Learner profile: Communicators
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‘It doesn’t matter about your sexuality’
Is Strictly Come Dancing a force for good? Some see its same-sex announcement as profit-driven publicity-seeking, while others celebrate it as a positive step towards social change.
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When buzzwords start to become fuzzwords
Does jargon stop us thinking clearly? Some people love using technical or fashionable language, but others complain that buzzwords simply clutter our minds and hamper communication.
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Amazon on fire: ‘All you can see is death’
Who is to blame for the destruction of the Amazon? Man-made fires are raging across the world’s largest rainforest, burning down areas the size of five football pitches every minute.
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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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Beyoncé film sparks debate over Afrofuturism
Has Beyoncé romanticised Africa? The superstar’s new movie, the visual album Black Is King, has wowed the critics. But some say she has focused too much on what Africa was in the past.
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How to change the world with a ‘louding voice’
Is finding your voice the key to a better society? The Girl with the Louding Voice has gripped thousands. Now, new research shows a surprising link between cooperation and individuality.
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Haiku poetry collection documents corona blues
Can a single haiku be great art? It is a simple poem in just 17 syllables – and has proved a surprisingly effective way of expressing intense feelings. But can something so slight be art?
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Kanye West declares bid for US presidency
Should we take Kanye seriously? He says he is running to be president of the USA. Elon Musk supports him. Politically, it seems unlikely. But this year has been anything but predictable.
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Trump – the playground bully of politics
Do insults work? An article by legendary US journalist Carl Bernstein has revealed that Donald Trump is as rude in his talks with America’s allies as he is in tweets about his enemies.
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Wave of violent fury erupts across USA
Is the United State’s crisis, our crisis? The media presents American racism as a uniquely US problem. But evidence shows anti-black racism is rapidly worsening in the UK and Europe too.
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Trump accuses Twitter of stifling free speech
Is free speech under threat? President Trump has accused Twitter of trying to censor him, while British journalists claim that the government is using underhand tactics to thwart them.
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How too much news can mess with your head
Does news warp the mind? Our brains evolved to pay attention to threats, but we are constantly bombarded by negative stories. The 24/7 news cycle might be distorting our vision of reality.
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Hello – this is your long-forgotten friend
Is it time to return to the old-fashioned phone call? People trying to keep cheerful during the lockdown are rediscovering the joy of hours spent on the line to friends and relations.
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From near-death to birth, the show goes on
Is this the ultimate diversion strategy? Reaction is sharply divided this morning between celebration and exasperation as, once again, Boris Johnson’s personal life eclipses the grim facts.
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Time to fire up the engines, says Johnson
Should we believe a natural orator? The UK’s PM marked his return to work with a metaphor-packed address aiming to hearten the nation and allay public fears over the end of the lockdown.