Where is my mind? How an ancient psychedelic ritual in the Oaxaca region of Mexico turned into the trip from hell May 3, 2018 It’s a beautiful day in San Jose Del Pacifico, a small village high in the mountains south of Oaxaca City, southern Mexico, where I’m sitting in front of the world’s most frightening cup of tea. Opposite me is Paolo, a 19-year-old “mushroom guide” in whom I have placed an inordinate amount of trust. Are you [...]
Young people need science, tech and math skills to perform the jobs of the future May 3, 2018 In today’s tech-driven world, the skills we develop in our personal and professional lives are becoming increasingly intertwined, and it starts young. When children code through games like CodeMonkey, they aren’t just playing, but learning vital skills that will support them throughout their careers. We are living through a complex digital revolution, and while keeping [...]
Irvine Welsh interview: Growing old disgracefully May 3, 2018 The image of a former enfant terrible growing up, moving to a big house by the ocean and living a life of manicured leisure is hardly novel. Even so, hearing Irvine Welsh – former heroin addict, guitarist with punk band The Pubic Lice, and author of Trainspotting – talk about his Miami pilates regime is [...]
Seize the chance for radical housing reform May 3, 2018 Britain – and London in particular – needs a sweeping overhaul of the planning system. We are building a fraction of the homes we need to keep up with rising demand, and with a third of young people now faced with spending their entire lives renting, the crisis cannot afford to be brushed under the [...]
The Death of the Beard: Has the trend for facial hair finally reached its peak? May 2, 2018 The age of the neo-dandy has drawn to a close. Tweed is out. The moustache has twirled its last. The beard is dead, and we are but mourners at its wake. At least, that is what the streets of London would seem to suggest. So many naked chins thrust into the wind like the jutting [...]
No decent economist will be surprised to see renewables push up electricity prices May 2, 2018 Energy prices are once again in the news. British Gas is putting up the price of its dual fuel tariff by an average of 5.5 per cent at the end of this month. EDF, whose standard tariff is already one of the most expensive, will raise it by a further 1.4 per cent next month. [...]
Half a million baby boomers in England hit by ‘shattering impact’ of UK housing crisis April 30, 2018 Nearly half of private renters in England aged over 50 have been forced to make drastic decisions to cover their rent, including borrowing money from their own children, a new study finds. According to research from the National Housing Federation, nearly half a million older renters have been hit by a lack of affordable housing, [...]
The apprenticeship levy is helping to train the engineers of tomorrow with the skills businesses need April 30, 2018 Today’s statistics from the EEF manufacturers’ association on the take-up of the apprenticeship levy, introduced one year ago, are expected to paint a bleak picture of a flagship policy that was meant to transform the skills base in the UK. If that is the case, the headlines will be predictable. Dark talk of staggering falls, [...]
People on the autistic spectrum are creative, focused, and determined, but recruiters fail to recognise this April 25, 2018 My name is Maxwell and I have high-functioning autism. I am part of the huge number of autistic adults in the UK who struggle to find full-time employment. Autism is sometimes seen as a hidden disability. As someone on the autistic spectrum, I often have much to say, but I am not always given the [...]
Letting agents are facing an epidemic of their own making April 25, 2018 If you’ve ever had to deal with a letting agent, you may be so traumatised from the experience that you’ve resolved never to move house ever again. You tiptoe around the property, praying that the ceiling doesn’t cave in – just so you won’t have to dial that dreaded number. If you’re under 40, you’ll [...]