Inside the big fat Indian wedding: conservatism, competition, and networks

Jan 13, 2017 15:06 pm UTC| Life

Indian weddings are most famously imagined as enormous spectacles. This image is surely real, though representative of a small segment of the Indian population, and realised only in the world of the super-rich. Some...

From rural Kenya to a PhD in astronomy: how partnerships made it possible

Jan 13, 2017 14:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

I grew up in a Kenyan village with dark skies and vivid stars. We admired the sky and listened to stories about it told by the elders. There were few expectations that the children in our village would ever understand the...

Breathing without living: the plight of Christians in Pakistan

Jan 12, 2017 14:43 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

The year 2017 will be one of peace and love, Naheed Naz told me. There is nothing in the scriptures about it, but Jesus puts feelings in your heart about what is going to happen. It is a matter of faith and we believe in...

The unintended consequences of UNESCO world heritage listing

Jan 11, 2017 18:07 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

The principle of world heritage promoted by UNESCO is of crucial importance at a time when tourism has become a global phenomenon, involving more than a billion people and generating an annual revenue of nearly US$1245...

Why Tolkien's fantastic imaginary languages have had more impact than Esperanto

Jan 11, 2017 17:44 pm UTC| Life

A hundred years ago this month, JRR Tolkien began writing The Fall of Gondolin while on medical leave from the war. This is the first story in what would become his legendarium the mythology that underpins The Lord of the...

Its official: inequality, climate change and social polarisation are bad for you

Jan 11, 2017 17:35 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

This years Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum warns that rising income inequality and societal polarisation could create further problems if urgent action isnt taken - and thats after the car-crash that was...

Slave heritage is big business, tainting the diaspora's bonds with Africa

Jan 11, 2017 16:11 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Ghanas meandering coast is dotted with numerous forts and castles. These monuments were built between the 15th and 17th centuries by early modern European chartered companies. They were initially used for trading gold and...