Learner profile: Open-minded
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Found! Light at the end of the tunnel
Could next week be a positive turning point for the world? As the vaccine rollout expands and Donald Trump leaves the White House, many believe it marks the start of a brighter chapter.
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The woman who died and lived to tell the tale
Is there life after death? For centuries, people have believed that consciousness continues long after our hearts stop beating. Now a new Netflix series searches for scientific proof.
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The future: get ready for the 15-minute city
Are we on the verge of a completely new way of living? As part of a series on different visions of the future, we look at an exciting proposal to create small, super-convenient cities.
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Taking Christmas advice from ancient Rome
Is giving really better than receiving? As people across the world spend billions on Christmas presents, a leading Roman philosopher’s thoughts on the subject have never been more relevant.
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The genius who revelled in deception
Was John le Carré really a “giant of literature”? The spy novelist’s death has prompted a host of reverential tributes – but some critics believe that they overstate his achievements.
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Book-reading soars as lockdown slows time
Would it make us happier to give up the internet and read books instead? Experts say it can cure us of our anxious online lives. But with all this free time, what should we read next?
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Found! Zombie worms and meat-eating sponges
Is deep sea research more important than space exploration? “No!” says Elon Musk, despite a rocket crash this week. “Yes!” say scientists racing to map the mysteries of the deep.
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The man who says aliens have already landed
How crazy is it to believe in aliens? A former lieutenant-colonel in Israeli military intelligence has given an interview claiming that contact has been made with extraterrestrials.
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‘Mockery’: Olympic breakdancing under fire
Should breakdancing be an Olympic sport? Some claim that including the sport is a betrayal of the Olympic spirit, but others think breakdancing has earned its place in the limelight.
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Fierce row over free speech at top school
Is Eton suppressing free speech? Tomorrow, Britain’s most elite school will face an appeal from a teacher it says it had no choice but to fire – over a controversial anti-feminist video.
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‘Hi, honey – your dinner’s in the test tube’
Should we welcome laboratory-grown meat? Its advocates say it will help the environment and save animals from needless suffering. But first, producers have to overcome the “yuck factor”.
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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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Reboot Santa! Christmas rebels call for change
Is it time to rethink Christmas? The festival evolves gradually every year as new traditions are adopted – and now some argue it has changed so much that it needs to be reinvented.
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The people seeking the company of wolves
Is it time for the return of the wolf? For centuries, these fierce animals have been seen as a menace. But some now believe they have a vital part to play in rebalancing the environment.
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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.