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Derry Air: the new local history
Society, Politics & Law

Derry Air: the new local history

...thinking and emotions, not just the dry ‘facts’. And when we say ‘people’ we can, maybe must, include ourselves too. What nearer first-hand source do we have? Far from being seen as an essentially low-level, lazy, self-indulgent or even narcissistic method, as it might have been in the past, this approach has actually become quite fashionable within certain social...
Do people need Peeple?
Digital & Computing

Do people need Peeple?

...thinking with the planned launch of the Peeple app – described as “Yelp for people”. [This couple don't have matching ratings] What happens when people start rating each other like Amazon purchases? Having reportedly raised US$7.6m from venture capitalists, Peeple aims to use the crowdsourced review model of Yelp, TripAdvisor and other sites where customers review...
Do animals really raise human babies as their own?
Nature & Environment

Do animals really raise human babies as their own?

...thinking about the phenomena of feral children, a topic I had considered in my book about human-animal interactions more generally. Certainly in some exceptional circumstances I can now appreciate how it might be possible for a human child to be cared for by a non-human surrogate. [A female wolf in the snow] Shall I be mother? In Kipling’s original The Jungle Book,...
The five billion dollar franchise: How much will Disney make from Star Wars merchandise
Money & Business

The five billion dollar franchise: How much will Disney make from Star Wars merchandise

...thinking of how to maximise these at retail.” Disney has certainly maximised the potential of the Star Wars brand and the US$4 billion for Lucasfilm was money well spent on a proven merchandising winner. It could be argued that anyone who grew up in the 1970s or 80s knows the figures of Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader et al. As David Barnett wrote in the...
Climate change and the built environment
Science, Maths & Technology

Climate change and the built environment

...think about for our built environment, as we face a future increasingly affected by climate change. [Construction site, sky full of cranes] What is the built environment? Our built environment includes physical objects such as buildings, roads and pavements, sewerage treatment works and landfill sites. It also plays an essential role in our social world, providing us with...
An American Classic: How Spam became a success
Money & Business

An American Classic: How Spam became a success

...think of Spam as a basic canned meat, it’s actually one of the greatest business success stories of all time: Since Hormel Foods Corporation launched the affordable, canned pork product in 1937, it’s sold over eight billion cans in 44 countries around the world. On July 5, Spam celebrates its 80th anniversary. It’s fitting that this comes only a day after the...
Do whales commit suicide?
Nature & Environment

Do whales commit suicide?

...think “cows-with-attitude”. Their invasion of the sea was progressive, and therefore we are left to ponder whether in difficult times, individuals might still instinctively react as if land confers an element of safety. Regardless of this, however, if injured or sick, these marine mammals will still be able to rest more easily if they can find a shallow area where...
The art of performing under pressure
Health, Sports & Psychology

The art of performing under pressure

...combination of technique, pressure preparation training, and composure all add up to the Eastwood ideal of the gunslinger. He is the master of performance under pressure. The shoot-out king. Think of him next time you see an athlete facing down that pressure moment. The updated version of Twelve Yards is out now in paperback. Can you take the heat? Try our penalty game...