Throughout the summer of 2024, young Kenyans have taken to the streets of the capital, Nairobi, in a series of anti-government demonstrations. Dubbed the “Gen Z” protests, the unrest was sparked by the introduction of an unpopular finance bill in mid-June. A month later, the bill was withdrawn, but protests have persisted and at least...
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AI Art Valuations Are Starting to Give Some Market Players an Edge
Until the past few decades, the art market was a largely analog world, guided by word-of-mouth, reputation, specialized knowledge, and “context.” That traditional structure has kept information in the hands of a tight coterie of power brokers. But new technology has begun to upend that paradigm in recent years through NFT platforms, live-streamed auctions, online...
Shepard Fairey Endorses Kamala Harris with ‘FORWARD’ Poster
Shepard Fairey released his first Presidency-themed artwork in more than a decade with the latest Kamala Harris poster FORWARD. The poster draws on the Democratic nominee’s slogan and the party’s rallying cry, “We are not going back.” It portrays Harris in profile, looking confident with a slight smile and gazing upward, with the word “FORWARD” written in big capital...
Pilot Study Uses Recycled Glass to Grow Plants for Salsa Ingredients
Tortilla chips and fresh salsa are tasty in themselves, but they could be even more appealing if you grow the ingredients in a sustainable way. Researchers report that cilantro, bell pepper and jalapeño can be cultivated in recycled glass from discarded, pulverized bottles like those from beer or soda. The pilot study found that partially...
Marriage Strongly Associated with Optimal Health and Well-Being in Men as They Age
A new study that followed over 7,000 Canadians, middle-aged and older, for approximately three years found that married men or men who became married during the study period were twice as likely to age optimally compared to their never-married male peers. Among women, those who had never married were twice as likely to age optimally...
Two Thirds of Baby Foods in U.S. Grocery Stores Are Unhealthy, Study Shows
A staggering 60 percent of infant and toddler foods fail to meet nutritional recommendations, and none meet promotional requirements set by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to new research published today in the scientific journal Nutrients. 1 In the absence of US-specific nutrition or promotional guidelines for these foods, researchers at The George Institute for Global...
China Leans into Using AI − Even as the U.S. Leads in Developing It
In the competitive arena of global technology, China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence stand out – not just for their scale but for their distinct strategic approach. In 2017, the Chinese Communist Party declared its intent to surpass the United States to become the world leader in AI by 2030. This plan, however, is less about...
Rural Voters Don’t Necessarily Love Walz, Despite the Camo Hat and Small-Town Upbringing
The selection of Tim Walz as Kamala Harris’ running mate has sparked a wave of commentary suggesting that simply by elevating a former small-town football coach to the candidacy for vice president, Democrats will naturally secure the allegiance of rural voters nationwide. At first glance, such analysis – tinged with wishful thinking – seems self-evident....
Climate Migration Comes Home
A review of Abrahm Lustgarden, “On the Move” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2024) The sky was burnt orange and the smoke was coming. If the fire advanced through the buffer zone, it would reach his California town and then his porch. He suddenly understood why Ellen from down the road was considering fleeing to somewhere like...
MIT Study Explains Why Laws Are Written in an Incomprehensible Style
Legal documents are notoriously difficult to understand, even for lawyers. This raises the question: Why are these documents written in a style that makes them so impenetrable? MIT cognitive scientists believe they have uncovered the answer to that question. Just as “magic spells” use special rhymes and archaic terms to signal their power, the convoluted...