Universal free school meals are beneficial and popular – but the UK’s provision remains patchy

| Insights & Views

The school meal is an infallible index of the values of a society. Originally designed by social reformers to counter the scourge of hunger, the school meal service is now perceived by many governments as a means to...

What is the value of US security guarantees? Here’s what history shows

| Insights & Views

Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, argues that any US-organised peace agreement would have to be accompanied by security guarantees from the US to prevent Russia from resuming its offensive in the future. However,...

To understand the future of AI, take a look at the failings of Google Translate

| Insights & Views

The computer scientists Rich Sutton and Andrew Barto have been recognised for a long track record of influential ideas with this years Turing Award, the most prestigious in the field. Suttons 2019 essay The Bitter Lesson,...

I researched poetry written during COVID – five years on, here’s how people say it helped them

| Insights & Views

Historically, poets have had less to say about pandemics than you might imagine. Hardly any English-language poetry written during successive waves of bubonic plague focused directly on the effects of the disease, for...

Russia’s economy is stagnating – but that won’t force it to end the war

| Insights & Views

In recent months, many western media commentators have suggested the Russian economy is in such serious trouble that President Vladimir Putin will soon have little choice but to end the war in Ukraine. In December, the...

Many cities are banning ads for airlines, SUVs and fossil fuels – and yours could be next

| Insights & Views

Towns and cities are pushing ahead with ambitious climate policies, even as global collaboration on climate breakdown splinters. One flagship example is the proliferation of bans on advertising for highly polluting...

‘A serious wake-up call’: Cyclone Alfred exposes weaknesses in Australia’s vital infrastructure

| Insights & Views

Thousands of residents are mopping up in the wake of ex-Cyclone Alfred, which has damaged homes and cars, flooded roads and gouged out beaches. I write from Brisbane, where rain has fallen for several days. Most of it is...