For an album inspired by death, Funeral seems surprisingly, almost uncomfortably full. Where conventional wisdom would suggest stripped-down spare melodies and muted vocals, to represent loss, Arcade Fire opts for lush orchestras and swelling choruses. In the band’s alternative vision, the spirits of the dead—by turns protective and threatening— never truly pass on. Instead, they … Read more
The California state legislature passed a bill last Thursday mandating that every California university receiving state funds adopt a standard of affirmative consent, which they defined as “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity” as part of a comprehensive sexual assault policy. The Senate approved it unanimously. Was California just being the … Read more
Boston and the Civil War: Hub of the Second Revolution Barbara F. Berenson 192 pp. The History Press. Paperback $12.04 Barbara Berenson’s Boston and the Civil War: Hub of the Second Revolution retells the antebellum and Civil War periods with particular emphasis on the roles played by Bostonians. A far-reaching treatise on the considerable contributions … Read more
For more than 75 years, Mexico has placed complete control of its oil industry under Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). With its name boldly branded on every gas station in the country, this state-run oil giant has served as a major source of revenue for the Mexican economy and is a symbol of Mexican national pride. Within … Read more
Driving in large cities is rarely pleasant. Roads can be so congested that traveling a single block takes several minutes and, after enduring all the other difficulties, finding a convenient parking spot is tough. In the past few months, two teams of entrepreneurs have released smartphone apps that they claim will make this process easier, … Read more
This is the fourth installment of the Harvard Political Review‘s interview series with Massachusetts’ candidates for governor. Martha Coakley currently serves as the commonwealth’s attorney general. Harvard Political Review: As attorney general, you’ve been involved in a myriad of high-profile cases: not only the abortion buffer-zone case, but also the Supreme Court case concerning the Environmental … Read more
Imagine a hurricane as an injury—say, a broken leg. The immediate injury is painful, but relief and the support of friends and family arrive swiftly. The outlook seems hopeful. However, once the cast is on, there are still weeks to months of recovery ahead. This time is crucial for the prevention of future injury, but … Read more
West Africa’s current Ebola epidemic is the deadliest in recorded history. Since Patient Zero, a two-year old boy from rural Guinea, died in December of 2013, the outbreak has spread through the country and into Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, crippling already fragile healthcare infrastructures and garnering anxious international attention. The disease has no existing … Read more
In less than a year, the race to put the first commercial vehicle on the surface of the moon will be in full swing. Eighteen teams from 12 countries are competing to win the Google Lunar X-Prize (GLXP), which tasks contestants with building a space probe, landing it on the moon, and traveling 500 meters … Read more
In the recent movie Ivory Tower, a father warily articulates the anxieties of many parents: “Is my daughter going to have a job … and not going to be coming back home after [college] is done?” He’s not alone in asking it: the perceived link between college and upward social mobility is as old as … Read more