TOK: Mathematics
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You are part of the royal family. Probably.
A leading geneticist has calculated that almost every Briton is directly descended from Edward III. But many find facts like this scarcely believable. Why are we so bad at probability?
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Exclusive: youth vote would not stop Brexit
Our survey of UK students carried out over the past 72 hours suggests that young people voting for the first time in a second poll would fail to tip the balance in a second referendum.
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You could soon be taking holidays in space
Would you be a space tourist? Virgin Galactic has launched a revolutionary new aircraft to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere — it could take tourists into space as early as next year.
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Thousands of children in gambling epidemic
How should we tackle the problem? The number of children with a gambling problem is surging, with thousands at risk. Advertising, social media, and even video games have been blamed.
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Big guns fire blanks in World Cup week one
Can a new team win the World Cup? Germany lost; Brazil drew; Argentina are on the brink — the minnows now have a chance. Here are five things you may have missed from the matches so far.
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How data has transformed the World Cup
Are statistics killing the magic of football? The upcoming World Cup will be the most analysed ever, as football has finally started to take data seriously. How much does it matter?
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World rocked by US stock market turmoil
Is the economy heading for disaster? A slump in US shares has spread uncertainty around the world. It stopped short of a full-on crash, but experts are not sure what will come next…
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‘World’s most powerful rocket’ set for lift-off
Are we about to witness a giant leap or a silly stunt? Today SpaceX will launch a huge rocket which could pave the way for future Mars missions. But some people do not believe the hype.
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‘Super blue blood Moon’ lights up the sky
Why are coincidences so interesting? Yesterday morning a large, reddish Moon heralded an incredibly rare celestial convergence. What do coincidences say about the way we think?
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NASA’s cool, hot, and fast mission to the Sun
How much could we learn from NASA’s next mission? This summer a probe will travel closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft in history. Scientists hope it will unlock many solar secrets.
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Carillion crisis sparks privatisation storm
Should we start to renationalise key services? The Left is using the collapse of the outsourcing behemoth to attack privatisation. The Right argues that it represents “capitalism in action”.
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Meet the world’s largest known prime number
How important are prime numbers? The largest known prime number has just been discovered by an engineer from Tennessee. It is 23 million characters long and is known simply as M77232917.
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Sports, space and scandals: your guide to 2018
Will this be a good or bad year? In such turbulent times, predicting the future is even harder than usual. Start by noting down these five key events in the 2018 calendar…
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No end in sight for meteoric bitcoin rise
Could bitcoin replace traditional currency? The cryptocurrency’s value has doubled in a fortnight. One bitcoin is now worth over $15,000. But some believe the revolution has only just begun.
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A tax cut that could change America forever
A wage rise for all or simply a gift for the super-rich? Republicans passed their sweeping tax overhaul through the Senate at the weekend. It could reshape whole areas of American life.