Natalie Holmes

Experience has become commodified, and as an object of trade it can be as socially and environmentally destructive as as any other type of product.

Gernot Würtenberger and Salem El-Mogaddedi gazed across rows of violet saffron unfurling like a carpet beside the small village of Shakiban in Afghanistan’s Herat province. It was harvest season in the fertile river valley, and local women gathered saffron among fields that not so long ago yielded poppies to supply the world’s insatiable demand for opium.

Ten Ways To Help Save The Net — And Ourselves

Germany's new Wage Transparency Act, which came into force on 6 January, empowers employees to find out the median salary of six colleagues of the opposite sex, in a comparable role. It aims to address the country’s gender pay gap, which, at 21%, is among Europe’s highest.

Day 1: My atrophied resilience
A few weeks ago, I injured my back. Although it hurt to walk, the doctor advised against complete rest. Apparently your muscles atrophy if you don’t use them — and it happens frighteningly fast. It made me wonder: has my resilience atrophied, in the five years since I got a smartphone?

The forces that sweep over cities are powerful, complex and global. Watching my neighbourhood change so rapidly, I often find it hard to believe anything can stop gentrification.

Chatbots look set to replace apps, infiltrate our homes and predict our every desire. They might even free us from the trappings of the web.

What if you owned a share of your city’s electricity grid? Along with your fellow citizens, you could decide where your energy comes from, how much it costs and even receive a portion of the profits each year. It sounds like a dream, but if the BürgerEnergie Berlin (BBE) initiative has its way, it could become a reality.

The people forced to flee their homes come from all walks of life: teachers, students, doctors, scientists, artists. Their narrative is not a single one, and each individual’s identity transcends that of “refugee,” which is why their voices should not go unheard or be misrepresented.

Across the world, from Greece to Guatemala; Illinois to Iran, people are assembling life-size humanoid robots. They’re creating a legion of AI-powered clones that anyone with access to a 3D printer can build.

Forced to relocate miles from her children’s kindergarten, Halima Farah has been working to find a solution for her family. But she faces a lack of support from those entrusted with her welfare, violence and intimidation from building management, and bureaucratic delays at a time when every moment is more precarious than the last.

“Don’t be afraid. Enjoy yourself. It’s not forever.”

If I could talk to my dog while he’s at the kennel, that’s what I’d say. Eight short, simple words—a few huge, abstract concepts. Of all the mind-blowing applications offered by the Animal Internet, I keep coming back to this one emotional exchange.

Germany welcomed around one million migrants in 2015, as the country opened its borders to refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Though migration numbers in 2016 have declined, the sudden demographic change is having a big impact across the country’s real estate – and its economy.

If you don’t want to look like a tourist in Berlin, follow these guidelines—soon, you’ll be able to say "Ich bin ein Berliner" and actually mean it....