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Perseus: what’s in a name?
History & The Arts

Perseus: what’s in a name?

...His story is uncomplicated yet satisfying, and he doesn’t force us to think about any of the difficult aspects of heroic behaviour that regularly crop up in other myths – such as Achilles’ terrible anger, Oedipus’ incest, or Odysseus’ willingness to lie. Rather, the appeal of Perseus lies in this simple heroic narrative, a classic tale of good defeating evil....
The benefits of outdoor green and blue spaces
Health, Sports & Psychology

The benefits of outdoor green and blue spaces

...think of three levels of engagement with nature: viewing nature (through window, book, television); being in the presence of nature (e.g. cycling through a park); active participation in nature (e.g. gardening, farming, trekking). Nature includes green spaces (vegetation) and ‘blue spaces’ referring to the visible surface waters of lakes, rivers and coastal water....
Wangari Maathai: standing up for women and the environment
Nature & Environment

Wangari Maathai: standing up for women and the environment

...thinking, it also empowered communities by organising civic and environmental education opportunities. This eventually came at loggerheads with local political power’s role on issues of land grab and the destruction of urban parks. Her Nobel peace prize recognition summarises her contribution in this: “Maathai's mobilisation of African women was not limited in its...
English Literature, Racism and Rehabilitation
History & The Arts

English Literature, Racism and Rehabilitation

...think that the process of reading improves or enriches them, and a common societal assumption is that reading is an intangible good: we encourage children to read on the grounds that it feeds the imagination, informs us about the world and teaches a kind of empathy through the different perspectives it affords. (More concrete evidence exists for the benefits of regularly...
The man behind Matilda – what Roald Dahl was really like
History & The Arts

The man behind Matilda – what Roald Dahl was really like

...think. For some he was a war hero, a philanthropist and a profoundly altruistic man. For others he was a bully, a misogynist, and even an anti-Semite. His life story as well as his writings evoke compliments, controversy, and contradictory responses from both critics and readers. Tales of childhood In his book Boy, which covers the tales of his childhood, Dahl declares...
Socrates - Teacher, Paragon or Chatterbox?
History & The Arts

Socrates - Teacher, Paragon or Chatterbox?

...think for themselves and to subject their own views to critical scrutiny. Socrates denied he was a teacher: but some would argue that he is just what a teacher should be. Finally, Socrates’ life – and more importantly, his death – have been taken as models throughout the centuries. The dying Socrates has been a common subject for artists, while his life has been a...
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...
How did Aretha Franklin inspire the civil rights movement?
History & The Arts

How did Aretha Franklin inspire the civil rights movement?

...Think is an original song of hers), Franklin earned a great part of her fame as a unique interpreter of other people’s songs. Through gospel-influenced musical rearrangement, and her striking changes to melodic content, she effectively re-authored material written by others, asserting a sense of creative ownership through spirited and dynamic vocal performance. Franklin...