Latest Stories
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Boys and girls: should labels be scrapped?
A secondary school has introduced a “gender neutral” uniform. John Lewis has removed its “girls” and “boys” labels from children’s clothes. Should girls and boys wear different clothes?
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‘Go outside and play’ Zuckerberg tells daughter
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have a simple wish for their newborn daughter. They hope she takes time “to smell all the flowers”. Should we all spend more time playing?
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The friendly chatbot that mimics your voice
When we talk about artificial intelligence, people panic about the possibility of a world where robots rule. A new app has a friendly goal: to be a “lifetime companion”. Is it a good idea?
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Critical thinking: Does maths have the answer?
James Ball, a journalist, believes critical thinking can be taught through subjects like maths. With the rise in fake news, should all primary students be taught critical thinking in school?
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Tennis: Are boys better than girls?
Serena Williams is the best female tennis player ever. But ex-star John McEnroe does not think she could beat the top 700 men in tennis. If this is true, does it make women’s sport worse?
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Excited or anxious? How to trick your brain in an exam
Which emotion did you feel before taking your SATs: excited, or anxious? Telling yourself you are excited could stop you feeling anxious and improve your performance. But can anxiety ever be...
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Fidget spinners! What can toys teach us?
Spinners are sweeping through classrooms across the globe, but this is not the first toy craze to make headlines. From hula-hoops to teddy bears, what can toys teach us about their time?
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Japanese princess gives up her title for love
Princess Mako is engaged to a commoner. When married, she will lose her royal status for good. The story took centre stage last week. Why does the world care so much?
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Should robots replace humans?
Robots learn to do more every year. They can write essays, build machines and play chess. As they get smarter, and better at doing hard work, should we hand them jobs humans usually do?
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Cats are our best friends really, study finds
Many of us love cats, but they rarely seem to love us back. Now researchers say they are keener on humans than we thought. Time to settle an age-old rivalry with our other favourite pet…
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Internet’s ‘most-hated app’ goes public
Peeple (with two ee’s) — an app which asks users to rate their friends and acquaintances — is launched today. It has already been slammed as creepy. Is there anything good about it?
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‘Boredom is good for you,’ says new book
How to be Bored is a new book that advises you, sometimes, to do absolutely nothing. Is boredom a forgotten treasure that improves our imagination, or is it just, well, boring?
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New call for policy to be about happiness
Good mental health and having a partner make people happier than doubling their salary, a new study has found. Could this lead to a new politics, in which well-being comes before money?
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Trump v Khan: the trouble with intelligence
Donald Trump, who wants to be US president, challenged the mayor of London to an IQ test, which measures intelligence. What are IQ tests, how do they work and what do they truly mean?
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From trees to tickling: a dictionary of joy
A psychologist has created a list of words from around the world that relate to ‘well-being’. He hopes that it will make our emotions richer. Can language really influence us in this way?