The Pox Patch Renaissance

3rd February 2023

Over the past year or two, you may have noticed people wearing little stickers on their faces, often in the shape of a star or circle, sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes clear. These are pimple patches: you stick them over any spots or blemishes on the skin. They contain hydrocolloid (a gel that helps heal wounds), absorb any fluid from the area, prevent one from picking at or popping the pimple, and – unlike similar gels or creams – turn an unsightly zit into a cute and fun accentuated feature. But what if I told you that making blemishes into deliberate features was not a new concept? What if I told you that it goes back thousands of years? Allow me to introduce you to pox patches.

The Pox Patch Renaissance

A Brief History of Received Pronunciation

19th January 2023

Whenever someone who isn’t from the UK is asked to put on an ‘British accent’, they usually default to a well-to-do South-Eastern impression. But its actual name is Received Pronunciation, or RP for short; it is also referred to as the Queen’s English, Oxford English, and BBC English (for reasons I’ll explain later) and is most often heard in the middle and upper classes in England.

A Brief History of Received Pronunciation

The Ukrainian Christmas

9th December 2022

З Різдвом Христовим!
Have you ever wished that Christmas happened more than once a year? This lovely festive dream has been a reality in Ukraine for the last several years. Both Catholic and Orthodox Christmases are celebrated, so the 25th of December and the 7th of January are national holidays. This is due to Ukraine having a diverse population and a majority identifying as either Orthodox Christian or Byzantine Rite Catholic, with the two denominations celebrating on different days. Two Christmases – double the fun. You, my curious reader, are probably wondering whether there are any traditions associated with this festive time. And if you assumed that there are, you would be very right. So, let’s begin our journey of discovering the magical land of Ukrainian festivities.

The Ukrainian Christmas

Ancient Roots of Sexism in Medicine

2nd December 2022

We have been taught that science is rational and binary, yet medicine can never be truly objective – it resides at the heart of a society and strikes at the core of what it means to be human. In a discipline devoted to caring for the vulnerable, many have been let down, repeatedly ignored and written off due to prejudices deeply engrained in our society. Medicine will always reflect our values, therefore as we move away from the paternalistic doctor, and towards patient-centred care where we are listened to and believed, it’s important to remember where the roots of medicine come from to better understand why so many women have been and still are mistreated.

Ancient Roots of Sexism in Medicine