Lab-made brain cells learn to play video game

Although the novel is technically science fiction, Ishiguro does not go into grisly detail about the cloning which brought its characters into the world. Instead, he focuses on the emotional consequences of what would happen "if just one or two things had gone differently on the scientific front".

Could artificial brains become conscious? The science of the "mini brain" is developing rapidly. Now, many think we need an urgent debate on the ethics of creating a human mind in a lab.

Is biotech getting too powerful? A new programme could tackle global problems like famine and pollution, say awed scientists. But some fear the risks far outweigh the rewards. 

Would living for ever be a fate worse than death? Jeff Bezos is reported to be backing a visionary gene-reprogramming project which could transform the world of tomorrow.

Kathy is 31 by the novel's end and as the people around her disappear, she clings to her memories of them for comfort. But are these memories reliable? And is it wise to spend so much time thinking about the past?

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".

Is noise the key to creativity? Silence helps people think clearly, but the latest research shows noise in the brain may be responsible for extraordinary leaps in imagination.

Should adults be more like teenagers? Children's mental health has suffered during the pandemic, but experts are confident young people's remarkable brains will survive and adapt.

Growing up at Hailsham, the children were "told and not told" about their ultimate fate. Tommy argues that the information they were given was carefully timed, so that they were always slightly too young to understand it. Why is the search for the truth so important?

Does democracy really depend on truth? Many people claim democratic systems only work when everyone agrees on basic truths - but others think this is a recipe for dictatorship.

AI finds structure of every known protein

Is teaching media literacy the best solution? A report found that Germany is the latest state to come under attack by fake news - and some worry democracy is at risk.

Can good journalism survive? The first Nobel peace prize awarded to journalists since 1935 shouldn't obscure the fact that record numbers are in prison, facing intimidation or murder.

The horrific acts in Never Let Me Go are very rarely questioned or rebelled against by the characters who endure them. There is hope that they might one day get a "deferral" - but when this proves to be false, Kathy and Tommy accept their fate and do their duty.

Doctors in Wales have been told to presume dead adults are willing to donate their organs unless they have said otherwise. But should our control over our own bodies be sacred after death?

Is genetic modification wrong? Some people refused to take two new vaccines against Covid-19 because they are genetically engineered - but scientists assure us that the jabs are safe.

Is it always wrong to work for an evil regime? Some fought against Hitler from the outside. Others chose to stay and fight evil from within. Who made the right decision?

Unknown to the students at Hailsham, the artwork they create is being used by their teachers to prove that they have souls. Art and poetry are the most important school subjects - and, so, Tommy is constantly frustrated by his lack of drawing skills. What makes art so powerful?

Is this painting worth £7.8m? LS Lowry's famous picture of crowds descending on a football match has been sold for an eye-watering sum. Some feel the money could have been better spent.

Has art become a con trick? Controversial artist Damien Hirst has burnt his own paintings and replaced them with digital tokens. Some believe this represents a new low for contemporary art.

Do we all have the potential to go down in history? A team of scientists have come up with a theory about how brilliant works of art are created. But not everyone is convinced.