TOK: Reason
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Generation C: The virus that changed everything
What will the world look like when the pandemic ends? We might be far from seeing the back of the coronavirus, but the rest of the 21st Century will be defined by how we overcome it.
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Let’s meet up tomorrow – your place and mine
Is online socialising as good as meeting in person? The current lockdown has given rise to virtual parties, choirs, and reading groups – and they could become a permanent part of our lives.
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‘Time to consign the Olympics to history’
Should the Olympic Games be cancelled for ever? The world’s biggest sporting event is now likely to be postponed because of the pandemic –some feel we would better off without it any way.
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Lockdown! And the rush to stock up goes on
What’s so wrong with stockpiling? People facing an unprecedented lockdown are being called “selfish” and “shameful”, but humans have always stored up food to get through difficult times.
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Liberty, solidarity, and a new world dawning
Could the choices we make now, change our lives for years to come? The historian and modern seer, Yuval Noah Harari, believes the shape of our economy, politics, and culture is up for grabs.
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The summer when school changed forever
Is this a catastrophe or a golden opportunity? As the virus forces nearly a billion students around the world to study at home, the notion of traditional schooling is coming under scrutiny.
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How to tell a black swan from a red herring
Is Nassim Nicholas Taleb a modern-day prophet? The Lebanese-American statistician, author, and philosopher predicted the 2008 financial crash – and the current coronavirus pandemic.
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Experts praise power of positive thinking
Can positive thinking help? The coronavirus epidemic is an enormous challenge for the whole world – but many people are saying we should focus on the rich benefits it might bring us.
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Coronavirus catastrophe closes in on Africa
Could Africa see the worst outbreak yet? As the virus begins to spread across the world’s poorest continent, experts warn the impact could be much more severe than in Europe and Asia.
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Social life cancelled in coronavirus lockdown
Is it morally wrong to socialise? Boris Johnson has followed other countries in recommending strict social distancing to lessen the impact of Covid-19 – but will people put it into practice?
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Trump’s ‘delusional’ microbe meltdown
Could the virus topple Trump? With the financial markets crashing, US coronavirus tests hard to find, and a rising number of infections – the US president is facing an unprecedented challenge.
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TikTok’s ‘sight bites’ capture the zeitgeist
Should we take TikTok politics seriously? One of the most successful apps in the world was developed for teenagers messing around. Now, it is being adopted by political campaigners.
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After 24 years…Spitting Image set to return
Is satire simply cruel? There is a long tradition of ridiculing the famous and powerful. But in an age of increased sensitivity, the return of TV’s Spitting Image might not be that welcome.
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Let us spray: a nation goes into quarantine
Is Italy a grim warning to the world? There is anxiety and confusion on the ground as the country implements its most restrictive measures since World War Two, in its battle against Covid-19.
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Markets panic as virus drags down oil price
Does oil run the world? It looks that way to investors watching the value of shares plummet in response to a shock drop in the price of oil. But why does “black gold” have so much power?