Latest Stories
-
Row over Google zero carbon footprint claim
Can corporations solve the climate crisis? Google yesterday claimed to have compensated for all the carbon it has ever created. But critics say business cannot be trusted to save the planet.
-
England’s uncivil war over the ‘rule of six’
Is the "rule of six" wrong? Critics say that people should be free to go out and take risks with their own health. But others insist that we cannot put personal freedoms ahead of saving lives.
-
Sceptics haunted by spectre of second lockdown
Do lockdowns cause more harm than good? Without a vaccine, they might be our most effective tool for tackling Covid-19 – but some argue that shutting down society comes at too high a cost.
-
Behold the prophets – and profits – of doom
Should we be preparing for the end of the world? Many people expect to see the collapse of life as we know it. A new book reveals how a multi-billion-dollar industry has grown around them.
-
SpaceX capsule first splashdown in 45 years
Will Moon tourism be normal in 20 years’ time? For some, yesterday’s historic success of a manned commercial space mission is the start of a new era. But predictions are nearly always wrong.
-
Super-rich call for more taxes on themselves
Is tax the best way to share wealth? Eighty-three of the world’s richest people have written an astonishing letter to governments asking for more of their money to be taken away from them.
-
Johnson vows to spend Britain back to health
Does the West need a new Roosevelt? As the world comes out of lockdown but heads into economic catastrophe, some say leaders should look to the past to find a solution to the crisis.
-
Economists warn of second Great Depression
Will we be able to cope with an economic depression? Some believe the coronavirus will cause a downturn on a scale not seen since the 1930s, and we will need all our resources to survive.
-
£8 million: the price of a human life today
Can we measure the value of a life in money? It sounds unthinkable and heartless. But our world is shaped by mathematical models that calculate how much it is worth keeping each of us alive.
-
‘A terrible situation but a big opportunity’
Is there a green way out of this pandemic? As restrictions begin to lift, minds are turning to how we want the post-corona world to look – and many want it to look as green as possible.
-
The man who can’t stop getting richer
Is Jeff Bezos a genius or a monster? He has built digital companies that seem ready-made for the post-pandemic world. But such success leaves a sour taste in the mouths of many.
-
World faces worst crisis since Great Depression
Will there be another Great Depression? Experts warn that the coronavirus pandemic will provoke the most significant economic collapse in decades. But others argue that the crisis is unique.
-
‘The cure could be worse than the disease’
Is it worth sacrificing the economy for the coronavirus? An increasing number of experts now say that the long-term impact of Covid-19 could be more devastating than the pandemic itself.
-
Cash use halves in one week over virus fears
Will the virus be the death of cash? Last week, the use of notes and coins in the UK halved due to fears of contamination, and a new banking app was launched – for seven-year-olds.
-
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?