I have always wondered why our species Homo sapiens, that evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago, seemed to do nothing special for the first 150,000 years. Because it is not until about 50,000 years ago that the first sign of creative thinking emerged with beautiful cave paintings...

The last-minute inclusion of Jeremy Corbyn as a contender to the leadership of the Labour Party was received with derision by mainstream media and party figures. The worry was that his reluctant participation in the leadership election would send the wrong message to voters. But yesterday’s party hustings in...

Remember the Fawlty Towers episode in which a slice of veal that may or may not have been coated with rat poison is rescued from the kitchen floor and prepared for the plate of a visiting health inspector? “What the eye don’t see,” chirps Basil’s ever-insouciant cook, while...