Science
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New fighter plane heralds era of robot wars
Should robots be used in war? The US Air Force wants to stage a battle between a robot fighter plane and a piloted one. But many warn that any use of AI in war could lead to disaster.
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Insects in amber hint at Jurassic dreams
Could scientists bring dinosaurs back to life? Bugs preserved in amber offer a window into prehistory. But resurrecting the dinosaurs is not going to be as simple as it is in the movies.
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Cannibal rats swarm in lockdown infestation
Do rats deserve their evil reputation? The news that a hungry army of rodents is closing in on our homes will probably fill you with disgust. But some say we are too hard on the humble rat.
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Hibernation over! Friends reunited at last
Is friendship our most basic human need? Friends have survived three long months of separation under strict lockdown rules. Now we can meet again, will we appreciate our friendships more?
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Arctic on fire as temperature records broken
Are we facing the end of the world? Or a new beginning? With a heatwave in Siberia, the climate crisis is more alarming than ever – but many see a moment of opportunity.
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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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Eureka! Bees talk with ‘toots’ and ‘quacks’
Should bees run the world? Bee colonies are highly organised and hugely successful societies built on cooperation and hard work. Some say we have a lot to learn from these social insects.
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Bat or man? Scientists confront virus origins
Was Covid-19 created during a lab accident? Former MI6 boss Richard Dearlove claims that a new scientific report suggests key elements of the virus were “inserted” deliberately.
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The Machine rules – you have been warned
Will we value human contact more after the lockdown? A 111-year-old story by EM Forster is proving extraordinarily prophetic about social isolation and our relationship with technology.
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History made as astronauts enter space station
Is our obsession with space wrong? Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has triumphed with its first manned US space rocket in a decade. But many believe humans have a moral duty to focus on Earth.
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Invasion of the 94-stone body snatchers
Is it time to stop the return of the bear? Once threatened with extinction, these wild animals are making a comeback, raising serious concerns about the dangers to people and livestock.
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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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Send in the troops – there’s trouble on Mars
Is space the next war zone? As the superpowers step up their competing exploration programmes, experts worry that future conflicts could be decided outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
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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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Mile-wide asteroid gives Earth a near miss
Are asteroids our biggest threat? Several giant space missiles passed us by recently – and scientists are coming up with amazing plans to protect the planet from intergalactic impact.