3,663 search results

From the Sumerians to Shakespeare to Twain: why fart jokes never get old
History & The Arts

From the Sumerians to Shakespeare to Twain: why fart jokes never get old

...opening poetic ode refers to the flatus as “Cure of cholick, cure of gripes, tuneful drone of lower pipes.” Swift then goes on to subject the fart to a detailed analysis – carefully describing its legal, social and scientific dimensions – before concluding that there are multiple species of fart, including “the sonorous and full-toned or rousing fart,” “the...
John Perry Barlow: An Appreciation
Science, Maths & Technology

John Perry Barlow: An Appreciation

...course of my life when I was just starting out as an internet developer in the early 1990s, and when I met him and went to work for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, I had the incredible and inspiring opportunity to affirm my first impression of his philosophy: the internet would only be a force for good if we committed ourselves endlessly to that cause, and otherwise,...
Can natural infrastructure help Brazil beat its water crisis?
Nature & Environment

Can natural infrastructure help Brazil beat its water crisis?

...open spaces like forests or wetlands that are strategically managed to protect downstream water supplies. If these natural areas are lost to urban sprawl, converted to farms, or are otherwise degraded, city water supplies are more likely to suffer shortages or become polluted. When managed properly, natural infrastructure directs more clean water to cities by controlling...
Human impacts on the lives of animals
Nature & Environment

Human impacts on the lives of animals

...Open University's Science courses and qualifications [Black necked storks] During the long history of life on Earth, the generally slow pace of evolution has been punctuated by dramatic mass extinction events, during which, over a relatively short period of time, a very large number of species became extinct. There are thought to have been five such events, of which the...
Two kings, two very different coronations
History & The Arts

Two kings, two very different coronations

...Open University’s History courses. [The Royal Coronation of H.M. King George IV]The Royal Coronation of H.M. King George IVShow descriptionWestminster abbey during the coronation of George IV, George IV is seated on a raised platform with spectators surrounding him. Although coronation ceremonies are characterised by tradition, they are also important opportunities for...
Messaging apps – paying attention and timing it right
Languages

Messaging apps – paying attention and timing it right

...Open University's English courses. A lot has been written about the ‘attention economy’ – the way that social media companies, businesses and advertisers compete to gain people’s attention in order to boost sales. They do this because otherwise their message or product gets lost in the overwhelming amount of information that circulates on the internet. [Three...
Jurors are subject to all kinds of biases when it comes to deciding on a trial
Society, Politics & Law

Jurors are subject to all kinds of biases when it comes to deciding on a trial

...Open University's Law courses. From CSI to Law and Order, Line of Duty and Midsomer Murders, there is huge public fascination with crime and the criminal justice system. Especially when things come to a climactic ending and jurors decide on a defendent’s fate. But how much do jurors get it wrong? Will the jury convict an innocent person, or might they free a guilty...
Do animals have sex for fun?
Nature & Environment

Do animals have sex for fun?

...Open University's Science courses and qualifications. There’s an idea circulating that humans are the only animal to experience sexual pleasure; that we approach sex in a way that is distinct from others. As with many questions about sex, this exposes some interesting facts about the way we discuss the subject. [Snails having sex] On one level, the question of whether...