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Editor's note
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“A robot may not injure a human being.” So starts the first of Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, designed to keep robots from causing harm. But what if injuring someone saves their life, for example by pushing them away from a moving car? Christoph Salge and colleagues have spent a decade working on an alternative system – instead of restricting their behaviour, robots should be empowered.
In 1844, the last great auk birds were killed and the species became extinct. Fast forward 173 years and scientists have now turned detective to find out what happened to the skins of the last two specimens, using ancient DNA to link samples from museums across the world.
It has been a year since Rodrigo Duterte became president of the Philippines, pledging to clean up the country’s drug problem with a zero tolerance approach. But Tom Smith appeals to world leaders to acknowledge Duterte’s administration for what it is – a murderous regime.
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Stephen Harris
Commissioning Editor
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Top story
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Shutterstock
Christoph Salge, University of Hertfordshire
Robots should be empowered to pick the action that most helps humans.
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Science + Technology
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Jessica Emma Thomas, Bangor University
Scientists turn detective to find out what happened to the last specimens of an extinct bird.
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Elaine Chew, Queen Mary University of London
Expressing music into mathematical formulae can help us understand why some pieces and performances can send shivers down your spine.
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Politics + Society
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Tom Smith, University of Portsmouth
It turns out that the president of the Philippines is exactly who he said he was.
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Balsam Mustafa, University of Birmingham
Iraqis are proud of the victory in Mosul, but worried about the huge tasks ahead.
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Mark Chadwick, Nottingham Trent University
The push for accountability in Syria exposes the challenges of international criminal justice.
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Business + Economy
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Andy Green, UCL
The case for introducing capital gains tax on the sale of all homes.
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Robert Laramee, Swansea University; Richard Roberts, Swansea University
Timing your call can be crucial to fend off frustration.
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Jim Saker, Loughborough University
Volvo might be the first car company to go all-electric, but it's far from the market leader and petrol will continue to be relied upon.
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Health + Medicine
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Susan Giaimo, Marquette University
From hospital waiting lists to suicide rates, here's how cuts affected health in Ireland and Greece.
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Sophie Hodgetts, University of Sunderland
A new study suggested that menstruating does not impact a woman's mental performance. But the relationship between hormones and the brain isn't that simple.
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Emma Wightman, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Red wine may not explain the French paradox but chemicals within it do have a positive effect on health.
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Arts + Culture
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Adrián Maldonado, University of Glasgow
Archaeologists believed there was too little left from the time of the saint who Christianised the Scottish Picts to prove the legend. Turns out they were wrong.
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Leshu Torchin, University of St Andrews
Documentaries are vital vehicles for explaining the world.
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Featured events
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Newton Park, Bath, Somerset, BA2 9BN, United Kingdom — Bath Spa University
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Teras Room 2, Main Arts Building, Bangor University,, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, United Kingdom — Bangor University
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Leeds Trinity University, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5HD, Leeds, Leeds, LS18 5HD, United Kingdom — The Open University
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The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom — University of East Anglia
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