Every Monday on Global Comment, we share the slow, thoughtful, considerate words that our brains – and souls – need but that it’s easy to miss in our busy world. We distil the best of the web and recommend just three links every week that you absolutely must see.
No fluff, no fuss, just three exceptional reads.
Here are this week’s recommendations:
“My sister Gaia died due to police failings after she reported being raped – we need justice reform now” (Clara Pope-Sutherland / Cosmo)
Gaia’s word alone should have been enough (just 3 to 4% of rape allegations are thought to be false… and yet only 1% of reported rapes end in a conviction) – but if officers needed more evidence, why didn’t they also consider the other fourteen girls who’d accused Connor Hayes of wrongdoing? Dozens of teenagers, some as young as 13, say they were approached by him online and asked to create sexually explicit material, meet up or were encouraged to take part in his regular webcam shows. Protecting them, others like them, and honouring Gaia’s memory, is what now fuels our Justice For Gaia campaign
Do Insects Feel Joy and Pain? (Lars Chittka / Scientific American)
Other research hinted that insects might also have positive states of mind. Many plants contain bitter substances such as nicotine and caffeine to deter herbivores, but these substances are also found in low concentrations in some floral nectars. Researchers wondered whether pollinators might be deterred by such nectars, but they discovered the opposite. Bees actively seek out drugs such as nicotine and caffeine when given the choice and even self-medicate with nicotine when sick. Male fruit flies stressed by being deprived of mating opportunities prefer food containing alcohol (naturally present in fermenting fruit), and bees even show withdrawal symptoms when weaned off an alcohol-rich diet.
Why would insects consume mind-altering substances if there isn’t a mind to alter?
When you play Italian music in a cafe (EmilioPiano)
@emiliopiano I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!! 😱 @Dritan Alsela Song: Libiamo ne’ lieti calici Opera: La Traviata #piano #singing #verdi #traviata #libiamo #publicpiano #classicaltok #classicalmusic #opera #dritanalsela ♬ original sound – Emil Reinert
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Image: Pixabay