Letters of note

‘‘ I would like to make my own witness statement,” said Christopher Pelkey as he stood before Judge Todd Lang in Arizona’s Maricopa County Superior Court, dressed slightly incongruously in a green hoo

IN A GAME FILLED WITH HORROR CLICHÉS, THIS ONE NATURALLY BEGINS ON A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, WHEN A COUPLE OF KIDS ENTER AN ABANDONED MANSION. JOIN US AS WE TOO STEP INSIDE THE SPLATTERHOUSE – AND IF YOU’RE FEELING FAINT, JUST KEEP REPEATING, “IT’S ONLY A VIDEOGAME… ONLY A VIDEOGAME…”

Thought-provoking culture, insightful science and inspirational snippets to bring you up to date on all things uplifting, hopeful and happy-making

Send your views, using ‘Dialogue’ as the subject line, to edge@futurenet.com . Our letter of the month wins an exclusive Edge T-shirt

Chatting with a barista in the coffee shop, nodding at that woman you see every day as you walk your dog. Sociologists call this type of connection ‘weak ties’, but their impact is anything but weak, writes Kellie Gillespie Wright.

Was it five years ago already? THE pandemic ...