Live while you are alive
When did the standing ovation become de rigueur in British theatre? Where once it was the volume and duration of the applause that marked the exceptional from the ordinary, it now seems that even modest performances have half the theatre on its feet whooping for more. If we are to mimic the audiences of La …
In England during the 17th Century only about 1% of children born were deemed illegitimate. But by 1800, almost 40% of brides came to the altar pregnant! and about 25% of all first-born children were illegitimate. This was to be a permanent sea-change, brought about by the mass movement of people from the conservative countryside …
The greatest threat to the future of the human race is the number of humans. And yet this subject is rarely raised. Businesses want a growing population to swell the growth of demand, and thus profits. But a growing population requires an expanding social and physical infrastructure, such as roads, schools and hospitals. It is …
Resilience is the key to success in everything – to a degree few realise. Too often, people just take it as read that they’re no good at, say, maths, and stop trying. But studies have shown that “the architecture of the brain actually changes if we stick at things”. Practice develops skills. In concert pianists, …
The decline in couples getting married means that the number of children born out of wedlock hit a record 47.5% last year. If the trend continues, the figure will pass 50% by 2016. Data from the Office for National Statistics also shows a record number of women having children over the age of 40 – …
