Best of the Web

Capturing Usain Bolt’s toothy grin at the Rio Olympics, Eton College’s battle for relevance, Bruce Gilden on the non-existent American Dream, and why we experience déjà vu here are our top picks of the week.

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TIME: The story of the happiest photo of Usain Bolt

It takes a lot of skill to capture the world’s fastest man mid-run. It takes even more to photograph him at the precise moment he flashes a toothy grin. Getty Images Sydney-based photographer, Cameron Spencer, did just that when he shot Usain Bolt competing in the 100 metre sprint at the Rio Olympics. “At least it was finally a picture that I was passionate about,” Spencer says. “It’s rewarding because it’s gone viral based on its photographic merit.”

Read the full story HERE

1843 MAGAZINE: Eton and the making of a modern elite

Christopher De Bellaigue writes about the social change Eton has gone through over the last decade. This long and exploratory read about the once upper-class white establishment discusses how it ‘has reshaped itself in order to accommodate a new elite that is defined by money, brains and ambition, not pedigree, titles and acres’. The article takes you through the history of Eton to the present day and its battle for relevance at a time when brains means more than social class.

Read the full story HERE

HUCK: The American Dream is finished: Bruce Gilden in Detroit

Huck interviews Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden on his recent project Detroit: Against The Wind. Once known for its automobile industry and promise to fulfil the American Dream, Detroit has lost over a million inhabitants amidst the highest rate of home foreclosures, unemployment and poor education. Known for his confrontational and unflattering shots Gilden explains why despite its apocalyptic atmosphere Detroit still has soul.

Read the full story HERE

NEW SCIENTIST: Mystery of déjà vu explained – it’s how we check our memories

Déjà vu is one of those strange, fleeting and familiar moments in life, however why does it happen? A study carried out by Akira O’Connor at the University of St Andrews postulates that it’s a sign of our brain checking its memory. During the study O’Connor’s team found the frontal areas of the brain were active during this phenomenon as opposed to the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memories. Apparently déjà vu is a sign of a healthy and working mind!

Read the full story HERE

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