TOK: The Human Sciences
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The monoliths from outer space (or maybe not)
Do we Earthlings NEED to believe in aliens? The appearance of strange monoliths in the Utah desert and Romania has fuelled speculation that creatures from another world want to make contact.
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‘Mr Greedy’ and the downfall of a tycoon
Is Philip Green a villain or a scapegoat? The Topshop boss is under fire for living it up while his employees lose their jobs – but isn’t a rotten society just as much to blame as he is?
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Dicing with death on the Grand Prix circuit
Are Formula One drivers the gladiators of our day? Roman Grosjean’s great escape has been hailed as a triumph for safety technology. But horrific accidents may also be a crowd-puller.
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Football genius whose flaws made him a hero
Are virtuous heroes boring? As the world mourns footballing legend Diego Maradona, some commentators argue it was not his sporting achievements that made him an icon – but his personal failings.
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Covid triggers fear of ‘big state’ politics
Is "big government" necessarily a bad thing? The pandemic has lead to an explosion of public spending. For supporters of a small state, this will create a terrible threat to our liberties.
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BBC names world’s most inspiring women
Is gender equality ever going to happen? The BBC has announced its annual list of 100 amazing women. But a UN report finds that women everywhere are still treated much worse than men.
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The Chinese apps challenging Silicon Valley
Should we welcome the “Chinafication” of social media? After years of following the West’s lead, Chinese companies are starting to make the running with the creation of revolutionary apps.
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UK to launch new military space command
Will World War III be fought in space? A new space command, a national cyber force and an artificial intelligence agency will be part of Britain’s defence transformation programme.
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Lockdown loneliness reaches record levels
Is it the leprosy of our times? The latest statistics show that loneliness is soaring to unprecedented levels. To make matters worse there is a powerful taboo around admitting it in public.
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This pigeon cost the same as 5 Rolls Royces
Do we value the wrong things? A single pigeon has just been sold at auction for £1.5m. The buyers valued it as much as five new Rolls Royce cars. Were they mad? Or very intelligent indeed?
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‘Truth decay’ ripping us apart warns Obama
Is truth REALLY decaying? Barack Obama argues that without a universal idea of truth, society cannot function. Others argue that truth is simply getting more complex – and more interesting!
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The bully, the doubter and a question of power
Do power and bullying go hand in hand? From Dominic Cummings to Vlad the Impaler it seems they do. But a memoir by Barack Obama, out tomorrow, overflows with modesty and self-criticism.
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Satire on trial as Spitting Image returns
Is satire good for us? For centuries satirical art has provided an outlet for our dissatisfactions with politics and society. But in these torrid times, does it cause more harm than good?
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Dark rumours of Trump coup plot grip USA
Is Donald Trump staging a coup? Many believe the outgoing president is attempting an illegal power grab. Others, such as Joe Biden, think his refusal to admit defeat is just “embarrassing”.
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The miracle that promises a return to normal
Will life ever return to normal? After a breakthrough in the hunt for a vaccine to Covid-19, many newspapers predict the world will go “back to normal” – but what will “normal” look like?