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Untrustworthy Memories Make It Hard to Shop Ethically
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Untrustworthy Memories Make It Hard to Shop Ethically

Imagine a shopper, Sarah, who is concerned about child labor and knows about groups like the Fair Wear Foundation that certify which brands sell ethically produced clothing. Hours after learning that fashion giant H&M reportedly sells clothing made by children in risky workplaces in Burma, she goes shopping. Completely forgetting about what she just heard,...

Child Marriage Is Still Legal in the U.S.
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Child Marriage Is Still Legal in the U.S.

The recent outrage over Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore allegedly targeting teenage girls for sex has elicited reports that some evangelical churches actually encourage teenage girls to date older men. It seems unlikely that Moore was ever interested in marrying any of the women who have thus far accused him of unwanted sexual attention...

Why Do We Tell Stories? Hunter-Gatherers Shed Light on the Evolutionary Roots of Fiction
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Why Do We Tell Stories? Hunter-Gatherers Shed Light on the Evolutionary Roots of Fiction

From gathering around the campfire sharing tales to binge watching the latest Netflix series, humans are, and have always been, inveterate producers and consumers of stories. But why do we spend hours listening to and telling stories, often of exploits that never even happened? Clearly, from an evolutionary standpoint, this is time and effort that...

Social Media, the ‘Bikini Bridge’ and the Viral Contagion of Body Ideals
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Social Media, the ‘Bikini Bridge’ and the Viral Contagion of Body Ideals

What happens when you combine a cultural obsession with thinness, a bit of organised propaganda and a catchy hashtag? Enter the “bikini bridge”: the space between the bikini and the lower abdomen that occurs when bather bottoms are suspended between the two hip bones. On January 5, 2014, anonymous internet trolls on 4chan, an imageboard...

Is the British Monarchy Actually Adapting to Changing Social Norms?
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Is the British Monarchy Actually Adapting to Changing Social Norms?

Is the royal marriage story we’re being sold really a fairy tale come true? Or is it a story spun by Buckingham Palace for its own self-interest, one shrouded in myth and make-believe? In the coverage of next spring’s marriage between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, two main narratives have emerged. One is Markle’s mixed-race,...

The Concept of ‘Western Civilization’ Is Past Its Use-By Date in University Humanities Departments
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The Concept of ‘Western Civilization’ Is Past Its Use-By Date in University Humanities Departments

A number of NSW and ACT universities are vying for the opportunity to access funding from the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, which aims to “revive” liberal arts and the humanities in university education in Australia. John Howard: launched the Ramsay Centre on Monday. Dean Lewins/AAP The centre, launched on Monday by former prime minister...