The Queen’s Gambit and anti-drug policies
The word “gambetto” has been used in Italian dictionaries since the 13th century, as a synonym for “tripping up someone”. When migrating to English, it became “gambit” and had the meaning extended to “trickery to beat the opponent”. Its most popular use occurs in the expression “queen’s gambit”, which designates a chess move in which, […]
Rivality in soft drinks: to sell, anything goes?
For most ordinary citizens today, Pepsi is nothing more than a “plan B” soda for occasions when there is no bottle of Coca-Cola available. But it wasn’t always like that. In the 1980s, the two brands fought a fierce battle for consumer preference, which peaked with Pepsi’s hiring of Michael Jackson to star in the […]
Aristotle, the waspish
Before Leonardo DaVinci appeared with his skills as a multi-tasking scientist/artist, the “jack of all trades” title could very well have been attributed to Aristotle. The Greek philosopher constantly tested the threshold between thinking and experiencing, proposing empirical and methodical data collection as a formidable way to meet human intellectual hunger. This procedure came in […]
Does my face belong to me?
Present in countless public places around the world, systems that capture facial images and process them from large biometric databases are often piloted by governments that say they are concerned with the safety of the population and the prevention of terrorist attacks and other incidents. That the cameras inhibit crimes or assist in their investigation, […]
What is a violent game?
Shooting in schools and other public places has made headlines quite often, sparking heated debate about the causes of this phenomenon and what public authorities and civil society could do to prevent such incidents. Violent video games are often cited as factors that would encourage shooters to plan attacks. As a result of this association, […]
Public policies and the morality of modern vices
Many public managers, in all spheres of power, are now struggling with the delicate issue of chemical dependency. There are many ways to deal with this problem, from the fight against drug trafficking, to the elaboration of policies for the treatment of people subjugated by drug addiction. In one way or another, each ruler or […]