By Susan Kerrigan, Professor Film and Television, Swinburne University of Technology
In one scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller Vertigo, lead character John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) is shown following Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) up a bell tower.
Scottie is afraid of heights. So when he briefly stops and glances down, he experiences a wave of vertigo. The stairwell distorts, seemingly stretching into the distance below him – a potent reflection of his dizzy and panicked state.
This scene is the first ever example of the “dolly zoom”, a dynamic visual technique achieved through camera movement and a zoom lens.
Also known as…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image People demonstrate against proposed changes to the US Postal Service and President Donald Trump's executive order regarding mail-in ballots, Miami, Florida, July 28, 2026. © 2026 Marta Lavandier/AP Photo A coalition of voting rights organizations renewed a motion for preliminary injunction on July 20 in Massachusetts to prevent the United States Postal Service (USPS) from implementing parts of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14399.The renewed motion is part of litigation challenging the order’s legality.The order purports to combat election fraud by directing…
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By Amnesty International
Twenty years after 17 aid workers from the French humanitarian association Action contre la Faim (ACF) were killed in Muttur, eastern Sri Lanka, the authorities must finally deliver truth, justice and reparations, Amnesty International said today. On 4 August 2006, 17 Sri Lankan employees of ACF – 16 Tamils and one Muslim – were found shot dead at close range at the […] The post Sri Lanka: Justice for ACF massacre cannot wait after two decades of impunity appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Antonio Martín, Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón IiSGM ; Universidad Nebrija
Today, neuroscience treats consciousness as a process that is confined to the brain, as something that makes us aware of information that would otherwise be unconscious. This view is underpinned by an assumption: that consciousness is a self-contained and self-governing mechanism, a hidden entity waiting to be located and explained.
My own research initially followed this line of thought, treating consciousness as a cognitive program created by particular…
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By Vitor Lima, Associate Professor of Marketing, ESCP Business School
Russell Belk, Professor, York University, Canada
Two researchers navigate the mind-boggling and often sinister, parallel universe that is known as the digital afterlife industry and chatbots specifically designed to help people grieve.
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By Robyn Klingler-Vidra, Vice Dean, Global Engagement | Associate Professor in Political Economy and Entrepreneurship, King's College London
The global AI race is usually portrayed as a contest between the US and China. But another story is unfolding across east Asia, where countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam are looking to command key parts of the AI value chain.
Here, sovereignty is the desired outcome. These governments are trying to secure enough control over critical AI capabilities such as chipmaking, computing infrastructure and physical AI applications like robotics to avoid becoming rule-takers in…
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By David Turner, Professor of Social and Cultural History, Swansea University
When politicians debate disability benefits today, the arguments can sound distinctly modern. Concerns about rising welfare costs, accusations of fraud and disputes over who deserves support often dominate headlines and political discussions.
But as my new book on 500 years of disability history in Britain shows, these debates are far older than many people realise. Since the first welfare systems emerged under the Tudors, disabled…
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By Sarah-Patricia Breen, Adjunct Professor, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph
Ela Mastej, PhD Student, University of Guelph
Ryan Gibson, Director and Professor, University of Guelph
While transit programs are often focused on urban places, it’s just as important to rural communities to maintain transportation links.
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By Joe Glentworth, Lecturer in Nature Recovery & Rewilding, University of Manchester
Anna Gilchrist, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management and Ecology, University of Manchester
Ian Thornhill, Senior Lecturer in Planning and Environmental Management, University of Manchester
Fire is natural in some ecosystems, but almost all British “wildfires” are started by people. Whether they become catastrophic increasingly depends on the landscapes they burn through. That’s why wildfire policy can’t only focus on preventing ignitions – it must go hand in hand with rebuilding landscapes that resist fire.
Rewilding is often presented…
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By Benjamin Quail, Lecturer in US Cultural and Social History, Queen's University Belfast
At the end of June – in the run-up to America’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – President Donald Trump staged the White House’s first-ever professional sporting event. And while the UFC Freedom 250 evening of mixed martial arts was ostensibly part of the July 4 jamboree, Trump took the opportunity to promote his family’s business interests.
Fighters were paid bonuses in US$1…
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