When a Populist Demagogue Takes Power
A profile of Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines.
The Cold War Plan to Keep Soviet Hands Off Middle Eastern Oil
Papers accidentally declassified by the Truman Presidential Library revealed a plot of ‘denial’, stopping the Soviet Union from accessing resources, whatever the cost.
The Untold Story of Otto Warmbier, American Hostage
A piece diving deep into the tragic story of an American student, arrested after a guided tour of North Korea, sentenced to 15 years hard labour, and released after diplomatic intervention only to die a few days after his return.
Inside the OED: can the world’s biggest dictionary survive the internet?
A study of the history of the dictionary and the evolving work of lexicographers in the internet age.
The Rock Solid History of Concrete
The little considered history of the material that “made the modern world possible” and its roots in Roman civilisation.
Inside LAX’s New Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Unit
A new experimental in-house counter-terrorism unit is taking a different approach to security.
Populism as a Backlash Against Globalisation – Historical Perspectives
The historian Niall Ferguson finds better parallels for the current political climate in American populism of the late 1800s rather than the more frequently referenced European fascism of the 1930s and 40s.
Sad!
A sit down with three campaign managers of candidates vanquished by Donald Trump. With their candidates are out of the race, they are very candid.
Bad romance
If “Her Cocky Doctors” and “Her Cocky Firefighters” aren’t familiar to you, you probably haven’t come across the scandal in the self-published romance novel world known as “Cockygate”. This piece dives into the world of romance authors battling for supremacy on the Amazon e-book charts.
Process of Elimination
A look at the work and mission of scientists and conservationists proposing gene editing techniques to control animal population, and the potential ramifications of adopting their methods outside the laboratory.