Columnist Christina Patterson says we should stop making excuses for bad nursing, recalling her own experiences and the reaction she received after she wrote about them. Show more

Writer Johann Hari argues that our demand for gadgets has helped to drive the war in the Congo, and asks why our governments have not taken more forceful action to stop it. Show more

Jake Wallis Simons describes how an ancient row within Tibetan Buddhism is causing a modern schism, and why it led him to give up Buddhism for good. Show more

Philip Cowley examines how politicians have changed and using letters from leading politicians he argues politicians today compare favourably to those of the 1950s. Show more

Founder of Only Connect, Danny Kruger, calls for a re-evaluation of the purpose of punishment for crime, treating retribution and rehabilitation as two separate objectives. Show more

Matthew Engel explains why, as a former Washington correspondent, he thinks the growth of Americanisms is now a serious problem for the English language. Show more

Owen Hatherley attacks the architectural results of recent 'urban regeneration'. He regrets the loss of confidence in a vision of how cities of the future should be. Show more

Ed Howker, co-founder of the Intergenerational Foundation, asks if young people deserve their reputation? Show more

Advertising guru Cindy Gallop argues that if as businesses and individuals we define what we stand for and stay true to it, we could embrace a world of zero privacy. Show more

Social anthropologist Kate Fox calls for a big change in how we discuss alcohol and says it would reduce violence and anti-social behaviour. Show more

Tim Smit says Britain is very far from broken. In fact, he argues, it is a really good country, and if people learn to trust one another again, it could be wonderful. Show more

Dominic Hobson argues that organised, competitive sport damages rather than builds the character of players and spectators alike. Akin to war, he condemns it as a zero sum game. Show more

Russell M Davies says the next revolution will unleash individual creativity, only this time in our objects and our relationships with them. Show more

Dreda Say Mitchell says it is time cultural institutions like family, faith and and community were put at the centre of the debate about social mobility. Show more

Aza Raskin argues that we could make healthcare easier and more enjoyable by applying cognitive psychology, design and feedback loops to some of our most intractable problems. Show more

Award-winning author Anthony McGowan says the world would be a better place if we cast ourselves as the villains rather than the heroes of our own life stories. Show more

Judith Clegg argues that the special culture of technology start-ups could be applied much more widely, and if it was, it would make the world a dramatically better place. Show more

Novelist Clare Allan asks why lying gets such a bad press. The truth, she argues, can be far more dangerous. Show more

Gerard Darby argues that creativity is just as vital in science and engineering as it is in art and drama, and that the present education system is damaging it badly. Show more

The influential founder of the Transition Towns movement Rob Hopkins argues for a new approach to energy, society and our surroundings - with the help of a bottle of beer. Show more