culture News

The Best Cookbooks of 2025: Soju Party, Fat and Flour, Salsa Daddy, Italo Punk, and More

This year's bumper crop looks at salsa, noodles, drinking culture, and home baking.

The Pop Culture We’re Thankful for Getting Us Through 2025

From 'Andor' and 'Expedition 33', to streamers and artists, here's the pop culture io9 is thankful for this year.

Italian cooking awarded Unesco cultural heritage status

An Eyptian snack, Icelandic pool culture, Cuban music and Albanian lahuta music also get recognition.

BBC may not be in 'safe hands' under its chair, says committee head

The most senior MP on the culture select committee says Samir Shah's evidence to MPs was "wishy-washy".

The indie web is here to make the internet weird again

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on internet culture, follow Stevie Bonifield. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Th…

Ros Atkins on… MPs examining the BBC memo

After the resignations of Director General and CEO of News, The Culture, Media and Sport committee invited a number of senior BBC figures to be quizzed on what has happened.

‘Jmail’ is like any other inbox, except this one has Jeffrey Epstein’s emails

The more than 20,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein emails released earlier this month by the House Oversight Committee have been enough to prompt more investigations into the convicted child sex offender and the people around him, like former Harvard president and…

Google decks out its arts & culture app with AI 'World Toon Video,' Art Chats

Google updated its Arts & Culture app with a few new AI experiments for learning new topics.

Inside Meta's 'year of intensity' as its AI overhaul, culture wars, and crackdowns collide

Meta's AI overhaul, culture shifts, layoffs, and performance crackdowns have sparked internal clashes, employee exits, and morale concerns in 2025.

Instagram's Adam Mosseri is getting rid of a part of work that many employees dread

As companies rethink corporate culture, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is the latest to crack down on the dreaded recurring meeting.

The New Circuit Culture

Heineken and DX7 Design's high-voltage vision for 2025's F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix blends tech and design Formula 1 has always embraced spectacle, but in Las Vegas the spectacle becomes the starting …

AT&T CEO says he made a mistake in how he went about fixing company culture — but the viral memo wasn't it

AT&T CEO John Stankey said he was too slow on changing the company's culture, and that his viral employee memo was part of that process.

I'm a Florida native. Tourists should skip the crowds in Orlando and visit these 4 underrated parts of Florida instead.

As someone born and raised in Florida, I believe the best underrated places to visit for culture and nature include St. Augustine and Alachua County.

Reddit's CEO says the platform is ditching a key part that 'sucks'

CEO Steve Huffman said Reddit would scrap its r/popular default feed because it "gives the false impression of a singular Reddit culture."

Key figures in BBC crisis to be questioned by MPs

A former adviser, whose memo sparked resignations from the BBC's director general and head of news, will take questions publicly for the first time.

The Verge’s 2025 in review

The year 2025 has been, to put it mildly, eventful. If you’re like me, you’ve felt as if it’s pretty much impossible to keep up with things; every day brings something new, much of it baffling or enraging. But that’s not the case for everything — and so, as w…

First it was K-pop, now it's K-food. Here's how to bring Korean cooking into your kitchen

Why jars of kimchi and bottles of gochujang are turning Korean food into a UK staple.

Satya Nadella says an old cartoon about Microsoft is a good example of how a meme can influence company culture

CEO Satya Nadella said he learned two lessons from a 2011 cartoon that depicted Microsoft's divisions in conflict with each other.

Verizon is laying off over 13,000 workers

Verizon is preparing to lay off more than 13,000 employees, or about 13 percent of its workforce. In a message to employees, Verizon CEO Dan Schulman says that the reductions come as part of plans to cut costs and “reorient” the company “around delivering for…

Scientists Analyzed 8,500-Year-Old Remains—And Discovered a Lost Human Population

An ancient group from central Argentina held on to their DNA, even with the exchange of culture and language.

Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 'shameful' position - report

A senior church committee has recommended a review of "governance, culture and integrity issues" as well as safeguarding.

Understanding carriage

The announcement of the planned Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros, one of the last remaining major studios, is shedding light on a key issue we often overlook when thinking about culture, creativity and creation. Carriage is the term for the method that book…

Where did kiwi come from?

And shiitake mushrooms, spaghetti squash, ginger and even packaged tofu? In the 1960s, the culture changed, and so did the supermarket. Small markets with fifty or sixty kinds of fruits and vegetables transformed into supermarkets carrying hundreds of varieti…

The Concourse Project Cultivates Austin’s Dance Music Culture

Once only found in the underground, electronic dance music now sells out mainstream stages at Coachella. For some, throwing successful parties is serious work—and a serious time commitment. Kelly G…

Jon M. Chu Says AI Couldn’t Have Made One of Wicked’s Best Moments

The Wicked: For Good director says being able to improvise on set allows for the kind of moments that are hard for machines to make.

‘The Matrix’ Co-Creator Lilly Wachowski Addresses (Again) ‘Red Pill’ Misappropriation

Lilly and Lana Wachowski co-wrote and co-directed the groundbreaking 1999 sci-fi hit and its first two sequels.

Apple’s head of UI design is leaving for Meta

Alan Dye, who has led Apple’s UI design team since 2015, is leaving to join Meta as its chief design officer, Bloomberg reports. He’ll join Meta on December 31st, and Meta is opening a design studio and giving Dye oversight of design for “hardware, software a…

Quiz culture générale : huit questions pour tester votre mémoire

Des thèmes éclectiques pour vous mettre à l’épreuve, dans un quiz dont toutes les réponses sont tirées d’articles publiés dans « Le Monde ». Une bonne occasion de lire ceux que vous auriez manqués…

Daily Mail publisher agrees to buy Daily Telegraph for £500m

The publisher of the Daily Mail says it is in talks to buy the Daily and Sunday Telegraph for £500m.

‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer’ Is Speeding Into Our Hearts

Now this is podracing, among other things.

What will McLaren do if Verstappen set to win title? F1 Q&A

BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions before the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Notes on Shadowing a Hospitalist

16 observations on hospital culture and incentives

Silicon Valley startups: being evil, again and again

by Ian Wright // Silicon Valley's startup culture believes it's changing the world for the better. But in reality its culture is deeply unethical since it institutionalises theft on a global scale.

Staff strike forces Louvre to close doors to visitors

The strike action marks the latest disruption for the museum after a jewel theft and water damage.

WATCH: Jamaican reggae legend Jimmy Cliff dies at 81

Grammy Award-winning singer and actor Jimmy Cliff, who helped Jamaican reggae music find its place within global pop culture, has died at 81.

AI Slop Is Ruining Reddit for Everyone

Reddit is considered one of the most human spaces left on the internet, but mods and users are overwhelmed with slop posts in the most popular subreddits.

Lost Bach pieces performed for first time in 320 years

Germany's Culture Minister calls the discovery a "great moment for the world of music".

An Absurdist Film About the American Dream

The genius of Problemista, folktronica music, and more culture and entertainment recommendations

The Fantastical Storytelling of Nollywood Movies

Nigerian epic thrillers, Chimamanda Adichie’s books, and more culture and entertainment recommendations

Avoiding the toxic status loop

Organizations and cultures are build on affiliation and organized by status. And that status never stays stable. There’s a status loop in some suburbs in how the front lawn looks. A nicely kept yard gets a nod of approval from a neighbor and might be rewarded…

Netflix is buying Warner Bros Discovery: All of the latest updates

After a bidding war that reportedly also involved Paramount, Comcast, Amazon, and Apple, on December 5th, Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion, buying the studio, HBO / HBO Max, Warner Games, and more. There are already questions and co…

Feast Your Eyes on Japan’s Fake Food

Lifelike food replicas have long been a fixture of Japanese dining culture. Now, in an exhibition at Japan House, they are being spotlighted as art.

Wikipedia Has Its Own Version of ‘Wrapped’ Now, But There’s One Little Problem

The online encyclopedia is offering personalized stats on users' reading habits, along with a list of the year’s most-read articles.

‘Star Wars’ and Deadpool Bring Festive Themed Treats to Disneyland

Eat your way through Disney Parks this season with Chewbacca-endorsed Life Day fare at Galaxy's Edge and chimichangas at Avengers Campus.

Japanese Devs Face Font Licensing Dilemma as Annual Costs Increase From $380 To $20K

An anonymous reader quotes a report from GamesIndustry.biz: Japanese game makers are struggling to locate affordable commercial fonts after one of the country's leading font licensing services raised the cost of its annual plan from around $380 to $20,500 (US…

This French hedge fund is on a growth tear. Defying industry norms is part of its secret sauce.

Hedge fund Capital Fund Management defies industry norms. It's on a growth tear anyway — performing so well it's handing money back to investors.

The Luigi Mangione trial is all about narrative control

On Monday, several dozen members of the public are lined up outside 100 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, hoping to squeeze into the courtroom to hear testimony from witnesses called by the state against Luigi Mangione - the man accused of shooting and killin…

21st-Century Culture Has Hit a Wall. Here’s How to Break Through.

Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than the boring stuff.

Staff wellbeing 'crisis' forcing teachers out of schools, charity says

A poll of teachers around the UK suggests they have a poorer wellbeing than the general population.

Instagram CEO calls staff back to the office 5 days a week to build a ‘winning culture’—while canceling every recurring meeting

“Every six months, we'll cancel all recurring meetings and only re-add the ones that are absolutely necessary.”

Airbnb Experiences Offers a New Way to Take in Miami Art Week

With its Art Basel Miami Beach partnership, Airbnb shows guests how to immerse themselves in the city's vibrant art culture with exclusive tours, artist talks, private chefs and more Each December, Miami’s …

Kinds of stealing

Most cultures are built around the idea of private property. Grain is harvested once a year and stored for months. If someone steals the grain (which is difficult to securely lock up), it threatens the livelihood of the farmer and the stability of the communi…

A Visit to Zeyrek Çinili Hamam

Istanbul, Turkey has been a crossroads of civilizations for centuries, a capital of the world in every sense. Positioned at the confluence of eastern tradition and western culture, the city occupie…

Why top firms paradoxically fire good workers

Elite firms’ culture of employee turnover isn’t arbitrary but a rational way to signal talent and boost profits, a new study finds.

Cate Blanchett among BBC Radio 4 festive guest editors

The Christmas line-up also includes former PM Baroness Theresa May and inventor Sir James Dyson.

BBC board member resigns and criticises 'governance issues' at top of corporation

Shumeet Banerji leaves his position on the BBC board.

My family struggled when we moved from the US to Africa. For our next international move, we're doing these 3 things differently.

When my family moved from Texas to Tanzania, it was a slow cultural adjustment. A decade later, we're now moving to Portugal with all that we learned.

Elon Musk Claims Money Won’t Exist in the Future (and Jensen Huang Would Like a Heads Up)

"My prediction is that work will be optional," Musk said about the future.

Le Canada valide un projet de nouvel oléoduc, visant à accroître les exportations de pétrole vers l’Asie

Le ministre de la culture Stephen Guilbeault a démissionné dans la foulée de l’annonce du premier ministre canadien Mark Carney, craignant que la construction de l’oléoduc n’ait « des impacts environnementaux majeurs ».

Intelligence artificielle et droit d’auteur : la ministre Dati envisage une loi

La ministre de la culture, Rachida Dati, évoque l’idée de passer par une loi pour soutenir les industries culturelles et les médias dans leur conflit avec les fabricants d’IA.

Sharks, Snakes, and Ghosts: Space Force Unveils 7 Bizarre Themes to Name Its War Tech

Guardians will use sharks, snakes, and mythological creatures to draw inspiration for satellites and orbital warfare.

Amazon Quietly Rolls Back Its AI Anime Dubs After Massive Backlash

As quickly as they arrived, many of Prime Video's controversial generated dubs have been removed from the streamer.

Cancel-Culture: Canceln? Nutzt die Spannungen!

Sollten Unis umstrittene konservative oder progressive Gastvorträge absagen? Zwei Professoren haben Studierende dazu befragt. Das Ergebnis ist eindeutig und eine Chance.

Apple Is Hemorrhaging Vice Presidents

Amid rumors that Tim Cook may leave soon, many of his direct reports are retiring or otherwise moving on.

A Long-Lost Chapter of Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ Is Coming to… ‘Fortnite’?

You can watch Uma Thurman in 'The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge' as part of the 'Fortnite' Zero Hour finale event this weekend.

Netflix has done its second big podcast deal as it prepares to launch a slate of shows in early 2026

Netflix's podcast deal with iHeartMedia brings exclusive video podcasts like "The Breakfast Club" and "My Favorite Murder" to the streamer in 2026.

MrBeast is promising to join the hardcore worker moment in 2026

MrBeast said his recent videos slipped and pledges a 2026 reset, echoing companies pushing stricter performance and all-in work cultures.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri orders staff back to the office five days a week in 2026. Read the memo.

Instagram back-to-office policy: Adam Mosseri demands full-time in-person work in 2026, fewer meetings, and faster product prototypes.

Archaeologists Unearthed 483 Ancient Settlements That Could Be Pieces of a Lost Civilization

The discovery of the settlements over the years has led to a new understanding of the Asia Minor and Anatolia regions.

15 Pop Culture Facts About 'Stranger Things'

Finn Wolfhard was sick in bed for his audition tape.

Podcast #1,097: The Idea Machine — How Books Changed the World (and Still Matter)

Books are everywhere. They’re so common, they’re easy to take for granted. But my guest argues that they’re worth fully appreciating — because the book isn’t just a container for content; it’s a revolutionary technology for shaping culture and thought. Joel M…

The best games to play on Xbox Game Pass in 2025

From pervasive layoffs to continued price hikes, things didn't go so well for Xbox in 2025. But even though Game Pass, the Xbox subscription service, isn't quite the deal it once was, there are still a lot of excellent titles to check out. This was an especia…

Maybe a design blow-up is just what Apple needed

With Alan Dye departing for Meta and leaving a hollowed-out design division behind him, his replacement, Stephen Lemay, will have a rare opportunity to rebuild the company’s design culture from the inside out. more…

Newey to become Aston Martin team principal in 2026

Formula 1 design legend Adrian Newey is to become Aston Martin's team principal next year.

William and Kate greet German president on first state visit in 27 years

Germany's president will receive a ceremonial welcome from the King and a state banquet in Windsor Castle.

Sultana claims new Corbyn party carrying out 'witch hunt' against activists

Zarah Sultana boycotts the first day of Your Party's founding conference after several members were expelled.

Prince Harry's security in UK under review

It comes after he lost a legal case to have his police protection reinstated when visiting the UK.

English mayors will get new powers to levy tourist taxes

Mayors will be given the power to charge tourists a tax for staying overnight in their towns and cities.

Give newborns automatic library cards, authors urge

Writers including Sir Philip Pullman back a proposal to automatically sign up newborns to a library in a bid to boost literacy.

Google's 2025 search data reveals a world gripped by Gemini and chaos

Google’s Gemini claimed the #1 spot on the global search chart, with competitor DeepSeek also cracking the top 10.

After the US, Amazon's Alexa Plus launches in Canada with features tailored for local users

Amazon's Alexa Plus has arrived in Canada, offering a uniquely tailored experience that recognizes regional nuances and sports enthusiasm.

The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Gamer: Translating Arcade Culture Into Automotive Craft

The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Gamer: Translating Arcade Culture Into Automotive CraftThe Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Gamer transforms vintage arcade aesthetics into automotive craft. This one-off commission features hand-painted 8-bit aliens across the …

Two decades later: the Xbox 360 games that shaped culture, community, and a generation of play

Two decades later, these top‑selling Xbox 360 titles still stand as cultural touchstones that shaped gaming and community worldwide.

This Might Be The Worst Thing Overwatch 2 Has Ever Done

The Fortnite-ification of Blizzard’s hero shooter just hit a new low The post This Might Be The Worst Thing Overwatch 2 Has Ever Done appeared first on Kotaku.

Stranger Things : Non, Vecna ne devait pas être le grand méchant de la série

Antagoniste déjà culte de la pop culture, Vecna n’était pourtant pas destiné à cela dans Stranger Things...

8 Major Misconceptions About College

Pop culture gets a fair bit wrong about higher education.

Why YouTube Recap flopped and Spotify Wrapped is buzzing

YouTube launched its first Recap, but users say it's inaccurate and barebones. Spotify Wrapped, meanwhile, dominated with new features.

Corbyn and Sultana will not lead new left-wing party

Your Party delegates vote to be led by a panel of members - avoiding a potentially explosive leadership race.

Le terroir sur le pouce, une tradition française de la street food

Pan-bagnat, tielle, galette-saucisse… La France redécouvre sa propre street food, qui résiste encore aux assauts des spécialités anglo-saxonnes. Cette culture populaire qui répondait à la nécessité des ouvriers de déjeuner rapidement est aujourd’hui revisitée…

Historian criticises BBC for removing Trump line from Radio 4 lecture

Rutger Bregman says he is "genuinely dismayed" after a line about the US president was edited out.

Britain's Daily Mail publisher enters exclusive talks to buy Telegraph Media Group for $654 million

The publisher of Britain's Daily Mail has entered exclusive talks to buy Telegraph Media Group in a deal that would link two news groups that have...

New York, New York dans les cuisines parisiennes

La capitale française a récemment vu éclore une foule de restaurants de tradition new-yorkaise, du « slice shop » au « deli », en passant par le « red sauce joint ». Les Parisiens s’y bousculent pour savourer une part de la culture culinaire mais aussi du myt…

The 12 Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror TV Shows of 2025

In a year full of standout shows, io9 picks the very best genre stories to hit the small screen.

As a labor force, artists are 'invisible.' A new survey tries to change that

'Struggling artists' isn't a trope, according to a new report. The survey asked more than 2,600 artists about everything from hours worked to housing.

Dario Amodei leads Anthropic using 'essay-length debates' on Slack. Leadership experts say it's bold but could cause 'analysis paralysis.'

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei leads through long Slack essays. Leadership analysts say the approach boosts clarity but risks slowing decisions.

The return of 'YOLO': The 2010s meme is back and shaping the AI industry

What was once an inspiring rallying cry, and then a meme, is now either a fun symbol of AI ambition or a threat to all of humanity.

15 Pop Culture Facts About Richard Pryor Movies

Richard Pryor was supposed to play Black Bart in ‘Blazing Saddles’

Palantir uses the '5 Whys' approach to problem solving — here's how it works

Palantir CEO Alex Karp is known for his outspokenness. But it's the simplest of questions that might be behind the company's rapid rise.