My recollections of summer 2016, in all their vividness, often have me worried that I am dismissing the larger, more uncomfortable details that dotted that year. What more could I have asked for at eleven, after all? The weather was absolutely perfect. The beach was never too full. Starbucks produced new drinks like the CEO […]
Tag: COVID-19
How the Pandemic Unmasked Science
When asked, most people likely can’t produce an objective definition that separates the discipline of science from other related academic fields. Falsification, proposed by Karl Popper in 1934, is a method of defining science that asserts science must be “falsifiable,” capable of being proven wrong with evidence from a new experiment. This also implies replicability […]
Washington Exits: WHO Cares?
In recent years, the U.S. and the World Health Organization (WHO) have had a relationship that makes Hollywood breakups look tame. In 2020, President Donald Trump walked out, slamming the door on what he called a dysfunctional, China-biased bureaucracy. A year later, Biden rushed to patch things up, eager to restore American influence in global […]
Fitness Influencers and the Unseen Market of Teenage Exploitation
Being trapped inside the house for months during the COVID-19 lockdowns gave everyone new options for how to spend their newfound free time: one could turn to binge-watching a new Netflix series, picking up a new hobby, or for many, attempting a new workout regimen. Thanks to social media, during quarantine, it became a trend […]
A Comprehensive Defense of Astrology
Cancers are sensitive. Virgos are uptight. Leos are passionate. Everyone is uncertain. Throughout history, humans have placed varying amounts of faith in the unknown. Whether that be the vengeful gods of Ancient Greece or the Catholic saints who still maintain relevance in some cultures, the belief that there is something beyond what we can sense […]
The First Amendment Security Blanket
Prior to January 24th 2021, if you were to open up Spotify and click on the “Podcasts & Shows” tab, “The Joe Rogan Experience” would take up the entire top half of your screen. This Spotify exclusive is the largest podcast in the world, where notoriously controversial comedian Joe Rogan has smoked marijuana with Elon […]
Clipping Hong Kong’s Wings: Cathay Pacific’s Downward Spiral, and How Hong Kong Will Suffer
The image of a Cathay Pacific 747 on final approach towards Kai Tak Airport, making a sweeping turn over Checkerboard Hill, mere feet above the sprawling concrete apartments and neon signs of Kowloon, forever remains ingrained in the consciousness of Hongkongers as a symbol of their city. Today, people can no longer witness this sight […]
Misinformation: A Catch-22 For Facebook And Big Tech? Hint: The Future Is Not Meta
In today’s world, information is a valuable currency. While the age of social media has inarguably broadened our horizons and our accessibility to information, our society is facing a massive crisis of counterfeiting due to the flood of misinformation. Social media sites and big technology companies continue to grace headlines for their oversight or lack […]
A Tale of Two Cities and Their Homelessness Crises During COVID-19
New York and San Francisco have quite the reputations for their homeless populations, but there is one key difference between these two cities. Although New York City has a similar rate of homelessness to San Francisco, only 5% of homeless New Yorkers were unsheltered in 2020. On the other hand, nearly 75% of San Francisco’s […]
Who Calls the Shots?: Vaccine Inequity in Africa
Vaccine scarcity. Vaccine famine. Vaccine apartheid. An indictment on humanity. In whatever colorful language it is couched, the conclusion is the same: Africa is not getting vaccinated, and something needs to be done. Since Africa announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 in February of last year, the pandemic has broken over the continent in […]