Humanity

An anti-war demonstrator stages a die-in as others mark the 78th anniversary of the 1945 atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima with a march and protest at Times Square in New York, US, on 6 August 2023. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Chinese academic: Humanity could destroy itself with nuclear weapons

Commentator Zhang Tiankan explores the themes of the movie Oppenheimer, and examines how nuclear weapons may not destroy the earth, but definitely might wipe out humanity and all life.
"I remember the day Einstein came to me in a dream"

[Comic] The other side of the coral reef

I recently watched Oppenheimer and it reminded me of a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “The state was made for man, not man for the state.” This was possibly the difference between Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. The meaning of “state” is abstract, fluid and changing, and the idea that “I will always love my country” has long been shaken. Just as Einstein must have loved Germany but had to leave, there was a lot of helplessness and conflict — between people and government, politics and science, domination and egalitarianism. While the scientific spirit of “facts over authorities and books; always exchanging, comparing and reassessing opinions” is somewhat idealistic, like the law, it is worth holding on to. If academics do not stand with the people, who then will fight “evil”? Between scholars and the wise ones, there is just a little more justice, conscience and sense of humanity. — Bai Yi
The second supermoon of 2023, also known as the Sturgeon Moon, rises behind the cable car of the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 1 August 2023. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP)

Taiwanese art historian: What’s the significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Art historian Chiang Hsun recalls a time of basking in the glow of natural light that can be hardly seen or felt today. Modern artificial lights have driven out the darkness, but along with it life itself.
A child sitting on a man's shoulder takes a picture as she visits the Bund waterfront area in Shanghai, China, on 5 July 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)

Is China’s good fortune reversing?

Whether China can prove naysayers wrong and keep up its good national fortunes depends on solving old problems associated with restarting the mechanisms of the Soviet Union model, and tackling new problems arising from successful development.
Astrology has a longstanding history, different from the lucky number and colour of each horoscope that we see in the media. (iStock)

Taiwanese art historian: Reading the stars, reading people

Discovering that horoscopes could be a discipline in itself, Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun takes back his earlier dismissal of them as a cheap thrill. Studying the stars and how they gather and scatter with the life choices one makes is a teaching in itself.
Taiwanese host Mickey Huang is facing sexual assault allegations amid a #MeToo wave sweeping across Taiwan. (CNS)

#MeToo in Taiwan: Why public opinion matters

While it is easy for public commentators to lash out at perpetrators and victims alike in #MeToo cases, the psychological factors behind each case are complex. Would angry bashing tamp down our empathy for the afflicted in rooting out the underlaying issues behind sexual assault?
Mother's embroidery draft on coarse fabric. (Photo provided by Chiang Hsun)

Mother’s hands in the handicraft era: Taiwanese art historian

Musing at the way modern hands are preoccupied with the mindless scrolling of mobile phones, art historian Chiang Hsun remembers his mother who knew the weight of things with one touch of her hands. Those same hands made countless beautiful sweaters and embroidery for her family — it was her labour of love.
This file photo taken on 23 January 2023 in Toulouse, southwestern France, shows screens displaying the logos of OpenAI and ChatGPT. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP)

ChatGPT will permeate all facets of our work and life

While advanced AI tools like ChatGPT are viewed as a potential threat to jobs, all is not lost as workers can adapt by learning to work with such technology to achieve better outcomes.
A pigeon flies in front of the Kremlin's Spasskaya tower (left) and Saint Basil's cathedral (centre) in Moscow on 1 March 2023. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP)

Russia could decline into a failed state

Chinese academic Zhang Tiankan believes that while Russia looks and acts tough like a major power, it is in fact not as powerful as it thinks, or wants others to think. It has a long way to go before having the same influence as other world powers.