How to get straight answers from difficult people
Smart questions rarely draw smart answers
Simon Hattenstone has spent a professional lifetime asking questions people don’t want to answer. With Trump, we have a corker – but he has some tips
Satire must break out of the liberal bubble
‘Attack everyone evenhandedly and with the self-awareness to occasionally attack yourself’
We need a rebirth of political comedy: preaching to the converted about Trump and Brexit isn’t going to be enough
Netflix cheating: the ultimate breakdown in marital trust
‘It’s a real test of moral fibre for people to watch at an agreed pace’
If you sneak a peek at the next episode of your favourite show without waiting for your partner, you’re despicable – but you’re not alone
10 ways to beat air pollution
Are the claims anything more than hot air?
From particle-zapping bus stops to the humble extractor fan to more tree planting, we examine the methods that tackle the symptoms of air pollution
Can advertising defeat ‘alt-right’ propaganda?
‘If we see their work, then they will probably be doing something wrong’
The UK government has enlisted M&C Saatchi to help in the fight against rightwing extremism. But can the weapons the ad firm used to win elections beat racist lies?
Love Actually 2: plot predictions
Mixed feelings are the only ones available
Richard Curtis’s sequel to his 2003 hit promises – or threatens – to bring us up to speed with the original lovestruck characters. Peter Bradshaw speculates about how it ought to play out
Poison tales
The long and brutal marriage between crime fiction and poison
Science Weekly podcast: poison has been key to some of the world’s best loved whodunnits. But how much truth is there to these tales of arsenic, strychnine and other cunning concoctions?
Fantastic floats at the Carnival of Viareggio
Giant papier-mâché effigies among the parties and masked balls
The 144-year-old Carnival of Viareggio in Tuscany is one of Italy’s most spectacular street events. Photographer Christian Sinibaldi captured the preparations and the parades
Kitchen gadgets review
Pressed for time on your coronary bypass? Let’s speed that up for you
Dexam stuffed burger press: if this unnecessary gadget is at the heart of your kitchen, I shudder to think what’s at the back of your cupboard, says Rhik Samadder
