For centuries, humans have wondered about the possibility of other Earths orbiting distant stars. Perhaps some of these alien worlds would harbour strange forms of life or have unique and telling histories or futures
If you are one of 2.2bn Facebook users worldwide, you have probably been alarmed by the recent coverage of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a story that began when The Guardian revealed 50m (now thought to be 87m) user
The term “fake news” has gained prominence in recent years thanks to US President Donald Trump’s attacks on the media during the 2016 US election. In 2017, it was one of Collins English Dictionary’s 2017 words of
Public concern about Facebook’s power in society – and in politics – has skyrocketed in the wake of revelations that users’ data was analysed by a UK-based marketing firm and used to construct highly targeted political
Is it time to give up on social media? Many people are thinking about that in the wake of revelations regarding Cambridge Analytica’s questionable use of personal data from over 50m Facebook users to support
Soon after I enrolled as a graduate student at Cambridge University in 1964, I encountered a fellow student, two years ahead of me in his studies, who was unsteady on his feet and spoke with great difficulty. This was
Henry Ford didn’t invent the motor car. The late 1800s saw a flurry of innovation by hundreds of companies battling to deliver on the promise of fast, efficient and reasonably priced mechanical transportation. Ford later came
The term “addiction” is often bandied about when we think someone spends too much time on something we deem detrimental to their health and well-being. From checking our phones repetitively, to playing with specific
Imagine a world where every country has not only complied with the Paris climate agreement but has moved away from fossil fuels entirely. How would such a change affect global politics? The 20th century was dominated by
Right now, it’s bitcoin. But in the past, we’ve had dot-com stocks, the 1929 crash, 19th century railways and the South Sea Bubble of 1720. All these were compared by contemporaries to “tulip mania”, the Dutch financial