Uncertain Economic Times Ahead for the United Kingdom

Uncertain Economic Times Ahead for the United Kingdom

Rhys Donnelly
Economics

On September 26th, 2022, the U.K.’s economy, the 6th largest in the world, nearly collapsed as the British pound fell 5% to its lowest value ever at just 1.03 USD. This left the U.K. teetering on the edge of a very serious potential economic crisis. To illustrate the severity of the situation, nearly ¾ of pubs in the U.K. are currently facing permanent closure, citizens are purchasing generators and torches as they anticipate blackouts in the coming winter, and police are preparing for an incredible surge in violent crime and civil unrest as the cost of living will make for a very tough winter for the country. The driver for all of this was the announcement from the new U.K. government that they would be borrowing billions more pounds as a part of their mini-budget which sent the markets tumbling out of control. Unfortunately for the U.K., all of this is occurring while a recession looms on the global economy set to further disrupt the country in many ways.

Psychedelics and Psychiatry–the use of MDMA as a psychotherapy adjunct

Psychedelics and Psychiatry–the use of MDMA as a psychotherapy adjunct

Caleb Smith
Science & Nature

In the context of psychotherapy, MDMA is a psychedelic that has a considerable quantity of data supporting its efficacy in its role as an adjunct to therapy. With the completion of the second and final phase three clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD in 2022, and the data available from those trials–MAPP1 demonstrated that 88% of participants displayed significant improvements, 67% no longer met criteria for diagnosis, MAPP2 showed results from participants having moderate PTSD, not exclusively severe, and lastly, MAPP2 enrolled nearly twice as many participants of color–it is evident that there will be a New Drug Application in the near future (Kuntz, 2022). This presents a potentially very promising future for PTSD patients who have yet to find relief from their symptoms in psychotherapy or psychopharmacology. 

What’s Behind the Sudden Rush of Sales of Sports Teams?

What’s Behind the Sudden Rush of Sales of Sports Teams?

Ian Miller
Sports

While attempting to buy an NFL team, Bobby Axelrod, the imperfect protagonist of the popular HBO TV series ‘Billions’ opined that “Sports franchises are how we knight people in this country.” While the series somehow manages to dramatize the already sensational world of hedge funds and high finance, the observation from Axelrod is a poignant one; ownership of sports franchises is America’s closest comparable to knighthood in the United Kingdom. With the lofty societal status assigned to owners of professional sports franchises, the reasoning for parting with such as asset is not always apparent. 

“5 signs you have ADHD”: The danger of misinformation on TikTok

“5 signs you have ADHD”: The danger of misinformation on TikTok

Giada Bassoli
Current Events

Social media have become one of the major sources of communication and information worldwide, with trillions of bytes of information being exchanged every second online. While trending topics on social media tend to change according to several factors, such as country or age, health-related content has recently been trending all over the world, across all ages on all major social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok).

Ketamine as an Effective Therapy for Treatment-resistant Depression

Ketamine as an Effective Therapy for Treatment-resistant Depression

Caleb Smith
Science & Nature

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), colloquially known as depression, has plagued millions of people over the course of time, and research suggests that between 30-35% of depression cases meet the criteria to be deemed treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Despite the relatively low figure representing treatment resistance, a lot of the population experiencing depression maintains a low response rate to treatment in general. The established difficulty in treating so many cases of depression has created room for masses of research to be done regarding effective second-line remedies, and recently, the FDA has allowed depression treatment and research with drugs such as ketamine. 

Planned Obsolescence

Planned Obsolescence

Lewis Saint Victor II
Technology

Planned obsolescence is the practice of designing a product with a limited useful lifespan so that it will become outdated or unusable after a certain period of time. This is typically done in order to encourage consumers to replace their existing products with new ones, thus driving demand and sales. Planned obsolescence can be seen in various products, including automobiles, appliances, and consumer electronics. It is often criticized for contributing to waste and consumerism, as it encourages the frequent replacement of still-functioning products. Kramer in “User Experience in the Age of Sustainability” calls it “the expiration date effect”

Sweden and Finland’s Accession to NATO: Analyzed

Sweden and Finland’s Accession to NATO: Analyzed

Keelan Jacques
Current Events

In May 2022, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership. The decision arrived at a time of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, which sparked, and is continuing to elicit, growing security concerns among its European neighbors. Both Sweden and Finland have engaged in regular military cooperation with NATO allies, especially with respect to the sale and purchase of military equipment. Finland’s decision to purchase 64 F-35 aircraft from the US aerospace corporation Lockheed Martin in early 2022 was viewed as a move that, although not entirely indicative of a NATO future, provided a parallel with the neighboring, fellow Arctic country Norway, which also operates the F-35 aircraft. Indeed, the sense of shared military prowess and interoperability between Arctic countries and the wider NATO intergovernmental organization as a whole is a fundamental component of both the feasibility and practicality of Sweden and Finland’s decision to join NATO.

Disinformation in the New Philippine Elections

Disinformation in the New Philippine Elections

Drew Pagaduan
Current Events

In 2022, the Philippines saw the rise of Bongbong Marcos to the Philippine presidency years after his father, infamous dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted from power by the EDSA People’s Power revolution in 1986. So how is it that yet another Marcos has ascended to office yet again in the Philippines, not a full lifetime after their family’s exile by popular revolution?  Why has the myth of a Philippine Golden Age under Ferdinand Marcos, rife with recorded human rights abuses, persisted to this day to help propel Bongbong Marcos to the highest levels of government? It is decades of extensive historical revisionism and a complex disinformation network with roots in the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte that have placed the Marcos family back into the presidential office. 

Inflation as a Result of Inflation

Inflation as a Result of Inflation

Caleb Smith
Economics

Global inflation rates over the past year have been higher than they have been since 2012; similarly, inflation percentages in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) since the start of the second quarter have been staggering. In the US, the UK, and the EU, the primary driver of the recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) elevation, in the US, and the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) in Europe, is the rising cost of energy and consumer commodities. The rising cost of consumer commodities, especially food, housing, and petroleum products has struck the world into a tumultuous spiral, causing the cost of living to rise to a level not seen since the 1980s, resulting in the global experience of all three types of inflation. Typically, only one form of inflation is seen; however, this reversion to a 1980s economy is the result of many factors and is relatively uncommon. This spiral has fueled riots and protests across Europe, causing protestors and legislators alike to demand monetary reform.

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