Learner profile: Risk-takers
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Artificial stars could redesign the night sky
Why not re-write the stars? We have the ability. Already, Japan wants to create fake meteor showers, China wants an artificial moon for street lighting and Russia wants to sell advertising.
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Underwater metropolis planned as seas rise
Is the best response to climate change to invent new ways of living? The Japanese Shimizu Corporation plans to build a giant underwater metropolis powered by energy from the seabed.
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Death, fame and the lure of the mountains
Is the heroic mountaineer who takes on superhuman challenges really just a selfish misfit? As this year’s toll mounts, climbers themselves admit that it is a dangerously addictive pleasure.
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RIP the Formula 1 legend who refused to die
Again and again, he cheated the grim reaper. But today, at 70, Niki Lauda has died. His life of indomitable willpower has been celebrated in films and books. What can we learn from his story?
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‘Idiot’ pro players accused of ruining Fortnite
Season nine is here, with new challenges to explore. However, some players say the game is being ruined by professionals who no longer play fair. Is there any point still trying to win?
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The science behind the world’s greatest race
Should you run a marathon? Yesterday in London about 40,000 runners did. The incredible Eliud Kipchoge set a new record. Others used sheer willpower to stagger, limp or crawl to the finish.
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Gatwick drone chaos could be an inside job
Last year, a drone attack grounded over 1,000 planes at Gatwick airport. Now, police have concluded that the culprit had insider knowledge of how the airport operates.
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The first-ever image of a black hole
This week, scientists released the first-ever picture of a black hole, compiled over the last two years using data from eight telescopes around the world. It is a major landmark in the history...
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Record 541 new skyscrapers planned for London
Britain’s newest high-rise gets approval, sparking a war of words. Some think these superstructures are an abomination. Others find them breathtaking: “the point where art and the city meet”.
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US fires starting gun in new race to the Moon
The US has announced that it will put a woman on the Moon by 2024, sparking a new space race against Russia, China and India. The winner could dominate the next era of human history.
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Google Stadia heralds gaming revolution
Netflix has transformed TV and film. Spotify has revolutionised music. Now Google aims to do the same for gaming with a new streaming service, Stadia. But too much choice is stressing us out.
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Huge meteor explosion like 10 atom bombs
The blast happened in December over Russia but has only just been detected. Worryingly, scientists had no idea the meteor was coming. Could there be more and, if necessary, could we stop them?
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‘Woolly mammoths could walk the Earth again’
Scientists in Japan have made a “significant step” towards bringing the ancient species back from the dead using the DNA of a frozen mammoth. But is it the right thing to do?
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Boeing grounds entire crash aircraft fleet
The world’s largest aerospace company has finally taken action after finding new evidence at the scene of this week’s fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash. How much trust has the industry lost?
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Adventure, shipwreck, storms and survival
What can we learn from Ernest Shackleton? Over 100 years ago his ship, The Endurance, sank in the frozen waters of Antarctica. This week, a modern team of explorers is hoping to find it.