Stories and literature
Consciousness
idea
The myth of machine consciousness makes Narcissus of us all
The idea that AI can be conscious is a mistake. It’s just a very shiny mirror of humanity, reflecting what we want to see
by David Bentley Hart
Stories and literature
idea
Why the concept of invisibility so captivates the imagination
From ancient fables to the latest science theory, invisibility represents some of humankind’s deepest fears and desires
by Greg Gbur
Stories and literature
guide
How to nurture a personal library
An escape, a sanctuary, a place of pleasure, a memoir. Take these steps to ensure your library is just what you want it to be
by Freya Howarth
Virtues and vices
film
A simple morality tale finds rich depth in the hands of a master animator
A film by Georges Schwizgebel
Stories and literature
idea
Reading books is not just a pleasure: it helps our minds to heal
Through my own struggles and in teaching bibliotherapy to students, I know that books can help to heal minds and hearts
by Peter Leyland
Cultural diversity
idea
The Quechua idea ‘pacha’ urges us beyond narrow self-concern
The Quechua term ‘pacha’ embodies an Andean worldview that sees everything as related, transcending narrow self-interest
by Jorge Sanchez Perez
Stories and literature
guide
How to gain more from your reading
There’s more to words than meets the eye. Deepen your appreciation of literature through the art of slow, attentive reading
by Robert DiYanni
Poetry
film
An English teacher asks his class: ‘What’s the opposite of a gun?’
Directed by Anna Samo and Lisa LaBracio
Human rights and justice
idea
Hidden in translation – Jewish resistance to Spanish empire
Translation as a powerful form of resistance: how a 16th-century Sephardic Jew conquered the colonial narrative from Spain
by Flora Cassen
Stories and literature
idea
Forget ‘Little Women’. How did girls learn to be grown women?
How might 19th-century novels for adolescent girls help us find healthier models of what it means to grow up female today?
by Julie Pfeiffer
Thinkers and theories
guide
How to deconstruct the world
Don’t believe everything you hear, read and watch. To puncture received ideas about culture, start thinking like Jacques Derrida
by Peter Salmon
Stories and literature
film
‘Once upon a time…’ Deconstructing our insatiable appetite for stories
Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee