In the past decade, we have seen the meteoric rise of the ‘mindfulness industry’. The revenue of the most popular meditation app, Headspace, for example, is estimated to be over $50m a year. Following in the footsteps and success of Headspace, we have seen an influx of other meditation and mindfulness apps, such as Calm,…
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In 2013, the whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the British spy agency, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), tapped fibre-optic cables for access to our personal communications (including emails, Facebook posts, internet histories, and phone calls), and then shared this information with the National Security Agency (NSA), the major spy agency in the US. The Snowden…
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There are various issues with drug scheduling systems around the world. In the eyes of many researchers, the way we classify drugs is far from evidence-based and makes no sense. The legal framework in which drugs exist, some argue, is largely based on tradition, fear, and ignorance. The correct way to respond to these issues…
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With all the new tech, we have evolved into a world with many modern conveniences that help us do everything from work to think. In many cases, this can be a positive thing but there are some things that end up having adverse effects on our mental health. For example, social media hype and smartphone…
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Recreational contrarianism is the behaviour of adopting an unpopular, contrary position for the sake of enjoyment. Similar to a provocateur, a recreational contrarian likes to provoke others, but does so specifically in matters of debate, in order to attain the high that comes with eliciting shock, outrage, and attention. Being able to influence such a…
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