Sitting Up
A piece describing itself aptly as ‘A brief history of chairs’, looking at how different societies approach the act of sitting.
A New Theory for why Voters are so Angry – That Actually Makes Sense
An interview with a professor who researched a recent book through numerous interviews with people living in rural communities in Wisconsin. These conversations convinced her that while fact-driven policy did come into their electoral choices, it had far less impact than fundamental questions of identity, tied up in numerous issues, but boiling down to – “Who am I for, and who am I against?”.
The Refugee Detectives
A look at the work of Germany’s Bamf, the agency with the thorny task of deciding which refugees receive permission to remain in their country. They have many techniques at their disposal, some that can establish identity with little doubt, many more that can only offer “Hinweis” – a clue as to the truth of the story they’re being told.
Framed
The story of how a parent teacher association head was allegedly framed for possession of hard drugs by parents with a grudge. The story seems at times to be straight out of a legal procedural TV show – one of the accused writes self-published crime novels in which she imagines ingeniously executed crimes, a firefighter lover arrives at the accused’s house for a tryst at the same time as the police and has to make a hasty exit – and yet it is not.
Who Really Stands to Win from Universal Basic Income?
This piece kicks off with an insight – “Economics is at heart a narrative art, a frame across which data points are woven into stories about how the world should work.” It then proceeds to examine universal basic income as an economic narrative, its roots in English history, and the lessons learned from its application in countries around the world.
An Ad Hoc Affair
A profile of Jane Jacobs, a writer and urban planning activist, that lauds her “clear-eyed vision of humanity”.
China’s Selfie Obsession
A piece examining the phenomenal success of MeituÕs social apps, installed on over a billion devices, and changing self-image across their user base.
Dry, the Beloved Country
A piece that examines the response to a severe drought in Cape Town. Whilst undoubtedly a crisis, it has also become “a kind of vast, unplanned, crazy—and fabulous—social experiment”.
The Man Who Solved His Own Murder
An account of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian spy killed in London ten years ago – a story of incompetence, intrigue, criminality and authoritarianism. It’s worth listening to the audio too.
Inside the Very Big, Very Controversial Business of Dog Cloning
A look at the controversial, lucrative world of dog cloning, a practice that first leapt into the public consciousness via celebrity customers such as Barbra Streisand.