Few species evoke as much fascination, amusement and attraction as do bears. Through much of our history, bears have held a special significance—from the comforting presence of a child’s teddy bear to symbols of power, protection and untamed nature in modern societies and countless indigenous…
The global Muslim population totalled 1.6 billion in 2010 and is forecasted to increase dramatically to 2.8 billion in 2050 according to Pew Research Center. In the latter part of this century, Islam is expected to exceed Christianity as the largest religion in the world.
Dengue is a viral disease many of us, particularly in Asia, are familiar with. After all, more than 40% of the world’s population live in endemic areas.
Statistics show that dengue cases have multiplied eight folds within the past 20 years, causing up to 390 million infections per year globally.…
Aleatoric music has existed in one form or another in western art music for centuries, having become something of a staple of Modern Music of the 20th and 21st centuries. One 18th century form of aleatoric music involved dice, with the composer creating snippets of music that could be performed in…
In 1877, then student at Magdalen College, Oscar Wilde was twice summoned by the University of Oxford proctors to appear before the University Court concerning a £30 debt involving fashionable goods. Wilde had ordered a felt hat, a superior suit and silk scarves from Joseph Muir, tailor and…
Many managers understand the importance of international strategy, which refers to a firm’s international diversification. In my recent study, I found that for publicly listed firms in the United Kingdom, the proportion of firms with foreign assets grew from 4% in 1990 to 36% in 2016. Likewise, the…
Nuclear power plants and incidences like Chernobyl and Fukushima have resulted in radiation phobia (radiophobia) — the fear that even the smallest dose of radiation is harmful.
Ironically, radiation is everywhere. We are surrounded by naturally-occurring background radiation caused by cosmic…
The year was 2000 when an unprecedented outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Singapore claimed the lives of five children. Professor Poh Chit Laa, then a researcher at National University of Singapore, felt herself grieving with a mother who lost two children to the disease. She…
In 1994, I was playing the trombone on the main stage in a cruise ship somewhere on the Caribbean Sea. I was playing with the 5th Dimension, a pop/soul/R&B band that had its biggest hits almost 30 years earlier. While performing, I was flooded with emotion from a long-lost memory.
Most people…
Professor Yuka Fujimoto lived in Japan until she was 12, and then continued her schooling in Malaysia. By age 16, she moved to Australia and found herself as one of the few Asian students in her grade at a high school in the countryside of Toowoomba. “People didn’t understand why I ate rice,” she…
Park benches are an everyday feature in most parts of the world. Typically, they offer respite for tired legs, a momentary break from the office or a moment’s rest while the children burn-off excess energy. You might not think of them as the basis for art but for Professor Matthew Sansom, they have…
