Latest Stories
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Sorrow as runaway wolves are shot by zoo
Horror greeted the news that three wolves who escaped from an Essex zoo had been killed in the chase to recapture them. Why do humans have a fascination with wild beasts?
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Top batsman forced out of Ashes by ‘stress’
Cricketer Jonathan Trott has returned home from England’s tour of Australia due to a long-term stress-related illness. Is sport’s psychological toll even heavier than the physical strain?
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Methodist minister arrested after drugs scandal
Paul Flowers, a prominent member of the Methodist Church and former chairman of the Co-operative Bank, has been filmed apparently buying hard drugs. Now, his secret life is unravelling.
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‘Selfie’ beats ‘twerk’ to become word of the year
Linguists at Oxford Dictionaries have chosen ‘selfie’ as their word of the year for 2013, citing a 17,000% increase in its popularity. Why are we so obsessed with taking photos of ourselves?
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Kennedy: 50 years on the conspiracies continue
The assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 launched a flood of conspiracy theories, many of them crazy. Just why are they so enduring and what does it say about us?
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Beloved detective bids ‘au revoir’ to TV
After playing Hercule Poirot for 25 years in 70 Agatha Christie stories, David Suchet is finally leaving the fastidious Belgian behind. Is Poirot the greatest fictional detective?
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Chess king vs prodigy in long-awaited showdown
The World Chess Championship should be a titanic battle between an old master and his brilliant young foe. But the first three rounds have ended in draws. Is this an unsatisfying result?
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Stats guru says life is far better than we think
When Hans Rosling gave top students a questionnaire about the state of the world, their answers were less accurate than a chimpanzee’s. Why? Because they were far too pessimistic.
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New apps put a brake on rude emails
A new app can vet your emails to prevent you sending messages that are too angry or upsetting to inflict on the recipient. Has the death of the letter made us worse communicators?
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Elitist critics talk rubbish, says top artist
How does the art we see in galleries get chosen? What makes it ‘good’ and who decides? The provocative and outspoken Grayson Perry believes much art criticism is ‘impenetrable guff’.
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Breakthrough for research into Alzheimer’s cure
Signs of a possible cure for dementia have been warmly welcomed, even though the treatment is unlikely to emerge for decades. Why do degenerative brain diseases frighten us so much?
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Pop science guru celebrates underdog heroes
From disabilities to bereavement, a new book by one of the world’s most famous journalists claims our disadvantages can become sources of strength. Is struggle the secret of success?
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Outrage as novelist kills off hunky hero
Mark Darcy, love interest for the heroine of the Bridget Jones books and her fans, is already dead as the third volume of fictional diaries is published. Why the outpouring of grief?
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US gunman’s history of mental problems revealed
The first reaction to Monday’s slaughter was stunned shock and pity. But today Americans are asking how such a clearly disturbed man had security clearance and access to guns.
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Scatty people are more creative, study suggests
The UK Prime Minister’s occasional lapses in memory and organisation are generally greeted by a mixture of sympathy and ridicule. But new research shows that messy people may be smarter.