Anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll shares insights from her fifteen years of research into how slot machines are intentionally designed to encourage prolonged play. Drawing on interviews with casino designers, industry insiders, and people experiencing gambling addiction, she explains how features such as rapid game speed, immersive environments, and continuous rewards can draw players into the "machine zone"—a trancelike state where time, money, and self-awareness begin to fade. The discussion offers a compelling look at the psychology, technology, and design principles behind modern machine gambling.
Ketamine has become increasingly common among young people in the UK, where its low cost and reputation as a versatile party drug can obscure the risk of serious harm. Following journalist Matt Shea through Bristol’s nightlife and free-party scene, this report explores how recreational use can progress into dependence, debilitating bladder damage, and other long-term health complications. Personal accounts, clinical explanations, and conversations with people involved in the drug trade reveal why ketamine has become so firmly associated with a generation—and why its growing popularity is raising urgent public health concerns.
