Latest Stories
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A golden age of discovery starting right now
Are we on the brink of another scientific golden age? Hopes are rising that significant advances in clean energy, farming and medicine will end hunger and disease and stop climate change.
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Porknite! Fun-loving pigs learn video games
Do video games improve intelligence? Scientists have used them to teach pigs about rules and rewards. Research on humans shows gaming can enhance memory, spatial awareness and multitasking.
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Big Tech goes to war over privacy rights
Is privacy a human right? As Apple and Facebook trade furious blows over privacy rights, many argue that neither of these corporate giants should enjoy so much control of our personal data.
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World’s richest man, 57, gives up top job
Could you be as rich as Jeff Bezos one day? The world’s wealthiest man has shown ingenuity and ruthlessness as the head of Amazon, but there has also been an element of luck in his success.
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Shops now just a click away from oblivion
Could town centres be more fun without shops? As online retailers take over more and more traditional stores, planners are thinking of ingenious new ways to lure us back to the high street.
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One mistake and bitcoin millions gone forever
Has the digital revolution gone too far? A forgotten password. A discarded hard drive. And two men desperate to recover huge fortunes. Is this a terrible morality tale for a virtual age?
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The future: how cyborgs could save the world
Can robots solve the climate crisis? As part of a new series on different visions of the future, we examine an exciting theory that hyper-intelligent AI will save our planet from disaster.
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2020: The year scientists did the impossible
Was 2020 a breakthrough year for science? From the Covid-19 vaccine to dinosaur eggs, the past twelve months have witnessed spectacular discoveries. Yet some claim this is nothing unusual.
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French army to develop bionic soldiers
Should “enhancing” humans be banned? French officials yesterday published proposals to develop bionic soldiers resistant to pain – and strengthened with drug enhancements and microchips.
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The man who says aliens have already landed
How crazy is it to believe in aliens? A former lieutenant-colonel in Israeli military intelligence has given an interview claiming that contact has been made with extraterrestrials.
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Japan turns to AI to boost birth rate slump
Should we replace romance with relationships arranged by AI? The Japanese government sees artificial intelligence as the answer to falling birth rates – and other countries may copy it.
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AI unravels 50-year-old biological riddle
Was this the most important news story of 2020? Researchers at DeepMind have made a mind-boggling discovery that could eradicate diseases and put the brakes on climate breakdown.
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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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The Chinese apps challenging Silicon Valley
Should we welcome the “Chinafication” of social media? After years of following the West’s lead, Chinese companies are starting to make the running with the creation of revolutionary apps.
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UK to launch new military space command
Will World War III be fought in space? A new space command, a national cyber force and an artificial intelligence agency will be part of Britain’s defence transformation programme.