In Case You Missed It….
Just a collection of potentially useful articles from around the web…there are no themes to the articles chosen apart from that some could prove useful in providing material for the course…I just came across them over the past few weeks and thought they might be of interest to others – it’s a fairly eclectic mix!
1. The Leaden Hours
In case you missed Derek Gregory’s talk at the department, these articles summarise much of his current work looking at the intersections of military and medical geography, especially his current research on woundscapes and ‘trauma geographies’ – a fascinating read…
https://geographicalimaginations.com/2019/01/31/the-leaden-hours/
https://geographicalimaginations.com/2016/04/14/the-geographies-of-sixty-minutes/
(Incidentally, Derek Gregory’s blog is fantastic – https://geographicalimaginations.com/ – one of my go-to ‘useful’ procrastination tools!)
2. Indian women from the outskirts of Delhi are taking selfies to claim their right to the city
The notion of the ‘right to the city’ is a frequently studied aspect of the course in various sections of the course – most notably (obviously) urban. However, this article is interesting in how it draws in gender dynamics as well as linking in forms of strategies of ‘resistance’ that utilise new technologies and a seemingly ubiquitous – but here very powerful – contemporary act – that of taking a selfie…an interesting read.
3. Did Finland’s basic income experiment work?
This is an interesting video evaluating the universal basic income scheme that was rolled out in Finland as an experiment. The policy of universal basic income has been heralded as a potential means of reducing inequality but it has been criticised by others as giving out ‘money-for-nothing’ – still, a relevant topic to be aware of for a number of papers on the course… (interestingly when this video was first published the headline on the front page of BBC was entitled ‘Did Finland’s free money experiment work?’ and whilst the video content retains that wording, it is interesting to see that the BBC have changed the associated headline)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-47092727/did-finland-s-basic-income-experiment-work
4. Five maps that reveal the world’s remaining wilderness
As the article says ‘there aren’t many corners of the world left untouched by humanity’ and this is quite starkly illustrated by the depictions within these maps which draw attention not just to the global scale but, equally importantly, the more localised wilderness areas…
https://theconversation.com/five-maps-that-reveal-the-worlds-remaining-wilderness-110061
5. Should we engineer the climate? A social scientist and natural scientist discuss
Climate change and mitigation measures is still a widely discussed issue in contemporary discourse and debate. Geoengineering is one measure that some believe could provide some form of answer whereas others are more sceptical. This discussion draws upon some of the key issues and seeing as it appears in all three years of the course, it might be worth a look…
(As you can probably guess, I’d also recommend subscribing to the Conversation email – there are often useful articles being written for the course or simply of general interest…https://theconversation.com/uk)
6. The Age of Extinction
The Guardian has an ongoing series entitled ‘The Age of Extinction’ and there are a number of articles within this series that are highly relevant for geographers especially those studying biogeography or papers that have links with the planet’s biodiversity…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/the-age-of-extinction
7. And finally…
Ever lost a USB stick and wondered where it went…?
https://news.sky.com/story/data-dump-hunt-to-find-owner-of-usb-stick-found-in-seal-poo-11629544
By Angus Parker
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ONLY AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF COMPASS MAGAZINE AS A WHOLE OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY.