Latest Stories
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The fascinating, undying power of curiosity
Could curiosity be the most important human attribute? It lets us transform chaos into questions, boredom into wisdom, and allows us to find pleasure in the mysteries of the Universe.
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Scientists warn public on alien communication
If aliens call, what should we say? Scientists are turning to the public to ask how — and if — we should reply to intelligent extraterrestrial life. It could alter the course of history.
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Probe peels back mysteries of the universe
Is remote exploration a form of escapism? NASA has sent a spacecraft 12 billion miles from Earth. One scientist says it is like exploring an elephant with a microscope. Why do we bother?
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Scientists claim to have reversed time
Is time travel really possible? For centuries, humans have dreamed of leaping into the deep past or distant future. Will we ever do it? The answer lies in one of Einstein’s strangest theories.
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‘No human is limited,’ says marathon champion
Was it tainted by technology? Eliud Kipchoge has entered the pantheon of the greats alongside Roger Bannister who ran a four-minute mile, 65 years ago. A triumph for sport — or for science?
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The disturbing rise of racist robots
Are robots racist? AI computers are showing sexist and racist bias. A growing number of experts fear that we have created AI in our own worst image, and it could have awful consequences.
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It has rain, water, clouds: so, maybe life too!
What a wonderful find — but does it have any point? Astronomers are thrilled by yesterday’s announcement about a habitable planet. The bad news: it would take two million years to get there.
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Emergency plan to deflect giant asteroid
Are asteroids our biggest threat? Scientists are now working on a plan to protect Earth from Didymos, a giant rock the size of Egypt’s great pyramid — one of 20,000 known near-Earth objects.
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Earth’s 2019 resources ‘budget’ already used
Will it take a disaster to teach us to live within our means? As of today, humans have consumed more resources than Planet Earth can regenerate in a year — a worse record than last year.
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The scientist: ‘Just keep working on it’
What does it take to be a scientist? In part one of our new ‘Careers’ series, research engineer Hollie Wright tells The Day about her life in the lab and how she achieved a childhood dream.
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Historic heatwave shatters records in Europe
How long do we have to fix the climate emergency? As Europe wilts in a blistering heatwave and new research pins the blame on humans, the time window for a decisive response is shortening.
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France hires sci-fi writers to predict threats
Can fiction be truer than fact? The French army is to create a “Red Team” of sci-fi writers to imagine possible, future threats. But many say it is absurd and that soldiers would be better.
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One in six believe this was taken in a studio
Why are conspiracy theories so powerful? Despite all the proof that it happened, there are still thousands who are convinced that the Moon landing was a hoax set up by the US space agency.
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Neil Armstrong, a reluctant American hero
What makes someone a hero? Centuries from now, Neil Armstrong will still be remembered as the first man to walk on the Moon. But he thought of himself simply as a “nerdy engineer”.
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Celebrating 50 years since mankind’s giant leap
Will humans ever live on the Moon? Tomorrow, it will be 50 years since the Apollo 11 astronauts began their historic journey to the Moon. Now, the world wants to go back — this time to stay.