Technology
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TikTok’s ‘sight bites’ capture the zeitgeist
Should we take TikTok politics seriously? One of the most successful apps in the world was developed for teenagers messing around. Now, it is being adopted by political campaigners.
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Nasa’s daring mission to find life on Mars
Can we finally unlock the mystery of Mars? A new mission to the Red Planet will explicitly search for signs of life. If there ARE little green men up there, we will soon find them.
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Artificial morality: how to raise good robots
Do robots need morals? A leading law-maker has said that artificial intelligence must meet ethical standards. But even leading researchers do not fully understand the machines they build.
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Alien-hunting astronomers demand more money
Does the search for intelligent life in space deserve more funding? Mysterious radio signals have been picked up from the depths of the Universe. Scientists want us to pay more attention.
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Trains ‘to replace planes’ within 20 years
Are they the future of travel? Britain, yesterday, announced its new railway. Meanwhile, engineers are designing “space travel on Earth” to replace planes with clean, super-fast trains.,
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UK to make web titans liable for online harms
Could it undermine free speech? Facebook and Google bosses will face prosecution if they breach their “duty of care”. But some fear the same laws might be twisted to block truth-telling.
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The living robot! Part-frog, part-machine
Is it dangerous to create living robots? Using the cells of a frog and artificial intelligence, scientists have designed an entirely new life form small enough to travel inside a human body.
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Spacecraft to seek the secrets of the Sun
Will the source of life on Earth also be its end? This weekend, a new space probe will blast off towards the Sun to investigate one of the biggest threats to our planet – the solar wind.
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Security fears haunt decision on 5G deal
Should Britain be doing business with Huawei? Many believe that the Chinese telecom giant cannot be trusted to upgrade the UK’s internet system. Now, a government decision is imminent.
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Bike that rides on water opens gadget show
Do gadgets make us happy? The cleverest scientists on the planet are dreaming up brilliant new inventions to make our lives smoother, but some societies see no need for them at all.
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‘Aliens exist and may already be among us’
Do aliens exist? Helen Sharman, a scientist who was the first Briton in space, has declared that there are definitely other forms of life in the Universe – and they may already be among us.
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Maths: the secret to the game of life
Are there any problems maths can’t solve? It is the secret of success in chess and fantasy football; it is why computers are making more of our decisions. But is life only a numbers game?
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Nasa scientist claims evidence of life on Mars
Has there been a cover-up? In a new article, a leading scientist claims that US space probes discovered life on Mars over 40 years ago but Nasa has always denied their full significance.
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Calls to boycott Amazon as parcels pile up
Should you boycott Amazon for Christmas? In the coming weeks, we will order 41 parcels every second. Not bad for a company that critics say exploits its workers and dodges billions in tax.
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Google, Facebook accused of human rights abuse
Are two of the biggest companies in the world laying waste to human rights? A major new report, yesterday, claims they are destroying the right to privacy, freedom of expression and equality.