These 60 words started – and sustain – the ‘war on terror’ Novelty, like outrage, quickly wears thin. Circumstances, in the blink of an eye, go from "exceptional" to "status quo", and war is no different. Despite the moments of public outrage that have surrounded the US war on terror that began in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks (think: torture at Abu Ghraib, endless detention at Guantánamo, drone strikes that, with appalling regularity, kill innocent people), both US Americans and the rest of the world have all adapted to a reality of perpetual war. How can a conflict go on so long? Well, this RadioLab episode explores how the legal justification for US retaliation has led to nearly two decades of war. As with every podcast by RadioLab, it’s utterly engaging and illuminating and revelatory. (Eliza, managing editor) RadioLab: 60 words (listening time: one hour)
Life on Mars (sort of) For years now, there has been talk of humankind setting up a colony on Mars. When the time finally comes, only a handful of “lucky” people will be able to make the voyage. The Habitat is a captivating podcast series that will help you imagine what life will be like on the red planet. It follows a Nasa-funded study that places six imitation astronauts in a dome on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. The experiment lasts for a full year. During this time, they must learn to survive in close quarters with their fellow astronauts and complete exploration missions in spacesuits! Listen along and decide for yourself if you would be interested in moving to Mars. (Leon, front-end developer) Gimlet: The Habitat (listening time: 25 minutes)
The beauty of grammar Does the word "grammar" give you cold sweats and flashbacks to a stern teacher drilling you in front of the class on the conjugations of French verbs? Or is that just me? Either way, this lovely article shows that grammar is not the walled realm of uptight pedants. It’s dynamic and artful. Kiefer unpacks Garth Greenwell’s sentences in fascinating detail (one is read in three different ways) to show exactly how grammar creates meaning and influences how we see the world. Who knew grammar could be beautiful? (Shaun, copy editor) Literary Hub: ‘How does Garth Greenwell write such beautiful sentences?’ (Reading time: 12 minutes)

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Close up photo of a bug with big purple and green eyes - on an orange background Here’s why there is such a buzz about farming insects – to feed animals Growing demand for soy-based animal feed has been disastrous for the environment. Could the black soldier fly and other insects be sustainably used in husbandry and aquaculture instead of plants? Read Emilie Filou’s article here. Photo of nine similar silver statues of a woman sitting on her knees with her hands on her back When artificial intelligence lost in translation is Translation software has improved dramatically. I even used it to translate this piece. But we still need flesh-and-blood, human translators. Read Sanne Blauw’s article here. No matter what you think of protestors, you have them to thank for society’s progress South Africa’s Fees Must Fall movement may be over, but what it taught us is as urgent and relevant as ever. The mainstream might not always like social activism, but we’ll never move forward by standing still. Read OluTimehin Adegbeye’s column here.