Latest Stories
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Say hello to your new best friend: yourself
Could self-isolation be a blessing in disguise? In the coming days, we face sweeping new rules confining us to our homes. But across the ages, many people have found solitude beneficial.
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Save forests to stop pandemics, expert warns
Is conservation the long-term answer? As the coronavirus sweeps the world, science is highlighting the link between the rising numbers of new diseases and our treatment of the environment.
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Marchers around the world call for equality
Will women ever have equal rights? “An equal world is an enabled world,” declared thousands around the globe as they took to the streets yesterday. But what do the hard statistics tell us?
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The book that answers the ultimate question
Does life have any meaning? A hugely important new book called Until the End of Time has just been published by leading physicist Brian Greene. Here are the key points he makes.
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Darth Vader needs therapy, psychiatrists say
Does Darth Vader have borderline personality disorder? An academic paper by psychiatric researchers argues that he shows clear symptoms. And that we could all learn a lot by studying them.
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Turkey threatens Europe with refugee crisis
Should Europe welcome more refugees? Turkey has “opened the human floodgates” in retaliation for lack of support in Syria. Rich, Western nations are trapped in an agonising, moral dilemma.
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Secrets of England’s greatest treasure trove
Should we all be neo-Saxons now? A new exhibition will highlight the dazzling artistic creations of the Anglo-Saxons and the lessons we can learn from their way of life, 1,400 years on.
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UK launches battle plan to fight Covid-19
Is personal freedom as important as public health? The UK has outlined sweeping emergency powers to stop Covid-19 – but should a democratic government use force to keep people healthy?
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Exposed: how toxic air reduces intelligence
How can we solve the air pollution crisis? Humans are losing almost three years of life on average because of outdoor air pollution – as well as huge reductions in cognitive ability.
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Britain’s baby boom starts…at Downing Street
Is it okay to have children? The PM has announced he will become a father – for the fifth or sixth time – this summer. But many experts say the climate crisis means we should stop reproducing.
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Eureka! Great novels really ARE good for us
Is literature better for you than self-help? New research suggests that traveling into the mind of another person is more helpful than studiously trying to understand our own thinking.
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Sanders set to crush rivals on Super Tuesday
Is left-wing politics back? Tomorrow, as 14 American states go to the polls, Bernie Sanders could take a huge step towards the world’s most powerful job. Is this part of a wider trend?
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No, a street lamp won’t give you the virus
Should conspiracy theories be banned? As the world continues to grapple with the threat of a coronavirus pandemic, troubling fake news about Covid-19 is spreading across the internet.
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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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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.