The Varied Roads from Central Asia to the Islamic State
Early in the morning on January 1, 2017, a gunman burst into a crowded nightclub in Istanbul killing 39 people and injuring hundreds more. The attack sent shockwaves around the world. But the gunman was not a Turkish citizen. On
Impakter Essay: Europe at the Crossroads
What is Wrong with the European Union? On 25 March 2017, we will know whether Europe – as a “project” for an increased “union” – plans to go forward, fade away or split up. That is the date of the much-awaited European
Internet of Things: Threat to Our Privacy?
Imagine your home ten years from now: you wake up and the fridge has ordered your milk and favorite cereal the day before. You go for a run and your shirt monitors how many calories you burned. When you start
Trump Tyranny and the Politics of Resistance
In the Trump administration, are we witnessing the undermining of democracy and the rise of tyranny? Can the institutions of American Democracy provide effective resistance? Last fall, in another world altogether, I wrote an Impakter article on “The Great Turning” where
Surreptitious Genetic Testing: Fact or Fiction?
Picture this: You’re a young, ambitious aspiring politician in a town somewhere in the United States. You’ve noticed issues in your community and you’ve resolved to get into government to help fix them. So you decide to run for local
A Stitch in Time – The Patagonia Principle
“Only on the fringes of an ecosystem, those outer rings, do evolution and adaptation occur at a furious pace; the inner center of the system is where the entrenched, non-adapting species die off, doomed to failure by maintaining the status
OP-Ed: Boutique Medicine in the Modern World
Boutique medicine has come of age and is called many things: retainer medicine, direct patient contracting practice, concierge medicine, VIP care, luxury practice, direct primary care, cash-only, or direct specialty care practices. The terminology obscures the controversial consequences to the
Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns: A New Avenue For Economic Development
Environmental degradation is a topic that gradually moved from scientific journals to international negotiations, as mounting evidence from the scientific community showed that the existing consumption and production patterns were unsustainable. These patterns define a style of development that has
Let’s Talk About Periods
The word taboo, throughout history, has had a broad spectrum of meanings: forbidden, magic, frightening and untouchable are just a few examples of how the word has been translated and understood. It was Judy Grahn, however, who most notably brought
Robert Rauschenberg’s Retrospective at the Tate
A car just passed and left a black mark on the ground. Following the line on the wall, the viewer starts his journey into Robert Rauschenberg’s art. Diving into the life-experience of an out of the ordinary, playful, unexpected artist.
Using Social Media to Meet Your Needs: Coping
Social media: it's the not-so-new technology that has shaped and ingrained itself in nearly every industry in the world. It's a force that can give one a competitive edge in a job interview (having a certain desirable number of followers
Trump Populism: A Threat to Democracy ?
Book review: What is Populism? By Jan-Werner Müller University of Pennsylvania Press, August 22, 2016. 136 pages. From Brexit, the referendum that kicked the UK out of the EU, to Trump’s election predicated on “draining the swamp” in Washington and making “America
