TOK: History
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The super-cow v the old-fashioned plough
Was farming better 1,000 years ago? Scientists believe they have discovered how to breed “super-cows”. But others argue that agriculture was far more sustainable in medieval times.
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The doctor who put medicine before magic
Was Hippocrates the first modern doctor? A controversial new book argues that the ancient Greek physician established the principles of medicine as we know it as long ago as 470 BC.
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Putin critic in coma after tea is poisoned
Could there be another Russian revolution? Some say Alexei Navalny is a martyr whose fate will spark a mass uprising against Vladimir Putin. Others say the president will crush all dissent.
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Animal Farm at 75 ‘still as relevant as ever’
Is Animal Farm still relevant today? As Orwell’s classic celebrates its 75th birthday, some commentators warn its anti-totalitarian message remains grimly pertinent to the modern world.
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The woman who could change the world forever
Will Kamala Harris become president? Her selection as Joe Biden’s deputy already breaks the mould of American politics. If she wins the world’s most powerful job, it would launch a new era.
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Zero: the idea that changed the world
Has the number “zero” done more to advance humanity than any other idea? Many mathematicians think so – for, without zero, we could not ponder either the concepts of the void or the infinite.
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America enters ‘new phase’ in Covid-19 crisis
Has the US really been “defeated”? A virus a thousand times smaller than a dust mote has humiliated the planet’s most powerful nation, claims a new essay – and a furious debate has begun.
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Nazi guard, 93, guilty of his teenage crimes
Is it justice to punish a 93-year-old man for a crime committed 75 years ago? Bruno Dey has been convicted for his part in the killing of over 5,000 prisoners in a Nazi death camp.
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Trump announces a ‘surge’ of stormtroopers
Is the US sliding into fascism? President Trump’s plan to send a surge of federal security forces to US cities in a crackdown on crime has been denounced as a threat to civil liberties.
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Putin – the most dangerous man in the world
Can Putin be stopped? The ruthless Russian president is guilty of outrageous criminal conduct both at home and overseas. And, today, his Kremlin power base looks more secure than ever.
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China crisis as Huawei ban provokes Xi Jinping
Is it too late for the West to resist China? The UK’s decision, yesterday, to ban Huawei from its 5G network has dramatically upped the stakes in a battle of economics and ideology.
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Sunak – a heartbeat from 10 Downing Street
Has he risen too far, too fast? This week, all eyes were on the whizz-kid chancellor. After a meteoric rise, Rishi Sunak is tipped to become Britain’s first prime minister from an ethnic...
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Modern slavery at heart of new virus outbreak
Will the world ever eliminate slavery for good? Nearly 200 years since the UK outlawed the abhorrent practice, modern-day slaves are revealed to be the source of a new coronavirus outbreak.
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‘Americans just don’t believe in science’
Are anti-science attitudes killing Americans? As the number of new virus cases in the US hits record highs, top doctor Anthony Fauci has pointed the finger at those who deny 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.