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Editor's note
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Karl Marx was born 200 years ago this weekend. To mark the occasion, Carlo Morelli has been pondering how workers have responded to the changing nature of capitalism in the age of the gig economy.
If you want to take this anniversary as an opportunity to learn more about Marxism, our authors have compiled some reading lists for you. They’ve identified five key pieces of writing by the man himself and five texts about his work that will help you understand it in greater depth. And what about Friedrich Engels, Marx’s lifelong friend and co-author of The Communist Manifesto? He led a
fascinating life too, even if Marx gets all the attention.
The long weekend ahead is historically linked to the labour movement and provides many of us with a much needed break from work. David Spencer thinks the daily grind has become so extreme that taking time off is more important than ever.
That said, a little exercise in your leisure time could be a good idea too. Scientists have found fitter older people suffer less from those annoying tip-of-the-tongue moments.
This week we’ve also gone deep undercover at a Flat Earth conference, revelled in Michelle Wolf’s roast and poked around for hidden sharks.
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Laura Hood
Politics Editor, Assistant Editor
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Top stories
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Georgios Kolidas
Carlo Morelli, University of Dundee
Some say the gig economy is capitalism's final victory, but maybe it's not.
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David Spencer, University of Leeds
Work dominates many of our lives, often in ways that are detrimental to our health and well-being.
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sportpoint/Shutterstock.com
Katrien Segaert, University of Birmingham
You're more likely to know a word but not be able to produce it as you get older. Keeping fit could minimise these lapses.
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dsom/Shutterstock.com
Harry T Dyer, University of East Anglia
A public meeting of flat earthers is a product and sign of our times.
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Health + Medicine
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Ian Hamilton, University of York; Harry Sumnall, Liverpool John Moores University
The number of teetotallers in Britain is rising. But that doesn't mean the rest of the population has a healthy relationship with alcohol.
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Tracey Loughran, University of Essex
It's 40 years since the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby. But our long read explains how infertility has a much longer history.
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Alex Johnstone, University of Aberdeen
Shakespeare wrote of the 'seven ages of man', and our appetite for food changes as we age too – with implications for our health.
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Darya Gaysina, University of Sussex
Folic acid in pregnancy – and the gene which explains why the benefits may differ.
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Dean D'Souza, Anglia Ruskin University
The flat screened babysitter is part of growing up.
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Politics + Society
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James Muldoon, University of Exeter; Robert Jackson, Manchester Metropolitan University
Marx's spectre still haunts everything from economics to politics to literature. Here's where to start if you want to know more.
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Terrell Carver, University of Bristol
This is certainly a moment to bring Engels's shade out of the shadows.
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Nicholas Allen, Royal Holloway; John Bartle, University of Essex
Voting is all over the place in 2018. But Labour is the party with most to think about after this result.
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Tendayi Bloom, The Open University
Where to start dismantling the UK's hostile environment policy on immigration.
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Virginie Grzelczyk, Aston University
Donald Trump has always traded on his image as a master dealmaker – but many deals have been done with North Korea before.
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Science + Technology
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Stefano Mariani, University of Salford; Judith Bakker, University of Salford
We cannot spot every shark in the ocean. But we can detect their 'environmental DNA'.
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Monica Grady, The Open University
NASA and ESA have signed a letter of intent to collect samples from Mars and return them to Earth.
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Amanda Jane Hughes, Liverpool John Moores University
The first step to mining an asteroid is finding a suitable candidate. Scientists estimate there should be some ten nearby targets.
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Arts + Culture
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Will Kaufman, University of Central Lancashire
The comedian hired to do the 'roast' at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has been criticised for going too far. Here's why she didn't.
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Alex Evans, Kingston University
The guitar of choice for some of rock'n'roll's biggest names.
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Cities
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Gary Haq, University of York
Pollutants can increase stress levels, which in turn affects judgment and makes some people more likely to commit crime.
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Manini Sheker, University of Sussex
Poorer young people in Varanasi have big ambitions, but no way to reach them – despite the government's efforts.
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Environment + Energy
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Callum Macgregor, University of York
The oak processionary moth established itself in the UK a decade ago, ahead of the parasitoids that would normally keep its numbers in check.
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Business + Economy
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Ivan Manokha, University of Oxford
The routine gathering and monetisation of vast amounts of personal data has been normalised.
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Featured events
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Fabric District, London Road, Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 8HL, United Kingdom — Liverpool John Moores University
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The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom — University of East Anglia
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G11, Henley Business School, Whiteknights campus, University of Reading, Reading, Reading, RG6 6AH, United Kingdom — University of Reading
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Sackville Street Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester, Manchester, M1 3WE, United Kingdom — University of Manchester
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