A look at the Salesforce founder Marc Benioff’s efforts at philanthropy – the story refers to a description of him as a “clarifying agent” of our times – in that he demonstrates both the impact and the limits of what the “good billionaire” can do.
A story of a Swiss man who lived amongst the Penan in Sarawak, Malaysia – “one of the last populations of genuine nomads in the world”. Following run-ins with the Malaysian government and logging companies, and a brief repatriation to Switzerland, he returned to Sarawak undercover, only to go missing whilst trekking. Nearly 20 years later, he has never been found.
A look at how at the strange phenomenon whereby “social media, FaceTune, and plastic surgery” has resulted in “a single, cyborgian look” becoming predominant in fashion, entertainment, and media. https://bit.ly/ny-cyborgian
A review of a decade of vox pops across Britain, asking ordinary people what they think about politics and more.
The story of a tragic day on Mount Everest, and the factors that contributed to it.
A conflicted former staffer reports from ringside seats with the far-right controversialist Alex Jones.
A meditative piece on the value of reading books, in comparison with our digital lives – “the internet, is a nowhere space, a shallow time. It is a flat and impenetrable surface. But with a book, we dive in; we are sucked in; we are immersed, body and soul.”
A look at the travails at Facebook’s proposed alternative financial system.
A fine look at the landmark documentary series Up, that has met a group of people every seven years throughout their lives, and has just released its latest instalment with its subjects aged sixty-three. As the author notes the series plays with the idea that to “spend time with a child is to dwell under the terms of an uneasy truce between the possibility of the present and the inevitability of the future”.
A look at the delicate balance that President Obama has had to strike since Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton, and latterly since his former Vice President Joe Biden threw his hat into the ring for the 2020 election. He has not shown his hand, consulting liberally with many candidates, and preparing to intervene only once the Democratic nominee is decided.