Discussion topics

Nature Magazine is one of the world’s most important international weekly scientific journals. According to its website, it publishes “peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions.”

The first issue was published in 1869. Since then, the magazine has changed quite a bit. Have a look at the graph below and discuss with your teacher how the content has evolved over the past 150 years.

Atlas Obscura, a publication about travel and culture, notes that a pub has always been more than just a place that sells beer for the British. The pub has brought communities together for centuries, and the tavern tradition of spending the evening with your peers continues to this day. Few know, however, that pubs became popular following the plague known as the Black Death of the 14th century.

The Black Death killed nearly half of England's population after it reached the British Isles in 1348. By the 1370s, it had caused a critical labor shortage. Eventually, this proved a boon for the peasantry of England, who could demand higher wages for their work and achieve higher standards of living. As a result, households selling or giving away leftover ale were replaced by more commercialized, permanent establishments set up by the best brewers and offering better food.

“The survivors prioritized expenditure on foodstuffs, clothing, fuel, and domestic utensils,” writes Professor Mark Bailey of the University of East Anglia. “They drank more and better quality ale, ate more and better quality bread, and consumed more meat and dairy produce. Alongside this increased disposable income, they also had more leisure time.”

And so, the English pub was born.

According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR), common wisdom says that CEOs attend elite MBA programs, land high-powered jobs right out of school at prestigious firms, and climb the ladder straight to the top while carefully avoiding risky moves.

However, HBR conducted a 10-year study in which they assembled a dataset of more than 17,000 C-suite executive assessments to analyze who gets to the top and how. They discovered a striking finding: sprinters—those who rise quickly—accelerate to the top by making bold, at times risky, career moves.

The study found that a few types of career "catapults" were common among the sprinters, and 97% undertook at least one of these experiences. First, over 60% of sprinters have taken a smaller role early in their career. Then, more than one-third catapulted to the top by making “the big leap,” often in the first decade of their careers. 

At the end of the day, using these career catapults may not require an elite MBA or a select mix of inborn traits. What it does require is a willingness to make lateral, unconventional, and even risky career moves. 

War in Ukraine has created a major global energy crisis. It has affected many countries worldwide. In fact, many people believe Russia is using the gas supply to control Europe.

Recently, Russia closed down a turbine on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which cut down the amount of natural gas they send to Europe. Nord Stream 1 pipeline stretches from Russia to Germany, and it can send up to 170 cubic metres of gas per day. This pipeline is owned by Nord Stream AG. Its major shareholder is the Russian energy company Gazprom.

Last July, Gazprom shut down Nord Stream 1 due to maintenance work. After reopening it, they diminished the amount supplied to 20m cubic metres. The German government says Gazprom has no valid reasons to limit their supply. 

After Russia’s announcement to restrict the gas supply, gas prices in Europe soared by 10% in one day. Gas prices are now significantly higher than last year. As a consequence, European countries are looking for other alternatives. Italy and Spain, for example, want to import gas from Africa. Germany started buying gas from Qatar and also increased its use of coal. Experts predict these effects could slow down European economies, accelerate a recession and push up inflation.

National Geographic answers the question: what is forest bathing? The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku. It can mean “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”. The purpose was to offer an ecological antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with the country’s forests.

The Japanese quickly embraced this form of ecotherapy. In the 1990s, researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support the idea that time spent surrounded by nature is good for us. The concept at the heart of shinrin-yoku is not new. Many cultures around the world have long recognized the importance of the natural world to human health.

Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover and distance hikers. The practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you. All one needs is a pair of shoes and a willingness to spend time outdoors.

People throw away more than 80 billion pairs of chopsticks every year. Most of them have only been used once, like the cheap wooden ones you get in restaurants. All of those chopsticks end up in landfills. In China, environmental activists have documented rates of over 100 acres of deforestation every day to keep up with demand.

One start-up has decided to tackle this problem by using discarded chopsticks as a construction material. ChopValue, based in Vancouver, Canada, collects about 350,000 used chopstics every week, just from the Vancouver area. They then use the chopsticks to make things for the home and office, like bookshelves, cutting boards, coasters, and even desks. Founder Felix Böck explains,

“In Vancouver alone, we’re throwing out 100,000 chopsticks a day. They’re traveling 6,000 or 7,000 miles from where they’re manufactured in Asia to end up on our lunch table for 30 minutes.”

Böck launched ChopValue in 2016. As of June 2022, he estimated that they had saved over 66 million chopsticks from landfills. More companies, like the chain restaurant Thai Express, are signing on to their project, increasing the number of chopsticks they can recycle.

Do you have any regrets for things you did or didn't do? Listen to 70 people from 5 to 75 years old talk about their regrets. Do you share any of them?

People say a lot with their body language. When we're happy, we smile. When we're excited, we might dance a little, or raise our hands in the air. Body language is an important part of communication. How well do you communicate with your face and body? Let's find out!

With your partner (your teacher, if you're in a lesson), try to communicate these feelings with just your face and body. No words allowed! Choose one and see if you can get your partner to guess it. Then your partner will do the same. Keep trading places like that. You can choose the same ones your partner has already done, and see if you can express it well, too. Once you've done a few of the feelings, talk about the experience with your teacher/partner. 

Feelings:

• I don't know. I have no idea of the answer.
• I feel very ashamed and embarrassed.
• I’ve got a good idea!
• We won the match!
• I’m confused.
• I’m afraid.
• This is really boring.
• I don’t want to talk to you.
• This is disgusting.
• I really like you, and I'd like to get to know you better.

The UK agreement

A new free trade agreement with the UK allows New Zealand to remove export tariffs during the next 15 years. This deal promises a GDP boost of up to $1 billion.

On top of the economic elements, the agreement includes conditions for the environment, tackling climate change and creating equity in economic advancement. According to New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, it is the country’s “first bilateral trade agreement to include a specific article on climate change”. 

Another unique point of that agreement is a separate Māori trade chapter featuring the acknowledgement of the relationships between the Māori people and the British, who colonised the country. In addition, the chapter included the protection of Ka Mate haka, in which the UK promises to protect the famous ceremonial dance. 

The EU agreement

New Zealand expects to grow its exports by 1.8 billion a year by 2035, thanks to the new deal with the EU. Initially, 91% of tariffs will be eliminated, followed by 97% of all tariffs being removed by 2031. It is estimated that New Zealand will get $1.8 billion after the seventh year of the deal. 

There are several provisions to protect the authenticity of the EU produce. For instance, cheese makers in New Zealand will no longer be able to use the names feta and port, meaning that only manufacturers in Greece and Portugal can name their cheeses so.

Continue reading: New Zealand signs free trade agreement with United Kingdom