Health
-
Amazing plant burger spells end for meat
Should we celebrate the end of meat? Beyond Burger sizzles and bleeds, but it is made from plants. Its popularity is soaring as people turn away from meat altogether.
-
The smart speakers that know if you’re sick
Would you trust Alexa to diagnose you when you’re sick? Experts predict that, within 10 years, smart speakers will be able to detect illnesses by listening to our behaviour. But what about our...
-
Creative writing brightens lockdown gloom
Is writing good for everyone? New research shows that many children have been writing more during lockdown and that it tends to make us happier. Some say we should all be writing stories.
-
Robot staff keep restaurant diners safe
Should robots replace human jobs? A restaurant in the Netherlands has just employed mechanical waiters. The robots are reliable, polite, and never ill. In many ways, they are perfect workers.
-
Life in lockdown leads to extended lie-ins
Should we get up later? Over 50% of children are waking up later while in lockdown. These changes to our sleep could improve our mood, but might make returning to normal life difficult.
-
Mosquito microbe puts a stop to malaria
Have we cured malaria? Scientists have announced a ground-breaking discovery that stops malaria at its source. It could help to destroy one of the world’s most deadly diseases forever.
-
How your phone could end up fighting Covid-19
Should the government have access to your phone to keep you safe? The UK is trialling an app that will track who we come close to. People are worried this takes away our privacy.
-
Veteran raises millions for the NHS
99-year-old World War Two veteran, Captain Tom Moore, has raised over £20 million for the NHS by walking 100 times around his back garden. Should we all be following his example?
-
Diet of chips and crisps ruins eyesight
Have we forgotten how to eat? We know that many of our Stone Age ancestors enjoyed a great diet. In rich countries today, we live in luxury — but malnourishment is getting worse.
-
Labradoodles cute, but a terrible mistake
Are Labradoodles really a “Frankenstein’s monster”? That’s what their creator, 90-year-old Wally Conron, says. He believes the “unhealthy” dogs set a dangerous trend.
- Health
- Reading Band 11
-
Everyday heroes of the pandemic
In the midst of the global crisis, people are taking care of the elderly, making sure those in quarantine don’t feel alone, and turning cancelled work into opportunities to help society.
-
Science is winning the battle with cancer
Curing cancer is one of the biggest challenges facing medical science. Now, scientists are using AI and smart technology to invent remarkable new weapons – and success is within reach.
-
Dwayne the spider helping to save lives
A deadly spider has been found in Australia, double the size of normal! Named Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson after the Hollywood movie star, it will now help to make vital medicine for humans.
-
Some heartening facts about the China virus
There is a lot of scary news about a new virus spreading from China. But scientists are pointing out that while we need to take the outbreak seriously, there is no reason to feel any panic.
-
Man survives at -30C thanks to peanut butter
It was a real-life nightmare: a man’s hut in the Alaskan wilderness burnt down, and all his possessions were destroyed. But now, he has been rescued – after three weeks in the freezing snow.