Briefings
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The Olympic Games
The world’s biggest sporting event has been postponed for a year because of the pandemic, disappointing millions of viewers, athletes, and organisers. How did the Olympic games come about?
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Extreme survival
In 2018, the world was gripped by the discovery of a group of boys in Thailand who were trapped in a cave for nine days without food. How can people survive in the most extreme circumstances?
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Antibiotic resistance
How much should we worry about antibiotic resistance? The UK’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, has warned that superbugs are as big a threat to humans as the climate crisis or war…
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Black holes
What is a black hole? A supermassive black hole caused the biggest explosion ever spotted in the Universe. How is it made; what does it do, and should we be afraid of it?
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Thirteen ways to save the environment
How can humans save the environment? A report has warned that “time is running out” to fix Earth’s climate crisis. It says that action from governments and citizens is “urgently” needed.
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St Valentine’s Day
In the USA alone, Valentine’s Day spending is predicted to hit £21 billion this year in gifts for partners, friends and (of course) pets. That is more than the annual income of Cambodia.
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Mission to Mars
Nasa is about to launch a new spacecraft, aiming to land on Mars in November. Humans have been fascinated by the Red Planet for centuries. What will we learn from this next mission?
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The body clock
Scientists have won a Nobel Prize for an experiment they did more than 30 years ago. It involved understanding daily habits of fruit flies. Strange as this sounds, it taught us a lot.
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Reluctant royals
Prince Harry will step back from royal duties and earn his own income – but what does that really mean? The history of rulers resigning is fascinating and surprising.
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Your new robot puppy
It barks. It plays with toy bones. And, most importantly, it remembers who you are. Meet Aibo, Sony’s new robotic dog. How can it change your life – and is it worth the cost?
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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.