TOK: The Human Sciences
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Keep us safe – we don’t mind how you do it
Is herd mentality creating police states? Governments have been allowed to tackle the pandemic with measures which stifle personal freedom. Many worry that these could become permanent.
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It must be true – I saw it on the internet
Can we defeat the misinformation virus? Efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic are being undermined by fake news and scams – and it is not the first crisis to be aggravated in this way.
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Brexit, Athens, and a lesson from history
Can an ancient Greek general shine a light on Britain’s future? Coronavirus has suddenly made Boris Johnson’s career look uncannily similar to that of his hero, the Athenian leader Pericles.
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Generation C: The virus that changed everything
What will the world look like when the pandemic ends? We might be far from seeing the back of the coronavirus, but the rest of the 21st Century will be defined by how we overcome it.
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Let’s meet up tomorrow – your place and mine
Is online socialising as good as meeting in person? The current lockdown has given rise to virtual parties, choirs, and reading groups – and they could become a permanent part of our lives.
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Experts: ‘avoid vicious cycles of anxiety’
Do we all have an extra responsibility to look after our mental health? During this eerie quarantine, experts have launched an appeal for us to look after our minds as well as our bodies.
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The summer when school changed forever
Is this a catastrophe or a golden opportunity? As the virus forces nearly a billion students around the world to study at home, the notion of traditional schooling is coming under scrutiny.
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Experts praise power of positive thinking
Can positive thinking help? The coronavirus epidemic is an enormous challenge for the whole world – but many people are saying we should focus on the rich benefits it might bring us.
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TikTok’s ‘sight bites’ capture the zeitgeist
Should we take TikTok politics seriously? One of the most successful apps in the world was developed for teenagers messing around. Now, it is being adopted by political campaigners.
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Let us spray: a nation goes into quarantine
Is Italy a grim warning to the world? There is anxiety and confusion on the ground as the country implements its most restrictive measures since World War Two, in its battle against Covid-19.
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Marchers around the world call for equality
Will women ever have equal rights? “An equal world is an enabled world,” declared thousands around the globe as they took to the streets yesterday. But what do the hard statistics tell us?
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UK launches battle plan to fight Covid-19
Is personal freedom as important as public health? The UK has outlined sweeping emergency powers to stop Covid-19 – but should a democratic government use force to keep people healthy?
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Exposed: how toxic air reduces intelligence
How can we solve the air pollution crisis? Humans are losing almost three years of life on average because of outdoor air pollution – as well as huge reductions in cognitive ability.
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No, a street lamp won’t give you the virus
Should conspiracy theories be banned? As the world continues to grapple with the threat of a coronavirus pandemic, troubling fake news about Covid-19 is spreading across the internet.
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Human compost offers eco-friendly way to go
Can human composting save the planet? As we try to live more ecologically, new funeral methods are changing our attitudes about death and creating green alternatives to burial and cremation.