It's that time of year again, so it is necessary to review some COVID era Vacation Results.

This week finds John perusing some of Merlin's homework. This leads to a discussion of the benefits and risks of educational tourism. Will there be any Math on this Math test?

John presents a new "Secret Brit," but it turns out that there is a Turns Out. For some reason, your hosts are really putting The British Empire on blast. Merlin is kind of out of it, and John is still thinking about his bug.

There's an aside about nature documentaries and the extent to which they are either "real" or legitimately educational. Still. They can be pretty great.

As nice as it is to get everyone out of the house, it's definitely not a normal Summer. But, it remains critical to periodically force children to go places.

Why are we still not throwing all of the assets at the problem? As ever, we have not earned optimism. Also, there is no motorcycle to drive up your steps, and, if there were, it would not be free.

Is this our 1943? John wonders what it will take to get critical mass, and Merlin explores wishlists for the after times.

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 15, 2020)

Sharing vacation adventures used to be fun. But during the pandemic, some travelers are content to let the tree fall in the forest, so to speak, without a single soul to hear it.

Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter for The Times, focusing on science and global health. She is the 2019 winner of the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting.

A new report from South Korea throws into question an earlier finding regarding transmission by older children.