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Culture
History, music, cooking, travel, books, theatre, film - but also with an eye on the 'culture wars', nationalism and identity.

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Midsummers Dreams of Flying: Courage is a Muscle
Salena Godden on how our ancient dreams of the impossible became today's realities and prove that 'Pessimism is for Leightweights'

WORD OF THE WEEK: Whipmegmorum
(n.) a noisy quarrel about politics

'DIE MAUER IM KOPF': Why Bannon Told Trump to "Build the Wall"
Hardeep Matharu explores the 30th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Wall and how and why the building of walls is making a worrying comeback – in the US and elsewhere.

Whatever they say, Fast Fashion Brands aren't Sustainable
Erika Koljonen investigates whether cheap and cheerful clothing can be sustainable as the fast fashion brands claim.

'John Wick' Body Count: Do Violent Movies Inspire Violence Amongst their Viewers?
Chris Sullivan on the age-old debate about whether fictional displays of violence increase it in reality, now informed by some groundbreaking research.

Anybody can be a Hero: The Story of Lilo Hermann
Whenever Mike Stuchbery travels to Stuttgart he is reminded that the courage to resist authoritarianism and tyranny isn't restricted to a particular kind of individual and here manifests itself in the form of a bookish single mother.

Watching the Apocalypse? Turn off the TV and Find a Better Ending
Salena Godden's fourth episode of 'Pessimism is for Lightweights' warns of the dangers of too much bad news and the need for hope.
