EastEnders at 40: how a ‘public service soap’ became a national institution

| Insights & Views

Thirteen million people across the UK sat down to watch a brand new soap opera that burst onto their screens on February 19 1985. The first character to speak on EastEnders was Dirty Den, as he came to be known, played by...

Can adults learn to develop absolute pitch? Our research challenges a longstanding myth

| Insights & Views

Absolute pitch has long been viewed as a kind of musical superpower. It refers to the ability to identify or produce a tone, like an A or a C-sharp, without any provided reference point. With only 12 possible answers,...

How new Ofsted report cards could be improved – by giving parents what they want to know

| Insights & Views

Change is underway at Ofsted, Englands schools inspectorate. Headline judgments that summed up a whole school in one or two words have been discarded in favour of a proposed report card system that promises to offer a more...

Roman London’s first basilica found under an office block – here’s what it reveals about the ancient city

| Insights & Views

Archaeologists from the Museum of London have discovered a well-preserved part of the ancient city of Londons first Roman basilica underneath the basement of an office block. The basilica was constructed for use as a...

How to be happy with what you have – and avoid the trap of comparison

| Insights & Views

In many ways, I feel like we shouldnt be happy with what we have. We live in a world of tremendous inequality and cruelty, running towards an environmental wall. Not just that, but some of the best people I know are...

Britain’s unearned wealth has ballooned – a modest capital tax could help avoid austerity and boost the economy

| Insights & Views

Inheriting the worst set of public finances for decades, Labour was always going to face an uphill struggle trying to fund improvements to the UKs public services. Inflated debt and recent hikes in the cost of borrowing...

Surfer’s ear: the condition that might leave wild swimmers and surfers with hearing loss

| Insights & Views

Cold water swimming, paddleboarding and surfing are all popular pastimes with millions of people in the UK regularly participating in at least one type of outdoor watersport each year. But those bravely breaking the waves...