By: Lauren Ali ALL IMAGES BY CHRISTOPHER PAYNE/BENRUBI GALLERY When you think of the word ‘asylum’ or ‘mental hospital,’ some fairly disturbing images come to mind. Asylums are often overshot and easily become cheesy subject manner among photographers, as everyone…
Research finds retweeting and resharing may actually hinder your learning abilities
BY: Adrian Smith Maybe social media isn’t the best place to share what you’re ‘learning’ online. After doing a couple of experiments, researchers at Cornell and Beijing University revealed that the cognitive effects of retweeting and re-sharing information online could be…
The unusual ‘Dr. Seuss House’ that overlooks North America’s tallest mountain
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Deep in the Alaskan Wilderness, nestled among the trees sits Goose Creek Tower. If you keep your eye to the sky, you definitely can’t miss it, as the architectural wonder towers above the treetops and looks as…
Hunter S. Thompson once spread a rumor of a presidential candidate’s drug addiction and it was taken seriously
BY: M.TOMOSKI After spending a few tedious months on the 1972 campaign trail, Ed Muskie—the Democrat favored to win the party’s nomination—had been putting his entire press corps to sleep with hopelessly repetitive stump speeches. “I didn’t get a quote…
We’d benefit a lot from talking through the issues that affect our (mental and physical) health
BY: Adrian Smith My friend’s sister recently learned she suffers from anxiety, like so many in their early 20s do. While explaining to me her experience, he stressed how important she finds talking to others about what she deals with…
This Oregon community will vote has voted to ban the greedy bottled water industry from taking its water
By: Jack M. Hood River County (population, 20,000) is a sleepy community in picturesque Oregon with a total area of just over 500 square miles, making it one of the smallest counties in Oregon State. Situated in the Columbia…
This is the letter that introduced Walt Whitman as one of the most influential poets in literary history
BY: Adrian Smith I got myself an assortment of books as a graduation present. Among the pile was Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, long considered one of the greatest pieces of American literature. However, I noticed on the back cover…
‘Smart cities’ driven solely by technology can’t solve urban problems
BY: CAROLINE ROLF The promise of futuristic “smart” cities can seem almost too good to be true—they are highly efficient, run by sensors and data and promise to solve many of the present and future issues facing urbanization. Smart cities…
‘Robo-Mermaid’ finds a 300-year-old treasure from an unexplored ship
During November in 1664, a frigate sailing from Algeria sank off the coast of France, pulling hundreds to their frigid end 100 metres below, where the ship would remain, untouched by even experienced divers. It took Oussama Khatib, a Stanford…
How this phone line is helping victims of revenge porn
BY: JESSICA BEUKER It’s been just over a year since the first revenge porn helpline was launched in the UK. The helpline comes as a result of a strong push towards fighting revenge porn—the act of sharing explicit photos online…
Two children of divorce tackle the idea of monogamous relationships
BY: Sydney McInnis and Lisa Cumming All photos are by the authors A sincere testimony about why we’re writing this. Relationship constructs were formed a long time ago. They’ve been helping people navigate through interactions since bible-teaching days began –…
This one-of-a-kind film can only be viewed once before it disappears forever.
By: Eric Zdancewicz Director Guy Maddin believes not enough disappears from the Internet. So in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, and Co-Creators Evan and Galen Johnson, he has created a place for films to get lost forever.…
This animated short invites you to try an exercise in self-compassion
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Compassion is the ability to show love, empathy and concern to people who are facing a difficulty, and self-compassion is simply the ability to turn that understanding and love inward and accept oneself. Even the most compassionate…
The bond between this photographer and his dog will make you appreciate the little things
By: Kassandra Dzikewicz True loyalty and companionship can be hard to find, but the inseparable bond between a photographer and his dog will reassure you such faithfulness still exists. Denali is a short film that shows the bond between a…
Meet the doctor dedicating his practice to providing healthcare for the homeless
BY: CAROLINE ROLF You won’t find Dr. Brett Feldman in the sterile confines of a doctor’s office or hospital, but you may see him searching for patients in the woods or riverbanks in his hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is…
This psychologist explains the science behind ideal work environments and the perfect daily routine
BY: Adrian Smith Figuring out a way to work from home after following a comfortable routine throughout university was challenging. The environment felt different. I found a quiet room wasn’t enough for long stretches of concentrated writing. I needed a whole…
Green spaces could curb the negative effects that living in a city has on our brains
BY: CAROLINE ROLF The percentage of the world’s population living in urban places continues to grow. Currently, over half the world’s population resides in cities and that is expected to grow to nearly 70 per cent by 2050. This is…
Forget renting an apartment. Sign a lease that lets you live in different places around the world
BY: CAROLINE ROLF If the lease on your apartment is about to be up and you’re feeling like you could use a change of scenery, it might be time to reconsider another standard one-year contract. Roam, a new international network…
This zoo lets animals roam freely, while visitors are in cages
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Chongqing City in China is home to the Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo. It seems like a typical zoo – Bengal tigers, white tigers and bears are just a few of the animals that visitors will see –…
50 simple ways to save the planet from the comfort of your home
BY: CAROLINE ROLF With a constant stream of advertisements, products and advice centred on environmental sustainability, it can be difficult to know where to start. Surprisingly, there are many ways you can reduce the negative impact you have on the…