Health
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‘Kids are safe’ – but schools row deepens
Is it safe to go back to school? Teaching unions argue that the government is putting parents, teachers, and pupils at risk. But some research suggests that schools should reopen.
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£8 million: the price of a human life today
Can we measure the value of a life in money? It sounds unthinkable and heartless. But our world is shaped by mathematical models that calculate how much it is worth keeping each of us alive.
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Science in the dock for ‘biggest failure’
Is wisdom truer than science? As a former health secretary accuses the UK of the “biggest failure of scientific advice for a generation”, some are questioning scientific truth itself.
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Alarm as UK death toll hits highest in Europe
Should we trust the government less? A lockdown scientist has quit after breaking the rules with his married lover. The chief scientific officer admits mistakes. The health secretary snaps.
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Just one more lap, then I’ll call the doctor
Is the cult of exercise bad for us? Everyone knows that fitness is important – but some people are so obsessed with it that it can dominate their lives and damage their relationships.
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After Covid (AC): ‘normal’ like never before
Is it worth trying to imagine life a year from now? One writer, this weekend, did just that. Some believe he created a disturbingly accurate portrait. Others think it is impossible to predict.
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How an ancient mariner became a modern hero
Do we all need a challenge? Yesterday, 72-year-old Graham Walters came within six miles of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean single-handed, showing that age is no barrier to ambition.
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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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The niggling question that just won’t go away
Could Covid-19 have been man-made and escaped from a lab in Wuhan? The overwhelming majority of serious scientists are pouring scorn on the notion. But the argument is still very much alive.
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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.
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We are what we eat – and what we mistreat
Did our cruel treatment of animals lead to the coronavirus? Experts tell us that the conditions leading to new infectious diseases are the same ones that inflict horrific harms on animals.
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UK may be worst-affected country in Europe
Should Britain’s virus response get the wooden spoon? A government advisor warns that, despite its famed National Health Service, it could be a case study for poor public health management.
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Stricken Boris Johnson in intensive care
Can government carry on with a sick leader? The tradition of covering up and carrying on is tenacious. But history shows that there is little to fear from a period of illness at the top.
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Coronavirus, capitalism, and the cure business
Are the giant drug companies the solution not the problem? Multinational pharmaceutical companies want to make money from the pandemic, but their research may be essential to finding a vaccine.
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‘The reckoning’: China and the virus blame game
Does China deserve to be blamed for Covid-19? As Western nations are brought to their knees, recriminations are mounting. The Chinese government is under fire as never before.