The gentle giants quietly saving our planet

Yorkshire's moors are almost a character in their own right. Cathy and Heathcliff are both trapped by the social conventions between the walls of their homes, but the wild countryside represents the freedom and passion they yearn for. To others, it is a treacherousDangerous., dangerous wasteland.

Could whales save the world? Breakthrough scientific research is showing that the world's largest animals are unusually good at taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Can plants talk to us? Many gardeners believe that communing with flowers helps them grow faster. Now some researchers believe that plants are speaking back.

Do cameras prevent us from seeing things properly? Teenage sensation Dara McAnulty published his second wildlife book, encouraging people to reconnect with the world around them.

Not even the wildest regions of England's landscapes can escape strict Victorian class structures. Heathcliff, who has no family and no surname, cannot marry Cathy until he returns to the moors with his own mysterious wealth  -  and by that time, she has been lured into the more refined world of Thrushcross Grange.

Is social mobility a myth? The UK civil service is dominated by privately educated Latin speakers, a report revealed. For some, it is proof: hard work does not equal success.

Is society too focused on the idea of self-improvement? For years, politicians have promised that hard work equals success. Now one leading philosopher says the idea of merit is a myth.

Is Marcus Rashford an exception or an inspiration? The Premier League striker grew up poor and hungry, but is now using his fame to fight for children going hungry during the lockdown.

If it is love that ignites the story of Cathy and Heathcliff, revenge is the force which drives it to its end. Once Cathy is dead, Heathcliff is determined to punish those who have wronged him. Revenge is a basic human desire  - does it still play a part in the conflicts we see today?

Is revenge always wrong? Boris Johnson's former right-hand man demolished the government's pandemic failures, highlighting both tragedy and farce in a marathon of score-settling.

'You are here to tell our stories' said the oak 

Are roaming elephants a bad omen? The herd that had been wandering Yunnan province changed direction, leaving scientists struggling to understand the reason for their trek.

Should drone killing be a war crime? The all too frequent deaths of innocent civilians have caused a global outcry - and the technology of tomorrow is likely to prove even more deadly.

There is something otherworldly about Wuthering Heights from the very beginning - even the outsider Lockwood is haunted by Cathy's ghost, and Heathcliff is frequently described as a vampire, Satan and an "imp". Yet Victorian England was a golden age of science, reason and innovation, not unlike our own. Is this contrast what makes stories about the supernatural so compelling?

Are omens useful? As the queen of the ravens vanishes, a prophecy foretells the end of the United Kingdom. Some call this fantasy, but others say there is wisdom in listening to the birds.

The newest member of the European Parliament is an expert on aliens, man-apes, hauntings, sea-serpents, lake monsters, predictions and curses. Should we all learn more about the paranormal?

Could ghosts really exist? A new book tells the true story of a suburban housewife in the 1930s whose extraordinary experiences obsessed the public and baffled expert ghost-hunters.

Wuthering Heights explores a variety of kinds of love. This includes Heathcliff and Cathy's all-consuming passion for each other, which while noble in its purity is also terribly destructive. In contrast, the love between Cathy and Edgar is proper and civilised rather than passionate. Theirs is a love of peace and comfort, a socially acceptable love, but it can't stand in the way of Heathcliff and Catherine's more profound connection.

Shouldn't New Year's Day be on the first day of spring? After all, it is the season of new beginnings - and is proven to be a time when we are generally happier and at our most energetic.

But wait! Is it wrong to be happy? If you look beneath the surface, there are many reasons why this is a wonderful time to be alive.

Is Hunter Biden brave to publish his life story? The book describes his battle against addiction and the role of his father Joe Biden in putting his life back on track.