Technology
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The fight to save a continent with emojis
Could a joyous new set of symbols reverse centuries of pessimism about Africa? One young, graphic design student set out to do just that. Against all odds, he is now on the brink of success.
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Death of Molly Russell leads to major reform
Will the new rules help? Social media sites will do more to keep young people safe from graphic images, after figures showed that teenage suicides in England have risen sharply.
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New robot ‘on the path to self-awareness’
Will robots ever be self-aware? Scientists at Colombia University have built a machine that learns about itself in the same way as a baby. Could it become more intelligent than a human?
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The disturbing rise of racist robots
Are robots racist? AI computers are showing sexist and racist bias. A growing number of experts fear that we have created AI in our own worst image, and it could have awful consequences.
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TikTok has become a ‘major cultural force’
Is TikTok reinventing creativity? On the viral app, users upload funny, weird and clever 15-second videos. Is the new format creating a new short art form, akin to the sonnet or the haiku?
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Mushrooms and 3D printing: green fashion is here
Should we all be wearing mushrooms and pineapple leaves? Our fast-fashion culture is wrecking the planet, so innovative companies are creating sustainable fabrics from unlikely sources.
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It has rain, water, clouds: so, maybe life too!
What a wonderful find — but does it have any point? Astronomers are thrilled by yesterday’s announcement about a habitable planet. The bad news: it would take two million years to get there.
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Modern icon receives coat of many colours
How will historians remember the iPhone? As a tech marvel that gave the gift of knowledge and brought us together, or a false idol that ushered in an era of self-obsession and isolation?
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Free speech debate rages after US killings
Should websites that promote violence be shut down? After 31 more deaths in the US, apparently fuelled by racist talk and easy access to guns, is it time to rethink western ideas of liberty?
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Esports industry set to break $1bn barrier
An addictive waste of time or a serious competitive sport? After a US teenager won $3m in the first-ever Fortnite World Cup on Sunday, the debate over the future of esports has exploded.
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France hires sci-fi writers to predict threats
Can fiction be truer than fact? The French army is to create a “Red Team” of sci-fi writers to imagine possible, future threats. But many say it is absurd and that soldiers would be better.
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One in six believe this was taken in a studio
Why are conspiracy theories so powerful? Despite all the proof that it happened, there are still thousands who are convinced that the Moon landing was a hoax set up by the US space agency.
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Celebrating 50 years since mankind’s giant leap
Will humans ever live on the Moon? Tomorrow, it will be 50 years since the Apollo 11 astronauts began their historic journey to the Moon. Now, the world wants to go back — this time to stay.
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Health warning over ‘inverted hallucinations’
Is there a deadly new plague sweeping through rich societies? Tomorrow, a leading psychologist will warn of the public health threat caused by lack of awareness of what is before our eyes.
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New exhibition reveals the secrets of spies
See yourself as a real-life James Bond or Eve Polastri? To celebrate 100 years of the UK’s spy headquarters, the Science Museum is unveiling secret files and gadgets from a century of spying.