From reportages in Gaza and Ukraine where war is still raging, to the firsthand account of an expat musician in China and a scientific analysis of why smartphones are absent from our dreams, many stories from around the world stuck with us this year.
Here is a collection of our staff favorite 2024 articles:
Farewell Beijing: When An Expat Musician Stood Up To China's Morality Police
THE INITIUM
David Carey, an Irish musician who lived in China for nine years, built an independent record label and a thriving cultural space that was appreciated by foreigners and locals alike. But the screening of a film that included LGBTQ+ elements brought an end to all that.
Wolves, Ancient Predator And Symbol Of France's Rural-Urban Divide
LES ECHOS
For the past 30 years, the number of wolves has steadily increased in France — great news for biodiversity but not for farmers, who are accusing the predator of attacking and killing their livestock. The topic, which has become explosive, is symbolic of a very contemporary divide in the country.
Sam Altman's Eye-Scanning "Orb" Is The Google-Street-View Of Our Bodies And Minds
AGÊNCIA PÚBLICA
The initiative led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to create a global identity system through iris scanning has landed in Brazil. But what about privacy, transparency and the ethical implications of such a vast biometric project?
A Gaza Diary Of Displacement: Scent Of My House, Remains Of Our Lives
DARAJ
The remains arrived in Rafah in two bags, one blue and the other white. I placed them in front of me, waiting for a time that would force me to open them up.
Take It From A Real Italian: There's Nothing Wrong With Hawaiian Pizza!
WORLDCRUNCH
Worldcrunch's cuisine lover Agnese Tonghini extends an olive branch to Hawaiian makers of the world's favorite Italian invention and shares deep reflections on the marriage of sweet and savory — in what is also a plea for understanding to la famiglia back home in Cremona.
Here's Why Your Smartphone Never Appears In Your Dreams
DIE ZEIT
Despite hours of scrolling, smartphones hardly play a role in our dreams. Yet their absence may actually demonstrate our dependence on them.
Riding With Pride: How Gay Rodeo Found Its Place In Cowboy Culture
TÊTU
Created in the 1970, gay rodeos have been breaking down prejudices about homosexuality among cowboys in the United States, and claiming its own safe space in American folklore.
With Ukraine's Coal Miners Called To War, Women Step In To Fuel The Nation
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA
With men leaving for the front, Ukrainian women have stepped in to fill the void, notably in the coal industry. A reportage from the mines of the Dnipropetrovsk region to see how women are faring in this male-dominated field.
Human Matchmaker v. Tinder: A Polish Experiment In The Modern Search For Love
GAZETA WYBORCZA
The Dating Agency, founded by a psychologist-turned-matchmaker, was supposed to help Polish singles tired of looking for love on dating apps. Today, many are back on Tinder.
Look To The Skies: Understanding Time And Climate Through Paintings
LA MAREA
In his latest book, Spanish meteorologist and author José Miguel Viñas traces the history of painting, observing the skies of artists from different times and latitudes. Walking through a Madrid museum, he explains different types of clouds and historical climatological events.