Hand gestures are notoriously prone to misinterpretation.
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Articles on Symbols
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The letter Z has become a controversial pro-Russian symbol during the war in Ukraine.
In several other parts of the world, people used the bones of animals that were important within their respective cultures to make tools.
Flies have long held symbolic meaning in the history of art. In portraits made in Renaissance Europe, the presence of a fly symbolizes the transience of human life.
Far from alarmist, images of the coronavirus seem to communicate patience and trust in science – both of which will be needed in the coming weeks and months.
Negro Matapacos became famous in Chile in 2011 for joining student protests. His image has now popped up around the world.
Given that we know humans moved across these landscapes, we wondered whether there might also be evidence of other forms of human activity on these surfaces of sand.
We’re left wondering whether we as humans are so very special after all – that perhaps the ability to learn mathematics could be universal.
From #SoyBoy to #MilkTwitter, there’s a sinister side to milk.
The swastika, an ancient and innocent symbol in many cultures for hundreds of years, now represents racial hatred. Should the swastika be banned in North America as it is in Germany?
As India celebrates its independence, the flag is on full display, but few people know about the complex origins of this ubiquitous national symbol.
The reboot of the Nazi salute should not be taken lightly, given its history of hatred and genocide.
Top contributors
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Professor, Department of Africana Studies and Department of Art & Design, University of Delaware
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Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, The Open University
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Adjunct Professor of Professional Writing, Regis College, Regis College
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Associate Professor, Monash University
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Professor of Quantum Physics and Australian Research Council Future Fellow, RMIT University
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Associate Professor, Centre for Social Studies
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Professor of German Studies / Chair, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies / Director, Waterloo Centre for German Studies, University of Waterloo
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Visiting Research Fellow + Professor of Legal Writing, Lund University
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Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
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Assistant Professor in Communication and Media, Lund University
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Associate professor, University of Johannesburg
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Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
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Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis
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Associate Professor Emerita of Comparative Literature, University of California, San Diego
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Associate Professor, Art History, University of Guelph
