Imagine being subjected to pain without consent, and suffering for the sake of research that is of no benefit to you. This is the reality millions of animals endure each year when they are used as test subjects in cosmetic, medicine, scientific and other industries. Amongst the ongoing discourse around animal testing, which holds a variety of interesting viewpoints, a pressing question surfaces again and again: should it be banned? While some argue that it is essential for human progress, the ethical and scientific problems of animal testing cannot be ignored. Animal testing should be banned because it is cruel, causes unnecessary pain, produces unreliable results, and is economically inefficient—especially when there are effective alternative methods available.
Xinlan Hu
June 06, 2025
After the trailer for Twins Himahima, an anime project with AI involved in 95% of its production process, was released, the anime received massive attention along with criticism, claiming that the anime has low quality and its only intention was to make money. Soon to be released in April this year, Twins Himahima demonstrates how AI can be used in animation while also revealing many potential underlying issues (Otaku, 2024).
Yuxin Xiang
June 06, 2025
The People’s Republic of China (PRC), now viewed in the western world as an autocratic economic powerhouse, owes a large part of its reputation today to Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), otherwise known as the “Architect of Modern China.” Entering the world stage as a PRC leader in 1978, Deng’s rise to power signaled a new change for China’s economic state. Throughout his career, Deng more than doubled China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in his tenure, quickly rising from $149.54 billion in 1979 to $347.77 billion by 1989.1 As a result, China experienced an explosion in economic growth, living standards, and connection to the world economy.
Chun Hei Chan
April 18, 2025
After hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Saudi Arabia generated $2.3-4.1 billion in revenue, attracted over 5 billion viewers, and 1 million tourists who visited Qatar during the tournament (Bibolov et al., 2024). Due to its lucrative success, Saudi Arabia is set to once more host the legendary sports tournament again in 2034 (Dunbar, 2024).
Chloe Chan
April 18, 2025
Abstract - This essay explores the ethics of animal experimentation through Martin Seligman’s work on Learned Helplessness, analyzing the principles of rationality, utilitarianism, and emotion. Seligman and proponents of animal experimentation justify such practices based on the principle of rationality, positing that animals lack cognitive capacities comparable to humans. Supporters of utilitarianism emphasize maximizing overall utility, often unfairly prioritizing human interests. However, these views are critiqued in light of modern research on animal cognition and emotions, revealing their capacity for self-awareness, empathy, and suffering. This essay argues that rationality alone is insufficient to determine moral status, as the theory itself is paradoxical when it comes to the shared traits of disabled humans and animals. It further critiques utilitarianism for neglecting moral emotions like compassion. Advocating for the principle of emotion, the essay underscores the ethical obligation to respect animals' intrinsic value and calls for a balanced framework that harmonizes rationality with empathy and care.
Yifeng Cao
April 18, 2025
Your neck twists against the cotton of your pillow. You lie in silence so dark you hear feathers sigh. The air is still and reeks of decay. You’ve been lying here a while, as you have many nights before; the odour has curled through your veins and burned itself into your skin. You’re not wanted elsewhere. Shadows melt your walls, spill across piles of clothing, smother the moon’s glare. They twist in the folds of your curtain, drag them by their skirts; swallow the glimmer of your medals, the shine from your teddy bear’s eyes. They distort the faces in your family portrait, darken the stare of a younger you, who bares her teeth in scorn at the brittle husk of you now. With each whisper of faraway wind, shadows creep closer to your toes.
Annie Zhao
March 06, 2025
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