Culture and Media

On the 5th anniversary of the ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury by the Philippine government, chemicals and waste watchdog BAN Toxics raised the alarm over the online sale of elemental mercury, also known as silver mercury or quicksilver,…

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a tool—it is evolving into something far more complex, raising profound questions about its role in relation to human intelligence. If AI is merely an instrument created by humans, why does it now exhibit…

Fragmentary journal of a radical journalist in the posthuman era I am not interested in debating whether machines can think. What matters to me is examining what kind of thinking emerges when a human mind enters into a creative, ethical,…

by Irshad Ahmad Mughal and Dr. Qurat al-ain Rana Pakistan stands at a critical juncture where the pursuit of modernization must not overshadow genuine development. The prevailing approach—prioritizing modernization over development—has turned society into a dependent entity, subservient to metropolitan…

Over lunch of rice, soup, fish, and vegetables at my sister’s house in Paranaque, Philippines, I found myself explaining to the family’s caregiver what a sandwich was like in the U.S. where I live. Needless to say, I had a…

by Irshad Ahmad Mughal and Dr. Qurat-al-Ain Rana While social media has revolutionized global connectivity, its darker consequences demand urgent attention. What began as a platform for sharing ideas has morphed into a dangerous catalyst for physical, religious, and economic…

The world of literature has turned purple, not knowing which color, blue or red, fits the current dilemma that’s causing serious students of the art to tear their hair out. The age of social media has opened the door to…

by Irshad Ahmad Mughal and Dr. Qurat ul Ain Rana  The domination of human consciousness by artificial intelligence and the relentless overflow of information marks a profound existential crisis—one that thinkers like Edmund Husserl and Jean-Paul Sartre could not have…

by Irshad Ahmad Mughal and Dr. Qurat-Ul-Ain Rana Every day, we encounter countless short videos on social media showcasing reckless behavior in pursuit of viral fame—often with deadly consequences. Recently, I watched three chilling clips: a man filming himself on…

As I scroll through my phone, absorbing the relentless updates about the Iran-Israel conflict, I’m confronted by images that blur the line between reality and simulation. Towering buildings reduced to rubble, missiles streaking across skies like something out of a…