Culture
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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.
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Animals understand life better than humans
Is it okay to be wilfully ignorant? A new study of the brain shows that it is programmed to ignore upsetting and inconvenient truths, leaving human beings living in a “reality bubble”.
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Please settle down – all five million of you
Should every country have an Open School – a free online resource? The lockdown has inspired some brilliant experiments in teaching. Many hope that it will change education for ever.
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In a crisis, we need to see the bigger picture
Can the arts save your life? Books, films, music, and paintings are helping many people through the lockdown. But not everyone considers them essential, and artists are struggling to get by.
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A millennial love story for ‘Normal People’
Do ‘normal people’ exist? The 2018 literary sensation by Irish author Sally Rooney has been turned into a 12-part TV drama. What’s all the fuss about and what does it mean to be normal anyway?
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The great escape: reading booms in lockdown
Is reading fiction escapist? With half of the world’s population under lockdown, sales of novels have rocketed. People are turning to stories to keep themselves company and pass the time.
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‘Lives pulled apart for no good reason’
Who is more out of touch: the tabloids or Meghan and Harry? Exactly 100 days after Megxit, the couple are under vicious fire for announcing a boycott of four popular British newspapers.
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Now for the final round – fingers on buzzers!
Do quiz shows really test intelligence? We love watching them and trying to beat contestants to the right answer – but experts say there is much more to winning than being a mere brain box.
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We’re just the same as you – only more famous
In a real crisis, do celebrities help? Some have been praised for leading by example during the pandemic, but many have shown an extraordinary inability to relate to ordinary people.