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Another week, another financial crisis. In such precarious times, we trust that central banks will somehow steer us to safety. But what if, rather than global guardians of our economies, they are actually a big part of the problem? This is the alarming question explored in our Insights long read by Richard Werner, the banking expert who pioneered one of their favourite financial strategies, quantitative easing.
Today’s spring budget is a key moment not just for banks but for everyone in the UK – because, as an ethicist explains, the real business of budgets is “distributing death and life”. But financial reporting can be very confusing, so we’ve also got some helpful advice on how to read between the lines.
And a new study has found that people who take part in psychological studies are more likely to have a personality disorder or be experiencing depression or anxiety. Here’s why it’s such an important discovery.
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Mike Herd
Investigations Editor, Insights
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Iurii Motov/Shutterstock
Richard Werner, University of Winchester
The collapse of a US bank is the latest crisis for central banks to deal with. But rather than being saviours of the global economy, what if they are actually a big part of the problem?
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Alamy/SOPA
Hazem Zohny, University of Oxford
We talk about ‘fiscal responsibility’ but rarely are a government’s annual accounting exercises assessed in ethical terms.
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solarseven/Shutterstock
Nigel Holt, Aberystwyth University
Psychology is in crisis and this new revelation only adds to the problem.
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Politics + Society
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Joseph Downing, Aston University
Brexit and Boris Johnson caused tension but France and the UK are getting back on track.
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Flora Cassen, Washington University in St Louis
Badges and other wearable markings had a long history of being used to target Jewish people in Europe.
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Arts + Culture
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Carolyne Larrington, University of Oxford
Ancient tales of gods and heroes and medieval Scandinavia help us make sense of things like masculinity, betrayal, revenge and the end of the world.
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Darcy White, Sheffield Hallam University
Sasha Huber’s work often involves renaming colonial landmarks, including a mountain in Switzerland.
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Business + Economy
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Stuart Mills, University of Leeds
The AI is not a major threat to human employment.
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Simon Wren-Lewis, University of Oxford
Reading economic news can be confusing. Here’s how to understand what the news is – and isn’t – telling you.
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Environment
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Jill Edmondson, University of Sheffield; Jonathan Leake, University of Sheffield
UK supermarket shelves have been left bare of fresh produce in recent weeks – growing more fruit and veg in cities could reduce the severity of future shortages.
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Jan Gilbertson, Sheffield Hallam University
After decades of research revealing the long-term damage of fuel poverty, the problem is worse than ever.
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Health
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Lindsay Broadbent, University of Surrey
It’s likely a combination of the incidence of viral outbreaks increasing, and the fact we’re getting better at detecting them.
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Science + Technology
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Benjamin Dowling, University of Sheffield
The evidence on whether TikTok poses a risk to users’ privacy and security.
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