The mysteries of the brain
Despite 2,000 years of study, there is still so much we don’t know about how the brain works.
By
The coronavirus timebomb
Adrienne Miller’s In the Land of Men: a literary memoir of Manhattan magazine publishing
Stories of an “improbable gatekeeper”: a young female editor in an age of great male narcissists.
By
Dreaming of the end of the world
The patriarchal, survivalist fantasies of preppers.
By
The radical lessons of William Wordsworth
How the young poet, shaped by revolutionary politics, taught us to love the living world.
By
Grounded
A new poem by Anthony Anaxagorou.
By
Gordon Brown: “The solution to this crisis is still global”
The former prime minister talks to Stephen Bush about economic crises, the retreat from globalisation and the most urgent priorities…
By
Coronavirus hits the Global South
The humanitarian and economic disaster facing poorer countries as they grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic.
By
The new intellectuals of the American right
In political and media circles, an array of thinkers – national conservatives, integralists, traditionalists, and post-liberals – are crossing ideological boundaries.
By
The greats outdoors: John Nash’s Harvesting
In the first of a new series examining landscape paintings, we look at the story behind Nash’s charming and…
By
Lenny Abrahamson: “I put myself under a huge amount of pressure”
The Oscar-nominated film director Lenny Abrahamson on turning to TV with his BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People.…
By
The highs and lows of Covid-era radio
From oblivious advice to moving personal stories.
By
New HBO series Run is powered by sheer chemistry
Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson shine in this playful, suspenseful thriller.
By
Why The Great British Sewing Bee is perfect lockdown television
As we enter the second month of lockdown, “making” shows are all the rage – but The Great British…
By
How the World Health Organisation’s failure to challenge China over coronavirus cost us dearly
The international body blithely accepted Beijing’s assurances that there was little to worry about.
By
First Thoughts: Nurses’ pride in a pittance, Sussex business as usual, and Labour wages civil war (again)
Since almost everything the tabloids print about Harry and Meghan is “distorted, false, or invasive”, they have no need of royal…
By
Jim McMahon: The politics of place and belonging
Why Jim McMahon is one of the rising stars of Labour.
By
Commons Confidential: Raab-it in the headlights
Your weekly dose of gossip from around Westminster.
By
The eleven days that may have tragically cost the UK in the fight against coronavirus
In a personal account, Dominic Minghella recalls the pre-lockdown period in which he and others were spreading Covid-19 across…
By
The pandemic has made this much clear: those running the US have no idea what it costs to live here
When was the last time Steve Mnuchin had to worry about rent?
By
This should have been a breakout year for women’s sport – now to keep going it needs a leap of faith
When people describe “sport” they are invariably referring to men’s sport. The big stuff. The stuff that drives the…
By
Senior Tory backbenchers are increasingly alarmed by their own government’s response to the crisis
To some Conservative MPs, the sheer inexperience of the cabinet has been glaringly obvious and a further embarrassment.
By
The lack of global political order is making an unprecedented economic shock even greater
Excessive economic fear will be destructive. But prudence in politics is not a luxury for relatively good times.
By
Why it’s not too early for an inquiry into the government’s failings over Covid-19
The mistakes may not be difficult problems of personnel or institutions, but ones that can be solved swiftly and…
By
Joan Bakewell’s Diary: Poems for prisoners, a virtual send-off, broadcasting from home and comfort in blooms
Routines that once seemed inevitable are giving way to imaginative and comforting forms of contact.
By
Dr Phil Whitaker: Modern medicine is good at keeping people alive but the crisis in care homes is a disgrace
The need to empty hospital beds ahead of the peak has meant that asymptomatic inpatients have been discharged to…
By
Editor’s Note: Boris Johnson’s near-death experience and the astonishing effort to build Covid testing labs
With the virus killing so many around the world, can we now see more clearly what it means not…
By
Letter of the Week: At risk and confused
A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email letters@newstatesman.co.uk to have your thoughts voiced…
By
Leader: A culture of carelessness
Britain’s plight has become a cautionary tale: it has recorded one of the highest death rates from Covid-19 in the…
By
Ravi Naik: “What would make my life better? A direct line to Google”
The data rights lawyer talks Jacinda Ardern, Peter Pomerantsev’s This is Not Propaganda, and investigative journalists.
By
I’ve started to gaze in awe at every leaf. I’m turning into Fotherington-Thomas, on acid
Right now, I am finding more comfort in the natural world than anywhere else.
By
In this panicky moment, wine is comfort, sociability and liquid memory
With friends and relatives at a distance, I want good bottles around me.
By
Hailed by a homeless guy, I should have kept my distance and hurried on – but I couldn’t
Instead of asking for money he asked me if I had a phone he could make a call from.
By
In lockdown, children are more powerless than ever. But they have a secret weapon: imagination
I wake up to a cry of “Wingardium Leviosa!” The boys are starting the day as they mean to…
By The pandemic has made this much clear: those running the US have no idea what it costs to live here
When was the last time Steve Mnuchin had to worry about rent?
By Senior Tory backbenchers are increasingly alarmed by their own government’s response to the crisis
To some Conservative MPs, the sheer inexperience of the cabinet has been glaringly obvious and a further embarrassment.
By This should have been a breakout year for women’s sport – now to keep going it needs a leap of faith
When people describe “sport” they are invariably referring to men’s sport. The big stuff. The stuff that drives the…
By Grounded
A new poem by Anthony Anaxagorou.
By Commons Confidential: Raab-it in the headlights
Your weekly dose of gossip from around Westminster.
By New HBO series Run is powered by sheer chemistry
Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson shine in this playful, suspenseful thriller.
By The lack of global political order is making an unprecedented economic shock even greater
Excessive economic fear will be destructive. But prudence in politics is not a luxury for relatively good times.
By Why The Great British Sewing Bee is perfect lockdown television
As we enter the second month of lockdown, “making” shows are all the rage – but The Great British…
By The highs and lows of Covid-era radio
From oblivious advice to moving personal stories.
By Why it’s not too early for an inquiry into the government’s failings over Covid-19
The mistakes may not be difficult problems of personnel or institutions, but ones that can be solved swiftly and…
By Joan Bakewell’s Diary: Poems for prisoners, a virtual send-off, broadcasting from home and comfort in blooms
Routines that once seemed inevitable are giving way to imaginative and comforting forms of contact.
By First Thoughts: Nurses’ pride in a pittance, Sussex business as usual, and Labour wages civil war (again)
Since almost everything the tabloids print about Harry and Meghan is “distorted, false, or invasive”, they have no need of royal…
By Jim McMahon: The politics of place and belonging
Why Jim McMahon is one of the rising stars of Labour.
By Letter of the Week: At risk and confused
A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email letters@newstatesman.co.uk to have your thoughts voiced…
By In this panicky moment, wine is comfort, sociability and liquid memory
With friends and relatives at a distance, I want good bottles around me.
By I’ve started to gaze in awe at every leaf. I’m turning into Fotherington-Thomas, on acid
Right now, I am finding more comfort in the natural world than anywhere else.
By Dr Phil Whitaker: Modern medicine is good at keeping people alive but the crisis in care homes is a disgrace
The need to empty hospital beds ahead of the peak has meant that asymptomatic inpatients have been discharged to…
By Editor’s Note: Boris Johnson’s near-death experience and the astonishing effort to build Covid testing labs
With the virus killing so many around the world, can we now see more clearly what it means not…
By Leader: A culture of carelessness
Britain’s plight has become a cautionary tale: it has recorded one of the highest death rates from Covid-19 in the…
By Hailed by a homeless guy, I should have kept my distance and hurried on – but I couldn’t
Instead of asking for money he asked me if I had a phone he could make a call from.
By In lockdown, children are more powerless than ever. But they have a secret weapon: imagination
I wake up to a cry of “Wingardium Leviosa!” The boys are starting the day as they mean to…
By Ravi Naik: “What would make my life better? A direct line to Google”
The data rights lawyer talks Jacinda Ardern, Peter Pomerantsev’s This is Not Propaganda, and investigative journalists.
By The eleven days that may have tragically cost the UK in the fight against coronavirus
In a personal account, Dominic Minghella recalls the pre-lockdown period in which he and others were spreading Covid-19 across…
By