Culture
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Big ideas hit prime time in His Dark Materials
Are dust and dæmons fiction or fact? A new book about consciousness argues that the ideas behind Philip Pullman’s books and new TV series may be closer to reality than you might think.
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Halloween fun trivialises evil, say Christians
But does it? For most of us, Halloween is a time of fun and fancy dress, but the Church of England says it is an “uneasy celebration of the dark side of life”. Is something sinister going on?
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#MeToo rewrite is a turkey, critics fume
Is ‘wokeness’ destroying Christmas? John Legend has rewritten controversial lyrics from Baby, It’s Cold Outside for the modern era. It’s not the only Christmas song to come under fire.
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The picture that gave Instagram a meltdown
What is it about Friends? It took one selfie of the show’s main cast to spark such delirium yesterday that Instagram crashed. Yet for many the comedy is sexist, offensive and outdated.
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Margaret Atwood joint winner of Booker Prize
Is Margaret Atwood a prophet? She seems to have foretold #MeToo, seen the climate crisis coming and predicted the rise of Trump. Yet she insists she sees only the present, not the future.
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Angry and alone, ‘Mad King’ Trump reigns
Is Donald Trump having a meltdown? After the US president unleashed his fury on Twitter, one Washington Post columnist argues that Trump’s demented rage echoes Shakespeare’s mad King Lear.
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Fleabag’s dark tragi-comedy sweeps Emmy awards
Is sadness what makes it so brilliant? Fleabag has won four awards at the Emmys, including best comedy series. But despite the belly laughs, the show has a dark heart of grief and despair.
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‘Back off, human! It’s MY family home now.’
Do we love animals more than humans? The winning entries for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition have a special power to warm our hearts, and make us gasp with amazement.
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Apocalypse could return us to Middle Ages
Is it wrong to scare people with visions of doom? Britain’s best thriller-writer, Robert Harris, warns that our hyper-advanced civilisation could be set back 500 years by a sudden catastrophe.
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Tourists hit Birmingham in Peaky Blinders mania
Why are we so fascinated by gangsters? The hit TV series about a violent mob is inspiring baby names, fashion lines, and putting the West Midlands on the global “screen tourism” map.
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The writer: ‘Rejection sets you on the path’
What does it take to work in the media? Lollie King is a writer and TV presenter. Whether she’s hosting a radio show or interviewing celebrities on the red carpet, every day is different.
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France hires sci-fi writers to predict threats
Can fiction be truer than fact? The French army is to create a “Red Team” of sci-fi writers to imagine possible, future threats. But many say it is absurd and that soldiers would be better.
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Shock findings: Junk TV undermines democracy
Is trashy television partly to blame for populism? Research shows that politicians peddling simple messages and easy answers are boosted by public exposure to “brain-numbing”, mindless TV.
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It’s the circle of life: The Lion King returns
Are there only seven basic stories? After a long wait, Disney’s all-star, live action remake of the classic film is in cinemas. For many, the story’s timeless familiarity is its greatest appeal.
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Android artist’s show makes over £1 million
Can robots create art? One AI artist created by Oxford scientists has just completed her first solo exhibition and sold over £1 million worth of paintings. But some say it isn’t real art.