Journalism of Courage
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This is an archive article published on November 26, 2013
New philosopher magazine. Why read news?
For an hour daily,most people subject themselves to watching/reading/listening to the news.
4 min read
For an hour daily,most people subject themselves to watching/reading/listening to the news. Antonia Case writes that though this information isnt about you,it makes you feel as though its your responsibility. When Case questions people as to why they subject themselves to the news,the answer is that it is important to be informed,keep tabs on politicians,the ups and downs of the economy and to learn new things. Rolf Dobelli,author of The Art of Thinking Clearly ,argues that consuming news has a darker side. He argues that the daily repetition of news about things we cant act upon makes us passive and saps our energy. I would not be surprised if news consumption at least partially contributes to the widespread disease of depression, he writes. Dobelli stresses that the less news you consume,the bigger your competitive advantage in life without the distraction of hundreds of arbitrary headlines. On the other hand,Journalist Madeleine Bunting argues that news is important because it introduces you to events and ideas you might not otherwise encounter. Case finally questions,Over the years,how many of those news stories can you actually remember? How many offered understanding?
Rolling stone
Charles Manson today<\b>
Erik Hedegaard visits the Corcoran State Prison in Californias San Joaquin Valley,where Charles Manson is serving the rest of a life sentence for his part in the the peace-and-love-era-ending Tate-LaBianca slayings of 1969. Now 79,he doesnt look the way he used to look before,with his suave goatee,mad Rasputin eyes and fantastical ability to lunge out of his seat at the judge presiding over his trial,pencil at the ready to jam into the old guys throat. His most ardent defender today is a 25-year-old slender woman he calls Star,who visits him each Saturday and Sunday. She wasnt drawn to him because of his murderous reputation,but his pro-Earth environmental stance. The first thing you notice about Manson is the X (later changed to a swastika) he carved into his forehead during his trial,an act now also copied by Star. Hedegaard points out that what most people know of Manson comes from the prosecuting attorneys Vincent Bugliosis 600-page account of the crimes,investigation and trial,Helter Skelter. It was a scary,Establishment-brain-frying read when it was first published,and it still is. And now,here sits Charles in jail,saying the same thing hes said basically since the beginning that he didnt tell anyone to kill people,hes innocent.
The telegraph Electronic taste<\b>
Ever wanted to taste those mouth-watering dishes you see on you favourite cookery shows? Watching celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson or Gordon Ramsay whip up a culinary creation on television can set viewers taste buds tingling. Richard Gray reports on how scientists have developed a simulator that uses electrodes to stimulate the taste buds on the tongue to reproduce salt,sweet,sour and bitter sensations. The electrode,developed by a team led by Sri Lankan-origin scientist Nimesha Ranasinghe,is placed on the tongue and works by stimulating taste buds with electric currents. Ranasinghe,an engineer at the National University of Singapore,said it could also be used in computer games or to allow people to share meals over the Internet. His team is also working on a digital lollipop that can produce all the sweet enjoyment of a real piece of confectionery but without the harm to teeth or risk of putting on weight. Gray notes that flavour also relies heavily on other important factors such as smell and texture. Odour accounts for the bulk of the sensation when we eat food. However,Ranasinghe and his colleagues have yet to be able to replicate another crucial savoury taste,umami,while other research has found a sixth basic taste for fat.
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