|
When, oh when, can we expect to hear the results of the most comprehensive interdisciplinary study of historical beer ever undertaken?! It’s a cry so often heard at craft brewing fairs, local pubs and my living room. Well that day is finally upon us, as we reveal what happens when the forces of microbiology and archaeology combine to pour a pint so potent it hasn’t been drunk since 1574.
The scientists behind the concoction say they’ve learned a lot in the process and share their top five findings here. But any brewing enthusiasts hoping to also resurrect an extinct tipple should take note of number 4.
The farcical scenes playing out in a New York court room this week had us wondering about jury selection processes around the world. From a pool of 500 people, lawyers working for and against Donald Trump only just managed to agree on 12 who could be trusted to reach a fair judgement in his criminal hush-money trial. The others were all ruled out, largely for admitting to having partial opinions about the former president. When viewed in these terms, it’s actually astonishing that they managed to find 12 people on the face of the Earth, let alone Manhattan, who don’t have a partial opinion on the man.
Those of us who’ve experienced jury selection in the UK know that it’s a very different process. When up at the Old Bailey a few years ago, I was asked to declare any conflicts of interest but I certainly didn’t have to answer any probing questions about my personal views or stand up and read out any of my past social media posts to the court, as has been the case in the Trump trial. This was is an extreme version of events, but the standard process in the US is nevertheless very different to the UK and many other countries. Find out about the pros and cons of the different approaches as the trial finally gets underway.
Perhaps inspired by the sheer volume of attention showered on Trump this week, former prime minister Liz Truss has made her own play for the limelight with a new book detailing the true story of the forces of evil she came up against during her record-breaking time in office. Just kidding: by all accounts, it’s a self-indulgent catalogue of personal gripes that sees her blame civil servants, a lack of a hairdresser and, unexpectedly, a mysterious outbreak of fleas for her misery in Downing Street. But this economist nevertheless believes there are still some important truths to be gleaned from her account of how she crashed the British economy.
Also this week, some huge questions asked and answered. 1. Does time even exist? 2. What heinous ‘bacterial overgrowth’ is lurking in your gym gear? And 3. Wouldn’t it be prettay, prettttttay, prett-ayyyy good if Curb Your Enthusiasm isn’t really over for good, after all?
|
