Our favourites this week:

Who can lay claim to the truth? This is one of the questions sociologist and author William Davies unpicks in his analysis of how the interplay of contemporary political and technological forces threatens to blur the fine line between critical perspective and conspiracy theory. One truth people on the left and right seem to agree on is that ‘the news’ is biased. So where can journalists go from here? (Carmen Schaack, member support manager) The Guardian: ‘Why can’t we agree on what’s true anymore?’ (Reading time: 20 minutes)
An American sex worker considers the criminalisation of her industry ‘His apartment...was next to the airport, and the planes flew so low it seemed like we could touch them from the rooftop at night.’ From the opening lines of this article, you get a sense of how Lorelei Lee can tell such a personal, difficult story so lucidly; interweaving the personal - about her body and her relationships - with the body of legislation criminalising sex work in the US. In a tweet, Lee said it took her two years to write this piece. Worth a bookmark. (Nabeelah Shabbir, conversation editor) N+1 Magazine: ‘Cash/Consent: the war on sex work’ (Reading time: 35 minutes)
Does it matter if suffering is in the past or the future? ‘We often say someone is “gone too soon”. We never lament that someone was “born too late”.’ Patrick Stokes challenges the (apparently) obvious in this piece. We’re biased towards the future – but why? (Sabrina Argoub, editorial assistant) New Philosopher: ‘Are your best days ahead?’ (Reading time: 5 minutes)

The best of The Correspondent

Photo of two kids and a grown man on the beach with waves in the sea on the background. Due to double exposure the opacity of everything is not 100%. Why can’t we remember our earliest years? When it comes to remembering our childhood, scientific research still leaves us with more questions than answers. Read Irene Caselli’s article here Illustrated avatar of a man with short hair and a beard - Elliot Ross - on a blue background. The past is still present: why colonialism deserves better coverage Talking about everyday things may seem banal, but great injustices happen when people grow accustomed to them. Read Elliot Ross’s essay here AI-generated portrait of a young girl. Everyone’s talking about Artificial Intelligence. But what is it? Some people fear it will usher in killer robots; others think it is the solution to climate change: however you feel about it, artificial intelligence is everywhere. But what is it? Read Sanne Blauw’s explainer here