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Having spent decades as an affluent but ‘typical, institutionalised, educated Western man’, the neurologist John Kitchin radically reassessed his life after finding that he was losing his eyesight and had grown unsatisfied in his work. Emerging from a bout of hopelessness with the realisation that all he wanted to do was ‘the basic things and skate’, he gave up his practice. Now a minor celebrity on San Diego’s Pacific Beach boardwalk, Kitchin – or Slomo, as he’s become known – practices an idiosyncratic, seemingly slow-motion style of inline skating that doubles as meditation. A charming and light-hearted vision of what can happen when you actually do what you want to, Slomo (2013) won dozens of awards upon its release, including Best Short Documentary at the SXSW Film Festival.
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Work
A Swedish expat in the Philippines wonders: what’s up with people sleeping at work?
14 minutes
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Biography and memoir
The unique life philosophy of Abdi, born in Somalia, living in the Netherlands
29 minutes
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Cognition and intelligence
What’s this buzz about bees having culture? Inside a groundbreaking experiment
8 minutes
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Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
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The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
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Ethics
For Iris Murdoch, selfishness is a fault that can be solved by reframing the world
6 minutes
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Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes
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Love and friendship
After his son’s terrorist attack, Azdyne seeks healing – and his granddaughter
25 minutes
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Art
More than breathtaking, ‘The Birth of Venus’ signalled an aesthetic revolution
19 minutes