Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-anticipated sequel to his 1988 cult classic, lands with all the macabre flair you’d expect from the director. While the film doesn’t quite capture the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of the original, it’s still a gleefully twisted ride that manages to stay true to its roots while offering up some fresh, if… Continue reading Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: a spirited return to Tim Burton’s gothic playground
In Starve Acre, director Daniel Kokotajlo delivers a haunting, slow-burning folk horror adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel. Set in 1970s Yorkshire, the film stars Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark as a grieving couple whose lives unravel as they encounter ancient, malevolent forces lurking beneath their home. Despite its strong performances and eerie atmosphere, Starve… Continue reading Starve Acre: a brooding dive into folk-horror with atmospheric weight, but lacking in scares
Sharks off the coast of Brazil’s party city Rio de Janeiro have tested positive for cocaine. The predators were consuming the potent stimulant due to its continuous release from inadequate sewage treatment facilities and clandestine refining operations, scientists wrote in a study published in Science of The Total Environment. Some may also have attacked bricks… Continue reading Sharks in Rio de Janeiro test positive for cocaine
Defining what is and isn’t a country is a lot more complicated than many people would realize. Take the case of Taiwan. On Aug. 30, 2023, a committee of the U.K. Parliament referred to Taiwan as an “independent country” in a report. This is the first time any part of the British political system has… Continue reading Is Taiwan a country or not?
Fast-fashion brand Shein expressed interest last year in listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). But, having met some opposition from US politicians, including Republican Florida senator Marco Rubio, it has now reportedly turned its attention to London. While this would be a boost for the London Stock Exchange (LSE), which has lost several organisations… Continue reading As governments crack down on fast fashion’s harms, could Shein lose its shine?
In 2024, AI is making headlines daily. We may be aware of the science, but how do we imagine AI and our relationship to it both now and in the future? Fortunately, film may provide us with some insights. Probably the best-known AI in film is HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). HAL is an… Continue reading What 70 years of AI on film can tell us about the human relationship with artificial intelligence
As the impact of climate change on communities increases, researchers are concerned about growing inequalities. The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stresses the importance of one aspect that is too often neglected by local action on climate change: considering the question of inequalities. Studies show that the people, communities… Continue reading The fight against the climate crisis must not increase inequalities
Protests that started as a student movement driven by longstanding dissatisfaction over a quota system to allocate government jobs in Bangladesh have precipitated a change in the country’s political leadership. These jobs, of which 30% were reserved for independence war veterans and their relatives, are highly sought after. The rate of youth unemployment in Bangladesh… Continue reading Unrest in Bangladesh reflects young people’s struggle to find work in the poorest nations
The United Nations verified 3,688 cases of conflict-related sexual violence around the world last year, a significant increase of 50% from 2022. This is certainly a vast underestimate of the true number of cases. A report by the UN secretary-general in April mentioned a number of specific countries where sexual violence – and conflict –… Continue reading In Myanmar’s brutal war, the military is weaponising sexual violence against women, children and LGBTQI+ people
Air pollution is an unseen menace that poses a major threat to human health and the climate. We have created the air quality stripes, a visual tool that captures global air pollution trends, to bring this hidden threat into sharp focus. Inspired by professor of climate science Ed Hawkins’ climate warming stripes, the air quality… Continue reading How air quality has changed in over 100 countries around the world since 1850
