Six of the Best 925

"As the coronavirus rips through Europe and the world, Britain’s response to the pandemic has shown it’s suffering from another dangerous disease: unshakeable belief in its own exceptionalism," argues Otto English.

David Hendy looks at how the BBC reported VE Day in 1945.

"The world’s most robust study of universal basic income has concluded that it boosts recipients’ mental and financial well-being, as well as modestly improving employment," reports Donna Lu in the New Scientist.

Paul Magrath reviews a former judge’s analysis of the challenge of opening up the family courts to better public scrutiny.

"The benefits of experiencing nature may be far greater than is commonly appreciated; scientists are only now starting to understand the hidden mechanisms that could explain why a woodland walk or a wild swim can boost mental and physical well-being, why a leafy view from your hospital bed may aid recovery, why even showing inmates nature videos seems to reduce violence in prisons." Scientists are only beginning to grasp how the natural world helps us make sense of our own lives says Sophie McBain.

"'They changed trains at Shrewsbury.' Now how do you not read on after that. So many questions, so few answers that it drags you in." Who's this singing the praises of Malcolm Saville? It's only World of Blyton!