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Culture

Essays and videos on the arts, literature, travel, rituals and celebrations
ArchitectureArtBiography and memoirDance and theatreDesign and fashionFilm and visual cultureFood and drinkHomeMusicNature and landscapeRituals and celebrationsSports and gamesStories and literatureSubculturesTravel
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Cyclists in a professional race riding in rainy conditions. The leading cyclist in a blue jersey raises his arms in victory, with other cyclists closely following behind on the wet road. Everyone is wearing helmets and sunglasses for protection.
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essay

Sports and games

Performance-enhancing vices

Selfishness channels ambition, envy drives competition, pride aids the win. Does it take a bad person to be a good athlete?

Sabrina Little

Sepia photograph of an older man with long curly hair and a full beard and moustache, wearing a white shirt with a dark suit. His expression appears thoughtful, and he is looking slightly to his right.
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video

Stories and literature

To capture grief in poetry is to describe the ineffable. Here’s why Tennyson did it best

8 minutes

A person with light blonde hair, wearing a dark hoodie, stands on a cliff by the sea, holding a bird. The sea is rough with waves crashing against the rocks, and several rock formations are visible in the misty background.
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video

Childhood and adolescence

The unique fellowship between teens and young puffins on a remote Icelandic island

20 minutes

A colourful, abstract image featuring a large, black and white bird in flight. The background is a swirling mix of purple, orange, and yellow hues. A small figure of a child walks in the distance, casting a long shadow.
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essay

Ageing and death

Peregrinations of grief

A friend and a falcon went missing. In pain, I turned to ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ – and found a new vision of sorrow and time

Emily Polk

Medieval manuscript illustration of a dragon with a red head, green and blue wings, and a snake-like tail, standing on a hill. The dragon is bordered by a decorative green frame with circular patterns and a blue border with white rings. The background features golden leaf motifs.
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video

Animals and humans

Why be dragons? How massive, reptilian beasts entered our collective imagination

58 minutes

Open books arranged in a grid with pages featuring bright, hand-painted floral designs. The centre book displays a large, greyish-black abstract shape. Some of the book pages have visible text, creating a blend of art and literature.
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video

Rituals and celebrations

Flirtation, negotiation and vodka – or how to couple up in 1950s rural Poland

5 minutes

A historical painting of a woman in a detailed blue and silver gown with lace sleeves. She wears a pearl necklace and a hat adorned with white and pink flowers. The background features a golden tapestry and dark pillars.
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essay

Stories and literature

Her blazing world

Margaret Cavendish’s boldness and bravery set 17th-century society alight, but is she a feminist poster-girl for our times?

Francesca Peacock

Close-up image of a hand holding a pile of vibrant red powder, possibly a spice or pigment, displaying a textured and granular surface. The background is blurred, ensuring the focus remains on the red powder and the hand.
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video

Biology

How the world’s richest reds are derived from an innocuous Mexican insect

5 minutes

A black-and-white photo of a group of men sitting close together, some with mouths open as if singing or speaking. In the blurry background, additional people are seated around a table. The scene appears to be inside a room with a warm, communal atmosphere.
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essay

Music

Folk music was never green

Don’t be swayed by the sound of environmental protest: these songs were first sung in the voice of the cutter, not the tree

Richard Smyth

Illustration of soldiers in action, with one leading the charge and another crawling forward. Both wear military uniforms with helmets and carry rifles. The background is a vibrant red, enhancing the sense of urgency and movement.
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essay

Stories and literature

On Jewish revenge

What might a people, subjected to unspeakable historical suffering, think about the ethics of vengeance once in power?

Shachar Pinsker

A serene landscape of snowy trees and hills set against a backdrop of a yellow sky and blue mountain range. A bird can be seen flying near the edge of a tall tree on the left, and snow-covered branches frame the scene on the right.
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video

Stories and literature

Robert Frost’s poetic reflection on youth, as read in his unforgettable baritone

5 minutes

Two wooden chairs with a unique, organic design stand in a lush garden surrounded by green plants and yellow flowers. A small tree in the background appears to be pruned in an artistic manner, enhancing the natural aesthetic.
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essay

Design and fashion

Sitting on the art

Given its intimacy with the body and deep play on form and function, furniture is a ripely ambiguous artform of its own

Emma Crichton Miller

Two people, both wearing backpacks, stand outdoors with trees in the background. They are reaching out towards each other with extended arms but not touching. The text on the image reads, “how do we touch when we can’t?”
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video

Film and visual culture

‘Bags here are rarely innocent’ – how filmmakers work around censorship in Iran

8 minutes

Colourful illustration of a whimsical character in a top hat and bow tie, holding a clock showing 13 o’clock. The background is filled with smaller images of the same character. The character’s eyes are spirals, and gears and bubbles are also present in the image.
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essay

Consciousness and altered states

Acid media

How perforated squares of trippy blotter paper allowed outlaw chemists and wizard-alchemists to dose the world with LSD

Erik Davis

A person with glasses and dark hair stands against a plain white wall, wearing a red velvet short-sleeved top and light blue jeans, extending an open hand forward. Subtitles at the bottom of the image read, “Let me show you.”
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video

Language and linguistics

Closed captions suck. Here’s one artist’s inventive project to make them better

8 minutes

A person is sitting on the edge of a traditional Japanese building, looking out at a lush garden with green trees. Bright daylight illuminates the foliage, creating a serene, contemplative atmosphere. The interior of the building is dim, providing a sharp contrast to the vibrant outdoor scenery.
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video

Architecture

The celebrated architect who took inspiration from sitting, waiting and contemplating

29 minutes

Ancient cave painting depicting animals, primarily in red and black hues, on a textured stone surface inside the Altamira Cave. The artwork shows detailed imagery of bison and other figures, with visible cracks and natural formations of the cave ceiling.
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essay

Archaeology

Why make art in the dark?

New research transports us back to the shadowy firelight of ancient caves, imagining the minds and feelings of the artists

Izzy Wisher

Two men sit on a wooden beam by a dock. One man faces away, wearing a cap and jeans, while the other is partially obscured by an open door, holding a small item. A large cargo ship and bridge are visible in the background, along with a waterside warehouse.
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essay

Stories and literature

Do liberal arts liberate?

In Jack London’s novel, Martin Eden personifies debates still raging over the role and purpose of education in American life

Nick Romeo

A young girl wearing a helmet and holding a skateboard stands in a skatepark. Behind her, a large mural of a reclining figure with colourful hair and clothing covers one wall. In the background, a skateboarder rides down a ramp near brick buildings. The sky is clear.
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video

Subcultures

Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community

5 minutes

An early morning view across an old bridge towards the spires of a historic medieval city partially obscured by fog
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essay

Home

Return of the descendants

I migrated to my ancestral homeland in a search for identity. It proved to be a humbling experience in (un)belonging

Jessica Buchleitner

A group of people dressed in winter clothing pull on a thick rope anchored in the snow while standing on a snowy landscape. The group is lined up in a row, working together with the ocean and cloudy sky in the background.
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video

Rituals and celebrations

A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle

8 minutes

Watercolour painting of a landscape with a vivid yellow sky, a band of orange clouds, and a purple mountain. The foreground is dark with indistinct shapes resembling foliage or trees.
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video

Music

The peculiar beauty of a song caught between composition and improvisation

3 minutes

A family gathered in a living room for a celebration. They are smiling and posing for a photo with a table in front of them, adorned with red candles, a mirror, apples, and a green plant. Shelves in the background hold books and decorative items. The atmosphere is warm and festive.
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video

Rituals and celebrations

A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth

3 minutes

Close-up of a person lighting a cigarette with a lighter in a dim, smoky environment.
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video

Love and friendship

Love looks a bit different for a chain-smoking couple in a small apartment

11 minutes