Tag Archives: Culture & Society

Union Soldiers at Winter Quarters "Pine Cottage"

The “Lieber Code” – The First Modern Codification of the Laws of War

Have you ever heard of the Geneva Conventions? They are a series of treaties that define how many aspects of war are to be conducted–such as the taking of prisoners or treatment of civilians. But did you know the first modern attempt to write rules for warfare actually happened during the Civil War? They were written by Francis Lieber and issued in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln as instructions for what Union soldiers could–and couldn’t–do while waging war in the field.

Red curtain on theater stage

Billie Eilish & Finneas, Ludwig Göransson and More Record-Setters at 2024 Oscars

When the Academy Awards were held on March 10, 2024, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell set a record by becoming the youngest people ever to win two Academy Awards. That’s an impressive achievement, but it wasn’t the only record set that night. Read about other records in this article.

Robot reading book to senior woman sitting on sofa at home

AI ‘companions’ promise to combat loneliness, but history shows the dangers of one-way relationships

At a time when health professionals are warning the public about the effects of loneliness and isolation, can Artificial Intelligence help? The author of this article sees limits to technology’s ability to promote human connection and fulfillment.

NASA patch - Apollo 11 mission

Naming Apollo: Why NASA chooses Greek gods as names

In 2019, NASA announced that the agency’s efforts to return to the Moon would be named the Artemis program. The goddess Artemis was heavily associated with the moon, and she’s also the twin of Apollo, whose name graced NASA’s first lunar missions in the 1960s. But why does NASA choose mythological names in the first place?

Beauty vlogger sharing makeup tutorial video on social media

‘Sephora kids’ and the booming business of beauty products for children

There is currently a surging trend in young preteen girls buying expensive make-up and other beauty products. Some older shoppers are complaining that they are rude and messy while doing it. Others think kids that young should not be be so obsessed with beauty products to begin with. Regardless, it shows a changing trend in who the consumers for these products are. Talk in your class about the trend and politely debate why this is a good or bad thing.

Dejected Boxer Sitting in the Ring

Failing early in your career can make you more successful in the future

“Describe a time when you failed,” is a common and tricky prompt that often comes up in job interviews — and for good reason.
According to a new study out of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, your past experiences with failure could predict your career success in the long run.

Robots dressed in a business suits

People Are Increasingly Worried A.I. Will Make Daily Life Worse

Like it or not, artificial intelligence is here to stay–and it is making its way into every part of our lives. With self-driving cars using A.I. to make split-second steering decisions, A.I. helping to sort job and college applications, and companies using A.I, to sway customer behavior, a lot of people are growing fearful of the technology. People used to fear monsters in the darkness, but in modern times, some of our scariest monsters are lines of code in a machine.