TOK: Imagination
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The post-pandemic city: China bets on the new normal
Has the pandemic killed the city as we know it? In the Chinese “new area” of Xiong’an the state is backing an ambitious plan for a more self-contained way of living. Will others follow?
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Scientists find possible life on Venus
Is there life on our neighbouring planet? A gas detected floating in the clouds above Venus could hold the key to extra-terrestrial life quite unlike anything we have ever imagined.
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Alien-hunters to search over 200,000 new stars
Are aliens hiding in plain sight? Scientists are widening the search for life on other planets, but some argue we will never find it because we have no idea of what we are looking for.
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Endangered horse cloned from frozen cells
Should we bring back extinct species? Cells preserved for 40 years have been used to clone an endangered wild horse, but some scientists ask whether cloning is really the solution.
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The doctor who put medicine before magic
Was Hippocrates the first modern doctor? A controversial new book argues that the ancient Greek physician established the principles of medicine as we know it as long ago as 470 BC.
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Black Panther’s legacy will ‘live on forever’
Is the future African? Black Panther fans are grieving the death of the actor who brought the superhero to life. For some, Wakanda was just a fantasy, but for others, it is the future.
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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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Coming soon – the day when we live forever
Should we be excited about the future? A podcast by academic technologist Balaji Srinivasan has caused a stir with its vision of how our lives will be transformed in the ultra-digital age.
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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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Beyoncé film sparks debate over Afrofuturism
Has Beyoncé romanticised Africa? The superstar’s new movie, the visual album Black Is King, has wowed the critics. But some say she has focused too much on what Africa was in the past.
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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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Kanye West declares bid for US presidency
Should we take Kanye seriously? He says he is running to be president of the USA. Elon Musk supports him. Politically, it seems unlikely. But this year has been anything but predictable.
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Insects in amber hint at Jurassic dreams
Could scientists bring dinosaurs back to life? Bugs preserved in amber offer a window into prehistory. But resurrecting the dinosaurs is not going to be as simple as it is in the movies.