Miscellaneous
Profile: Oumou Sy
Oumou Sy's fashion designs show off Africa's playful, unpredictable spirit. Bram Posthumus | September 2004 issue Although Oumou Sy grew up away from Dakar, Senegal’s cosmopolitan capital, and taught herself the fashion trade, she now reigns as the nation’s premier clothes designer. Read More...
A heretic for our times
Biologist Rupert Sheldrake's theories turn everything we know about the universe inside out. That's made him a pariah to the scientific establishment but an inspiration to many people. Jay Walljasper | November 2005 issue Walking to the home of maverick scientist Rupert Sheldrake in Read More...
You do what you eat
Forget tougher punishments and hiring more police. The solution to crime and violence is on your plate. Here's how healthy food can reduce aggressive behaviour. Marco Visscher | September 2005 issue At first glance there seems nothing special about the students at this high school in Appleton, Read More...
Miracle in the desert
The Sekem industrial park in Egypt pioneers a sustainable future Marco Visscher | November 2004 issue This place was nothing but sand 25 years ago. Now a number of nature-friendly businesses are based here, proving that a clean environment and public health can coexist with a growing economy in Read More...
America's future in black and white
Racial healing at home can make a difference around the world Jay Walljasper | June 2005 issue These words, which I am scribbling on a train heading home, mark the first full year of my column for Ode. Much to my surprise, I have written mostly about America—trying to explain the political Read More...
Organic goes mainstream - and why that's cause for celebration
Major food companies are embracing organic products. That trend smacks of opportunism and elicits criticism among the pioneers who consider the small-scale philosophy vital to the organic dream. But large-scale organic production is a good thing too. Ode's founder makes the argument for Read More...
Organic Top 17
Ode presents our pick of the best, most innovative, inspiring and sustainable products and companies around the world Elbrich Fennema| October 2006 issue First, a caveat. Not all the products listed in our Organic Top 17 are available everywhere. We’ve picked a selection of the best products from Read More...
One last thing...
"boredom is an important stage in the creative process" Marco Visscher | November 2004 issue How can boredom contribute to anything? “Boredom is a mechanism that can clear your mind and help you refocus. If I’m bored, I am doing nothing, I am being mindless. Or I go walking, do the dishes, Read More...
Relaxed revelation
Fast knowledge is about solving problems, slow knowledge is about preventing them. Marco Visscher | July 2004 issue Knowledge is being applied faster and on a larger scale than ever before – with consequences that are sometimes disastrous. Farmers can use the latest chemical pesticides to protect Read More...
Are we heading for a dark age...
... or will everything turn out fine for humanity? Tijn Touber | June 2005 issue How does our near future look? An overpopulated world plagued by scarcity, poverty, and pollution? Or a modern, high-tech society that has found solutions to the wishes and desires of all world citizens? Read More...