Cracks in Everything
The death of philosophy or the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
Philosophy is dead. At least, it is according to renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, who believes the discipline hasn’t kept up with modern developments in science to the extent that it has nothing relevant to say about the meaning of life any more. But has science really replaced philosophy as the means that people use of interpreting...
Uncontacted.
Old myths and new photos
An old favourite of anthropological romanticism hit the news this week, with the release of a new set of photos of one of the “uncontacted tribes” in the Brazilian rainforest whose existence is under threat from illegal logging. This coincides with the broadcast of the jungles episode of BBC pop-anth documentary Human Planet during the...
Skin Deep
Beauty and Status
Skin whitening is big business in the Philippines – in fact it is pretty difficult to find beauty products such as moisturisers, anti-perspirants and even soaps, that don’t contain bleach or some other whitening agent. All over Manila there are giant billboards expounding the whitening properties of scientific-sounding products like...
Part Four
The Sigh of the Wind and the Foam on the Sea
My stomach must have woken before my head, for I came round coughing up a bitter yellow bile. I heaved myself up to my knees to avoid choking and stayed motionless for a while as I waited for my guts to settle; but not entirely motionless, for the floor was swaying quite disconcertingly. I gripped the wooden floorboards with my fingertips to steady myself and forced my head up to look around.
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