Americans consume twice as many material goods today as they did 50 years ago. As a result, most homes are full of junk. This has started to raise questions in the mind of the average consumer. How often do I actually use the arc welder I bought five years ago to do one job? Do I really need seven sets of wine glasses? Why is my shed full of plant pots when I haven’t planted anything for years?
The most popular course ever at Yale? Surely Political Science, CompSci, Global Affairs, one of those? They are the courses that young, ambitious ivy leaguers need to launch their professional careers, right?
Each religion’s followers tend to believe that their religion is true and others are fake. There is a reluctance to explore other religions for fear of being ‘led astray’, and this reluctance is born of and reinforced by peer pressure, conformity and groupthink. This is why some people find objects of suspicion in things as superficial as other religions’ followers’ clothing, rituals, food, and even hairstyles.
In Copenhagen there is a two-Michelin-star restaurant called Noma which has been ranked Best Restaurant in the World by Restaurant Magazine four times. It was co-founded by René Redzepi, a Dane who had previously worked at world-famous restaurants El Bulli, The French Laundry and Le Jardin des Sens. Redzepi is a pretty serious foodie. Noma has been central in the development of a cuisine known as the New Nordic Diet.
Elite athletes are special people who exist on a different plane from the average person. They are driven to succeed at all costs. But sporting authorities have drawn a line in the sand that can bring famous careers to an end if crossed: no performance-enhancing drugs. The world of doping in sport is therefore a delicately-poised knife edge of conflict, deception, and brinkmanship.
Smart cities aim to provide their residents with improved public services and better quality of life by investing in digital technologies. They also emphasize community involvement in the running of the city. With the key stakeholders (citizens) participating more directly in matters of infrastructure, mobility, environment, sustainability and economy, their city functions better and serves their needs and desires more efficiently. Digital technology aids citizens by providing real-time monitoring of services and utilities, and the ability to respond to changing needs in real time.
What did the Romans ever do for us? Well, they gave us roads, sanitation, a legal system, and lots of cool gadgets. The Greeks weren’t half bad either. Some of the great engineering feats of history were accomplished two millennia or so before our own era, which we tend rather arrogantly to consider the pinnacle of technology.
The Open College in the UK is offering a course in Dog Psychology. Upon completion you will have earned the right to have after your name the designatory letters Dip.Dog.Psy and will be awarded with a Diploma Certificate bearing the title.
It’s a cruel fact that the world’s call centres and fast food restaurants are full of workers who have an arts degree but don’t know how to capitalise on it. World famous Central Saint Martins arts and design college aims to change this. It doesn’t just train people to be arty and then release them into the wild to fend for themselves – it also offers a trio of courses in business skills aimed at helping students live their dream and make a living from it.
Despite globalization, each country and region has its own business systems and culture. From one country to another there can be dramatic differences in how people view authority, how much personal responsibility they take for their companies’ fortunes, and how organisations are structured. Finance and accounting methods vary widely. HR practices are by no means homogeneous around the globe. So executives working in global business need to be made aware of these regional differences and develop the ability to function effectively within them and transition smoothly between them.
Bletchley Park, a suburb of Milton Keynes in England, was central to World War Two intelligence efforts. Scientists including Alan Turing designed the first ever electric programmable computer there (Colossus) and used it to crack the Nazi’s Enigma Code. Bletchley Park is synonymous with British codebreaking and also now houses the National Museum of Computing.
