A friend recently expressed strong opposition to ethanol blending in petrol. I respect that view; but, I wanted to examine the issue more closely and arrive at my own conclusions. Ethanol blending is a complex policy with both economic logic and ecological trade-offs. Here’s my perspective on how it can be implemented in a more…
I started this week as I usually do — got the kids ready for school, brewed a pot of coffee, and sat down to read the news. And there it was again: the same old drivel. The Guardian says the poor are being squeezed, public services are crumbling, and the rich are getting richer.The Telegraph…
I had some time in the middle of my working day yesterday and found myself in a freewheeling conversation with a colleague. He said something I’ve heard many times before: “AI could solve a lot of the NHS’s problems.” Almost on cue, I got an email from a manager who had been to some conferences….
I was speaking to a colleague recently about the challenges of setting up and running a private medical practice in the UK. I don’t do any private work myself, but he does — and the conversation was an eye-opener. To establish a private practice in the UK, a clinician needs: This got me thinking —…
The NHS, often dubbed the “national religion” of the UK, naturally stirs strong emotions. Few public institutions command the same kind of loyalty, scrutiny, and symbolism. Recently, media coverage has focused on the escalating pay disputes between the government and doctors. After a bruising cycle of strikes, more may be on the horizon. In this…
I took this picture a few weeks ago in Barcelona. When I read about the anti-tourist protests engulfing the city, I thought I should jot down my thoughts. Somewhere between the thousandth cruise ship docking in Venice and the fifteenth “authentic” tapas joint opening on your street, a threshold gets crossed. It’s hard to say…
The structural imbalance we rarely talk about Scientific publishing has enabled immense global progress, but its core processes have barely evolved in decades. Researchers write manuscripts, peers review them—often over months—and editorial decisions eventually follow. For those working within well-funded institutions, this lag is frustrating. But for others—particularly from lower-income regions or smaller institutions—it can…