TOK: The Human Sciences
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Backlash as TV’s most popular show turns 25
Is it wrong to watch Friends? It has been called the “greatest comedy ever broadcast on TV”. But, 25 years after the show first aired, a growing number say it is sexist, offensive and outdated.
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‘Football family must wage war on racists’
Should England have walked off the field? Despite high-profile resignations and UEFA charges over the Bulgarian fans’ racism, some say things will not change until teams refuse to play on.
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New robot ‘on the path to self-awareness’
Will robots ever be self-aware? Scientists at Colombia University have built a machine that learns about itself in the same way as a baby. Could it become more intelligent than a human?
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‘Almost three billion will go hungry by 2050’
Can we feed everyone? Tomorrow is World Food Day. We already make enough for 10 billion people, and yet one in nine humans does not have enough food. How did that happen?
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UK player makes history with £170m jackpot win
Does money bring happiness? Or is it a curse? Next week, a record fortune will land in a person’s bank account and their life will be turned upside down. Past winners have an ominous record.
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England star: We will walk off over racist abuse
Is this the right thing to do? England footballer Tammy Abraham has said that the whole squad may walk off the pitch if they hear any form of racist abuse during their Euro 2020 qualifiers.
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Angry and alone, ‘Mad King’ Trump reigns
Is Donald Trump having a meltdown? After the US president unleashed his fury on Twitter, one Washington Post columnist argues that Trump’s demented rage echoes Shakespeare’s mad King Lear.
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Climate uprising sparks a bitter war of words
Are they heroes or “uncooperative crusties”, as Boris Johnson said? Climate protesters are blocking roads in 60 cities. They say our future is at stake, but their methods are deeply divisive.
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The drive behind one brilliant shining star
Is self-discipline the secret of success? She is one of the world’s best athletes, but Dina Asher-Smith is also a writer, model and an academic whizz with a razor wit. How does she do it?
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The disturbing rise of racist robots
Are robots racist? AI computers are showing sexist and racist bias. A growing number of experts fear that we have created AI in our own worst image, and it could have awful consequences.
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Salazar ‘used his athletes like lab animals’
Has the time come to legalise doping? The world of athletics is in turmoil after Alberto Salazar’s shock ban from coaching for four years. Many are now calling for a radical fresh start.
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China salutes 70 years since its red dawn
Should we celebrate or condemn China? Tomorrow, the People’s Republic will mark 70 years of Communist rule with massive fanfare, but its history is marked by death and lasting oppression.
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Humanity could one day live without sleep
What if we never needed sleep? Scientists have discovered a genetic mutation that lets its carriers live happily on only a few hours’ sleep, and it could be spreading through the population.
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Battle of the titans launches Rugby World Cup
Whisper it quietly, but is rugby a better game than football? The World Cup kicks off in Tokyo this morning and all the world’s a stage as the giants of the game prepare for an epic battle.
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The plumber who restored our faith in humanity
Does giving make us happier than getting? James Anderson’s simple act of charity has touched a deep chord all over the world. Evidence proves that we are wired to be good, say scientists.