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Is there a hero gene?

Issue 1037

Is there a hero gene?

What makes a hero? Would you save a baby from chilly waters, like a man recently did in Somerset? We examine whether noble bravery is something latent within us all – if there really is a hero gene…

Also in this week’s Big Issue…

Borgen star Sidse Babett Knudsen on being an unlikely heroine in Britain, her work/life balance and her favourite film

Frances O’Grady, the first female boss of the TUC, is ready to face down the coming cuts

Johnny Marr talks working-class ethics and the possibility of The Smiths reforming in Letter To My Younger Self

John Bird contemplates mortality and courage through Lincoln and the Holocaust

Samira Ahmed on Walt Disney and the ups and downs of authenticity

A report on the big response we’ve had to #celebrateyourvendor

Plus, Baftas chief Amanda Berry, Kerry Godliman – starring in the controversial new Ricky Gervais show Derek – the week’s cultural highlights in your area, Street Lights, competitions, and much more!