The philosophy of Hannah Arendt sheds light on how we can understand that the Russian population is complicit in the actions of their government — Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, there have been general statements declaring that this is Putin’s war, not Russia’s and that we must hold Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin solely responsible for the unwarranted Russian invasion. …

A fringe Soviet scientist managed to change the way genetics was perceived for decades, shedding light on our views of science. — At the end of HBO’s mini-series, Chernobyl, the nuclear physicist Valery Legasov states: “The truth doesn’t care about our needs or wants. It doesn’t care about our governments, our ideologies, our religions. It will lie in wait for all time. And this, at last, is the gift of Chernobyl. Where…

The 1979 Soviet sci-fi classic teaches us about confronting our own finality in light of environmental degradation. — Despite Andrei Tarkovsky’s famous condemnation of science-fiction as overly commercial and superficial, he had managed to bookend the 1970s with two of his most famous films, Solaris and Stalker. The 1979 film, Stalker, has garnered widespread interest and praise. At the time of its release in the Soviet Union, it…

Chernobyl provides an unlikely lesson in the importance of preserving our old-growth forests and how we can interact with nature in a beneficial way in the face of Climate Change — “Zapovednik” — a Russian term literally meaning an “area given special legal protections” that has more broadly come to mean “nature preserve” in discussions of Russian ecology. Russia currently has 102 zapovedniks with some being implemented before the 1917 Revolution and having been sustained throughout the tenure of the Soviet…

Spotify Wrapped gave me 5 genres — Here are 9 artists who deserve attention based on those genres — As with every year, at least within the past 3 years, Spotify has been putting out their wrapped playlists and their top lists based on your listening habits for that year — providing your top song, musician, and genre. …

Lukashenko has begun to weaponize migrants in response to EU imposed sanctions — It’s been thirteen months since the Belarussian election and since President Alexander G. Lukashenko claimed to have won with 80 percent of the vote. It’s believed that the election was rigged, especially due to Lukashenko’s faltering support amid an economic downturn at the time and his failed attempt to properly…

Song Gegen Song is a direct way to influence the legacy of Rammstein’s discography. — Starting September 17th, 2021, Rammstein had started an Instagram-based game in which some of the band’s most popular songs are put against each other — this game is called Song Gegen Song, an homage to their 2005 song Mann Gegen Mann. The game is run through the band’s official Instagram…

The city on Canada’s west coast might have a solution to our housing crisis. — The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated a worldwide housing crisis, with property prices skyrocketing not just nationally but internationally, as well. This problem isn’t just affecting homebuyers but also people wishing to rent. Berlin has reported people being shut out due to housing prices, with London and Paris reporting similar. Even…

The artist's latest solo work takes a sorrowful turn away from her post-rock roots. — Emma Ruth Rundle had been teasing the release of new work since the end of August in an Instagram post formally announcing her work on a solo album, the first in the singer and guitarist's career since her album, On Dark Horses, released in 2018. Concurrently, she has been the…