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How did Fidel Castro shape Cuba's history?
History & The Arts

How did Fidel Castro shape Cuba's history?

...system since 2006, when his health began to deteriorate, but his legacy, both within Cuba and internationally, is hard to overestimate. This is the man who led a small band of guerrilla fighters to power in the late 1950s, outlasted nine US presidents and ended up at the centre of the most dangerous moment in the Cold War. He even holds the record for the longest speech...
Five smart technologies helping the visually impaired
Society, Politics & Law

Five smart technologies helping the visually impaired

...System (GPS) satellites, and navigation through Google Maps to direct users from point to point in the city using turn by turn navigation. A number of other companies have developed software in this area which operates similar to the turn by turn driving directions that GPS offers car users. Transcript Dr Oliver Zanetti recorded at The Open University for BBC Radio 4's...
Scotland Votes 2016: Campaign snapshots
Society, Politics & Law

Scotland Votes 2016: Campaign snapshots

...system that it was thought would prevent anyone from securing a majority. Instead of Westminster’s first-past-the-post system, the Scottish system included 56 seats from regional lists to offset some of the distribution of the 73 constituency seats. This was intended to make it more proportional, but only up to a point. In the 2015 UK general election the SNP’s 50%...
Success and failure in healthcare: should regulation be simple or integrated?
Health, Sports & Psychology

Success and failure in healthcare: should regulation be simple or integrated?

...system we enjoy in the UK. Our NHS relies on bureaucratic conformity to the small print. However, listening to the arguments about red tape makes it seems that it is a recent innovation. This is far from the truth. Red tape was used in the time of Henry V111; he with the six wives. His petitions to the Pope to have his first marriage annulled were bound in a red...
Should Houston prepare for more Hurricanes like Harvey?
Nature & Environment

Should Houston prepare for more Hurricanes like Harvey?

...systems that initiate near the Equator and can hit locations in the tropics and subtropics around the world. When we look at the Atlantic Basin we see increases in tropical storm numbers over the past century, although there is high year-to-year variability. The year 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, marks the high point. [There is a trend towards more...
Should we tax robots who replace humans in the workplace?
Money & Business

Should we tax robots who replace humans in the workplace?

...system provide a solution to the rise of automation?...[Wall-E and a dollar] Automation promises to be one of the great social challenges of our generation. The fear that robots will steal our jobs is an old one. But it’s being felt all the more acutely thanks to the rise of new technology. What’s often overlooked is the role that tax policies play in this. Current...
Can natural infrastructure help Brazil beat its water crisis?
Nature & Environment

Can natural infrastructure help Brazil beat its water crisis?

...systems, and population growth and urban development outstripping available water supplies. But looking outside the cities’ boundaries, a lesser-known cause emerges: degraded natural infrastructure. Natural infrastructure (sometimes called “green infrastructure”) refers to natural and open spaces like forests or wetlands that are strategically managed to protect...
Latitude and Longitude
History & The Arts

Latitude and Longitude

...systems Today, it's all done electronically through GPS, a world-wide radio navigation system made up of a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. These 'artificial stars' are used as reference points to calculate a terrestrial position to within an accuracy of a few metres. In fact, with advanced forms of GPS you can make measurements to within a...