Culture
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How sexism is ‘built-in’ to most languages
Could many languages be holding women back? A growing movement argues that changes to grammar and vocabulary are an essential step towards ending the tradition of male dominance.
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Sailor, sportsman, hero – and royal husband
Did he see more change than any of us will? Prince Philip has died aged 99. He led an extraordinary life and was a witness to some of the most momentous events in world history.
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Buried treasure solves pirate’s perfect crime
Is it wrong to love pirates? They were ruthless killers who terrorised the high seas, but a long tradition of books and film celebrates their swashbuckling adventures and rebellious spirit.
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Lost masterpiece reveals truth about Nazis
Can novels teach us more than history? Reviewers claim a rediscovered novel from Nazi Germany captures the truth of its time better than almost any other work. Can fiction be “truth”?
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The poet who walked a political tightrope
Is poetry more important than politics? Four hundred years after his birth, Andrew Marvell remains a rare example of someone who established a reputation in both spheres.
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Shaking hands ‘will come back’ after Covid-19
Will we ever shake hands again? Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, some have suggested the age of the handshake is over forever. But one scientist thinks shaking hands is in our DNA.
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Welcome to spring, season of love and hope!
Shouldn’t New Year's Day be on the first day of spring? After all, it is the season of new beginnings – and is proven to be a time when we are generally happier and at our most energetic.
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The people who fix rubbish to mend the Earth
THE GREEN REVOLUTION: 5/5 Culture. Is throwaway culture the heart of the problem? Each year, humans discard two billion tonnes of waste worldwide, causing untold harm to our fragile planet.
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Voldemort to bring poet TS Eliot back to life
Can a 78-year-old poem have lessons for modern society? The Harry Potter star will perform Eliot’s late masterwork, Four Quartets, with its profound messages about memory and civilisation.
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Beyoncé wins record-breaking 28th Grammy
Do songs tell us who we are? After Beyoncé’s triumph at the Grammys on Sunday night, some think she is the latest in a long line of artists to channel the spirit of her time.
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Bidder pays £50m for unique string of code
Are non-fungible tokens the future of art? The price was a new high for an artwork that exists only digitally, beating records for physical paintings by greats like Turner, Seurat and Goya.
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No Time to Die: stars fight to save cinemas
Are cinemas history? As movie theatres languish in lockdown, many fear that home streaming will replace them completely. Others believe there will always be a place for the big screen.
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Shocking photos shame the ‘sport of kings’
Should horse racing be banned? Pictures of a prominent trainer and a jockey disrespecting dead horses have outraged fans and critics of the sport alike, sparking debate about animal rights.
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A fable in search of a great humane vision
Are humans unique? Tomorrow one of the greatest writers on this theme, Kazuo Ishiguro, will publish a new novel about artificial intelligence, human nature and the meaning of love.
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McCartney is a Dickens for our day, says poet
Should Paul McCartney get a Nobel prize? News of a new 900-page autobiography has sparked comparisons with Charles Dickens – and a claim that the former Beatle is a major literary figure.