Chosen by you
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The post-pandemic city: China bets on the new normal
Has the pandemic killed the city as we know it? In the Chinese “new area” of Xiong’an the state is backing an ambitious plan for a more self-contained way of living. Will others follow?
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How to live longer: eat fish with chopsticks
Should we eat more like the Japanese? Scientists are trying to work out what makes certain populations live longer. The puzzle: is it about lifestyle – or the stuff we put in our mouths?
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Scientists baffled as monster star vanishes
Are you literally a star? It is a fact that humans are made of stardust. Nearly all the elements in our bodies were made in a star – and will eventually be returned to a “cosmic ash heap”.
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New fighter plane heralds era of robot wars
Should robots be used in war? The US Air Force wants to stage a battle between a robot fighter plane and a piloted one. But many warn that any use of AI in war could lead to disaster.
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Shock research: Humans now fatter than pigs
Is it wrong to be fat and lazy? Many of us now have more body fat than pigs, scientists said yesterday. But for most of history, being plump and idle was regarded as the goal of a good life.
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Bat or man? Scientists confront virus origins
Was Covid-19 created during a lab accident? Former MI6 boss Richard Dearlove claims that a new scientific report suggests key elements of the virus were “inserted” deliberately.
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‘To care for ourselves, we must care for nature’
Could animal poaching lead to a new killer virus? On World Environment Day 2020, we investigate the powerful links between human health and our attitude to nature and wildlife.
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Very smart – and a tool of domestic abuse
Could smart homes increase domestic abuse? As our houses get ever more full of technology to make life more convenient, the possibility of using it for abusive purposes is increasing.
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Mile-wide asteroid gives Earth a near miss
Are asteroids our biggest threat? Several giant space missiles passed us by recently – and scientists are coming up with amazing plans to protect the planet from intergalactic impact.
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Climate emergency is deeper crisis than virus
Is the coronavirus making us forget the deeper climate emergency? There has never been a better opportunity to change things for the good of the planet – but many fear we will waste it.
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We were never meant to be on our own
Is loneliness the real pandemic? As the virus forces us to keep our distance from others, those who live by themselves are exposed to a host of ailments. A new dog might not be enough.
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Mass bleaching of Barrier Reef could go global
Are all the coral reefs going to disappear? The Great Barrier Reef has just suffered its third mass bleaching event in five years, causing huge loss in the world’s largest living structure.
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TikTok’s ‘sight bites’ capture the zeitgeist
Should we take TikTok politics seriously? One of the most successful apps in the world was developed for teenagers messing around. Now, it is being adopted by political campaigners.
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Darth Vader needs therapy, psychiatrists say
Does Darth Vader have borderline personality disorder? An academic paper by psychiatric researchers argues that he shows clear symptoms. And that we could all learn a lot by studying them.
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Nasa’s daring mission to find life on Mars
Can we finally unlock the mystery of Mars? A new mission to the Red Planet will explicitly search for signs of life. If there ARE little green men up there, we will soon find them.