Going Viral

The Green Death

Today, parakeets are a common sight in public parks. But in 1930 the birds sparked a worldwide panic when it was discovered their faeces contained a…

Aug 17 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

3

July 2025

When tears ran down her face...

We may never know what sparked Rachel Reeves's visible anguish in the House of Commons on Wednesday but the Chancellor's distress is likely to be…

Jul 3 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

2

2

Hate and the limits of empathy

Whether or not the British rapper Bobby Vylan's call for"death to the IDF" at Glastonbury constituted hate speech, the crowd's reflexive adoption of his…

Jul 1 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

4

2

June 2025

Displaying AIDS, Remembering pandemics.

The UK AIDS Quilt is the nearest thing we have to a memorial to the pandemic. All the more pity then that after a rare appearance at Tate Modern it has…

Jun 17 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

4

The Empathy Wars

How did we become so divided? For an answer, look no further than the way that empathy has been weaponized by both the left and right.

Jun 14 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

5

4

The Republic of Tears

What happens when grief goes viral? A pandemic story for our sad times.

Jun 1 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

4

May 2025

The Next Pandemic? A Scenario.

It began with a chimpanzee-trekking tour of a remote forest in Uganda and ended with the outbreak of a deadly new disease. And all because of health…

May 11 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

18

2

April 2025

Where did Covid-19 come from? The case for a natural origin.

Forget talk of "the China virus" and a "lab leak". Bats and the trade in wild animals are a far more likely source of the coronavirus pandemic.

Apr 27 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

35

18

March 2025

The Long Shadow of Covid-19

This weekend saw moving ceremonies to the Covid dead taking place at sites across the UK. But how should we remember a pandemic that is far from over…

Mar 11 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

4

3

February 2025

Killing science, resurrecting viruses

Trump's decision to dismiss 1,200 employees of the National Institutes of Health will undermine scientists's ability to conduct cutting-edge research…

Feb 19 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

1

1

Make America Toothless Again

Robert F. Kennedy Jr's confirmation as health secretary is a dark day for America, and for public health generally. The question is, how far will the…

Feb 14 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

6

January 2025

Who is the real RFK Jr?

Time magazine once dubbed RFK Jr a "hero for the planet" in recognition of his achievements as an environmental campaigner but others regard him as a…

Jan 19 • 

Mark Honigsbaum

2