Society

Facebook, Siri or Alexa – where artificial intelligence technology is concerned people often complain that there is insufficient protection of privacy. But intelligent systems are less interested in individual data than in generalising and standardising the life contexts they are automating. 

Politics is a serious business. It’s about money, power and resources. At present, and this is new in terms of cultural history, even our existence itself is at stake, i.e. the question of whether and how long people will still be able to live on this planet. At the same time, however, in this digital age politics is mutating more and more into a game. Signs without meaning are plying a nefarious trade.

Getting around the city could be so easy if it weren’t for everyone else on the road. Here is an A to Z of the most important drivers and riders you’re likely to encounter in the average urban environment.

Whether it is a case of believing someone has long since died, although he or she is still in fact enjoying the best of health, or singing song lyrics with the wrong words – when many people collectively remember things falsely, we speak of the Mandela effect. It could never happen to you, right? A look at our examples might prove you wrong.

The innovative use of urban space for agricultural purposes offers some interesting solutions to many of the problems faced by the food industry. Lufa Farm in Montreal put the idea of rooftop greenhouses into practice and today operates the world’s largest rooftop farm.

In 2009, the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood in Montreal was marked by a lot of traffic, and accidents were almost commonplace. The mayor of the borough had other ideas and pushed through a radical concept of traffic appeasement against considerable opposition.

Germany’s most sustainable towns and cities rely on the participation of their residents. Quite a lot can be achieved even with comparatively few financial resources.

Anyone in search of a deep, refreshing lungful of fresh air should probably head to the mountains or the seaside. A big city is unlikely to offer prime quality air. More and more German cities are taking measures to clean up the air.

Artists and producers from the music scene are actively interested in environmental conservation. Some question whether preventing plastic waste at festivals and concerts is enough though when the travel involved in touring itself produces tons of CO2.

Working towards sustainable energy for the future: Germany wants to completely abandon coal mining by 2038, an ambitious goal with quite a few obstacles still blocking the way.

It is almost impossible to find an affordable flat in many parts of Germany’s capital today. This may soon change though, now that the rent cap law went into force in Berlin in March 2020. It freezes existing rents for a period of five years. But it is not the only means of protecting Berlin’s tenants.

You read and hear in the media at regular intervals that people are either moving to the country or moving away from it. What is really going on? Is it an urban or a rural exodus? Where are Germans going?

"PRIVATE PROPERTY" The phrase was always there in the fine print, but the notices became considerably bolder during the pandemic.

Neither top nor bottom of the class, Canada is slowly but surely moving towards accessibility for the deaf community.

In 2019 we celebrated the 250th birthday of the German natural scientist Alexander von Humboldt. On this occasion we have collected the most important facts about him and his life.

People are more vulnerable to conspiracy ideologies when they fear a loss of control, making the corona pandemic the perfect storm. In an interview, political scientist and net activist Katharina Nocun explains how we should react when encountering people who subscribe to conspiracy theories.

In addition to roast pork with dumplings, a pork joint with sauerkraut, and potato salad, no list of German national dishes would be complete without the humble currywurst or curried sausage. The spicy snack was invented 70 years ago.

In all German cities, it takes money to live anywhere close to downtown, quite a lot of money in fact. Those who cannot afford the rising rents in cities are pushed out to the periphery. We asked an expert how urban planning could address this widening gap between rich and poor.

Carbon offset schemes promise to compensate for the emissions caused by private individuals – as air travellers, for instance – with donations to climate projects. But are they not just a way of salving guilty consciences?  

Very few computer games explicitly deal with current politics, but this in no way means the gaming world is apolitical. 

Not much money, but ready to move out of their parents’ house: most German university students dream of a place of their own. Many have come up with imaginative solutions to work around the high rents in university towns.

As a holiday destination, Germany attracts visitors from all over the world because of its rich cultural and natural heritage. But what does Germany have to offer besides Cologne Cathedral, the Semper Opera House and Schloss Neuschwanstein? Check here to discover sights that you may not have been aware of. 

The gaming industry has not only attracted more and more female customers in recent decades; it has also produced a large number of memorable heroines. Yet gender stereotypes still persist today.

Germany is celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage, but political power is still unevenly distributed. In terms of numbers, women have never been equally represented in any German Bundestag. Initiatives like the Helene Weber Kolleg are pushing for change. 

The German language, like the French, is considered male-dominated. In recent years, there have therefore been numerous attempts to get to the root of the problem in the language on both sides of the Rhine and fix it. And so here too the battle of the sexes has been raging.
 

More and more start-up founders are creating companies that combine earning money with working towards social and ecological goals. Social start-ups are also gaining ground in Germany.

Karl Marx would have celebrated his 200th birthday in 2018. His criticism of capitalism appears even more pertinent today amidst climate crisis, chronic unemployment and global inequality. A reason to look back and re-read.

Intelligent technologies promise smart cities that are luxurious and comfortable while protecting the environment and conserving resources. But the smart city also means blanketing public spaces with sensors that follow us at every turn.

Carrousel, oompah music and the aroma of bratwurst and spun sugar – not only the Oktoberfest is a tradition, each year traditional fairs are held throughout Germany. But what looks like tradition requires much innovation. Between family legacy and modernity: carnies tell of the love of their lives, the traditional fair.