The Long and Short

Get ready for the splinternet. With the global order fragmenting, cyber- security threats on the rise, and the deluge of information becoming overwhelming, countries are going to break away from the internet in its current form, says Katja Bego writing in the Long and Short. ​

Emran Mian writing in The Long & Short argues that universal basic income is a terrible, inequitable solution to technological disruption – one that will only deepen the divide between the remaining few with jobs and those without. We should redistribute work and not wealth, he says.

Speaking with Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures.

The next big tech controversy will see the public turn against algorithms and machine learning.

As Britain braces itself for the impact of Brexit, Will Brett writing in The Long & Short Magazine argues for taking inspiration from the Romans and thinking on a grand scale, an approach that he says can reap economic and spiritual rewards.

Why using AI to infer 'criminality' in someone's face is a dubious and dangerous idea.

Ultra-tailored, personalised medicine is the grand promise for the future of healthcare—but is it all just hype?

Fake news and political scandals have led to a heightened awareness and questioning of both truth and trust. Brennan Jacoby, writing in The Long and Short argues that distrust can also be useful for society. ​

Sporting progress is often incremental, but occasionally athletes come along and try something completely different. Simon Usborne writing in The Long & Short, highlights a few moments, starting with Dick Fosbury revolutionising the high jump in 1968, when sportspersons were at the forefront of dramatic changes.

How close are we to eating fake meat that can rival a bloody steak—and its price?

This is the age of anger. The identity politics of white men has taken centre- stage. As women around the world protest the inauguration of Donald Trump, Geraldine Bedell writing for The Long and Short, argues that female activism and language can offer an antidote to our uncertain political times.

Secular stagnation was the term used by Larry Summers in 2013 to explain the refusal of the post-2008 recession era economies to respond to the various stimuli attempted to be provided by central banks. But “Secular stagnation” is a misunderstood term, writes Dan Davies in The Long & Short. He imagines how secular stagnation may come to a Smurf village to help us with a better understanding of the term.

Could we zap our brains to improve ourselves? Lucy Jones writing in The Long & Short explores transcranial directcurrent stimulation (or tDCS), a form of neurostimulation that involves zapping the brain with low level electrical current. She meets the scientists and DIY enthusiasts using tDCS to find out if there are any benefits to it and if we should all be trying it.

Academics were asked to collaborate with science fiction writers to develop short stories that explore the impact of human interactions with more powerful and uncanny machine intelligences. This is one of those stories.

While experimenting with 'old springs and other bits of stuff' in his home workshop, Dr Graham Tydeman almost accidentally created an invaluable tool that allows doctors to practice caesarean sections. This is the story of 'Desperate Debra'.

Many writers and musicians have experienced blocks at some point, so how did they get back on track?

"Mindfulness is the perfect plug-in for late modern capitalism."

Should all deforestation be condemned? On the ground, the fight against climate change takes many different shapes.

You know those white and green Adidas trainers that everyone wears? A dissection of a style revival.

James Brown is known as the “Godfather of soul”. The Long & Short, features an article from the music blog 20jazzfunkgreats, which shows us how James Brown single-handedly invented funk.