Highlights of the week 21-27 October
Marko Blažević, Unsplash
Iceland has found that a four-day week is much more efficient for both workers and the economy as a whole. The practical benefits of such a system have also been recognised by other countries that have conducted similar experiments.
Iceland's economy outperforms many European countries
Research shows that Iceland's economy is performing better than most European countries following the introduction of a four-day working week. Between 2020 and 2022, 51% of the country's workers reduced their working hours without taking a pay cut, leading to a growing economy and lower unemployment, according to the UK-based Autonomy Institute and the Association for Sustainability and Democracy (Alda).
Experiments conducted between 2015 and 2019 with 2,500 workers showed that productivity was maintained or increased and that stress and burnout levels among workers fell significantly. As a result, unions have won shorter working hours for tens of thousands of workers across the country.
Iceland's economy grew by 5 per cent in 2023, second only to Malta among rich European countries, according to the IMF.
Gothic festival celebrates anniversary
Thirty years after the first Goth Weekend was held in the seaside town of Whitby, the festival still attracts thousands of fans of the gothic subculture and remains a "safe and accepting place", according to regular attendees. Held twice a year, the event is inspired by Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and includes concerts, themed stalls and costume parties.
Elaine Horton, owner of the Pandemonium Gothic Shop, says her business has increased significantly as a result of the event. Also present at the festival is the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, set up in memory of the girl who died in 2007 after being attacked for wearing gothic clothing. A spokesman for the foundation says the festival allows people to express themselves and feel comfortable.
Organisers of the event, such as tour guide 'Dr Crank', note that the festival has become a 'world event' over the years, attracting people from all over the world. The people of Whitby support the festival and enjoy the diversity that the Goths bring, making the town even more colourful and unique.
Scientists try to 'resurrect' Tasmanian tiger
The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, Australia's last great predatory marsupial, could be brought back to life thanks to advances by American and Australian scientists. Researchers from Colossal Biosciences have already reconstructed almost 99.9% of its DNA from a well-preserved sample held by the Melbourne Museum. They have also extracted RNA that reveals how Thylacine saw the world and what smells and tastes it recognised.
The revival process involves editing the genome of Thylacine's closest relative, the small marsupial dunart, to create an animal that looks as much like the extinct predator as possible. Scientists have already made more than 300 genetic changes to the dunart's cells, and have also learned how to stimulate ovulation and grow embryos outside the body.
However, the project has attracted criticism: some believe that funds would be better spent on protecting existing species, and that reviving the thylacine in a modern environment could be unethical and technically challenging. Nevertheless, developing technologies to revive the thylacine could help protect other endangered marsupials, such as the Tasmanian devil.
