Briefings
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Space tourism
In 2020, NASA will open the International Space Station to tourists. Meanwhile, private space companies are racing to send travellers into orbit. Will you soon be going on holiday in space?
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The fight against plastic pollution
Tourists have been banned from taking any plastic to the beautiful Italian island of Capri to prevent pollution. How harmful is plastic, and how can we use less of it?
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Chocolate: the good, the bad and the tasty
Chocolate is big business. On average, British people eat more than 10kg of it every year. This may seem like a lot, but is the sweet stuff really as unhealthy as people think?
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The end of World War One
World War One began with a single pistol shot. It then became a deadly stalemate leaving millions dead. But how did history’s second deadliest conflict end? And was it ever truly resolved?
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The climate change diet
We all need food to survive, but what happens if our food runs out? Thanks to climate change, studies suggest that some of our most important crops could be in danger of becoming extinct.
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The religion of Star Wars
What can Star Wars teach us about religion? A trailer for the latest instalment has just been released. Behind the explosions and high-speed chases, there is a fascinating belief system.
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Robots at work
Will technology help or hurt our careers? Machines are transforming all sorts of industries — from cookery to surgery. Find out what this could mean for you in the future.
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Fracking
What is fracking? And why does it make some people so angry? Many activists say that this way of getting oil is very dangerous for the environment.
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The lost tribes
John Allen Chau was killed by a tribe on a remote Indian island. He was trying to contact the North Sentinelese — one of many uncontacted tribes from around the world.
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Self-driving cars
Will driverless cars change the world for the better? Google, Uber, Ford and others are all investing in the technology. Some say they will revolutionise our lives sooner than we think.
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The next extinctions
The death of the world’s last, male, northern, white rhino has highlighted Earth’s huge extinction crisis. Just how many species are at risk — and what can be done to save them?
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European football
After some quiet years, English football clubs are once again dominating the European scene. How is the sport played across Europe, and is this a golden age for English football?
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Exoplanets
Scientists are about to confirm the discovery of the 4,000th planet outside of our own solar system. What are these mysterious worlds, and will we find alien life on them?
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Endangered languages
Over 2,000 languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. More than half of the world’s languages are in danger of dying out by the end of the century. What are they and how can we save them?
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The secrets of the Moon
In January, China became the first nation to land a probe on the mysterious “dark side” of the Moon. Now, it says it is planning to build a research base on the Moon’s South Pole.