2020s

An illustration of a dead rook found on a lawn during a hot British summer, which failed to help me in teaching my daughter about mortality. Illustration by Nicholas Blackmore.

Apex Predators in High Summer

During a season of stifling heat and animal mortality, I tried in vain to teach my daughter about the Circle of Life… A friend of mine once asked why it was rare to see a dead animal on the streets of London, given the teeming population of creatures with whom we share the city. The […]

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Two hands reach out to grab the twin handles of a mug bearing the legend THE BOSS, symboling the problems of success and of the transition of power from one president to another. Illustration by Nicholas Blackmore.

Just who is in charge here?

By My Lights

We all want clear lines of succession and shared rules for the peaceful transfer of power. But focusing on protocol can make us lose sight of the job at hand… Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States took place under extraordinary circumstances. One of many idiosyncrasies that day: he took the oath of

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