Counterpoint

A sceptic is someone who has not decided, or is not in a position to decide, what is true, right or good. Why then are sceptics now called deniers? As the impeachment trial of the former president begins, is there any precedent for impeaching people no longer in office? Yes there is and it's a gruesome tale. How much have captives' or slaves influenced those who took them? It turns out, quite a lot! We're told to just follow the science, but sometimes there are competing theories so who do you believe and why is that choice sometimes not easy?

Over the last couple of decades infrastructure spending, with the exception of China, has been decreasing. Why and how can it be lifted. Do urban ethnographers do more harm than good in speaking for Black communities? Do you have a fight or flight reaction when people stand too close to you? Why is that? Will The Peace Park in Myanmar be able to survive the troubles in Myanmar?

Can we move beyond the labels progressive and conservative? Why is Coon cheese getting a new name and how difficult will it be choosing a new one? Does science really have to be about hard facts? The fascinating history of dogs and are you feeling a bit peckish? Need a bit of a pick-me-up? How about some rhubarb sprinkled with some ground mummy?

How did Venice cope with the plague of 1575? By using a new practise called quarantine. An interesting tale about how carbolic acid has made surgery easier for everyone and the fascinating libertarian history of science fiction. How good are utopian fictions? Not at all. If you don't fit in, you're out.

Why are international borders causing so much anxiety over recent years? Did you hear the one about Stalin? Life under Russian dictator Joseph Stalin wasn't funny and yet there were jokes. What can the history of the Chinese tea trade tells us about the history of capitalism? Are they linked?