Showing 1 - 10 of 91
Esports industry should be embarrassed right now
News, Adam Minter, Published on 15/07/2024
» The first-ever Esports World Cup was launched in Saudi Arabia last weekend with a record-breaking US$60 million (2.1 billion baht) prize pool.
Save the Olympics for the locals
News, Adam Minter, Published on 08/07/2024
» The presence of the 2 million or so fans who will travel from abroad to attend the Paris 2024 Olympic games will be felt in the city's stadiums. Unfortunately, it will also be felt by the climate.
Nike shoes aren't performance-enhancing drugs
News, Adam Minter, Published on 24/10/2023
» World records in marathons have toppled like track hurdles in recent weeks. Tigst Assefa, the new women's record holder, beat the old one by more than two minutes. Kelvin Kiptum, the latest men's record holder, took 34 seconds off his predecessor's time. These are astonishing accomplishments. But not everybody is crediting the athletes. Instead, critics argue that Assefa and Kiptum couldn't have run at top speeds without a new generation of high-performance "super shoes". Some go so far as to equate the souped-up shoes to performance-enhancing drugs.
Video game competitions should be in Olympics
News, Adam Minter, Published on 30/09/2023
» The hottest sports ticket in the Asia-Pacific right now isn't for a soccer match, an NBA exhibition game or even a swim meet. It's for the medal event debut of competitive video gaming, or esports.
Your coffee cup will need a climate rating, too
News, David Fickling, Published on 12/09/2023
» Here's a quick game for the climate-conscious. Try ranking these disposable beverage containers from least to most environmentally friendly: aluminium; glass; paperboard; plastic bottle; plastic pouch.
'Insect apocalypse' coming to your neighbourhood
Oped, Adam Minter, Published on 03/08/2023
» An unusually large influx of tiny insects called aphids have been sucking on Dallas-area pecan trees in recent weeks. After they've had their fill, they "excrete" the waste out their back ends and onto cars, driveways and sidewalks. "Texas is covered in a sticky, icky goo," declared a Dallas Morning News headline. Other news outlets offered tips on how to clean up the mess.
In St Paul, law enforcement reform is working
Oped, Published on 27/06/2020
» The protests over George Floyd's death radiated out from south Minneapolis to the world. But in Minnesota, at least, they've so far failed to produce the tangible change that marchers demanded.
Endangered species among virus victims
News, Adam Minter, Published on 13/05/2020
» Social distancing may save human lives, but it's wreaking havoc on some of the world's most threatened species.
Chinese food will determine spread of pandemics
News, David Fickling, Published on 24/01/2020
» With the world's largest high-speed rail network, a payments system that's largely conducted via phone apps, and half the world's solar-power plants, China often looks like a country at the technological frontier. When you consider how it feeds itself, though, it's still just catching up.
What's wrong with China's national champions?
News, Adam Minter, Published on 05/03/2019
» A year ago, Didi Chuxing Inc, China's largest ride-sharing company, looked like a quintessential "national champion". It had driven Uber Technologies Inc from the local market, attracted investment from Apple Inc and was contemplating a Hong Kong IPO worth as much as US$80 billion (2.5 trillion baht). State media coverage was fawning, government support was all but assured and the company's near-monopoly looked unassailable.