Science
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Found! Zombie worms and meat-eating sponges
Is deep sea research more important than space exploration? “No!” says Elon Musk, despite a rocket crash this week. “Yes!” say scientists racing to map the mysteries of the deep.
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Scientists spot ‘impossible’ new whale species
Are we killing species faster than we thought? Naturalists discover thousands of new animals and plants each year. Yet, at the same time, countless more are wiped out by humans.
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The man who says aliens have already landed
How crazy is it to believe in aliens? A former lieutenant-colonel in Israeli military intelligence has given an interview claiming that contact has been made with extraterrestrials.
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AI unravels 50-year-old biological riddle
Was this the most important news story of 2020? Researchers at DeepMind have made a mind-boggling discovery that could eradicate diseases and put the brakes on climate breakdown.
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The monoliths from outer space (or maybe not)
Do we Earthlings NEED to believe in aliens? The appearance of strange monoliths in the Utah desert and Romania has fuelled speculation that creatures from another world want to make contact.
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The epic battle to save Earth’s species
Is conservation the most important job? As the winners of a prestigious environmental prize collect their awards, some people say there is no more noble task than protecting our planet.
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Lockdown could be destroying your memory
Is memory a muscle? Lockdown could be causing forgetfulness, but humans have developed a number of ingenious methods to counter it, from memory palaces to mystical theatres to “chunking”.
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‘A breathtaking, beautiful day for science’
Was it pure science that saved us? Some are eagerly taking that as the lesson of yesterday’s new vaccine announcement – but it is worth asking whether there are other heroes in this story.
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UK to launch new military space command
Will World War III be fought in space? A new space command, a national cyber force and an artificial intelligence agency will be part of Britain’s defence transformation programme.
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Historians launch encyclopaedia of smells
Are smells the key to history? The EU is to spend £2.5m capturing ancient aromas. They hope this will help bring the past alive. Others say we will never know what it felt like at the time.
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Genes, vaccines, God – and a great debate
Is genetic modification wrong? Some people may refuse to take two new vaccines against Covid-19 because they are genetically engineered – but scientists assure us that the jabs are safe.
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‘We’re going to the stars’ says jetpack pilot
Are jetpacks the future of commuting? As a maverick inventor’s homemade jet suit is tested by mountain rescue teams, some wonder if the world is entering a new era of personal flight.
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The miracle that promises a return to normal
Will life ever return to normal? After a breakthrough in the hunt for a vaccine to Covid-19, many newspapers predict the world will go “back to normal” – but what will “normal” look like?
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Science finds human evolution is speeding up
Will humans ever stop evolving? For years, academics believed Homo sapiens had reached their final form. But now stunning new research suggests the human body is changing faster than ever.
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Lunar water paves the way for new space base
Should anyone own the moon? After the discovery of water on the moon’s surface, the USA hopes to build a new lunar base, but some think that its resources should belong to all humanity.