Citizens are now helping beach clean-up efforts in an ingenious, albeit strange way. If you weren’t already donating hair to help oil clean-up initiatives, you need to get with the times. A volcanic eruption in Tonga this January has resulted in Peru’s ‘worst ecological disaster’ of recent years. The force of...
