What the A-level debacle shows us about algorithms and government
There are four key lessons about decision-making and redress
Science & Technology
The A-Level disaster is an unnerving sign of things to come
The obvious injustices of the algorithm resulted in a swift government U-turn. But there are many other discriminatory technologies shaping our lives—and they remain hidden
New election transparency rules—a step in the right direction, but not far enough
This stricter plan for online political ads is just one of the changes required to safeguard democracy
Why the gig economy won't rescue the Covid-19 jobs crisis
While many parts of the economy are in crisis, the digital platform sector is booming—and may well be the only viable employers for many. But their business models give workers less freedom, not more
The government must respect the autonomy of science to prevent future catastrophes like this one
The individuals, the culture, the structures and the messaging—all are culpable for this appalling outcome
The secret history of Britain’s universities and eugenics
Our educational institutions have strong historical ties with eugenics. Have they really reckoned with their histories?
The latest thing endangered by Brexit? Britain's rich biodiversity
George Eustice recently stressed that there was “no point leaving the EU to keep everything the same.” But the purpose of supranational law is to act as the floor, not the ceiling—and we can expect a lowering of protections
The inside story of Babylon Health
Virtual health care may seem great, particularly when Covid-19 has made GPs increasingly out of reach for many. But how much do we really know about these apps?
Zooming out
Since the first camera lens, virtual technologies have changed the way we see the world and each other. But at what cost?
How would Victorians have handled the Covid-19 pandemic?
Long before the current flare-up in Leicester, some of my ancestors were devising ways to limit the spread of infectious disease in the very same city
Inside story: How the bridge between science and government collapsed
A former chief scientific adviser reflects on how pandemic preparedness was thrown away, and how the structures to bring expertise into government failed when they were needed most
Astronomers unknowingly dedicated moon craters to Nazis. Will the next historical reckoning be at cosmic level?
Science is slowly facing up to its own problems with monuments to its historical figures, even when they are not on earth
A clue to one of the greatest unexplained mysteries in physics
Seekers of dark matter are getting very excited. But has this elusive particle, which holds the key to where the universe’s mass is hidden, really been discovered?
Who is watching you now?
Spying technology used to track health data has other uses too, and we should worry about its potential
To beat Covid-19, we need to use data. Here’s how to get it right
Data-driven engineering is not only the beating heart of civilisation—it is the activity that will ultimately allow us to overcome Covid-19
"Armchair epidemiologists" and "data bros": Inside the DIY world of Covid research
Science used to be done by a select few in high-tech laboratories and dusty university offices. But this was before we had a pandemic on our hands
Would an earlier lockdown have halved the death toll?
Prospect’s chief science writer speaks to leading epidemiologists—including Neil Ferguson, who made this striking claim. He concludes that countless lives were unnecessarily lost
Covid-19 didn't escape from a lab—but the next deadly virus could
Sars vials misplaced, dengue fever samples lost in the post—the chilling lack of bio-security at research labs
The Ebola epidemic warned us what was coming. Why didn’t we listen?
I sat with more than 200 Liberians as they processed lessons from Ebola—lessons the west has still not learned
The Covid race riddle defies skin-deep simplicities
Even scientists are not beyond leaping to unfounded assumptions of innate racial difference. When it comes to Covid-19, the truth is much more complex