Learner profile: Open-minded
-
Average tempo of a hit is the key to history
Is music what makes us human? As the world went into lockdown, pop music rediscovered its ecstatic streak. Researchers say that our choice of music is the best guide to how we really feel.
-
All you need is love – and a cheese sandwich
Are food and love the only real things in life? At the age of 82, Britain’s greatest living painter, David Hockney, has written a moving letter telling the world his deepest convictions.
-
The sound of one million hands clapping
Should we applaud more? Last night, millions in Britain followed dozens of other countries celebrating health workers by bringing our hands together – an ancient and profoundly human act.
-
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.
-
Science shows resolutions NOT a waste of time
Are New Year resolutions worth it? Around one-quarter of people give up their resolutions after just one week, while fewer than one in 10 will maintain their goal to the end of the year.
-
‘Women make better leaders than men’
Are women better leaders than men? Finland is about to have a new female prime minister — the world’s youngest. Around the globe, female leaders are being praised for their inspiring work.
-
Grief and rage in Delhi after factory deaths
Who is to blame for sweatshops? Another disaster has thrown a spotlight onto fast fashion brands that exploit cheap labour. But some argue that the blame falls on appalling local management.
-
Sugar named the world’s most popular drug
Should sugar be treated like a drug? A new study shows that seasonal lattes and hot chocolates being sold by some high street coffee chains can contain up to 23 spoonfuls of sugar per cup.
-
‘Why austere Advent beats cheesy Christmas’
Is Advent better than Christmas? The season of Advent has officially begun and will continue until midnight on Christmas Eve. Some say the anticipation is better than Christmas Day itself.
-
The oldest hatred: anti-Semitism on the rise
Is anti-Semitism different from other forms of hate? The British Labour Party and the American Right have both been hit by allegations of Jew-hatred. It has a unique and terrible history.
-
Four inventions that could save the world
Can technology fix the climate crisis? Unless we act now, Earth will be 2C hotter in 2100. Storms will ravage the planet. Southern Europe will be a barren desert. But these four ideas could...
-
Scientists warn public on alien communication
If aliens call, what should we say? Scientists are turning to the public to ask how — and if — we should reply to intelligent extraterrestrial life. It could alter the course of history.
-
Stars, signs and a path across the Sun
Is there any truth to astrology? For the last time this decade, Mercury has passed in front of the Sun. It has special significance for a growing number of star-gazing, millennial mystics.
-
Two cannabis-based medicines approved for NHS
Does this go far enough? Charities have welcomed the move, although campaigners who have been fighting for access to the drugs said the new guidelines were a “massive missed opportunity”.
-
Gay giraffes, lesbian bonobos and angry humans
Can animals be gay? It’s a question behind a fierce row. Some biologists think sexuality in the animal kingdom is as complex and diverse as that of humans. Others think the claim is nonsense.