From apathy to advocacy: insect stewardship for our modern world.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, fostering creativity within educational settings is essential to prepare individuals for complex global challenges. This study explores the dynamic interplay between individuals and their environments in nurturing creative potential. The research focuses on the influence of participants’ experiences of challenge, comfort, destabilization, support, connection, engagement, and emotions on developing students’ creative potential throughout a creative dance intervention. Ninety-three university students (62 men and 35 women; Mean age: 20.5) participated in 36 creative dance classes over four months. Creative self-efficacy, tolerance for ambiguity, emotional creativity, and ideational behaviors were assessed before and after the intervention. After every class, a brief questionnaire assessing students’ experience of creative dance was filled out. A two-step approach, firstly estimating a mixed effect location scale model and secondly following a simpler linear regression model, was applied to assess how variations in the students’ experience of the creative dance program impact creativity-related variables. Contrary to the common belief that discomfort and stepping out of one’s comfort zone are necessary for creative growth, the findings suggest a more nuanced relationship. While challenges and destabilizing activities can stimulate creativity by preventing routine responses, the study found that comfort, support, and positive emotional experiences were significantly associated with creative self-efficacy and emotional creativity. Social support and connection emerged as critical factors in nurturing creativity. Environments characterized by psychological safety, where individuals feel secure to take risks without fear of negative consequences, seemed to be associated with creative engagement. The formation of group synergies through shared goals and mutual trust were associated with innovative outcomes and individual creative development. The study also highlighted the importance of consistent engagement and positive emotional experiences in fostering tolerance for ambiguity and ideational behaviors. While consistent support and engagement were linked to a greater ability to tolerate ambiguity, variability in peer connection and emotional responses during collaborative processes seemed to be associated with creative ideation. In conclusion, the research emphasizes the significance of person-environment interactions in creative development interventions. Supportive and comfortable environments that foster positive connections and emotional well-being were more consistently associated with favourable creativity-related outcomes than environments centred primarily on challenge. Integrating creativity and emotional awareness into educational practices, particularly in movement-based activities like dance and physical education, can unlock the full potential of these disciplines and better prepare individuals for the complexities of the modern world.

Abstract As the Arctic undergoes rapid geopolitical and environmental transformations, submarine cables have emerged as a critical infrastructure for enhancing connectivity, fostering economic development, and improving digital well-being for northern communities. Submarine cables form a digital backbone of the modern world and significantly contribute to the telecommunications infrastructure development of the northern territories. At the same time, their presence also introduced significant governance and security challenges unique to the Arctic region. This article explores governance frameworks surrounding submarine cables, including international and national levels. Beyond that, the article analyzes key security challenges associated with submarine cables in the Arctic, such as geopolitical competition, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, human security concerns and Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) driven issues. This article also offers several considerations as to how these challenges may be addressed in the current context of the Arctic including discussion regarding the Arctic-specific submarine cable agreement. By analyzing completed submarine cables and considering ongoing cable projects, this article aims to raise awareness about the vital role of submarine cables in the Arctic. It underscores the need for enhanced international and regional collaboration, robust security measures, and sustainable governance approaches to ensure the resilience and security of this essential infrastructure in the circumpolar area.

In the modern world, social entrepreneurship is recognized as a key instrument for solving challenges such as social exclusion, environmental protection, and economic development. In Croatia, a country with numerous social and economic challenges, social entrepreneurs have the potential to contribute to sustainable development by promoting innovative solutions and social innovations. This paper analyses the concept of social entrepreneurship, its role in Croatian society, and provides recommendations for its further development. Using the example of the activities and work of the social cooperative Humana Nova as a social enterprise, the business model contributing to positive environmental and social impact will be described. In conclusion, the importance of creating supportive policies, education, and collaboration among all stakeholders involved is emphasized to strengthen the social economy sector.

The article examines national legislation as a legal basis for regulating migration processes. The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to improve the regulation of migration processes, revise conceptual approaches in regulating migration relations, and increase the efficiency of the system of state management of migration relations. Scientific understanding of various aspects of migration processes lags behind dynamically changing migration relations. The object of the study is social relations that develop in the field of regulating migration processes. The subject is the theoretical and legal foundations of regulating migration processes. Legal regulation of migration processes is defined as a set of interdependent legal types, means and methods of influence aimed at achieving management goals in the field of migration, which form a holistic system that consistently regulates all stages of the migration process. It is noted that the need for a radical streamlining of migration legislation and improvement of the legal basis for regulating migration processes poses the codification of migration legislation as a promising task. In the modern world, there is a tendency to strengthen migration regimes in the field of border and visa control, granting special legal statuses, citizenship, regulation of labor migration and combating illegal migration. In Ukraine, addressing issues of ensuring security in the migration sector, combating illegal migration requires the development of new political and legal means of achieving the goal and solving the tasks of modern migration policy, which include the implementation of a set of administrative measures aimed at improving the legal regulation of migration regimes, taking into account the requirements of protecting the national interests of the state, as well as the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of citizens, foreigners and stateless persons. This requires the efforts of the state, all its branches and authorities, especially the system of law enforcement agencies, and primarily the bodies of the State Migration Service of Ukraine. Regulation of migration processes must take into account national interests and human and citizen rights.

The digital transformation has become the key to the economic growth, effectiveness of organizations, and development of society in the modern era. The introduction of digital technologies in business processes, governing principles, and social systems has transformed the conventional system of practices and value creation processes. The current paper is an analysis of the impact of digital transformation in the modern world by conducting a systematic review of the existing literature sources and secondary data. The study examines the conceptual underpinnings, sectoral influence, advantages, and issues of digital transformation by relying on scholarly publications, institutional reports and policy documents. Results show that although the digital transformation boosts productivity, innovation, and service delivery, the challenges of the digital divide, cyber security threats, and skills remain a critical problem. The paper concludes that when the right infrastructure, digital literacy and policy frameworks are in place, digital transformation is inevitable in ensuring sustainable and inclusive development.

The planet has emerged in the environmental humanities as a category of interest that offers a certain outlook, and analytic strategy different from the traditional frameworks of world, earth, and globe. The planet is a figure of alterity and invisibility, but also possibility in the sense that it includes the idea of extraterrestrial habitats and astroenvironments. Through three different yet interconnected examples, this article shows how the planetary real, disclosed by globalization and the Anthropocene, haunts the modern world as a threat of annihilation. The article argues that extinction, radioactive materials, and the future solar explosion are closely linked to the Promethean regime—a techno-optimistic worldview—and the logics of capital. While initiatives like de-extinction, nuclear waste disposal facilities, and space travel require a planetary lens, they are haunted in turn by the Promethean regime and the logics of capital. In short, the planetary real haunts the Promethean regime and the Promethean regime haunts the planetary real. By invoking Derrida’s concept of hauntology, the article argues that the spectral structure of this entanglement is expressed as forms of absence, remains, and disturbance. Finally, it is shown that the logics of capital is spectral to the core.

ABSTRACT The ortho-unsaturated polyester resin (UPR01) composite laminate was synthesised using a precise resin formulation and fabricated through the hand lamination method, over a temperature range of 20°C to 45°C, utilising different concentrations of cobalt catalysts and inhibitor solutions and testing various physical characteristic features such as specific gravity, viscosity, volatile content, acid value, gel time, and peak exotherm temperature. The resin, formulated with components like propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, and styrene monomer, exhibited optimal liquid properties and curing behaviour, and the composite laminate showed high tensile strength (308.39 N/mm2), flexural strength (282.51 N/mm2), and impact strength (278.01 KJ/m2), significantly resemblances with the industry standard materials results in advanced composite materials for the modern world.

The rapid urbanization of the modern world initiated the emergence of digital cities, where advanced technologies converge to optimize urban living and address the limitations of a rapidly growing population. Central to this transformation are digital platforms and cloud computing. These interconnected technologies aid in shaping the future of urban landscapes, fostering sustainability, efficiency, and improved quality of life. Digital platforms serve as the backbone of smart cities, enabling seamless integration and management of various urban services and systems. One significant application of digital platforms in smart cities is the implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). By integrating real-time traffic data, public transit information, and ride-sharing services, these platforms facilitate efficient transportation management, reduce congestion, and decrease carbon emissions. Cloud computing serves as a key enabler for managing the massive data flows generated by smart city infrastructures. The scalability and flexibility offered by cloud-based solutions allow cities to manage their resources efficiently and access computing power on demand without the need for extensive physical infrastructure. Cloud computing enhances smart city development by enabling collaborative data access and interaction among diverse stakeholders, from government agencies to private firms and residents.

Sustainable site selection for construction has become more important in modern world as urbanization affects mountainous areas of the world. Traditional approaches find it difficult to handle the risks, harsh terrain, and environmental sensitivity in regions like the Western Ghats and the Himalayas. In this attempt, new geospatial technologies have emerged as a boon to us. Our understanding and analysis of mountainous terrain is getting better due to the use of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing. Making decisions in sloped mountain environments requires thorough analysis of critical elements like slope stability, gradient, land use, and environmental vulnerabilities, which is made possible by GIS and RS. Finding the best construction sites while reducing the environmental impact has been made easier by combining satellite-based data from sensors like Sentinel-2, ASTER DEM, and Landsat images with sophisticated Multi-Criteria Decision-Making systems like Analytical Hierarchy Process and Weighted Overlay Analysis. Future studies should concentrate on developing hybrid frameworks that successfully combine integrated geospatial indicators with deep learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. To create durable solutions for developing mountain regions, we must build differently. This means finding flexible construction methods that work with the unique challenges and opportunities of steep, mountainous terrain. But this can’t be done alone. It requires collaboration between a diverse group of experts including technology specialists, environmental scientists, and urban planners and most importantly, the mountain communities themselves. By working together, we can ensure that construction plans are not only effective but truly sustainable for both the people and the environment.

This forum assesses the impact of forms of ‘unruly politics’, especially revolutions, on the modern world order. It is oriented around the 2025 Fred Halliday lecture, delivered by George Lawson at the London School of Economics in May 2025, which has been lightly edited for this forum. In his lecture, Lawson argues that the contemporary era of ‘polycrisis’ is also one of ‘polyprotest’ – multiple, interlinked forms of turbulence are being accompanied by, and to some extent caused by, a range of ‘unruly’ movements. Lawson maps and assesses the three main forms that contemporary ‘unruly’ movements take – ‘people power’, ‘restoration revolution’ and ‘decentralised vanguardism’ – and makes the case for their ongoing significance to contemporary world politics. The responses by Jasmine Gani, Maria Tanyag and Benjamin Abrams engage, challenge and extend Lawson’s claims, paying attention to the politics of both naming and engaging in revolutionary events (Gani), the relationship between women, gender and revolution (Tanyag) and the importance of differentiating types of revolutionary change (Abrams). An introduction by Toby Dodge sets out the terms of debate for the forum, with particular reference to Fred Halliday’s corpus of work, while a response by Lawson sets out strategies by which to extend who counts as a ‘revolutionary voice’ and how to listen more attentively to ‘revolutionary silences’. Taken as a whole, the forum makes clear the centrality of revolution in particular, and ‘unruly politics’ more generally, to debates about world order, past and present.

This review of a selection of literature in critical geography, political ecology, eco-Marxism, and ecological economics over the past five decades reflects on the paucity of discussion on the phenomenon of modern, all-purpose money. This is paradoxical, given the almost universal denunciation of mainstream economics and capitalist political economy in this literature. The critiques of environmental injustices and uneven development tend to target an abstract capitalist ‘system’ rather than the peculiar and historically recent artefact of money through which it operates. A rethinking of the role of money in the modern world economy can unravel ambiguities in Marxian concepts of value, unequal exchange, and exploitation. In remaining confined to the hegemonic worldview, monetary framings of inequalities miss the mark of exposing the veiled material asymmetries in social metabolism. It is argued that the concept of value refers to money, rather than vice versa, while unequal exchange should be understood as asymmetric transfers of material resources, rather than values. Monetary and biophysical flows must be approached as analytically distinct phenomena, where the latter are mystified by the former. Rather than attempt to straddle this distinction, the Marxian labour theory of value can be understood as addressing a subset within a wider range of exploitative, biophysical exchange relations. The monetary theory of value indicated here appears to be aligned with some recent Marxist scholarship.

Concrete builds the modern world, yet its production remains fundamentally unsustainable. Over 30 billion tonnes of concrete are produced annually, fuelling a one-way flow of resource extraction and accumulation of CO2 emissions and inert demolition waste. Current recycling practices predominantly downcycle waste into low-grade applications, limiting environmental benefits and stalling progress toward a circular economy. Here, an electrochemical-driven recycling (ER) strategy is proposed that upcycles concrete waste into high-value resources, including pristine aggregates and zero-carbon clinker precursors. The ER process selectively decomposes hydrated cement phases, demonstrating the chemical reversibility of hydration products and enabling regeneration of clinker precursors. The recovered substances are recombined to create reversed Portland Cement and reversed concrete that match conventional counterparts in both composition and performance. Validated at pilot scale (19.2 t/year), the ER strategy achieves 95.4 wt.% circularity and reduces global warming potential from 448.4 to -4.6kg CO2-eq/m3, rendering the concrete carbon-neutral across its full life cycle. Cost analysis indicates competitiveness with conventional production, offering up to $94.8/m3 in net savings under high landfill pricing. By closing both material and carbon loops, this work charts a scalable path toward circular concrete, where demolition no longer marks an end, but a beginning.

Globalization is a phenomenon that in the modern world has an increasingly contradictory connotation. If in the middle of the last century most countries in the world were striving for greater openness of their economies, over the last decade there are trends of deglobalization, in order to preserve sovereignty or to protect national economic and political interests. The process of economic globalization is being strengthened through the role of international economic organizations, the conclusion of regional trade agreements, participation in economic blocs and the entry of influential big brands into new markets. The study aims to summarize the prerequisites for strengthening economic globalization, why deglobalization processes occur and what are the consequences for the world economy. The study will focus on economic globalization and will cover some more distinctive contemporary examples of economic deglobalization and their effects. Тhe analysis shows that protectionism in major economies could lead to partial market deglobalization mostly in the protected sectors and it is a prerequisite for economic shocks that lead to a deterioration in the basic indicators of the countries. Economic disintegration may lead to trade shifts and temporarily affect the country’s economy, but it does not deglobalize the national market. The challenges of the study is the simultaneous analysis of globalization and deglobalization, which adds significant complexity to the research. Moreover, the study explores many current economic issues, some of which are still evolving, such as the complex trade relations between the United States and China since the beginning of 2025.

In the last two decades, international fiction has undergone a profound transformation, influenced by factors such as technological evolution, social changes, and the diversification of readers' tastes. These have created space for new trends that reflect the global evolution of literature and its adaptation to contemporary realities. One of the most notable trends of the 21st century is the diversification of literary genres. In the past, literature focused on a few classic genres, but today readers have access to a much wider range of options. Genres such as urban fantasy, dystopian literature, science fiction, and psychological novels have become extremely popular. These subgenres not only reflect the complexity of the modern world but also capture the imagination of readers, offering them an escape fromeveryday reality or a reflection of contemporary anxieties. In this research endeavor, we aimed to highlight essential aspects regarding the current development of this phenomenon and to outline new options for development.

The postal system, which has been a cornerstone of global communication for many years, has been subject to persistent difficulties due to its reliance on manual processes and the limited payment options available. This research paper proposes a revolutionary solution to address these issues by incorporating the Internet of Things into the process of processing postal envelopes. The proposed system consists of three main elements: IoT - enabled envelope collection and sorting, automation of envelope addressing, and integration of payment processing. By utilizing IoT sensors and devices to collect and sort envelopes, the process becomes a smooth and efficient process. Automated addressing, which may involve robotic arms, eliminates labor - intensive manual processes. Payment processing is further simplified by the inclusion of various payment methods such as credit cards and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets. This innovative strategy seeks to make the postal process more convenient and user - friendly, thus better responding to the needs of the modern world.

In the modern world, the national security architecture of states is undergoing radical transformations, at the center of which non-traditional threats—particularly risks of a biological nature—increasingly appear. The current pace of globalization, the rapid development of biotechnologies, the accessibility of “dual-use” research, as well as the pandemic shocks of recent years, have made it evident that the prevention and neutralization of biological threats require not only professional capacity but also clear, flexible, and effective mechanisms of public administration. In this context, the study of the forms and characteristics of the activities of public administration bodies in the field of biosafety assurance is of significant scientific and practical interest, as it is the institutional frameworks that determine the timeliness and adequacy of state response in crisis situations. The role of the public administration system in the process of effectively countering biological threats is comprehensive, encompassing areas ranging from legal regulation to public communication, and from financing to international cooperation. Therefore, their reform and modernization constitute one of the key conditions for ensuring state security in the face of future pandemics and biological threats.

The global rise of digital technologies has made electronic contracts a very fundamental part of the modern world. This research paper will discuss the influence of electronic contracts on the contract law of Pakistan. In contrast to international standards and practice, the research examines the current legislative framework, mainly the Electronic Transaction Ordinance of 2002. The research examines whether e-contracts are recognized by Pakistani law and determines whether the existing law is in line with international norms. Additionally, it investigates how Pakistani courts interpret and apply conventional contract doctrines like offer, acceptance, and consent to e-contracts. This research highlights gaps in existing laws and suggests the need for legal reform and capacity building to support e-commerce and digital transactions. Research methodology has been employed utilizing primary and secondary sources. This work aims to contribute to academic and legal discourse on modernizing Pakistan's contract law to keep pace with technological advancement. Keywords: Electronic Contract, Contract law, E-commerce, Pakistan Legal Reform, Digital Transaction, Cyber Law.

This article focuses on the verbal means of implementing the strategy of forming the image of the university. The study was conducted on the material of the official website of Saratov State University. The discourse of the university website is a multifaceted formation combining various types of discourse. It has been found out that for the implementation of this strategy, both common vocabulary, which can be divided into lexical-thematic groups (dealing with such topics as “progress/development”, “modernity/future”, “youth”), and scientific terms are used. In addition, various intensifiers are often used, as well as such a special class of words as numerals. All analyzed means have a marked positive evaluative connotation and are regularly used together in many texts on the website. The main source of information about a university in the modern world is a website, which explains the importance of image formation on it, whereupon the study of the main communication strategies and language means of their implementation on the website seems relevant. In general, it is fair to say that a website as a source is not only more attractive to the audience than others, but also the most relevant due to the constant updating of information on it. The presence of a website on the Internet makes it an important means of spreading information and promoting an educational organization. The strategy of image formation is of particular interest, since the website of a university serves not only to provide information to the audience, but also to advertise the educational organization, therefore, the formation of its image is an important task.

More than 95% of international internet and telecommunication data is transmitted through subsea fiber-optic cables, valued for their cost-efficiency, low latency, and high capacity. The cables connect the network of data centers around the world to form our internet. This physical infrastructure is critical to the modern world as most modern services depend on it. There are currently over 550 commercial subsea telecommunication cables in-service and many more planned or being constructed. It is crucial to provide resilience of the subsea cables against environmental, human, and other activities that may break any one or multiple cables. Despite their critical importance to global communications, these vast networks remain vulnerable to a range of cyber threats. The remote location of subsea cables does not preclude risks; rather, their endpoints, landing stations, and network management systems are susceptible to malicious actors seeking to intercept, disrupt, or manipulate data flows. As international reliance on these information systems increases, so does the strategic imperative to secure them against espionage, sabotage, and emerging cyber-attacks. Successful cyber-attacks are predicated on exploiting system vulnerabilities. Vulnerability can be defined as exploitable weaknesses or deficiencies in a system, device or its design that allow cyber attackers to execute cyber-attacks. A weakness in system security procedures, software applications, policies and procedures and regulatory compliance may be caused by vulnerabilities. The inherent weakness in the system caused by vulnerability increases the probability of a harmful occurrence or exacerbates its consequences. Vulnerabilities can be divided into those that exist in people’s actions, processes in the organizations, and technologies. The paper discusses cyber vulnerabilities, threats and management thereof in the telecommunications network.