Briefings
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Fracking
Fracking is one of the most controversial technologies of our time, with activists arguing it poses a grave environmental threat. But what exactly is fracking? And why is it disputed?
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Fear of flying
Fear of flying is common — and often exacerbated by news stories about rare, but dramatic, plane crashes. However, you are far more likely to die in a car accident. Is fear of flying rational?
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The Irish border
Almost a century on from the creation of Northern Ireland, the Irish border could decide the future of the UK and Europe. What were ‘the Troubles’, and are they over for good?
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Impeachment
In the US, impeachment means that Congress thinks the president is no longer fit to serve and should be removed from office. Here’s what you need to know about what it is and how it works.
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The quantum space race
An incredible experiment by Chinese physicists has been hailed as a breakthrough moment in the search for a “quantum internet”. It could mean that super-secure communication is on the way.
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Democracy
Winston Churchill called it “the worst form of government except for all those other forms”. People who don’t have it, want it. People who do, complain about it. What is democracy, really?
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Tolerance
Britain is a nation of 65 million people, dozens of religions and countless other beliefs. Without mutual respect and tolerance, this could spell conflict. But should we tolerate all views?
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Rule of law
Laws dictate what we can and cannot do. But they change all the time, they vary from country to country, and are not always applied consistently. So, how does the rule of law actually work?
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Individual liberty
Britain, like other Western nations, values its citizens’ abilities to make their own choices. Yet Britons cannot do exactly as they like. What is liberty, and how much of it do we have?
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The next extinctions
The death of the world’s last male, northern white rhino has highlighted Earth’s huge extinction crisis. Just how many species are at risk — and what can be done to save them?
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The mystery of gold
In 2017, astronomers witnessed an explosion 1,000 times brighter than a supernova, which sent gold and platinum cascading into the universe, and caused ripples in space and time itself...
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European football
After years in the wilderness, English football has risen again to dominate the continent — in both skills and wealth. How is football played across Europe, and is this a golden age for English...
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The opioid crisis
Is the UK on the cusp of an opioid epidemic? In America, you are more likely to die from an overdose than a road accident. And experts have warned that Britain now faces a crisis of its own…
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The House of Lords
The House of Lords currently has about 800 members. None are elected by the people, yet they still wield a lot of power. How does the Upper House work — and why do many people want change?
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The body clock
A Nobel prize was awarded to three scientists for studying the daily habits of fruit flies in the 1980s. Obscure as it sounds, their research has much to teach us about our own health…