Culture
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Average tempo of a hit is the key to history
Is music what makes us human? As the world went into lockdown, pop music rediscovered its ecstatic streak. Researchers say that our choice of music is the best guide to how we really feel.
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Cancel culture letter sparks fierce backlash
Is “cancel culture” destroying argument? A letter signed by 150 public figures in defence of freedom of thought has launched a debate about intolerance, privilege, and the right to boycott.
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Haiku poetry collection documents corona blues
Can a single haiku be great art? It is a simple poem in just 17 syllables – and has proved a surprisingly effective way of expressing intense feelings. But can something so slight be art?
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Kanye West declares bid for US presidency
Should we take Kanye seriously? He says he is running to be president of the USA. Elon Musk supports him. Politically, it seems unlikely. But this year has been anything but predictable.
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The day that Chinese law came to Hong Kong
Should we fear China? Its growing military power and moves to suppress democracy in Hong Kong have alarmed many, but others believe that we should be more accepting of its values.
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Pack your bags – it’s holiday time after all!
Is a change as good as a rest? Many families everywhere are thrilled about the return of the summer holidays as lockdown restrictions are eased and “air corridors” are announced this weekend.
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Found! Largest prehistoric structure in UK
Were we happier in the Stone Age? 4,500 years ago, a thriving culture in Neolithic Britain built vast structures with only stone tools. Experts think we have been going downhill ever since.
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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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Two images…and a crisis of masculinity
What does it mean to be masculine? Two moments frozen in time – one an epitome of humane kindness; the other an image of mindless crudity – sum up what many see as a societal catastrophe.
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‘Artistic armageddon’ as funds run dry
Should government save the arts? Live events have been extinguished by the pandemic. Festivals, theatres, and museums are all struggling – but some would prefer that the money go elsewhere.
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Probable number of alien civilisations is 36
Would the discovery of alien life change anything? A philosopher says it would have huge implications for us and for our ideas of morality, and that aliens may have kept quiet for a reason.
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The unsolved murder that still haunts Sweden
What lies behind our fascination with true crime? It is fear? Swedish police have just called a halt to a long-running murder investigation which drove amateur sleuths to the point of madness.
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‘Let’s vote for who we put on a pedestal’
Should we vote for our statues? Memorials to public figures have been targeted by protesters in both America and Britain, raising vital questions about who we choose to put on a plinth.
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How too much news can mess with your head
Does news warp the mind? Our brains evolved to pay attention to threats, but we are constantly bombarded by negative stories. The 24/7 news cycle might be distorting our vision of reality.
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Time flies – except when it starts to crawl
What is time? Some people have found the weeks of lockdown passing incredibly quickly; for others, every day has been agonisingly slow – suggesting that we trust too much in clocks.