Category: Life

Martins Daugulis

Slow down, democracy isn’t dead yet | Mārtiņš Daugulis

Despite living in arguably the best time in history, there is an increasing dissatisfaction in democracy. But why is that? If undemocratic societies become disillusioned because of the suppression of political speech, are democratic ones being worn down in the...

Ilze Paklone Architect

The key to self-discovery — getting lost | Ilze Paklone

Have you ever stopped to think how your surroundings have made you who you are? And how by changing your environment, you can change your perspectives on life? Architect Ilze Paklone embarked on a journey of discovery, by first getting...

Kaspars Breidas

An introvert’s guide to social freedom | Kaspars Breidaks

Being social for a shy person is difficult already, let alone in a cold, Northern capital city wrought by a past of social mistrust under communist rule. With all the cards stacked against him, Kaspars Breidaks managed to break through...

Democracy requires a space for conversation – here’s how to make one | Ieva Morica

In a conversation where the goal is to “win”, one emerges victorious, while the other – a loser. This game of right and wrong is a lose-lose situation, and has massive repercussions on the world we live in. Our ability...

Arturs Miksons Psychotherapist

Don’t neglect your emotions. Express them — constructively! | Artūrs Miksons

As we grow through life, we’re taught what’s “ok” and what isn’t, when it comes to demonstrating emotions. We learn to push them away, reject, or suppress what has been deemed socially unacceptable. But when it comes down to it,...

42 marathons in 21 days: what I learned from running around my country Dins Vecāns

42 marathons in 21 days: what I learned from running around my country | Dins Vecāns

In the spirit of Latvian centennial happenings, Dins ran along the border of Latvia, his home country, to get to know it better. Despite all odds, he ran around the entire perimeter of Latvia, 1740 km, in 21.5 days. His...

Who paid for your news today? | Nellija Ločmele

Who paid for your news today? | Nellija Ločmele

Imagine losing half of your blood — could you survive? As the drain of advertising money threatens journalism worldwide, it becomes crucial for media users to seriously consider the saying “you get what you pay for”. The vanishing of free...

Technology's impact on our mind - and why we should care | Jānis Sārts

Technology’s impact on our mind – and why we should care | Janis Sarts

In a life of heightened information access and lowered attention spans, we find ourselves reading more headlines, but processing fewer facts. The result — an epidemic of anxiety. How are cognitive biases affecting our perception of reality? And are we...

The microscopic order that defines our macroscopic world: Karlis Agris Gross at TEDxRiga

The microscopic order that defines our macroscopic world

The make-up of any object reveals only one part of its secret. The rest – depends on the arrangement at the macro, micro and nano level. Prof. Gross shows us how arrangement is essential for optimal performance – whether it’s...

Social anthropology turns practical — lessons from cooking with refugees | Ieva Raubiško

Social anthropology turns practical — lessons from cooking with refugees | Ieva Raubiško

What does it mean for strangers to meet, recognize their differences, and work together? Is it possible all? When the European migration crisis brought a small wave of refugees to Latvia, Ieva Raubiško switched from her academic work as a...