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Education & Development
Early adopters: What are smartphones doing to children?
Children - very young children - are adept at using iPads and other touchscreen technologies. Should we worry? Probably not, says Olivia Solon.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Why do some cities thrive?
Milton Keynes, home of The Open University, has grown successfully as a city - while other places have failed to thrive. New research is hoping to find out why.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Is the first step in beating superbugs to defeat poverty?
A two-speed health service can only aid the spread of disease resistant 'superbugs', warns Jason Silverstein
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Society, Politics & Law
Will a new European law mean YouTube has to monitor your uploads?
New proposals from the European Commission could force some internet hosting sites to proactively monitor everything posted to their sites. Daphne Keller explores what's being suggested - and why it could be a huge problem.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to polymers
This free course, Introduction to polymers, examines the use of polymers and demonstrates how their properties are controlled by their molecular structure. You will learn how this structure determines which polymer to use for a particular product. You will also explore the manufacturing techniques used and the how the use of polymerisation can ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Are old voting machines a threat to democracy?
Although e-voting might seem like a modern way of running an election, in the US the current infrastructure is already sliding into obsolesence - and threatening to cause chaos this November.
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Society, Politics & Law
How the stove changed the kitchen
The introduction of the gas stove more than a hundred years ago completely changed the way we use the kitchen—and the rest of our homes.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Geology toolkit: the rock cycle
Use the Geology Toolkit to discover why it is important to know about rocks
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Science, Maths & Technology
Throwing light on research by South & Central American scientists
Latin American scientists are coming together to promote their work more widely. Felix Moronta explains how.
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Society, Politics & Law
Can the way research is reported play into sexist assumptions?
The way much research on sexual differentiation is conducted and communicated has come under intense criticism from scholars in both the natural and social sciences. Cliodhna O’Connor describes how traditional gender stereotypes are projected onto scientific information and its subsequent reporting. But the dynamics of online spaces have also ...
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Nature & Environment
What effect does increasing noise pollution have on mammals?
A researcher explains how prairie dogs appear to have developed strategies to keep alert in noisier environments - but there might be a downside.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Geology toolkit: safety tips
Use our guide to help you collect rocks safely, and within the rules.