Hard knocks
Now and again I am asked by young people for advice on career choices. My main responses are: (a) experiment and find out what you enjoy and don’t enjoy; (b) …
Hard knocks Read MoreSector
‘Digital Armies’ and Disinformation: How Big Tech Is Hitting Brazil’s Upcoming Election
Far-right populists worldwide are using AI to bypass traditional media gatekeepers and spread disinformation at scale. Nowhere is that more true than Brazil, which has been rocked by political disinformation …
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Who gets to decide if AI is safe? Africa wants a say
Incidents of AI misuse and malfunction are growing across Africa. Companies are piloting American and Chinese AI systems, with little consideration for safety. Frontier models should undergo Africa-centric safety evaluations, …
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A radical proposal to solve the housing crisis: Expropriation
It’s quite literally everywhere: the words “housing” and “crisis”. Across Europe’s major cities housing costs have risen beyond the reach of many working people. The people who give neighbourhoods their …
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The smokestack illusion: Who really pays for net zero
Reaching net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, as prescribed by the Paris Agreement, is hard to imagine without a carbon tax. This column estimates that reaching the goal by carbon taxation …
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Prospects in the Cloud
Liepollo Pheko tells The Mint how the digital economy offers opportunities to young South Africans but security may not be one of them. Digital jobs promise a way out of …
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Making a job guarantee work
Stephen Laughton and John Pye outline a means to an end of unemployment. One of the important ideas that has come out of Modern Monetary Theory, which is an economic …
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Astronomical problems
Cumberland, chipolata and other meaty challenges in the care sector. Professor Verity Bastion mulls. In the past month, I have gained some insight into our “care” system from my friend, …
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An astonishing piece of work
Guy Dauncey has fashioned a short guide for radicals from the work of a non-radical economics heavyweight. Capitalism: A Global History, by Sven Beckert: Penguin, November 2025 This book is …
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A portrait of the landscape
The palette of land management skills extends beyond shades of green. Broad strokes of business acumen, scientific expertise and collaborative effort are essential for an accurate portrayal. Joshua Davis brings …
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