2026
The Value of an Empty Bar Why deliberate reserve capacity helps transformation programmes respond to discoveries, manage uncertainty and keep work moving. 10 Sep · Technology and computing · Society and ideas
Emily Wilson's Odyssey What Emily Wilson's 'complicated man' loses from Homer's pattern of turning, wandering and return. 07 Sep · Literature and language · History and culture
Economics and Trust in Veterinary Care Why trust, urgency and corporate ownership complicate the idea that clearer prices will make veterinary care competitive. 24 Mar · Society and ideas
2025
The Incoherence of Liberal Morality A critique of selective outrage and an argument for moral standards that hold across cultures. 08 May · Society and ideas
2024
Bayesian Thinking An introduction to Bayes' theorem and what updating our beliefs can teach us about knowledge and uncertainty. 28 Aug · Mathematics and probability · Society and ideas
Getting married in Japan How we married in Tokyo as two British visitors, from translating documents to registering at the municipal office. 16 Aug · Travel and place · History and culture
2023
The noble lie of Ada Lovelace Questioning the first-programmer story and whether an inspiring myth does justice to women in science. 03 Apr · Technology and computing · History and culture
2022
Seeing off Yuan the Second on a Mission to Anxi My translation of Wang Wei's farewell poem: a cup of wine before a friend travels beyond Yang Pass. 16 Aug · Literature and language · History and culture
2018
The Best Metaphor Cargo cults as a metaphor for businesses that copy the outward signs of success without understanding its causes. 06 May · Society and ideas · History and culture
The Banach-Tarski Paradox How mathematics lets one ball become two, and why the trick will not double your gold. 22 Mar · Mathematics and probability
2016
Pronouncing Don Quixote in La Mancha Reading Cervantes in Spain leads to a puzzle about pronunciation, English rhyme and the name Don Quixote. 09 Nov · Literature and language · History and culture