Latest Stories
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Cannibal rats swarm in lockdown infestation
Do rats deserve their evil reputation? The news that a hungry army of rodents is closing in on our homes will probably fill you with disgust. But some say we are too hard on the humble rat.
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Pack your bags – it’s holiday time after all!
Is a change as good as a rest? Many families everywhere are thrilled about the return of the summer holidays as lockdown restrictions are eased and “air corridors” are announced this weekend.
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Vote Klopp – the man who knows how to win
Should Jürgen Klopp be prime minister? As Liverpool move within two points of their first league title for 30 years, their manager is being hailed as an international model of leadership.
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Hibernation over! Friends reunited at last
Is friendship our most basic human need? Friends have survived three long months of separation under strict lockdown rules. Now we can meet again, will we appreciate our friendships more?
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Eight rules promise wisdom and happiness
Does life need rules? The School of Life says that you should “know your insanity” and “accept your idiocy”. But countless thinkers have tried and failed to convince us to follow rules before.
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Found! Largest prehistoric structure in UK
Were we happier in the Stone Age? 4,500 years ago, a thriving culture in Neolithic Britain built vast structures with only stone tools. Experts think we have been going downhill ever since.
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Grief and questions over senseless killings
Is lack of mental health care the key problem? A midsummer day in a Reading park was ripped apart by a knifeman. Three victims are dead. Today, a nation in shock must ask why it happened.
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Two images…and a crisis of masculinity
What does it mean to be masculine? Two moments frozen in time – one an epitome of humane kindness; the other an image of mindless crudity – sum up what many see as a societal catastrophe.
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Face masks on: A society without smiles
Do masks increase alienation? As the UK follows much of the world by having mandatory face coverings on public transport, some fear it may harm our ability to form connections with others.
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The unsolved murder that still haunts Sweden
What lies behind our fascination with true crime? It is fear? Swedish police have just called a halt to a long-running murder investigation which drove amateur sleuths to the point of madness.
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Populist leaders come top in virus deaths
Is populism the real virus? As many governments begin to ease lockdown, the statistics point to common failures and a dangerous outlook in countries with right-wing, populist leadership.
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Britain becoming ‘laughing stock of the world’
Is modern Britain a tragedy or a farce? In the world’s sixth-richest country, the virus response looks like a tragic failure – and, as for Parliament, many don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
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The Machine rules – you have been warned
Will we value human contact more after the lockdown? A 111-year-old story by EM Forster is proving extraordinarily prophetic about social isolation and our relationship with technology.
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Very smart – and a tool of domestic abuse
Could smart homes increase domestic abuse? As our houses get ever more full of technology to make life more convenient, the possibility of using it for abusive purposes is increasing.
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Time flies – except when it starts to crawl
What is time? Some people have found the weeks of lockdown passing incredibly quickly; for others, every day has been agonisingly slow – suggesting that we trust too much in clocks.