Learner profile: Reflective
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One woman’s fight to capture whiff of the past
Should there be museums for smells? As our lives move online and artificial intelligence take over, some think it has never been more important to preserve culturally important aromas.
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Trust is dying across the world, says survey
Whatever happened to good faith? People no longer believe that it is possible for institutions to do the right thing AND be competent. This is creating an unprecedented wave of cynicism.
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Controversial film Joker set for bumper Baftas
Is Joker immoral? Now poised for ample awards, the deeply troubling 2019 film immediately inflamed debate over its depiction of extreme violence and worries about copycat behaviour.
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500 million animals dead in Australian fires
Is the crisis in Australia due to climate change? Some claim the bushfires are part of natural cycles that have occurred for millennia; others say they are caused by man-made global warming.
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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.
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Don’t lie about Christmas, warn psychologists
Should we stop telling children the Christmas myth is true? Santa Claus, the chimney and the reindeer: it is the story we all grew up with. But some experts argue these lies can be harmful.
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‘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.
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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.
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‘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.
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Black Friday: generosity, greed and guilt
Are Christmas presents a waste? “Black Friday” today and “Cyber Monday” mark the start of a huge spending spree in rich countries — big enough to end world hunger for the next eight years.
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‘The American festival we all should celebrate’
Should Thanksgiving go global? It seems like a holiday that’s as American as pumpkin pie. But there are variants of this day all around the world, revolving around the concept of gratitude.
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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.
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A football pitch of rainforest lost each minute
Who owns the rainforest? Deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 30% in the past year, with many blaming Brazil’s president. Activists say the precious ecosystem is not his to destroy.
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Key to early humans found in giant ape’s tooth
Could this teach us who we really are? A scientific breakthrough has allowed researchers to read genetic data, effectively 12 million years old — shining a light on the origins of man.
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Big ideas hit prime time in His Dark Materials
Are dust and dæmons fiction or fact? A new book about consciousness argues that the ideas behind Philip Pullman’s books and new TV series maybe closer to reality than you might think.