Latest Stories
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Animal Farm at 75 ‘still as relevant as ever’
Is Animal Farm still relevant today? As Orwell’s classic celebrates its 75th birthday, some commentators warn its anti-totalitarian message remains grimly pertinent to the modern world.
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Rare space rock holds secret to life on Earth
Do meteorites contain the building blocks for life? Scientists have found organic molecules in a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite, raising the possibility that life came from outer space.
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The woman who could change the world forever
Will Kamala Harris become president? Her selection as Joe Biden’s deputy already breaks the mould of American politics. If she wins the world’s most powerful job, it would launch a new era.
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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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Schools become new battleground in virus war
Is the coronavirus transmitted in schools? Many scientists say children have a minimal role in the pandemic. Yet, in the last two weeks of July alone, nearly 100,000 tested positive in the USA.
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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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Shock turns to anger after Beirut explosion
Should ammonium nitrate be banned? The deadly explosion in Lebanon is just the latest caused by a common fertiliser. Some say it is essential to modern farming. But others want it outlawed.
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New penguin colonies discovered – from space
Is this good news for humans? Emperor penguins are the world’s early warning system. Could the discovery of new colonies give us any hope that Earth has begun to reverse the climate crisis?
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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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Why time could be running out for TikTok
Is it dangerous to use TikTok? President Trump is threatening to ban the mega-popular app as a threat to privacy and national security. But some believe it is more about winning an election.
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SpaceX capsule first splashdown in 45 years
Will Moon tourism be normal in 20 years’ time? For some, yesterday’s historic success of a manned commercial space mission is the start of a new era. But predictions are nearly always wrong.
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Endangered tigers roaring back across Asia
Are tigers the key to saving the planet? The big cat is bouncing back, with numbers rising across six countries. But some warn this news is a distraction from a gloomy global picture.
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Bioprinting to fight cancer – and Covid-19
Could printed human organs help end disease forever? In an amazing breakthrough, scientists are creating tiny replicas of human organs – some as small as a pinhead – to test new treatments.
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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.