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Research

How classical sculpture helped to set impossible standards of beauty

What do we mean when we say that someone has ‘classical’ good looks? Are male nudes in art appropriate viewing for family audiences? In looking at the arguments ignited by the opening, in 1854, of an exhibition of Greek and Roman statuary, Dr Kate Nichols explores the ways in which notions of beauty, morality and gender are intertwined.

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Research

Gaia satellite and amateur astronomers spot one in a billion star

The Gaia satellite has discovered a unique binary system where one star is ‘eating’ the other, but neither star has any hydrogen, the most common element in the Universe. The system could be an important tool for understanding how binary stars might explode at the end of their lives.

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Video and audio

Make it Digital!

Broadcasting from the centre of Cambridge, the Naked Scientists delve into our digital age. What are the wonders and worries we face with current technology? Find out who is using your online data, and the dangers of connecting to public Wi-Fi.

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Research
"The Code Of Honor—A Duel In The Bois De Boulogne, Near Paris", wood engraving by Godefroy Durand

To the death

Dr John Leigh has written the first book exclusively devoted to the duel in literature. In Touché, he offers a compelling picture of the ways in which novelists, playwrights and poets have used duelling as a trope to reveal the extent of manly valour, trickery and sheer foolishness.

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Museums and collections

The Titan Arum has bloomed

The Titan Arum, Amorphophallus titanum aka corpse flower, has now flowered at the Botanic Garden. The gardens are now open as usual until 6pm tonight for viewings.

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