Did the behavioural scientists have a point?
For all the abuse heaped on the Behavioural Insights Team early in the crisis, let’s not forget that the only…
Have you caught the remote-working bug?
One of the few benefits to emerge from this pandemic is that the world’s population has been given a crash…
Croquet is the perfect sport for social distancing
In Mr Alton’s absence, I thought readers might want a column about sport. The problem is that I’m largely indifferent…
Is this the end of commuting?
The brother of a friend in Durban was once given a generous donation by a wealthy aunt. ‘I hate to…
What bees can teach us about efficiency
The newspapers are full of stories about how small groups of engineers from Formula 1 teams have been able to…
Ad infinitum: 200 years of Spectator adverts show how little changes
200 years of Spectator adverts show how little changes
The keys to ending lockdown – introverts and brown M&M’s
Once we’ve flattened the curve of infection with mass self-isolation, the next debate will concern how to soften the restrictions…
My Japanese toilet has made me a lockdown hero
Compared with every other household chore, progress in bum-wiping has been glacially slow. It’s only in living memory that schools…
NHS workers deserve our applause – but so does the telecoms industry
Next time there is a highly deserved round of public applause for NHS workers, do add one additional clap for…
The trick that will let you have a conference call from your home phone
For the past 12 years, Roger Alton and I have shared this half page like Box and Cox: he writes…
Will quarantine for travellers become normal again?
It wasn’t a coincidence that the US government chose Ellis Island as an immigration station. The crucial word is ‘island’.…
Why the BBC licence fee makes sense
A consensus seems to be forming that the BBC licence fee is for the chop. In a digital age, the…
The simple trick that will hugely boost your phone coverage
In the recent debate over Britain’s 5G infrastructure, one dog didn’t bark in the night. At no point did anyone…
The real reason I am against HS2
Some years ago, two British supermarket chains needed to place a large order for replacement trollies. They had to decide…
The great train robbery: why Britain’s rail prices need a rethink
Outside mathematics, the word ‘commute’ can mean two things. Mostly it refers to the act of making a daily journey…
Something is badly wrong with the housing market – so why aren’t we talking about it?
In 1991, 67 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds owned their own home. In 2016, that figure had fallen to…
Technological progress is as messy as Darwinian evolution
There is a famous chart which shows the time it took for various technologies to be adopted by 50 million…
This year’s top gadgets – according to my inner chimp
I’d hoped to spend this week writing about my new Geberit Japanese-style toilet, but since the grout is not yet…
No one else has the weird levels of self-regard shown by people who appear regularly on TV
One of the more tedious tropes of recent years is for journalists to bemoan the rise of populism while busily…
How veganism became mainstream
I have just returned from Canada, which seems to share Britain’s new-found obsession with veganism. There, chains such as Burger…
How status seeking leads to bad decision-making
Whenever I use the security lane at an airport, I enjoy watching people retrieving their bags and metallic items when…
Plumbers always have the best restaurant recommendations
Whenever I use the security lane at an airport, I enjoy watching people retrieving their bags and metallic items when…
Why averages don’t add up
I recently learned from a doctor friend that salt isn’t necessarily bad for you. Yes, there is a minority whose…
Why business is perfectly relaxed about Brexit
It’s difficult to go into the office nowadays, since most of my colleagues are so distraught by the prospect of…
Business is the only area of human activity where you get paid to change your mind
In 1891, a 29-year-old man moved from Philadelphia to Chicago intending to start a business. With $32 to his name,…
