COVID-19 has slashed incomes in Indonesia, spurring illegal logging, poaching and mining. The environment and wildlife habitats are taking a hit. Activists protest against a government bill they say would harm the environment, Jakarta, Indonesia, 14 July 2020. (AP...
Jews were blamed by some for spreading the Black Death plague in the Middle Ages. Now, incidents of antisemitism are on the rise during COVID-19. Only the word “masks” can still be read from an inscription that was formerly “Jews = mask...
Lockdowns under COVID-19 have kept many people away from gyms. But some are working out more. Is at-home exercise here to stay? Children exercise from the rooftop of their building during lockdown in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 17 May 2020. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) You’d be...
They’ve been around for a long time and flourish in a crisis. Conspiracy theories may seem absurd and harmless to some — but they can do damage. Activists demonstrate against 4G/5G cell towers in Los Angeles, California, 2 May 2020. (AP Photo/Damian...
Like fake news, conspiracy theories abound in today’s polarized political world. Sarah Edmonds shows that they have been around for a long time and thrive in times of crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic. In an age when facts and science are under attack, how can a student know what to believe in? Should we simply dismiss those who perpetrate conspiracy theories — or engage with them? Edmonds interviewed numerous experts for her article and skilfully weaved in their quotes — a good example for student writers. Teachers of subjects from Science to Politics can use Edmonds’s story to encourage students to suspend their prejudices and push themselves to see contrasting viewpoints.
Many Americans say they will not get inoculated if a vaccine against COVID-19 is discovered. Such distrust in science is nothing new. Russian scientists are working on a new vaccine, as shown in this photo taken in Moscow, 6 August 2020. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/...
Italy is all chaos, while Britain epitomises civility, right? Think twice, because COVID-19 has helped to turn clichés upside down. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, right, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in London, 4 February 2020 (Chris J...
Meat production contributes to global warming. Will the planet shift to plant-based meat to help avert catastrophic climate change? A conventional beef burger, left, next to a plant-based burger containing wheat protein, coconut oil and potato protein, Bellevue,...
The world’s youth will shoulder the long-term costs of COVID-19. They must play a central role in shaping the global economy and averting climate disaster. Environmental activist Greta Thunberg participates in a live chat about COVID-19 and the environment,...
Iceland has had only 10 deaths so far due to COVID-19. Testing and early use of track-and-trace have kept the new coronavirus in check. The message I received after I was tested for COVID-19 (Photos by Tira Shubart). As the world analyses COVID-19 statistics, the...
U.S. teenagers are increasingly depressed and spending more and more time on smartphones. But technology, used wisely, can make us smarter, safer and happier. A young man on his smartphone, Munich, Germany, 9 December 2014 (Tobias Hase / picture-alliance / dpa / AP...