For many parents of young children across the rich world, the sums don’t add up. In America, working households can spend as much on child care as on housing. This keeps women out of the labour force and pushes families to have fewer children. Surely, then, politicians implementing universal child-care schemes are on the right track? The idea of liberating parents is an attractive one. Yet there is a problem. The best evidence on the impact of free (or almost free) universal from-birth child care indicates that it can harm children.

This weekend we launch our latest newsletter: Well Informed. Each Sunday our science writers will provide a free, evidence-based guide to health and wellness. You can sign up here, then read this column on whether a dopamine detox can help you enjoy life’s simpler pleasures.