From rural Kenya to a PhD in astronomy: how partnerships made it possible
Jan 13, 2017 14:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
I grew up in a Kenyan village with dark skies and vivid stars. We admired the sky and listened to stories about it told by the elders. There were few expectations that the children in our village would ever understand the...
Breathing without living: the plight of Christians in Pakistan
Jan 12, 2017 14:43 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
The year 2017 will be one of peace and love, Naheed Naz told me. There is nothing in the scriptures about it, but Jesus puts feelings in your heart about what is going to happen. It is a matter of faith and we believe in...
The unintended consequences of UNESCO world heritage listing
Jan 11, 2017 18:07 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
The principle of world heritage promoted by UNESCO is of crucial importance at a time when tourism has become a global phenomenon, involving more than a billion people and generating an annual revenue of nearly US$1245...
Why Tolkien's fantastic imaginary languages have had more impact than Esperanto
Jan 11, 2017 17:44 pm UTC| Life
A hundred years ago this month, JRR Tolkien began writing The Fall of Gondolin while on medical leave from the war. This is the first story in what would become his legendarium the mythology that underpins The Lord of the...
Its official: inequality, climate change and social polarisation are bad for you
Jan 11, 2017 17:35 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
This years Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum warns that rising income inequality and societal polarisation could create further problems if urgent action isnt taken - and thats after the car-crash that was...
Slave heritage is big business, tainting the diaspora's bonds with Africa
Jan 11, 2017 16:11 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
Ghanas meandering coast is dotted with numerous forts and castles. These monuments were built between the 15th and 17th centuries by early modern European chartered companies. They were initially used for trading gold and...
Do art and literature cultivate empathy?
Jan 10, 2017 15:50 pm UTC| Life
A common argument for the value of the arts is the claim they cultivate empathy. Reading literature, viewing quality cinema and listening to fine music refine our sensibilities and make us better and more humane or so the...
Electricity from farm waste: how biogas could help Malawians with no power
What the Supreme Court is doing right in considering Trump’s immunity case
US student Gaza protests: five things that have been missed
Will Solomon Islands’ new leader stay close to China?
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects