'SPREAD'

Article and illustration by Maitri Lavender linguistics – the study of language as used by queer folk – is a field recently sprung up; it’s a beautiful universal study of the where, what [1] and how of the queer around you. Case in point: A polyglot may prefer speaking English or another language with accepted gender-neutral…

By Paweł Fligier Illustration by Célia Mortureux Word of the year! In 2016, the word “post-truth” won Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year, defeating such prominent opponents as “alt-right”, “chatbot”, or “woke” in order to claim the honourable title (Oxford Languages, 2016). And this success should not really be of surprise to anyone if…

By Norbert Borski Illustration by Merel Hamminga Spreading genes is a fundamental part of existence on Earth. For many organisms, it is the very essence – producing offspring and continuing the cycle of life. Although it might sound simple, finding a suitable partner is not always easy. Over hundreds of thousands of years, species have…

By Lucia Deon Illustration by Madelene Nitzsche Classical economists might suggest that the market is a place where a wide variety of actors come together on a balanced playing field. Conversely, the modern digital economy presents an economic reality that is anything but even; extremely important algorithmic systems and databases are controlled by a singular…

By Yanely Lopez Illustration by Taylor Brunnschweiler Replicated through reposts, mutated through edits, and spreading through communities with career, memes have begun to behave like modern microbes of culture. It’s not just about “going viral”, it’s about how the meaning shifts and multiplies as it travels. Once just a photo of a “perpetually displeased” feline,…