Latest Stories
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Dumb people smoke pot. Pot makes you dumb.
Which statement is right? Both? Neither? The argument among experts remains as fierce as ever. Despite extensive research, the truth seems to be tantalisingly still just beyond our reach.
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Stars, signs and a path across the Sun
Is there any truth to astrology? For the last time this decade, Mercury has passed in front of the Sun. It has special significance for a growing number of star-gazing, millennial mystics.
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Big ideas hit prime time in His Dark Materials
Are dust and dæmons fiction or fact? A new book about consciousness argues that the ideas behind Philip Pullman’s books and new TV series may be closer to reality than you might think.
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Death of Molly Russell leads to major reform
Will the new rules help? Social media sites will do more to keep young people safe from graphic images, after figures showed that teenage suicides in England have risen sharply.
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1880 was Britain’s happiest year, says study
Is the research right? Test cricket was a fresh, young sport; Queen Victoria was approaching 50 years on the throne and, apparently, we were the happiest we have ever been.
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#Nemesis: ‘better than a friend or a lover’
Everyone needs a nemesis. Or do they? Social media is abuzz with the idea. And history is full of arch rivals who pushed each other to be better — or drove each other to death.
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New robot ‘on the path to self-awareness’
Will robots ever be self-aware? Scientists at Colombia University have built a machine that learns about itself in the same way as a baby. Could it become more intelligent than a human?
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UK player makes history with £170m jackpot win
Does money bring happiness? Or is it a curse? Next week, a record fortune will land in a person’s bank account and their life will be turned upside down. Past winners have an ominous record.
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Angry and alone, ‘Mad King’ Trump reigns
Is Donald Trump having a meltdown? After the US president unleashed his fury on Twitter, one Washington Post columnist argues that Trump’s demented rage echoes Shakespeare’s mad King Lear.
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The drive behind one brilliant shining star
Is self-discipline the secret of success? She is one of the world’s best athletes, but Dina Asher-Smith is also a writer, model and an academic whizz with a razor wit. How does she do it?
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The plumber who restored our faith in humanity
Does giving make us happier than getting? James Anderson’s simple act of charity has touched a deep chord all over the world. Evidence proves that we are wired to be good, say scientists.
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Cancer survivor swims Channel FOUR times
Could you have done it? Sarah Thomas swam 134 miles without stopping for 54 hours, fighting strong currents, hurting from salt water in her throat, and stung in the face by jelly fish.
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Tests show Loch Ness monster may be giant eel
Why are we so entranced by monsters? Yesterday, a team from the University of Otago in New Zealand revealed its conclusion that Britain’s most famous Leviathan must be a gigantic eel.
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Esports industry set to break $1bn barrier
An addictive waste of time or a serious competitive sport? After a US teenager won $3m in the first-ever Fortnite World Cup on Sunday, the debate over the future of esports has exploded.
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Four and a half questions about Mr Johnson
Will Boris be a good leader of Britain? Like searchlights piercing the gloom, The Day’s questions will save you hours of reading this morning and lead you straight to the nub of the matter.