https://www.scmp.com/rss/329271/feed Bryan Michael Galvan is a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong, specialising in business and China coverage. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The humble soybean has been consumed by humans for thousands of years, with evidence of soybean domestication dating as far back as prehistoric China. Because they are high in protein, soy products have become a staple in the diet of vegans, vegetarians and communities that typically lack diverse protein sources. They are also high in nutrients including fibre, iron, magnesium, potassium, protein and zinc, and according to some scientists, may help lower the risk of heart disease. In the West,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3023562/soy-good-or-bad-health-tofu-impossible-burgers-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3023562/soy-good-or-bad-health-tofu-impossible-burgers-common?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:00:09 +0000 Can you imagine going to a movie and having the power to determine how its plot will play out by just thinking about it? It may sound like science fiction but it is already possible. From moon landing to AI, the year ahead in Chinese science “Mind-controlled movies” are just one of the highlights of the upcoming Spark festival in Hong Kong, a three-day event organised by the British Council that celebrates creativity in science and the arts. Other highlights of the festival, which will take... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2180656/art-and-science-merge-hong-kong-festival-mind-controlled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2180656/art-and-science-merge-hong-kong-festival-mind-controlled?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jan 2019 10:34:39 +0000 Hong Kong-based artist Brian Tilbrook’s memories of the second world war, the Korean war, the 1960s riots and the dramatic changes in his adopted home over more than half a century have been distilled into a lifetime of paintings filled with light and darkness, and chaos and order. Simply titled “A Retrospective”, a wide-ranging selection of his artworks is now on display at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, a venue relevant to the artist’s career given he has worked on numerous sets in its Shouson... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2180510/70-years-painting-hong-kong-artist-brian-tilbrooks-journey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2180510/70-years-painting-hong-kong-artist-brian-tilbrooks-journey?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jan 2019 06:19:42 +0000 Chinese science advanced on several fronts in 2018, and this year should see scientists in China reach a number of milestones that will focus the world’s attention on their achievements. Here are a few to keep an eye on. Chang’e 4 set to land on dark side of moon ‘between January 1 and 3’ 1. Dark side of the moon In December, China launched a plan to become the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon. The Chinese mission, named Chang’e-4, is the fourth robotic iteration in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/2180118/2019-china-science-look-ahead-moon-landing-ai-arms-race-what?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/2180118/2019-china-science-look-ahead-moon-landing-ai-arms-race-what?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jan 2019 05:05:00 +0000 Within this century, human beings will be capable of changing their genes to modify traits like intelligence, or even instincts like aggression, the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking predicted. Months after his death earlier this year, a scientist in China shocked the world by announcing he had created the world’s first genetically modified human babies – a step towards the future Hawking envisioned. Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s use of gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to engineer the birth of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2179853/future-gene-editing-ending-disease-or-creating-super?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2179853/future-gene-editing-ending-disease-or-creating-super?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Dec 2018 01:47:46 +0000 Travis Knight set out to make a Transformers film with a difference when he was brought in to direct Bumblebee, the latest episode in the blockbuster Hollywood franchise. “I think we wanted to tell a great story with real emotion at the heart of it,” said Knight on Thursday in Hong Kong, where the film opens on December 27; it opens a week later, on January 4, in China. Bumblebee: the most character-driven Transformers film yet “We still want to honour what has come before, which is great... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2177867/transformers-youve-never-seen-them-bumblebee-director-promises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2177867/transformers-youve-never-seen-them-bumblebee-director-promises?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:03:26 +0000 Following Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s claim this week to have created the world’s first genetically edited babies – twin girls Nana and Lulu – the use of the technology that made this possible has come under international scrutiny. Here are some of the other ways Chinese scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR being short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) to edit genomes: What is gene editing? Who’s doing it? And is it right? 1. World’s first cloned dog Last... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2175798/gene-edited-babies-how-chinese-scientists-created-super?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2175798/gene-edited-babies-how-chinese-scientists-created-super?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Nov 2018 09:05:52 +0000 Wen Yau’s eyes were covered with a blindfold made of the China flag. Slowly, carefully, she inched her way forward with one hand outstretched, feeling her way through space. In the other hand she held a blank sign – a silent protest against self-censorship. She had performed a similar piece back in 2014 during the Occupy Central mass protest, but felt compelled to blind herself once again for others to see. Beijing renews call for national security law after separatist party ban Wen Yau was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2175157/artistic-freedom-hong-kong-self-censorship-culture-fear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/2175157/artistic-freedom-hong-kong-self-censorship-culture-fear?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:30:00 +0000 Dolce & Gabbana is the latest international brand to discover that upsetting people in China can have consequences for its bottom line. The Italian label ran a series of adverts showing a model using chopsticks to eat pizza, spaghetti, and Italian dessert cannoli, prompting accusations of racism from Chinese internet users. When Dolce & Gabbana co-founder Stefano Gabbana reacted to their accusations with a social media rant in which he called China “a country of s***”, the criticism was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/2174666/not-just-dolce-gabbana-five-other-brands-riled-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/2174666/not-just-dolce-gabbana-five-other-brands-riled-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Nov 2018 06:21:36 +0000 Unlike Christmas and Halloween, Thanksgiving is one holiday that hasn’t quite caught on outside the United States. For one thing, turkeys are native to the Americas, and it isn’t quite Thanksgiving without a big dry bird swimming in gravy. Also, the rather bloody history of colonialism and war surrounding the event isn’t particularly appealing outside the United States. These five films are the best Thanksgiving movies of all time But even when far from home, US expats still manage to celebrate.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2174082/friends-become-family-how-us-expats-abroad-celebrate-thanksgiving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2174082/friends-become-family-how-us-expats-abroad-celebrate-thanksgiving?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Nov 2018 13:03:40 +0000 China has been coming up with some headline-grabbing innovations of late that promise to move the world forward. But not all are without drawbacks: here are five that might just set back human advancement if not thoroughly researched and investigated. Artificial sun This week Chinese scientists announced successful tests in their bid to create an “artificial sun” through experimental nuclear fusion technology. According to Chinese state media, the fusion reactor reached temperatures of 100... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2173619/nuclear-fusion-human-gene-splicing-five-chinese-tech-innovations-could?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2173619/nuclear-fusion-human-gene-splicing-five-chinese-tech-innovations-could?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:31:58 +0000 So the Li family of Kowloon Dairy have paid a record US$108,975 for a near-1kg white truffle at an Italian charity auction – wonder what can they do with all that expensive fungus? We ordinary mortals shouldn’t feel deprived, though – here are four ways to enjoy the exotic treat in Hong Kong. Li family of Kowloon Dairy fork out record price for white truffle 1. White truffle ice cream Imagine the deep musky odour of truffles filled with tones of rich, damp mushrooms and maybe a hint of garlic in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2172917/four-ways-enjoy-taste-truffles-hong-kong-claypot-rice-dumplings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2172917/four-ways-enjoy-taste-truffles-hong-kong-claypot-rice-dumplings?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Nov 2018 05:00:45 +0000 Ka-ching! Singles’ Day sales for Alibaba alone were almost double the combined revenue of US retailers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year. The Chinese company had revenue of US$25.3 billion, and rival JD.com recorded sales of US$19 billion, according to Reuters. In comparison, sales events during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States garnered a paltry US$14.49 billion. Technology Technology such as payment via facial recognition is being used to facilitate Singles’ Day sales.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2172509/five-ways-singles-day-differs-black-friday-and-cyber-monday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2172509/five-ways-singles-day-differs-black-friday-and-cyber-monday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Nov 2018 10:30:30 +0000