Aerial photo of people in colourful clothes standing in line casting long shadows on a dirt path surrounded by greenery.

The empty ideology

Liberalism hasn’t delivered on its promises in Africa. The alternative will be found in ideas rooted in Africa’s own soil

essayPolitical philosophy

The empty ideology

Gabriel Asuquo

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Vintage sepia photo of two women in Victorian attire sitting in a parlour room with floral wallpaper, reading opposite each other at writing desk.

essayTechnology and the self

‘I awoke at ½ past 7’

Our cursed age of self-monitoring and optimisation didn’t start with big tech: as so often, the Victorians are to blame

Elena Mary

An ant on a twig against a pastel pink and purple background with its reflection on a glossy surface.

essayBioethics

The ant you can save

Should we simply assume that all animals can feel pain and are of moral concern? Or is that taking things too far?

Jeff Sebo & Andreas L Mogensen

Sepia-toned photo of people labouring on a plantation with baskets and tools, set against a backdrop of hills and buildings.

essayGlobal history

The deepest South

Slavery in Latin America, on a huge scale, was different from that in the United States. Why don’t we know this history?

Ana Lucia Araujo

Abstract digital artwork with smooth gradients of red and orange hues creating a warm, flowing appearance.

essayIllness and disease

The inflammation age

Acute inflammation helps the body heal. But chronic inflammation is different and could provoke a medical paradigm shift

Amy K McLennan

Black and white photo of a woman and child walking on a cobbled street in an industrial town with chimneys in the background.

essayFamily life

Maternal paradox

‘Scientific motherhood’ promised to create high standards for child-rearing. But it’s really a system designed to police women

Sherry Chan

Black and white photo of an elderly man with a thoughtful expression wearing a light coloured shirt.

videoArt

How Robert Frost summoned a classic from life’s timeless moments

10 minutes

Medieval painting of a figure in a robe holding two golden discs with a patterned blue and red background.

essayArt

Medieval moons

Some saw the Moon as representing creation, yearning for the Divine, some saw the Moon as almost Divine herself

Ayoush Lazikani

Photo of moths flying around a bright light against a dark background at night.

videoBiology

Do we finally understand why winged insects seem drawn to light?

7 minutes

A woman sleeping on a bed in a floral wallpapered room with a lamp and a window.

essaySleep and dreams

Sleep is delicious

The idea that we should reduce sleep to an efficient minimum in our lives gets something fundamentally wrong

Sara Protasi

Photo of a person wearing traditional headwear with animal horns standing before clay huts with thatched roofs in a rural setting in Western Africa.

videoArchitecture

Inside the remarkable, endangered mud castles of West Africa

9 minutes

A herd of elephants walking through a dusty landscape with a blurred background of trees and bushes.

essayBiology

Desert survivors

Elephant families are matriarchal, inclusive and caring. But when environmental scarcity hits, everything changes

Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell

Black-and-white photo of a man diving mid-air against the sky, arms extended and wearing swim briefs.

videoRituals and celebrations

The Mexican cliff divers who take dazzling leaps into the unknown

23 minutes

A black hole, showing a glowing orange-red ring surrounded by darkness, captured by a telescope.

essayCosmology

Cosmic imposters

We know that black holes are strange, but they could be hiding something even weirder beyond their horizons

Gideon Koekoek

Abstract painting with a guitar and geometric shapes in vibrant colours including yellow, green and blue.

essayMusic

The guitarist’s palette

In the hands of a great musician, the gloriously simple guitar can create the most complex works of art. Here’s how

Craig Ogden

Photo of a messy room with a person lying on a cluttered sofa surrounded by books posters boxes and string lights.

videoLove and friendship

The ‘soul brotherhood’ between a son and his caregiving father

6 minutes

Watercolour painting of a person crouching, sketched with soft colours and lines, on a light background.

essayPhilosophy of mind

From cells to selves

Contemplating the world requires a body, and a body requires an immune system: the rungs of life create the stuff of thought

Anna Ciaunica

Photo of two women sitting outdoors laughing with a colourful backdrop in the background.

videoSubcultures

Nomadic life is a warm, poignant memory for many Irish Travellers

10 minutes

Close-up photo of hands passing a small wooden cup during a dimly lit gathering with bottles visible in the background.

essayConsciousness and altered states

A wondrous brew

From Peruvian healers battling sorcerers to Chinese executives seeking financial success, ayahuasca’s power shifts across worlds

Alex K Gearin

Graphic depiction of a Go game board with numbered black and white circles and Japanese characters, in a grid layout.

videoFilm and visual culture

Japanese news clippings from 1991 blur into a hypnotic collage

3 minutes

A cat sitting on ancient ruins with tall columns under a clear blue sky.

essayThinkers and theories

Nothing alive is alien to me

Who belongs to our moral community? The Greek philosopher Empedocles had an answer: all life, from humans to the laurel bush

Tristan Moyle

Black and white photo of a line of people marching on a city street holding signs protesting against the draft for the Vietnam War.

essayWar and peace

Not in our name

The gravest of all decisions, to go to war, happens without the consent of the people. This is a great flaw in democracy

Vincenza Falletti

Black-and-white photo of hands framing the sky with a modern building in the background.

videoLove and friendship

What people’s hand gestures reveal when they’re asked about love

9 minutes

Photo of rugged limestone formations at sunset with a partly cloudy sky and sea visible in the background.

essayEarth science and climate

Our phosphorescent world

This life-giving element, stored in rock and organic material, moves around Earth in an ancient cycle we have just broken

Jack Lohmann

Painting of three people in formal attire with minimal facial features standing by the sea under a light blue sky.

videoGlobal history

The story of the captives transported on the HMS Beagle with Darwin

9 minutes

essayIllness and disease

The inflammation age

Acute inflammation helps the body heal. But chronic inflammation is different and could provoke a medical paradigm shift

Amy K McLennan

Artwork of a large brown planet and a smaller blue one in space with stars in the background.

videoAstronomy

Why exomoons could be astronomy’s next big breakthrough

35 minutes

essayTechnology and the self

‘I awoke at ½ past 7’

Our cursed age of self-monitoring and optimisation didn’t start with big tech: as so often, the Victorians are to blame

Elena Mary

Photo of a smiling woman in a green sweater talking with friends in a cosy, colourful cafe interior.

essayNeurodiversity

Mask on/mask off

People with ADHD and autism have to mask their instincts if they want to be included. But the strain exacts a very high price

Gilly Kahn