麻豆约拍

A Tale of Two Elections

William Dalrymple reflects on the current pivotal elections in India and Afghanistan.

• 10 mins

Travel Writing Giants

William Dalrymple celebrates the writing of Peter Matthiessen, who died this month.

• 10 mins

Mile Milestone

Mary Beard looks forward to the 60th anniversary of the first 'four-minute mile'.

• 10 mins

Digging Digitally

Mary Beard reflects on the new face of archaeology, of the virtual kind.

• 10 mins

The Paradox of Growing Old

Mary Beard argues that our view of dementia is a sanitized one which needs to be rethought

• 10 mins

Testing Times

Mary Beard reflects on exam season - past and present.

• 10 mins

Why we should be religious but not spiritual

Tom Shakespeare argues that we should be religious but not spiritual.

• 10 mins

Should we be frightened of disability?

Tom Shakespeare argues that we have nothing to fear from disability.

• 10 mins

Bring Back the Heptarchy!

Tom Shakespeare asks if England should consider returning to an earlier order.

• 10 mins

No Burning Required

As libraries close, AL Kennedy argues that we must reassess the importance of books.

• 10 mins

If You Haven't Got Anything Nice to Say...

AL Kennedy argues for a world with less gossip.

• 10 mins

Battling the Botnets

AL Kennedy asks if it is time for us to rethink our devotion to computers.

• 10 mins

To See Ourselves

AL Kennedy explores the downsides of personal and national introspection.

• 10 mins

Isis: A modern revolutionary force?

John Gray argues that the Sunni extremist group Isis is revolutionary, not reactionary.

• 10 mins

Believing in reason is childish

John Gray argues that the belief in human reason is more 'childish' than religious faith.

• 10 mins

Is patriotism the last refuge of the scoundrel?

Will Self reflects on what really lies behind our sense of patriotism.

• 10 mins

The Changing Nature of Utopias

Will Self reflects on what the changing nature of utopias says about us.

• 10 mins

Believing in Beliefs

Will Self offers a weekly reflection on a topical issue.

• 10 mins

The Affliction of Consumption

Will Self reflects on the power of modern-day consumption and the effect it has on us.

• 10 mins

What's Funny?

Will Self reflects on comedy, asking what really makes us laugh.

• 10 mins

Why Orwell Is the Supreme Mediocrity

Will Self takes on one of the nation's best-loved figures, George Orwell.

• 10 mins

When fiction comes to the historian's rescue

Lisa Jardine on how fiction can be more useful than fact in helping us understand the past

• 10 mins

The Horror of War

Lisa Jardine says commemorating a war should not mean losing sight of its horror.

• 10 mins

Red Dress Sense

Red may be now fashionable, but in the past it was powerful, reflects Lisa Jardine.

• 10 mins

Keeping Time

Lisa Jardine reflects on the history of timepieces and the power of clocks and watches.

• 10 mins

Short and Successful

Adam Gopnik thinks there is a simple reason why short men enjoy stable marriages.

• 10 mins

Dying with Dignity

Adam Gopnick thinks we fail all too often to let people die with dignity.

• 10 mins

The Football Fallacy

Adam Gopnik explains why the English are better at watching football than at playing it.

• 10 mins

A Lesson from Love Locks

Adam Gopnik draws a lesson on the nature of love from the eyesore of love locks in Paris.

• 10 mins

Cures for Anxiety

Adam Gopnik identifies four different types of anxiety that afflict modern people.

• 10 mins