Why is The 1975 facing a lawsuit?
The British rock band has been sued for $2.4 million by Good Vibes Festival in Malaysia over frontman Matty Healy’s protest against the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws last July. The organiser of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival has followed through with its threat to sue the 1975 and all its...
Current in Culture
What is the recent obsession with ‘raw dogging’?
The colloquial phrase is popping up everywhere, despite its unfortunate origins. What does it mean and why can’t I have a wee on a plane? People keep telling me I’m ‘raw dogging’ the city because I refuse to carry a rucksack to work. Of the endless colloquial terms that seem to...
my stupid ‘incurable’ disorder(s)
one truly sh*t medical marvel. So, my name has once again popped up on the Wildcard rotation and to be honest I don’t have a tonne of topics I’d like to explore. However, yesterday evening the night sky was full of static again and my ears were ringing till my offspring...
Scientists are attempting to prove that we’re living in a simulation
Humans have questioned the authenticity of our existence for centuries, but former NASA scientist Thomas Campbell is aiming to ratify once and for all whether we’re living in a simulation. René Descartes in the 1600s came up with the immemorial Latin phrase ‘cogito, ergo sum’ – translated to ‘I think,...
Meditating on our environment at ‘The River’
The latest in the Natural History Museum’s free contemporary art programme, The River – composed by acclaimed Norwegian sound artist Jana Winderen in collaboration with spatial audio expert Tony Myatt – explores the world below the surface of the Thames using underwater recordings, highlighting the importance of sound in...
What happens to our online data after death?
Our digital footprints will long outlive us, inadvertently leaving our loved ones to tackle a privacy conundrum. Should we care? Fear of death is an existential crisis most people contend with at several stages of life. When getting our affairs in order, however, little thought is given as to what...
Who will be ousted from the revolving door of celebrity next?
In the age of the internet, a celebrity can fall from fame just as fast as they rose towards it. But this strange phenomenon mainly happens to famous women, and it’s causing them to send fans one simple message: I am human. It seems like every week there’s a new star on our radar. I’m not talking about NASA’s findings. I’m talking about celebrities. You know the drill. Out of nowhere,...
Why are European Gen Zers taking Nazi-themed party drugs?
As an increasing number of European youngsters lurch towards far-right political views, are the themes of their party drugs following. Or, is this just another obscure trend? When one mentions ecstasy, what immediately springs to mind: perhaps love, euphoria, or overwhelming feelings of empathy. What isn’t typically conjured is thoughts of genocide, hate, and fascism. Why then are party drugs across Europe increasingly showing iconography related to Nazis and other extremist...
Are Gen Z picking up the phone less?
In an age where typed out texts and DMs dominate our means of communication, is answering a phone call a real fear for young people? The haunting bells of an incoming call ignite the room. You reach for your device only to find an unknown number. In a blazing frenzy, you come to a stand and begin to contemplate. Who is it? What do they want? Why me? You launch the...
The generation of young people hooked on a pen
What was once used to rid us of a more sinister evil is now a casually prevalent vapour snack for the masses. A new wave of pen lovers has entered the room. I’m not referring to a Biro, unfortunately. I’m talking about the torrent of vape pens gripped to adolescents' pursed lips. Recently, the vaping company Blu released a brief history of vaping devices, revealing a pattern in the evolution...
