Positive affirmations: how talking to yourself can let the light in

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Positive affirmations: how talking to yourself can let the light in Despite being a source of constant bad news, the internet is also awash with attempts at countering negativity. A quick search for “inspirational” content yields heaps of speeches, songs and sayings intended to make sense of tough times. Lists of the latter will typically include things like “Imagination is more important than knowledge”, attributed to Albert Einstein, or the Nicki Minaj lyric, “Everybody dies, but not everybody lives.” Self-help specialists, talk-show hosts, Instagram influencers, and even former US first ladies have been known to pen positive affirmations. Continued here

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SNP leadership battle: where is the message of economic growth in Scotland? The search for Scotland’s new first minister is in full flow. Three candidates have emerged to replace Nicola Sturgeon, arguing over subjects including independence, religion and gender recognition. But so far, these topics seem to have overshadowed detailed discussions about the state of the Scottish economy. None of those vying for Scotland’s top political job have been particularly vocal about the (admittedly complex) challenges of handling a cost of living crisis, or the best ways to respond to Brexit and the pandemic. Continued here

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Poland's hospitality is helping many Ukrainian refugees thrive - 5 takeaways More than 8 million Ukrainian refugees have entered Poland since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. About 1.5 million of them have remained in the central European country rather than moving on to other places or returning home amid Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II. So far, Polish citizens have demonstrated incredible solidarity and generosity, in many cases hosting Ukrainian refugees in their own homes. Many Poles told me that they appreciated President Biden’s visit to Warsaw in February 2023 and his acknowledgment of their work and sacrifices. But the end of the war is still not in sight. Continued here

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Why Companies Should Help Every Employee Chart a Career Path Ask an HR leader whether their company is good at career development, and they will likely say that it is — and then they’ll talk about the programs they’ve designed for high-potential employees. Ask them how well the company supports the rest of the workforce, and their answer will likely change. Some will say that they expect managers to be responsible for developing their people. Others will say that employees are empowered to “own” their own career development. The more transparent leaders might add that their approach works for some employees but not for most. Those approaches might sound good but often don’t live up to their promise. This is a problem for companies, especially when it’s difficult to find and retain skilled employees. Leaders must do much more to help employees see a future with the company and a path to advance toward that future. Continued here

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Overclassification overkill: The US government is drowning in a sea of secrets The U.S. faces far more threats to its national security than from spy balloons or classified documents discovered in former and current presidents’ homes. About 50 million more threats every year. That’s the estimated number of records annually classified as confidential, secret or top secret by the U.S. government. Continued here

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Pandemic pet boom has increased the demand for pet-friendly workplaces About one in three Canadian households have adopted a pet since the start of the pandemic. Around one-third of these are first-time pet owners. These “pandemic pets,” along with their pre-pandemic counterparts, have brought a great deal of comfort during the lockdown, with owners reporting a deepening of their bonds with their pets. However, as workplaces gradually return to pre-pandemic office schedules, many pet owners are struggling to find available, affordable and quality pet services, such as dog walkers, pet sitters and daycare. Continued here

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King Kong at 90: The greatest monster film ever made Despite having been released 90 years ago, in 1933, King Kong still stands tall as the greatest monster movie of all time. In part, that's because Kong himself was made for the movies. Unlike Dracula, Frankenstein's creature and other such fiends, he didn't emerge from a novel or a folk tale. The idea of an overgrown, awe-inspiring ape was conceived as a purely cinematic spectacle by Merian C Cooper, who co-directed the film with his friend Ernest B Schoedsack. The men were already well known for their silent documentaries, Grass (1925), and Chang (1927), featuring exotic animals in far-off lands, but Cooper fancied making a fictional "terror gorilla picture". All he needed was "a chariot race", he recalled (as quoted in Celluloid Skyline by James Sanders), meaning a climactic sequence to compare with the frenetic chariot race in 1925's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. One day in New York, he saw a plane flying past a skyscraper, and realised that he could add his gorilla to the tableau. "And I remember saying aloud to myself, 'Well, if that isn't a chariot race, I don't know what is.'" More like this:-       The most shocking film of 2023?-       A game-changingly bizarre Dracula movie-       Why Nosferatu still scares, 100 years on Continued here

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Grattan on Friday: Trimming the tail of the superannuation tax tiger is no easy task If you were being really cynical, you might say the government should have hacked into those stage 3 tax cuts, while leaving super alone. That would have received much the same political angst, but saved a heap more revenue. If we shed the cloak of cynicism, where has this week’s “tweak” of one of the superannuation tax breaks left policy and politics? Continued here

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Mental health: how living in the city and country compare Is it better to live in a city or in the countryside? While urban dwellers may benefit from more employment opportunities, better access to public services alongside cultural activities and entertainment, people who live in rural areas often argue they have a better sense of community and greater access to nature. A number of studies have sought to determine whether city or country is better for mental health by drawing on national survey data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). This is a national survey which has followed approximately 40,000 UK households since 2009. Each year, data is collected on a range of social, economic and behavioural factors. Continued here

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The Lake Chad Basin is a security nightmare. 5 guidelines for finding solutions Modesta Tochukwu Alozie has Consulted for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Rapporteur and as a conflict analyst. It is now 14 years since Boko Haram and other armed groups began to operate in the Lake Chad Basin. The region, which includes Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, has become unstable and the people who live there are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Continued here

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God, Human, Animal, Machine: Consciousness and Our Search for Meaning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence “To lose the appetite for meaning we call thinking and cease to ask unanswerable questions,” Hannah Arendt wrote in her exquisite reckoning with the life of the mind, would be to “lose not only the ability to produce those thought-things that we call works of art but also the capacity to ask all the answerable questions upon which every civilization is founded.” I have returned to this sentiment again and again in facing the haunting sense that we are living through the fall of a civilization — a civilization that has reduced every askable question to an algorithmically answerable datum and has dispensed with the unasked, with those regions of the mysterious where our basic experiences of enchantment, connection, and belonging come alive. A century and half after the Victorian visionary Samuel Butler prophesied the rise of a new “mechanical kingdom” to which we will become subservient, we are living with artificial intelligences making daily decisions for us, from the routes we take to the music we hear. And yet the very fact that the age of near-sentient algorithms has left us all the more famished for meaning may be our best hope for saving what is most human and alive in us. So intimates Meghan O’Gieblyn in God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning (public library). Continued here S47 Dangerous selfies aren't just foolish. We need to treat them like the public health hazard they really are Selfies have been called everything from an artform to narcissistic and a sign of a dysfunctional society. When people go to extreme lengths to take an image to share on social media – perhaps in remote or picturesque locations – they can risk their lives. Continued here � S13 Understanding mass incarceration in the US is the first step to reducing a swollen prison population The incarceration rate in the United States fell in 2021 to its lowest levels since 1995 – but the U.S. continues to imprison a higher percentage of its population than almost every other country. The U.S. incarcerates 530 people for every 100,000 in its population, making it one of the world’s biggest jailers – just below El Salvador, Rwanda and Turkmenistan. Continued here S26 Colette at 150: why the scandalous 20th-century writer remains a revered literary figure in France Colette, as British author Angela Carter pointed out in a wittily perceptive article in 1980, is perhaps the only 20th-century woman writer to be commonly referred to by her surname only. Of course that surname is her father’s – “you can’t subvert patriarchy that easily”, added Carter – but by a happy accident, it “doubles as a girlish handle”. Continued here � S4 The perfect storm keeping women of colour behind at work The pandemic’s effects on working women have been well documented by researchers and workers alike. Throughout the past three years, women around the world disproportionately suffered due to economic shutdowns. Their earnings, in many cases, have stalled or fallen relative to men’s, and in many pockets of the labour market, women still struggle to climb to critical leadership positions. More women than men are leaving their jobs, unable to navigate corporate structures while balancing commitments outside of paid work. Continued here S9 Turnips: how Britain fell out of love with the much-maligned vegetable Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey’s recent suggestion that Britons should turn to turnips following tomato shortages did not go down as she might have hoped. In trying to revive interest in local produce, Coffey could not have chosen a less glamorous root vegetable. But why do we now look down on the faithful turnip – was it always so unloved? Continued here S20 Roads and power lines put primates in danger: South African data adds to the real picture About 25 million kilometres of new roads are expected to be built around the world by 2050. Along with power lines and railways, roads cut through the landscape everywhere, disrupting ecosystems. This linear infrastructure prevents animals from moving safely around their habitat. It also reduces access to the resources they need, like food, sufficient space and mating partners. This threat to biodiversity is a conservation issue globally, but especially in developing nations, where 90% of new road construction is expected. Continued here S45 As Australia's military ties with the US deepen, the Top End becomes even more vital to our security There are several challenges making Australia’s national security strategy more complicated these days – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the impacts of climate change, our green energy transition and economic uncertainty. But at the top of this list is the increasing influence of China in the region and intensifying competition between China and the United States. Continued here S46 Humans are still hunting for aliens. Here's how astronomers are looking for life beyond Earth We have long been fascinated with the idea of alien life. The earliest written record presenting the idea of “aliens” is seen in the satiric work of Assyrian writer Lucian of Samosata dated to 200 AD. In one novel, Lucian writes of a journey to the Moon and the bizarre life he imagines living there – everything from three-headed vultures to fleas the size of elephants. Continued here S42 Protecting privacy online begins with tackling 'digital resignation' Concordia University Chair in Consumption, Markets, and Society, Concordia University From smart watches and meditation apps to digital assistants and social media platforms, we interact with technology daily. And some of these technologies have become an essential part of our social and professional lives. Continued here S10 COVID-19's housing crisis hit many Asians in the US hardest - but only after government aid began flowing People of Asian descent living in the U.S. experienced an increase in housing vulnerability in 2021 – as measured by the share who said they had fallen behind on their rent or mortgage payments – even as the government spent over US$5 trillion trying to relieve the COVID-19 pandemic’s burden on Americans. Meanwhile, housing vulnerability among white people, Black people and Hispanic people all fell during this period. These are the main findings of our recent working paper that examined housing vulnerability during the pandemic. Continued here S11 Why can't Americans agree on, well, nearly anything? Philosophy has some answers Does wearing a mask stop the spread of COVID-19? Is climate change driven primarily by human-made emissions? With these kinds of issues dividing the public, it sometimes feels as if Americans are losing our ability to agree about basic facts of the world. There have been widespread disagreements about matters of seemingly objective fact in the past, yet the number of recent examples can make it feel as though our shared sense of reality is shrinking. As a law professor, I’ve written about legal challenges to vaccination requirements and COVID-19 restrictions, as well as what counts as “truth” in court. In other words, I spend a lot of time mulling over how people define truth, and why U.S. society has such a hard time agreeing on it these days. Continued here S17 At a small liberal arts college, Black students learned to become 'bicultural' to succeed and get jobs - but stress followed In her forthcoming book, “The Impact of College Diversity: Struggles and Successes at Age 30,” Amherst College psychology professor Elizabeth Aries discovered a disturbing dual reality for Black students going to the small, private liberal arts college where she teaches. On the one hand, interacting with students from different backgrounds better prepared them for the world of higher education and work. But Black students also felt pressured to sacrifice their cultural identities in favor of “whiteness” in order to succeed. In the following Q&A, Aries elaborates on her findings and what they mean as the Supreme Court decides whether to restrict or outlaw the use of race in college admissions. In 2003, Amherst College began to more actively recruit and enroll students of color and individuals from low-income backgrounds. The idea was to promote equity and social mobility. But the effort was also driven by the belief that students benefit educationally when they interact daily with classmates whose experiences and views are different from their own. Continued here S23 Prevent review: why we need a new -- and clearer -- definition of Islamist extremism An independent review of the UK counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent, has recommended that the government increase its efforts to tackle Islamist extremism. Prevent was launched nearly two decades ago to divert vulnerable people away from radicalisation and terrorism. It has been controversial from the outset, criticised by experts and campaigners alike for its tight focus on Islamist extremism in particular and the alleged targeting of Muslim communities in Britain this results in. Continued here S44 Why universities need to look beyond grades when admitting international students International students play an instrumental role in the development of Canada’s current and future economy. One recent indication of the importance of international students for Canada’s labour force and knowledge economy was an announcement by Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Fraser announced lifting the cap on off-campus work hours for international students due to labour shortages. Continued here S12 The cautionary tale of 'Dilbert' On Feb. 26, 2023, Andrews McMeel Universal announced that it would no longer distribute the popular comic strip after its creator, Scott Adams, engaged in what many people viewed as a racist rant on his YouTube channel. Hundreds of newspapers had by then decided to quit publishing the strip. It followed an incident in which Adams, on his program “Real Coffee with Scott Adams,” reacted to a survey by Rasmussan Reports that concluded only 53% of Black Americans agreed with the statement “It’s OK to be white.” If only about half thought it was OK to be white, Adams said, this qualified Black Americans as a “hate group.” Continued here S25 Three AI experts on how access to ChatGPT-style tech is about to change our world - podcast Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation Science + Technology Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation Continued here S50 How fish evolved to walk - and in one case, turned into humans When you think about human evolution, there’s a good chance you’re imagining chimpanzees exploring ancient forests or early humans daubing woolly mammoths on to cave walls. But we humans, along with bears, lizards, hummingbirds and Tyrannosaurus rex, are actually lobe-finned fish. It might sound bizarre but the evidence is in our genes, anatomy and in fossils. We belong to a group of animals called land-dwelling sarcopterygians, but vast amounts of evolutionary change have obscured our appearance. Continued here S48 'Let's get real': scientists discover a new way climate change threatens cold-blooded animals All animals need energy to live. They use it to breathe, circulate blood, digest food and move. Young animals use energy to grow, and later in life, to reproduce. Increased body temperature increases the rate at which an animal uses energy. Because cold-blooded animals rely on the thermal conditions of their environment to regulate their body temperature, they’re expected to need more energy as the planet warms. Continued here S41 Friday essay: how policies favouring rich, older people make young Australians Generation F-d Working to buy your own home is a rite of passage in Australia, firmly rooted in a time when government delivered plentiful, affordable housing. Following the senseless poverty and destitution inflicted by price-gouging landlords during the Depression, we created a better, more equitable housing system after World War II. Up until the mid-1970s, government took a hands-on approach to housing, constructing homes for people to buy or rent at low cost. Investors weren’t prioritised over the rights of people who needed shelter, and governments helped people buy with cheap loans. It was these settings that generalised the home-owning dream to over 70% of Australian households by the late 1960s. Continued here S19 Nigeria's election was nearly derailed by technology - but biometric devices weren't the problem Technology nearly derailed the conclusion of the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria. The Independent National Electoral Commission could not fulfil its promise to transmit election results from the polling units on its result viewing portal (IReV). This led to calls by some political parties for cancellation and fresh elections. The Conversation Africa asked political scientist Abiodun Fatai how Nigeria can improve its election digitisation. Nigeria started using digital technology in the electoral process in 2011 when the Independent National Electoral Commission introduced the automated fingerprint identification system to stop voters registering more than once. Continued here S40 Thinking of having a baby as the planet collapses? First, ask yourself 5 big ethical questions Do you want to have a baby? But, on a planet rocked by the climate crisis, ecosystem collapse, famine and poverty, is having one just adding to the problem – and therefore unethical? People who want to have children are faced with a dilemma. Creating a child who will be responsible for high emissions over their lifetime requires others to stay in poverty (if the planet is to operate within its physical limits). This, it can easily be argued, furthers injustice and inequality. Continued here S14 The brief but shining life of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a poet who gave dignity to the Black experience In his short yet prolific life, Dunbar used folk dialect to give voice and dignity to the experience of Black Americans at the turn of the 20th century. He was the first Black American to make a living as a writer and was seminal in the start of the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance. Dunbar also penned one of the most iconic phrases in Black literature – “I know why the caged bird sings” – his poem “Sympathy.” Continued here S27 Lucky girl syndrome: the potential dark side of TikTok's extreme positive thinking trend If you’re looking for ways to bring more positive changes into your life, TikTok recommends jumping on the “lucky girl syndrome” trend. The hashtag links countless videos, all claiming this new form of positive thinking can help you achieve your goals. If you haven’t already come across one of these videos, many of them involve young women declaring themselves to be “so lucky” – using affirmations such as: “I am so lucky, everything my heart desires will come to me.” Continued here S18 Why the humble city bus is the key to improving US public transit Today, buses in many parts of the U.S. are old and don’t run often enough or serve all the places where people need to go. But this doesn’t reflect the bus’s true capability. Instead, as I see it, it’s the result of cities, states and federal leaders failing to subsidize a quality public service. As I show in my new book, “The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric Planning, and White Flight,” few U.S. politicians have focused on bus riders’ experiences over the past half-century. And many executives have lavished precious federal capital dollars on building new light, rapid and commuter rail lines, in hope of attracting suburban riders back to city centers and mass transit. Continued here S39 90 years ago, Yorta Yorta leader William Cooper petitioned the king for Aboriginal representation in parliament Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. Ninety years ago, Yorta Yorta leader William Cooper dreamed of Aboriginal people being represented in the Commonwealth parliament. In August 1933, he set about petitioning the British king, George V. The key demand was for: Continued here S1 God, Human, Animal, Machine: Consciousness and Our Search for Meaning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence “To lose the appetite for meaning we call thinking and cease to ask unanswerable questions,” Hannah Arendt wrote in her exquisite reckoning with the life of the mind, would be to “lose not only the ability to produce those thought-things that we call works of art but also the capacity to ask all the answerable questions upon which every civilization is founded.” I have returned to this sentiment again and again in facing the haunting sense that we are living through the fall of a civilization — a civilization that has reduced every askable question to an algorithmically answerable datum and has dispensed with the unasked, with those regions of the mysterious where our basic experiences of enchantment, connection, and belonging come alive. A century and half after the Victorian visionary Samuel Butler prophesied the rise of a new “mechanical kingdom” to which we will become subservient, we are living with artificial intelligences making daily decisions for us, from the routes we take to the music we hear. And yet the very fact that the age of near-sentient algorithms has left us all the more famished for meaning may be our best hope for saving what is most human and alive in us. So intimates Meghan O’Gieblyn in God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning (public library). Continued here S35 Tax breaks cost a reported $250 billion, but handle these new figures with care Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised a Tax Expenditures Statement by the end of February – and he delivered this week, just in time, on Tuesday February 28. The statement contains many headline-grabbing figures about the cost of various tax breaks, including claims made against income from rental properties (A$24.4 billion), the concessional or zero tax on employer superannuation contributions ($23.3 billion), concessional or zero tax on super earnings ($21.5 billion), and the tax-free treatment of the family home ($22 billion). Continued here S24 Ukraine war: high cost of replacing military hardware will change the nature of the conflict The amount of ammunition being consumed in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has surpassed all estimates. This is starting to put pressure on the production and supply chains involved in the manufacture of ammunition for artillery guns among other weapons systems. This is not an unprecedented problem. In warfare throughout history, armies have often underestimated the level of force and destruction of equipment that will be encountered and the amount of ammunition that will be consumed. Continued here S38 My Health Record is meant to empower patients - Australia’s My Health Record is a national, integrated electronic record, intended to overcome the problem of having personal health information “siloed” in different systems. People can access their own My Health Record via MyGov or an app. Any of their treating health professionals can access it, too. Continued here S3 The companies backtracking on flexible work In January, Disney employees received a memo from CEO Bob Iger. Like other entertainment conglomerates, the media giant had been operating a hybrid-working policy, in which teams were allowed to work remotely twice a week. However, Iger explained in the memo, the company was now reversing course, mandating a four-day return to office beginning in March. “As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney,” he wrote. “And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.” Continued here S30 Deciding what to wear to work isn't getting any easier for women, even as business dress codes relax HSBC has recently introduced what it calls a “more casual” uniform for its branch staff, including jumpsuits and jeans, “menopause-friendly” clothing, as well as “ethnic wear”. The uniforms aim to make staff immediately visible to customers and also signal a clear corporate message of a friendly, approachable high street bank. Last year, Virgin Airlines announced that staff could wear any version they wish of its Vivienne Westwood-designed staff uniforms, giving space for personal expression of gender identity. Continued here S28 Animal architecture: why we need to design buildings for wildlife as well as people How did early humans first learn to build? It’s quite possible that it was by observing animals that had already mastered the art. Indeed, when you look at the animal world many birds, insects and mammals are excellent architects and builders. Beavers are quite literally landscape engineers – they’re being reintroduced in the UK to help fight against the increased incidence and severity of flooding caused by climate change. Continued here S37 Scientists just revealed the most detailed geological model of Earth's past 100 million years Earth’s surface is the “living skin” of our planet – it connects the physical, chemical, and biological systems. Over geological time, landscapes change as this surface evolves, regulating the carbon cycle and nutrient circulation as rivers carry sediment into the oceans. All these interactions have far-reaching effects on ecosystems and biodiversity – the many living things inhabiting our planet. Continued here S36 Cyclone Gabrielle broke vital communication links when people needed them most - what happened and how do we fix it? Modern communication systems need two main things: power, and what engineers call “backhaul”, the connections that link cell towers and exchanges to the national network. When Cyclone Gabrielle struck, both were badly compromised. Many sites lost power not long after the mains went down. They were only designed to run on battery for a few hours (or days at most) – enough for routine faults, not for disasters. Continued here S34 A white riot in Vancouver: Tracing the steps of the 1907 anti-Asian mob Editor’s note: Below is an edited account from the forthcoming book, ‘White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver,’ by Henry Tsang (Arsenal Pulp Press). On Sept. 7, 1907, a crowd gathered at 7 p.m. at the Cambie Street Grounds, now known as Larwill Park in downtown Vancouver. Led by Major E. Brown from the British Columbia Regiment at the Beatty Street Drill Hall, a cavalcade, made up of labour and church leaders and Mayor Alexander Bethune and his wife, Catherine, was accompanied by 5,000 people, many waving white banners reading, “A White Canada for Us.” They proceeded downtown toward city hall. Continued here S33 Windsor framework: why Rishi Sunak was able to secure the Brexit deal that others couldn't For years, the EU-UK relationship has been bruised by the seemingly impossible puzzle of post-Brexit, Northern Ireland trade arrangements. Yet, after just four months of talks led by Rishi Sunak’s government, we now have a new deal. The “Windsor framework” was announced at the friendliest joint EU-UK press conference anyone can remember since at least 2016, and was crowned by a European Commission visit to the King. Continued here S60 'Resident Evil 4' Remake Fixes the Most Frustrating Part of the Original Although Resident Evil 4 is regarded as one of the best and most influential action horror games of all time, it still has its fair share of flaws. That’s why the upcoming 2023 remake is so exciting, as it aims to add quality-of-life improvements, new features, and enhanced visuals. Ahead of the remake’s release later in March, Capcom gave Inverse access to preview footage highlighting many of the game’s biggest changes. Resident Evil 4 remake will likely feel much better, and one particular segment appears to have been vastly improved from the original. Continued here S57 'Children of the Corn' Review: An Imperfect But Promising Stephen King Reimagining Growing up is hard in Stephen King’s world. King’s young protagonists frequently find themselves beset by everything from human bullies (It) and cruel parents (Carrie, The Shining), to shifty institutions (Firestarter, The Institute) and deadly social rules (The Long Walk), or even predatory supernatural entities (It, The Outsider). In his 1977 short story Children of the Corn, children finally get the last laugh as a murderous cult of kids terrorize an unfortunate traveling couple. It’s the story that launched a now-11 film franchise, beginning with the original 1984 adaptation Children of the Corn. Director Kurt Wimmer’s recent entry is said franchise’s latest fresh restart, one of the first films to complete production during the pandemic, finally getting a wide release after its very, very limited regional release in 2020. The new outing is more of a reimagining than an adaptation of the King story, boasting a modernized, novel take on the material that isn’t weighed down by any long-running prior continuity. Continued here S31 Why Biden might drop his vice president (and reasons why he shouldn't) Despite receiving the greatest number of votes cast in a presidential election, there is discussion among some Democrats and commentators about breaking up the Biden-Harris partnership for the 2024 election. While Joe Biden has become the target of much criticism for the inflationary challenges of the current US economy, it is vice president Kamala Harris’s position on the ticket that is subject to much more debate. Continued here S49 HECS-HELP loans have become unfair for women but there is a way to fix this Honorary Senior Fellow, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne The federal government is currently contemplating the biggest overhaul of higher education in a generation. A discussion paper for the Universities Accord, released last week, is asking for suggestions about “what the system should look like in 30 years’ time”. Continued here S55 Hugh Jackman's "Double Role" in 'Deadpool 3' Could Mean a Wild Meta Twist You can’t have too much of a good thing. In the case of Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3, the long-awaited Deadpool sequel may have Hugh Jackman playing more than one huge, jacked man. In an interview with French outlet Le Parisien to promote his latest drama The Son, Jackman told the paper he is playing more than one role, in what he actually calls a “double role.” Continued here S52 Economic growth is fuelling climate change - a new book proposes 'degrowth communism' as the solution I’m often told that degrowth, the planned downscaling of production and consumption to reduce the pressure on Earth’s ecosystems, is a tough sell. But a 36-year-old associate professor at Tokyo University has made a name for himself arguing that “degrowth communism” could halt the escalating climate emergency. Kohei Saito, the bestselling author of Capital in the Anthropocene, is back with a new book: Marx in the Anthropocene: Towards the Idea of Degrowth Communism. The book is dense, especially for those not fluent in Marxist jargon who, I suspect, care little about whether or not Karl Marx started worrying about nature in his later years. Continued here S29 De La Soul is coming to streaming services - a brief guide to their best work De La Soul is one of the most significant and iconic groups in the history of hip hop. Comprising three members, Trugoy The Dove, Posdnous and Maseo, De La Soul worked together for 35 years releasing innovative music, touring and collaborating with artists from a range of genres until Trugoy’s death in February 2023. Since their debut album Three Feet High And Rising in 1989, De La Soul have been challenging and changing the sound of hip hop. While they tipped their hat at the genre’s roots, they pushed hip hop’s boundaries by using a range of unusual samples and production techniques. Continued here S51 Thinking of getting a second cat? Here's how to make sure your first pet doesn't feel threatened Many people choose to live with a cat for companionship. As a social species, companionship is something we often crave. But this cannot necessarily be said of our feline friends. Domestic cats evolved from a largely solitary species, defending their territory from other cats. Although modern-day cats can live together in friendly groups (when there are enough resources to go around), bonds generally only develop between cats who are related or grow up together. It is natural for cats to feel threatened by unfamiliar cats. Owners should consider whether adding another cat to their home is really in their cat’s best interest, especially if they are generally more of a timid cat. Continued here S56 10 Years Ago, a Star Wars Plot Twist Changed the Jedi Forever -- And You Probably Missed It Star Wars: The Clone Wars has always had an air of obscurity. Although the series explored the prequel era in greater detail than we’ve ever seen, its animated medium and Cartoon Network distribution often limited its audience to diehard fans and children. But in 2023, with Clone Wars showrunner Dave Filoni co-helming The Mandalorian and protagonist Ahsoka Tano getting a live-action spinoff courtesy of Rosario Dawson, the series is more important than ever. It has several stellar moments, but one 2013 episode proves just how clever and important Clone Wars stories could be. Continued here S32 Ukraine recap: spring comes too early for Putin's tanks - easy targets as they stick in the mud Reading the international press on the first day of spring in Ukraine, it appears that Russia has jumped the gun somewhat in its “spring offensive”. It has poured troops and armour into an area around the town of Vuhledar in southern Ukraine in what Ukrainian officials have referred to as the “largest tank battle of the war to date”. The New York Times has an in-depth piece about the battle in which it said newly deployed Russian tank reserves have been “decimated” by Ukrainian ambushes. Continued here S54 Scientists Just 'Grew' Electrodes in Leeches. Can It Be Done in Humans, Too? This method could lead to a safer treatment for neurological conditions like Parkinson’s. Brain cells communicate via chemical signals and short electrical impulses, a phenomenon doctors have long aimed to harness in medicine. But delivering jolts to the nervous system, also known as electrical stimulation, has proved challenging (and, not to mention, risky). Now, scientists are working to make electrical stimulation in the brain much easier and safer. Continued here S58 The 7 Most Futuristic Concept Devices From MWC 2023 Admire some of the cutting-edge tech that made waves at this year's mobile innovation convention. Mobile World Congress 2023 (or MWC) came and went this year, but it still left us with a fascinating look into the future of mobile innovation. Some of the products announced by companies like Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Lenovo are due to hit the shelves, but the products that are experimental or conceptual in nature point us to the future. Whether that future arrives or not is another question. Continued here S53 Spring Television Preview In a sardine-packed spring season, March 26 might be the most crowded release date of them all. That Sunday night, the scheming, snivelling, showboating Roy family returns to HBO for a fourth—and final—season of “Succession.” Will Kendall seal his Oedipal victory at last? Will Tom pack up his merino turtlenecks and leave Shiv for good? Will Cousin Greg ruin an entire evening owing to sheer incompetence? All will be revealed—likely with the help of elegant yet brutal monologues that leave you both wincing and wanting more. On that same Sunday, on Showtime, the twisty “Yellowjackets” returns for a second season of mayhem and teen-age hormones in a remote Canadian forest. The show, which follows two story lines—the ghastly saga of a nineteen-nineties high-school girls’ soccer team that may or may not turn into a cannibalistic cult after its plane crashes, and the present-day adventures of several crash survivors—last left viewers on a nerve-fraying cliffhanger. With new cast members including Lauren Ambrose and Elijah Wood, this season will surely provide a bucket of fresh blood. Continued here S59 'Star Trek: Picard' Is Using an Old Trick From 'Wrath of Khan' -- And Almost Nobody Noticed If you think the story of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 feels a lot like the mega-famous 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, you would be right. Both stories feature starships playing cat-and-mouse in a nebula, stolen experimental Starfleet tech, an Enterprise captain reconciling with a grown son, and heroic Starfleet characters wondering, earnestly, if they are indeed getting too old for this sh*t. And yet, the connections between Picard Season 3 and Wrath of Khan extend beyond just the story. There’s a behind-the-scenes element here that is also very similar. Much like Wrath of Khan, the visual language of Picard Season 3 relies almost exclusively on starship interiors. And, exactly like Wrath of Khan, those interiors are making the most of available resources. In other words, the production design of Picard Season 3 is very, very scrappy. 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