Author: Mohammed Abbasi

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Five intellectual fashion statements from history that anticipated today’s dark academia trend

Mohammed Abbasi

Serena Dyer, De Montfort University Writing with a quill pen dipped in ink, sitting in the flickering of candlelight in a book-lined study, and vintage tweed paired with knitted jumpers and brogues have all become the height of fashion for autumn 2021. Known as dark academia, this trend has brought the hallowed halls of ancient universities to the digital worlds of TikTok and Instagram. On Instagram, the tag #darkacademia now has over 1 million posts, and Grazia has named the aesthetic as autumn 2021’s biggest trend. The TikTok generation has keenly embraced the tweedy cosiness of scholarly life. Centred around … Continue reading Five intellectual fashion statements from history that anticipated today’s dark academia trend

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Star Trek Holodeck is coming soon!

Mohammed Abbasi

We created holograms you can touch – you could soon shake a virtual colleague’s hand Ravinder Dahiya, University of Glasgow The TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced millions of people to the idea of a holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with and even touch. In the 21st century, holograms are already being used in a variety of ways such as medical systems, education, art, security and defence. Scientists are still developing ways to use lasers, modern digital processors, and motion-sensing technologies to create several different types of holograms which … Continue reading Star Trek Holodeck is coming soon!

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Liz Truss: three areas where the new foreign secretary will have the most influence

Mohammed Abbasi

Jamie Gaskarth, The Open University In naming her as the new foreign secretary, Boris Johnson has handed Liz Truss a bewildering array of global problems and relationships to manage. Foreign secretary is a difficult role, quite distinct from other posts in government. Many occupants are criticised for a lack of vision – which comes partly from a lack of control over events. Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger described diplomacy as “the patient accumulation of partial successes”. It is difficult for a minister to point to specific achievements and in any case the prime minister will often steal their … Continue reading Liz Truss: three areas where the new foreign secretary will have the most influence

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North Korea, nuclear proliferation and why the ‘madman theory’ is wrong about Kim Jong-un

Mohammed Abbasi

Colin Alexander, Nottingham Trent University The two missile tests conducted by North Korea in recent days have reopened discussions about the country, its leadership, its foreign policy, its perception around the world and the use (and usefulness) of nuclear weapons as an option within global politics. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency announced on September 12 that it had test-fired a new long-range cruise missile, believed by analysts to be the country’s first missile with the capacity to carry a nuclear warhead. Three days later the South Korean military said the North had launched “two unidentified ballistic missiles” into … Continue reading North Korea, nuclear proliferation and why the ‘madman theory’ is wrong about Kim Jong-un

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Grammar still matters

Mohammed Abbasi

But teachers are struggling to teach it Willem Hollmann, Lancaster University Do you know what a suffix is, or how to distinguish adjectives from adverbs? If you have a six or seven-year-old, the chances are they do. Or at least, the UK government now says they should – by the end of year 2, to be specific. In year 3, primary schoolers turn their attention to prefixes and conjunctions. By the time pupils head to secondary school, they are expected to know what determiners and adverbials are. They should be able to recognise a relative clause as a special type of … Continue reading Grammar still matters

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Chile has a growing Muslim community

Mohammed Abbasi

but few know about it Michael Vicente Perez, University of Memphis and Matthew Ingalls, American University in Dubai Nora is a rare sight at the Universidad de Chile. Dressed in a long abaya, or Islamic robe, that covers all but her hands and face, her outfit distinguishes her from other students on campus. In between classes, she’ll often seek a quiet, sheltered space to lay out a small carpet and pray. If one were to ask Nora, as we did, about her distinct appearance on campus, she would say she doesn’t mind. She’s content with her dress, her prayers and the … Continue reading Chile has a growing Muslim community

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What contaminants lurk in the UK’s drinking water?

Mohammed Abbasi

An expert explains Vanessa Speight, University of Sheffield Recently, a school project made an alarming discovery: the presence of five times the recommended maximum amount of lead in water samples taken from 14 schools across the UK. Lead is a toxin which even at low levels is capable of affecting children’s brain development and reducing their IQ. The news might well make the British public worry about what exactly is lurking in their drinking water. Installing lead pipes in the UK’s drinking-water network has been banned for decades, but about eight million old buildings may still have lead pipes in service. … Continue reading What contaminants lurk in the UK’s drinking water?

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Atomic-sized primordial black holes:

Mohammed Abbasi

What new experimental evidence suggests Oscar del Barco Novillo, Universidad de Murcia Since the earliest times, human beings have wanted to explain the most unpredictable and disturbing phenomena in the universe. Although the study of astronomy has been a constant in all civilisations, astronomical events of a more “unpredictable” nature, such as comets or eclipses, were considered an “omen of misfortune” and/or “actions of the gods”. The fall of the Saxon king Harold II in 1066, during the Norman invasion of William the Conqueror, was attributed to the bad omen from the passage of a comet (later baptised as “Halley”). And … Continue reading Atomic-sized primordial black holes:

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‘Fortress USA’: How 9/11 produced a military industrial juggernaut

Mohammed Abbasi

Clare Corbould, Deakin University Since the September 11 terror attacks, there has been no hiding from the increased militarisation of the United States. Everyday life is suffused with policing and surveillance. This ranges from the inconvenient, such as removing shoes at the airport, to the dystopian, such as local police departments equipped with decommissioned tanks too big to use on regular roads. This process of militarisation did not begin with 9/11. The American state has always relied on force combined with the de-personalisation of its victims. The army, after all, dispossessed First Nations peoples of their land as settlers pushed … Continue reading ‘Fortress USA’: How 9/11 produced a military industrial juggernaut

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Tiga cara sistem pendidikan Indonesia bisa berperan mencegah radikalisme dan ideologi kekerasan

Mohammed Abbasi

Muhamad Bill Robby, PUSKAPA; Chaula Rininta Anindya, Ritsumeikan University, dan Putri K. Amanda, PUSKAPA Dalam menangani kasus terorisme, pemerintah Indonesia seringkali mengandalkan pendekatan keamanan, misalnya dengan banyak melakukan penangkapan terhadap terduga kelompok terorisme. Meski penangkapan telah banyak dilakukan, insiden seperti bom bunuh diri masih terus terjadi. Bahkan, beberapa di antaranya dilatarbelakangi keinginan balas dendam pelaku atas penangkapan yang dilakukan terhadap anggota kelompok mereka. Ini dapat mengindikasikan bahwa pendekatan keamanan hanya efektif untuk merespons insiden terkini, namun tidak efektif sebagai solusi jangka panjang. Sementara itu, strategi penanggulangan terorisme secara global telah berkembang sehingga tidak terbatas pada pendekatan keamanan saja, tapi juga … Continue reading Tiga cara sistem pendidikan Indonesia bisa berperan mencegah radikalisme dan ideologi kekerasan