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7 votes
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Japan’s “Wasan” mathematical tradition: Surprising discoveries in an age of seclusion
8 votes -
How (and why) the right stole Christianity
21 votes -
Why don't we do more food-based activism?
In the past few months I have been reading a lot about historical food culture. It's kind of amazing how much things have changed here in the US. Over the last century or so we have basically...
In the past few months I have been reading a lot about historical food culture. It's kind of amazing how much things have changed here in the US. Over the last century or so we have basically eliminated communal eating and massively changed the economics of prepared meals. At one point we had automats and cafeterias which skipped out on most of the "front of house" service and focused on serving large volumes of people to keep prices low. There were also diners, which are much different from what we consider to be a diner today; they were very small places that only prepared simple things that needed very little labor to prepare; things like hash browns, sandwiches, or pancakes, so the food was still very cheap. But because they were small, they were able to serve smaller markets that other restaurants were not able to capitalize on. Compare that to today, where diners are just restaurants that have 50s style decor.
But the thing I think is much more unusual is how rare we see food used in service of a message. It's something that has a long history across the globe. Most notably, religions operate food kitchens that help to bring poor people into their folds. Some religions actually have a built-in food culture that includes feeding your neighbors. It's really effective too; there's a small chain of restaurants where I live that has inexpensive food which has some bhuddist texts at the dining tables, and honestly it had me considering joining a religion for the first time. If I spoke Chinese they might have got me! Eating food requires a baseline of trust, so if you can get someone to eat at your restaurant you will bypass a lot of the caution that people approach the world with.
With that being said, why isn't food-based activism a lot more popular? I'm sure that it would work for much more than religion. A restaurant that acts as a messaging platform doesn't necessarily need to be funded by food sales, so they can undercut the competition on price and reach an even greater audience. Given the ways I have seen religions use food to further their means, I think that it could even go farther than changing people's minds about topics and actually motivate people to take action and join communities who are actually making real change. Food is both relatively inexpensive and it's something that everyone needs to survive, so it seems to me that food-based activism is the single largest missed opportunity for community organization.
20 votes -
Missed deadlines and tension among Taiwanese and American coworkers are plaguing TSMC's Phoenix expansion
21 votes -
Making the Macintosh: Technology and culture in Silicon Valley
11 votes -
The facts and fantasies of dissociation
5 votes -
Inuuteq Storch – who is the first Kaalaleq/Inuit artist to have a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale – aims to capture ‘the Greenlandic everyday’
9 votes -
Everybody's obsessed with the retro corporate aesthetic
6 votes -
Christiania, Copenhagen's hippie oasis, wants to rebuild without its illegal hashish market
11 votes -
How hidden Nazi symbols were the tip of a toxic iceberg at Life Is Strange developer Deck Nine
30 votes -
Half of senior staffers in US Congress are so fed up that they may quit
26 votes -
The end of the MrBeast era
39 votes -
What Boeing’s door-plug debacle says about the future of aviation safety
13 votes -
Denmark has pledged to put up more statues of women, with the country's culture minister saying the capital has “more statues of mythical beasts and horses”
12 votes -
Join me on the path to Twilightenment
27 votes -
Who created the skull trumpet gif?
37 votes -
Selling subversion
16 votes -
The revolutionary spirit of Soul Train
5 votes -
Return to office policies do not improve company value, but do make employees miserable: Study
83 votes -
New report from US Federal Aviation Administration: Boeing lacks key elements of safety culture
19 votes -
Why we can’t build better cities (ft. Not Just Bikes)
13 votes -
Tell me about your weird religious beliefs
Let's hear about religious and spiritual (maybe philosophical?) beliefs not considered "mainstream" in the modern West. The percentage of people who identify as "spiritual", "other", or "none" is...
Let's hear about religious and spiritual (maybe philosophical?) beliefs not considered "mainstream" in the modern West.
The percentage of people who identify as "spiritual", "other", or "none" is rising at the expense of larger "organized" religions.
Disclaimer: it's hard if not impossible to draw hard lines around what is considered a "religion" verses a philosophy, culture, or mere ritual or traditional practice. If you aren't sure if what you believe fits the prompt, err on the side of sharing.
Things that probably fit the prompt:
- Minority religions
- Native beliefs/cultures
- Highly syncretic beliefs
- Non-western religions or beliefs
- "Pagan" beliefs
- Esoteric or occult beliefs or practices
Things that might not fit the prompt
- Mainstream Christian beliefs or traditions
- Naturalism or a lack of belief in any particular religious or spiritual tradition
I don't exclude these two categories because they aren't important, but because they are incredibly important, and most of what we think about religious or spiritual beliefs exist in frameworks created by the above two groups. I want to use this opportunity to learn about others, and I feel that I already know a good bit more about atheism and mainstream Christian theism than most other perspectives.
This is a sensitive subject that is tied deeply to people's sense of meaning; please treat your fellow commentor's beliefs, cultures, and values with respect. Thank you in advance for your input and perspective.
56 votes -
Booktok and the hotgirlification of reading
19 votes -
Study finds emojis are differently interpreted depending on gender, culture, and age of viewer
35 votes -
Modern Viking music: Tragedy of a misunderstood art
8 votes -
‘Mean Girls,’ twenty years later: The villain’s triumph
6 votes -
What is India's "uniform civil code" and why does it anger Muslims?
17 votes -
‘We didn’t expect this phenomenon to last’: France’s comic-book tradition is hitting new heights
8 votes -
Forever 2014
10 votes -
Finnish study finds that people from different cultures reported the same bodily sensations when listening to the same songs
7 votes -
The home-working revolution is harming younger workers: Bosses who insist on a return to the office are demonised — but turning up is better for your career
18 votes -
Inside the strange, secretive rise of the 'overemployed'
31 votes -
The speed of outrage: Tom Scott at Thinking Digital 2015
20 votes -
The real lesson of The Truman Show
13 votes -
'Americans are fake and the Dutch are rude!': A personal account on their difference in social behavior
54 votes -
Third places, Stanley cup mania, and the epidemic of loneliness
11 votes -
The tyranny of the algorithm: why every coffee shop looks the same
23 votes -
Your favourite creators who cover non-Anglo countries/cultures in English?
(That title is kind of awkward, feel free to suggest a better one.) I came across aini's channel on Youtube a while back. She does videos on different topics focused on East Asia. Her most recent...
(That title is kind of awkward, feel free to suggest a better one.)
I came across aini's channel on Youtube a while back. She does videos on different topics focused on East Asia. Her most recent video being "Why Chinese People Will Choose $5 Over $10".
I'm especially interested in native creators; those who can present a personal view from the inside. Even more so for countries that are not as well-covered for whatever reason—like places with less technological access or government limitation.
My own preference is for a more analytical presentation. I.e. looking through an academic lens incorporating sociology, psychology, etc, rather than "footage of daily life". That style is still welcome, of course!
22 votes -
Cloudflare CEO says viral firing video is 'painful': 'We were far from perfect… We don't always get it right'
28 votes -
Before I reach my enemy, bring me some heads
12 votes -
‘Don’t mess with us’: WebMD parent company demands return to office in bizarre video
68 votes -
Why you should watch Straight Jacket, the lost gay rom-com
4 votes -
The hidden worlds of Monopoly – From Atlantic City to high fashion to Karl Marx, the most recognizable board game has had serious cultural impact
10 votes -
Queen Margrethe II is the first Danish monarch to abdicate in 900 years – but it is just a sign of the times
17 votes -
You don’t need more resilience. You need friends. And money.
44 votes -
"Birds Aren't Real" leader TED talk about his movement | Peter McIndoe
29 votes -
You've just been fucked by psyops; the death of the internet
20 votes -
The male glance [2018]
49 votes -
‘Winning requires hard work’: Wayfair CEO sends employees a gloomy pre-holiday email following layoff-filled year
27 votes