Category: Academic Analysis
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A staircase in a small, decorative arts museum tells a harrowing story of terror, abuse and enslavement
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Susanna Ashton, Professor of English, Clemson University A monument to survival and perseverance has survived, by happenstance, to share its stories today. Courtesy of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) at Old Salem From the ages of 12 to about 22, Harriet Jacobs…
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How generative AI is really changing education by outsourcing the production of knowledge to big tech
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kimberley Hardcastle, Assistant Professor in Business & Marketing, Northumbria University, Newcastle Chay_Tee/Shutterstock Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are now used by students and teachers at every level of education. According to a report by Anthropic, the company behind Claude, 39% of student…
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Peru’s gastronomic boom risks excluding the Indigenous people whose food it celebrates
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Belinda Zakrzewska, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Birmingham Peruvians are rightly passionate about food. Their pride in Peruvian cuisine has been fuelled in the past two decades or so by a wave of international culinary awards that has forged sense of belonging and visibility on…
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Consent issues in the Twilight saga extend far beyond Bella and Edward’s age gap
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emily Hammer, PhD Candidate in Theological Ethics, University of St Andrews Most debates about the depiction of consent in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, which turns 20 this month, focus on the age gap between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. For the uninitiated, Edward is an undead…
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New hope for Huntington’s families as gene therapy shows remarkable results
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Åsa Petersén, Professor of Neuroscience, Lund University kazoka/Shutterstock.com A company called uniQure has announced promising results from a trial of a new gene therapy for Huntington’s disease. The news has spread quickly through families affected by this condition, who have been desperately waiting for a treatment…
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From pea protein to buckwheat: surprising foods that can trigger severe allergic reactions
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University Anaphylaxis can cause a red, itchy, and swollen rash, often appearing as hives (welts) or flushing on the skin. Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock Food allergies are no longer limited to the usual suspects. Peanuts and shellfish may still dominate…
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By not recognising a Palestinian state, NZ puts its own hard-won reputation on the line
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images There seems to be a mismatch between what a UN inquiry recently described as genocide in Gaza and New Zealand’s announcement at the United Nations on Saturday that it will…
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How alcohol contributes to the epidemic of liver disease
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Timothy Naimi, Director, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research; Professor, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria Research has revealed a steep increase in liver disease in recent years. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence of health harms from alcohol, including drinking at levels…
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Generative AI might end up being worthless — and that could be a good thing
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Fenwick McKelvey, Associate Professor in Information and Communication Technology Policy, Concordia University In the rush to cash in on the generative artificial intelligence gold rush, one possible outcome of AI’s future rarely gets discussed: what if the technology never works well enough to replace your co-workers,…
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Acting with one mind: Gwich’in lessons for truth and reconciliation
Source: ForeignAffairs4 Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Crystal Gail Fraser, Associate Professor, Dept. of History, Classics, & Religion and the Faculty of Native Studies, University of Alberta In the early 1920s, on the banks of the Peel River next to the community of Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territories, Dinjii Zhuh (Gwich’in) families…