A weekly reflection on a topical issue.
Lisa Jardine thinks selective hearing skews the debate over climate change and urges climate scienti
The historian Lisa Jardine recalls CP Snow for lessons on the dangers of leaving political decisions
The historian Lisa Jardine welcomes recent moves to promote the teaching of history in schools and f
Mary Beard reflects on the purpose of the much-maligned "Oxbridge interview" and defends the "Would
With the euro in turmoil, Mary Beard reflects on the very first monetary union, two and a half thous
Mary Beard takes a peek at Miss World 2011 and ponders why - unlike her days as a radical feminist t
From the ingeniously ghastly ways they killed their opponents to their weird forms of dress, Mary Be
Will Self deplores the arms trade and Britain's role in it, including the sale of weapons to authori
Will Self reflects that racism is rarely a sole cause of social injustice but alongside other proble
Will Self praises the beauty of wind turbines and says protests against them spring from a misconcei
Will Self sees an urgent need to reform the prison system and deplores what he sees as a lack of pol
Will Self attacks the people who join political parties as "donkeys led by donkeys". He criticises t
"For a couple of days in May 1940, the fate of the world turned on the fall of a leaf" says John Gra
John Gray argues that the scientific and rationalist attack on religion is misguided. Extreme atheis
John Gray considers why the human animal needs contact with something other than itself.He tells the
The author and philosopher John Gray presents a hard-hitting talk about capitalism. He argues that o
As recently discovered letters from Kim Philby are published, John Gray argues that the spy's life i
The celebrated thinker John Gray gives his reflection on the meaning of folly. Taking the myth of th
Alain de Botton on why pessimism is the key to happiness. He argues that the incompatibility between
Alain de Botton takes a witty look at modern parenting. He explains why today's parent simply can't