Society

Fractals to the Rescue!

Many people have taken up gardening or some other plant-related hobby during the pandemic. It seems that when we have the opportunity, we surround ourselves…

Milena KaprálováSeptember 15, 2021

Camera Obscura Society Spiegeloog 413: Nature

Camera Obscura: Seaspiracy

The Seaspiracy documentary presents a nuanced and interesting take on the fishing industry and its associated environmental and structural problems. It highlights the (potential) largest…

Lydia TianSeptember 10, 2021

Society Spiegeloog 413: Nature

Is the Sun Alive and are the Clouds Made of Sugar?

What do children know about the world before coming into contact with formal scientific education? In this article we will look at three aspects involved…

Magda MatetoviciSeptember 8, 2021

Culture Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

The (Metal) Kids Are Alright

Dark shirts with dangerous-looking, bloody faces on it, black dyed hair and a slightly annoyed facial expression. Is that how you imagine a ‘metalhead’, a…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloJune 18, 2021

Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Happiness – The Ultimate Goal?

Why is it morally right to help a person in need? Why is it morally wrong to hurt others? More generally, according to which principle…

Valentin WeberJune 14, 2021

Let's Mingle Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Podcast: Let’s Mingle #3 – Happiness in Politics and the Military

In 'Let's Mingle', Lucie and Marie aim to build more cohesion in the University of Amsterdam through cross-faculty interactions and exchanges of ideas. For each…

Lucie Pressl and Marie GaebelJune 9, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Humbling Happiness

The feeling of happiness has a peculiar status in our culture. We all wish to maximise it, but at the same time, we don’t seem…

Bas van TolJune 9, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Paradoxical Pleasures

Do you find yourself seeking angst-filled poetry or sad songs? Do you ever find yourself chomping down spicy food while your mouth is burning and…

Nitya Shah and Magda MatetoviciJune 7, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

SSRIs & oestrogen – Happiness hormones for the menstruating

In a research article from 1961, 386 convicted women were interviewed, and it was shown that 49% of them committed their crime during menstruation or…

Spiegeloog EditorsJune 4, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

The Happiness Paradox of Information

Inspired by the phrases ‘ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise’, and my experiences with knowledge and wisdom, I attempted to seek an answer…

Lydia TianJune 2, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 412: Happiness

Quantifying Happiness

People want to be happy and to know how happy others are. To convey how happy we are, we have to define happiness and then…

Milena KaprálováMay 26, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

Express Yourself!

How do we pick what we are going to wear in the morning? What influences our clothing style? These questions seem to be quite complicated,…

Emanuela ZhechevaMay 7, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Bleeding

Menstruation is still surrounded by a rather negative view in society. How can this be explained in evolutionary terms? What is the effect of this…

Lisanne van der VeldenApril 26, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

More Power to Psychology

One could argue that psychology – like many other sciences – is underappreciated by the public. Policymakers could improve their decision-making, students could learn better,…

Valentin WeberApril 23, 2021

Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

Words Create Worlds

‘Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world.’, says Rumi. Just like he says, the languages we speak seem to…

Esna Mualla GunayApril 21, 2021

News & opinion Pandēmus Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

Pandēmus: UvA, we need to talk

Photo by Sandra SchönAlmost a year ago, I was forced to take a lunch break as my unstable internet connection made it impossible to watch…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloApril 19, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

The Power of Progressive Protests: A Narrative Approach

Human beings are great storytellers. We share what we like, what we care about, and what we want through stories. Who we are shapes our…

Arda ErginApril 16, 2021

Let's Mingle People Podcasts Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

Podcast: Let’s Mingle #2 – The Human Thinker versus The AI

In 'Let's Mingle', Lucie and Marie aim to build more cohesion in the University of Amsterdam through cross-faculty interactions and exchanges of ideas. For each…

Lucie Pressl and Marie GaebelApril 14, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 411: Power

Can the Power of Authority be Used to Improve Behaviour?

‘The disappearance of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority’, said Stanley Milgram once. In this article, I will compare different studies…

Elise van GravenApril 14, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

The Roots of Human Homosexuality

All throughout the natural world, homosexuality is seen. Humans, as well as many other species of animals engage in homosexual behavior. However, there is a…

Bas van TolMarch 26, 2021

Let's Mingle People Podcasts Society Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

Podcast: Let’s Mingle #1 – The Rainbow

In 'Let's Mingle', Lucie and Marie aim to build more cohesion in the University of Amsterdam through cross-faculty interactions and exchanges of ideas. For each…

Lucie Pressl and Marie GaebelMarch 8, 2021

Society Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

The Rise of the Rainbow

One can hardly think of the LGBTQ community without thinking of the rainbow flag. Walking through the Amsterdam city center, no symbol expresses diversity more…

Anne Sophie GiacobelloMarch 3, 2021

Books Society Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

Tabula Rasa: Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity – and Why This Harms Everybody

Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity - and Why This Harms Everybody, is a recently published book by Helen…

Lydia TianMarch 1, 2021

Pandēmus People Society Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

Pandemus: Free(dom) of covid speech

I have written and rewritten this piece about a million times by now. I was supposed to write something about the pandemic. But what about…

Quinty MarsFebruary 26, 2021

Science Society Spiegeloog 410: Rainbows

Reflections Know-How

We are told that reflection is very important in the learning process, and are encouraged to reflect a lot during our studies. What makes reflection…

Milena KaprálováFebruary 24, 2021