Can we expect many world records at the Games? Some experts aren't holding their breath. Meaningful world records have only been achieved in a few Olympic sports. At the Beijing Games, world records were broken in 33 separate events: one in women's t
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The Olympic medal ceremonies have already begun. But some athletes hardly disguise their disappointment when silver and not gold is hung around their necks. The British judo silver medallist Neil Adams calls his two from the 1980s 'loser's medals'. U
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The Olympic medal ceremonies have already begun. But some athletes hardly disguise their disappointment when silver and not gold is hung around their necks. The British judo silver medallist Neil Adams calls his two from the 1980s 'loser's medals'. U
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Every athlete dreams of that moment: standing on the highest podium, having a gold medal hung around their neck and watching with pride, as their country's flag is raised and the national anthem is played. International sports stars are used to being
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Do you see yourself in your early 20s already wearing a smart suit and using a company phone? Recent trends have seen young people looking for internships rather than Saturday jobs. But should people be expected to do a 'proper job' at all while they
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Can a computer create music as good as Mozart's? Armand Leroi from Imperial College, London, believes fantastic music can be made without a composer. Dr Bob MacCallum has been working on Darwin Tunes, a computer programme that can evolve music out of
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As HM Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee fast approaches, one group of people are really making the most of the opportunity. These people are unique in their 'royal duties', but they don't work for the Queen; they impersonate her. This month the Qu
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Learning a second language can boost brain power, scientists believe. US researchers from Northwestern University say bilingualism is a form of brain training - a mental work out that fine-tunes the mind. Speaking two languages profoundly affects the
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It's official rich people really are stuck-up, at least according to one recent piece of research. A series of studies into unethical behaviour across the social classes has shown that posh people are more likely to cheat, lie and be greedy than peop
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What's the most challenging thing you have ever achieved? This week Claire Lomas, a 32-year-old British woman, achieved the remarkable feat of finishing the London Marathon. What made this achievement all the more amazing is that Claire is paralysed
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Is China the world's cleverest country? China achieved 'remarkable' results in the Pisa international education tests, which measure pupils' key skills: reading, numeracy and science. The results indicate that China's education system is not only abo
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As China's economy has grown bigger, its population has grown older. But is China growing too old, too fast? The one-child policy has caused a decline in the birth rate, while the average age has gone up. One in four permanent residents in Shanghai i
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The founder of Facebook ended a busy week, which saw his company valued at $106bn after a stock market flotation, by getting married. Mark Zuckerberg, who's the CEO of the world's most popular social networking site, wed his long-term girlfriend Pris
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Is your spelling accurate? That's the question being asked by a British charity this week. Mencap claim that a new generation of people cannot spell, as they rely on their computer's auto-correct function far too much. In a survey, the charity found
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What's in your basket when you go to the supermarket? This question is food for thought for the British government when trying to calculate the rate of inflation. Experts have cooked up a hypothetical shopping basket of food and household goods which
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Many Britons say we have a lot to thank HM Queen Elizabeth for. This week certainly most of her subjects are thankful for a two-day holiday in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. A weekend of feasting, pageantry and water on Sunday is followed by an
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An American town called Boring has voted in favour of pairing with a village by the name of Dull in Scotland. This means the two of them will participate in joint activities, such as the promotion of tourism and cultural exchange. Boring decided in f
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In the middle of an economic crisis most people seem to expect their leaders to be stressed out and on an unrelenting search for solutions. So what happens when we learn that even in this climate they can actually be taking it easy, putting up their
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The Brits love their fish-and-chips but now, breaking with tradition, the cod sold in chippies is often imported from Iceland, Denmark or Norway rather than caught by British fishermen. This trend was brought about in the 1970s. Iceland banned the Br
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Get into conversation with someone from Britain and they will invariably mention the weather. It plays an important role in people's lives and determines their mood. But there is one climatic condition that is bound to make us complain the rain. Brit
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