Health
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Star-gazing prophet sparks astrology row
Is astrology just harmless fun? Supporters think that it can comfort people who are afraid of the future, but sceptics fear that it encourages the gullible to choose fantasy over reality.
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Tensions rise in great global vaccine race
Is liberal democracy going to be the biggest Covid victim? Russia and China have shunned safety to surge ahead in the search for a vaccine, reigniting old battles between East and West.
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Boris battles the boffins over lockdown
Should we follow the science? As British politicians clash over whether to impose a corrective two-week lockdown, the role science plays in our decision-making has come under the spotlight.
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Chaos, confusion, contradiction and karma
Is it right to say that Donald Trump’s Covid infection is “karma”? Did the truth-defying, science-mocking leader of the free world get what he deserves? Or is this just shallow moralising?
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1m deaths and a debate tearing society apart
Is freedom more important than health? As fears of a second wave of the pandemic grow, a great chasm is developing between those who demand stronger measures and those who reject them.
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Coronavirus app finally launches in England
Will AI replace doctors? Inspired by the pandemic, scientists are creating new medical technologies at a faster rate than ever. Now, some believe that human doctors may one day be obsolete.
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Covid: ‘The cure is worse than the disease’
Is it time we learnt to live with the virus? Governments across the world are imposing harsher restrictions to reduce further outbreaks. But some believe this will do more harm than good.
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England’s uncivil war over the ‘rule of six’
Is the "rule of six" wrong? Critics say that people should be free to go out and take risks with their own health. But others insist that we cannot put personal freedoms ahead of saving lives.
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Sceptics haunted by spectre of second lockdown
Do lockdowns cause more harm than good? Without a vaccine, they might be our most effective tool for tackling Covid-19 – but some argue that shutting down society comes at too high a cost.
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The scientist myth-busting foodie fibs
Could everything we’ve been taught about food be wrong? Recent research by leading geneticist Tim Spector looks set to overturn some of our most cherished beliefs about healthy eating.
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Ancient text rewrites the history of medicine
Is acupuncture based on science? Despite its popularity, the scientific evidence for traditional Chinese medicine is mixed. But new research reveals its origins in ancient human dissection.
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The doctor who put medicine before magic
Was Hippocrates the first modern doctor? A controversial new book argues that the ancient Greek physician established the principles of medicine as we know it as long ago as 470 BC.
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Crocodile tears unlock the secrets of crying
Are human tears unique? Reptile tears are remarkably similar to our own and may help us treat eye diseases. But some argue there is a big difference between animal tears and human crying.
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Mutant bugs released to fight disease
Is it wrong to release modified mosquitoes into the wild? Supporters say genetically altered insects could eradicate deadly diseases, but opponents are warning of dangerous consequences.
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Schools become new battleground in virus war
Is the coronavirus transmitted in schools? Many scientists say children have a minimal role in the pandemic. Yet, in the last two weeks of July alone, nearly 100,000 tested positive in the USA.