Learner profile: Risk-takers
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Dicing with death on the Grand Prix circuit
Are Formula One drivers the gladiators of our day? Roman Grosjean’s great escape has been hailed as a triumph for safety technology. But horrific accidents may also be a crowd-puller.
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Oxford creates a vaccine to cure the world
Is this going to be the universal vaccine – not just for the wealthy? The Oxford team has created a Covid-19 jab which seems to be highly effective, easy to use and widely affordable.
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Bitter row over naked statue of feminist icon
Is the new statue for Mary Wollstonecraft offensive? The women’s rights activist is finally being recognised more than 200 years after she died. Now critics are asking: why is she naked?
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The unknown soldier remembered 100 years on
Should we embrace the unknown? Memorials to unnamed soldiers affect us on a deep psychological level, but there are also philosophical reasons to accept the unknown and welcome uncertainty.
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Prince launches £50m prize to rescue planet
Could Prince William save the world? The future king has teamed up with global climate icon David Attenborough to create a green “Nobel prize” to inspire a new generation of innovators.
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Nasa announces giant step for womankind
Does a woman on the moon really matter? Nasa has announced plans for the first female lunar explorer. For some, it is a potent statement of equality, but others call it a token gesture.
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Cows kill teacher who was walking his dogs
Should a week on a farm be part of everyone’s education? We take cows for granted. The world is full of them. Yet these usually docile creatures kill more people than bears or sharks do.
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Celebrities boycott social media for a day
Are celebrities right to boycott social media? Some big names turned off Facebook and Instagram yesterday to protest against fake news, but many say they are hitting the wrong target.
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Ancient text rewrites the history of medicine
Is acupuncture based on science? Despite its popularity, the scientific evidence for traditional Chinese medicine is mixed. But new research reveals its origins in ancient human dissection.
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Banksy funds boat to rescue Med migrants
Does Europe have a responsibility to rescue migrants? Refugees fleeing war are dying in the Mediterranean, but politicians say rescue ships encourage smugglers and make the situation worse.
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Virtual Pride keeps flame alive despite virus
Is Pride more important than ever this year? As evidence emerges showing LGBTQ+ people suffer disproportionately during the lockdown, the event tomorrow will keep celebrations alive.
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Germany reboots football behind closed doors
Could English football lose its top spot? The Bundesliga is the first European league to resume matches under strict social distancing rules – stealing the Premier League’s global audience.
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Mile-wide asteroid gives Earth a near miss
Are asteroids our biggest threat? Several giant space missiles passed us by recently – and scientists are coming up with amazing plans to protect the planet from intergalactic impact.
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Nasa’s daring mission to find life on Mars
Can we finally unlock the mystery of Mars? A new mission to the Red Planet will explicitly search for signs of life. If there ARE little green men up there, we will soon find them.
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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.