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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...
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Article 5 mins
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,...
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Video 5 mins
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...
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Article 5 mins
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...
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Article 10 mins
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...
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Article 5 mins
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...
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Video 5 mins
The taste of love on different tongues: What language tells us about love
Languages

The taste of love on different tongues: What language tells us about love

...thinking that it consists solely in the swooning, star-crossed romance of falling deeply “in love”. But on reflection, love is far more complex. Indeed, arguably no word covers a wider range of feelings and experiences than love. So how can we ever define what love really is? In my new study, published in the Journal for the Theory of Social Analysis, I’ve made a...
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Article 5 mins
Year of the Horse: Chinese Lunar New Year
Languages

Year of the Horse: Chinese Lunar New Year

...thinking, though sometimes impulsive. Whether you celebrate through traditional customs, reconnecting with family, or simply taking inspiration from the symbolism of the horse, the Lunar New Year offers a moment to reflect on the past and gallop confidently into the future. The horse’s place in the cycle The horse is the seventh animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac...
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Article 5 mins