Four good news climate stories from 2023: We don’t want to give you the wrong idea: things are bad. Antarctic ice sheets are melting, the fossil fuel lobby was everywhere at the COP talks, and even solutions like electric cars have their problems. And that just covers the past few weeks of this newsletter. But …
E3: why the world’s biggest video game event just closed for good – and what’s next for the industry: The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), an annual trade event for the video game industry, has been permanently cancelled by its organisers, who cited the COVID pandemic and changes in company marketing techniques as the reason for …
Why OpenAI developing an artificial intelligence that’s good at maths is such a big deal: Daboost / Shutterstock With the recent sacking and swift rehiring of Sam Altman by OpenAI, debates around the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) are once again in the spotlight. What’s more unusual is that a prominent theme in …
Embracing Ubuntu: LG’s mission to redefine the good life in South Africa: LG unveiled an updated brand philosophy, inspiring optimism in the face of uncertainty Embracing the spirit of Ubuntu, LG Electronics in South Africa is on a mission to redefine what it means for life to be good and aims to inspire and uplift …
Good Jew, Bad Jew: new book explores why the west views brutality against Ukrainians and Palestinians differently: In a recently published book Steven Friedman, who has written extensively on the political and social aspects of apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, explores the racist underpinnings of the west’s responses to Israel’s war in Gaza. This is …
Why a social media detox may not be as good for you as you think – new research: DimaBerlin/Shutterstock Whether you’re an influencer, an occasional poster, or just a lurker, you likely spend more time than you’d like on social media. Globally, working-age people with internet access now spend more than 2.5 hours per day …
Joe Biden to meet with Xi Jinping – what a good result looks like for the US president: US president, Joe Biden, is expected to meet China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in San Francisco as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) conference on Wednesday November 15. Their meeting has great significance, as the two leaders …
Bletchley declaration: international agreement on AI safety is a good start, but ordinary people need a say – not just elites: In November, the UK government held the first AI (artificial intelligence) Safety Summit in the historically resonant setting of Bletchley Park, home to the legendary second world war codebreakers led by the computing genius …
Self-control isn’t always a good thing – having too much can be bad for your mental health: Characteristics of 'overcontrolled' personalities may make a person more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness. silverkblackstock/ Shutterstock Having high self-control is often seen as a good thing. It’s believed to be key to success in many aspects …
Watching movies could be good for your mental health: Film therapy may help people process difficult emotions. Zoran Zeremski/ Shutterstock Many of us enjoy sitting down to watch a good film because of the way movies can make us feel. A sad film might help us release our emotions or a comedy might lift our …
Rosebank shows the UK’s offshore oil regulator no longer serves the public good: Igor Hotinsky / Shutterstock In a four-line statement announcing the approval of the new Rosebank oil field 80 miles west of Shetland, the UK’s offshore oil and gas regulator showed its mission no longer serves the public good. The announcement by the …
Driverless cars could be a revolution for people with disabilities – but they also have good reason to be worried: Scharfsinn / Shutterstock Like it or not, driverless cars will start to appear on our roads in the not too distant future. In theory, fully autonomous driverless vehicles will offer huge advantages to people with …
In sport, abuse is often dismissed as ‘good coaching’: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock The head coach of the Welsh men’s rugby squad, Warren Gatland, has built a reputation as one of the best coaches in the world. But his “intense training methods” have drawn comparisons to waterboarding, and his training programmes have included “psychological challenges” such as players …
Russell Brand investigation: what good journalists should have to go through to report sexual assault allegations: The allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by comedian and actor Russell Brand seemed like a bombshell scoop to many readers and viewers. But for the journalists at The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, the …
Why it’s good to talk about women’s health at work, according to research: Lucky Business/Shutterstock In the past couple of years, women’s health and wellbeing in mid to later life has gone from being whispered about in the shadows to being the subject of documentaries, newspaper articles and breakfast TV discussions. This “celebrity endorsement” of …
Rehab for South Africa’s female inmates focuses on domestic chores – instead of finding good work: Patriarchal norms influence the design of rehabilitation programmes for women in jail. Shutterstock Corrections facilities are supposed to help rehabilitate offenders. However, during apartheid, South Africa’s correctional system was a pillar of the repressive, discriminatory laws. It was used …
Johannesburg fire: there was a plan to fix derelict buildings and provide good accommodation – how to move forward: Thousands of Johannesburg inner-city residents occupy buildings in conditions like those that led to the fire at 80 Albert Street that killed at least 77 people. They are living in derelict multi-storey buildings, former office blocks, …
Ukraine war: two good reasons the world should worry about Russia’s arms purchases from North Korea: US national security council official John Kirby noted on August 30 that arms transfer negotiations between North Korea and Russia are “actively advancing” as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, seeks to feed his war machine. Under an array of …