Mind's Eye Prep 2024

P E R P

2024

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

I am, once again, astonished by the pre-teen wisdom displayed in our annual magazine for prep schools, and by the sophistication of their writing!

In the following pages, personal health and happiness come first. Our writers lament impossible beauty standards set by social media, modern life causing bouts of anxiety, handedness making life more awkward than it should be, and the persistence of gender ‘ ‘ vu is inequality letting down half the population. But there is hope for all because Deja now neuro-scientifically explicable, and playing sport, sea-swimming and drinking coffee can all raise your spirits, as can petting dogs and horses, and helping to secure the global welfare of wild lizards and sharks. Most importantly, top-quality make-up at a decent price can be bought in-store at Sephora.

Sport is celebrated, as it is every year. The joys of skiing, netball, sailing and sprinting are joined, surprisingly, by tightrope-walking, and heroes such as Usain Bolt and Don Bradman ‘podium’ alongside a young lady who, at the age of fourteen, managed to sail solo round the world. And the tricky topic of trans competition is handled with great skill and tact.

There is a therapeutic strand in the culture writing too: we’re told that art and music have healing properties. We’re also told that the craft of flags deserves a better press and the novelist Harper Lee, artist Banksy and film-makers Walt Disney and ‘ ‘ deserve thanks for the riches they have given us all.

George Melies Technology never misses out in Mind’s Eye Prep. Developments in the last twelve months provoke expert discussions of gaming and computer coding, alongside concern about the sinister spread of surveillance cameras, the clinical rise of Apple Inc. and the persistent horror of sweat shops in the Far East.

Further afield, there are colourful articles on Tibet, India, Dubai, Kenya and the Seychelles, and several pieces of ‘big history’ about the evolution of culture and biology in our primate species. And if the scope of such anthropology is not wide enough for you, there are also detailed studies of the sun, moon, stars and the Big Bang.

Enjoy.

Anthony Lyons Editor The King’s School Canterbury Design by Cobweb Creative

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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18 Beauty Rules

By Alyse Baines

19 Saved by the dog

By Sam Smith

20 Under Cover

By Megan Munro

38 Happy Place

By Zoe Coombs

e 40 Cosmic Lighthous

By James Mather

42 Crowning Glory

By Aaryan Mitra

44 High Life

By Emily Vermeeren

Povlsen

46 Good Read

By Kirah P-J

22 Code Read

By Matthew Coat

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24 Wait Up

By Isobel Bispham

25 Trans Sport

By Hattie Milton

26 Mystery Moon

By Tymofii Ladnyi

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82 Thinking ahead

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84 Bright Ideas

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86 Going Forward

By Rohan Bissett

62 Don’t do it

By Sophie F

64 Saving Faith

By Lana C

66 Mood Music

By Torben Brown

68 Playing Ball

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69 Say Cheese!

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magine what a strange experience it is for humans to travel into space. Then imagine how totally mind-boggling it would be for your pet to do this.

They would have no idea what was going on. However, various space missions have done just that, and several animals have now experienced the marvel of space travel.

examined. Hundreds of courageous humans have experienced space travel all because of these die-hard animals.

I would need many hands to count every negative of sending an animal into space. It is just cruel and repugnant behaviour to use an animal as a test subject and cause them such distress. In addition, many have died during the re-entry or when their capsule failed.

Those animals deserve better treatment and to live their life with their own species. Animals are forced to give up their time to prepare, by being locked in a tight space at a young age.

The first-ever animal to travel into space was a fruit fly in a V2 rocket on 20th February 1947. Ever since then, many more creatures have orbited the Moon and the Earth. Some have survived; others were not so lucky. Do you think it is ethical to Tragically, send animals into space for analysis and Laika died from research? Or do you believe it is cruel? Read overheating and on and this article may determine your final panic 4-7 days after lift-off. view.

The process of sending these truly heroic animals into space takes a lot of time and care. Primarily, the scientists must make sure their animals are small and light so that they fit in their capsule. In addition, the animal chosen would have been observed, under research conditions, for an extensive period so that scientists would know everything about them and deem them suitable for the mission. Animals are trained for confinement by being locked in a tight cell.

Countless different species have experienced being sent into space. There is a vast range from mammals to amphibians: monkeys, apes, dogs, cats, mice, rats, rabbits, and a frog! Although you may think that is all, there are different creepy-crawlies, birds, reptiles – and even fish – that have experienced it too: spiders, quail eggs, tortoises and even Medaka fish!

So, why is the scientific community putting animals through such stress and an ordeal no creature would choose to live through? The answer is simple: purely to test survivability and the potential for sending humans to the stars. Subsequently, other scientific phenomena, such as radiation and weightlessness, have been

From my personal standpoint, Laika was my favourite animal to ever be sent into the cosmos. This soviet space dog from Russia was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the earth. A mongrel, also known as a non-breed dog, she was sent in the Sputnik 2 spacecraft on the 3rd November 1957.

The mission aimed to prove that a living organism could survive being launched into orbit and continue to function under increased radiation. Tragically, Laika died from overheating and panic 4-7 days after lift-off.

A possible cause of her death was the failure of the central r-7 sustainer during her flight. The true cause and time of her death were not made public until 2002; instead, it was reported that she died when her oxygen ran out on day six or, as the Soviet government initially claimed, she was euthanised prior to oxygen depletion.

Flying an animal into space is cruel and dangerous.

In my opinion, you should never use animals as test subjects because they are just as important as humans.

In the words of Antony D. Williams: ‘We search for life on other planets and in other regions of our galaxy.

Meanwhile, we destroy and ignore the other life on this planet.’ Although animals have shown some incredible dedication to their work, they should not have to die for a human’s sake.

Photo: Laika (c 1954-1957) was launched in Sputnik 2 on 3 November 1957. She died of overheating.

Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

Preparations for the flight. Icarus Films / Courtesy Everett Collection.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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e h T

Red

Cross

Elena R-G of Cumnor

House explains why we still need the red cr oss.

T

he Red Cross is a life-changing charity that works in 192 countries and has branches such as the Red Crescent (the Muslim equivalent) and the American Red Cross (that helps 181 million people outside of the US). These linked organisations work primarily in disease prevention and rescue after disasters and in conflict zones. The Red Cross works directly on the battlefield unlike other organizations that send help from afar.

The Red Cross was set up by a Swiss executive in 1859. He founded the famous charity after seeing the devastation and destruction caused by war. That was 165 years ago and the Red Cross is still very much needed today. We really do not appear to have learnt from our mistakes. There are over twenty different ongoing wars, conflicts and disagreements in the world right now that currently require 8

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

the Red Cross’s involvement. The Red been helping Ukraine for the past two Cross supplies humanitarian aid (such years. As the Red Cross is neutral it did as food, drinking water, offer to help Russia but medicine and dressings Vladimir Putin refused The Red Cross was for wounds) to many of any humanitarian set up by a Swiss executive in 1859. these conflict zones. assistance. This is much He founded the like North Korea in famous charity The Red Cross is one the 2000s. It was also after seeing the of the main charities refusing all humanitarian devastation and destruction caused that has been trying aid even though there by war. to recover through was a famine and many diplomatic channels the were dying. I think Putin hostages that have been taken in Gaza refused the help from the Red Cross and to return them to their families. Aid because the charity sometimes collects has reached Gaza during the pause in evidence of war crimes; although it combat, an organized stop in fighting, is politically neutral, it also works for which allowed significant numbers of the right and just all the time. The Red prisoners from both sides to return to Cross collected war crime evidence in their countries and families. The Red Gaza and Israel.

Cross made this possible.

A big part of the success of the Red The Red Cross is politically neutral Cross is its volunteers. Ever since its although it does go where aid is most beginnings, women have been allowed needed and wanted. The Red Cross has to volunteer and engage actively in

he of t e t r a h p t A bigcess of its suc ross is . s C Red lunteer vo

providing aid. After volunteering, quite a few women have moved on into politics or media to try to bring about change. I think this is because these women have seen the horrors of a war first-hand and want to make a difference through politics and media.

Claire Bertsch Inger, for example, worked for the Red Cross and exposed the famine (1984) in Ethiopia. She was interviewed by Michael Buerk (a BBC presenter) on television. In that interview she was able to highlight the extent of the Ethiopian famine and this motivated Bob Geldof to organize Live Aid: this was a fundraising concert held on the 13th of July 1985 that raised a staggering £114m that was used to alleviate some of the problems caused by the famine.

Ever sinc e its beginning s, women have been al to volunt lowed eer and engage a ctively in providing aid.

We still need the Red Cross. The Red Cross still helps millions of people worldwide. Without the Red Cross millions of valuable lives would be lost.

We should all support the Red Cross.

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Coffee k a e r B

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

ts Asian Palm Cive ies rr be e th e um cons ey th e us and, beca em, can’t ingest th a o rg de they un special kind of in the fermentation stomach.

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In the 15th Century a law was passed in Turkey that women could divorce their husbands if they weren’t providing them with enough coffee.

id you know that coffee is the second-most-traded material on The most expensive coffee is found in cat Earth, or that it has been shown faeces but sells for £80 a cup! Asian Palm to reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s by Civets consume the berries and, because 65%? Probably not. Even though millions they can’t ingest them, they undergo a of people drink coffee every day, not many special kind of fermentation in the cat’s people have done additional research: stomach. The farmers collect, wash, and sell Where does it come from? Is it good for us? the recovered berries as Kopi What is the average number one story claims Luwak coffee. of espresso shots in each cup? a farmer had a I decided to take a deep dive herd of goats In the 15th Century a law was into the rather exotic liquid that would start dancing whenever passed in Turkey that women that’s part of many people’s they ate red could divorce their husbands lives. berries from a if they weren’t providing them bush. with enough of the drink, 74% of Americans are daily and this was one of the first instances of coffee consumers, while only 63% regularly women being able to divorce men. By then, consume it in England. Some of the most coffee had been so deeply incorporated popular kinds of coffee are Arabica and into the culture that this seemed perfectly Robusta (77 and 141 milligrams of caffeine acceptable. Such is the power of coffee! each respectively), espressos (63-80 milligrams), lattes and black coffee. Did you They say necessity is the mother of know that coffee beans are fruit pits, not invention, and this is certainly true for beans? And coffee was originally chewed, the webcam. The story goes that in 1991 not brewed, by African tribes centuries ago? researchers at Cambridge were annoyed by They used to grind up the beans, mix them having to get up to make coffee and, more with animal fat and roll them into energyimportantly, by the disappointment of an rich coffee balls! empty pot. And so they made a webcam to monitor the whereabouts of the coffee pot.

Although there are many different origin stories about how coffee was discovered, So, the next time you line up in Starbucks, one such story claims that a farmer had Costa or even stand at your own kettle, a herd of goats that would start dancing you might taste a difference by reflecting whenever they ate red berries from a bush. on these facts about coffee. Why not tell The farmer took some of this mystical red your barista? Or regale your colleagues and fruit to a monk, who mashed up the berries classmates with stories about a drink that to make a drink. He drank it and stayed up has one of the most fascinating histories? all night, thus discovering coffee.

Did you know that coffee beans are fruit pits, not beans? And coffee was originally chewed, not brewed, by African tribes centuries ago? They used to grind up the beans, mix them with animal fat and roll them into energy-rich coffee balls!

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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t h g

i e H

of Ambitio n

Philippe Petit crosses a highwire between the Twin Towers, August 1974. AP Photo/Alan Welner.

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

Raefe Davy of S

olefield Schoo l explains wha t you n the high wire.

need to soar o

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ave you ever tried keeping your balance while walking along a thin wire or rope? This is the art of tightrope-walking, also known as funambulism. If you are a dare devil, you might take it one step further and try high wire – basically the same sport but performed at a height of at least 20 feet (6 metres).

Now, you might be wondering what skills you would need to become a high-wire walker. Good posture is a starting point. You also need to lower your centre of gravity and can do this by bending your knees to lower your hips. And then work on your balance and don’t fall off! Do this by sticking your arms out horizontally to spread your weight. The effect can be boosted by carrying a long balancing pole. In addition to your body being where it should be, you also need your mind in the right place. Here’s where confidence and unbreakable nerves come in.

Philippe Petit, now 73, is a famous highwire walker.

When Philippe was only 6 years old, he had a passion for magic, juggling and acrobatics. This developed into highwire walking, and he has performed an array of stunts, such as a handstand on the edge of the North Tower of the Twin Towers, walking between the steeples of Notre Dame Cathedral and walking across the edge of Sydney harbour bridge.

Petit crossed multiple times and rested in between. AP Photo/Alan Welner.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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Helen Skelton walks on a tightrope between two of the chimneys at Battersea Power Station, London. PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo.

Helen manag ed between the to cover 150m (492 ft) chimneys at Battersea Power Station a dizzying hei ght of 66m.

The police called his act the ‘artistic crime of the century’.

Philippe Petit lying down on a tightrope between the Twin Towers, more than 1,300 feet in the air with no safety harness. August 1974.

walk for charity. When she was 27, Helen managed to cover 150m (492 Most famously, in 1974, Phillippe ft) between the Battersea Power walked between the Twin Towers Station chimneys at a dizzying height illegally with no safety of 66m. She completed Most famously, measures and ended this in 11 minutes using in 1974, Phillippe up being arrested. The an 8m-long balance walked between the Twin Towers police called his act the pole. illegally with no ‘artistic crime of the safety measures. century’. And even at If you ever find yourself the age of 73 he has not retired and inspired by highwire walkers like is now planning to highwire a fivePetit or Skelton, do not try this at storey building in Washington DC. home! Find a circus academy to show you the ropes – and, of course, DON’T Before our journey ends, I want FALL OFF! to tell you about Helen Skelton, a former Blue Peter presenter, who was inspired by the documentary about Philippe Petit walking between the Twin Towers. She trained in France to perform a death-defying tightrope-

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

Going

o l So

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Louis Delstanche of

Vinehall admires th e youngest person ate the globe solo.

ever to circumnavig

L

aura Dekker was the youngest person in the world to sail singlehanded around the world. This amazing journey took 518 days, and she covered about 27,000 miles on a 40-foot boat called Guppy.

Laura was born in New Zealand on the 20th September 1995 whilst her parents (a Dutch father and a German mother) were on a seven-year sailing trip. Laura grew up having a strong bond with the ocean and spent the first five years of her life regularly sailing with her father. When her parents split up in 2002, Laura stayed with her father in New Zealand whilst her younger sister and mother returned to the Netherlands. She continued her 16

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

passion for sailing, and owned several boats, all named Guppy.

Guppy, sailing around the Netherlands.

When she was 13, her father suggested that she sailed to England to gain On Laura’s sixth birthday, she received a experience (in fact he was trying to dinghy sailing boat that she put her off, as he knew quickly learned to sail on the strong weather and Laura grew up her own and on her eighth rough seas she would having a strong birthday she got a book encounter). However, bond with the ocean and spent called ‘Maiden Voyage’, a she made it across the the first five story about a female who North Sea to Lowestoft years of her life sailed around the world regularly sailing and then the local solo. This inspired Laura to authorities in England with her father. continue her sailing path requested that her and her next plans were very ambitious. father come to the UK to accompany her on her return journey (putting her With the help of her father, Laura in a children’s home until he arrived). bought a bright red ketch (a twomasted sailing boat). Laura spent her In August 2009, she announced her entire 2008 summer holiday on board plan to sail solo around the world.

in Ju pare ly 2010, h n back ts were er giv r and t esponsib en il h her t ey allo ity wed o set her v s oyag ail on e aged only 14.

She was well prepared to take on the challenge, as well as having the backing of her father. However, the Dutch government had other ideas and tried to stop her and started a series of eight court cases that took more than ten months. Eventually, in July 2010, her parents were given back responsibility and they allowed her to set sail on her voyage aged only 14.

Laura Dekker arrives on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. Photo: AFP

On the 4th August 2010, Laura left from the Netherlands and headed for Portugal. Her father was on board until she got to Gibraltar. She eventually set sail from Gibraltar for the Caribbean on 21st August 2010 with the aim of completing a single-handed round-theworld trip. On 21st January 2012 after many amazing experiences (including capsizing 20 times!) she arrived back in St. Maarten in the Caribbean at the age of 16, making her the youngest person to ever circumnavigate the world solo.

During and after the voyage, Laura became quite well known and took part in several publicity campaigns promoting her circumnavigation. She also became the youngest person ever to obtain the Yacht Master Ocean Certificate, a highly regarded sailing qualification. In 2018 Laura donated her beloved Guppy to a charity to teach young children to sail. Sadly it was announced later that Guppy was wrecked on a reef in the Pacific Ocean. In 2018 Laura set up the Laura Dekker World Sailing Foundation to provide sailing experiences and life lessons for young people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds, helping them to learn skills such as teamwork and leadership and to develop selfconfidence and responsibility.

Having sailed quite a bit myself and enjoyed physical challenges such as the Three Peaks, I find Laura’s story inspirational.

d back in she arrive n in the e t r a St. Ma at the n Caribbea aking m , 16 f age o gest un her the yo ver e to n o s per e the at ig circumnav o. l o s d l r wo Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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Beauty Rules

ts oduc p pr dients u e k gre y ma Man harsh in promise m e o al c hav atur can e that skin’s n rier. Th r e r u r a o o b y m e ectiv use, the t o r p u e yo u need. mor yo

ia are wrecking

med Alyse Baines of SJCS claims social the self-confidence of girls.

S

ocial media have had a huge and negative impact on the mental health and social confidence of young girls. It's always ‘Oh, she’s so beautiful, I wish I had her face’ or ‘I wish I had her stomach’ or ‘I wish I was that skinny’.

Social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram and Snapchat, have caused girls’ insecurities to skyrocket.

Perhaps a solid example would be helpful. Girls will be scrolling through TikTok and come across a GRWM (Get Ready With Me) and there will be a drop-dead gorgeous girl presenting the video. She will most likely be ranting about the ‘imperfections’ of her face and skin, although she looks beautifully unreal, even before putting on her makeup. She will continue to ‘get ready’ and coat her face in serums and foundations that will influence all the girls watching her, thinking they need to wear makeup that will maybe make them ‘pretty’, when in reality it would hide their natural beauty.

Well-known influencers on Tiktok, such as ‘Katie Fang’ or ‘Tallulah Metcalfe’ or ‘Issey Moloney’, make really enjoyable videos that are fun to watch because they include the audience and they are very relatable. Some other influencers, however, aren't as nice. They get sent free packages from brands and they’re not even grateful. They will make sure you see all their expensive products and make you feel jealous and sad.

Many makeup products have harsh ingredients that can compromise your skin’s natural protective barrier. The more you use, the more you need. Makeup clogs your pores, which leads to acne breakouts, so in trying to make yourself look prettier by covering your face with harmful products you 18

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

end up making your skin worse. This makes girls even more insecure, making them feel like they are ‘ugly’ or ‘disgusting’, when they are in fact really pretty.

On platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram and TikTok, there seems to be an unwritten rule about always having to be thin otherwise you're ‘overweight’, but you can’t be too thin otherwise you're ‘anorexic’. There seems to be an unwritten rule about always having to wear makeup to be pretty, otherwise you're ‘ugly’, but you can’t draw attention or wear too much otherwise you're ‘trying too hard’. There seems to be an unwritten rule about always having to eat healthy food otherwise you are ‘fat’ and ‘unhealthy’, but you can never eat too much healthy food otherwise you're ‘trying to impress someone’ or ‘you’re boring and never have fun’. All of these ‘rules’ are confusing and unnecessary and have all come from social media. There is no good reason for these platforms to exist. Everybody is beautiful just the way they are.

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Saved by the

F

Dog

rom my own experience of Thanks to the help of Bunker, Julie is now owning a dog I have first-hand an award-winning author with quite a understanding of few books to her name. what it is like caring for an Julie now lives in Northern animal. My dog has definitely California with her husband, For Julie, Bunker has become influenced my life for the two daughters, and a small more than just better. menagerie of pets. a friend: he has become a lifesaver.

Are you stressed or suffering from anxiety? Are you lonely?

Do you want to get fit? Do you want to change your state of mind for the better? Dogs help with all these things.

This is a simple yet brilliant example of how a dog can change someone's life, no matter how troubled they are. Bunker is living proof that an animal can help someone's mental health for the better.

Sam Smith of SJCS shows how dogs can improve our lives.

Julie Barton is the perfect illustration of the benefits of owning a dog and how a pet has changed her life. At the age of 22 Julie was diagnosed with clinical depression. The depression was severe, and Julie and her family could not find anything to suppress it, let alone cure it.

Julie tried everything: medicine, family holidays, lots of rest and sleep but nothing seemed to work.

This was until she got a dog called Bunker. Bunker changed everything and helped to get Julie back on track. Because of Bunker, Julie had a reason to get out of bed in the morning, to get out of the house. For Julie, Bunker has become more than just a friend: he has become a life-saver.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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Cover

by of Banksy t r A t e e r t St The Secre JCS. Munro of S

Megan

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“

Banksy’s most famous artwork is the Balloon Girl, which is in Waterloo, London.

as it w ng n o o ti as s he pain ed t hr d sol an to s was beg ; there der lf ed itse er shr he t p a o a p ilt int ath rne e bu d n u ing. me fra e paint th

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anksy is an artist with an exceptional talent for finding art where no one else can. He deliver messages to the public, about looks at everyday objects and makes political oppression, war crimes and them into a work of art, using stencils world injustice. and spray paint. No one knows what Banksy’s real name is, but people Banksy has at least 37 artworks around say his actual name is Robert Banks. Bristol and London, and some even in There have been occasional interviews Los Angeles and Bethlehem. The value with Banksy, and he hides his identity of Banksy’s artwork can be huge. The wearing an old cap and a reason for the high prices?

He has T-shirt over his face, leaving Banksy’s art is very rare managed his eyes uncovered. He has and very famous and very to keep his managed to keep his identity fashionable. identity a a secret since 1993, because secret since 1993. he could face criminal charges Banksy’s most famous for vandalism, property artwork is the Balloon Girl, destruction and criminal mischief. In which is in Waterloo, London. It made one interview, the interviewer said, another appearance as a painting in ‘We don’t mind passing your details to Sotheby’s London. At the auction the the police.’ Banksy only answered with, painting sold for £1.4 million, but as ‘Well, what details have you got?’ soon it was sold the painting began to shred itself; there was a paper shredder We all know some of Banksy’s art: the built into the frame underneath the balloon girl, bomb hugger, spy booth painting and it shredded halfway and many more. But do you know why before it malfunctioned. After all this he came into spray-painting in the first publicity, the painting was re-sold place? When Banksy was younger, he again but this time for £25.4 million! was inspired by a graffiti artist called Banksy had intended for the artwork Robert Del Naja, also known as 3D. to be shredded the whole way through Robert is a British artist, musician, the frame, falling in worthless tatters singer and songwriter. He emerged on the floor. Banksy later complained: as a graffiti artist in Bristol and was a ‘In rehearsals it worked every time.’ member of the band Massive Attack. The huge point he was trying to make Robert is now a singer and in 2009 he about capitalism and wealth massively received the British Academy’s Ivor back-fired. Award for his outstanding contribution to music. Banksy was also wanting to

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

21

CODE d a Re Matthew Coates of Ne

wton Prep asks if yo u ional thinking.

can teach computat

C

omputational thinking is the process of breaking down a problem into simple steps that can be easily turned into instructions for a computer. This is becoming increasingly important in our age of digitalisation and the rise of AI. But this raises an important question: Can you teach someone to think computationally? If so, what methods can be applied?

Teaching program design using a conventional, lecture-based approach is difficult. In my own experience, a teacher explaining on the whiteboard each line in a computer program is not an effective way to understand why the program was written that way or how to build one yourself.

But the same internet technologies that make computational thinking so important also open up new ways to 22

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

teach and learn it. For example, Scratch easy to read, and the code blocks can’t is a web-based coding environment be attached to each other in non-logical where people can create order, Scratch isolates the programs by dragging computational thinking I learned to use colour-coded blocks aspect of programming. ray-casting to together. The blocks are The interface makes the work out what a character can shaped like puzzle pieces, syntax appear naturally, ‘see’, and later so that only blocks that vastly simplifying the flow on I built this up make sense together from ideas to instructions. to produce a 3D can be attached. The maze game.

Scratch website lets you Other coding apps for build, save, and run your kids can be even simpler, projects, and display your finished like Scratch Junior and Kodu, but this projects publicly. can be a disadvantage. These apps make it easy to get from code to idea, Programming is a combination of being because they are made up of blocks able to use the right syntax to express that take very specific actions (like your logical steps and computational ‘stun a character’ or ‘make my character thinking. Scratch’s block-based coding dance’) but make it harder to go from engine, where programs are produced ideas to code because the language by dragging blocks of code together makes it difficult to express actions that and where the syntax reads almost go beyond the pre-set scenarios. That exactly like English, is a very useful is, the languages are too limiting. learning aid. Because the syntax is so

rnet e inte that m a s ies the olog nal techn omputatio c o make hinking s o t als tant s impor p new way n r u open h and lea c a e to t it.

This requires a balance, which is exactly what Scratch does. It has many simple, general-purpose blocks that a beginning coder can easily assemble into whatever structure they need (like ‘repeat these actions until a condition is met’ or ‘when my character is touching something red, do this’). You can also browse the Scratch website to see projects produced by other users and look at how they do things for inspiration. For example, this was how I learned to use ray-casting to work out what a character can ‘see’, and later on I built this up to produce a 3D maze game.

A great next step, or a good starting point for more mature programmers, is Python. This is a powerful language with easy-to-understand syntax and much more flexibility than Scratch. For example, in Python it is easy to define new functions, and to work with lists of objects. Python is used for middleware in lots of modern platforms: bringing

like ls d o o t an e New thon ak Py tch m ing a m r m Sc gra re pro ch mo le. mu ssib e acc

in data, processing it, and passing it on to other systems. This is because of its support for its large number of available libraries and tools and many APIs (Application Processing Interfaces).

For example, I used Python to make an ‘AI-powered ghost’, by making calls to Microsoft Azure (to listen for speech and convert it to text) and then to OpenAI (to pass the text to ChatGPT, asking it to roleplay a response) and then back to Azure again (to speak the response using a human-like synthetic voice).

Computational thinking is rewarding and immensely useful. It is an essential skill that everyone should try to develop.

New tools like Python and Scratch make programming much more accessible and, as we move into an increasingly high-tech world, computational thinking and programming will become more and more important.

into move as we reasingly , an inc ch world ing e k t in h h t hig l nal tatio mming wil e u p m a r co r o g m d ro and p e more an t. m n o a c t e r b impo

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I

bet at some point in your life you’ve had to wait for something. The results of something important? An exam?

An interview? Or maybe something not so important. You just sent that rant to your best friend? See those three dots on the bottom of the screen? I know you’re feeling that slight dread rising in your stomach, that boulder in your throat. Tests?

Hard. Test results? Horrible. But why?

Wait Up! Isobel Bispham of SJCS explains how to cure anxiety.

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Scientists have been researching this using a method where the participants are sorted into three different groups and given a small electric shock: one group is told they are going to feel it; one isn’t told; and one is told that they might feel it. The third group had a much larger reaction, and it increased their discomfort significantly. It also heightened this response when the senses of one of the participants was taken away.

The feeling of uncertainty is almost There are lots and lots of ways you can worse than disappointment, and combat and eventually overcome this fear. studies show that the less you know, Possibly the most important is identifying the more you worry. Often, people will the cause and calming yourself down. turn down a chance for a better job on the Focusing on things that you can control off chance they might not and reminding yourself that it get it. This fear is often tied isn’t actually a life-threatening Focusing on things that you into anxiety, and people situation can help. can control with anxiety are prone to and reminding a heightened fear of the Your best friend has replied yourself that it uncertain. with a text that warms your isn’t actually a life-threatening heart, and your anxiety situation can help.

Eventually, it all goes back to dissipates. What were you the fight or flight response worried about anyway? Well, which happens when we experience anxiety now you know: there was no scary predator, or fear. Let me explain. Fight or flight (also and you may not have aced that test, but known as the acute stress response) is a at least you’re calmer now. There is not a natural phenomenon, where your amygdala single chance you’re going to meet a woolly sends a chain of reactions through mammoth in your life, so I think you’re your body, indicating that a predator pretty safe. or other threat is nearby. This triggers catecholamines (a category of hormones that increase heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate) to start working, and you feel an adrenaline rush. Also, it raises your stress levels, giving you a sense of impending doom.

This reaction was superimportant and lifesaving back in the Stone Age, and still is useful today, but your body isn’t great at discerning a real threat from normal day-to-day life.

% of y 0.5 ation l h g Rou ’s popul as UK d the tify iden nder an e e g h t s tran r 1% of ome unde tion bec l la na popu ofessio . s r e p t e athl

Tranosrt Sp

r trans women d to compete in women‘s sport.

Hattie Milton of SJCS wonders whethe should be allowe

S

hould transgender athletes be banned from the Olympics and other sporting events? Some sports, such as England Field Hockey, argue that because it’s a non-contact sport trans athletes should be allowed to play.

Others suggest that there should be a separate category for transgender athletes. Roughly 0.5% of the UK’s population identify as transgender and under 1% of the population become professional athletes.

The case against transgender women taking part in women’s sporting events is based on the argument that trans women have an unfair advantage because of their strength. When boys are aged 13 to 14 they experience changes in their bodies that make them physically stronger than girls. This is why senior schools and sports clubs often don’t play mixed sports because the boys have an advantage that would be unfair on the girls.

Men are physically stronger than women. Statistics show that in a 100m sprint in the Rio Olympics in 2016 the men’s first-place time was 9.81 seconds (Usain Bolt) and the women’s first-place time was 10.71 seconds (Elain Thompson-Herah). So the woman’s top time would not even have placed if she was in the men’s category and certainly wouldn’t have won gold. She probably wouldn’t have even qualified, or she would come last because the eighth-place time was 10.60 seconds, and her time was 10.71. If a trans woman competed against women, she would be likely to win given her unfair advantage.

But it can be argued that a transgender player will have stronger passes or can hit further, and the teams would have to adapt to their playing style.

Australian-born transgender cricketer, Danielle McGahey, will no longer be able to play at an international level because the ICC has said that any player who has been through male puberty will not be able to compete in the women’s game at an elite level. World Athletics likewise has voted to ban transgender women from elite competitions if they have undergone male puberty.

In the Olympics the IOC has said that transgender women have an unfair advantage but that each individual sport will have to make its own decision. The IOC has changed the rules for the Summer Olympics in 2024. There was one transgender woman competing in weightlifting in 2020 but she was eliminated due to not being able to complete any of her lifts. th tha e IOC h t a wo trans s sai unf men h gend d er air ave a indi but th dvantaan vid at g hav ual s each e e to por tw own m dec ake itsill isio n.

England women’s hockey has said it would allow a transgender woman on the team because hockey is a noncontact sport which, they argue, is unaffected by strength.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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Mystery

n o o M

Tymofii Ladnyi of Vinehall explores the mysterious anomalies of the moon.

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Y

ou may think that the Moon is a boring spherical satellite, but I don’t. Every night since I was 4 years old, I would go outside with my dad and little brother, and since that time, the moon has been a part of my life.

overlaps the disk of the Sun, making an impression that it is not inferior to the Sun in any shape or form.

Moreover, the Moon is sometimes so huge and bright that it casts a strong shadow from objects.

Have you heard that moonlight is considered to be Have you ever considered the fact that we have cold? Some experiments show that the sunlight, never seen the other side of the object which lies just reflected from the Moon to the Earth, makes objects in front of us right up in the sky? What if I tell you a little colder than similar objects nearby that are that the correct answer to this question is NO. It is shaded from the moonlight. Weird, isn’t it? How can universally known that all planets and all satellites just a normal reflected light make objects cooler? in our solar system spin around their All of these questions pique increased own axis and other planets in different The Moon breaks all interest in a deeper study of our satellite. directions. Nevertheless, one little the laws of Physics celestial body called The Moon breaks - it rotates around Another thing to point out is the physical our planet in such all the laws of Physics – it rotates around abnormalities of the Moon’s craters. an incredible way our planet in such an incredible way that They have a circular form, but is that that only one side of the Moon faces only one side of the Moon faces Earth. It even possible? This would require all the Earth. is weird, isn’t it? It’s like it was created meteorites to fall under a right angle, not as the result of the Big Bang and its which is next to impossible due to the chaotic consequences, but by some super-advanced constant rotation of all cosmic objects including the civilization. Hence, what kind of space engineers Moon. Craters are unlikely to be shaped as perfectly would be able to synchronize the orbit, the angle and rounded circles. And yet, in most images of the Moon, the speed of rotation of the Moon around the Earth in we are accustomed to seeing the Moon peppered with a constantly rotating way that, during that time, it is perfect, circular craters. always turned towards us with only one side? And this happens despite the fact that our planet is constantly Finally, it is well known that the Moon has a big moving in different directions at an enormous speed significant impact on our planet’s everyday life, as (about 1,000 mph around its axis and 67,000 mph its rhythms create tides and changes in temperature, around the Sun). along with the movements of the wind and much more.

There is one more oddity: the Moon is exactly 400 times closer to the Earth than the Sun, and at the same Every time I look at the Moon in the evenings, I time 400 times smaller than the Sun. That is why always ponder the many mysteries of the Moon. these two objects appear identical in the sky, despite These mysteries make me wonder about the nature huge differences in sizes and distances. Therefore, we of the formation of our satellite and its huge influence are able to observe solar eclipses when the Moon fully on our planet.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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ilers reta g on t s atin a e mo Whil oncentr Sephor , c n s o are website focus ) their put their eal life has IRL (in r ce. rien the expe

Pretty Powerful Celia Hicks of JKS asks why sephora

F

is so popular.

or those of you who are not into beauty, you may not have heard of the beloved, all-powerful and allconsuming beauty department store, Sephora. It is a retailer of beauty products with over 300 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, and sells a variety of different cosmetics: skincare, fragrance, nail colour, beauty tools, body lotions and haircare. It has been around for a while, but it has only recently arrived in the UK.

But others may say there is a different reason for Sephora’s crazy popularity. Social media. Young girls especially are easily influenced by TikTok and the hundreds of videos that show beautiful girls with their £100 moisturisers and ten-step skincare routines. This is certainly true, and some do obsess over things on social media. Although this could be seen as a problem, it is, undoubtedly, partly what is making Sephora do so well.

And, oh my, when it arrived in the UK did people get excited! Over 5,000 people queued up, some had even camped overnight, just to be the first through the doors of this beauty empire. The first store in the UK opened in Westfield White City in October 2022 and the second in Westfield Stratford in November 2023. I couldn’t make it on the opening day, but I made my own pilgrimage to the site a few weeks later.

Social media has helped create a teen obsession with buying beauty products, but Sephora has gone to great lengths to create a ‘beauty playground’ that fans flock to. This should be applauded when, these days, people are shopping online.

Sephora is creating a fun place to go, not just sit around at home pressing ‘Add to Basket’.

But why is it so special? At Sephora, buying beauty is a whole experience. Yes, you can get well-packaged products in lots of other stores but at Sephora there’s more. Along with the helpful shop assistants who are there to recommend exactly which foundation shade you need, to the various stations where you can try out many of the products, to the DJ booth playing groovy tunes as you shop, Sephora have nailed it. While most retailers are concentrating on their websites, Sephora has put their focus on the IRL (in real life) experience. ‘Making our stores exciting and engaging is a critical part of what we need to do,’ says Rougeot, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sephora.

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Ove r que 5,000 had ued u peop p, l ove even c some e a r m n ig t p thr o be t ht, jused oug he f t h ir of this the dost emp beaut ors y ire.

H

ave you ever wondered what the lowest instrument is, or the loudest?

out stick of bamboo. It is said to have a sound somewhere between a guitar and Vietnamese bamboo zither (which is most likely what it was inspired by). However, there are only two in the world, so very few people have heard it in person. I have listened to it online and it has a weird but beautiful sound, which is not heard by enough people.

I first became interested in weird instruments when I played the Last Post for Remembrance Day. I played the Last Post on the trumpet, but it was written for a bugle. I started looking into bugles, and how to play them. That got me interested in other types of trumpet, like the soprano or subcontrabass trumpet. From there I Next, I will tell you about the octobass. looked into other types of instruments The octobass is 12 feet high and can that I had never heard of before, like the play notes lower than humans can hear. octobass and the Ðàn Tre. The more that Though some might say this instrument I looked into these instruments, the more is pointless, when it is played well it has I felt that they deserved to be recognised a beautiful sound, like the rumbling of a and played. Here are some examples of volcano. There are only seven in the world, instruments that I think and they are very difficult deserve more time in the to play. They have three The instrument was spotlight. strings, and they are so handcrafted by big you can see the strings Vietnamese refugee Minh Tam Nguyen out I will begin by telling you vibrating when they’re of a metal can and a about what I think is one plucked. In order to fret hollowed-out stick of the most neglected the strings of the octobass of bamboo. instruments in the world. you have to press a pedal It is the Stradivarius viola, that pushes a lever onto supposedly the best viola in the world, the string, as the strings are too big to fret and it costs $45 million. It was made by with your fingers. The bow is made of solid Antonio Stradivari (a famous instrument wood and is too heavy to hold with just maker) and in 1701 was auctioned as the one hand. I think it is a shame that again best viola in the world. But nobody would such an interesting instrument is kept in buy it. People said it was too expensive, a museum and barely ever played. It is a and 322 years later it still does not have a truly unique instrument and I find it very home. I think it is really devastating that upsetting that it is not appreciated. instruments like these are not played just because they have been priced too highly. I myself am a devoted musician, and I play It was played by Peter Schidolf from 1964 the trumpet, the cornet and the drums, to 87, but has been in storage since. Don’t and I also sing. It makes me sad that some you think it’s sad that such an amazing of the world’s most interesting and unique instrument has not been played in nearly instruments are neglected or hidden away 40 years? I do. I would love to hear it played. because they are unusual. I hope that I have helped you appreciate just a few I will now talk about a lesser-known of these lesser-known instruments, and instrument, the Ðàn Tre. The Ðàn Tre have interested you in music, which is my was invented in a refugee camp in passion. the Philippines to cure a young man’s boredom. The instrument was handcrafted

by Vietnamese refugee Minh Tam Nguyen out of a metal can and a hollowed-

Rare

Music

Eliza B of Cumnor House laments the obscurity and neglect of the world‘s weirdest musical instruments.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

29

e one wants us to sav ll a eh n Vi f o Arlo Kent es. beautiful plac st o m ‘s ld r o w

I

f you have ever been to Kenya, you will know that its beautiful landscapes and wildlife are nothing short of spectacular, and these are spectacles we need to protect.

There are many reasons for protecting Kenya's natural wildlife.

First, many species in Kenya are already facing extinction for reasons like poaching and climate change. Only 8% of Kenya is protected by national parks, which leaves the rest open to poachers and other hunters, who continue to ruin this paradise. So, ask yourself this: do you really want a whole ecosystem to be destroyed by huntsmen? And as someone who has been there myself, I would hate to see it ruined by careless individuals.

Some of the ways we can stop people endangering these species is by going on protests, donating money and raising awareness online. There are many different charities you can donate to, like Kenya Wildlife Trust (KWT) and The Nature Conservancy, which both help preserve Kenya's natural wildlife. Many organisations are trying to help conserve Kenya’s wildlife, such as Conservation Capital, which aims to try and protect the indigenous wildlife, and make money from it at the same time, and African Impact, which aims to give out life-changing volunteer work and internships to people, so that they can help the wildlife as well. 

“

only 2,500 ’ Grevy’s Zebra are left in the wild.

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of the

a y n e

K

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31

Many organisations are trying to help conserve Kenya’s wildlife, such as Conservation Capital, Kenya Wildlife Trust (KWT) and The Nature Conservancy.

One of the most endangered species in Kenya is the African Elephant. Every day, 100 elephants are killed and every year 20,000 are slaughtered for their body parts, meat, and tusks. These animals are one of many species who are suffering because of our lack of help. One of the other species that are going extinct is Grévy’s Zebra, only 2,500 of which are left in the wild, due to illegal hunting, and drought caused by climate change.

One of the main threats that Kenya and the rest of the world are facing is climate change.

Kenya and other countries in the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer have rainy and dry seasons, instead of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Because of climate change, these seasons are now becoming much more intense, which means it is much harder for animals to find food and water.

We don’t just need to protect the animals in Kenya. We also need to help the people in Kenya who (though not all of them) have to

Eve ele ry day kill phant , 100 yea ed and s are sla r 20,0 every 0 the ughter 0 are ir b ed f mea o t, a dy par or nd tus ts, ks.

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We al help t so need to h Kenya e people in who (t hough not a l have t l of them) o they h pray that food ave enough an last t d water to hem t he day .

pray that they have enough food and water to last them the day. We can help these people by donating money to charities that help feed, clothe and give water to all the people who are not as fortunate as us. But we don’t need to just do this. We also have to give them more medical support because there are many diseases in Africa. Many villages in Kenya get their water from rivers, but the water is filthy since it is also where animals bathe and drink, so the water can cause cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, Hepatitis A, and many more diseases.

We must try our hardest to preserve the incredible beauty of this landscape, as well as the rest of the world, as it helps the ecosystem to balance out, which also lowers greenhouse gas emissions, for future generations to come.

We must also help the people of Kenya, suffering from drought and climate change, so their children will be able to experience this breathtaking world.

“

We must try our hardest to preserve the incredible beauty of this landscape, as well as the rest of the world.

s in ge water a l vil heir t the ny t Ma get s, bu since r hy a e y v e i Ken om r s filt wher d fr er i lso he an t wa is a bat it als nk. m dri ani

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f o g n i m ea

Dr

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e s i d a Par

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of Skippers Hill ary is the seychelles. tells us why her sanctu

Clemmie Hammond-Waters

T

he Seychelles is heavenly. It has the most The day is warm and blissful where you could spend beautiful clear-glass ocean. The environment your time snorkelling, scuba-diving or just enjoying is tropical. You can let go of your stress and dip the sun on a towel. The night remains tropical but your toes into silky, smooth, grainy sand. I found this cooler and refreshing aromas cluster the air. There country spiritual because of the amazing effect it had are also beautiful hikes that surround that earthy, on me. I have had many dreams swimming in the glass natural island with glistening views that will drop your waters. The marine life is superb with such a variety of jaw. The ocean is clear as plastic but underneath it is many different specimens anyone would love to come a marine party filled with colours and life. Amazing to this world. Would you want to swim in clear waters, marine animals live here, like whale sharks, reef sharks, tan your skin with bliss and feel the warm octopuses, puffer fish and even dolphins. soothing breeze against your body?

The island cost is cheaper than Bali, with Even in the an even bigger range of activities like I winter it is luxuriously When I first came to the beautiful island of have listed above. If you came here, if you hot, so you Saint Anne in 2022, my mind wondered if saw the luxurious surroundings, then you could enjoy I was conscious and not lucid-dreaming. would agree with me that it is heavenly, a 28 degrees However, I experienced the most delightful and you wouldn't want to leave.

Christmas lying on a worryless two weeks of my life. There was fresh beach. tropical fruit and the sweet aroma of sandy I found this place meaningful because beaches. I was lying in the healing sun, I have never before experienced the tanning my skin, and swimming in the glass barrier kindness and generosity from the former islanders. The of clear ocean water. The Seychelles in my opinion is environment is almost tattooed on my brain; it is all I a must-go experience that everyone should have for can think about. The elegant marine life and the clean all the reasons I have listed and more! Imagine yourself silky beaches are just a luxury to experience and if you lying on the comforting sand remaining conscious but go to this heaven you will think so too. It is so different slowly drifting away into the ocean’s breeze. You see from England but it feels like home to me; it has an a friendly crab just walk by you not threatened, not enchanting spell that somehow has been cast on me. scared, just happy to enjoy your presence. Swoosh, I would honestly recommend it for you if you want to swish, swoosh, crash: you hear the ocean's rhythmic increase your dopamine and feel all-round better. The patterns soothe your cluttered mind and relax you. grey skies which fill with pollution and sad rain sit in England, but in the Seychelles they mirror the clear Even in the winter it is luxuriously hot, so you could blue ocean. enjoy a 28 degrees Christmas lying on a worryless beach. Fear not: islanders speak French and also most people speak English so you would get the hang of it. The capital of the Seychelles is Victoria, a colourful place full of markets and excitement. The markets sell fresh fish, fresh fruit, beautiful bracelets and more.

Would you enjoy this?

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

35

Chill Out ys orough House enjo

lb Lucy Clifton of Mar ing.

cold water swimm

C

old water swimming is not everyone's first choice as a hobby. The levels of coldness can be petrifying and would put off even the hardiest of swimmers on cold days. But sitting in a freezing tub for minutes, or swimming in a freezing lake, wakes you up and makes you feel alive again.

zone builds confidence and courage as well as giving you a sense of accomplishment.

However, cold water swimming can have its disadvantages, such as cold shock. After the first gasp of cold shock, hyperventilation kicks in and you cannot control it. You might start to breathe rapidly and because you cannot Cold water swimming can improve your control it, it can lead to a feeling of panic. stress tolerance. The temperature of the water New swimmers tend to go into the water in creates a stress reaction in the an upright position and that can Remaining calm in body just like when you get into be less buoyant, causing panic to the water trains a frightening situation. The body your body to deal set in, increasing the chance of with stressful releases the stress hormone, drowning. situations, and cortisol, causing your breathing this helps in other and heart rate to increase. Anyone Swimming in a group is areas of your life when stress who has done this before will recommended. Cramps can start arises. know that the stress reaction anywhere, and some people have recedes when you are submerged in the water, cramps more often than others. If you are cold, getting used to the temperature. Remaining cramping is more likely. If you do get cramp, you calm in the water trains your body to deal with would be unable to swim so you should float stressful situations, and this helps in other on your back and call for help. ‘After drop’ is a areas of your life when stress arises. feature of swimming where you can feel colder when you get out of the water than when you Also, this type of swimming can be a were in the water. To avoid the effects, it can mindfulness exercise. When you immerse help to get dry, dressed and warm as soon as yourself in cold water you are sending your you get out of the water. Dress immediately, nervous system into overload. Nerve endings starting with the top half of your body. transmit responses to your brain, telling you just how cold every part of your body is. Cold water swimming is great to lift your spirits Focusing on your breath as a coping strategy and wake up your body. Although it has its helps, and this mindful breathing can be used downsides, like cold shock and cramps, it has in other areas of your life. amazing benefits such as improving your stress tolerance too. It is a wonderful activity to do You can also get a boost of self-esteem when you are feeling like you need to have a because the process of forcing yourself to burst of energy or a wake-up. I have done cold stay in cold water can increase your mental water swimming before, and I have to say it is strength. Getting yourself out of your comfort very exhilarating.

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y p p a H e c a l P

Zoe Coombs of Marlborough House

celebrates her happy place.

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“

being around the thing you love, whether it is a horse, pet, or your family, can increase your self-esteem and mental health by an amazing 10%.

D

oesn't everyone have their happy place, or shouldn't everyone have their happy place? Well, I do, and it’s horses – every part of horses, whether I'm riding them, feeding them or even just spending time with them. They help me forget anything that’s happened in school, relieve my stress, and just help me free my mind. Horses and I, we just connect.

e pm g hel in y h e t Th any ned t e e g for ’s happ ieve t el a r h , t d ol o h , an c in s stress free e my pm hel ind. t s ju my m

now or it may just occur naturally for no real reason. According to a recent survey, mental health problems affect one in ten children now, and it is also shown that having your happy place and being around the thing you love, whether it is a horse, pet, or your family, can increase your self-esteem and mental health by Since the day an amazing 10%. Well, I could talk I this is where having the would beg my mum calming presence of a to go riding. I horse around you really have always been happiest when on a helps.

My family has been riding for many years, all my mum's life and all of mine. Since the day I could talk I would beg my horse. mum to go riding. I have always been happiest Horse riding and looking when on a horse. We do mounted after a horse is expensive and hard work, games, jumping and eventing. so of course it may not be possible for everybody. But even just being able to Can you believe that something so little go to a yard once a week can really help as visiting the horses every night could to boost your mood. Just push yourself help your mental health so much? out there and go and find your happy Because it really does. Although riding place; it may be scary but when you are horses can be strenuous and hard work there it is so worth it. So, do you have it has huge benefits. It is therapeutic, your happy place? and their calming presence can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as really strengthening your body, especially your core.

Millions of children suffer greatly with their mental health, maybe because of something going on in their life right

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

39

c i m s Co Lighthouse

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alls the discovery of our first pulsar.

James Mather of Newton Prep rec thrilling

O

ne early morning in February 1967 Jocelyn Bell Burnell was working at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge, when suddenly they received a strange signal on their radio telescope array. This signal seemed to ‘pulse’ with a strangely precise period of exactly 1.334 seconds. At the time, they called this odd signal ‘Little Green Men’, thinking it was contact from aliens. But it turned out to be something so unusual it changed our view of the universe.

Unbeknown to Jocelyn she would receive many awards for her discovery – the first pulsar.

stronger than Earth’s. This magnetic field channels ‘beams’ of high-intensity radio waves and light that shoot out of the poles. However, some of these neutron stars also rotate, usually hundreds of times a second, meaning these beams spin around like a lighthouse known as a pulsar, and this is what Jocelyn saw – beams of light sweeping the Earth from over nine quintillion miles away in outer space.

Since pulsars are quite rare, we don’t know a lot about them. In fact, when a pulsar is born, all the mass of the previous star is compressed into it. Most pulsars are very small, often only During a star’s life, there is a battle between a few kilometres in diameter. This means that two forces happening in its core: gravity they are very dense. A single teaspoon of and pressure. Inside the core, pulsar material would weigh as temperatures can reach over 10 much as Mount Everest! At the million degrees. This causes its subatomic level, some physicists A single teaspoon of pulsar material atoms to literally fuse together believe that they have a type of in what’s known as a fusion would weigh as much matter that could break Physics, as Mount Everest! reaction. However, due to the literally called ‘strange matter’. star’s mass, gravity is always Additionally, inside the core, the trying to compress the star, while temperatures are so hot that they fusion is trying to expand it. These two forces create a ‘soup’ of particles known as a quarkmust remain balanced for a star to exist. At the gluon plasma. Many properties of pulsars are end of its life, a star expands when the force of still unknown, but learning more about them fusion overcomes the force of gravity. Slowly, may give us crucial information about how the the star cools as it uses up its fuel. In some cases, universe formed. fusion wins, and the star ‘evaporates’, leaving a glowing iron core. However, if gravity wins Jocelyn’s discovery is widely regarded as one this cosmic battle, the star collapses at over a of the most amazing astronomical discoveries quarter of the speed of light and explodes in a of the 20th Century. Back then, she was only colossal supernova.

24. Seven years after her discovery, in 1967, the discovery won the Nobel Prize for Physics.

This is how pulsars and neutron stars are formed. Controversially, the award didn't go to Jocelyn Born from the death of another star, their core because she was only a postgraduate student is 100 trillion degrees at their formation. Inside at Cambridge. It is often suggested that her the star, the atoms are so compressed that they being a woman also led to her omission from form what physicists call ‘Nuclear Pasta’, long the prize. Instead, it went to her mentor, Antony strings of atoms like spaghetti and flat sheets Hewish. Sadly, she would never get a Nobel like lasagne.

Prize for her discovery but has still amassed an impressive collection of awards. To this day, But what were these strange pulses Jocelyn Jocelyn is a Visiting Professor of Astrophysics saw? Neutron stars have incredibly strong at Oxford and continues to inspire and teach magnetic fields, over two quadrillion times people around the world.

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for the

“

Imprisoning Duleep’s mother in 1849, the British forces made the young king sign a treaty giving away the diamond.

T

he star of the Crown Jewels, the Koh-I-Noor diamond, is one of the most dazzling gems in the world. But who does it belong to, and where does it come from? Some say it was ‘given’ to Britan by India, while others say it was ‘stolen’, but when we explore the origins of the diamond we discover a feud between the two countries.

ond diam have e h T to e aid m th is s fro ndia e com s of I of mine sands . u tho rs ago a e y

all of India’s gold, including the KohI-Noor, which remained in modernday Afghanistan for 70 years. Feuds erupted among different leaders about the ownership of the diamond, causing chaos.

Through all this chaos, the British saw a chance to grab The diamond is said to the diamond. After the Many people still have come from the throne was passed down, argue that the mines of India thousands along with the diamond, diamond was a ‘gift’ from India of years ago and is said the only monarch left to Britain, though to bring good luck to was a young boy, King evidence suggests its owners, while also of India at only 10 years it was stolen. carrying a curse. Hindus old: Duleep. Imprisoning believe the stone is Duleep’s mother in 1849, cherished by the god Krishna, and the British forces made the young king so it is of great value to Hindus. But sign a treaty giving away the diamond. others disagree, claiming the diamond originates from Pakistan or even The great stone became a special Afghanistan. Digging deeper into possession of Queen Victoria, who history will help us find the answers. wore it as a brooch. Then it became a part of the Crown Jewels and is on India was one of the only places that display today. Many people still argue sourced diamonds. Brazilian mines were that the diamond was a ‘gift’ from India only discovered in 1725. So far, there to Britain, though evidence suggests it have been no exact records of when the was stolen. diamond was crafted, although there is a written account of the Koh-I-Noor What do you think? Whose side are you being fixed on a throne built in 1628. on? The throne was constructed at the time of the Mughal Empire, the wealthiest state in Asia, with a population of two million people. But this all changed when Persian ruler, Nader Shah, invaded Delhi in 1739, looting almost

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High

e f i L

Emily Vermeeren Po

Prep venerates the

D

uring the Winter season in the Tibetan mountains temperatures can drop to -40°C. With these temperatures you would imagine it is impossible to live there, but you’re wrong. The Tibetans are an ethnic group indigenous to the Tibetan mountains and they live up there all year round including the freezing cold winters. You're probably wondering how these people, who are 13,000ft in the air and cut off from a lot of modern technology, survive up in the mountains.

To start with, native Tibetans have adapted physically to live in these freezing temperatures.

Tibetans have a better responsiveness in their respiratory system, which means they have more breaths per minute and more blood cells.

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vlsen of Newton

toughness of Tibetan

This makes living in these high altitudes much easier. Tibetans also have larger lungs to develop large amounts of haemoglobin in their blood to then carry more oxygen in their body to make up for the lower amount of oxygen in the thin air at those altitudes.

s.

Tibetans obviously can’t get around in cars with 18 inches of snow, so they mainly walk or ski during winter time to get anywhere.

Tibetans also have a lot of clothing layers that are thick and soft. There are two main types of Tibetans are facing Other than physical robes they wear, a immense restrictions on their religious adaptations, how do chuba or a pulu. A practices, travel and these Tibetans go chuba is a woollen language. on day to day? As robe made with inner expected, it’s relatively layers of sheep fur hard to get food during and a pulu is made by all the snowstorms but they hang fluffing and combing the wool, twisting leftover meat outside and eat it cooked it into a thread, and then weaving it or frozen and use their barley from the with a wooden shuttle loom. harvest to make bread called tingmo.

The Tibetans will never eat fish since it The Tibetans are under threat. Chinese is seen as a reincarnation of the God of law persecutes Tibetans for preserving Water so eating fish would be sinful. their cultural identity. Tibetans are

7 5 to re tans a n re be the ion Ti Tibeta r l a e l i e h m in t all y arly ng livi ntains the ye age r mou , with e ave d r n u .

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being jailed, tortured and violated just for celebrating their traditions. Tibetans are facing immense restrictions on their religious practices, travel and language. Since 1959 the communist government has committed genocide against the Tibetans because they are Buddhists.

You probably wouldn’t want to live in the Tibetan mountains but there are 5 to 7 million Tibetans living in the Tibetan mountains all year round, with the yearly temperature average being -2°C. So, as you can tell, what I’ve told you is only the tip of the mountain.

r bette ave a in their h s n a Tibet nsiveness stem, y o resp iratory s y have resp eans the er m sp which e breath blood mor nd more ea . minut cells

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Good Re ad Kirah P-J of Cumnor Ho

of Harper Lee‘s first

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use salutes the geniu s novel.

© 1962 Universal Pictures

T

o Kill a Mockingbird is set in small town in Alabama. The novel is a about a young girl coming of age and is filled with compassion, innocence, hatred, cruelty and, most importantly, love.

I was around Scout’s age when I first read this book, still climbing trees every other day and leaping fences with my sibling. I felt that, even though this book was written over 50 years ago and in America, I could be there, in her shoes, and this really brought this story to life for me, even more than the dramatic characters and plot. This book also talks about tolerance and justice for others in future generations. It is filled with stories about Scout’s childhood with Jem, her brother, whose influence helped her to understand the negative aspects of life in America in the 1930s.

To Kill A Mocking Bird was published during the Civil Rights Movement and highlights the prejudices in 1930s America, even though Lee says herself that it is ‘a simple love story’, referring to the admiration shown for family and friends, neighbours and even enemies throughout the book. This story also helped prepare for reforms such as the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. I have always listened to this topic being talked about at home and have also heard the opinions of my family in America being voiced regularly.

Lee was also born in Alabama and uses her family’s names in this book. For example, her parents were called Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. These names appear throughout the book.

Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, who is a lawyer, is tasked to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is wrongly accused of rape and is then placed in the racially prejudiced Southern legal system, which did not help his situation or his case. He was convicted and killed horrifically by racists despite doing no wrong, showing clearly the deep-seated hatred and racism in the 1930s.

© 1962 Universal Pictures

I have watched both the play and the film as I really enjoyed reading this novel and I wanted to see the story from different perspectives. The play really captivated the court scenes and showed the conflicting emotions To Kill A Mocking warring in the room at the Bird was published time. In this part of the story during the Civil Rights Movement primary themes involve and highlights the racial injustice and the prejudices in 1930s destruction of innocence. As America.

I believe strongly in equality of race, religion, gender, nationality, and social status, this book has moved me deeply and has changed my understanding of the issues of racial equality and justice in the world. primary themes involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence.

Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre 2023.

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was Ford of T l e od ple The M irst exam in the the f roduction stry. p du mass mobile in n had a auto roductio rn p mode Mass pact on im huge life.

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ver since we first saw animals run, we’ve wanted to travel at high speeds ourselves. So cars have played an important part in history and in modern life, and I’m going to tell you about three of the most famous and important cars of all time.

The first-ever car, the 1886 Benz PatentMotorwagen, was made by a company called Mercedes – a German brand – and was a three-wheel vehicle with a singlecylinder petrol engine to allow the car, which was called the Motorwagen, to propel itself at 16km an hour (about 10 miles an hour). This car was made and designed by a creator called Karl Benz whose first car now costs $70,000 instead of the original price of $1,000 (equivalent to $26,000 now).

The second car I would like to mention is the Model T Ford, the first attempt to make a car to sell. The car was first made in 1909, and more than 15,000,000 were then made and sold. This car was the second-most-sold car after the Volkswagen Beetle. The car could go a

surprising 65 to 70km (40 to 45 miles) army vehicle. The original Beetle was, an hour launched by a 20-horsepower surprisingly, produced from 1938 to 4-cylinder engine. The body of this 2003 until a new version was made. The car is wood with a thin wrap of metal. last Beetle ever made is in a museum This car was the first example of mass in Wolfsburg. This VW car is one of the production in the automobile industry. most successful cars of all time. This car Mass production had has had an impact a huge impact on on luxury and sports it is clear to see that the automobile modern life. But as well cars like Porsche industry has a rich as helping the world, and Volkswagen history, and each mass production has themselves.

The car model has its had some negative car is probably the own fascinating provenance. impacts on the world, celebrity car of all such as hard human cars and hopefully labour and unclean workspaces, will always be remembered as this. My not to mention unemployment and view on the Type 1 is that it is one of low salaries. However, this form of the most iconic and successful cars of production enabled other cars to be all time. made affordable and other models soon appeared.

Whether you are interested in these three iconic models, or perhaps cars The Volkswagen Beetle, also known as of your own choosing, it is clear to see the Volkswagen Type 1, is such a car, that the automobile industry has a rich and played a significant role in history. history, and each car model has its own The Germans in the Second World fascinating provenance. If the car that War used a four-by-four (four-wheel interests you in not one of these three, drive) version of the Beetle called the you can look into its past to find out its Typ 87 Kommandeurswagen to be an story and place in history. Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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Don Bradman in action at Lord’s in 1930.

Photograph: Culture Eye Club/Getty Prep | Images.

2024 50 Mind’s

Australia’s Don Bradman in action in 1938.

Photograph: Allsport Hulton Deutsch/ALLSPORT.

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Don Bradman c.1928.

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hen sports fans talk about the greatest sportsperson of all time, the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan spring to mind, with good reason. All these players are exceptional and have done incredible things for their sport.

But there is someone we are forgetting about.

player take more than 15 singles titles at Wimbledon and a golfer win more than 25 majors.’

On the other hand, many people assume that sports players of the modern day, whatever the sport, face Australian cricketer Don Bradman a tougher challenge. This is usually played from around the 1930s to the because people think that opponents in the 20th Century late 1940s. By the end of To reach a his career, which included comparable level, were not as technically advanced as players 52 matches for his country, a footballer would have to nowadays. he averaged 99.94 in test score a goal match cricket. In other a game in 100 However, in cricket, I words, on average, Don internationals. disagree. First, and, after Bradman scored around 100 runs every time he batted. To give extensive research on Don Bradman, some context, one of the best cricketers I found that, if anything, it was harder of the modern era, Steve Smith, to play cricket in the 1930s, for many averages 57.73 at the time of writing. reasons. Additionally, there was no Although it may seem small compared evidence of any lack of skill from to Bradman’s, Smith’s average is viewed cricketers of this period. While this as incredibly impressive throughout may not be the case in other sports, it proves that you cannot discount the world of cricket.

Bradman completely, just because of Many people have tried to compare the era when he played.

Bradman to other greats of sport. One article I found especially interesting I think I’ve proven that Don Bradman was written by cricket expert Frank should not be overlooked when Keating. In the article, he used a considering who is the greatest computer statistical system (invented sportsperson of all time. His stats are by mathematician Charles Davis) to outstanding, and he will, I’m sure, be prove that Bradman was by far the best considered a great cricketer for as sportsperson of all time. In his words, long as the sport is played. Although ‘Mathematically speaking, Bradman's comparing greats from different sports career should simply not have is a near-impossible task, Bradman existed. To reach a comparable level, a deserves more recognition as a legend footballer would have to score a goal of sport than he receives. He’s great, all a game in 100 internationals, a tennis right. Maybe even the greatest! Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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g U n i p n r Bu plains how rising threat to reptiles.

de‘s ex Tommy Bywell of Be heat is now a

A

mazing reptiles, such as bearded dragons and sea turtles, are endangered because of TSD, or temperaturedependent sex determination. Climate change is affecting everything around us at this very moment.

numbers and the disproportion between male and female. So the general reptile population is going to be significantly influenced by climate change.

This will have a further impact on all the other animals that are reliant on reptiles for their Bearded dragons will be affected by climate survival or natural selection. For example, the change because their eggs will only hatch as extinction of crocodiles could have complex females in temperatures above 32 degrees celsius and far-reaching effects on the dynamics of and they will be males if they hatch under that the ecosystems in which they live, leading to temperature. This means that rising temperatures imbalances and disruptions in the food chain. will make the eggs go above 32 degrees more Over half of all turtles and crocodiles are on the often, causing all the reptiles to be female. Sadly, brink of death and are likely to be wiped out they aren’t the only reptiles in this in only a few decades because Bearded dragons predicament. they must regulate their body will be affected temperature, which is much harder by climate change The big question is, ‘Can bearded for cold-blooded animals, but there because their dragons become endangered is one more consideration. eggs will only hatch as females because of egg temperatures?’ in temperatures And extending this same question Reptiles have been living alongside above 32 degrees to other animals: ‘Can green sea the dinosaurs for around 100 celsius. turtles, crocodiles and alligators million years, which means they meet the same fate?’ The sad reality is ‘yes’. Sea must have been resilient to have survived for so turtles are a big problem because 99 percent many years because they will have seen plenty of of fully matured green sea turtles are already changes to their habitat. Hopefully they’ll be able female so reproduction will be much harder. to adapt to this large change in the way in which With alligators and crocodiles the current ratio they breed and reproduce. is one male for every ten females. This means that for both green sea turtles and alligators and So, reproduction is no mean feat for these crocodiles, an already problematic imbalance reptiles, and their numbers are likely to decline is going to be further exacerbated by climate significantly, owing to TSD. This will in turn cause change. In the case of bearded dragons, for every habitat loss and degradation, and introduce sixteen females there is one male. This means that, invasive species, environmental pollution, of the reptiles mentioned here, bearded dragons disease, unsustainable use, and global climate are most at risk because of their already low change.

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nge cha g e t n a d ti Clim affec aroun y is hing r e is v ryt eve at th ent. us mom

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i w t O u a t r D pwo

Jemimah Pa

es of art.

many virtu

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he ’s extols t

t Ronan rth of Sain

A

re you bored? Do you want time away from your screen? Well, art is an effective way to solve both problems. Art is a wonderful way to relax and take a break from the internet. It allows you to let go of worries and troubles and focus on something you love. Art is a beautiful thing and can be yours as everyone prefers different styles and works in different ways.

There are many different aspects of art, for example media, style, inspiration, meaning. You don't need expensive supplies to make good art. All you need is a pencil and paper. There are many different art styles to choose from: landscape, anime, illustrations, architecture, digital, and pattern design. But you don't have to pick a certain one because art can be seen however you want it to be. It just has to be yours.

Art also may have a deeper meaning behind it and shows or symbolises something you are passionate about, for example religion or gardening, even certain sports you enjoy. I have also found art inspiring and it has taught me that you should take your time with things that are precious, and we should learn that by being patient and hard-working none of our time will be wasted.

Eventually over time your art will gradually get better, and you can set yourself targets, for example doing 1015 minutes of art a day for a month to see how well you have improved. You could give yourself a theme and

learn a different art style or use different media. For example, you could draw, paint or sketch flowers. Art is a journey that takes time and there will always be bumps along your trail because it will never be perfect.

Art is a journey that takes time and there will always be bumps along your trail because it will never be perfect.

So you should give art a try since the outcome doesn't matter. It’s more the process and enjoyment of creating and doing something you love. Besides, not everyone's perfect and you can always practise and improve your skills. Over time you will find your art style. I love energetic pen work and lively fun characters. You should always encourage yourself to go outside your comfort zone 

Art is a thing a beautiful yours nd can be a prefe s everyone rs dif feren styles t an differ d works in ent wa ys.

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g n i t f i Sh

Sands

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how one man‘s bai from a desert dream built modern Du waste.

Cara Hills of JKS tells us

M

any of you may have seen on TV, heard of, or even been to the City of Dubai, with its glamorous fivestar hotels, luxurious, luscious beaches, and glorious Palm Jumeirah. But when, in our mind’s eye, it has always been such a global phenomenon, how many of you have thought about what it was before?

There was a desert, a stretch of land that seemed to go on forever, with salukis running to catch their prey and a line of camels trying to find water. This was a terrain for animals.

But one man had a dream: to make himself the leader of one of the biggest cities in the world. His name was Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Al Maktoum wanted to make his town great, to make it known all around the world. But in his dream he would need myriad buildings higher than many could imagine at the time. To make that work, he had to make people work and step away from their hunting and work for him. With the help of Sheikh Zayed, he gathered people from all around the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to get

the job done. People came from Abu Dhabi, the capital, and from Ajman, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and all the way from Fujairah to be part of that dream.

Nobody knew how hard it was going to be, but they knew, if they made any negative comments about their leader, they could be under threat. So the towers went up, higher than some thought the sky could hold, but on they went. Buildings shot up, like concrete trees and glass canopies, but nothing was enough for the sheikh. After fifty years of trying, however, he’d finally built somewhere to make him proud. Although he stopped construction, there is now a new leader who wants to keep the dream alive, and his name is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

He too is always endeavouring to make the city a bigger and better place.

So, if you go to Dubai, think about the oryxes and camels looking for a place to go. That place is gone. Think about it now, a place of lost magic.

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ivity al act physic so boost can al em, mood, ste self-e quality and p e sle y. energ

Play e Tim

Emilia Murray of Marlborough House tells us why we should all play sport.

S

port and exercise are great things that offer many benefits physically and mentally. Doing sport and exercise can help you in many aspects of your day-to-day life. It might mean getting a better night's rest or helping you deal with stress. These are just some of the many ways sport can benefit your life alongside helping you get stronger and fitter.

Sport and exercise are not always about gaining muscle and strength, since there are a lot of mental benefits too. NHS Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. All of these are important things.

If you a sense o re par t of a s p make n f community or ts club you and it i ew frie can fee s nds an d expa also a chanc l a nd you r socia e to l life.

Ever teach y sport skills es you the tricky of handlin g sit makin uations, g quic decis k probl ions and em-so lving.

e of al activity is on n Regular physic ca u yo gs in rtant th the most impo . th do for your heal

If you are part of a sports club, for example a running club or a football club, you can feel a sense of community and it is also a chance to make new friends and expand your social life. This again can benefit your mental health.

But playing sport and doing exercise isn't all about your mental health. It is also about your physical health.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

People can learn lots of important skills through their sports. Every sport teaches you the skills of handling tricky situations, making quick decisions and problem-solving. By playing sports, you can learn the art of living and managing things and taking leads.

Therefore, if you play sports, you are not just getting fitter and helping to improve your mental health; you are also learning many significant life lessons.

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Being Human

he history of humans is a complex and fascinating journey, across millions of years. The story of human evolution is led by the changes of behaviour, body and mind that have allowed us to thrive.

Lawrence Zhang of Holmewood House explains how we got to where we are today.

humans. They were a large group which showed further advancements in toolmaking and adaptation to a variety of environments. The Archaic Homo Sapiens also developed better tool-making techniques, such as the Levallois technique. Furthermore, they were believed to control the use of fire which likely played a major part in their lifestyle. These advancements in toolmaking are evidence of increasing knowledge.

Humans are believed to have evolved from apelike ancestors, shown by physical and behavioural traits shared by all people who evolved from them. However, our first ancestors started appearing on our planet four to two million years ago. They are known as Australopithecus. These hominids walked Closing in on an end on human evolution are the on two legs but had ape-like features. Evidence of these Neanderthals are a subspecies of Homo Sapiens. They lived in suggests that they lived in both woodland and Eurasia for around 350,000 years. They adapted grassland environments in Africa. These include They have spread to cold and harsh climates and had a more across the Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. This species robust physique. They developed remarkable world, creating survived for over 900,000 years. tool-making skills and social behaviour. They civilization and crafted tool from stone, bone and wood and exploring the After that was the Homo Habilis. They lived hunted a larger variety of animals. Unlike the deep depths of knowledge. around 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago. They others, the Neanderthals buried their dead with are considered one of the first members of the care, suggesting the rise of culture. Despite genus Homo, with a larger brain than Australopithecus. They their extinction, around 40,000 years ago, the Neanderthals were the first ones to use tools, simple stone tools made from undoubtedly progressed hugely in terms of evolution. chipped pebbles and flakes of stones. On top of that they could eat a broad range of foods such as leaves, plants and Finally, Homo Sapiens (modern humans) arrived-. We some animal tissues. However, they did not often consume emerged around 200,000 years ago and continue to live on harder foods like nuts, seeds or dried meat. today as the only living genus Homo. Evolving over thousands of years, Homo Sapiens has demonstrated an unchallenged Then came the Homo Erectus. This species lived 1.8 million adaptability, intelligence, language development, art and to 140,000 years ago. They had a more modern body with symbolic thinking that separate us from earlier hominids. a larger brain and more similar facial features. Instead of They have spread across the world, creating civilization and the simple tools that the Homo Habilis invented, the Homo exploring the deep depths of knowledge.

Erectus used more larger tools such as axes. As well as that, they are believed to be the first ones to hunt animals and The story of human evolution is a subject that is ongoing, use fire. They were the first hominids to migrate out of with new discoveries providing a clearer look on our past.

Africa and spread to Eurasia, using the newer stone tools to Through a complex history, humans have eventually their advantage. In terms of survival and species, the Homo emerged as the dominant species, reshaping the planet Erectus is a huge success to the evolution of humans. in many good and bad ways. Our evolutionary history is marked by cooperation and curiosity that push us to keep Around 600,000 to 200,000 years ago, the Archaic Homo on learning about the universe. The evolution of humans is Sapiens was born. They eventually evolved into modern an important and remarkable journey of life on Earth. Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

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ks ld School says shar ey are necessary. may be scary but th

Alex Feasey of Solefie

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hat do you picture when you hear the word ‘shark’? Screams for help? Sharp jagged teeth and blood? More than any other creature of the deep, sharks are seen as killers – the sleek villains of our maritime nightmares. But do they deserve such infamy?

tossed overboard alive and left to drown. This practice alone has wiped out a large number of the supposedly deadly villains.

Oviparous sharks lay eggs in a sack connected to their mother. They hatch inside the sack and then break out into the water, which is extremely dangerous. Sadly, the pups can The 1975 film ‘JAWS’ put fear into people’s be swept away and become another shark’s hearts. Even the music was terrifying and is dinner! But to prevent this they have tendrils now synonymous with danger. The made of strong seaweed to wrap sharks story line is frightening and violent against the mermaid’s purses (yolk are a vital after the great white shark starts sacks with the baby pup inside) component in rampaging after teenagers and the long-term and anchor the eggs to prevent trying to slaughter unsuspecting health of the the pups becoming seafood. oceans. bathers. This horrifying perception of shark behaviour has remained in Viviparous sharks have their young the public’s mind for an exceptionally long grow inside them and visit shallow waters to time. The truth, however, is very different. give birth. So, as you can see, there are times when we need to protect sharks from humans Sharks are one of the oldest species on the and keep fishing areas far away from places planet. They pre-date dinosaurs, and even where sharks roam. trees. They have as much right to survive and thrive on this earth as humans do. In fact, If we stop to think and truly consider the issues we kill many more sharks than sharks kill us. regarding the delicate balance of the marine The Twentieth Century saw only 12 human ecosystem, we cannot but conclude that casualties while, at the present time, most sharks are a vital component in the long-term species of shark are in danger of extinction. health of the oceans. So, who are the villains According to the IUCN (International Union and who are the victims? We are to blame for for Conservation of Nature), a quarter of the the species’ decline. It is an unfair fight, with world's shark species are threatened with the shark struggling to survive. If you truly extinction due to overfishing. Every year think that sharks are the devils of the ocean, over 100 million sharks are slaughtered. you should go to an aquarium and observe The notorious delicacy, Shark Fin Soup, has their features. As you do so, remember this been a luxury dish for Asian people for many article, admire their beauty and know that centuries. Outrageously, only the fin of the they are not the killers. We are. shark is used, and the rest of the body is

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Sha the rks a re ol on dest one o s t The he pl pecie f din y pre anet. s os -d eve aurs, ate nt ree and s.

Villains

V

or

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_

t ' n o D

Are You Being ‘Green washed’? Asks Soph ie F of Cumnor House.

H

ow green are your feet? You probably don’t wonder about your shoes, who made them, where they come from, or where they go. Well, I can give you some information about what happens in Nike factories that is shocking.

Jim Keyd is a football coach who tried to persuade his boys not to wear Nike after he discovered the worrying truth about Nike factories, but he failed and got fired. He then decided to investigate further how Nike factory workers live and work in Indonesia. The results were disturbing. First, the workers’ living conditions are poor as they all live in 8m-8m cement boxes and sleep on thin blankets. It was also a very unhealthy and unsanitary environment as the sewers are open and run through the streets. Nike also burns their shoe soles 62

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next to the children’s play area and expose the children to lung diseases and cancer from the fumes.

rules called the Code of Conduct, and some include not talking to anyone whilst working, nor leaving work early.

If anyone breaks these rules, they are whipped and physically punished. The working conditions are dreadful, dirty and unhygienic.

The workers get paid around £1.20 to work for 8-9 hours a day, which is below the legal minimum wage. You are buying shoes for £100 while they are made for The website, ‘Good on The workers get paid 20p. Because of these You’, describes Nike around £1.20 to work extremely long working as taking one step for 8-9 hours a day, which is below the hours, the children of forward and two steps legal minimum wage. the village do not get back. This means that You are buying shoes the education they Nike, by taking a big for £100 while they need. Families barely step to become a are made for 20p. have enough to afford top-selling worldwide five meals a week. After Jim Keyd brand and describing themselves as had spent one month living in their a sustainable brand, also took two conditions, he lost an astonishing 25 massive steps back when they were Ibs. found in May 2023 to be ‘greenwashing’ about sustainability claims and In the factory, workers have a set of international labour rights.

ng livi rs’ poor e k in are wor the itions ll live xes d o a n b co they in ent as m cem on th p 8 e . e 8m d sl ets an blank

On the website ‘Green Matters', Nike was also accused of ‘greenwashing’ in a class action lawsuit that highlighted other awful things, such as human trafficking, modern slavery, child labour and forced labour.

Many other famous shoe brands like Adidas and New Balance have been exposed as unethical but Asics has been identified as a completely ethical and sustainable brand. They even use recycled plastic.

Now that you’ve heard the behind-the-scenes truth about trainer production, hopefully you will understand what dreadful lives these people lead because we continue to buy so many products from companies like Nike, not knowing the truth. I hope that you will make different decisions in the future!

used o acc in a s l a as ing’ Nike w eenwash wsuit a r l ‘g n f r io o s act hted othe s a l c s ig a l high gs, such that king, l thin awfu n traffic child huma slavery, ed rc rn mode ur and fo labo labour.

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63

s our attention abuse. to the horrors of horse

Lana C of Cumnor House draw

W

ould you want to see a horse beaten with sticks or whips over and over again? I wouldn’t! I love horses. I have been riding them for years. I care for them greatly and know that the connection between horse and rider is strong.

Horse abuse really angers me and many others, but any harm done purposefully to any animal is not ok. Horses are very intelligent – they can feel human emotions and hear our heartbeats, but sometimes these animals get hit, kicked, whipped, and slaughtered even from the young age of a tiny foal. Fortunately, there are charities working super-hard to rescue these animals and raise them into a better life.

In 2021 CCTV picked up a drastic attack on a foal named Faith. This story really provoked me to write this article. The footage shows Faith being hit in her stable multiple times by a cruel man named Sean McWhinnie, while Faith’s owner looks on completely untroubled.

Faith received nasty wounds but they healed quickly.

Thankfully, Mr McWhinnie was sentenced to five months in prison and a lifetime ban on keeping any animals. World Horse Welfare now looks after Faith and she is very content and well cared for. But she will always remember this experience. How dreadful is that?

A while before that, at Spindles Farm in Amersham, 111 horses, ponies and donkeys were removed from the site. Sadly, 32 were found dead when services arrived after they had been very badly mistreated and abused. The farmer and his family were banned from

keeping animals for ten years. His family was fined up to £750 and made to carry out community service for 12 months. Their actions were paid for, but sadly not all animals made it out alive.

Luckily, there are charities around the world dedicated to helping animals who have been badly treated, like the RSPCA and some organisations like World Horse Welfare, who are focused on rescuing specifically horses who have not been so fortunate. I wanted to write about horse abuse because I think more people need to know about it, but in particular to spread the word about how you can help. You can donate to charities like these and make sure to tell any of your friends and family – this will, no doubt, save at least one horse’s life, and hopefully many more.

There are other forms of horse abuse, though. Have you ever seen a horse and carriage giving rides around the roads? Well, not all of them are as fun as they look for the horses. Some carriage drivers torture their horses.

One man in August 2022 was charged for carriagedriving a horse with a medical condition in the blazing heat non-stop. The horse eventually dropped to the ground when it couldn’t take any more. The man yelled at it to get up, but it then had a seizure right in front of the people of New York. The horse is no longer alive, but luckily this rarely happens nowadays.

Horses are very special animals, but when they are abused they will always remember the experience and be traumatized forever. This is why we need to keep them safe and highlight the problem of horse abuse worldwide. Many people, like me, feel very strongly about this topic. I hope that one day we will be able to educate more people and save many more of these beautiful animals.

Six-month old foal, Faith, was beaten in her stable. Photo: RSPCA

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Faith being cared for at World Horse Welfare’s Recue and Rehoming Centre. Photo: World Horse Welfare.

Sponsor a stable yard www.worldhorsewelfare.org

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d o o M

Music res

ouse explo

ewood H own of Holm

Torben Br

pact the im

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of mu

oods.

ur m ic on o

M

usic has an incredible power to shape our emotional experiences. From the lively beats that make us want to dance to the melodies that instil a sense of peace, its impact on mood is indisputable. Whether it's the upbeat tunes that bring joy or the soulful melodies that hum with melancholy, understanding the relationship between music and emotion lets you harness music to improve your wellbeing.

Why does music affect our emotions? Our brains are unbelievable when it comes to recognising patterns and rhythms, so when we hear music our brains link that with what we have heard before. For example, when you hear scary music in a horror movie, your brain associates that with something threatening and frightening. Similarly, when you hear happy music, you feel upbeat and joyful. This is because of the brain's implausible ability to understand and relate similarities.

When you are listening to music, whether it’s mellow blues or cheery jazz, the same process occurs. Your blood flow increases in the area of the brain which affects your emotions. This region of the brain is called the Limbic System, and it controls your memories, processes your emotions, and creates arousal. When this region of our brain hears any type of music, like powerful R&B, or strong rock music, it switches on and correlates this with all our emotions.

Why does music allow you to feel relaxed and release stress? Research shows that music with a rhythm around sixty beats per minute allows the brain to synchronise with the beat of the music, causing something called alpha brainwaves, which have a frequency of 8-14

hertz. When we are relaxed, these same brainwaves are present, so when we hear music like this, we feel relaxed, and many people from all around the world listen to music like this to ease stress and unwind.

There are many popular songs which are at this speed, for example ‘Lonely Road’

by Paul McCartney or ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ by The Tokens. These songs are at the speed of 60 bpm, and when listened to create alpha brainwaves, and allow you to feel calm and relaxed.

When this region of our brain hears any These are popular songs listened to type of music, like everywhere.

Another question to consider: how has music affected cultures? Music can shape the way we see things and can represent different things around the world. When you hear certain types of music, they can speak for the place of their origin. An example of these are folk songs, which are songs that derive from a specific country or area. There are folk songs from all around the world, and there are even popular British folk songs, like ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ by Alexander L’Estrange, or ‘My Sweetheart’s Like Venus’ by Gustav Holst.

Music is a key part of life because it can empower our sensations, enabling us to experience the whole world in an entirely different way. Music can switch our mood like the flick of a light switch, and without it the world would be a completely different place.

powerful R&B, or strong rock music, it switches on and correlates this with all our emotions.

Mus of ic is a l key ca ife b p sen n emp ecaus art e it o s a w e us t tion s, e r our oe n x who abl per ent le wo ience ing rld irel the y di i ffe n an way ren . t

Many pe op world li le from all arou sten to nd the stress an m d unwind usic to ease .

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Playing

net ear ball les n sign playe rs s th if an ican pla foot tly bal yer l s.

Ball

t Ronan’s says kid on the as far as sports go, is not the new

Carlotta Maddison Von dem of Sain netball, block.

N

etball was first played in Madame an amazing 641 goals! Both Natalie Metcalf and Ostenberg's College in Dartford in Eleanor Cardwell play for Manchester Thunder 1895. It started because Clara Baer as well. misinterpreted the rules of Basketball and it quickly evolved into its own sport. The first A question that many people ask themselves Netball world cup was held in 1963 and only is whether a professional netball player earns 11 teams featured. Now over 20 million people enough to live comfortably. Well, the answer is and 70 countries play netball. yes, a professional netball player Netball started Netball became a ‘recognized’ earns about £37,000 per year because sport in 1995. with additional sponsorship. In Clara Baer comparison to this, an England misinterpreted the rules of The three main rules are that footballer at this same level earns Basketball and you can’t move with the ball, you about £3 million pounds a year it quickly evolved can’t bounce the ball and, when into its own sport. without additional sponsorship, so you are marking the player with netball players earn significantly the ball, you have to be three feet away from less than football players. The most famous them. Some less obvious rules are that the ball netball player of all time is Irene van Dyk. She cannot be thrown over one netball third or it played for both New Zealand and South Africa will be called up. Another rule is that at the but she doesn't play netball professionally any centre pass, all players (except the two centres) more since she is 51 years old. have to start in their goal thirds. The game will then start when the centre steps into the circle and the whistle is blown. The centre pass must always be received in the centre third of the court.

At the moment, the captain of the England Vitality Roses is Natalie Metcalf, a 31-year-old who plays wing attack and goal attack. Another inspirational England netball player is Eleanor Cardwell, who is 30 years old. In 2022 she scored

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Say Cheese!

C

onstant surveillance, censorship of news, lack of freedom of speech. These are all issues in the dystopian world of 1984, written by George Orwell. On reading this book, I was fascinated by the parallels it had to our modern society. So, let us examine some of these issues and answer the question pondered by many: did Orwell predict the future?

Big Brother is Watching You, says Isla McLeod of Vinehall.

In 1984, everybody is watched by a 'telescreen' that the government (led by Big Brother) uses to catch people who are against the party. While I do not think the government watching us is an issue, companies and advertisers absolutely is. Orwell predicted that we would be watched in the future, but he did not guess that it would be done by companies and advertisers.

It is important to note that I will be focusing on parallels In 1984, there is a constant, fictionalised war going on between this book and Western society. There are to distract the public from thinking about the horrors communist countries where many things that I discuss going on in front of them. Distracting the public here are more significant issues. While from bigger issues is something that has in Belgrade, Lawrence Durrell, a British occurred many times throughout history give the public something writer, said: 'Reading [1984] in a communist and in our current world. In Ancient entertaining country is really an experience because Rome, the Latin saying 'Panem et circuses', to watch and one can see it all around one.' translating to 'bread and circuses' was used food to eat so to describe gladiator fights: give the public they wouldn’t focus on bigger One of the most significant something entertaining to watch and food problems. problems in the world of 1984 is to eat so they wouldn’t focus on bigger news censorship and the rewriting problems and want to assassinate the of history. While Western countries have emperor. In our society, this happens when politicians freedom of press, and history is taught in a non- choose to create policies for smaller issues instead of biased way in schools, we can see some similarities. putting resources into solving more pressing issues, for For example, in America, many books, like Roald Dahl’s example the Democrats in America focusing on culture Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, are being rewritten wars. While we are not distracted by a fictionalised war, because it is thought they could be considered offensive. it is a concept that Orwell took directly from his world, While this is a very different phenomenon, I think it does and it is still something that exists in our world. speak of a society that is willing to rewrite the way the world was seen years ago to appease some people, and I think that there are many parallels with 1984 in our to me that sounds a lot like the world of 1984. Lack of western, modern society. However, I do not think that freedom of speech has also become a problem in many Orwell necessarily 'predicted the future'. It is more American universities, like Harvard. likely that he took some problems from his world and imagined a future where these issues were exaggerated.

A significant challenge facing our society is the However, if we are not careful with things like the increasing amount of technology used, and how we progression of AI, it is possible that Big Brother will be are constantly being listened to by our devices. Tiny watching us all.  changes in our online behaviour can give companies vast quantities of data. There have even been cases where devices have been able to tell that people have depression before they have been diagnosed.

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Forward

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kons sprinting issue. long way but fairness is now a big

Ayanfe Afolabi of Holmewood House rec has come a

F

rom Ancient Greece's Olympic Games to the primal survival instincts of cavemen, sprinting has transcended time as a symbol of strength and skill. Fast-forward to modern times, where legendary sprinters like Usain Bolt continue to inspire with their incredible feats. The Olympics symbolise global unity through sport, with sprinters from diverse backgrounds displaying the boundless pursuit of excellence. On the track, records are not just broken, but shattered as athletes push the limits of human capability.

undervaluation of women's sports in terms of attention, financial support, and ticket pricing.

Efforts to challenge these stereotypes and promote equal treatment for male and female athletes are underway. Advocates for gender equality in sports are working to eliminate gender-based pricing and ensure both genders receive the recognition they deserve. It is crucial for everyone, including young sports enthusiasts, to be aware of these issues and support initiatives fostering equality. Both girls and boys should have equal opportunities in sports, irrespective of gender. The younger generation can drive positive change towards a more inclusive sports environment.

Jamaican sprinters have been making continuous marks in the sprinting world, although genetic advantages such as the ‘D allele’ variant of the ACE gene stands out prominently. The nation's athletes Caster Semenya, a South African runner, faced thrive in an environment blessed with ideal training discrimination due to naturally high testosterone conditions - abundant sunshine and warm weather levels, undergoing humiliating gender testing and year-round. Furthermore, Jamaica facing unfair regulations in 2018. This The nation’s boasts a rich lineage of sprinting raises fairness concerns in sports. athletes thrive legends who actively mentor and Her story inspires standing against in an environment inspire the next wave of talent. Their discrimination and supporting blessed with ideal training conditions Olympic triumphs are a source of others facing injustice. Despite - abundant sunshine immense national pride, fuelling winning championships, she had to and warm weather motivation among aspiring athletes. take testosterone-reducing drugs, year-round.

From early on in their schooling, affecting her mental health. Her Jamaican youths are encouraged to explore diverse book ‘The Race to be Myself’ shares her challenges career paths, yet those demonstrating athletic and opinions. potential are swiftly identified and supported. This approach not only nurtures athletic talent but also The participation of transgender individuals in fosters a sense of purpose and achievement within sports like sprinting raises questions about fairness the younger generation. and inclusion due to biological and physiological differences between male and female athletes.

Born on 21 August 1986 in Jamaica, Usain Bolt Cases like Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, emerged as the fastest man on Earth during the 2008 highlight concerns about potential advantages.

Beijing Olympics. With three gold medals and world Striking a balance between supporting transgender records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, Bolt athletes' rights and maintaining fair competition is became a global sports icon. His triple-gold triumph crucial. repeated in successive Olympics – 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, secured his status as Sprinting has evolved from its ancient roots one of history's greatest athletes. Bolt's dominance to become a symbol of human capability and extended to World Championships, highlighting achievement, epitomized by legends like Usain his exceptional speed and sportsmanship. His Bolt. Yet, as the sport progresses, challenges such legacy serves as an inspiration for aspiring athletes, as gender bias and the inclusion of transgender showing that determination and dedication can athletes remind us of the ongoing need for fairness lead to extraordinary accomplishments. and equality in sports. By addressing these issues and championing inclusivity, we can ensure that Gender bias in sprinting has historically affected sprinting continues to inspire and unite athletes both men and women in athletics, leading to worldwide.

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Hands Up Alex Smiley of Holmew

ood House gives a ndedness.

balanced view of ha

I

f you’re reading this right now, you are most likely a right-handed person. How do I know this, you might be asking, and the answer is simple: right-handed people make up approximately 90% of the population.

What is handedness, and why does it exist in the first place?

Handedness is an individual’s preference for using one hand for most tasks such as writing and sport.

That hand is typically faster, or more dextrous, while the other hand, often referred to as the non-dominant hand, is usually less effective for general tasks, although in rare cases it just comes down to preference.

Most people are either right- or lefthanded. While ambidexterity (equal preference for both hands) does exist, it is rare (accounting for about 1% of the population) and so is ignored in many 72

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studies involving handedness. Only comes entirely from your genetics, about 10% of people are left-handed, which is out of your control. while about 90% are right-handed, and it has been that way for possibly Initially, scientists believed that the DNA 500,000 years. This phenomenon has aspect of all this came from a singular a variety of explanations, gene, but more recent but the most widely studies suggest that this Only about 10% of people are accepted theory is one is not true, and that it left-handed, while that combines two other could be spread across as about 90% are main ideas: genetics and many as 40 genes. While right-handed, and environmental factors. anyone could be leftit has been that way for possibly handed, if one or both of 500,000 years.

Many studies have been your parents are also leftdone on handedness, handed, you have a much most of these on twins. This is because higher chance of being a left-hander. it gives two pieces of insight – one, obviously, on handedness, and one Most scientists believe that handedness on how ‘identical’ identical twins really is mostly caused by environmental are, as well as making it a fairer test. factors. These possible factors are One of these studies, done on twins quite varied, but one theory is that from 24,732 families, suggests that pre-natal thumb-sucking changes handedness is about 25% heritable, which thumb you suck once being which means that about a quarter of born. This then continues to when one the development of a dominant hand starts writing and playing sports, and

y erit ext e for d i b c ist, ren e am Whil prefe oes ex g l n d i a ) t (equ hands ccoun he a t h bot rare ( 1% of it is about tion). for popula

by then you already have a dominant hand. Another theory about why in some demographics and ages lefthandedness is more common, is that exposure to certain medications and hormones while in the womb can drastically increase your chances of being left-handed.

y ver is a k for g as kin tal plex t in and is a m co ur br ement s yo mov ust a j d han uably lex. g ar comp

hemisphere for speech instead, and so are left-handed. However, recent research shows that only about 30% of leftIt used to be generally believed that handers experience this phenomenon, when it comes to speech in left-handed which means there is probably some people, their brain hemispheres swap correlation, but not one as roles. Most people it can affect strong as once theorised. use their brain’s everything about left hemisphere for you, from your It’s easy to believe this language, and because intelligence to your handed business only talking is a very complex musical ability, and how well you play concerns which hand task for your brain, hand sport. you write with, but it can movement, arguably affect everything about just as complex, also you, from your intelligence to your happens in the same place. Because musical ability, and how well you play your right brain controls your left hand, sport. and the left brain controls your right hand, most people are right-handed.

However, the theory states that lefthanded people use their right brain

e uld b ne co ne or o y n a o While anded, if rents h left- f your pa nded, o a both so left-h higher l a h c e u tm ar a lef ave a you h e of being c er. chan hand

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Just

Imagine

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ines the origins of

Sophia Chandy of JKS exam a fantasy legend.

Y

ou watch the movies. You know the songs.

Disney has most probably been a part of your life. It’s strange to think that all those films you have grown up with started with Mickey Mouse.

However, not many people even know about how Disney started.

Because of World War II, ‘Fantasia’, ‘Pinocchio’ and ‘Bambi’ did not achieve as much fame. Disney then decided to make a low budget film about an elephant, ‘Dumbo’, which received positive comments from critics and audiences. However, it was after the war when Cinderella danced onto the screens, earning nearly $8 million in its first year. Then hits such as Disney’s first live action film, ‘Treasure Island’, shot in Britan, and the animated ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Peter Pan’ exploded onto the big screen.

Walter Elias Disney was born on 5th December 1901.

As a boy, he always loved to draw. In January 1920, he and his friend, Ub Iwerks, started their own business, Iwerks-Disney commercial From ‘Cinderella’ artists. Temporarily leaving the company As if this were not enough, Disney to ‘Encanto’ Disney has a long legacy to gain more money, Disney discovered wanted there to be a real place which animation. With one animation book and of providing fun and was not dirty or full of sickness. imagination, making a camera, he started experimenting. As Inspired by the cleanliness and layout many movies along a result, Disney opened a new business of The Tivoli Gardens, Denmark, Disney the way. with Fred Harman, ‘Newman’s Laugh-oplanned a theme park in Anaheim, Grams’. Their main client was the local Newman theatre, California. Disneyland opened in July 1955, and was a for which they made short cartoons. The first six Laughgreat success. First sights of ‘Main Street USA’ led to The o-Grams were modernised fairytales.

Sleeping Beauty Castle. Themed areas housed different attractions: Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland Disney then moved to Hollywood in July 1923 when and Tomorrowland, where you would find yourself he was twenty-one because his brother, Roy, was there immersed in worlds from some of your favourite to recover from tuberculosis. They formed The Disney movies.

Brothers’ company, which eventually became The Walt Disney Company. In July 1927, Disney began to animate It was at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair that ‘Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’ for Universal Pictures.

Disney made one of the most well-known rides. ‘It’s a Small World’ can be found in most Disney parks around The dawn of Mickey Mouse came when Disney stopped the world, which now entertain millions in Tokyo, animating Oswald due to the poor pay. He and Iwerks Shanghai and Paris. decided to animate cartoons about a small mouse, originally named Mortimer Mouse, possibly inspired From ‘Cinderella’ to ‘Encanto’ Disney has a long legacy by a pet Disney once had. Disney’s wife said it was too of providing fun and imagination, making many movies pompous and suggested the name Mickey Mouse. along the way. So, when you next get the chance to Mickey Mouse’s first sound cartoon, ‘Steamboat Willie’, watch a Disney movie, remember that it all started with is the logo you see on the beginnings of most Disney Mickey Mouse.  animated films. This was the dawn of Mickey Mouse, and the start of Disney as we know it.

In 1934, Disney feature-length films began, including the four-year project, ‘Snow White and The Seven Dwarves’, which premiered in December 1937, and was a great success. The golden age of animation had begun.

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Home k r Wo

Gabriella Stephenson of Skippers Hill charts the modern backlash against homework.

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s homework help p lo ve de ts studen ent time-managem ey skills, while th tize learn to priori t tasks and mee deadlines.

M

any school children think homework is ‘a waste of time’ or ‘utterly pointless’ but others may argue that homework is essential for retrieval of learning and for learning development.

Studies have even shown that those who get more play and freedom get better grades in school.

even shown that those who get more play and freedom get better grades in school.

But many in authority agree that homework Surveys prove that over 70% of school is a necessary part of school. It can help children don't think homework is necessary students reinforce what they've learnt in and believe children should have more of class, practise new skills and develop a sense a life outside the classroom: of responsibility and discipline. why are we adding extra stress It is proven that homework Surveys prove onto our generation’s already helps students develop timethat over 70% crowded minds? management skills, while they of school children don‘t learn to prioritize tasks and think homework Homework can have a meet deadlines; these skills is necessary. negative influence on learning are much needed in later life. experiences; it can make If set correctly, homework a student feel disheartened if they're can also promote independent thinking struggling to do the set task and don't and problem-solving abilities, when get the support they need to fulfill their pupils tackle assignments on their own. potential when completing homework.

Additionally, homework allows valuable feedback from teachers, helping identify Imagine you were stressing over the areas where students can improve. difficulty level of an assignment and, on top of all that, when you hand it in, you get told At the end of the day, everyone's opinion it is not up to standard or you didn't put in is based on their personal view of how enough effort. This could possibly damage homework can either have a positive or your mental health and certainly isn't doing negative impact on students. I believe that anyone any favours. After hours upon hours homework can be beneficial but only if set of sitting in class, the last thing pupils want in the right quantities and, if a student has is more schoolwork over their precious a valid reason for not completing a task, weekends, which could be a lot better they should not have any stress added spent building social connections with on to them because that is not helping peers instead of sitting at home stressed anyone and is just creating a negative about whether they'll finish an assignment learning environment. Students should on time, which can most definitely impact feel supported and encouraged in their a child’s social development. Studies have learning, and homework can help massively if set correctly, and if the topic is relevant to the subject. So homework can be a good way for students to retrieve knowledge required for their curriculum and can help them in future life.

Students should feel supported and encouraged in their learning.

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Over

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Ben O’Leary of Sole

the past, present

field School pond ers and future of gam ing.

I

f you were in a game of life and death, where you had to find your own food, collect your own resources and build your own shelter, would you survive?

This is the premise behind most virtual survival games. Survival games took the gaming platform a long time ago, but the most popular survival game is Minecraft.

Minecraft emerged in 2011 and was designed by a mysterious man who calls himself Notch. At the time, he did not think it would be a success, but unexpectedly it became a worldwide phenomenon and made him and his associates millions.

It has undergone many updates and now a whole massive business operation has been developed around Minecraft.

No doubt, the popularity of these games comes from the incredible excitement and tension generated when you play. It feels like a life-and-death situation. You are free to act in a way there have been that would be impossible in real life. Parents have incidents where become concerned about their children playing people have survival games obsessively and about the type recreated these games and have of activities their children are exposed to in these ended up with serious games (for example, hunting down and killing an injuries. opponent). There are stories of children smashing their consoles during play, such is the anger and rage produced. Parents might have good reason to worry if their child spends hours playing but it depends on the game.

People are not just interested in playing the games on consoles but are also fascinated by TV shows like Squid Game and The Hunger Games, where you can watch how the contestants survive and can root for your own favourite player.

Unsurprisingly, some people have been influenced by the games and attempted real-life scenarios. A notorious YouTuber recreated a version of Squid Game in a vast warehouse, but luckily the violence was not real. However, there have been incidents where people have recreated these games and have ended up with serious injuries. It makes one wonder whether these TV shows might have a deadlier impact on viewers than one might initially imagine.

Gaming and our quest for constant entertainment will no doubt grow and will possibly grow out of control. The lines between gaming and reality will become increasingly blurred through advances in Artificial Intelligence making things seem real. Just as people have suspicions about AI, we need to carefully monitor the detrimental effect of survival games on participants and gamers.

Should we be concerned? Possibly.

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g n isi

Ra the

Flag

Ger Jenkins

how flags

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of Newton Prep looks at can symbol ise a nation .

The flag is a familiar and welcoming sight in all coun tries, a symbol o f and nationa hope l pride.

Y

ou have all seen a flag. It is a familiar and welcoming sight in all countries, a symbol of hope and national pride. It is a much-cherished symbol of nationhood, whether it be the Stars and Stripes in the US (which is legally considered to be a living being), or the Union Jack flown so widely. They are a staple of modern life but many have never heard of the study of them, Vexillology.

The Turkmenistan flag has a bar showing patterns reminiscent of the five tribes that inhabit the land.

hard to draw and infamous throughout the vexillology community. Many of the flags in Western Africa are simple to draw and have deep symbolic meaning but many do not have any distinguishing features.

Now enough looking at the rules. Let's examine a perfect flag, that of South Africa. It has a Flags are all around us, and it has been this layout using the stunning yet underused way for thousands of years. Imagine the pall element. It has multiple colours but has Romans, charging into battle, but what was managed to juggle them expertly. The colours their figurehead, calling them to battle? It was represent individual elements of South Africa.

The blue: oceans and skies; white: the flag. If you enjoy history, you purity and hope; green: fertility know that sailors have used flags Vexillology of the soil; and yellow for the to communicate. But that’s not is not about gold and other natural resources what I’m talking about here. We throwing random shapes on a the country is so rich in. The true are talking about the symbol of canvas.

It is an power of the flag comes alive a nation. The first nation to use art form. when you look in between the a flag was the State of Genoa, stripes. The combination of blue, in Italy. It was a port town and famous for maritime trade. It needed this flag red and white is no coincidence, since it nods to show other countries which state their boats to the colonial period, when the UK and the were from, so allies would not attack them. In Netherlands made South Africa part of their the years since, the flag has become a symbol empires, while the white is a sign of hope. This of a country, instead of a defensive strategy. is symbolic of the country’s turbulent past, but Flags have evolved, from a background with a shows it is a forward-looking nation. coat of arms, to complex symbolic works of art.

Vexillology is not about throwing random Not every flag can be brilliant, though there shapes on a canvas. It is an art form. It is easy is a set of rules observed by everyone in the to understand the basics, the vocabulary and vexillology community to make a flag beautiful. themes, but it is difficult to master. It may seem It must follow all of these criteria or it will fail daunting, and it is really hard to make a proper as a flag. These criteria are: simplicity, ease of flag but it can be done. The Alaskan flag, a identification and symbolism. An example of a masterpiece of vexillology, is easy to identify flag that goes too far with simplicity is the flag and full of symbols. You might have thought of Gaddafist Libya. It was a solid background of that it was designed by an old man who green, the colour of Islam. This was all there was, dedicated his life to vexillology, but it wasn't. and many criticised it, due to it not so much It was designed by a 13-year-old, who never being a flag but just a colour. On the other end thought he would make a difference. of the spectrum is the flag of Turkmenistan. It has a bar showing patterns reminiscent of the five tribes that inhabit the land. It is ridiculously

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g n i k n i Th

Beau Jackson of Bede

‘s asks why we get de ‘ ‘ ja vu.

D

éjà vu has been a mystery since 1876. It was first discovered by a French philosopher, Emilie Boirac, who believed that the French term (déjà vu) meant ‘already dreamed’.

Déjà vu has become a part of many people’s lives. This mystery is a normal occurrence that happens to everyone.

So far, déjà vu does not have a set explanation. Déjà vu only has theories.

Some people believe that déjà vu can predict the future. Scientist Arika O'Connor explains that it could also be that the frontal parts of the brain have a dysfunctional connection in memory recollection and familiarity. This can cause the brain to attempt to replay an inaccurate event. Brown (2004) states 82

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the experience of déjà vu can have meaning déjà vu is just the brain trying multiple explanations, such as ‘dual to replay an event that has never processing’. If two thoughts try to get happened before that moment. Brown into the brain at once, the brain must has looked further into this topic when process one thought first. looking at neurological This causes a delay to the explanations for déjà vu.

If two thoughts second thought process, try to get into so when it eventually gets the brain at once, Counter to what scientists the brain must processed by the brain and doctors believe, there process one it gives you a sense that are theories that déjà thought first. you have experienced vu has a more spiritual the event before. When meaning. There is no you walk into a room or when you are research or evidence to suggest this looking out the window when you are is true, but there are religions such as in a car, somewhere in your brain there Sufism that believe déjà vu has a more is a long-term memory that makes you complicated meaning. ‘From a spiritual think you have been there before, but it perspective, déjà vu happens when we is a short-term memory that the brain unconsciously find a person or place is confusing with a long-term memory, familiar due to a past life experience,’

Scien tif such ic reaso reco as memo ns l r dual lection a y nd proc e ssing have m any more expl evidentia a l nat back their ions to theo ries.

explains hypnotist Eli Bliliuos of NYC Hypnosis Center. If Eli Bliliuos’s theory is memory recollection and dual processing correct, this must mean that whatever have many more evidential explanations life we are in our brain will travel with to back their theories, so it us from the past into the future. I like this theory studies have been is most likely to be true and carried out to more likely that people will but it doesn’t seem to ‘ ‘ prove that DeJa accept the theory. Sufism hold water. Sufism is a vu is linked to the brain, but has no scientific evidence mythical Islamic practice no studies have to back up its theory and that believes that you are been completed therefore may be harder to shown, before you are to prove a link born, what will happen in between god or a believe if you are not part past life. of the Islamic religion. Two your life. Therefore, when theories link déjà vu to the you get to that moment brain and one theory links it to the spirit. that you have been shown about, this causes a flashback also known as déjà My research suggests that déjà vu is vu. The people who practise Sufism are more likely to be linked to the brain known as Sufis and they believe that (neurological) rather than having a they have a spiritual guide who could spiritual meaning. Scientific studies possibly be the prophet Muhammad have been carried out to prove that déjà himself. vu is linked to the brain, but no studies have been completed to prove a link These three perspectives show that between god or a past life. You could there are many possible explanations argue that something spiritual is just a of déjà vu. Scientific reasons such as belief whereas something scientific can be proven.

ople‘ ‘ Some pe t deja a h believe t dict the e r p vu can future.

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s a e Id

says the best space. to put solar panels is in

Rhiain Emery of Vinehall place

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is to idea ig b un’s Their ss the s r e a n l r o a h es infinit y from g ener ace. sp

S

olar power is the perfect source of energy for our planet in so many ways.

It is free of emissions, such as carbon dioxide, is affordable compared to other renewable technology, and is increasing in popularity all the time. There is however one problem – it only works when the sun shines.

the sun’s energy, they will convert it to microwaves and transmit that wirelessly back down to Earth. From here dedicated receivers called rectennas will convert the energy back into electricity to feed into the local grid.

Can you imagine a world where the sun never Because energy is transferred wirelessly, it could even be sent to the moon stops shining? Well, experts at or other planets. the European Space Agency the Sun is also ten times (ESA) have done so and begun one of the most exciting ideas stronger outside So far so good. But there are of the Earth’s problems. For example, some to solve the world’s energy crisis. atmosphere countries could afford to do The ESA is Europe’s gateway than on land in Europe. this but others could not. Some to space. Their mission is to people still don’t believe that develop technology and support investment in space to deliver benefits to the there is such a thing as climate change. All the countries would need to work together citizens of Europe and the world. and currently there are lots of conflicts The world must change course to avoid going on such as the war in Ukraine and you catastrophic climate change, which is being would need to launch a lot of rockets to get caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuels all the equipment into space. Rockets are to meet all our energy needs. The race is on very expensive and so is rocket fuel. In time, rockets might become cheaper to launch and to find solutions. build.

Since 2006, the ESA has been looking at a space-age solution. Their big idea is to I think solar panels in space is a good idea harness the sun’s infinite solar energy from even though there are several barriers. I don’t space. It may sound ridiculous at first but think that given the current cost of living think about it. There is no weather in space this project will become easily affordable. so there are no clouds to block the sun. In future, there could be other technologies There is no day or night either, so the supply that could be a better option. But this is a of energy is constant. Not only this, but the great and sustainable plan to keep our planet Sun is also ten times stronger outside of the green. Earth’s atmosphere than on land in Europe.

Solar panels take up a lot of room and the best thing about space is, well, a lot of space.

We would need a vast number of solar panels in space, with the panels directly facing the sun. Once the solar panels have harvested

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d r a w r Fo

Rohan Bissett of Holm

ewood House charts the rise of technology in huma n history, from farm ing to phones.

T

echnology is the lifeblood of modern human society and its presence is always around us but have you ever wondered where it all began? And, more importantly, how it has changed human society?

Farming is the earliest technology to reshape human society and stands as a pivotal force in human evolution, tracing its roots back to 11,000 BCE in Syria and Iran. By 6000 BCE, farmers had begun cultivating wheat and barley in Asia and along the Nile, a transformative shift from hunting to systematic food production that marked a crucial chapter in history and led to larger settlements and communities.

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Next came the wheel. Mesopotamians system of signs that expressed a word, introduced the first transport wheel sound, or ideas. This was later used by around 3500 BCE, all of Asia. It is the fuel that enhancing human drives communication, Farming is the earliest mobility and allowing and communication technology to heavy loads to be serves as a framework for reshape human carried over distances society. society and with less effort. Beyond stands as a pivotal force in transportation, wheels Medicine’s impact on human evolution. played a crucial role in society, by increasing mechanizing sectors human lifespan, has like carts and battle chariots, and been pivotal. When Edward Jenner contributed significantly to agriculture, pioneered the first vaccination by animal traction, crop irrigation, and exposing a boy to cowpox, the era of craft industries. modern medicine had really begun in 1876. The antibiotic era began on 28th Writing is one of the most crucial September 1928, with the accidental technologies ever developed. In Egypt discovery of penicillin by Alexander around 3300 BCE hieroglyphs were a Fleming.

Medicine ’s im on socie pact increasin ty, by gh lifespan uman ,h been pivo as tal.

The 18th Century is when the world as we know it began to take shape. First, the discovery of electricity in 1752 by Benjamin Franklin led quickly to further discoveries, most notably by Thomas Edison and Michael Faraday, which allowed human societies to harness and generate new forms of power.

It has revolutionised human society, and the efficiency and simplicity of electrical power is still changing society to this day as we move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

In 1764, the Industrial Revolution commenced with James Hargreaves' invention of the spinning jenny, revolutionizing cloth production by boosting speed and requiring only one operator. This innovation made way for engine development, initially used for mine water drainage and later powering iron, cotton, and paper mills, significantly improving efficiency. This era shifted economies from agrarian and handicraft models to large-scale industry, mechanized manufacturing, and the factory system, introducing new machines and organizational methods for heightened productivity.

l terna the in n engine ustio or comb the way f d d a e ity n pav mobil rising s s a y m ans teadil the s ge of hum ide. w n excha ods world o g d n a

In 1872 the internal combustion engine appeared. This could power automobiles, locomotives, ships, and airplanes, and paved the way for mass mobility and the steadily rising exchange of humans and goods worldwide. This power has allowed us to build machines that could do work that would have been impossible before.

The idea for a mechanical computer originated with Charles Babbage in 1822 but it was not until the mid-20th Century that the age of computing really began.

During World War II the breakthroughs made by Alan Turing paved the way for the development of modern computers and the discovery of the transistor in 1959 fired the starting gun for ever smaller and more portable computers. The impact on society has been profound and, when coupled with the creation of the internet, the computer underpins our modern society.

The internet is the most transformative technology of recent times. The internet age began in the 1970s but it was not until the creation of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners Lee in 1989 that the transformative power of the internet took hold. Nowadays, we can quickly find information, manage our finances, shop from home, listen to music, play games, or watch videos. However, its real power has been to connect everyone in human society to everyone else, breaking down barriers and making the whole of human society feel connected.

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

Lara Morgan

of Holmewood House takes a gender stereo look at types.

Not

t s Ju a Girl

G

rowing up, I never noticed much sexism. Sure, there were the occasional comments, like, ‘You can’t do that: you’re a girl,’ but they didn’t bother me much.

However, as I got older, it started to affect me in ways it hadn’t before. One moment that stands out is when my parents told me I couldn’t go for walks alone, whilst my brother went alone almost daily. I was told that being a girl I was vulnerable and at risk, but my brother, being a boy, was safe.

I started to question whether my sex influenced who I am today because of societal norms.

If gender stereotypes didn’t exist, Stereotypes I might be a completely different essentially run person. For example, if I had played society, even though football instead of netball, I might they may not be obvious. never have had the chance to play.

Similarly, if Barbie’s hadn’t been pushed towards girls, and Hot Wheels towards boys, then I might have been more interested in cars than in clothes.

Stereotypes essentially run society, even though they may not be obvious. Take school pick-up, for example. I can almost guarantee that most of the parents there will be female. Or, in a clothes store, most women’s clothes will be pale in colour, tightfitting, and soft, whilst men’s will be darker, more oversized and made of more sturdy materials. While many people are starting to change these norms and cross-dress, the fact remains that the expected style for men and women is completely different. 

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We know that men’s wages are comparatively higher than women's but the numbers are worse than you’d expect.

Women not only face lower earnings but also higher expenses due to the ‘pink tax’. They are charged around 34% more for basic items like clothes and As for the gender pay gap, we know toiletries. Over the course of a lifetime, that men’s wages are comparatively this would have a significant effect on a woman’s financial higher than women's stability. Although this but the numbers are compared to 10% is an issue that could worse than you’d expect. of men, 50% of easily be solved, it is left In fact, 8 out of 10 UK women felt they were treated less unaddressed. It’s not companies still pay favourably because that the government their male employees they were female. doesn’t have awareness more money. In general, of these issues; they have the workplace is a much better place for men. The BMA published articles on the pay gap and conducted a study and found that, in pink tax if you look for them. It’s just not the medical field, 74% of people felt important enough to bother changing. that gender acted as a barrier in career progression. Additionally, compared to In my opinion, the problem is the media.

10% of men, 50% of women felt they People like Andrew Tate, whose videos were treated less favourably because undoubtedly reach most people who are on social media, will affect the way they were female. young people view gender. Tate even

8 ou comp t of 10 UK a pay t nies still h empl eir mal e oyee s mone more y.

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s can nder rience e g l Al pe ill ex of and w me sort , it’s o e s m n . For about m is x se more es. much ereotyp t s the

proudly proclaimed himself a misogynist, as have many others. Young, impressionable children will believe that this is ok. Therefore, these ideas are introduced at a very young age and become the norm.

However, that’s not to say sexism is onesided. All genders can and will experience some sort of sexism. For men, it’s much more about the stereotypes. Men must work hard, make money, provide for their families. Men must like sports and cars.

These principles are drilled into us from the moment we can understand them. Even baby clothes are pink for girls and blue for boys. It’s not done deliberately, not by our parents, teachers, or friends; it’s just how the world works. Gender equality isn’t something we have right now. It’s almost as if, although so much has changed, nothing’s new. Yes, women can work, but still cannot earn as much. Yes, men can wear makeup, but they will still be judged. And, yes, a woman isn’t expected to have children, but may risk being called selfish if she does not.

Many don’t even realise how much gender inequality still affects their lives, even in the 21st Century.

baby Even re pink hes a clot girls and . for or boys f blue

isn’t a woman have o t expected ut may b children, called g in e b k is r she does selfish if o n t.

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The

Ap pl e Cart

Dev Patel of SJCS surveys th e

trade that put Apple at

A

pple is the world's most valuable company with an estimated net worth of 3.01 trillion US dollars. Apple has sold more than 2.4 billion iPhones with a revenue of 65.77 billion US dollars. Apple shares have risen by 817% since the company first went public. So how does Apple sell so many products?

What is their secret? Sure, Apple watches, iPhones and iMacs all have a common theme: they are reliable, they have sleek designs and the manufacturer quality is superb. But it is not only the product itself that promotes sales as Apple uses far fewer visible ways to psychologically manipulate us into buying their products. I am not saying that it is a bad or negative thing at all – merely that it is interesting to see how we are subconsciously steered into making Apple the biggest company on the planet.

Apple stores are a key factor in selling their products and there are numerous marketing techniques that push up sales. When you walk into an Apple Store, all computers are kept at a 76-degree angle so that you are encouraged to touch them, to adjust the screen. When 92

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

tricks of the the top of the tree.

you touch the computer, it gives you a ever been to an Apple store, you’ll sense of ownership and this is called notice that every product has a lot of the ‘endowment effect’. space, and by doing this Apple uses It is the physiological they make you think the far fewer phenomenon where you product is more special. visible ways to are more likely to keep Apple also goes all-out psychologically something if you already with the architecture of manipulate us into buying their feel like you own it. This some of their flagship products. makes you feel like you’ll venues, to the point be losing something if you where people just go and didn’t walk out of the shop with a shiny visit them to admire the buildings as new Macbook Pro tucked under your architectural tourist attractions. arm. In the same way, Apple employees are told not to touch the products in Apple employees are another reason front of the customers. why the company sells so many products. All employees must follow This is not the only way that Apple the Five Golden Steps of Service: makes their stores better at selling. 1. Approach customers with a Another key factor is the store layout. warm welcome; 2. Probe politely to Where are the cash registers? This is all understand the customer; 3. Present a part of their seduction: by doing away solution for the customer; 4. Listen or with traditional tills, Apple prevents resolve issues for the customer; 5. End customers from thinking about how with a fond farewell. much products cost. Apple then intensifies this idea by not including Another key thing used by Apple any price tags. This is Apple saying: ‘It’s employees is the Apple Employee Store expensive but that's not the important Handbook, which has been leaked thing.’ Apple wants you to connect onto the Internet by Gizmodo. This with their products, and they give you handbook details all the tips and tricks the space to do that and take away that employees should use to push up the threat of the price tag. If you have sales. There is even a list of words which

When you wa an Apple lk into all comp Store, u kept at a ters are 7 angle so 6-degree are enco that you urag touch th ed to em.

Apple employees are forbidden from using. The crux of it is that Apple wants to change bad situations into a way that Apple isn’t to blame. For example, if you go into the Apple store and say to an employee, ‘I have a problem that my iPhone is getting very hot when it is charging,’ the employee will reply, ‘Just to confirm your concern: your iPhone is getting warm when you charge it.’

Notice how the employee rephrases what you said. He says ‘concern’ instead of ‘problem’, and ‘warm’ instead of ‘hot’.

This is because Apple employees are forbidden from saying the following words: Bomb, Crash, Hang, Freeze, Problem, Bug, Hot. Apple's strategic approach to selling its products extends beyond just the design and features of its devices; it delves deep into the realm of psychology. By understanding human behaviour and cognitive biases, Apple has mastered the art of creating an environment that encourages customers to make purchases, often without realising how they are being subtly manipulated.

One of the most effective tactics employed by Apple is the use of its retail stores as ‘showrooms’. By maintaining a comfortable temperature and layout conducive to interaction, customers

eel a als f rship u id iv ne ind of ow ey sense items th g r e s ov ea in a , incr touch lihood of ike the l rchase. pu

are drawn to explore and engage with the products. This tactile experience triggers the endowment effect, wherein individuals feel a sense of ownership over items they touch, increasing the likelihood of a purchase.

The role of Apple's employees is also crucial in the sales process. Trained to follow a structured approach to customer service, they employ techniques aimed at understanding and addressing customer needs while subtly reframing negative situations to maintain a positive brand image. By adhering to a set of approved language guidelines, Apple ensures consistency in communication across its retail outlets, reinforcing its carefully curated brand identity.

In addition to in-store experiences, Apple leverages its digital ecosystem to drive sales through personalised marketing and user engagement. By offering free workshops and events, the company fosters a sense of community among its customers, encouraging repeat visits and brand loyalty. Ultimately, Apple's success in selling products is not solely attributable to technological innovation but also to its mastery of psychological manipulation and customer experience management.

Through the use of these strategies, Apple continues to dominate the market and maintain its position as a leader in the tech industry.

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R

ecently competitive sport has been a main headline in newspaper articles around Britain.

These articles argue that competitive sport is ruining children's mental health, but is this true?

Beat It! competitive sport may be ruining children‘s mental health, says Evan Morris of Bede‘s.

Thousands of children across the country There is no doubt that competitive sports are being affected by this problem so, like football, cricket and hockey bring yes, in a way competitive sport is ruining people together and have a lot to offer. children’s mental health, although there is Exercise and improved self-esteem are the an alternative: non-competitive sport. Nonreasons why people decide competitive sport is usually Almost two thirds to take up sport but this may more self-based, where the (64%) of eight be backfiring on children. stakes aren’t as high; this can to 16-year-olds allow children to relish sport said they would In 2012, 80% of children for what it is. So perhaps this is be ‘relieved, not bothered or played competitive sport, the answer. happier’ if winning and over the past 10 years or losing were it has dropped to 65%.

Additionally, non-competitive not a factor.

This is one of many bits of sports can also teach children evidence that sport is dying for the younger to be more conscientious because you generation. would look at your own skill level, not the whole team’s. But schools aren’t promoting A large part of the curriculum at most non-competitive sport enough for it to be schools is sport. And it’s usually highly something a child takes up. encouraged at a young age, because it’s good to teach teamwork, It’s difficult to judge which side of the discipline and dedication. But not question is right, because it varies all children can thrive in a pressured depending on who you ask, but in my environment, as we all know sport is. opinion I don’t believe competitive sport is If forced upon children unwillingly, ‘ruining’ children's mental health, as there it can lead to problems. You see, you are some serious positives. But that’s not have probably experienced, in your time denying it is a problem that must be fixed. playing sports, unkind comments or being mocked by your teammates for making mistakes. Some people can brush it off, but others can take a huge hit to their selfesteem. If you take into account we are in an age more sedentary than ever, sport shouldn’t be something that’s feared.

The BBC conducted a survey on competitive sport, and here are the results. Almost two thirds (64%) of eight to 16-year-olds said they would be ‘relieved, not bothered or happier’ if winning or losing were not a factor. This just proves that competitive

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sport is backfiring massively for children, and the main problem is that coaches aren’t aware. Coaches have a huge role in how we play, and view sport, so if they’re not picking up on it, who will?

ing Grow u p

d House explains Dylan Cox of Holmewoo me serious d make how the human race coul progress.

so

H

umans aren’t an advanced species. We are must consider what the swarm would be made of. only a 0.72 on the Kardashev scale. What is the Ordinary solar panels are too delicate and would need Kardashev scale, you may ask. The Kardashev constant repairs, which would not be very efficient. It scale is a scale to find how advanced a civilisation is. would also be more expensive. So, what would they A Type 1 civilisation is able to harness all the planet’s be made from? They’d be massive mirrors about 1km² energy. This type has control over the entire planet, which refocus sunlight to power stations on earth and even volcanoes and weather. A Type 2 civilisation other planets. To transport these mirrors, we wouldn’t harnesses all the energy of its host star using a Dyson use rockets since they cost a lot and aren’t re-useable. sphere. This type can occupy other planets and moons Instead, we would probably use a large railgun in the solar system. A Type 3 is in control structure to launch them into space. of their entire galaxy. Type 3 can move With the power generated we would To become a Type 1 from star to star, colonizing multiple star civilisation, we need be able to double the number we have to become reliant systems across their galaxy. until we have enough to cover the sun. on renewable energy and stop using fossil fuels. We need to have world peace and all countries would have to cooperate with each other.

Although it has taken humans about two million years to get to a 0.72, it is predicted that we will become a Type 1 civilisation in 100-200 years. So, what would we need to get there? To become a Type 1 civilisation, we need to become reliant on renewable energy and stop using fossil fuels.

We need to have world peace and all countries would have to cooperate with each other.

If we became a Type 1 civilisation, we would expand to the rest of our solar system but if we wanted to colonise our solar system then it would take a large amount of energy. The only place to get that much energy is the sun. Luckily, there is a theoretical structure that can harvest energy from the sun called a Dyson sphere.

How would it look? It would not be a rigid object because this leads to impacts and could drift into the sun. A better design would be a huge swarm of panels orbiting the sun, collecting energy, and sending it elsewhere. This would give us nearly unlimited energy but would be difficult to make.

The energy generated would pave the way for many large-scale advancements, like interstellar travel, forming space colonies, and building stellar engines to move our star and the entire solar system. These advancements, enabled by using a Dyson sphere, would allow us to become a Type 3 civilisation at an incredibly quick rate. Becoming a Type 3 civilisation would take a long time but it wouldn’t be that difficult because with the energy made from the first Dyson sphere it would be much easier to make others, even though it would take a while.

In conclusion, humans becoming classified as an advanced species will not happen in our lifetime. It will be a long arduous process and take many hundreds of years. The sooner we stop fighting and try to work together the sooner we will achieve such status.

To achieve the number of resources needed to build such a sphere we would need to entirely deconstruct a planet. Mercury would be ideal because, despite its size, it has a high number of metals and is close to the sun, has no atmosphere and only a third of the gravity of Earth, making it easy to transport stuff. Next, we

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Film First Charlie Cutler of Be

from magician to mo vie

G

eorges Méliès (1861-1938) was a French magician who was ‘thunderstruck with amazement’ when he saw the first-ever moving pictures in 1895. The very next year, Méliès made his first film. In the next 17 years, he stunned audiences with over 500 incredible films using methods that had never been seen before.

Méliès was not the first to create movies.

Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers both made films a year or two before. But the Lumière movies were only single scenes of everyday life, such as people playing cards. Méliès’ movies were drastically different in terms of plot complexity and genre, the number 96

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2024

de‘s reveals how Ge orge‘ Me‘ lies went pioneer.

of scenes and the use of special effects. whole collection of movies with devils, Méliès drew inspiration vampires and floating from authors like Jules heads. Méliès’ films were The Kingdom of the Faeries Verne and H G Wells to so advanced that you contained an make the first ever sci-fi, can see the influence of underwater fantasy and horror films. his narrative structures scene that he Méliès’ most famous filmed through an on films today. For aquarium. creation is A Trip to the example, the plot line of Moon (1902), which lasted Avatar (2009) has many 13 minutes, a huge length for that time. similarities with A Trip to the Moon.

In this film, a group of astronomers visit the moon and must escape the local George Méliès was also a pioneer in alien race, the Selenites: the first-ever the use of special effects, and he once encounter with aliens in film history! remarked that this was what he was most proud of. He used his experience Another Méliès film is The Kingdom as a magician to change cinema of the Faeries (1903) in which a prince forever. His two main effects were the goes on a quest to defeat an evil witch ‘stop-trick’ and superimposition. and rescue a princess. He also made a

Me‘ l ‘ inspir ies drew ation auth fr o Vern rs like J om e and u H G W les to m a k e the f ells ever ir s and h ci-fi, fan st tasy orro r film s.

Méliès first used the stop-trick in The Vanishing Lady (1896), in which he made a lady vanish and then reappear as a skeleton. He discovered the trick by accident when his camera jammed briefly whilst he was filming a road.

When he watched the film back, he saw a carriage turn instantly into a hearse. Méliès used this ‘stop trick’ in many of his later films to show disappearances and transformations.

To create this effect, Méliès would stop the camera, rearrange the actors, then start filming again. The technique of superimposition was created by layering multiple images over each other to create collage effects.

Even though they were invented by Méliès in 1896, these basic effects were still used as late as the 1970s in films such as Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977). These effects were not majorly improved upon until the development of computer graphics. As George Lucas

remarked, ‘Georges Méliès is truly the father of all that we do in visual effects today.’

Not only did Méliès use camera tricks, but he had other special effects too.

The Kingdom of the Faeries contained an underwater scene that he filmed through an aquarium. In The Conquest of the Pole (1913) he created the impression that a plane was flying by using small models against moving backdrops. Incredibly, he was also the first to make colour films.

He achieved this by painting the film tape by hand.

Méliès’ innovative introduction of special effects and sci-fi and fantasy storylines changed the world of cinema. It was another 70 years before cinema evolved past his principles of special effects. The influence of his narrative structures can still be seen today. As film director Martin Scorsese wrote, ‘We all descend from Méliès!’ 

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really enjoy skiing. I go about once a year. But over the past years I have noticed that the snow (at the bottom of the slopes) has been melting at a rapid rate. On 3rd February 2024, I was skiing in the Alps and it reached 7 degrees in Alpe D’huez, a French resort in the Alps.

However, skiing itself has contributed to global warming and resorts could try harder to be more environmentally friendly. Fossil fuels are used to power lifts and hotels, and as a result skiing contributes to 2% of the Earth’s Climate change is having a drastic impact on CO2 emissions. Did you know that a skier is thought to contribute 48.9kg of the ski season and ski resorts. Ski carbon dioxide when they ski Mount seasons are becoming shorter, and Terminillo, in for a day? With 55 million people the slopes are becoming greener.

Italy, recently Heavy rainfall is appearing, all of had no snow on going skiing each year, this is a which is contributing to the snow its mountain and huge amount. Resorts are trying melting and, in the future, we will they had to use to use more renewable energy fake snow. sources, and they will need to have no snow. Did you know that keep doing so if they want to Mount Terminillo, in Italy, recently had no snow on its mountain and they had to keep the sport alive. For example, they could use solar panels to power the ski lifts because use fake snow? it often very sunny in the Alps.

We need to help our environment because climate change is threatening to close down I love skiing and I believe it is possible to save ski resorts and all we will have to ski on is dry this sport. Skiing may stay around for some slopes which is not as much fun as skiing on time but if we do not change our carbon real snow. However, the real tragedy would footprint then we will no longer be able be the loss of alpine communities and the loss to ski in the Alps. I hope that you will think of jobs. If we do not help our environment, differently about skiing, and you will be able people's jobs will be lost and hotel owners will to change your carbon footprint. lose all their money. Hotel owners are going to have to rethink their business models or go out of business altogether. The ski slopes are being left with barely any snow, which means hotels are closing down.

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here are four main theories of how the universe could end: the Big Rip, the Big Freeze, Vacuum Decay and the Big Crunch-Big Bounce.

The Big Crunch-Big Bounce theory is the most interesting and it is the most uplifting.

Over trillions of years the universe would slow down in expansion and stop, then the universe will start to contract and collapse. This will cause the universe to heat up because the universe gets denser as stars get closer and closer together.

Before I start, you need to know a One hundred thousand years before bit about Dark Energy. The universe the Big Crunch, the background is expanding, and the rate of its radiation would be hotter than the expansion is increasing, due to dark surfaces of most stars, causing them energy. Dark Energy is to cook from the outside. the Big Crunch a strange thing which A few minutes before the and Big Bounce scientists believe fills theory says that, in Big Crunch, atom cores the universe. Up until anywhere from 2.8 are ripped apart before all 1998 we thought the billion years to 100 the supermassive black billion years, the universe had to expand holes eat everything. Then universe will start and then contract but they will merge, forming to collapse in on the expansion of the one giant supermassive itself. universe is speeding blackhole which would eat up. We don’t know much about dark the entire universe, including itself. energy, but what we do know leads us Then the universe will have another to three of the four main theories of Big Bang and so the cycle would how the universe could end. repeat itself. Scientists who believe this theory think that it could start in The Big Crunch and Big Bounce anywhere from 2.8 billion years in the theory is made up of two parts, the future to 22 billion years in the future, ‘crunch’ and the ‘bounce’. The theory and some even think it might happen states that the universe will expand 100 billion years in the future. until a finite point where gravity forces it to collapse in on itself. This is In 1922, Russian physicist Alexander the ‘crunch’. After this, the universe Friedman made a group of equations would be so close and dense, it would showing that the Universe's end cause another Big Bang. This is the depends on its density, and it could ‘bounce’. This cycle repeats itself expand or contract accordingly. With over and over again and, according to enough matter, gravity could stop the research, the theory states that this Universe's expansion and cause it has happened many times before. to contract. Alexander was the first person to propose this theory.

This would only happen if there was less dark energy than we think, which So, the Big Crunch and Big Bounce we think is about 68% of the universe, theory says that, in anywhere from or it decreases over time because 2.8 billion years to 100 billion years, then gravity would be the controlling the universe will start to collapse in on force in the universe, not dark energy, itself, and it will become so dense that which means gravity will pull the it will cause a new Big Bang, and the universe closer together. cycle will be repeated indefinitely.

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