As a science writer covering AI, I couldn’t miss East Is South, a play about artificial intelligence penned by Beau Willimon, the mind behind House of Cards. I expected intricate dialogues on power, ethics, and responsibility. Indeed, the audience at Hampstead Theatre got exactly that—and then some. A lot more, in fact.
Whisky, war crimes, and the law: Howard Morrison on justice and power
Had the pleasure of hearing Judge Howard Morrison speak at the University of Greenwich. He’s sharp, direct, and very funny. A man who has stepped between armed factions, drafted laws with a stroke of the pen (literally), and taught Radovan Karadžić how to cross-examine witnesses. He describes himself as a “fully qualified grumpy old man.” Hard to argue.
How a revolt against taxes ended up in Deptford
For a trained eye, the history of London reads like a journal of riots and rebellions, with the occasional outburst of civil unrest. From the Peasants’ Revolt to the Old Price Riots (sparked, believe it or not, by higher theatre ticket prices), Londoners and their neighbours have never shied away from a good uprising—though, more often than not, such ventures resulted in participants being hanged, drawn, and quartered.
Ballet Shoes
British children’s books have a long tradition of subjecting their young characters to varying degrees of neglect, abuse, or outright peril. From Harry Potter crammed under the stairs to the nightmarish lessons handed out in Willy Wonka’s factory, no child is safe when a British author picks up a pen.
Vikings, bones and an archbishop: The tale of St Alfege Church in Greenwich
The year 1011 was supposed to be a triumph for Ælfheah, or Alphege as we know him now—because honestly, who can be bothered to decipher that weird ‘Æ’? Anyway, this Archbishop of Canterbury had been doing quite well for himself. He’d restored churches, worked to spread Christianity in the countryside, and generally managed to keep affairs in order during a turbulent time. A man on the up, one might say.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical: This time next year, we’ll be singing
Watching Vinnie Jones dance and hearing him sing wasn’t on my 2024 bingo card, yet here we are. It’s a surreal sight, but it somehow works in Only Fools and Horses: The Musical. I’ve never watched a single episode of the original series, but I still enjoyed it. The writing does all the heavy lifting, full of jokes that even outsiders like me can laugh at.
Reid Hoffman’s lecture at LSE: AI insights from ChatGPT
Attending Reid Hoffman’s lecture at LSE felt like glimpsing the future—but not for the reasons you’d think.
It rings for thee
The first warning bell rang during the opening act.
The audience responded with a polite murmur. A hefty man sitting in the back let out a loud grunt, several ladies rummaged through their handbags, fumbling to find the elusive silent mode button on their phones.
Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason
Some siblings argue over chores; Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, apparently, just master Chopin together. She’s a pianist born in 1996, he’s a cellist born in 1999—feel old yet? Their performance at the Barbican was nothing short of breathtaking, with a musical chemistry that made every note feel alive.
How Superman captured Hitler and Stalin in 1940
In 1940, Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster crafted a comic strip for Look magazine, portraying the Man of Steel as a World War II hero.