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The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian

The big idea

Writers and thinkers tackle the burning questions of our times

22 July 2024

  • Elia Barbieri - The Guardian Saturday - Big Idea - 29th June 2024 - Why we need to rethink the role of ex-PM (1)

    The big idea: why we need to stop former prime ministers cashing in

    Ex-PMs once ran cricket clubs and bred cattle, but the role is now a trampoline to self-enrichment

8 July 2024

  • Large pink brain looks like a tree against a blue background. Two people in white suits hold a ladder that another person is climbing into the canopy. Another person sweeps up fallen debris

    The big idea: why your brain needs other people

    Your own thoughts are just part of the picture – relationships are vital to the way you think

17 June 2024

  • A woman wearing a necklace with a camera instead of a pendant

    The big idea: can you inherit memories from your ancestors?

    The science of epigenetics suggests we can pass on trauma – but trust and compassion too

10 June 2024

  • A teacher taking a lesson with some fading flowers drawn on the blackboard

    The big idea: why we need to put death on the curriculum

    Most British children experience bereavement, and schools should help them deal with it

3 June 2024

  • trolley

    The big idea: is it OK to do wrong for the greater good?

    Jailed tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried believed altruism justified his actions. Was he right?

27 May 2024

  • Illustration of a broken pot whose cracks resemble a smiling face

    The Big Idea: why you shouldn’t be afraid of being a mess

    We fear others’ judgment, but the evidence tells us that the things which cause us shame can make us more likable

20 May 2024

  • Illustration of a mantrap with a speech bubble inside

    The big idea: the simple trick that can sabotage your critical thinking

    Influencers and politicians use snappy cliches to get you on side – but you can fight fire with fire

13 May 2024

  • Elia Barbieri - The Guardian Saturday - Big Idea - 11th May - Do we need to reimagine progress -01

    What does progress look like on a planet at its limit?

    Putting endless growth above our wellbeing and the environment is no longer viable

6 May 2024

  • An illustration of two hands clasping each other, with Lady Justice carrying her scales beneath

    The big idea: why we need human rights now more than ever

    In an age of climate crisis and AI, equal treatment is nothing less than essential

29 April 2024

  • Elia Barbieri - The Guardian Saturday - Big Idea - 27th April 2024 - NIghtlife-01

    The big idea: what would culture look like without nightlife?

    Live music venues, clubs and bars feed creativity and drive social change. But they’re increasingly in danger

22 April 2024

  • Elia-Barbieri---The-Guardian-Saturday---Big-Idea---20th-April-2024---Do-we-sleep-in-order-to-dream-RGB-web

    The big idea: what if dreaming is the whole point of sleep?

    Rather than being an optional extra, dreams might be vital to our functioning

15 April 2024

  • A wand pointing at a top hat with atoms coming out of it

    The big idea: are we about to discover a new force of nature?

    The wealth of emerging evidence suggest that physics may be on the brink of something big

13 April 2024

  • Dr Patric Gagne, author of Sociopath: A Memoir. Photograph: Zack Wittman/The Guardian)

    What’s it like to be a sociopath?; Gen Z’s lust for Sex and the City; and Marina Hyde on ‘President’ The Rock – podcast

    Marina Hyde with her take on Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s surreal US presidential bid; Emine Saner meets the sociopath who learned to behave – and found happiness; why Gen Z has fallen in love with Sex and the City; and do our political opponents really hate us?

8 April 2024

  • Elia Barbieri - The Guardian Saturday - Big Idea - 6th April 2024 - Do our political opponents really hate us

    The big idea: do our political opponents really hate us?

    Not half as much as we think, according to the evidence – and there are ways to break the cycle of mutual mistrust

1 April 2024

  • Elia Barbieri - The Guardian Saturday - Big Idea - 30th March 2024 - shopping revival-01 copy

    The big idea: why going shopping is due a comeback

    Bring back raucous changing rooms and friendly smiles – things you can’t buy online

25 March 2024

  • Elia Barbieri's illustration of a face inside a goldfish bowl

    The big idea: why am I so forgetful?

    A failing memory can be frustrating, but it may be a sign your brain is working exactly as it should

18 March 2024

  • Illustration by Elia Barbieri

    The big idea: should we worry about trillionaires?

    Individual wealth is reaching levels we’ve never seen before. What might that mean?

4 March 2024

  • Illustration of a burger with dripping cheese that is pulling a man and a woman towards it

    The big idea: should you blame yourself for your bad habits?

    Our ability to resist temptation is increasingly shaped by forces beyond our control

26 February 2024

  • Illustration of a brain with a person and wires inside

    The big idea: should we all be putting chips in our brains?

    Implants like Elon Musk’s Neuralink offer great promise, but come with massive ethical questions

19 February 2024

  • Elia Barbieri

    The big idea: this simple behavioural trick can help you get more out of life

    Habituation is a key component of human nature, and knowing how to manipulate it can make the things you enjoy even better
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