Latest Stories
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Publish or pulp: the return of Charlie Hebdo
Should Charlie Hebdo have republished cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad? In 2015, they provoked a terrorist attack — and their return threatens to reignite a ferocious debate over free speech.
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Mutant bugs released to fight disease
Is it wrong to release modified mosquitoes into the wild? Supporters say genetically altered insects could eradicate deadly diseases, but opponents are warning of dangerous consequences.
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‘Mind-blowing’ new AI can do ‘almost anything’
Should we be worried by AI? A groundbreaking program called GPT-3 can learn almost anything without human help. The possibilities are limitless, but some are saying so are the risks.
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Nazi guard, 93, guilty of his teenage crimes
Is it justice to punish a 93-year-old man for a crime committed 75 years ago? Bruno Dey has been convicted for his part in the killing of over 5,000 prisoners in a Nazi death camp.
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China accused of ‘gross’ human rights abuses
Is China guilty of genocide? A case is being brought against the superpower at the International Criminal Court, accusing it of mistreating its Muslim Uighur minority on a massive scale.
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Close-up reveals tiny ‘campfires’ on the Sun
How do we know the Sun will rise tomorrow? Thanks to stunning new satellite images, we know more about the Sun than ever. But we are still no closer to solving the deepest problem of all.
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Silence, the world’s most precious commodity
Should we have a right to quiet? An ingenious invention promises to protect us from unwanted noise, returning us to a state of calm which has been prized by thinkers across the centuries.
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Earth to invade Mars with a summer of rockets
Are we all Martians? Three spacecraft will soon begin a hazardous journey to the red planet in search of life. Some dream of colonising Mars – but the Martians may already have colonised us.
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Scientists baffled as monster star vanishes
Are you literally a star? It is a fact that humans are made of stardust. Nearly all the elements in our bodies were made in a star – and will eventually be returned to a “cosmic ash heap”.
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The 450-million-year-old crab saving humanity
Does it all come back to nature? A substance key to making a Covid-19 vaccine is only found in horseshoe crabs. But conservationists are worried declining numbers will threaten ecosystems.
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New fighter plane heralds era of robot wars
Should robots be used in war? The US Air Force wants to stage a battle between a robot fighter plane and a piloted one. But many warn that any use of AI in war could lead to disaster.
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Eight rules promise wisdom and happiness
Does life need rules? The School of Life says that you should “know your insanity” and “accept your idiocy”. But countless thinkers have tried and failed to convince us to follow rules before.
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Probable number of alien civilisations is 36
Would the discovery of alien life change anything? A philosopher says it would have huge implications for us and for our ideas of morality, and that aliens may have kept quiet for a reason.
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Face masks on: A society without smiles
Do masks increase alienation? As the UK follows much of the world by having mandatory face coverings on public transport, some fear it may harm our ability to form connections with others.
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History made as astronauts enter space station
Is our obsession with space wrong? Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has triumphed with its first manned US space rocket in a decade. But many believe humans have a moral duty to focus on Earth.