(2021-10-09). [Perspectives] Digitising the vision test. thelancet.com The Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen invented his visual chart in 1862 and it has remained the basis for assessing visual acuity since then. The Snellen chart relies on assessing the ability to discriminate high contrast symbols (optotypes) by asking a person to identify rows of letters at a fixed distance, showing them increasingly smaller sizes. Yet quantifying how well an individual can distinguish visual information in a fast and reliable way is a surprisingly difficult task. Despite the ubiquity of chart-based visual acuity assessments, these tests suffer from some shortcomings.
(2021-10-08). From EL FARO ENGLISH: Exposed by the Pandora Papers. latinorebels.com Central America, in Brief: The Pandora Papers, a global investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) involving more than 600 journalists in 117 countries, shed new light on how offshore banking shields the cash of Central America's wealthy and well-connected, including presidential candidates and former heads of state. While the practice doesn't prove illegal activity, it raises serious questions about transparency and economic inequality.
(2021-10-08). Revolutionizing the Cities: 10 Years of Housing, Self-Management, and Communes in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com By Alba Movimientos — Oct 5, 2021 | Ten years ago we gathered in the Ezequiel Zamora Park (or El Calvario) of Caracas—as part of a public dialogue alongside Commander Hugo Chávez—and began an ongoing process of urban revolution that has allowed the people of Venezuelan to recover previously abandoned or underutilized lands. Today, millions of houses have been built on these lands, thousands of units have been constructed by people's power, many of which are now self-managed by the community. The right to housing for working families is fully protected, in stark contrast to a past in which people…