Latest Stories
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Begone, dull languishing! It’s time to YOLO
After languishing in 2020, will 2021 be the year of YOLO? Social observers believe that the pandemic has reminded many people life is alarmingly short. In other words: You Only Live Once.
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Belief in conspiracies ‘caused by evolution’
Could the popularity of conspiracy theories be caused by evolution, not ignorance? Recent research suggests that a belief in false stories descends from prehistoric self-preservation.
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Buried treasure solves pirate’s perfect crime
Is it wrong to love pirates? They were ruthless killers who terrorised the high seas, but a long tradition of books and film celebrates their swashbuckling adventures and rebellious spirit.
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The rock from the birth of the Solar System
Can we learn all about the universe without leaving Earth? A meteorite that landed in a Gloucestershire driveway on Sunday has been hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.
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Quiet authority that made this woman a star
Are women better leaders than men? As the world celebrates International Women’s Day today, one very modern feminist icon hopes her new dance song will promote a message of diversity.
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Discovered! Secret formula behind every genius
Are there rules to becoming a genius? A Harvard academic believes that he has established the key ingredients – but warns that those with great minds are not always great human beings.
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NASA starts the search for life on Mars
Is the Mars story more about psychology than science? It is presented as the ultimate quest for knowledge but many believe it tells us more about our deepest desires and dreams.
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How a troubled tourist became a TV sensation
Is our obsession with true crime unhealthy? A new series about the disappearance of a young traveller has captivated millions. But critics say the genre harms victims and viewers alike.
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Power nap key to healthy brain say scientists
Is sleep the secret of success? A new study by Chinese scientists shows that napping could be the key to a healthy brain. But some still insist sleep is nothing more than a waste of time.
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Solar system may be ‘teeming with alien tech’
Are scientists refusing to face the truth about aliens? A top astronomer believes a strange object over Hawaii was an extraterrestrial craft – but claims his colleagues prefer not to know.
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The woman who died and lived to tell the tale
Is there life after death? For centuries, people have believed that consciousness continues long after our hearts stop beating. Now a new Netflix series searches for scientific proof.
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Learning to love our lives under lockdown
Can occasional lockdowns be good for us? Being confined to our homes by the pandemic has been a frustrating experience for many – but it has also produced some unexpected benefits.
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Joy and anxiety as vaccine jabs start today
Are we all ready to go back to social life? As the world gears up for mass vaccination programmes, a return to normality is in sight. But some are in two minds about the prospect.
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The monoliths from outer space (or maybe not)
Do we Earthlings NEED to believe in aliens? The appearance of strange monoliths in the Utah desert and Romania has fuelled speculation that creatures from another world want to make contact.
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Lockdown could be destroying your memory
Is memory a muscle? Lockdown could be causing forgetfulness, but humans have developed a number of ingenious methods to counter it, from memory palaces to mystical theatres to “chunking”.