BY: MICHAEL LYONS I was marginally involved with Toronto-based feminist game making initiative, Dames Making Games, when a tweet from Kara Stone graced my feed in late May. “WHO WANTS TO PLAY DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS WITH ME? IT’S FOR RESEARCH…
Unschooling is education that throws curriculum to the wind and puts the focus on passion
BY: CHRISTINE CELIS When you meet seven-year old Jacob for the first time, you would be charmed by his politeness and his ability to recognize flags and capitals of various countries in the world. You would expect him to be…
Is this 55-year old homeless fashionista more stylish than you? (PHOTOS)
BY: YURKO DYACHYSHYN Collected from city trash bins and homeless aid centres, Slavik changes his clothes at least once every day. With each shift in wardrobe, Slavik restyles his beard and hair, always remembering to shave his armpits. In this…
74% of men say they’d have an affair if they wouldn’t be caught: this mistress tells all
BY: CHRISTINE CELIS Ashley Madison, an online dating site with the slogan “life is short, have an affair”, is a safe haven for the adulterous and like-minded. The site has attracted 22 million users, is available in over 16 languages…
A newly-constructed Japanese train travels 500km/hr by levitating above the tracks
BY: PILGRIM Japan recently constructed a train that travels at 500km/hr (311mph) by floating above the tracks using magnetic levitation—and it’s about to be opened for public use. The first 100 people ever recently had the opportunity to ride the…
Researchers have developed a process to convert algae into crude oil in under an hour
BY: EMMA MCINTOSH Turning algae into crude oil is a process that is so inexpensive that the fuel could be sold for as low as $2 per gallon, according to a study done by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that…
Science proves that hip-hop cures depression
BY: PILGRIM Hip-hop is a notoriously conceited genre, the musicians constantly boasting about their Lamborghinis, big-butted booty-calls, and magnificent estates. It’s strangely un-relatable content given that the genre’s primary listenership is impoverished youth. Yet from Rick Ross’s gold-chains to R.Kelly’s…
A feminist’s take on what’s wrong with feminism
BY: JESSICA BURDE I am a feminist. It is a label I embrace, and I’m proud of the achievements of the feminist movement. But I’m not blind to the flaws of feminism. From the earliest days of women’s suffrage, feminists…
The Netherlands’ Black Pete tradition is definitely the most racist way to celebrate Christmas
BY: PILGRIM On November 15th, 2014, 90 protesters were arrested for demonstrating against the ‘Black Pete’ festival in Gouda, Netherlands, holding signs and wearing shirts that read, “Black Pete is Racism.” Mass demonstrations against Black Pete have become increasingly prominent…
Imagine waking up paralyzed and trapped in a nightmare: Sleep Paralysis
BY: HANNAH WRIGHT Imagine coming out of a dream, attempting to awaken and rise from your bed, only to find that you are completely unable to move. Aside from this, you sometimes experience a plethora of colourful hallucinations. You lie…
In Nicaragua, Volcano Boarding Is A Real Thing
BY: PILGRIM Cerro Negro (Black Hill) is home to Nicaragua’s most intense boarding sport: Volcano Boarding. Imagine, smoke rising up from the crumbling rocks beneath your make-shift wooden board as you plummet 30 – 60 mph down the face of…
The Scarehouse: Poverty, Heartache & Exhaustion Are The Diet Of Any Good Filmmaker
BY: TED BARNABY Gavin Michael Booth tells me that his film career is all his father’s fault. Growing up, Booth’s father exposed him to a number of classics—if slightly age inappropriate—cult films (Indiana Jones, Return of the Jedi, Highlander etc.)…
The Beekeeper Stands Between Humans And Extinction (Documentary)
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA There is a tiny insect that labours so tirelessly that our very lives depend on their work. According to the British Beekeepers Association a single bee colony pollinates 4,000 m² of fruit trees and 70 different…
Portraits of Movember heroes and their faces of glory
BY: KAILEE MANDEL Movember participants cultivate their lip sweaters to raise awareness for men’s health, to assert their manliness over clean-shaven peasants and to compare their face art with other moustache men of the most stylish and luxurious order. Here…
Why Our Lives Are Not And Should Never Be Like Reality TV
BY: AYA TSINTZIRAS When young adult author Kathleen Hale read a negative review of her first novel on the popular site Goodreads, she didn’t shrug it off. Instead, she wanted to connect with the person behind the screen, and found…
Scientists Discover Both Good & Bad News For The Brains of Pot Smokers
BY: AYA TSINTZIRAS A new study has good and bad news for regular pot smokers: it appears that marijuana affects the brain, making one region smaller yet also increasing its connectivity. Researchers at the University of Texas recently published a…
MacGyver your own orgasm with these DIY sex toys.
BY: AL DONATO Sex is an industry. Even if you’re not literally buying it, you’re paying for ways to make it happen, make it better, or in the case of sex toys, substitute it. The sleek, brightly-coloured toys sold by…
These Photographs Will Challenge Your Perception of The Israel-Palestine Binary
BY: KEN CENDO Ken Cendo shows the Israel-Palestine conflict with humility by depicting the daily lives of both sides of the conflict. Despite the media binary, these photos remind us of the familiar humanness that is constant on both sides…
Three mothers share their stories of raising transgender children in the face of adversity
BY: JESSICA BURDE Fifty percent of them will have attempted suicide at least once by their 20th birthday, according to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program. Politicians, religious leaders, and business owners can endlessly debate the validity of trans* rights, but…
Neil Harbisson Is A Colour-Blind Artist Who Can Hear The Sound Of Colour
BY: PILGRIM Neil Harbisson is a British-born artist who was born with one major creative disadvantage: he’s colour blind. Luckily, Harbisson was able to rectify this unfortunate artistic drawback with the help of technology. Harbisson is the first person to…