Science
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‘Smart skin’ makes virtual touch a reality
Should touch become digital? A new thin, wireless skin could allow us to reach through a computer and touch what is on the other side. Is it wonderful or disturbing?
- Science
- Reading Band 14+
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Miracle fruit stays fresh for a year
Is this the future of food? Scientists have invented a new type of apple that does not brown for 12 whole months. Some people think it is wonderful, but others say it is creepy.
- Science
- Reading Band 5
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Flat-Earth conspiracy spreads around the globe
Is it sinister to believe the Earth is flat? Thousands do. In fact, flat-Earthers have recently held huge meetings in Brazil and Italy. But experts fear this strange belief has a dark side.
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Alarm over microchip injections for UK workers
Is this exciting or a nightmare? Hundreds of workers across the world have been fitted with chips that can store personal data. Some fear a new era of surveillance.
- Science
- Reading Band 14+
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Why driverless cars will be the end of an era
Has your family bought its last car? According to BBC journalist Justin Rowlatt, the answer maybe yes. He argues that electric, self-driving vehicles will soon make owning cars pointless.
- Technology
- Science
- Reading Band 14+
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We have more than five senses, say scientists
Everyone knows that humans have five senses that let us experience the world around us. What if we had even more? Scientists now think that humans have a secret magnetic sense.
- Science
- Reading Band 8
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Elephants try to help each other like humans
Do elephants have the same feelings as humans? Scientists now believe that elephants will do anything to help each other — even if it means putting themselves in danger.
- Science
- Reading Band 5
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Plenty of food, but millions are starving
Can we feed everyone? World Food Day is this week. We already make enough for 10 billion people — and, yet, one in nine humans does not have enough food. How did that happen?
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Runner makes history with miracle marathon
Should the record really count? Last week, Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours, but he had some help from technology.
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Giant pigs as heavy as polar bears
Should breeding giant animals be banned? China is creating “super pigs” to feed its pork-loving masses. Without them, people will go hungry. But surely, the suffering it causes is wrong?
- Science
- Reading Band 8
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Conker trees fight for survival
Can we save our conkers? Trees and forests all over the world are under threat — including the much-loved horse chestnut tree. We must find a way to help save them now.
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Everything we know about maths could be wrong
What is maths? A maths expert has said that advanced maths is so complicated that no one in the world really understands it. This means that many equations could be wrong.
- Science
- Reading Band 8
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Why most of our universe is still invisible
Is the hunt for dark matter a waste of time? Scientists are building a telescope to search for this mysterious substance that makes up over 90% of the universe. It might unlock some secrets.
- Science
- Reading Band 8
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Sunflowers think, feel and help each other!
Should we learn to act like sunflowers? Scientists say that sunflowers work together and share food so that they can all grow. Maybe plants can teach us how to get along with each other.
- Science
- Reading Band 5
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Seals, dolphins, porpoises thriving in Thames
Does nature always bounce back? The Thames was declared dead, without oxygen, in the 1950s. This summer, 138 seal pups were spotted basking on the banks, and swimming among new marine life.