With the nation still reeling from the shock of the recent Grenfell Tower fire in West London, in which so many of our most disadvantaged citizens died, Martin McKee reminds […]
Columnists
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . The Two Cultures—Leavis versus Snow
Last week I showed how the noun “culture” developed from the IndoEuropean root KWEL, which implied turning in different ways. “Culture” entered English in the 15th century with meanings related […]
Richard Smith: Has my mother been given “the gift of forgetting?”
This morning I read the line “The gift of forgetting” in a poem by Wisława Szymborska. Immediately I asked myself if it is a gift to forget, and quickly—and somewhat […]
Neville Goodman’s metaphor watch: I want a negative effect on impact
Impact is not an old word, unlike its close relative effect. The OED credits Chaucer with the first use of effect, at the end of the 14th century. Impact is […]
Abraar Karan: Has medical education done a disservice to new physicians?
With thousands of newly minted physicians around the United States and internationally about to start their medical internships, teaching hospitals, residents, and attending physicians are gearing up for what has […]
Martin McKee: The Brexit negotiations have started, but are they going anywhere?
Regardless of what happens with Brexit negotiations, there are now three fundamental threats to the NHS and health policy in the UK, says Martin McKee […]
Richard Smith: Jimmy Reid on alienation in 1972—a great speech
When I read the paragraph that follows I thought how it accurately sums up how many people feel in 2017 and explains the political upheavals of 2016. But it was […]
Giles Maskell: The practice of radiology needs to change
Current working models and poorly designed working environments need to be improved […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Culture
The IndoEuropean root KWEL, which implied turning in different ways, has turned into many different linguistic manifestations. Through the Greek κύκλος, a circle, we get cycle, cyclone, and encyclopaedia. A […]
William Cayley: Can we beat the productivity paradox by working smarter, not harder?
During my morning drive recently, a radio story on the “productivity paradox” caught my attention. Briefly put, the story explored economists’ concerns that despite ongoing technological development, our actual work productivity […]