Learner profile: Reflective
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Record migrant numbers risk lives to reach UK
Should rich countries take in more refugees? Illegal crossings of the English Channel have risen to an all-time high, reigniting an agonising debate on the West’s responsibilities.
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Outcry as white professor reveals race lie
Should people be allowed to choose their race? An American academic has shocked the world after admitting that she pretended to be black, sparking a heated debate about racial identity.
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Behold the prophets – and profits – of doom
Should we be preparing for the end of the world? Many people expect to see the collapse of life as we know it. A new book reveals how a multi-billion-dollar industry has grown around them.
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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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Angry fans split over future of James Bond
Should James Bond change with the times? As Hollywood producers ditch the iconic spy’s womanising ways for a more modern man, a new poll shows that fans still favour the old-fashioned 007.
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America enters ‘new phase’ in Covid-19 crisis
Has the US really been “defeated”? A virus a thousand times smaller than a dust mote has humiliated the planet’s most powerful nation, claims a new essay – and a furious debate has begun.
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Booker Prize list: ‘moment of cultural change’
Are stories what make us uniquely human? The amazingly varied shortlist for this year’s Booker Prize for Fiction highlights the way a passion for narrative unites people worldwide.
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Pack your bags – it’s holiday time after all!
Is a change as good as a rest? Many families everywhere are thrilled about the return of the summer holidays as lockdown restrictions are eased and “air corridors” are announced this weekend.
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Shock research: Humans now fatter than pigs
Is it wrong to be fat and lazy? Many of us now have more body fat than pigs, scientists said yesterday. But for most of history, being plump and idle was regarded as the goal of a good life.
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Eureka! Bees talk with ‘toots’ and ‘quacks’
Should bees run the world? Bee colonies are highly organised and hugely successful societies built on cooperation and hard work. Some say we have a lot to learn from these social insects.
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Thousands join march as protests spread to UK
Could the virus help kill racism? The high number of black victims of Covid-19, together with the murder of George Floyd, has focused people’s minds on a history of shameful injustice.
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In a crisis, we need to see the bigger picture
Can the arts save your life? Books, films, music, and paintings are helping many people through the lockdown. But not everyone considers them essential, and artists are struggling to get by.
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Social life cancelled in coronavirus lockdown
Is it morally wrong to socialise? Boris Johnson has followed other countries in recommending strict social distancing to lessen the impact of Covid-19 – but will people put it into practice?
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Coronavirus: the maths behind the panic
How worried should we be? The headlines shout: “killer virus”, “crisis”, and “confusion”. Italy accuses misleading media of creating an “infodemic”. But what do the numbers say?
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Row explodes over Amazon Nazi-hunter show
Is it wrong to tell fictional stories about the Holocaust? A new TV show about vigilante justice has been accused of sensationalising the genocide of millions for entertainment purposes.