All articles from Works in Progress

How to spot a monopoly, Out loud

Competition makes capitalism work. A new method for measuring it may be the holy grail of economic regulation.

What’s new in biology: spring 2026

A breakthrough drug for pancreatic cancer, organ recovery, weight loss drugs that preserve muscle, a whole-cell simulation, how plants make nicotine, semaglutide fails for Alzheimer’s, and more.

The truth about egg freezing

Whatever you do, do not listen to the articles that say that egg and embryo freezing do not work.

The secrets of the Shinkansen

Japan's railways are the finest in the world. Other countries can copy its formula.

Apply for Invisible College 2026

After two years of success, our residential seminar for 18–22 year olds is returning again

The death rays that guard life, Out Loud

We disinfect water before we drink it. Germicidal ultraviolet could make airborne disease as rare as those carried by water.

Egg freezing, Australian refugee policy and ASML

A preview of everything to come in Issue 23

The creation of instant coffee

The convenience of instant coffee masks a surprisingly difficult problem.