Opinion – bring back the fat chefs
The online convergence of food and fitness influencers on social media means that people are focusing on the protein and ‘fuel’ quotient of their quick-to-make meals, rather than delighting in the flavour of their culinary creations and the process of cooking them. I vividly remember the first time I...
Current in Offbeat
Will basketball ever make it rain in the UK?
Is British basketball slowly retreating, and will it ever have its time as an adequately funded sport? You pass the threshold into a large, echoey chamber. Four brick walls, sealing the aromas of effort, climb high into a ceiling of imperceptible detail. The hardwood courts lay steady under your foot....
Why has the proposed smoking area ban sparked outrage in the UK?
To reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use, Labour wants to take the indoor smoking ban outdoors. Opponents of the plan – including those who don’t light up – are lamenting the loss of valuable spaces where ‘all the best socialising happens.’ It’s no secret that...
A serial killer exhibition is coming to London this month
While documentaries and podcasts have been fulfilling society’s interest in true crime for a decade, a new exhibition in London will invite fans of the genre to explore genuine artefacts and recreated crime scenes from some of the world’s most notorious serial killer cases. As if people weren’t obsessed enough...
Decluttering trends are making a mess of our mental health
With ‘cleantok’ videos racking up billions of views, experts are concerned that people are losing their ability to distinguish between fads and methods that will actually help them. Last year, world-renowned decluttering expert Marie Kondo admitted that she’d ‘given up on tidying.’ The ‘queen of clean’ (as she’s so aptly referred...
Cognify wants AI-simulated memories to help rehabilitate prisoners
Hashem Al-Ghaili, a Berlin-based scientist and filmmaker, envisions a future where prisoners are rehabilitated using implanted synthetic memories created by AI. His MO is to instil a sense of empathy and cut lengthy sentences from years to a matter of minutes. Having cut his teeth in the realm of independent...
The rise of rage rooms in Africa
As economic opportunities dwindle, a new trend is sweeping across Africa, offering young people a unique way to cope with stress; rage rooms. These controlled environments have become increasingly popular, especially among Gen Z, who are grappling with the challenges of unemployment, poverty and limited access to mental health care. In cities across Africa, rage rooms are emerging as a novel form of stress relief. For a small fee, participants...
Opinion – society’s perception of wealth is shifting
The cost of living isn’t letting up, despite inflation tapering off. With everything more expensive than it’s ever been, young people are learning to value – and strive for – different things in life. To say that the global economy has shifted drastically over the last few years would be an understatement. Consumers are paying far more for essential items that are worse in quality than they’ve ever been,...
Are people actually falling in love with Artificial Intelligence?
No longer just the stuff of Spike Jonze’s storytelling, users of GTP-40 – OpenAI’s latest generation chatbot that speaks aloud in its own voice – have been forming emotional relationships with it. Written and directed by Spike Jonze, Her is an ahead-of-its-time contemporary romance film that explores the state of modern human relationships. Released ten years ago, it follows the story of a man who falls in...
What is Jai Ho summer?
The latest Gen-Z internet trend is all about celebrating South Asian culture, without South Asians. You’d be forgiven for thinking 2024 was the summer of all this Brat. But the internet’s latest obsession isn’t just about wearing lurid green and smoking a packet of Marlboro Reds. This year, a new vibe has taken hold of the Gen-Z zeitgeist: Jai Ho Summer. And yes, that does refer to the 2008 Pussycat Dolls...
