Mind's Eye 2021

P E PR

2021

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

Welcome to the fifth edition of Mind’s Eye Prep, which is also special for being nearly 50% bigger than its predecessors. This is for two reasons. First, we had more contributions from each participating school: whereas in the past some schools submitted just two or three pieces, this time most sent in their full quota of six.

Second, the average quality of the articles was higher, so nearly all made the grade, and it was hard to justify choosing just one piece when more than one was on the same subject. Enjoy making comparisons!

Despite the global gloom our writers are optimistic. They clearly spent lockdown looking up. Once more, we have been amazed by their wisdom, passion and skill. All of them are under 13, and yet they know already what a struggle life can be and how best to cope. But they also appreciate its daily wonders and say so, loudly.

While preparing this edition I was reading Humankind: A Hopeful History, in which Rutger Bregman claims the widespread cynicism of recent years, our tendency to see the worst in each other, is not justified by the sociological and anthropological evidence. Time and time again ordinary people prove, he says, that human beings are decent, kind, heroic and benign, and that the world would be a better place if only their energies were harnessed and channeled. And on the evidence of the articles in this magazine, he is right.

Many thanks to all of the writers, to their English teachers and especially their Heads of English; to David Hopkins at King’s, who is always the perfect advisor and ambassador; and to the tireless team at Cobweb Creative who marry the verbals with the visuals.

Anthony Lyons Editor The King’s School Canterbury Design by Cobweb Creative www.cobwebcreative.org

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16 Queen of soul

by Sofia Emslie

18 Ice, Ice Baby

by Sam Kurchars ky

20 Turning Turtle

by Olivia Ridge

23 The long haul

by Hugo Edgar

54 slow fashion

by Claudia Lynn

56 blue scream

by Posy Harris

58 beyond extinction

by Pablo Sanz Moya

60 look here

by Antonia Mulley

63 bird brain

by Hannah Spackman

65 playing god

by Delilah Galloway

67 breaking bad

by Austin Ritchie

25 slumber part y

by Luca Wilson

28 Genocide is ge nocide

by Zachary Hill

32 born free

by Elsa Jarman

34 the magic of tree

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By Sam Clarke & David Edgington 37 the humble st apler

by Viggo Sweeney

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

AFoot?

Lloyd of e in e l e d a M htings by Bigfoot Sig se gh Hou

Marlborou

I

magine this. Evening has fallen on the mountain, the peaks dusted with soft white snow glowing pink in the dying sunbeams. You are herding your sheep down to their enclosure, when you hear the snuffling and heavy footsteps of a large animal heading your way. Terrified, you run back to your cosy cabin and hide there for the rest of the night. When you emerge next morning, your livestock have gone, and all that remains are sparse scraps of wool and a huge footprint in the snow. Have you just encountered the legendary Bigfoot?

that suggests once upon a time some creature must have terrorised the towns after nightfall. Was this beast Bigfoot?

More shock hit the press when the British explorer Eric Earle Shipton was climbing the Himalayas in 1951 and discovered large footprints that he was certain were those of the mysterious Bigfoot. And it is not just in mountainous regions of Asia where there have been reports of sightings. In Pennsylvania, USA, in 1980, town locals were shocked by a footprint that measured 17.75 inches. This coincided with reports of strange noises and a strong, unusual odour. It is unlikely that this animal was anything other than what it appears to be, given the unique stench and the large footprints: Bigfoot.

The Bigfoot. We’ve all heard of it: the mysterious glimpses of human-like creatures, the attacks on livestock, the footprints in the snow.

They have many names, such as When will Sasquatch and Yeti, in Russia, Tibet and humanity finally even America, but what really are they – crack the code and find what bear or beast, predator or prey, farce or lies beyond fact? Do the supposed sightings of this the mask of cryptid provide any clues?

Bigfoot?

A monastery in the Himalayas is home to what is claimed to be the skull of a bigfoot. However, after the initial commotion that the skull caused, it was debunked by scientists who believed after microscopic analysis that the skull was in fact goat hair. But now scientists have realised the similarity between goat hair and ape hair, and wish to get a sample of the skull to re-test. Unfortunately, the monks won’t let them have a sample so the mystery remains unsolved.

Another sighting happened in Tibet, and is still unexplained. One woman reported looking after her sheep on the mountain when she was attacked by a huge humanoid creature. It killed many of her livestock and gave her large scratches on her back. It is still up for debate exactly what the animal was. To this day, she still bears the scars of the huge creature that assailed her and claims that what attacked her was no bear.

Sadly she did not see the monster because her back was turned.

In Tibet, when night falls, all animals are brought inside because the people are very superstitious, a tradition

In the same state, a hunter called Rick Jacobs captured some pictures of a strange creature in 2007 that could prove the existence of the Bigfoot if real. Jacobs used a camera tied to a tree. The creature was emaciated, with thin brown hair, long limbs, and humanoid proportions. Also captured were videos of bear cubs, showing the obvious difference between the two creatures. However, sceptics dismissed this as a bear with mange. Was this Bigfoot, or simply a bear?

Over the years many people have claimed to see Bigfoot, but the truth is hard to tell. This creature, supposedly standing ten feet tall and weighing more than 35 stone, according to eyewitness accounts, cannot escape discovery much longer. The only question left is, when will humanity finally crack the code and find what lies beyond the mask of Bigfoot?

Will we find a close relative, a wild beast, or nothing at all? Will this mystery ever be solved, or will we live in ignorance forever?

Personally, I would not dare go near Bigfoot! But if you wish to get a thrill, you could visit all its favourite haunts (Tibet, Russia and valleys in places like Pennsylvania), and maybe find out the truth for yourself! Whatever you do, stay safe, and keep wondering.

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The C o s t o f Food Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

RES ALL MEASU H M A H N E K BUC own of OLD r B x u a g r Ma s Food Mile

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ood miles offer us a greater selection of food but they are destroying the Earth. First, what are food miles? Food miles are the number of miles it takes for our food to travel from its source to our plate. Why are food miles bad? They are bad because in order for our food to reach our plates, it travels in a form of transport which is always a source of pollution. For many foods, these miles are too many and are destroying our Earth at a rapid rate. The environment is dying because of us. According to scientific research, we have twelve years to turn the Earth around before the damage becomes irreparable. This is where food miles have a huge impact.

The average American plate of salad costs one thousand four hundred food miles. You do not pay much for a salad at the till, but the planet pays a heavy price for our food in other ways. We pay by how many food miles it has taken.

This is the hidden cost that is far more damaging than the price we pay at the counter.

Who are the villains? Supermarkets, schools, restaurants, the government, and us, the consumers. For example, we all insist on having strawberries in the winter when we cannot grow them here in Britain, so they must travel over from many other countries. This lets off carbon dioxide and destroys our atmosphere. Even if they are grown in Britain in the winter, they need special greenhouses that are expensive but also let off more gases that are affecting the Earth. What is wrong with us? We are chipping away at our planet and soon it will be gone. We must act now before our planet is destroyed by pollution. All the tropical fruits we buy take their toll. You may think a pineapple is healthy and harmless, but really these sweet fruits are one of the many reasons that we have this ongoing problem. Half of the food that has come from abroad is thrown away without being eaten. This makes the food miles even more pointless because they are all for nothing when the food is not even consumed.

But we can help. Having your own allotment and growing your own food helps the planet, but also it can be fun and gets you outside for exercise. If you genuinely want to help, then you could cut down the amount of food you consume from abroad. You could buy your fruit from a local farm shop instead of a supermarket. You could also buy only things that you know you are going to eat. If you still do not want to help, then maybe you should know this. Many of the bananas that come over from abroad are treated with chemicals, twice – once to prevent them from ripening and then a second time to make them ripen. Remember that what goes into your food goes into you. ‘You are what you eat,’ as the saying goes.

If you grow your own fruit, then this will not happen.

Also, think of the animals in the Arctic; their ice is rapidly melting because of us. They need our help.

Y pine ou may a and pple think a rea harm is hea fru lly th less, lthy it b e man s are se sw ut e o y et n we r hav easo e of th e th ns t e pro is ong hat ble m oing

“

we all insist on having strawberries in the winter when we cannot grow them here in Britain, so they must travel over from many other countries

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

Iona Alex ander

Travel Br oadens

Jus its t as L fam ond ou Th on Tuk ailand s blac has : Ea kc h a cou ch is s its T ab, par ntr uk t y’s cul of its tur e

OF OLD BU CKENHAM H ALL says the Mind

W

e should visit countries around the world to witness for ourselves different cultures, landscapes, languages, and the amazing palette of food that comes with travelling abroad.

My first point is that you discover different cultures. When you visit a foreign country, you experience a different way of life, even the way people commute. Just as London has its famous black cab, Thailand has its Tuk Tuk. Each is part of its country’s culture. I spent four years living in Hong Kong, allowing me to enjoy some amazing trips abroad to Hong Kong’s neighbouring countries, such as Thailand.

It was a great experience to take a ‘joy ride’ in a Tuk Tuk around Bangkok’s busy streets. When you visit a country that is passionate about its way of life you experience a culture brought to life by local people who take every day as it comes and respect the simple things in life. They are working to put food on their tables and always do this with a smile on their faces. You cannot take in sights, smells and sounds on a screen; it is just not the same thing. Travel educates you, making you realise how lucky we are, such as when you see the boxes in which people live in some less economically developed countries.

My second point is the diverse landscape, from the dramatic, rolling paddy fields of the Philippines to the towering skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island or the perfect beaches of the Caribbean. These landscapes are unique and leave amazing memories. When I think of the many astonishing holidays that I am very fortunate to have been on, I always remember the scenery and how different it is compared to our own. Seeing new landscapes opens your mind. I am not suggesting that everyone must travel abroad. But I believe it is important that we explore our beautiful universe.

Third, there are the different languages that you hear when you go abroad. It is exciting to hear someone speaking their mother tongue and it can help you to develop an accent. Learning a different language is good for your brain, improving its functionality by challenging it to recognise and negotiate meaning, and communicate in different language systems. This skill boosts your ability to navigate other problem-solving tasks as well. When I lived abroad in the Asian country of Hong Kong, I learnt Mandarin, which was an interesting and diverse language to learn. This was an amazing experience that separates me from most other thirteen-year-olds.

Finally, there is food. The rich fusion and vibrant tastes reflect a country’s way of life and culture. When you visit new countries you also visit new tastes, be it a classic street dish or a more up-market classic. Everywhere has its signature dishes, such as Thai green soup, whose sensational spices make your taste buds tingle. I know that you might be thinking that you can buy foreign cuisine from your local supermarket. Trust me: it is not the same thing. It needs the culture alongside it, a chef making it by hand in front of you.

It’s important to travel abroad. The experience is second to none. The way of life and the speed of life. They expand your mind and create life-long memories. ‘The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.’

“

Travel educates you, making you realise how lucky we are

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Summer e z a D

IS M HALL

HA BUCKEN D L O f o nglish AYS ABROAD E ie t t Lo LID N OF HO A F A T NO

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

With all the people flocki ng to see these amazing sights, many attractions are suf fering from mass touris m, like Venice, the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China

I

n our age of over-population, should we be taking our holidays in the UK rather than adding to the global carbon footprint?

It is true that tourism provides money for poor countries, and if we took it away where would their citizens get their money?

First, it is important that we protect our planet. Scientists say that we have only eleven years to turn the Earth around before the damage becomes irreparable. We need to take this Another reason that we should not deadline seriously and start helping our go on holiday abroad is because of beautiful planet. One way we can do ‘over-tourism’. There are many great this is by not going on holiday abroad. natural and cultural wonders that When we go on holiday, we tend to bring people from all four corners drive or, most commonly, take a plane. of the Earth. However, with all the Planes are quick and comfortable people flocking to see these amazing to travel on. But they have a hidden sights, many attractions are suffering deadly secret. Planes are the most from mass tourism, like Venice, the polluting mode of transport, producing Pyramids and the Great Wall of China.

90kg of carbon dioxide per hour. That We want these reminders of past lives is a lot of carbon dioxide, which is not to survive into the future. To ensure this happens, we need to good for the planet as it Countries and marvel at these amazing contributes to something regions could human structures from called the ‘greenhouse provide support for their people, a distance. By doing effect’, more commonly like the local this we are preserving known as global warming. farm shops we these landmarks for If we do not go on holiday have generations to come. It is abroad, we massively decrease the amount of carbon dioxide true that tourism provides money for entering the atmosphere. We can poor countries, and if we took it away eventually conquer global warming. where would their citizens get their Although some people do use planes money? Well, they could go back to the to get around the UK, it is not the only way they made money before tourism, method of travel. You do not have by farming or starting a business. to take the plane. There is always an Countries and regions could provide alternative route and a way to help the support for their people, like the local farm shops we have in rural England. If planet. we can do it, so can they.

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Instead o other ho f flying all the w t running countr y, we ca ay to Brazil or through n spend some th sailing d own rive e woods, canoeinour summers rs g in lake s, or

landmarks and relax all at the same time. You do not need to go abroad to do all those things. England has its own array of amazing sights and there are always new places to explore. Relaxing is also a definite ‘must’, whether you go on holiday or are at home. England can offer plenty of places where you can get away from ‘reality’ for a while.

You can spend your holidays enjoying the seaside down in Cornwall or trekking in the Lake District

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

Last, why would you want to go abroad when we have a great country already?

You can spend your holidays down in Cornwall enjoying the seaside or So it would benefit the planet if we trekking in the Lake District. The small holidayed in the UK. We can help island of Britain has lots prevent the Earth from of possibilities. What do suffering a horrible fate. If We all live here, other countries have some of us start to do this, but how many of us genuinely that our little island then others will follow. know our does not? We all live We can spread the seeds country? here, but how many of and let them germinate us genuinely know our in others’ minds. If country? Instead of flying all the way we convince enough people, we to Brazil or some other hot country, might save our planet. This is our we can spend our summers running responsibility, and only we can change through the woods, canoeing in lakes, our future. or sailing down rivers. England is full of adventures; you simply need to look.

Some people go abroad to explore new territories, see mind-blowing

Lemming Myths

L

’s College George Tansley of St John ING LIFE , Cambridge LOOKS AT LEMM School

emmings are small rodents mainly living in Norway. The Norwegain lemming likes to live in the tundras in a ‘slice’. A ‘slice’ is the collective noun for a group of lemmings. They stay in these slices throughout their lives. Just in any family there are issues, such as rage: the males will fight with other males to release that rage and to assert dominance within their tribe or slice. This can also lead to aggression against humans; they have a distinct defensive technique in which they squeal and jump erratically at the intruder.

Although this myth of them killing themselves is false, there is one belief that actually has a little truth. Lemmings are known for imitating each other's actions.

You will never find a lemming alone in the wild because they like to stay in their group or tribe. So lemmings do in fact have the unique characteristic to instinctively imitate each other mindlessly.

Lemmings do not knowingly kill themselves. In their subconscious they will copy and follow their leader and if their leader were to accidentally fall off a Although they are very cute animals, there cliff during migratory activities then they is one myth that has held out consistently: would all, theoretically, follow and do the every few years, herds of same. Although this has lemmings commit mass The suicide story is no never been seen, there is suicide by jumping off evidence that suggests this more than an urban legend. Lemmings do seaside cliffs. Instinct, it could technically happen. not kill themselves. is said, drives them to kill Lemmings do not themselves whenever The biggest reason the commit mass suicide their population becomes myth endures is owing to to solve overpopulation. unsustainably large. the 1958 Disney film, White Many people believe Wilderness. The filmmakers that this is just their way of dealing with were keen to capture something dramatic, overpopulation. But how true is this belief? so they staged a lemming death plunge, pushing dozens of lemmings off a cliff while Sorry. The suicide story is no more than cameras were rolling. The images were an urban legend. Lemmings do not kill shocking at the time and shocking now for themselves. Lemmings do not commit what they actually show about the cruelty mass suicide to solve over-population. of humans. The film also convinced several There has never been a recorded lemming generations of people that these little mass suicide. There is no rodents do, in fact, possess a bizarre scientific reason why instinct to kill themselves. they would ever think they need to kill themselves.

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Queen

of Soul

“

She was, in the 1970s, the most influential person in the world; her singing was known in all continents and was popular almost everywhere

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

ool all Sch h e in V f Emslie o UST A SINGER ia f o S J r Fo ORE THAN M S A W N FRANKLI

ARETHA

A

retha Franklin is a queen who deserves to be known and remembered. I love all her music; her songs lifts your spirits and can be played on many occasions. Her passion for singing comes through her voice and entices you to sing along and it is the most wonderful feeling and I feel sorry that many people my age and younger haven’t heard of her. I did a poll at school and less than 50% had heard of her and only around 20% knew who she was.

Aretha Franklin was one of the world's most famous and loved singers in the 1960s. Her music spread around the world and inspired everyone. She campaigned for Black Lives Matter (although she died in 2018) through her singing and ended up famous for her soul, feel-good music and her unique voice that became extremely well known.

Aretha Franklin had a troubled childhood. Her father was a preacher and they lived in Memphis until she was five, when she moved to Detroit where her father had been given a job at a church. Soon after this, her parents got a divorce and her mother moved away to die a few years later. Her childhood was over very quickly for she had her first child at the age of twelve, and had another when she was fourteen. The father was called Donald Burk, a boy she knew at school. The first child was named Clarence after her father and the second was Edward, after Donald's father. It was a very troubled relationship and they didn’t remain together for long. At 19 Franklin married Ted White and they had a not particularly steady relationship, so they divorced and she married Glynn Turman.

In her life, Aretha Franklin achieved many things. She won (different types) Grammys 25 times and the BET honour award for musical arts. One of her greatest achievements was being crowned The Queen of Soul (not actually being ‘crowned’ but she got the popular title). She also campaigned for Black Lives Matter and was a huge influencer. Actually, one of her songs, Faith, just got a new music video on the topic of BLM. ‘You can lie to a child with a smilin' face, tell me that colour ain't about race’ is one of the lines of the song and it means you can tell a child there is no racism in the world or that racism doesn't matter but Aretha Franklin says it is not true. She was, in the 1970s, the most influential person in the world; her singing was known in all continents and was popular almost everywhere.

In later life, Aretha Franklin had a book written about her called RESPECT by David Ritz. She didn’t really like the book although it became popular. Sadly, Aretha didn’t get to write her own book before she passed away in 2018. Many tributes were paid and her funeral was spectacular. There were 130 pink Cadillacs lined up in tribute to her hit song Freeway Love.

People came from all over the world. She died of pancreatic cancer so she was very unwell in the last few years of her life.

Here's to The Soul Queen! 

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, e Ic

Ice,

y b Ba

a truly glo bal sport b y Sam Kurcharsky of FULHAM P REP

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

Ice hockey is, arguably, the fastmost exciting, ed ill sk d an d pace e sport out ther

I

ce hockey is played mostly in North America but this fantastic sport has every reason to spread around the world. You may think that hockey players are big, bearded Canadians beating each other over the head with sticks on a frozen lake in a snowy landscape, but you would be mistaken!

Ice hockey is – arguably – the most exciting, fast-paced and skilled sport out there. Despite this, it ranks well behind other sports like football, basketball and cricket in worldwide popularity.

In a world where fans are looking for a new, exciting sport to watch and play, ice hockey is on the cards

No other sport comes close to ice hockey in terms of speed. Top players, such as Connor McDavid, who plays for the Edmonton Oilers, can reach speeds of up to 40km/h. They do this while dodging opponents, handling a small rubber disc, called a puck, and racing down a sheet of ice towards a goal.

In ice hockey you never know what is going to happen. The opposing team can sneak up on you and take the puck so you have to have your eyes open all the time! There is no stop in the game; players hop on and off the bench without a break.

and has to be shot past a big, padded goalkeeper into a small 4-foot-by-6foot goal. In football, the ball is 8.66 inches in diameter and is kicked into an 8-foot by 24-foot goal. There is a massive difference! Ice hockey shows incredible hand-eye coordination.

Today, ice hockey is mostly played in cold countries, but there are ways for this sport to spread in warmer countries. Children in Canada and other hockey-loving nations grow up playing hockey year-round on hard surfaces such as roads, alleys, courts and indoor gymnasia. This opens up many more possibilities to practise, especially in places where ice is not common.

In a world where fans are looking for a new, exciting sport to watch and play, ice hockey is on the cards. Speed and skill combine to make it a thrilling spectacle that is accessible to a wide, global audience.

It's a fact: ice is slippery; so ice hockey players need to be incredibly skilled to handle the puck and shoot it into such a small goal. Just imagine: a hockey puck is only three inches in diameter

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Turning

e l t Tur E S FEARS TIM K J f o e g id Olivia R S

ATHERBACK IS UP FOR LE

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Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

some countr ie allow the ha s still rvest of leather back and the capt eggs ure and killing leatherbac of ks for their meat

C

ould this headline be a reality? Leatherback turtles are killed each year because of human activities. These turtles date back to the Cretaceous period 110 million years ago and are currently set to be extinct within 20 years if something does not change. There are now between 34,000 and 36,000 nesting females left worldwide compared to 115,000 nesting females in 1980.

These significant sea turtles live in oceans all over our world. They swim over 1,500 miles each year, yet they are still able to find their way back to the beach where they were born, to lay their own eggs. It is almost as if these turtles have an in-built homing device.

Leatherback sea turtles have high levels of activity.

Scientists have said that this turtle only spends 0.1 per cent of its day resting.

The main reduction of leatherbacks is caused by humans: fishing, watercraft strikes, climate change, consumption, coastal development, pollution and the illegal trade of eggs, meat, and shells - but that’s not the worst of it: some countries still allow the harvest of leatherback eggs and the capture and killing of leatherbacks for their meat, when this is now illegal in the Unites States and many other countries.

Fishing companies are not only killing and drowning leatherback turtles with what they dump in the ocean, but thousands of other underwater species that have been alive for longer than mankind are being affected by this too. On average more than 640,000 tonnes of nets, lines, pots and traps used by fishing companies are dumped and discarded in the sea every year. That is the same weight as 55,000 double-decker buses. This is the main plastic polluter that is killing our beloved leatherback turtles. It is estimated that 11,000 marine turtles are accidentally caught in nets every year and most of them are leatherback turtles. 4,600 leatherback turtles die each year due to fishing nets.

over 500 kgs – the same as a cow. They are the biggest type of sea turtle in our ocean today, so they can do a lot of damage.

Leatherback turtles like to eat jelly fish and other types of jelly species but unfortunately these turtles can’t tell the difference between a plastic bag and a jelly fish.

As a result they often end up choking themselves to death.

Even though all these human activities are killing many species of marine animals, could we live without them? On average each adult consumes just under 8 kilograms of fish per week. Fish provide loads of protein and they are very healthy to eat. Some people live on fish as their main food. The fishing industry is massive and quite frankly we can’t live without it, so we must substitute the way we are catching our fish to save marine life.

Luckily, the turtles aren’t extinct yet and several communities across the ocean are doing everything they can to stop that happening. A group of people all over the world are succeeding in slowing down the rate of leatherback turtles dying. Here are a few things that they have managed to succeed in: ‘Organized more than 1,000 scientists and nearly 300 NGOs to call for the United Nations moratorium on longline fishing to prevent the extinction of Pacific leatherback turtles, resulting in numerous Sea Turtle Action Plans throughout the region. Authoured successful state law to have the Pacific Leatherback listed as California’s state marine reptile and be included in state curriculum.’

With this effort and our help, these turtles can be saved from extinction! 

Some fishermen see leatherback turtles as a pest, because they rip large holes in fishermen’s nets when they get caught and the nets are expensive to fix.

Leatherback turtles are about 6 feet (1.8 metres) front to back, with a front arm span of around 8 feet (2.5 metres). They weigh around 1200 pounds, which is well

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Long COVID b y Hugo Edg ar of Vinehall School

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OVID-19 has been public enemy number one for the past year. Focus has rightly been on the number of people infected by the virus, its spread and the deaths it has caused. But for some who survived their battle with COVID-19, their recovery has been difficult and incomplete, and their stories overlooked. These people and their condition are beginning to get recognition and response, but greater understanding, and more resources, are required.

Their condition, known as ‘Long COVID’, is officially known as Post-COVID-19 Syndrome. It is defined by NICE as ‘signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with COVID-19, and continue for more than twelve weeks.’

Common Long COVID symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, problems with memory and concentration (‘brain fog’), difficulty sleeping (insomnia), heart palpitations, dizziness, pins-and-needles, joint pain, depression and anxiety, tinnitus, ear-aches, feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach-aches, loss of appetite, high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, and changes to sense of smell or taste, and rashes.

Research shows between one in ten and one in twenty people suffer from Long COVID symptoms after contracting COVID-19. Some people have symptoms that last for just over the twelve weeks, while others have yet to see an end to symptoms after almost twelve months. Approximately four million people have caught coronavirus in the UK, and over 104 million worldwide, so over half a million people in the UK and over ten million in the world have suffered Long COVID to date. 

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Research shows between one in ten and one in twenty people suffer from Long COVID symptoms after contracting COVID-19

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At a larger societal level, Long COVID has also put pressure on businesses and employment numbers due to fewer people being available for work.

This impact may increase in future, especially given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, and has required a governmental response.

Often sufferers are unable to drive, get out of the house, go upstairs, exercise, or even play with their children

Although the prospect of Long COVID is scary, there is hope. There are support groups on social media to share Long COVID experiences and help each other through the recovery Long COVID symptoms don’t target process. The NHS has now set up a specific group of people. Those Long COVID clinics across the country, and doctors are referring affected by Long COVID There are patients to them for help. appear to be random, examples of showing no correlation FORMER MARATHON There are also third-party with age, gender or RUNNERS catching initiatives such as the Long COVID and English National Opera previous health. There barely being able are examples of former to get out of bed Breathe programme. The Opera Breathe programme marathon runners for months is a Zoom-based sixcatching Long COVID and barely being able to get out of bed for week course to teach those with Long COVID how to cope with exertional months. breathlessness.

Some people’s daily routines have been completely changed by Long There is now much more awareness COVID. This might mean that they are about Long COVID than there was unable to drive, get out of the house, last July. However, is enough really go upstairs, exercise, or even play with being done? Coronavirus shows no their children. Long COVID also puts sign of stopping and more people will pressure on the family and friends of invariably get Long COVID. The longthose who are suffering. This is the term impact on the economy and on main reason I am writing this article. My people’s lives is unknown. mother still has many symptoms after ten months.

Those affected

by Long COVID appear to be random, showing no or previous health correlation with age, gender 24

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b e m r u Sl t y Par

HAT FINDS T L L A H KENHAM

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B n of OLD SSION o s il W Luca COMPA BREEDS R

SQUALO

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Families are not just made up of relatives, but also friends

. n people ne millio together o re a e there acked tal tins p quare mil In one s mes look like me r. e ho People’s on top of, each oth r o , to t x ne Dharavi in Mumbai is one of the world’s largest slums. It houses half the population of the city. From the sky you can’t see them but if you look from ground level you realise there is a maze of paths. In one square mile there are one million people. People’s homes look like metal tins packed together next to, or on top of, each other.

The people do not have any privacy because they live so close together. In the houses there are often no sinks or toilets. There are open wires hanging over the narrow streets. The houses might fall over at any time because

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they are homemade, unstable, and other homes might be leaning on them. There is sewage and litter in the streets because there is no local rubbish dump. If you went there you would feel claustrophobic, as if the walls were closing in on you.

Dharavi is not all bad, though. There is not a lot of crime. There is also a lot of friendship because people live so close to each other. It is also good for the ecosystem because there is plenty of recycling: the people recycle rubbish, fix shoes and makes sure nothing goes to waste. Most people are happy

A normal street is ju Dharavi the street st for travelling on, but in s are markets, ra pper stages, spor ts pitches and festivals

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Dharavi is not all bad, though. There is not a lot of crime. There is also a lot of friendship because people live so close to each other.

and friendly. There are lots of festivals and plenty of busy family businesses. A normal street is just for travelling on, but in Dharavi the streets are markets, rapper stages, sports pitches and festivals. Families are not just made up of relatives, but also friends.

As you can see, there are many bad things about Dharavi, but there are also lots of good things. In some ways, it is worse than England; in other ways it is not.

I think the friendship in Dharavi sticks out above the filth.

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Genocide is genocide

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RECALL E S U O H MEWOOD

of HOL l il H y r RES Zacha MASSAC TEN FORGOT

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rmenia is a small country in the Middle East, sharing its border with countries such as Turkey, Georgia and, importantly for this piece, Azerbaijan. For a small country with a population of just 3 million, it has been involved in some of the worst massacres in history, starting in the late 19th Century with feuds continuing until November 2020.

Why are such holocausts being inflicted upon this country?

What has Armenia done to deserve it? And how can you help?

It all began with the Hamidian massacres of 1894 -1896. This was imposed upon Armenia by the Ottoman Empire, of which Armenia was a country. The death toll was 200,000 to 400,000 – incredibly large for the era, especially considering its small population. It was caused by Armenians, who at the time were treated as second-class citizens of the empire and asked to be treated better through civil reforms. This angered the Ottoman Empire rulers, who believed that the Armenians didn’t deserve such luxuries.

Not long after, in 1909, another massacre of Armenian Christians was carried out, this time by the Ottoman Muslims.

It had a death toll of up to 30,000, mostly Armenians, but it also affected some Greeks and Assyrians, those natives of the small Assyria region in the Middle East. It consisted of numerous small battles and mass-murders which lasted over a month, and was caused by speculation among the Muslim population of the Ottoman Empire about an Armenian insurrection. 

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Armenia has been involved in some of the worst massacres in history, starting in the late 19th Century with feuds continuing until November 2020

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ted as e trea ed to r e w k e ire, as he tim o at t of the emp rms h w , ns refo ians Armen -class citize rough civil h d t n seco ted better a be tre

If this massacre was so deadly, then why do so few people know about it? That is because this massacre took place in 1915, during the middle of the First World War.

that time, such as the Second Battle of Ypres and the first German gas attack.

The genocide made its way into fewer history books than if it had occurred at another time. However, that was not the last time Armenians were ruthlessly killed. Another reason so The next major massacre was the most few know of this terrible crime is that brutal, carried out by Turkey in 1915, it is not considered a genocide in many when some say that up to 1.2 million countries, particularly those in Asia and Armenians were killed, a third of the Africa. In fact, only 29 countries around current population, which the world recognise this of the surviving is more than what it was as a genocide, as well as Armenians, who then. However, the death 49 US states. migrated to the rate can be classed as CAUCASUS because more than that, for of the of the war, about The skirmishes between half a million surviving Armenians who Armenia and its died of famine or migrated to the Caucasus disease that winter neighbours have been because of the war, going on for over a about half a million died of famine or century, and the most recent example disease that winter, pushing the death is the Nagorno-Karabakh war of toll to around 1.7 million. To put that November 2020. Nagorno-Karabakh, into perspective, just over one million more commonly known as Artsakh, is soldiers were killed during the entire a region that is technically owned by Vietnam War. Azerbaijan but its population is mostly made up of Armenians. The war was If this massacre was so deadly, then why started by Azerbaijan, who wanted do so few people know about it? That is because this massacre took place in 1915, during the middle of the First World War. Thus, it was overshadowed by the other events that took place at

Some say that up to 1.2 million Ar m killed, a third of the current popu enians were lation 30

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n twee s be its e h mis nd skir menia a ve been a h Ar rs er a t r ov hbou neig g on fo the mos e h in d t o n g a is ury, ple cent nt exam rabakh 0 a 2 rece orno-K ber 20 Nag Novem of war

to take Artsakh for themselves, and a 6-week long conflict ensued, with death tolls ranging from 5,000 to as much as over 27,000.

During the conflict, Azerbaijan gained a lot of territory from Armenia, including five large cities and four smaller towns.

Then, due to a peace treaty imposed upon them both by Russia, Azerbaijan was able keep all the land it had taken during the conflict. This led to many protests throughout Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, telling the current president, Armen Sargsyan, to either refuse the peace treaty and make Azerbaijan give back the land, or resign and step aside

Letting people kn ow Armenia is one of of the crimes committed against the best ways pe ople can help

for someone who would do so. The protests went on for a long time, yet resulted in extraordinarily little. Since then, Azerbaijan has given back very little of the land.

Since this is such a little-known genocide, one of the best things that can be done is to raise awareness. System of a Down are a band formed in 1994, an Armenian-American group who spread the word about the genocide, as well as drug misuse and terrorism among other subjects. Their most recent music has raised over $600,000 for the NagornoKarabakh conflict. Letting people know of the crimes committed upon Armenia is one of the best ways people can help, like I am doing now and System of a Down have been doing for the last 20 years. 

Dur in Aze g the a l rbaija conf ot lic n fro of tergained t, incl mA rm ritor ud citi ing fiv enia, y smaes and e larg lle e f r to our wns

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House Cumnor f o n a arm y Elsa J b s s e n Lio Elsa the

Three b films ooks and made have been about Elsa’s life, famou the most s bein g Free Born

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or those of you who don’t know, Elsa the Lioness was raised by Joy Adamson because the lion’s mother was shot dead by Joy’s husband, George. The couple realised that the lioness was only trying to protect her cub and so they decided to look after Elsa.

When Joy first took Elsa into her care, she was fed milk and was only allowed to roam nearby. This was due to a fear that other wild animals might attack her. Joy and her husband looked after Elsa until she reached adolescence, when they released her back into the wild. Unfortunately, when they returned a few day later, it seemed that Elsa wasn’t ready for the wild. She was thin and limping badly. It seemed she had grown too used to human care. Joy took her back home and taught her how to hunt and survive. After a few years, Joy released Elsa back into the wild. This time things went more smoothly and Elsa returned to the Adamsons with three cubs, who were later named Jespah, Gopa and Little Elsa.

Elsa cared for the cubs until she died in 1961.

information about the people and animals in the Born Free story, as well as many photographs.

I have heard this story many times yet it still fascinates me. I Although Elsa is now dead, her story lives on. Three books feel the bond formed between Joy and Elsa was special and and films have been made about her life, the changed many people’s views. My mum named most famous being Born Free. These films and by 2020 lions had me after Elsa the Lioness (not after Elsa from become extinct books have shown people that lions are not Frozen, as most people seem to think), because in 26 African just brutal hunters; they have inspired people it reminded her of her life in Africa and because countries and to protect them, these ‘Kings of the Jungle’. she also found the story so inspiring, as have only 20,000 Elsa’s story has also led to the creation of a millions around the world. remain in the world charity, the ‘Born Free Foundation’, which aims to support animal welfare internationally. The And yet by 2020 lions had become extinct in charity has also been protecting a pride of lions, which 26 African countries and only 20,000 remain in the world. they have named Elsa’s pride, in Elsa’s homeland, the Meru Around 600 lions die per year. This means that within 33 years Park. There is also a website called ‘Father of Lions’ set up lions will be extinct.  in tribute to the Adamsons and Elsa. This website contains

ed orm nd f d bon oy a the ween J pecial t any be as s a w nged m s s l E view cha and ople’s pe

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Wooden Wond ers By Sam C larke and Dav of St John’s id Edgington College Sch ool, Cambrid ge

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rees are probably the oldest living organisms on Earth.

Not only has their species far outlived all others, but individual trees can have a huge lifetime, measuring up to 4,852 years for the oldest known tree. They not only provide an essential lifeline for all animals, but, like us, they can talk.

Trees have intensely complicated root structures, which transport messages and chemicals between trees. The trees are, and have been for thousands of years, accomplishing what we are still failing to do – showing benevolence. We know that the trees can tell exactly which other trees are their offspring, and will feed those in particular. This method of communication and help to others, achieved through their roots, is called the Mycorrhizal Network. A tree stump, felled up to 500 years ago, is considered conclusive proof of this phenomenon. When opened up, the stump was still living, though it had not had leaves for hundreds of years.

Perhaps, then, trees experience emotions, not wanting to leave a child when there is a chance that it might still survive.

If a tree is struggling to get enough nutrients or water, it is able to send out a distress signal along these networks, and other trees who can afford to will send the nutrients along their roots. Trees will also club together to help diseased plants, and send extra nutrients to the suffering specimen.

Also, they can, if a tree is overcome by disease, sever the root ties with it to prevent the disease spreading to other plants.

Trees will often realise that they are going to die, often because of environmental change, and will send all their nutrients to another plant, in the hope that it will survive, instead of them all struggling on for a bit longer and gradually dying. This team spirit, all helping each other to get through a hard time, is something that, while struggling for many years, humans have still not achieved. We all take for our own benefit. We all attempt to be on top. We kill 

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The

c i g a M s ee r T of

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Trees will often realise that they are going to die and will send all their nutrients to another plant, in the hope that it will survive

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This fungi can get up to a mile long, and send messages in the form of electrical impulses; Another tree will pick them up and send a reply

thousands fighting for a small patch of soil.

When we have destroyed the Earth, will we be the survivors?

Trees are, and have been for thousands of years, accomplishing what we are still failing to do – showing benevolence

But there is not enough profit for the trees in creating thick roots to join themselves together, when other trees are often a huge distance away, so they employ fungi as postmen. These fungi grow beneath the ground, so they cannot photosynthesise.

The trees form a symbiotic relationship with them; the trees photosynthesize, and the fungi carry messages. They can get up to a mile long, and send messages in the form of electrical impulses; another tree will pick them up and send a reply. Also, the fungi have tubes along which pass nutrients and water.

Sometimes plants also employ the fungi to collect nutrients from under the soil. Trees can also communicate through the air, using pheromones and other scent signals. They use this generally for sending messages, and the fungi for nutrients.

So trees send distress signals. But to send distress signals, they must be able to be distressed. They must know when they have an infection. And they need something else – fear. Fear is conjoined with sadness and sadness is only possible with happiness in contrast. Happiness requires joy, love, and many other ‘human’ emotions. It may be that trees are a lot more benevolent and intelligent than we have thought them to be. But do trees actually feel?

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Many would say no, they do not. To think, you need to have a brain, and trees do not.

There is no proof they are really helping each other. A tree stump may just have had a few leaves, and got nutrients from the soil. It may have been felled less long ago than we have imagined. As to smelling signals, they have no noses. They have no capacities for advanced life. They cannot talk to each other. It is not logical.

Others would say yes, it is possible. Just because we use our lips for speaking doesn’t mean everything does. We should keep an open mind. It is quite possible there are other forms of thought than those we have found so far. We may yet converse with trees freely. All animals have similar sensory organs but plants are different and they may have completely different senses. They are much older than us, and may be much wiser. It takes huge strength of character to prove something but everything needs to be tested, thought about, often failed, and sometimes proven, with the whole world against one if necessary. After all, every scientific discovery that was thought impossible before it was found.  We know that th which other tree e trees can tell exactly s will feed those are their offspring, and in particular

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hat piece of stationery do you Staplers have also made their mark on use the most? Have you ever the Guinness World Book of Records. used a stapler? Everybody, both The longest-ever staple chain was children and adults, uses stationery. We often achieved by Minhajul Mondal in West take it for granted. Pens, pencils, rulers, paper Bengal, India. It consisted of 80,000 and rubbers: the list is endless. staples and took 82 days the stapler is Kids' stationery is often bright, to make by December crucial in modern colourful and even scented. But 2019. Imagine making medicine, which as we get older, grey and black that! Another world was an eyebecome the norm. As homework record was for the opening discovery for me starts piling up, a stapler or heaviest ever ball of a hole punch might come in staples, weighing 46kg, handy. I love finding out about the origins and was created in a department store and background of ordinary everyday items in Texas. Furthermore, in Vermont, USA, and so here is some information about the Nicholas Pembrate stapled 60 staples humble stapler. into a piece of paper in 10 seconds!

When I attempted the world record for The stapler was invented in the 18th Century this I only got 22. My Dad had a try and at the court of King Louis XVI of France, long got 48. This shows how hard it really is. before any of you were born! It is, of course, a mechanical device that joins pieces of paper For me, researching the history and together. It does this by thrusting a metal use of staplers has been a fascinating staple through the sheets and then folding discovery because they are such a itself over on the other side. The first patent commonly used piece of stationery but for a stapler was granted back in 1866 to the something we often overlook, and use American George McGill. However, staplers as without thinking about its origins. Not we know them today, with a modern channelonly this, but the stapler is crucial in loading mechanism, began to be commonly modern medicine, which was an eyeused around 1937, and the design has hardly opening discovery for me. I now feel changed since. inspired to explore the hidden depths of other ordinary everyday items, such But the magic of the stapler doesn’t end there. as potato peelers or pencils. I hope that As well as the conventional staplers used in you do too. Perhaps we’ll find out they businesses and homes, there is another type are being used in life-saving operations of specialised staple used in hospitals. Surgical or deep space exploration!  staples are used to close internal wounds and skin wounds. They were pioneered in 1908 by the Hungarian surgeon, Humer Hult; they are much more effective than the usual material used in stitches, such as linen or silk. Who’d have thought that staplers would end up saving lives?

The Humble

Stapler

by Viggo Sweeney of NEWTON PREP

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Lonely t e n a

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Sam Hassan of Holmewood House ASKS IF WE ARE ALL ALONE

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e live in a universe with over 125 billion The theory made headlines when scientists galaxies, each with billions of stars. discovered Tabby's Star in 2015. The star Most stars have several planets orbiting randomly fluctuates one to 20% in brightness them with trillions of opportunities for for days and even weeks at a time and is life to develop. Even a minuscule chance of life slowly fading. Scientists were dumbstruck. One multiplied by this tremendous number possibility proposed was a stellar-type of planets must mean aliens are out civilisation operating a Dyson Sphere.

A species there. As Erico Fermi asked, ‘If aliens with adequate exist, where are they all?’ This has A species with adequate spaceship spaceship become known as the Fermi Paradox. technology could colonize a galaxy technology could colonize a given ten million years. This seems Astrophysicist Frank Drake formulated galaxy given ten a lot of time but consider the sheer million years the equation N=R*×fP×ne×f1×fi×fc×L. size of galaxies. A galaxy-conquering ‘N’ corresponds to the number of alien species would be considered Type III civilisations in our galaxy with whom we can and would be practically godlike to us in the same communicate. The remaining terms stand for way sci-fi author Arthur C. Clark's third law says values on which life depends. Based on this, there that any sufficiently advanced technology is should be at least twenty advanced civilisations indistinguishable from magic. in our galaxy. So where are they?

So we ask again, where are the aliens? Here are The question is, what do we mean by ‘advanced’? some theories.

Nikolai Kardashev created a scale measuring a civilization’s technical advancement based on One answer is that there is an obstacle to the quantity of energy it can harness. At Type I advancement that almost all life fails, ‘The on this scale, a species can harness the energy Great Filter’. It may either be behind or ahead available on its home planet. We are roughly 0.7 of humanity. Perhaps life is rare because lifeon the scale and should attain Type I status in starting, a complex process we do not understand, one to two centuries. Type II species can harness is itself uncommon. Or the transition to becoming the entire energy of their star. One way to achieve an intelligent species rarely occurs, as there may this is by a Dyson sphere, a superstructure that be little competition to evolve in intelligence on encircles a star. In our case, this would other planets. These would be good scenarios for mean capturing 3.86x1026 us because we have passed them. However, the watts per second, the same as great filter could be in front of us. It might be exploding nearly 2 billion of climate change, nuclear wars, or something that the most powerful nuclear we have yet to discover. These situations would weapons ever created, Tsar be unfavourable because they suggest humanity Bomba, every second. is not going to last.

Of course, extra-terrestrials may just have different principles from us, and may not therefore be an expansive species.

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Th e y're c i r t c Ele ctirc P thinks ele E R P N O T W E son of N Samuel Law

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coo not un e r a cars

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lectric cars have become quite a hotspot for new car buyers. They’re cool, fast and luxurious. The main buying point is of course the lack of emissions: electric cars are mainly known for their ‘no carbon emissions’, but does that mean they are actually good for the environment?

The ‘no carbon emissions’ claim is of course true because all electric cars run off battery power and have to rely on electric charge. All electric cars have a set number of miles they can run before they run out of charge. Car brands such as Tesla and Polestar have had a massive increase in purchases since 2017.

Because they run off of a battery, it is very easy for them to reach incredibly fast speeds. The concept of the Tesla Roadster stated that it could do 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, which is much quicker than supercars worth millions and millions of pounds when this Tesla costs only £180,000. Electric cars also mainly come stocked with a Google-powered infotainment system, some offering the entertainment of Netflix and YouTube all through the car.

Electric cars may be a no-carbon-emission vehicle but a single electric car produces 17.5 tons of CO2, which is 12.5 tons more then either a petrol or a diesel car; but an average car’s lifetime is only 12 years, which means in total a petrol car releases 20 tons of CO2 and a diesel car 35 tons. Also many electric car brands are using fossil-fueled factories for their charging systems.

Another problem is that electric cars certainly aren’t cheap. The cheapest new electric car is the Smart EQ Fortwo EV with a starting price of £20,350 and it can go only 70 miles before needing a complete recharge, which takes four hours! So that means it will take 112 hours, or nearly 5 days, to get from London to Edinburgh when fuel cars take only seven hours.

Th the e conce Tesl p a Ro t of st coul ated th adster at d seco do 0-6 it n d muc s, w 0 in 1.9 h h supe quickerich is rcar tha mill s wort n h ions

With the new legislation in the UK saying that all cars produced from 2030 will have to be electric, we should be seeing a lot of motorcar changes.

Within the next few years, Within the next cars will become more few years, cars environmentally friendly will become more environmentally with the release of NanoBolt friendly with the batteries. Will we see most release of NanoBolt car brands release more and batteries more 100% electric cars?

Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Corvettes, Mercedes and Audi have all stated they will be turning towards 100% electric by 2030.

Electric cars are a great way to get a load of tech. They can be really fast and are good for the environment once made.

Also, after ten years owning an electric car you will need a new battery, and a battery used to power an electric car is very expensive. The main problem with creating electric cars is the way the battery is sourced.

Back in 2017 100% of fully electric car companies used the slave trade to mine the lithium used in batteries for Tesla, Nio and General Motors, the world top three leading 100% electric car brands. However, the release of NanoBolt batteries, which are much more reliable and easier to source, will cut the lithium mining process out of producing an electric car.

After ten years ow ning an electric ca r you will need a ne a battery used to w battery, and power an electric car is very expens ive

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e h T e c i r P of

Glory

Should we boycott the Beijing Olympics? Asks Oliver Carroll of CUMNOR HOUSE

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he Olympic Games should be a sporting and cultural celebration in line the stated ‘ultimate goal of cultivating people and peace through sports’ but could it actually be used to whitewash genocide? The 2022 Winter Games are being held in Beijing but there is growing international concern about China’s human rights record, particularly in the treatment of its Muslim Uighur population. There is now a loud call to boycott the games.

China is accused of forcibly holding up to a million Uighurs in ‘re-education’ camps and conducting a massive brainwashing campaign aimed at eradicating their distinct culture and Islamic identity. There are reports of forced sterilisation of women and even that thirteen tonnes of human hair have been sold abroad for extensions, supposedly shaved from Uighur women's heads.

The treatment of the Uighurs in the Xinjiang province of China has been classed as ‘genocide’ by many countries, led by Canada. The UN Genocide Convention categorises genocide by five main actions: removing children, preventing births, seriously harming or killing them and putting them in conditions calculated to destroy them. According to British MP, Chris Bryant, ‘all five categories of genocidal behaviour are already at play in Xinjiang.’

There have been many examples of sporting and Olympic boycotts over the years although the UK has never participated in a full Olympic boycott. It is unclear how effective many of these have been. 

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there is growing international concern about China’s human rights record, particularly in the treatment of its Muslim Uighur population

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l five nt, ‘al eady a y r B r , Chris are al ish MP behaviour t i r B ing to ocidal Accord ries of gen ’ . catego in Xinjiang y a in pl

with Equestrian, Hockey and Yachting organisations not sending any athletes.

Many people argue that this boycott was ineffective, because the Soviets did not withdraw from Afghanistan for another nine years. But it did help express the extent of the US’s and other nations’ displeasure at having Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

The UN Genocide Convention categorises genocide by five main groups: removing children, preventing births, seriously harming or killing them and putting them in conditions calculated to destroy them

Many people are drawing parallels with the pre-war 1936 Olympics. There were calls to boycott the 1936 Berlin Games over the anti-Semitic policy One example where sporting sanctions have been seen to be of the Nazi regime. Not is it fair to ruin effective is the sporting many countries who were the dreams of a boycott of apartheid due to send a large team small number of South Africa from the boycotted, and many athletes, whilst people think that this not being prepared 1960s to the early 1990s. to sacrifice the This was an ongoing helped Hitler. According to National Public Radio in prospect of a new global campaign aimed at iPhone? isolating the ‘sport-mad’ America, ‘the Berlin Games were a powerful propaganda tool for white population but was obviously in the Nazis as they seemed to make the addition to other economic sanctions brutal treatment of Jews seem benign.’ as well as internal and international There is a real danger that this is what diplomatic pressure. could happen in China if we do not How effective would a UK-led boycott boycott the games. of the Beijing Games be? We do not In 1980 during the Cold War, 65 nations send a very large team to Winter led by the US boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games, mainly in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The UK did not completely boycott, but it sent a much smaller athlete delegation,

China is accused of fo Uighurs in ‘re-edu rcibly holding up to a million cation’ camps an d conducting a massive brainwas hing campaign

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There are reports of forced sterilisation of women and even that thirteen tonnes of human hair have been sold abroad for extensions Olympics, and our absence would not have a huge sporting impact, but it would raise awareness of the issue and put pressure on other countries, such as Canada and the US, and start to create a ripple effect.

China benefits from having the Olympics in Beijing through increased tourism, and a boost to local economies. Crucially, it would use them as a public relations exercise, with the worldwide media coverage and gathering of world leaders allowing it to showcase itself as a global superpower.

If this really is a ca should be doing se of genocide, then surely we more than impo sing a spor ting boycott

A boycott would mean that athletes who have prepared for four or more years would miss out on the pinnacle of their sporting careers, in what might be their only or last Olympics, and may never have a chance to compete at the games again.

Even the human rights organisation, Amnesty International, does not support a boycott, saying that it ‘would further reduce international access to China, which cannot help uncover human rights violations and push for improvements.’

If this really is a case of genocide, then surely we should be doing more than imposing a sporting boycott. Economic and trade sanctions would hurt China more. However, China is the largest single exporter of goods to the UK, supplying 13.4% of our total imports, so restricting trade would be disastrous for our economy too. So is it fair to ruin the dreams of a small number of athletes in a potentially futile gesture, whilst not being prepared to sacrifice the prospect of a new iPhone? 

ath hav letes e w for prepa ho f our red m wou ore ye or on ld mi ars of the p ss ou t inna the ir c car sport le eer ing s

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Now

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See

It

THE HIDDEN MEANING OF LOGOS by Christ iano Brescia of HOLMEWOOD HOUS E

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hink about it. Do you see logos and emblems every day? From that dreaded and monotonous alarm clock ring in the morning to that captivating book that you read at night, your brain processes so many emblems throughout your everyday life you’ve probably never realised it, but luckily for you I have.

Companies use logos to create brand awareness, which helps target their ideal customers, make an identity and a good impression for their products but, above all, it increases sales to make money. The marketing team starts by deciding on a niche, or a product they will specialise in.

The niche can be high-end or budget, depending on the market they are aiming the product at. The company’s 46

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objective is to be the best of the best in terms of their segment or niche.

They try to get their hands on this objective by creating and designing an instantly recognisable logo or slogan, which is also iconic and can be seen everywhere, such as this one. I don’t even have to mention the name and I am sure that all of you will have seen this at least once before! This shows that the enterprise has done a splendid job of advertising this product to the world.

However, there are a few companies out in the rapidly changing marketplace that have used slightly more subtle ways to sell their niche product.

Nevertheless, enough waffle, because

today I will be taking you through some hidden tricks and logos that companies use, which you may never have noticed before, and these may be used to push you that little bit further towards buying from their market.

Baskin Robbins®. The American icecream brand has sprouted a lot of interest on social media over the past few years. Members of the public noticed that the logo was actually designed not just to represent the brand or for the sake of having an emblem, but because a part of the B and a slice of the R in the logo combine to form a 31. You may be sitting there wondering ‘Why 31?’ This represents the variety of flavours.

Pittsburgh Zoo©. This emblem is a little less obvious, but once you see it you can’t unsee it. Look closely at the tree

on Pittsburgh Zoo’s logo, and you will see that a gorilla and lion facing each other forms the tree trunk. How cool!

Beats by Dr. Dre. Well…this is just a lowercase b in a red circle, right?

Wrong! This famous and certainly highend headphone enterprise’s logo is something far far different. It can be viewed in different ways. Apart from displaying the brand’s first letter it can also be seen as a person’s head with a headphone over the ear.

Hyundai. After founder, Ju-Yung, launched the car dealership in 1967, Hyundai has sprouted major success and has also sponsored countless professional sporting events.

Nevertheless, like the company, the logo is nothing out of the ordinary because the ‘H’ , initially standing for Hyundai, has, in reality, been discovered to be a car dealer and a client, shaking on a deal. Rather interesting!

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FedEx®. One of the world’s biggest delivery companies has come up with a sly and skilful marketing design. FedEx, the courier company, can promote what they do best and, to realise this,

they have managed to alter their logo in a way that they have chiseled the gap between the last two letters into an arrow.

Tour De France. The largest cycling event on our planet has invented an ingenious but at the same time subtle emblem to be displayed throughout the whole bicycle race in the dazzling nation of France. You may not have realised this crest’s modification, but the yellow circle in the top right corner has a purpose as it is the front wheel of a man (the R) riding a bicycle. Notice the dot adjacent to the letter R as his head?

Amazon. This emblem is one of the most iconic on the internet, although its hidden meanings aren’t! American businessman, Jeff Bezos, desired to promote his new brand by showing potential clients that all his previous customers were happy, but also displaying all the items that were sold on his website. So he designed a logo with two meanings. He put a smile in his logo, yes, and the upturned lips form an arrow that suggest quick delivery, but also notice how the smile links the letters a and z, hinting that everything from a to z is available on the website. 

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EP LOVES R P M A H L of FU Manning

ortonH y p p o P Why KARATE

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've always loved my karate! It was the first sport I was interested in and wanted to have a go at when I was six, and it is still my favourite sport now I’m eleven. But like many sports it’s very male-dominated. In this sport, women are supposedly deemed not strong enough to participate.

But I want that to change. I'm going to tell you about karate, and maybe you’d like to have a go and help me prove that girls are as tough and strong as men.

When I first tried karate my sensei was a woman called Jackie. She used to teach me every Wednesday before Covid-19 struck, and I am extremely sad I could not carry on. She is amazing at karate and I look up to her.

The word ‘karate’ means fighting hand-to-hand without using weapons. (‘Kara’ means ‘empty’ and ‘te’ means ‘hand’.)

Karate’s origins have been traced to a Japanese island called Okinawa. Karate was first introduced properly to Japan by a man called Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of modern karate, who impressed the Crown Prince with his display.

Taekwondo is also a martial art, but focuses on kicking rather than hand strikes. Jade Jones is a young Welsh athlete from Bodelwyddan who was introduced to Taekwondo by her grandfather when she was just eight years old and he took her to a self-defence lesson. Jade took up the sport full-time when she was just sixteen years old, and by the time she was twenty-four she had won two Olympic Gold medals.

She also received an MBE in 2013 for services to Taekwondo.

Jade is also known as ‘The Head-Hunter’ because she tries to score points from her opponents’ heads rather than just their bodies!

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There are so many physical and mental benefits to learning martial arts like karate. Karate is a total body work-out, and is one of the most effective physical routines available. It is good for strength and toning. It also improves mental wellbeing; to be good at Karate you need to pay attention to your mind and practise breathing and meditation. It has been proven that martial arts are also very beneficial for kids with ADHD and help with confidence, concentration and behaviour in class.

It is also great practice for working towards long-term goals, because there are twelve different belts to work through and ten different levels of black belt.

Karate is particularly good for girls. It gives them the skills and strength to defend themselves physically. Girls who feel strong mentally and physically have greater levels of confidence. When girls are practising Karate, they have the chance to show their power and strength. Even in 2021 girls are expected to display ‘ladylike’ manners but the practice room – or dojo – is a place where girls can show they are also fierce and strong. Karate requires you to show respect and expect it in return, and this is a very important life lesson.

“

Jade Jones took up Taekwondo full-time when she was just sixteen years old, and by the time she was twenty-four she had won two Olympic Gold medals

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In

Studio Ghibli The genius and beauty of

a

by Alex

N’S int RONA a S f o anning

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hat is unique about Studio Ghibli is that it inspires you to want to be an artist like the amazing Hayao Miyazaki. For me, it is the imagination he shows you from the heart of his art. Hayao Miyazaki gets imagination from anywhere he goes. He brings a small notebook practically wherever he travels to different places, and writes in it when an idea sparks in his head. Why not try it yourself?

Ghibli was first created on the 15 June 1985, in Tokyo, Japan. Every movie is hand-drawn. He doesn’t often use a computer, but when he did he ended up making only a twelve-minute-long mini-movie about a caterpillar. He tends to use multiple pieces of paper and runs his finger through his notebook to make it look like his illustrations are moving.

All of Hayao Miyazaki’s art is beautiful, and mysterious at the same time. The spirits he adds in his movies are based All of Hayao on the Japanese rule that ‘spirits are Miyazaki’s art is everywhere’. beautiful, and

“

mysterious at the

Remember about Hayao Miyazaki’s same time. The spirits he adds in his notebook? Well, he wrote down how movies are based on he was curious about how mysterious the Japanese rule the bathhouse was and wrote many that spirits are stories about what could be behind everywhere. it, then an idea sparked in his mind, making him create one of my favourite Ghibli movies, ‘Spirited Away’. Based on a little girl whose family gets lost, she meets spirits and her parents have been turned into pigs for eating the spirit’s food.

Ghibli comes from a Libyan-Arabic word because of the hot habitat, the idea being that the studio would ‘blow a new wind through the anime industry.’ And for me that is what they have done.

Ghibli movies are for all ages. Not many animation studios can do that. For example, Disney’s movies are mainly for kids and teenagers, but Ghibli has gone beyond. 

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Princess Mononoke, 1997

an’t you c t a h t aries tion! bound to imagina o n e ar es There hen it com w s s cro

Neighbour Totoro; in The Royal Academy, they tried making a live scale house from Studio Ghibli.

Arrietty, 2010

No kid would normally ever feel bored when watching Hayao Miyazaki’s inspirational Animation is one of my favourite things on movies. They are adventures that inspire television. The way you can picture things children to use more imagination and and draw hints of their emotions is incredible. possibly start writing and There are no boundaries that They are drawing stories based on you can’t cross when it comes to adventures that Hayao Miyazaki. imagination! It also can give you inspire children your own ideas that you could to use more imagination and Some facts about Studio Ghibli: try to animate when you grow possibly start it is the third-best animation up. It is also amazing because writing and studio in the world; Hayao you can draw things that don’t drawing stories Miyazaki has retired twice from even exist, and just from that drawing; he never starts a film with scripts; drawing you can gain more confidence there is a worm named after Totoro, one of about art. the characters in a Ghibli movie called My Watch some of these common Ghibli films: Spirited Away, Ponyo, Porco Rosso and Pom Poko.

KiKi’s Delivery Service, 1989

Hayao Miyazaki said, ‘I don't like games.

You're robbing the precious time of children to be children. They need to be in touch with the real world more.’

Spirited Away, 2001

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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, 1984

For m e, it is the imagin a shows tion he you fr o the he art of m his art

Kiki’s Delivery Service, 1989

Whisper of the Heart, 1995

Hayao Miyazaki is very hard on himself when he goes to watch his own movies.

He feels scared of people’s thoughts, but normally his movies make everyone delighted, and happy. ‘I just don’t want to embarrass myself,’ Hayao Miyazaki said, but that hardly ever happens. Everyone feels like that, but sometimes you just need to realise that it is going to be fine, and feel comfortable with what you have successfully created.

“

Animation is one of my favourite things on television.

The way you can picture things and draw hints of their emotions is incredible.

Spirited Away, 2001

Sadly, after many years of brilliant movies, and excellent achievements, Studio Ghibli has no choice but to close. After the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki, his older employees have either left or died, but can you be the new Hayao Miyazaki? Can you show imagination, just by writing and drawing?

Howl’s Moving Castle, 2004

e ar ies . Not v mo ges ion li a b at i Gh all anim n do r a fo any s c . m udio at th st

Grave of the Fireflies, 1988

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H

ow many items of clothing do you own? Too many? Do you know what your wardrobe is doing to the world? Did you know that the average American buys sixty eight items of clothing a year? And that the fashion industry produces over 92 million tons of waste? This is why fast fashion is destroying the planet. It’s time we moved over to sustainable and ethical fashion.

Fast fashion is a term used by fashion retailers to describe inexpensive design that moves quickly from catwalk to stores to meet new trends. As a result, trend fashion is moving faster than ever and stores are being challenged to come out with new designs on a weekly basis. Fast fashion is having a negative impact on the Earth because the industry uses cheap, toxic textiles and dyes that contaminate the clean water. So fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for its production and its disposal, and fast fashion alone contributes a tenth of humanity’s carbon emissions.

Some of the worst companies that are considered fast fashion are Zara, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing, Shien and Romwe, Primark and many more. But it is not just cheap fast fashion brands that are bad for the environment. It is also designer luxury brands like Channel, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Dior, DKNY, Fendi and Ralph Lauren.

Sustainable fashion produces clothing, shoes and accessories with sustainable textiles like organic cotton, organic linen, Piñatex (a leather kind of fabric), Econyl (like nylon), and Qmonos (a silky material). Sustainable fashion is good because it saves natural resources, reduces your carbon footprint, saves animal lives, requires less water, supports safer and fairer working conditions,

is healthier for people and the planet and does not support child labour.

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To help save the planet, you can buy from sustainable brands like Reformation, Madewell, Everlane, ninety percent, Eden, organic by John Patrick and M Patmos, or you can buy secondhand clothes from charity shops, eBay or Depop. Another way to dress more sustainably is to buy timeless and tran-seasonal pieces, which means buying clothes that you can wear forever and throughout the whole year, so you don’t throw them away when they Another way to dress go out of style. more sustainably is to

buy timeless and transeasonal pieces, which means buying clothes that you can wear forever

Buy less clothing. Buying less is a great and super easy way to start dressing more sustainably and instead of buying tons and tons of clothes from bad brands you could buy fewer clothes from better brands and spend the same amount of money (because sustainable brands are more expensive).

So we should all start trying to dress more sustainably because the alternative is a huge problem. Fast fashion and the way we all dress is the reason our planet is getting destroyed.

So next time you are about to buy an item of clothing just think, because you are what you wear. 

Instead of buyi ng tons and to bad brands you ns of clothes from could buy fewer brands and spen cl d the same amou othes from better nt of money

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Scream Online is the New Of fline SAYS Posy Harr is of BROOMWOOD HALL

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t is a known rule that parents cannot comprehend the idea of social media. It’s as if everyone born before 1980 has a chip in their brain, adamant that electronics are useless and alien. My granny once picked up the home phone and pointed it at the TV, infuriated that the volume wouldn’t turn down whilst she punched in random telephone numbers. I became worried at that point. Is it really so difficult to differentiate a phone from a remote, or, as some call it, a ‘thingy’? Of course, this is one of the many reasons we love our grandparents; their minds have not been saturated by technology.

I often find that after a long day of completing work and communicating on Zoom, I treat myself to an infinite session of Netflix binging. I become immersed in TV series as I dive in and out of reality, numbing my stress levels 56

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hour after hour. When I finish my bowl Consequently, this normalisation of popcorn, I go downstairs to retrieve of false interactivity is somewhat some more, grunting at my family as a affecting. From time to time my parents form of greeting then voyaging back come into my room and find me in bed upstairs to continue laughing at my phone my endless tunnel of like a maniac. I suspect It’s as if all the binging. In the morning, they think I’m growing answers to life lie at our fingertips, I almost instantly regret mad from this isolation. but I now realise it due to my red eyes, Soon enough, I will have older generations sore neck and groggy personified my phone have a reason to head. Parents ask, ‘Why as a ‘she’ as a way of dislike modern technology do you do this?’ You eliminating feelings of could perhaps say that loneliness.

Moreover, it was a ‘one-off’ or that you felt ‘tired’. statistics prove that teenagers spend, However, I know that today I will repeat on average, seven hours and 22 that same routine whilst feeling sorry minutes a day on their screens. Due to for myself drowning in the long list of this excessive amount of time spent assignments I need to do. Students’ being inside, I personally notice how everyday lives now consist of staring at my social skills have lessened down a screen, draining us of all motivation. to a quick ‘Hello’, or at most ‘How are Will this endless cycle of exhaustion you?’ Anything else would result in continue? stammering, fidgeting with my finger

I suspect they think I’m growing mad from this isolation

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tips or shuffling awkwardly on the spot as I try to get words out. The mind-blowing science of technology is addictive and captivating. The more time we spend on it, the less we will want to go outside into nature. Before we know it, the only way that we’ll see what’s going on in the world is through television screens in living rooms. Do we really want to perceive this world through a screen?

Also, the effects of certain screens on our health is worrying. For many natural occurrences, we have safety precautions. For example, we wear sun cream to protect our skin from UV rays.

Yet we do not prevent damage from electronic light. The HEV (high-energy visible light) that comes from our screen can be harmful to our skin, retinas and brain. This blue light fools the brain into believing it is daytime, which stops the body releasing melatonin, making it hard to sleep. Furthermore, recent studies have proven that this blue light can also have a damaging effect on our skin, the same as sun exposure. What’s more, the HEV rays that reach our eyes kill the cells in our retinas the more we use our screens. In rats, three months’ worth of screen use resulted in a 23% increase in retina cell death. Besides our

minds being lured into a false sense of security, is it really worth the harm? The outside is calling on us to be productive and we continue to act oblivious as we effortlessly scroll through Instagram, frying our brains as we do so. Is this what it has come to?

In summary, these electronic devices have been created like sirens, persuading, luring and inducing us into their arms.

We no longer think for ourselves as we have become so dependent on Google that there is almost no point listening or focusing in classes. It’s as if all the answers to life lie at our fingertips, but I now realise older generations have a reason to dislike modern technology.

We must move forward, unscathed by the internet’s lies. We must not take for granted the natural resources that we have. We must proceed to live normal lives, without being so influenced by technology.

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nimals are more important than you think. Without animals most of the world’s population would be dead. Every animal, no matter how big or how small, has a role to play in the ecosystem.

For thousands of years animals have provided us with clean water, clean soil, food, and clothing. Animals used to be the rulers of the world, until we, a bunch of hairless apes, came and obliterated their majestic, natural habitats and forced them to do our bidding.

Scientists estimate that every day around 150 animal species disappear, mainly as a result of our aggressive human behaviour. The behaviour of the world human population has a great impact on the extinction or continuity of different species. Just as certain species have their continuity guaranteed because they are forced to reproduce to satisfy the needs of humans (livestock or birds for the food industry, for example), those same needs have a negative impact on the survival of others.

As the world grows in population, the problem of extinct animals becomes worse: the more humans grow in number, the more we change our environment to satisfy our needs. Let’s think, for example, of all the plastic and rubbish that ends up in the ocean. How many animals are hurt and/or killed by this? We have contaminated the water of rivers and oceans, making life impossible for fish or any other species that live in water. The plastic produced by different industries that goes into the waters is the same plastic that started the climate change that leads to animal extinction.

Global warming that is caused by the carbon dioxide produced by these industries makes large sections of ice from the Arctic sea melt. This means that animals like the polar bear can lose their homes.

Scie nti that sts esti mat ever aro e y u spec nd 150 day anim i e s main disa al of o ly as a ppear, r u hum r aggre esult an b ehav ssive iour

So, the increase of population together with a lack of responsibility for the environment, a high demand for natural resources and climate change are the main causes of animal extinction. But not only do these We cannot fight against behaviours lead to those acts of nature, but animal extinction, but at least we can try to there are also natural remind ourselves that causes that can produce this wonderful planet is not just for us, but animal extinction, for for every creature that example droughts, calls it home bushfires and illnesses, which can also arrest the continuity of species. We cannot fight against those acts of nature, but at least we can try to remind ourselves that this wonderful planet is not just for us, but for every creature that calls it home. 

It’s not just contamination that is harmful to animals.

The excessive growth of the human population requires new spaces for animals to live. So good terrains are deserted by animals who need to escape, often to places that do not meet all their needs. Construction work not only removes physical space but also means movements of earth that end up killing plants and trees that are the foods of certain animals.

Another blamable behaviour of man is illegal hunting.

Hunting can be a sport for rich individuals who wish to have their prey’s head as a trophy, but poor people in some countries kill endangered animals for their valuable skins or teeth, or because they are deemed a problem for society.

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Look e r He

Antonia

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LOOKS checks out OUR LOVE OF

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St u th dies mo at y sh ge re ou ow l a t ap hire ikely re pe d t gr ar w if yo o oo el me l- u d

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s ake t m ality e a h h W son is t ll per tant i w or at it ou, p m h i e hy tt fac ick wit you’r n st whe n er eve old

t is true that looks do not mean everything, but they do play a hugely influential role in the only thing that can be attractive. our society. Looks can determine Personality is one of the most social relationships and a person's important things to make friends and first opinion. Some say that good- be admired. Your looks can’t make you interesting, at least not looking people have an for long or not in a good advantage over those way. Being interesting who are considered ugly.

‘Everything that looks too perfect is how you maintain is too perfect to people’s attention. Also, Studies show that you're be perfect,’ said good looks don’t last. more likely to get hired Dejan Stojanovic Eventually you grow old if you appear welland grey; nothing can groomed, and goodstop that. What makes looking people make about 12% more money than less personality important is the fact that attractive people. Did you know that it will stick with you, even when you’re attractive real-estate brokers bring in older. more money than their less attractive counterparts? So looks are important A pleasing face is nice to look at. People even though they don’t make anyone a like to relax in the presence of beautiful things. A pleasant face can relax the better or worse person. mind. Those with an aesthetic sense However, in most people's eyes like to admire beautiful people and most people in the world are either things. For example, film stars are most unattractive or average-looking at best. likely to look gorgeous and handsome.

Of course physical attractiveness is not But someone's personality is more important than their looks, and acting ability shouldn’t be based on how they look although, sadly, this is often the case. ‘Everything that looks too perfect is too perfect to be perfect,’ said Dejan Stojanovic. 

Looks ca n person's determine socia l relation first opin ships an ion da

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In c er p loo rofes tain s ks mak ions, of d i ffe e a lo ESP r E job CIALL ence, t Y in t he for a eye public

wouldn’t turn up to a job interview not having washed for weeks and wearing shabby clothes. That first impression that you are trying to create could have dire consequences! Chances are you won’t get that job.

A handsome politician can draw the attention of the masses, although, of course, he/she also has to be a person of substance

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Good looks may even boost your selfconfidence and self-esteem. People generally feel reassured when other people admire them and prefer to associate with them when they find A handsome politician can draw the them attractive to some extent. In attention of the masses, although, certain professions, looks make a lot of difference, for example of course, he/she also No matter how a job in the public eye, has to be a person of shallow it such as being a television substance. For example, sounds, looks do presenter or a flight former president John F. matter, but not Kennedy was known for in the way you may attendant. be thinking his looks, although he Some people find other was an astute politician as well. Looks enhanced his public things about people attractive; it could image, and this must have been an be their looks or their personality, their laugh or their sense of humour. We have advantage to him. always believed that the easiest and No one wants to be judged just by most effective way to gain immediate the way they look, nor should they. approval is by being beautiful, but Attractiveness is defined by many maybe this not the case. ‘Nobody looks things that go beyond the superficial. like what they really are on the inside,’ That being said, there are certain said Neil Gaiman.  things about appearance that are quite important. No matter how shallow it sounds, looks do matter, but not in the way you may be thinking. Staying physically fit, being well-groomed, and dressing appropriately are indications that you respect and feel good about yourself, and want to present yourself in the best way. Of course, these aren't the only measures of self-respect, but you

Staying physically dressing approp fit, being well-groomed and ria respect and feel tely are indications that you good about your self

Bird Brain Hannah Pigeons aren’t pests! Says Spackman of NEWTON PREP

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hat’s so good about pigeons? The real question is, what’s not good about pigeons? Why do people dismiss them? Is it because they are so common? Is it because they are a dull colour, or is it because they think pigeons carry disease? I have found out, and hope to convince you, that pigeons are truly amazing birds.

People who don’t like pigeons believe they spread disease. They got this reputation first from people thinking that pigeons carried the plague in 1347, even though they did not; the plague was carried by fleas, on rats, to humans. Pigeons have kept this undeserved reputation mostly from being seen eating scraps and crumbs off the pavement.

But there is very little evidence of pigeons being unhygienic or unclean. The pavement may be seen as unhygienic, but this is no different from a blackbird eating a berry from the ground.

The only reason people see it as unhygienic is because they are on our urban streets, making people think of humans doing that. You just have to remember that pigeons are wildlife.

Another common prejudice is that pigeons are aggressive. Pigeons are scared of humans and if you walk towards them they will almost always walk or fly away from you. They have been found to become aggressive only when protecting food or their chicks. When this does happen, it is practically never directed towards humans and almost always towards another pigeon.

look we ignore them. But next time you get a chance, just stop and look at a pigeon. They are in fact beautiful birds with iridescent rainbow colours.

Last, I want to point out some very interesting facts about pigeons that might make you appreciate them just a little more. Pigeons are surprisingly intelligent. They are one of only two birds (the other being magpies) that can pass the mirror test. This test is used to show animal intelligence; you paint a small red dot on an animal’s forehead and put them in front of a mirror. If they try and get the red dot off of their head, or see what it is, this shows that they recognise themselves in the mirror. Pigeons are one of only eleven animals (including humans) who are able to pass this test. Pigeons can also recognise every letter of a human alphabet, differentiate between photographs and even distinguish between different humans in a photograph.

They also have an incredible internal compass and sense of direction. They are able to find their way home from miles and miles away and this is why they were used for messaging in World War Two. They do this by using landmarks like roads and even things like which way the cars are moving. All in all they are very intelligent.

So, pigeons are underrated and people dismiss them because of their commonness and reputation instead of the facts. 

People also regard pigeons as uncool or unimportant because there are so many of them and we are so used to the way that they

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Is it possible to create a 'perfect' human being by ridding the unborn child of all disease and illness? Is it right to tamper with nature by resetting genetic codes? Can it go too far?

There a probl re many em docto s that detec rs can t whe nt child is in t he womb he

project to help couples with fertility problems, primarilly those with HIVpositive fathers and HIV-negative mothers. Specifically, the embryos’ CCR5 gene was edited in the editing of an attempt at immunity First, I would like to CCR5 can have towards HIV. This was discuss the possibility of unexpected completed in secret until the 'eradication' of birth negative impacts, such as a four25 November 2018, when defects and illnesses times more likely Jiankui announced the in the unborn embryo, risk of mortality birth of the world’s first or the new-born baby. from influenza genetically edited twins, There are many problems infections Lulu and Nana. Lulu that doctors can detect when the child is in the womb, such and Nana were born in undisclosed as if the child has Downs Syndrome, circumstances, but Jiankui reported or sickle cell anaemia, and now there that they were both healthy. is the option of a later abortion if the child is found to have these problems. But what could be the side-effects But what if that worry and stress could of tampering with genetic codes? be erased? If one could alter the genetic Scientists have shown that the editing code of the child, these diseases could of CCR5 can have unexpected negative be removed completely, and parents impacts, such as a four-times more wouldn’t have to face the hard decision likely risk of mortality from influenza infections, and a series of studies have of abortion. shown that CCR5 editing may cause Recently, in China, the world's first cells to lose their cancer-fighting genetically edited babies were born. ability. Another cause of concern is He Jiankui, at the Southern University the possibility that He Jiankui’s attempt of Science and Technology, started a to cripple CCR5 (by using a specific protein) may have altered some of the girl’s other genomes.

Nevertheless, one recent study prompted the MIT Technology Review to suggest such twins may have ‘enhanced memories and learning abilities’ but the reliability of this claim is uncertain.  If one could alter the genetic code of the child, these diseases could be re wouldn’t have to fa moved completely, and parents ce the hard decisio n of abor tion Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Jiankui got arrested in 201 9 by the Chinese government after the twins’ story became public, and he was sentenced to thre e years in prison

Union, Brazil and China. Even if we don’t realise it, the influence and tempting idea of gene-editing is becoming more influential and widespread.

Jiankui states that he chose the gene CCR5 as a target because he knew that ‘about 1% of Northern European populations are born with both copies of CCR5 missing 32 base pairs... but these people appear healthy and are highly resistant to HIV infection.’

‘about 1% of Northern European populations are born with both copies of CCR5 missing 32 base pairs... but these people appear healthy and are highly resistant to HIV infection.’

Regardless of how many positive sideeffects you look at, can the editing of genes go too far? In 1977 a sci-fi movie called Gattaca was released, exploring the idea of ‘designer babies’ in a dystopian future where having an altered genetic code becomes normal, and those who are naturally born are known as ‘inferior’. At the time, it was an entertaining but impossible idea, but now the movie doesn’t seem so implausible. Is there a chance that when gene-editing becomes more commonplace, governments will abuse it to create a ‘super-human’?

And what are the legal aspects of gene-editing? With the He Jiankui affair (as it is known) Jiankui got arrested in 2019 by the Chinese government after the twins’ story became public, and he was sentenced to three years in prison, but how will other countries react? Shockingly, human gene-editing is actually legal in the US, Canada, Lebanon and Egypt, the European

So, what would the consequences be if similar experiments were carried out there? Or are experiments already happening, and we just don’t know? The first four, while allowing gene-editing, do require ‘substantial equivalence’ as the starting point to ensure the safety of the procedure, while the latter ‘authorise GMO cultivation on a caseby-case basis’, says the Regulation of Genetic Engineering.

In many countries, there is a moratorium on the legalisation of gene-editing, not least because it is unethical, but because there is the possibility of unknown negative impacts on future generations, and to jump right into the dark would be irresponsible. Additionally, we would be experimenting on embryos and babies without their consent, and consequently their safety would be risked in order to progress towards a future we don’t even know is possible.

Currently there is unanimous agreement that gene-editing raises serious ethical issues. The consequences are too great for gene-editing to be beneficial to us at all. As of now, playing god is still out of reach. 

In many countrie s, legalisation of ge there is a moratorium on the ne-editing, not le ast because it is unethical

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Bad

Austin Ritchie of HOLMEWOOD HOUSE Says the future is in our hands

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et me begin by defining CRISPR: ‘clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats’. ‘CRISPR might prevent Alzheimer’s,’ says one headline. ‘CRISPR causes many unwanted mutations, small study suggests,’ says another. ‘CRISPR gene editing could save sight by tweaking our DNA,’ says yet another. The information and opinions surrounding gene-editing tools like CRIPSR are very mixed, and many are shocked at how fast it is progressing. But is it okay to edit animal or human genes, even if it is for a good cause? We now have the means to improve ourselves and alter our very DNA, the core building blocks with which every organism on the planet is created, so should we, or should we not?

First, CRISPR is the safest and most efficient way to change the DNA

sequences that control an organism’s [attempt to] weaken HIV has in some behaviour and development. A special cases made it stronger,’ says a report sequence of RNA is created, which is on a study trying to cure the virus very similar to DNA. This sequence with gene editing. This is also not the finds a particular section first time someone has of DNA, called a gene, and considered, or even tried if a scientist then releases enzymes wanted to try to to practise, the method on that can either cut it out prevent lactose humans. intolerance they completely or force its could target the activation. An example of faulty gene with In 2018, a team wrote a CRISPR this would be if a scientist study on the process of wanted to try to prevent creating Lulu and Nana, lactose intolerance they could target two human twins edited with CRISPR. the faulty gene with CRISPR and modify The team was trying to reproduce a it so that it works normally. mutation that caused HIV immunity in those affected, hopefully creating a But is this tool safe enough? A recent lot of people like this in the future. But major report has criticised a Russian there is evidence that this study was biologist’s choice to go ahead with not entirely what it seemed. editing human embryos, despite safety concerns. ‘It is not yet safe enough to Some or all of the doctors involved try,’ it says. Sometimes it can have bad did not know that the babies were consequences too. ‘Using CRISPR to edited, and so ‘The Wall Street Journal Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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One key skill of parenting is the ability to look after a child’s needs and care for it no matter how different it may be

be the perfect human, all others who could not be edited regarded as subordinate. This sounds alien compared to our diverse range of cultures available in the world today.

Opinions surrounding gene-editing tools like CRIPSR are very mixed, and many are shocked at how fast it is progressing

has charged the team with tricking doctors by switching blood samples.’

It would be particularly important that they knew, since they were there to consult the patients and follow their best interests. If they weren’t there, the couple may not have known all the dangers behind having their babies. ‘Once we knowingly transfer an embryo with germline editing, we are in essence confirming the safety of the modification. Is it ever possible to know that?’

There was also evidence that something had gone wrong. In an analysis of the genes in the children’s blood, ‘The data clearly shows evidence of undetected, “off-target” edits.’ This could mean that the children might develop lifethreatening conditions and that the team did not check thoroughly for these unintended consequences but continued anyway, ignoring the reports that it was not safe.

These discoveries show that gene editing can go wrong. But more problems may arise when using the tool. If we can edit everything to its maximum potential, there will be no point in having a child that is not quite up to standard. One key skill of parenting is the ability to look after a child’s needs and care for it no matter how different it may be. When the tool progresses in the future, there may only

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The same thing could also affect how we operate in the future. In natural selection, an organism may have a random mutation. If it has an advantage over the other organisms in the species, it goes on to survive and reproduce. This is how we improve ourselves constantly over a long timescale, but we could override natural selection. Not allowing for new mutations by editing them out, considering them as a disadvantage, means we will not change as a species.

The tool could also make one of our biggest problems even harder to deal with: climate change. The power of gene-editing can save lives, but it could do its job too well. Geneediting-tools could constantly extend our lives, greatly increasing the number of people on the planet. The population increase caused by this could be huge. Scientists have said the most the earth can hold is around 10 billion people, and we are already due to reach this number by 2100 without the progression of tools like CRISPR. Gene-modification has the power to change society as we know it. It could completely change how we think about certain medical conditions or, on the other side, biological weapons. The equipment we have at our diposal could be brilliant in the right hands at the right time, but it is not yet safe to use and we should not be testing these highly experimental methods on humans. 

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s seem gan fect e v g bein the per lobal like te to g imate o cl raid antiding and ’m af as m I r t a h u w ge b hing chan everyt hes that s catc it

d o o G

Choice?

Veganism by Octavia De an OF saint RONAN’S

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hen you think about the differences between a vegan and someone who eats meat and fish, you are most likely to think that veganism is much better because it leaves less of a carbon footprint. Although that is true, trees are being cut down every day to plant soya and 27% of deforestation is from the demand for soya products such as soymilk and tofu. This may not seem like much but it’s as much as Indonesia having no trees – times nine! That’s how many trees are being cut down to farm soyabeans.

I’m not saying being vegan is a bad thing because it is definitely better than being a meat eater and it does less damage to the world in terms of sea levels rising and ice caps melting. What I am saying is that being vegan seems like the perfect antidote to global warming and climate change but I’m afraid that everything has its catches and increasing demand for soy increases deforestation even though the main idea of cutting down on meat is to try to put a stop to that.

yourself with vitamins and other healthy nutrients but you have to supply another human as well and you have to go without all the healthy ingredients in meat-based foods.

There are other terms for those who do not want to go full vegan, such as ‘pescatarian’, ‘gluten-free’ or 'dairy-free'.

Veganism is still good for the planet. Cows must eat sixteen pounds of vegetation to produce one pound of flesh. There are hundreds of thousands of fast-food chains all around the world producing pizza and burgers and other foods that contain lots of meat. But producing only one mediocre hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive one small car twenty miles. And over 80% of all the corn we grow is used to feed livestock to produce more food, using even more fossilfuel energy.

Even after these giant effects on the planet, only 8% of the world’s population is vegan. However, we are spreading the word. In 2019 only 1.16% of the population was vegan. So there’s hope.

Where did being vegan start? In November 1944, an English woodworker named Donald Watson announced that, since vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he would create a new term for not eating any animal-based products. But if you remove all meats and other products from your diet, you are losing lots of protein, fibre and iron. How could you replace those important ingredients without using meat products? Well, although soy was consumed in many Asian countries for centuries, it was only the 1960s that it was introduced and started being used as a common food source in America and the UK. I think a lot of people turn vegan because it is healthy at all stages in your life including as a baby, as a child, teenager, adult and even as an adult carrying a child, although I personally think it isn’t the best idea to go vegan while carrying a baby because not only do you have to supply

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It is crucial that we take care of our wellbeing before there is an irreversible problem

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MIND XING THE I F S W O N K on of JKS s in b o R Sophia LAY CHILD’S P R E V E N S I

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ast year a study conducted by YoungMinds showed that one in eight children have a diagnosable mental health disorder – that’s roughly three children in each classroom. Shocking, isn’t it? Another of their studies in 2017 reported that the average waiting time to receive a mental health assessment was five weeks, and nine weeks to receive treatment. That’s 98 days of unacceptable suffering.

Things need to change.

There are so many issues that young people today face with their mental health. They can feel shut off when they’re worried that if they tell someone they will be made fun of or seen as weak. Some of them are lonely and don’t feel there is anyone there for them. They are struggling and they need help now.

Clara found out her mother had severe depression when she was only 14, so she had to care for a parent when she was too young. It’s an incredibly tricky position for a teenager, but sadly many young adults are in this position around the world. Shortly after her mother’s diagnosis, Clara started to struggle with her own mental health. Luckily, she was able to attend Oasis Youth Centre in Northern Ireland.

There Clara joined the youth volunteering and leadership programme. This was a safe space for her to talk about her issues with 1:1 support and regular group contact. She is now in a much better place and is able to help her mum and keep the mental health of both in check. There are so many Claras in the world, but sadly some of them just aren’t getting the help they need. If you know someone like Clara, then please help.

hav tha e to e nsu t ‘m hea r jus lth’ is ental e thin t that seen as g to -a tal good k ab out

It is crucial that we take care of our wellbeing before there is an irreversible problem. There are things we can do to stop small issues turning into bigger ones that may need expert help but all of us need to contribute to make a difference.

First, we must educate everyone at a young age about their mental health; we should all look after our mental wellbeing, just like our physical health and fitness. We also need to help children understand that help is available and it’s not a sign of weakness to seek it.

All of us can help, but especially the people who already know us and whom we trust – for example, friends, family members and teachers. The old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved makes good sense. By telling a friend or a trusted adult about concerns, that person can offer understanding and support and agree what to do next.

Just talking it over may really help, or it could be that expert advice is required and a plan can be made to get it. There are many free resources through The NHS and YoungMinds, but sometimes we need a helping hand to reach out for them.

We have to ensure that ‘mental health’ is seen as just that – a good thing to talk about and promote instead of jumping to conclusions that mental health equals mental health issues or problems. Whilst spreading positivity and awareness, it is vital to remain sensitive and supportive of those who may have issues. Mental health problems are no easy fix, but it is essential that we continue to raise awareness of this allimportant matter.

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Dream a Little

Dream Minty Winkworth of FULHAM PREP INTERPRETS DREAMS

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ave you ever wondered about dreams? About why they disappear from your mind so quickly? Surely, that means scientists have a hard job finding out about the mystery of dreams. Well, we know a bit more about them than you might think.

DREAMY FACTS For a start, did you know that not all of us dream in colour? Around 12% of people say they dream in black and white, but of the remaining 88% most dream in pastel colours. That must be why we consider them ‘dreamy’ colours! But hardly any of the black and white dreamers are under the age of 25, and yet people over 55 claim to dream without colour 25% of the time.

Scientists figure that this is because the older dreamers were shown black and white TV, rather than the multicolour screens we younger dreamers cherish.

In the 1940s, it was rare to dream in colour!

As you already know, we hardly ever remember our dreams, but what exactly is the maths? Well, five minutes into being awake half your dream is gone – whoosh, kaput, out the window, adios amigo. Five minutes later, another 40% – bye, nice to meet ya, see you never! Now, *awkward silence*, ‘Uh, um, hi 10%, you miss your buddies in

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the dream business?’ So, why does this happen?

One theory is that, since we sleep to ‘recharge our batteries’ and so that our brain can have a bit of an organisation of its mind (man, you leave it messy in there), it lets your treasured dream just fall into the oblivion of The Mind Bin. Or, in other words, the brain can’t support the dream whilst it’s creating the dream by organising your thoughts. Yup, you can blame your brain for not letting you remember that great dream about, hey, what was it again?

need to make. It’s a superstition that if you hit the ground in your dream you will die in real life.

Don’t worry; it’s not true. If you dream about being chased, this is a particularly scary kind of dream, which just means that you are trying to avoid something in your regular life – a person, an event, or a consequence. You can understand what your personal dream means, just by your pursuer. If they are an animal, it probably means that you are hiding from your feelings or are embarrassed Around 12% of by them. However, if your chaser is people say they You may be wondering why we don’t dream in black and a mysterious, dark, hidden figure, seem to dream in a deep sleep. Well, they might represent a past fear or white, but of the it’s simply that when you are in the remaining 88% most past experience. And, if they are of dream in pastel deep sleep stage of sleeping you the right sex, you may be afraid of colours can’t dream. This stage of sleep can love. Being naked in public in your be long or short, and when you have dream means that you feel fake or a ‘deep sleep’ it’s just that this stage of sleep is are scared to reveal your imperfections, which longer. OK, I think I’ve called it The Deep Sleep could be provoked by social media. If you have Stage of Sleeping long enough. It’s actually called a different dream, there are plenty of reliable NREM *subtitle* Stage 3. After that, it’s REM sources to find out what they mean. Things in sleep (dream time!!!), which brings us to waking dreams are symbolic. Teeth are used to cut, tear up. At which moment, as we know, we nearly and that kind of thing, so dreams about you losing completely forget about our dreams. them can mean that you are concerned about something. For instance, if you lose your teeth in FUN FACT! Blind people dream too! a dream, and you are shy, it most probably means you are worried about your communication.

BUT WHAT DO THEY MEAN? I hope you enjoyed reading my article, and Have you been wondering what our dreams that you ditch your dream catcher. Dreams are actually mean, though? Well, here it is! The guidelines to life, so you have to have the good most common dreams are about falling or being and the bad. chased or attacked. Being nude in public is also up there. Dreams about falling tend to mean that you need to reconsider a choice you’ve made or

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SKS School A l l a h e in fV N alcomb o B a l LOCKDOW il N I m S T Ca E P Y T SO MAN WE BOUGH

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WHY

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During the first national lockdown, people were struggling to find things to do, to make exercise enjoyable or just have fun outside

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In the first lockdown, many people found themselves stuck at home with very little to keep themselves occupied. 2020 was even known as The Year of the Pet, according to the website Boughtbymany.com.

But why did people buy so many pets?

may ster uman m a h Ah g a t it dra u t b o e n ple sid out er peo ir e ste m th can fro ns y a aw ee scr

it. A hamster may not drag a human outside but it can steer people away from their screens.

Most people love pets; they love to play with them, stroke them and they During the first national lockdown, like to have someone to be with them. people were struggling to find things But did you know that people who own to do, to make exercise enjoyable or pets usually need fewer doctor’s visits? just have fun outside. Lots of children This may be a reason why some people were upset that schools were closed, bought pets during lockdown. It could and they couldn’t see come in handy, don’t you their friends. But why think?

Pets can help would pets help in this people with their self-esteem and situation?

In the course of the their emotions, but past year, schools have pets also come I love pets. I have two with disadvantages been closed due to the dogs (Border Collies) and pandemic.

Children they make me feel happy were unable to see their and like I am never alone. Recently my friends and were lonely. But having brother went off to a senior school a pet could change that. Just having to board and I was really lonely. But someone to talk to; someone to hug; whenever I see our dogs, I run to them someone to read to and someone to and give them a massive hug and I play with. The pet would be like their play with them. They make me feel so best friend, but would never leave their happy and I don’t know what I would side. The child would not be as upset do without them. So, I recommend if that they couldn’t see their friends as you are ever feeling lonely, get a pet they would have one right by their side. and you will feel like you have a neverending friend who is always faithful.

Yes, having a pet is fun to play with but why are they really good for us?

For example, if a parent bought a dog, Pets help with emotional development the dog would keep them and their and help stop depression. In lockdown children occupied; the dog would need people were most likely feeling to be taken out for a walk (this would depressed as they couldn’t go out and give the owner exercise) and would see their friends or go out and just have be fun to play with inside or outside. fun.  Pets make their owners happy and most likely take people’s minds off Pets make th ei the pandemic. Another example is if take people’s r owners happy and most minds off th a parent bought a hamster, the child e pandemic likely would have so much fun playing with Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Pets are just fu n lighten the moo to have around; they will alw d and make ever ays yone cheerful

Pets would help that; they would become a friend and the owner would not feel the need to go out. Pets also help in boosting your mood and self-esteem. If you are feeling sad or angry, a pet can easily change your mood to happy or give you a bit more confidence.

If you are feeling sad or angry, a pet can easily change your mood

Pets can help people with their self-esteem and their emotions, but pets also come with disadvantages. As much as I hate to admit it, pets only live for so long (nowhere near as long as humans). When a pet gets ill, the vet bill can add up to thousands. Also, when pets pass away, it can be one of the hardest times for a human, as a pet becomes part of the family.

My conclusion is that most people bought pets in lockdown because it would help them see the brighter side of lockdown. They have the opportunity to spend more time at home with their family and having a pet would make everything even more fun. Also, pets would make exercise fun and steer them away from their screens. But besides everything, pets are just fun to have around; they will always lighten the mood and make everyone cheerful. 

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Pro ject a l e b a Is Daniel Lee of NEWTON

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PREP RECALLS THE INFAMOUS MASSACRE OF GALAPAGOS GOATS

ou have never heard of Project Isabela but, if you care about our planet, our environment or animals, you should have. It was the name given to the slaughter of over 250,000 goats on the Galapagos Islands. It started in 1997 and ended in 2006. Even now, 15 years later, it is still a controversial decision. But first we must understand how it all began.

The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean and belong to Ecuador. They are well known as the place where Charles Darwin came up with the idea of natural selection.

In 1959 the first goats arrived on the island, two female and one male, and over time the population expanded to 30,000 goats by 1973. By 1990, there were over 250,000. The goats would eat up all the grass and used the natural habitat at the expense of native species, and the endangered species that lived there became almost extinct. The Galapagos tortoise population, for example, shrank from 250,000 to only 3,000 by the 1970s.

By the late 1990s, it was clear a plan was needed, and there were several ideas about how to get rid of the goats. Eventually, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) decided the most sensible decision was to massacre all the goats.

The CDF and the GNPD then came up with the idea of the Judas goat. The idea was that they would capture one goat and, instead of attacking and killing it, they would attach a GPS tracker on its neck. After releasing it back to meet its goat friends, the hunters would track that Judas goat down, and it would betray its friends because the hunters would After releasing it back slaughter the entire to meet its goat friends, group. But they would the hunters would track that Judas goat down, keep the Judas goat and it would betray its alive to find more friends friends for their inevitable demise. Approximately 9,000 Judas goats were employed throughout the course of the nine-year project, after which The Galapagos Islands were declared goat-free.

Unlike the goats, what still remained was the controversy. While some people liked the Galapagos tortoise not being extinct and other native species being saved, lots of people, unsurprisingly, disagreed with such a huge massacre. But many people agreed with the slaughter, thinking it is our human job to preserve endangered and native species. 

At first, they called the New Zealand Military to fly around in helicopters and shoot any goats they could see. But this proved ineffective against the army of goats. Eventually, they decided to try other strategies.

After the first two years, 90% of the goats were killed, which means 25,000 goats remained. While there were significantly fewer goats, they would still be reproducing on the island.

The g oats w ould up al e l the grass at used and t h e natur habita al t at t he ex of na pense tive s pecies

In 1959 the first go at and over time the s arrived on the island, two female an population expand ed to 30,000 goat d one male, s by 1973 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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L THINKS CKENHAM HAL U B D L O f o -Lee Alice Romer LIVES RUINING OUR S I Y G O L O N H TEC

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Financial lo ss, loss of self-co nf and privacy idence a major threa re all ts from technology

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echnology is not ‘wonderful’. It has damaged us as a population and is full of risks. First, technology seems to always replace some form of humanity.

For example, you may waste hours of a Saturday morning scrolling down Instagram or Tik Tok, which means that you put your family or friends on hold as you spend the entire time gaming or scrolling.

Technology almost hypnotizes us. It is addictive and stops us from enjoying the real things in life, such as playing outside, gardening, reading and art. It only appears to offer all these activities online. Then there is retail. Many shops and stores are closing because of mega online shops that contain everything you need; Amazon is one of these. We forget the fun and freedom of walking to the stores ourselves. Shops are suffering and people are losing jobs rapidly. Technology makes you want to stay on your screen forever. More people are gaining weight, so technology is bad for our health and has caused premature deaths.

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The risks are obvious. Cyberbullying means young and old people are targeted and threatened or hacked. The bully can do anything to provoke or frighten you anonymously, remotely, because they are not there in front of you. They post information and pictures of you or your family. They may post fake news or information about you. This form of bullying must be urgently solved; and if you are targeted, you must tell an adult you trust. There is spam, when people send dishonest adverts, ones which can con us into paying a lot of money for nothing.

Financial loss, loss of self-confidence

and privacy are all major threats from technology. Films portray robots that listen into your conversations and gain intelligence about you. That may seem less believable, but who says it is not possible? Alexa?

Gaming has also damaged young lives. Take, for example, Fortnite and Minecraft, still the most popular games in the world. These games are fun, but they are also addictive and can take up most of our time. There have even been instances of domestic violence and divorces over games like these. When people become addicted, they simply cannot stop. Wives and husbands have broken up, when they seem to care more about a game than their families.

How can we stop the ongoing threats of gaming and social media? We could set limits to the time spent on these platforms, such as one hour and then finish. We need to become more aware of the threats. We could also make sure that we spend more time off-screen, doing things like walking or going for a run. There are so many more solutions, so why not just pick one?

Technology is ruling our world and will probably continue to do so. Only we can make the difference. 

Technology almost hypnotizes us; it is addictive and stops us from enjoying the real things in life, such as playing outside, gardening, reading and art Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Eye

Spy Inside the Mind’s Ey e by Dasia Rah MARL BOROUGH HOUSE

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ave you ever stared at a cloud for so long that you noticed its shape resembles something else, like a fox or a head? Or turned off the lights and thought the coat hung up on a hook was a person? Why do our minds do this?

An optical illusion is something that can deceive our brain due to the specious and distorting design of the image often diverting our senses. Optical illusions usually contain deceptive patterns, shapes and forms that can confuse the mind. Furthermore, normally when you find out how simply an optical illusion could be made, it can change the way you see that optical illusion.

When given tasks to draw in realism, your art teacher might say to you, ‘Draw what you see, not what you think.’ Moreover, our brain usually tricks 80

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us into drawing what would look right of people experience it and almost but isn’t necessarily there and this can everyone has it once in their lifetime. be categorised as pareidolia because Pareidolia originates from the Greek our brain is tricking us meaning ‘wrong into seeing what would shape’. Pareidolia is a when you find out how simply an look recognisable. physiological illusion, optical illusion Lots of artists create and it’s the process of our could be made, it art work that we view brain trying to correct can change the way which exploits our mind you see that optical images, or objects that illusion in order to produce we see. Picture yourself an illusion. Giuseppe doing a ‘Cognitive Skills Arcimboldo made a painting of fruit Non-Verbal Reasoning Test’ and you and vegetables. The painting has see one of the shapes as a smiley face fruit that is positioned specifically to rather than an inanimate object. What resemble a man. Oleg Shuplyaks is an is actually happening is that your mind artist who creates art work that looks is trying to correct an image into an more like a portrait of a person then identifiable form. It is perfectly healthy actual scenery. If you first look at the and normal to experience it. paintings you will see the portrait before the scenery painting.

Some people experience it more often than others, but everyone has once in So, what is Pareidolia? Pareidolia is their lifetime. Even though pareidolia actually classified as a disorder. 68% was recently discovered in 1971 it has

our brain usually tricks us into drawing what would look right but isn’t necessarily there

A sa gril fa nd le Ma ce wich d ch o 28 ry w f t wit ees ,00 as he h t e h V 0 d so irg e 20 oll ld f in 04 ar or s in

existed for a VERY long time. Another form of pareidolia is hearing hidden messages in music that might not be clear from other perspectives.

Why can pareidolia cause fear? A lot of horror-related games can cause the phenomenon, for example ghostsummoning games where people will call for ghosts’ attention. Some people report experiencing ghost sightings.

Yet usually their evidence tends to be something along the lines of eerie noises, footsteps, visual occurrences, faces with human characteristics or something anomalous happening.

Although most of the time the sound is just the wind or something shuffling across the ground and the human characteristics the reporter has noted, it is often something as simple as a shadow.

Many people have earned money from finding food with famous characters on them. A grilled cheese sandwich with the face of the Virgin Mary was sold

for 28,000 dollars in 2004 when found by a lady called Diane Duyser. Another woman called Rebekah Speight found a chicken McNugget that looked like George Washington, and she was able to sell it on eBay for 8000 dollars. Lots of people have gained fame or earned money from finding fascinating objects that look like people.

As much as experiencing pareidolia isn’t very rare, I think it is important to acknowledge its occurrences in your surroundings, as it can bring you out of your thoughts and can be engaging to look at. Maybe, perhaps next time you see a character in the clouds, a face peering from a chair or an angry expression on the back of a cleaner, you can photograph your experience too. 

ists f art ork o s t Lo tw ich te ar crea e view wh in d w in t m tha ur its o roduce o l p p ex r to orde illusion n a

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Oscar S. of Solef ield POIN TS OUT A PACK OF LIES

F

ake news (aka misinformation) is when a person or group of people create fake or misleading information about someone else, usually for their own benefit. I say ‘usually’ because sometimes people simply do it to trick society. An example of misinformation could be in March 2020, when nearly 30% of adults in the United States believed that coronavirus was a bioweapon set up by the Chinese government. Further into the year, in June, it was rumoured that COVID-19 was intentionally planned by those in power.

Coronavirus has been a farmland of fake news, with people coming up with new conspiracy theories every single day.

However, COVID-19 has not been the only thing that has sparked fake news amongst society. Fake news came to the spotlight just after the 2016 presidential elections in the USA but has probably been around for as long as politics. Fake news can be sometimes so believable that exceptionally large groups of people believe in it, as we saw in March and June 2020. The creators of fake news are usually trying to make money from advertising to create propaganda (making something look better than it is) or just simply to trick society. In 2016, the BBC tracked down a group of teenagers in Macedonia who were creating fake news that was making them thousands of euros per day!

Social media have been the prime target for fake news over the past few years. The most targeted social media platform is Facebook, as it has around 45 billion users whose content can be easily shared. Twitter is also a target for fake news. An example of fake news on Twitter would be Donald Trump’s 

“

Coronavirus has been a farmland of fake news, with people coming up with new conspiracy theories every single day

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e k Fa

News

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If see a stor it is ms a y s to too g if be o pro true od , bab ly i it s

A poll took place that was to coincide with Safer Internet Day. This poll was conducted to find out how much fake news young people are being exposed to and how regularly it occurs. 51% of children claim they have been exposed to more misleading content in 2020 than pre2020. 63% of those surveyed were likely to fall for the misinformation. A further 42% of the people who took part said they were being exposed to the content every day, claims of rigging during the presidential while 1 in 10 claimed they were seeing it elections between himself and Joe Biden. at least 6 times per day. One quarter of the Trump tweeted out his thoughts on the people who took part ended up sharing presidential elections to the extent that the content to others. The misinformation left children feeling annoyed, Twitter, and many other misinformation upset, angry, attacked or big social media platforms, left children scared. This is how Fake News banned him from their sites feeling annoyed, usually spreads. permanently. upset, angry,

To check if a story that sounds unbelievable is fake, you could try searching up the creators of the article/picture/etc. with the word ‘fake’ or ‘scam’

attacked or scared If a story seems as if it is too In the latest attempts to good to be true, it probably is. undermine the vaccine rollout, fake news creators have been To check if a story that sounds unbelievable exploiting the deaths of those who died of is fake, you could try searching up the natural causes after receiving the vaccine. creators of the article/picture/etc. with the This has been done in order to create word ‘fake’ or ‘scam’. A result could come up misinformation about how the vaccine that is made by a reliable source that has kills people and encourage people not stories about misinformation or scamming to take the jab. In some other cases, anti- coming from the suspicious fake news vaccine activists have been making up manufacturers. If the news is being shared stories of deaths related to the vaccine that or posted through social media platforms, never actually happened. Facebook and search up the story with ‘is true’ or ‘is fake’. many other social media sites have started There may be a fake news story from to remove false claims related to the a trusted website that comes up. Keep coronavirus jab to ‘prevent physical harm’ yourself well informed by not falling for to anyone who takes the misinformation Fake News stories.  into account. The jab has caused many fake and misleading stories and many people are now refusing to take the jab because of them.

Anti-vaccine activ ists have been m akin of deaths related to the vaccine that g up stories happened never actually 84

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On

Another l e v Le A Journey through the Dimensions by Aran Bissett of HOLMEWOOD HOUSE

A

thought: are we really alone? What would happen if a four-dimensional object was trapped a threedimensional being – for example, the human race?

To understand this confusing matter, we must first look at the relations between a one-dimensional being and a twodimensional being. Then we will look at the relationship between the second and third dimensions. Only then can we begin to comprehend the relations between the third and fourth spatial dimensions.

the circle. As Lin was before, Stan is discombobulated. Three went up. Stan has only ever known left, right, forward and backwards so up and down isn’t in his range of movement.

So, a one-dimensional person, let’s call him Lin Ear, is walking back along his line. Remember, he can only move forwards and backwards. Lin builds a dot on the line. He has no way to get past it. He can’t go up or down and he can’t go left or right. This is where the two-dimensional being comes in, a person called Flat Stan. Stan comes across Lin and stands on the same side of the dot as Lin. Lin asks, ‘Can you help me get through this dot?’ Stan walks round the dot and calls from the other side: ‘I’ve done it!’ The reason Stan can walk round the dot is because he has the ability to go left, right and forward and backward. Lin is completely dumbstruck with this because, for him, Stan moved in a direction that Lin never even thought existed.

Now, on to the third and fourth dimensions. Three decides to build a sphere around her house while she is inside. This sphere is made of an impenetrable material that doesn’t bend or break when its hardened, and it is fully opaque.

Three lives happily in her house for a week since she has water but no food. She starts to feel hungry. She needs food but she can’t get out. A man walks up to her, within the sphere, to see if she is ok. She replies, ‘I can’t get out of this sphere and I have no food to eat. I will starve!’ She thinks for a moment then says, ‘How did you get in here?’ The man says he walked in. Three asks, ‘How?’ The man replies that he walked from a direction that she didn’t know about. He can walk through by using the new direction that is known to us as the fourth dimension. This is like us putting our finger inside a 2D circle. The circle is closed off from the first and second dimensions, but not the third. Three’s sphere is inaccessible through the first, second and third dimensions, but not the fourth. This is how the man got in and can also get out.

Now, Stan decides to build a circle that is only one micron high (that for us is just drawing a circle on a piece of paper) but since he is a two-dimensional being he can’t go up. For him, there is no way to get in the circle. Stan is very sad.

Now, a three-dimensional person, called Three Dee, goes up to Stan and asks him what is wrong. Stan replies, ‘My house is inside that circle and I can’t get in! I want to go home.’

Three Dee jumps over the ring and tells Stan that she is in

From what we have learned, we can conclude that a fourthdimensional being would look at us as we would look at a drawing on a piece of paper. But this raises the question, ‘Is there a fourth dimension?’ And if there is, how would we be seen by its inhabitants? To them, our universe would look like a piece of paper. Does this mean there is a twodimensional civilization in our piece of paper? The question I want answered is: Are we really alone?  Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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No

e g r a h

C

Miko K. of Solefield Ex plains why They real ly don’t make ’em like they used to

H

ave you noticed how your devices aren't lasting as long as they used to? Did you know that this is all done on purpose to get you to buy more products? Presently, this is legal and not prohibited by law, but many people believe that this should be made illegal. Legally, the manufactures can set their own standards for their products. Many years ago, products were built to last, but now they are built to be replaced.

Products that used to last 30 years now only last five. Other countries have started to act on this, but the UK hasn’t.

How can we save ourselves from this trickery?

A few years ago, a French law was put in place to force companies to state the life expectancy of their products.

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if the product was faulty. The French have shown that the average lifespan government put this in place in order for a MacBook Pro used for intensive to tackle built-in obsolescence and it tasks (such as video editing or gaming) looks like it is working. is only two years. One of Now, due to the French the reasons for this is that Many years ago, law, every product must products were built all of the components state its life expectancy are soldered together to to last, but now on the packet, like milk they are built to be prevent upgradability. replaced in the supermarket Nevertheless, nothing is does, to avoid a sizeable written on the packaging fine. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do and the customers buy the product the same in the UK? Why don’t we? without knowing how soon they will be required to replace the device. This Over recent years, Apple has been is even worse when you realize some known to build products that are of the pricing. The MacBook Pro fully designed to break in order to force the specked up is £7000. consumer to buy even more products.

And when Apple was charged Apple isn’t the only one that has with slowing down older phones got into trouble; Samsung has they agreed to pay $500 million in been sued for creating adverts that compensation to their customers. were considered ‘misleading’. One Personally, I think it outrageous that advert suggested that a phone was companies tamper with a design to waterproof when in fact it was not. achieve built-in obsolescence. Studies This is unfair because customers are

HP, C Bro anno pri ther n and sel ch nter ma eap p s for l ke r a th ice exp e ink but ens v ive ery

in built- ce has n e c om les obso itioned fr o t s n g a in y tr ly tr mere money to make ly putting l in actua e’s lives l peop anger d

potentially wasting their money.

Imagine if a product’s description was so misleading that it was unusable for somebody's needs. Then they would want to buy a new device (which would be bad for the environment, in addition to other issues). Many other products are sold for a lower price in order to lure customers in and then sell items needed for the product to work at a high price. One example of this is printers; HP, Cannon and Brother have been sued for this. They sold printers for a cheap price but made the ink very expensive. This locks a customer into a certain company and lets the company take advantage of them.

In the current situation, the NHS track and Trace app is vital to stop the spread of Covid-19, so it is very important that we all have it installed on our phones but Apple has stopped support on older iPhones; this means that these phones are unable to install certain apps. Rapidly, in this particular

was ing Apple when with slow s e d n e o g h r p r cha olde to down agreed y n in io l the il 00 m ion to 5 $ y pa ensat s comp customer ir the

situation the built-in obsolescence has transitioned from merely trying to make money to actually putting people's lives in danger.

So I believe products should state their life expectancy on their packaging, similar to items in the supermarket.

Consumers have a right to know what they are buying and how long it will last.

The companies can still make money and the consumers will be pleased with their purchase. This has been done in France in order to stop built-in obsolescence and seems to be working very well. Finally, I would like to ask you this question: don’t you deserve to know what you are buying when you make a purchase? 

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High

s e p Ho

OW SHOWS H E S U O H R NO er of CUM ORMANCE g in m r a Jasper C YOUR ATHLETIC PERF VE TO IMPRO

I

’m an athlete exploring every way possible to improve and I’ve researched some ways to enhance my athletic performance.

The first way is a technique developed by Wim Hof, both a breathing technique and daily exposure to cold water.

Wim Hof is an extreme sportsman from the Netherlands.

He holds many Guinness world records for his prolonged exposure to freezing water. Hof believes his techniques benefit your mental and physical state; some of these benefits will increase your success when performing. His method results in improved recovery from workouts, better sleep and a boost in your immune system that reduces the risk of you missing practice sessions. You can gain control over your mind and reduce anxiety before performance and prevent arthritis, which scientists say is 85% more abundant in athletes.

We’ve all heard about getting in the ‘zone’ but have you ever really known how to do that? Being in the ‘zone’ is when your concentration on the task in hand is so intense that you reach optimal performance. It is scientifically known as the flow state and was studied by Steven Kotler, who wrote a book on the subject. When any world championship in Athletics has ever been won, a flow state has been involved.

Being in the flow state increases your productivity by 500%, learning by 470% and creativity by 400% to 700%. There are twenty triggers that help you reach the flow state as an individual: passion/purpose, risk, novelty, complexity, unpredictability, deep embodiment, immediate feedback, clear goals, challenge/ratio, creativity/passion. The biggest factor is the challenge/ratio. If your challenge is too difficult you will be anxious but if your skill is too high you will be bored. So having a suitable task is essential. You need to be getting in the flow state in sport as well as outside of sport to make it more accessible.

My third way of improving physical performance is to stop negative self-talk. A physiologist, Dr. Guy Whinch, found that there were no neurological benefits to negative self-

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We’v e get all h e t but ing in ard ab the ou h rea a lly ve yo ‘zone t u ev ’ kno er wn do tha how to t?

talk; instead, it impairs your self-esteem, confidence and motivation. Research on the effectiveness of positive self-talk is still underway, but it is used by some of the greatest sports people in the world, such as Serena Williams and Cristiano Ronaldo. When Ronaldo was asked in his early twenties who he believed was the best football player in the world, he replied ‘me’. It is my personal opinion that if you wish to become the best, you need to believe it yourself.

Breathing is something we do every day. Dedicating a few minutes each day to conscious breathing will improve not only your mental state but your physical performance too. In 1983, two scientists carried out a study on a group of runners.

Runners who breathed in time with their stride exceeded the highest performance. In 2011, the University of Portsmouth examined twelve runners over six weeks and discovered that athletes who incorporated a few breathing exercises every day as part of their practice developed a faster running time by 5 to 12%.

My final way to improve sporting performance is to add rest days to your routine. For some reason in sport, rest days have been made to seem like a bad thing when in reality they are essential to reaching your peak performance. If you aren’t letting your muscles recover after exercise, then there is no chance of them growing, because growth doesn’t happen in the movement but while you’re resting. You may feel guilty when you have that rest time but to avoid that guilt you need to be working as hard as you can on your working days. Kobe Bryant said if you’ve made a shot in practice 1000 times then there’s no surprise when you do it in the game. He’s right: if you’re putting in enough effort, you will see results reflecting that hard work.

I use these techniques and I now have deeper sleeps, more motivation to train, higher energy levels and overall better athletic output. I hope I have helped you realise some of the easy steps you can make to reach a higher level in your own sport.

The

A

Hole Truth

black hole is an area of space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a miniscule space. This happens when a star is dying. Most black holes are isolated and impossible to detect, but judging from the number of stars big enough to make black holes, scientists estimate that there are as many as ten million to a billion black holes in the Milky Way alone.

Facts, fiction and fantastical things in space

by Josie Manney of JKS

home, everyone there would have aged five more years than them. Hawking said: ‘The crew on the spacecraft would return to a future Earth – they would have made a journey not only in space but in time.’ And while a massive black hole is a time machine, he noted: ‘It's not exactly practical.’ But it seems time travel is technically possible!

Unlike black holes, wormholes connect two points in space-time, which means that they would allow travel in time, as well as space, even if the two ends In ‘Time Travel’ Stephen Hawking explained that were far apart. The BBC got it right when filming a black hole of such size influences time, slowing it the television show Doctor Who (very much worth down more than ‘anything else in the galaxy’ and watching): the tunnel that the Tardis goes through making itself ‘a natural time machine’. in the intro is what a wormhole would He proposed an experiment: a spaceship What Hawking was look like from the inside. flying so close to the black hole that it saying is if the experiences time slower than outside spaceship circled Wormholes are possible, according to the black hole its event horizon (the boundary around Einstein’s general theory of relativity, for five of their a black hole which no light can escape but no one has ever seen one. Over the years, ten years from). years, many television shows, books would pass on and films have shown their characters Earth He said: ‘The trick, I think, would be to zipping in and out of these wormholes, aim just off to the side so they'd miss it. They'd have defying time and the boundaries of space itself. to be on exactly the right trajectory and speed, or Wormholes naturally appear from the equations they'd never escape. Get it right, and the ship would overseeing the theory of general relativity, be pulled into orbit, a giant circle 30 million miles Einstein's revolutionary notion that describes in diameter.’ The ship would be safe there, its speed gravity as the warping of space and time, which keeping it from falling into the black hole. ‘If a space forms the fabric of the universe called space-time. agency were controlling it from Earth, or anywhere else away from the black hole, they'd observe that In the 1980s, astronomer Carl Sagan was working each full orbit took sixteen minutes. But for the on his novel Contact, in which his heroine travels brave people on board, close to this massive object, the universe. He searches for the help of physicist time would be slowed down. Here, the effect would Kip Thorne to see if there is an accurate way for his be far more extreme than near the pyramid, or character to make the journey. Thorne realised that planet Earth. The crew time would be slowed down a wormhole might work best. But to ensure that the by half. For every sixteen-minute orbit, they'd only wormhole stayed open, he discovered, you would experience eight minutes of time. The ship and its need some strange stuff called exotic matter. crew would be travelling through time.’

What Wormholes collapse so quickly that not even light Hawking was saying is can zip through them, so this shows the need for if the spaceship circled exotic matter. Exotic matter is weird because it has the black hole for five negative energy or negative mass, permitting it to of their years, ten act as a sort of antigravity. If Earth had negative years would pass mass and you were to let go of a ball on the planet’s on Earth. When surface, it would accelerate up, not down. And, even they got back more bizarrely, to hit a negative-mass tennis ball, you wouldn't swing your racket toward it, but away.

It's this kind of peculiar behaviour that allows exotic matter to prevent a wormhole from collapsing.

And the conclusion? Space is amazing!

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AL WARMING IS JUST

S SAYS GLOB Nicholas Smiley of JK ERG THE TIP OF THE ICEB

W

ant to know the truth about the largest block of ice on the planet? Why the coldest place on Earth is losing mass at the rate of 1.2 trillion tons a year? Want to know where all that ice is going? Then wait no more.

Antarctic region; due to the Earth heating unevenly, stronger winds are blowing hot air and water towards Antarctica, making the ice melt at the base of the ice sheets. The change of the winds is said to be due to climate change and global warming. Historically, winds have blown warmer water from the neighbouring Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth, with 14 million Amundsen sea towards the west and to Antarctica. This km2 of ice, but due to climate change and global keeps the warmer water from reaching the Antarctic warming there could be little or no ice left by 2100, coasts. But recent reports say that the winds are not around 34 million years after Antarctica last had no ice. only blowing west, but also east, towards the Antarctic.

With its average surface thickness of 2,160 metres and This allows warm Amundsen sea water to melt away temperatures plummeting to below -80°C, it’s amazing the glaciers when the waters travel, another reason how much ice is being lost from Antarctica every year. that is making the ice sheets melt into the oceans. It The water level of the Earth’s oceans is estimated that 118 gigatons of ice are could rise up to another 30cm by 2050. lost per year as a result. This is causing But what is the reason for all this ice The water level of serious global issues. disappearing into the oceans and seas? the Earth’s oceans could rise up to The answer: climate change.

Arguably, the biggest threat is the rise in another 30cm by sea levels: when Antarctica melts more 2050 Ever since the 1900s the beautiful and more ice thaws and the sea levels (and cold) Antarctic ice sheets have rise. Mass erosion and flooding of the been melting at an alarming rate. From the mid-18th rest of the ice that is still on the land worsens the whole Century, America and Europe erupted into the Industrial terrible process and, like a cycle, it starts again, until Revolution, which released smoke into the air. All this finally there will be no ice left. This would be catastrophic pollution escaped into the atmosphere; some went for the wildlife on this cold continent. Since 1880 the into space and some bounced back to Earth, causing global sea level has risen by 21 to 24 centimetres. It is global warming and the ice sheets to melt. Ever since estimated that it could rise another 30 centimetres by the Industrial Revolution more and more pollution has 2050, making it a worryingly half-metre rise since just been released into the atmosphere by many countries. before the 20th Century. This massive hike in sea level Burning coal and gas not only makes the earth hotter, could affect 300 million people worldwide. By 2100, but it also releases carbon dioxide (CO2). This traps land occupied by 200 million people across the world heat into the atmosphere. So the global temperature is could sit below the high-tide line. Moreover, along increasing like never before in the history of the world. with land loss, melting Antarctica could also affect the global temperature and currents of the world’s oceans.

Scientists are also discovering that the change of There is no doubt that melting Antarctica would be a wind is contributing to the mass melting of the great huge loss and could be something that humans look Antarctic ice sheets. This is mainly in effect on the West back on with regret for millennia to come.

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n w o Dr

&O u t

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By 2100, land occupied by 200 million people across the world could sit below the high-tide line

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y CLOTHING b f o n o Daws Clementine School Vinehall GENDERISED

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hen you think of fashion and its history, you tend to think of male clothing and female clothing as being completely different, but before gender expression became hugely significant in society this was not the case. But how, when and why did fashion evolve to become so divided?

If you take a look at medieval fashion, you notice that though women at the time wore typically ‘feminine’ dresses, men tended to wear tunics and tights, which nowadays would be seen as items of women’s clothing. Their tunics also involved puffed sleeves and a very fitted hourglass structure, which are features you can still find in shops today, but exclusively in the women’s department.

Makeup is a way of being creative, unleashing your inner artist and accentuating your natural beauty. So why should this be a hobby for only women? Men’s makeup has recently become far more popular and male beauty influencers such as James Charles and Bretman Rock create makeup tutorials and other beauty-related videos that receive millions of likes and views. Recent studies by a male beauty company have shown that around 5% of men in Britain wear makeup on a daily basis, which is one twelfth of the 60% of British women who wear makeup regularly. But from as early as 4000 BC, men wore makeup just as much as women.

It was only in the 1700s when this began to be seen as outrageous.

Byrdie, a beauty magazine, writes, ‘As religious values continued to permeate cultures around the

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world, mainstream definitions of masculinity narrowed. By the 20th Century, makeup was seen as a girls-only pursuit.’

Colour symbolism for genders is not often discussed. The nonbinary flag involves the colours yellow, black, white and purple and, if asked, most people would probably associate the colour blue with boys and pink with girls.

If you were to walk into a clothing shop (especially a children’s one) the girls’ and boys’ sections are clearly very separate: the girls’ clothing is bright, with pink and purple shades, and the boys’ clothing tends to be in greys, blues or greens. However, in the early 1900s, the Earnshaw's Infants' Department said, ‘The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls’, which is contrary to society’s views on the genders’ colours now. Much earlier than this, blue was associated with the Virgin Mary, and therefore femininity.

Pink (a colour close to passionate red) was commonly worn by men.

The world and fashion industry are gradually working towards breaking boundaries and taking gender expression through clothing, hair and makeup to a whole new level. Designer labels such as Gucci are merging their men’s and women’s runway shows, and brands including H&M have released gender-neutral clothing ranges. These changes are crucial to eventually creating an environment where everyone feels free to wear what they wish, without society’s long-lived gender stereotypes. 

Outof the

Blue

Why do we gen der clothing?

by Clemmie At kins of BROOMWOOD HA LL

T

k n i P

is the new

Black

hese days boys and girls are more comfortable expressing themselves through how they dress. Even though in most circumstances you can wear what you want, there are still people out there who judge you. Why have we decided that clothes should have gender?

Society usually dictates men must wear a suit and women must wear a dress. Why can’t we accept if men wear dresses? Why can’t we accept women wearing suits?

Dresses could be worn by boys and girls. Shouldn’t we normalise boys wearing skirts, dresses, crop tops and other clothes because there is nothing wrong with it? It is merely a piece of fabric on your body so you shouldn’t be judged for wearing it.

Some boys are comfortable wearing dresses and some boys want to but they don’t do so because of the fear that they will get judged and bullied for expressing themselves. Some parents believe in only girls wearing dresses and that it isn’t for boys. They teach this attitude to their children who will be influenced by their parents and will make fun of someone male who is wearing a dress because they were brought up to believe that it isn’t for boys. This causes people to be afraid to be judged.

People shouldn’t have to be afraid to wear what they want. When a boy goes outside with a dress on people say, ‘Look, it’s the girl’ or they might assume they are gay even if they are not. But very few people look at a boy in a dress and just think he wants to wear it because he just likes it.

When babies are first born, society is already gender-stereotyping us. When buying baby clothes in stores, society has made it so the girls section has the pink dresses and the boys have the blue clothes. Don’t you find it weird that the girls’ clothes are pink and the boys’ clothes are blue?

I’ve seen someone give a boy a pink outfit and lots of people either gave them strange looks or assumed the baby was a girl.

Girls used to not be allowed to wear trousers because they were classed as ‘men’s clothes’ and now it is normal for women to wear trousers, so why can’t we do the same with boys and dresses? I’ve read about some boys’ experiences in wanting to wear skirts and dresses and when parents and friends accepted and let the boys wear what they wanted it made them happy. But in some stories when they force him to ‘act like his gender’ and say he isn’t allowed to wear dresses and skirts, because he will look like a girl, the boy isn’t happy.

Some boys won’t want to wear dresses and skirts just as some girls don’t want to wear them and that is their choice, but shouldn’t those who do want to wear them not get rude comments made behind their backs? Our society is always gendering things, even toys. I mean, why do we need to gender a toy when it is just supposed to be for fun?

Boys can wear dresses. It doesn’t matter if they are gay or straight or transgender: they can wear a dress. Our society nowadays is more accepting of people's choices. We have definitely improved when letting people wear what they want.  Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Hotre u t u Co

AYS OR House S N M U C f o n ingto Amelie Hunt ck ld sto o s n u ning op bur t s t s u NIES m COMPA

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FASHION

B

urberry, a high-end clothing company, has been caught burning millions of pounds' worth of unwanted stock to prevent it being stolen or sold cheaply. This is upsetting and horrifying as the brand has such a high profile, with plenty of customers buying their items every day. ‘It’s the dirty secret of the fashion industry, and Burberry is just the tip of the iceberg,’ said one commentator.

Burberry is an international brand promoting British fashion since the amazing creation of the iconic trench coat, gabardine fabric and its trademark tartan print.

It was founded in Basingstoke in 1856 by Thomas Burberry.

In the past year, Burberry has received a backlash from environmentalists for burning £28.6m of unwanted stock (just one year’s worth). Burberry workers have come out and said that this was in order to protect its brand copyright and their clothes being sold at lower prices in shopping outlets. A spokesman from the company also said, ‘Burberry has careful processes in place to minimise the amount of excess stock we produce.’

Just as Burberry thought they had ended this matter, an anonymous ex-employee of Burberry spoke out about their experience. She said that when she worked there she and others had the job of packing unwanted clothes into cardboard boxes, which would then be burnt. This really upset her, as she is vegan, and the amount of leather and fur she saw being packed up to be burned really shocked her. All these animals had died for nothing.

Burb e re rry ha bac ceived s a envi klash f for ronmen rom t b of u urning alists nwa nted£28.6m stoc k

waste? Personally, I think brands should stop burning unsold items and minimise their impact on the environment. The production of every pair of denim jeans uses 10,000 litres of water, in addition to the resources used to grow and dye the brands should stop burning unsold cotton. items and minimise their impact on the environment

Overall, I believe these highend fashion brands should set a good example. They should respect the environment. They should limit production and focus on developing technology in 3D visualisers to produce that realistic look that will encourage their high-end customers to buy their undoubtedly luxury clothes. By producing items that are more expensive for only their richest clients, they can at least prevent waste.

It is not just Burberry. Other brands, such as Richemont, which owns Cartier and Montblanc, had to buy back £430m worth of watches in the past two years. Analysts say that some parts of the watches were reused but most were thrown away.

Right now, money is a huge problem for many people.

These brands keep on apologising, yet still they repeat the same mistake. What can they do to prevent this

Other brands, such as Richemont, wh ich had to buy back £4 30m worth of watc owns Cartier and Montblanc, hes in the past tw o years

Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Isabelle St ewart-Stant on of JKS WO WHY ANIMAL S SHOULD P NDERS AY FOR OUR VANITY

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Many animals are killed in for laboratories s, on ss biology le ng ni ai tr al ic med driven and curiositytion ta en m ri expe

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nimal testing started in the 1940s in response to serious injuries suffered by people exposed to unsafe beauty products.

92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective on animals don’t work on humans and never get past clinical trials

According to PETA, The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 10,000 animals are killed each day due to animal testing. This huge total includes all sorts of small animals, including mice, rats, birds, rabbits, amphibians, guinea pigs, dogs, hamsters, pigs, gerbils and other rodents, as well as reptiles, cats and fish.

cosmetics experiments. The ECEAE was created in 1990 by national and regional organisations against the testing of animals. Today they lead the ‘European campaign against all animal testing’. They work together to achieve positive results for animals in laboratories.

Other organisations fighting for the same cause include: The People for the Many animals are killed in laboratories Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), for biology lessons, Coalition for Consumer medical training Information on Cosmetics, in some cases and curiosity-driven Physicians Committee for an animal has experimentation.

Most been tortured to Responsible Medicine. All are burned, crippled death for no real these organisations rely benefit, with no and poisoned but all are on donations to continue positive outcome abused. Despite rigorous their work. and painful testing, 92% of experimental drugs that are safe Beyond the cosmetics industry, animal and effective on animals don’t work testing is also used in the development on humans and never get past clinical of pharmaceuticals, medicines and trials because they are too dangerous chemicals. Often these products, or just don’t work as well. So, in some including medicines and vaccines, help cases an animal has been tortured to protect people, animals and even to death for no real benefit, with no plants. positive outcome.

While human health and the need to There is a growing movement against improve quality of life and access to the use of animal testing, including effective medication are recognised as The European Coalition to End vital, millions of animals continue to be Animal Experiments (ECEAE), which tortured every day to accommodate is a grouping of 20 animal-protection human demands. What is more organisations across the European important and does the end justify the Union. They operate in favour of animal means?  rights and the abolition of testing in Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Enhancements in scientific research techniques mean that there are now viable alternatives to animal testing

Animal testing helps scientists make life-changing discoveries, from new vaccines and medicines to anaesthetics and blood transfusions. Millions of lives have been saved or improved as a result. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that vaccination prevents 2-3 million deaths each year.

Despite advances in veterinary and human medicine, including improving how we manage heart disease, brain disorders, arthritis and transplants, is it fair that some animals must sacrifice their lives to save their fellow species?

Lush, a well-known cosmetics brand, used to test all their products on animals. But since 1st June 2007, they have been rethinking after growing consumer pressure. This led to them being added to PETA’s list of crueltyfree brands. It was a shrewd decision, adapting to changing trends. It is widely known that consumers increasingly include a brand’s ethical stance in their buying decision. There are many examples of people boycotting a brand for these reasons. Air France is one high-profile company being boycotted because they reportedly continue to ship monkeys to laboratories for experimentation.

The argument for animal testing that leads to enhancements in medical science is far stronger, particularly

It i sw id t incrhat co ely kn own nsu eas m i ab ran ngly in ers d’s clu sta e d buy nce in thical e ing the dec ir isio n

when human lives are saved. A good example is the new Coronavirus vaccines developed by Moderna, Pfizer and Oxford / AstraZeneca. All these greatly appreciated medicines were tested first on animals to check if they worked.

I don’t think it is worth risking animals’ lives for beauty products and cosmetics.

They don’t protect us from nasty, harmful illnesses, so animal testing for this purpose should be banned, in my opinion. However, the present global Covid-19 pandemic, which has the potential to kill millions of people worldwide, shows that in some circumstances the use of animal testing to develop vaccines which have been proven to save lives may be justified, where the risk to human life is severe.

Furthermore, enhancements in scientific research techniques mean that there are now viable alternatives to animal testing, including the use of cell cultures, human tissues, computer models and volunteer studies.  ecause oycotted b b g in e b ries for pany rofile com onkeys to laborato -p h ig h e n is o ip m Air France edly continue to sh rt o p re they tion experimenta 98

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! d e k Hoo

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ave you ever felt the satisfaction of picking up a fresh ball of wool and a hook and whiling away the hours in repetitive motion? If you haven’t, then what are you doing? Start crocheting! ‘But why?’ I hear you cry. ‘Why should I take up The Art of the Grandma?’ There are many reasons.

Milly Co

rdeaux of J THINKS CRO KS CHET IS NO T J UST FOR OLD LA DIES

I was first taught to crochet by my grandma in 2018 and I haven’t looked back. Since then, I have crocheted two scarves, two blankets and a very useful little pouch that I keep in my locker at school. One Christmas I crocheted little decorative – albeit useless – squares for my family.

At one point in 2019, at my last school, I started making Crochet is rewarding and easy to learn. Just go onto crocheted bracelets for other pupils. I was spending my YouTube and search for ‘easy crochet tutorials’. You will evenings fulfilling orders, and I would go into school with be presented with hundreds of helpful lessons. All you a notebook so that I could receive orders at breaktime. I need to start out is a crochet hook (available in most did it all for free because I thought I wouldn’t get many craft stores) and a ball of wool; and a lot orders, maybe from a couple of my friends. of craft stores have buckets of half-used I have crocheted Instead, I received so many orders I couldn’t balls of wool that are really cheap, making two scarves, two keep up! blankets and crochet cheap to learn. a very useful A few people have even received world little pouch As well as being enjoyable, crocheting that I keep in my records for their nimble-fingered knots. Lisa can also be good for your mental health. locker at school Gentry (USA) is the world’s fastest crocheter, Sometimes it can be incredibly relaxing working at 170 stitches per minute. And the to just get into the rhythm and feel the bad vibes melt longest crochet chain, 130km (80.78 miles) long, was away. Crochet is an easy way of winding down and made by Anne Vanier-Drüssel (FRA); this record was releasing all the stress that you could’ve built up during verified on the 26th November 2008. the day. Did you know that crochet can help reduce memory loss? (I didn’t!) Crocheting can also help take Many people around the world have turned to crochet the edge off anxiety, boost your self-esteem, and even to relieve stress, help them through a tough time or even relieve depression. Other bonuses are better sleep and just to try something new. I hope you can now see why I generally being happier. I don’t know why you shouldn’t love it so much, and have a go yourself. Just pick up your want to give it a try. hook, grab your wool and go.  Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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Just

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100 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

Grace Wills of Vinehall School IMAG EARTH AS DES INES PLANET ERT EARTH

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magine the scene: the sun pierces through a cloudless sky, silhouetting withered trees and dying cacti as it hovers low over the horizon, staining all around blood-red and vivid orange. A fiery wind blows over sand dunes that touch the air where rain clouds used to be. This is the new normal in Tokyo. The year is 2040 and the once-great place is now a barren landscape, one of the biggest new deserts in the world.

Today, deserts make up 33% of the Earth’s land surface but that is expanding fast and the only way we can try to slow it down is to stop buying plastics. The world’s ways as we know them are disappearing. The main cause of the deserts’ expansion is human activities and climate change. They can be regarded as the two main causes of desertification.

People think of deserts as very hot places that reach over 50 degrees, but some deserts are well below freezing. The largest desert on Earth is the Antarctic, which covers around 5.5 million square miles. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and most isolated continent on Earth, and is considered a desert because its annual precipitation can be less than 51 mm in the interior. The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica was -89.6°C at Vostok Station in 1983. But this icy desert is losing 24,000 tonnes of ice every second due to global warming.

Most animals cannot survive in desert conditions, but some can; the thorny devil is one of them. Thorny devils live in the sandy arid deserts of Australia where temperatures range from 37 to 39°C in summer and between 16 and 24°C in winter. Rainfall is unpredictable but will usually be around 250mm or less per year. As you know, climate change is changing everything: the weather is becoming more and more unpredictable and the most extraordinary animals will lose their habitat and may become extinct.

The w it is orld eve chan as we onl ry de ging fa know cad y sh ste e r o spe wing s and is igns edin gu of p

are one of the only two penguin species that live permanently in Antarctica. They too are losing their habitats rapidly and they will become extinct unless we act.

The deserts are expanding and animals are dying. We need to save such extraordinary animal species. We need to slow down the poles melting and the Sahara and all the other sand deserts expanding. But we need a miracle to stop it all completely. Scientists estimate that temperatures across the globe will rise by 7.5°C and these temperatures can be expected by 2070.

Humans cause climate change. How do we know? Scientists agree that global warming is caused mainly by human activity. Specifically, the evidence shows that certain heattrapping gases, such as carbon dioxide, are warming the world, and that we release those gases when we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Stop. Think. Act. Before you turn up your heater, is it too hard to put on another jumper?

Overall, the results are shocking. All animals, including humans, are threatened by climate change. The world as we know it is changing faster every decade and is only showing signs of speeding up. You can help the fight against global warming by recycling, turning down your boiler and buying food from local areas. There are many more things you can do but just try at least one of them because, if lots of people chip in, every small job will mean a lot and help us win the fight against climate change. 

There are many animals losing their habitats due to global warming and a good example are Adélies penguins, which live and breed exclusively in the polar regions. In fact, they

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Today, deserts make up 33% of the Earth’s land surface but that is expanding fast Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021 101

l e Lev

Up

Gaming is g ood for yo u By Joe M of Solefiel . d

102 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

ts medical studen se ti ac pr d ul co different an en sc arios for nt ou am unlimited of time

I

There could be many games and facilities created for educational values

am sure a lot of you are aware that video games have become a huge sensation across the world with people winning large cash prizes in every game. And now with the new next Gen consoles and VR on the market, people are wondering what the future Another thing gaming could be used is for video games and eSports. Well, for is job training. There are already lots it is hard to know for certain because of firefighter games out there so why all the big companies that are leading not make them have more purpose this business would not want to share and use them for actually training their ideas when others may remarket firefighters? The same could be said for nearly every workplace. them as their own.

This would enable people Subsequently, people with the new next have produced their own Gen consoles and to train for a multitude VR on the market, of jobs. You can see concepts of what they people are how this already works think will happen. Some of wondering what with pilot simulation these could include virtual the future is for video games training.

Additionally, Galaxy rooms or glasses health benefits would be that would enable you to play online, on the move or at home. substantial. Currently, trainee doctors This would be a huge step forward and nurses are watching a real surgeon into the video game world, so, if this doing different surgeries on real people. concept is going to happen, obviously This means that the doctor performing the surgery could feel under a great each company would keep it secret. deal of pressure and could cause Educational gaming is already used mistakes. VR simulation could change a lot around the world in a handful of this and make the patient safer. This subjects, but what if we normalised it to also means that medical students be something that happens regularly could practise different scenarios for for school children? This would an unlimited amount of time. In the encourage them to learn as they are current coronavirus situation, medical doing something fun whilst learning. doctors could use this at home so that I am sure there could be many games they could practise without any risks. and facilities created for educational Another function of gaming is the values. therapeutic aspect of playing. Gaming has been good therapy and has helped a lot of people socialise through the 

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there have been ntly articles rece published that lps claim gaming he mental health and prevents depression

lockdown. Before lockdown, it was usual for parents and adults to think that gaming was detrimental to a child's mental and physical health. However, there have been articles recently published that claim gaming helps mental health and prevents depression.

The Times has recently published an article quoting research supporting this.

“

Gaming has been a good therapy and has helped a lot of people socialise through the lockdowns

104 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

Before lockdown, it was usual for parents and adults to think that gaming was detrimental to a child’s mental and physical health

So I think gaming and virtual worlds have historically been assumed to be bad for people's health, but we should reconsider and see the possible benefits to people’s mental and physical wellbeing, as well as for their personal and educational development.

Tick Tock

Jacqueline Xiao of FULHAM PREP FINDS TIME HARD TO PIN DOWN

One straightforward question has kept scientists stuck in their labs and philosophers locked in a chain of thoughts but still we don’t have the right answer.

years of researching, thinking and testing, Einstein came up with the relativity theory.

His theory explains that time is linked closely with space and that one cannot go without the other. He also concluded Perplex Time: Let me ask you a question. that the universe has a speed limit 186,000 What is time? Does it exist? You probably miles per second, and if any living creature think I’m mad. Of course time exists. It’s all travelled above that speed limit, they around us. Because we can’t would travel to their future. see it doesn’t mean it’s not Although Einstein’s theory The watches there. But it becomes more doesn’t explain what time that went on the perplexing when you come actually is, it helps us learn journey showed a different time to think about it. Is time a more about it. to the ones that physical thing that actually didn’t exists? Or is it just in our Superb Sergei: Sergei heads? Is time just an illusion?

Krikalev, a Russian astronaut What is it that we are measuring with our and one of the greatest time travelers, watches and clocks? Why does time seem orbited around the Earth for 2 years 83 to go more slowly when we are waiting? days 9 hours and 39 minutes, holding the Are we time-traveling to the morning when world record for the most amount of time we are asleep? Is time simply a series of orbiting the Earth. Whilst he was in space, ‘tick tock tick tock’ beats? Or is it something he time-travelled into his own future. else?

By 0.02 seconds. Although it might not sound a lot, it is still very impressive. He Terrific Time: Yes, time is puzzling. During also experienced something called time an experiment in the 1970s super-accurate dilation. Time dilation is the difference watches were given to volunteers. Some between two clocks; one is moving but participants went aboard a plane, ready the other is not. And time dilation affects to go around the world, and the other not just living creatures but also machines. participants were left on the ground. Satellites travel at a speed of thousands of After the plane finished its journey the miles an hour. So the satellite clocks often participants compared their watches. The show a different time from our clocks. watches that went on the journey showed In fact, they can disagree by 7,000,000 a different time to the ones that didn’t. seconds per day!

Why? We don’t have an answer yet but what I know is that this is all total madness! More to Uncover: There is always more to uncover about time and space. Maybe Einstein’s Theory: Our understanding of in the future it won’t be such a mystery. time gets more complicated throughout Maybe we’ll be able to travel back and history. Albert Einstein, one of the forth in time and a time machine will be world’s most clever scientists, as well as invented. Maybe we’ll discover that a mathematician and physicist, dared to time doesn’t exist at all. Maybe challenge himself with this in the future we will be able simple but baffling to get control over time, question.

After age, and how fast we months or even age. Maybe. 

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Mission To

s r a

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By Max Evans of Solefield

106 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

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e, as humans, are a species that has managed to leave our home planet, which (as far as we know) no other species has done. First, it was sending people into space. Then, orbiting the Earth, which led to living on a space station for up to a year and a half. Consequently, this set our sights on the Moon. We went to it, orbited it and our quest was to walk on it. However, it wasn’t until 1969, from the rocket Apollo 11, that Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. So, what is next? I believe the next step is going to, and colonizing, Mars.

However unrealistic this may sound, many plans are already underway. For example, NASA and SpaceX are aiming to get a man to Mars in the 2030s and take the first step towards colonization.

Mars experienced serious climate change and scientists want to work out why and whether there is water on the planet. Finally, Mars can help us understand Earth better, as understanding the Martian geophysical processes promises to uncover details of the evolution and history of Earth and other planets in our solar system.

Many plans have already been tested on Earth to determine whether an astronaut could survive on Mars. This includes simulating the climate of Mars and what recourses you would have. It would involve putting astronauts in a simulation building with a few resources and seeing how they cope without help. This allows us to get an idea of how people would react physically and mentally on the planet.

No foot has yet stepped on the Martian surface So, what is the plan? So far they have come up and it is almost an impossible task because, not with sending machines to Mars that will build only is there no oxygen, but the climate and a safe dome for the astronauts to live in and atmosphere are extreme. For example, Mars assemble all the equipment they need before has an average temperature of the people get there. Then supplies negative 26 degrees Celsius. It has will be packed into a rocket and the frequent dust storms with winds up colonization is even astronauts will be sent to Mars. For to 66 miles per hour and, finally, it more unlikely as we this to work, the machines would may not ever have has many active volcanoes such as have to be precise at assembling the the technology to Olympus Mons (the largest volcano necessary equipment and everything get a man there in the solar system). The dust on would have to be exactly correct. If Mars is also highly toxic to the it did work, then the first mission human body and it deteriorates machines. This would be to see if Mars is a suitable living space all adds up to a near-impossible mission but, and to collect data on Mars. Then the next step despite all this, people are still determined to get would be to plan colonization. For people to live to the red planet. on Mars they would need a water supply, oxygen supply and food supply, all of which don’t come So why go to Mars? The first answer is to search naturally on Mars but can be created. for traces of life, as the question of whether there is life on another planet is a fundamental question A mission to Mars is an extraordinary project for mankind and Mars is a good starting point and colonization is even more unlikely as we may because it is the most similar planet to Earth. not ever have the technology to get a man there.

Another reason is that we could colonize it. We So I wouldn’t be surprised if it never happened. could have millions of people living on another However, scientists have considered the idea and planet and, once technology catches up with rendered it possible. And people have started our ambitions, it could become much like life on to build upon the concept. So, it will at least be Earth. We also believe that going there could help tried. However, if we do make it to the red planet us to understand the history of Mars as, while (whether it is in 10 years or 1 million) it will be a Earth suffered small climate change, it is believed remarkable feat.

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g n i d Fin

Nessie

The Loch Ne ss Monster

by Isabel Wyndham of le MARLBOROU GH HOUSE

108 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

This creature has been estimated to be 40-70 feet (12m-21m) long with a long sinuous neck, lar ge flippers and a spinal frill

H

ave you ever been to Scotland?

Maybe to see family friends? Go to Edinburgh Zoo? There are many reasons to go to Scotland, but one of the most known is to try and see the Loch Ness Monster. Loch Ness is the largest lake in the Isle of Britain, and is home to thousands, even millions of creatures. But there is one creature that is so elusive, so god-like, and so prehistoric, that people have been trying to prove its existence for decades. Yes, Scotland’s mascot: Nessie.

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The grandfather looks down into the water and sees a massive creature; he is so terrified he suffers a heart attack.

Soon the large creature dips down deep This creature has been estimated to into the dark water, leaving no traces. be 40-70 feet (12m-21m) long with a With a broken propeller, the family is long sinuous neck, large flippers and left hopeless. Eventually, other boaters a spinal frill. The Loch Ness monster respond to their distress flares and will obviously be found in Loch Ness, come to the rescue. Their boat is towed but this type of creature can travel back and the grandfather is rushed to from one body of water to another. hospital but is sadly pronounced dead.

Unfortunately, Nessie is vulnerable on Rumours circulate that it was Nessie, and this time they have land. This is because of proof.

There are many its flippers. Imagine not reasons to go to having any fingers or toes, Scotland, but one thin but very wide hands of the most known On the engine were long black strips of flesh an and feet with only one is to try and see inch thick. Unfortunately, the Loch Ness bone in each; you would Monster when the boat owner struggle going anywhere. returned, the workers If Nessie decides to move to a different lake, it would only be had stripped the engine and thrown under the cover of night. The colour the flesh back into the Loch. The owner of this magnificent beast is rumoured was furious. The only evidence was lost to range from a very dark green to a forever. brownish hue.

Back in 2014, a ferry captain tracked Let me take you all the way back to what appeared to be a large creature, 1978. A small family is boating on Loch several dozen feet below the waves as Ness. Suddenly the boat slams into a the ship made its daily trip across the large creature, causing the propeller to Loch. The creature was tracked until be damaged and the engine to stop. unable to be seen on radar.  Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021 109

The body

Now you may be saying, ‘Aren’t there different things that Nessie could be?’

Well, yes! Many think that the Loch Ness Monster could be a long-extinct Plesiosaur, a huge aquatic dinosaur that could reach up to 35 feet in length.

Others think it is a mystical creature from another dimension. Some even believe it to be a descendant of the great dinosaurs from millions of years ago.

hree are t Here es taken r pictu sibly the s o p ras by came worst e world in th

The tail

110 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

In 2019, 24-year-old captain Mike Bell was finishing telling the history of the Loch Ness Monster to his group of tourists, when one of them eagerly pointed to Adrian Shine, a scientist Many think that the sonar which showed who has been trying to the Loch Ness a blip of a fish swimming give rational evidence for Monster could be a long-extinct 15 metres below the these sightings, has been surface. However, 20 Plesiosaur, a huge asking questions that aquatic dinosaur metres below that could give us an idea of appeared a solid mass what Nessie is: ‘Was there around 3 to 8 metres long. Rather than enough food in the Loch in terms of fish acknowledge this, they continued with to support large animals? What were the tour. the temperatures telling us? What was the environment telling us?’ Shine did And now for the star encounter! My not go looking for a 30-foot prehistoric dad’s friend’s father goes sailing and survivor; he looked for creatures just fishing in Loch Ness regularly, but one one hundredth of an inch in diameter: day something very large came up on plankton. Plankton are at the bottom of his sonar. Apparently, it swam right the food chain and support all life in the under his boat and the shape looked Loch. The small fish eat the plankton, exactly like images of Nessie. This could be a lie, but it sounds real and there are many other sightings that make me believe that the Loch Ness Monster is real.

a rock. , turns out it was And the head. Yeah ird rhino to me.

Looks a bit like a we

Now you may be saying, ‘Aren’t there different things that Nessie could be?’

the bigger fish eat the small fish, and so on until we get to a creature that is as big as Nessie, which must need a lot of plankton! When the results came in, there was not enough plankton in the Loch to support that many fish, suggesting that this mystical beast could not survive.

Shine also had a special camera put into the Loch to see if there were any caves that the monster could have been hiding in, but found nothing. He suggested that the radar images could simply be seals.

In the end, Shine didn’t find anything to support the existence of the Loch Ness Monster.

that one creature so e, iv us el is so so god-like, and at th c, ri to is preh been people have e trying to prov r fo e its existenc decades

Still wondering what should you believe?

I think that you should have hope and believe in this prehistoric monster, until there is proof that it could not have possibly existed in any way, shape or form. You might be wondering what my fascination is with the Loch Ness Monster. Who doesn’t love mystical creatures and dragons and all that stuff?

I’ve loved dragons since I was little and Nessie could be the only dragon I ever see in this world and I believe that one day I will.  Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021 111

? o l l He

Hello?

rixie Way T y b g in n e Lear of Onlin s il r e P The LL WOOD HA of BROOM

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nline school is a dangerous road. Lots – and when I say lots, I mean LOTS – can go wrong. Don't believe me? Well, let me see… Your family making the most noise possible – ever happened? Or teachers thinking that since you have nothing else to do stuck at home, there is more time for work. Or (how could I forget) the dreaded ‘mute’ button. Some may say that online school is working better than they expected it to... Hang on, I’ve got to get onto a maths call. Wait there! Oh, don't worry. I have been welcomed into the waiting room.

Well, hello again! I have just been kicked off the meeting, and I’ve been connecting for ten whole minutes. Hello? Has Zoom given up on me? It's like my WiFi is playing hide and seek with me. Sometimes it's there; sometimes I feel like it disappears ON PURPOSE. The ironic thing is that when occasionally I am sitting in a lesson, yawning, my WiFi sticks by me. However, when we are doing something exciting, that is when it leaves my side. Once I finally put in the overcomplicated password I sit in the waiting room for what feels like years.

My family never even ask when I am on a call; they just walk into the room. The least they could do is not stare right at the screen. It's like my mother is giving the fifteen people in my English lesson a death stare. I sit there uselessly because honestly there is nothing I can do about it except to make these stupid gestures under the camera which, I have got to say, do absolutely nothing. Then they give me a big thumbs up and all I can do is put my head in my hands and sigh.

Honestly!

On Monday, I was in a lesson and we were all muted. Then I asked a question and the teacher started to answer my question. I couldn't hear her! At first I thought it was my WiFi so I was checking everything like crazy but – oh no – she is on mute. She carries on speaking but I can’t stop her because I feel like I am interrupting her even though I can't

112 Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021

It’s is g like m peo iving t y mot les ple in he fif her te son m a d y Engl en eat h st ish are

hear her. This is ridiculous! Finally someone else tells her. She then apologises. Now I don't even know what the answer to my question was.

Last Tuesday, I was in a lesson and the teacher was asking us what we do in our spare time. We said that there wasn't much to do. The teacher then asked us if we would like some extra papers for practice. We all sat there, smiling nervously.

Some people said that they thought it would be useful but other people bowed their heads. I mean, to be honest, I have probably already experienced all Netflix has to offer and it would be good for me. On the other hand, in my spare time I want to have fun, not choose to do more work.

We are going back very soon and I am really excited but the closer the time gets the more nervous I get. At home I get to play with my dog after every lesson and there is no mad rush in the morning. Maybe home school wasn't too bad…

Hang on; I am being let back in. Even with all of the struggles, people tried the best they could to make sure school ran smoothly. I guess I will look back on the time I had and appreciate it. 

a r t x E

l a i c e Sp

llulah Godwin Plus-Size Models by Ta of CUMNOR HOUSE Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021 113

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The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty found that only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful

P

lus-sized modelling started in the 1970s. Ever since then, it has been very popular, although not everyone agrees with this different way of modelling. Are they encouraging obesity?

Those who were shown the average and plus-sized models made fewer negative comparisons and felt happier in their bodies

This way of modelling has really helped people feel comfortable in their own skin. A study by Florida State University found that plus-sized models are actually improving women’s mental health. 49 women were used for this, all of whom wanted to be thinner.

They were all shown various pictures of women: thin, average and plus-sized.

Those who were shown the average and plus-sized models made fewer negative comparisons and felt happier in their bodies.

Modelling is used so that people can see what clothes might look like on them, right? The average woman in the UK is 70.2kg but the average model is only 51.26kg! This is a huge difference, which makes it impossible to tell what a piece of clothing will look like on you

suppor t y must tr s u d in ple ion The fash styles and real peo fe li y h healt

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if you are bigger than models, which most people are. Skinnier models are not always realistic so having plus-sized models encourages inclusiveness and shows all bodies are welcome. 31% of men and 35% of women are actually unhappy with their bodies. Plus-sized modelling has reminded people that everyone is equal, and should be treated the same.

The Dove Effect is a marketing campaign by the Dove Company called the Campaign for Real Beauty. It found that only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. The campaign showed images of older women with wrinkles and women who were overweight demonstrating that beauty should not be restricted to thin and young models.

There are, however, barely any male plus-sized models. Whilst there are seven UK agencies for female plus-sized

nd healthy, a t actually healthier o n is y n er-skin els are Being sup es plus-sized mod s a c a lot of

in

modelling, you have to go to Germany to find a male plus-sized modelling agency.

Does this gives society the impression that women are allowed to be larger, but men are not? Surely, this will make men and younger boys more body-conscious.

“

Whilst there are seven UK agencies for female plussized modelling, you have to go to Germany to find a male plus-sized modelling agency

Plus-sized and larger sizes of clothing, however, are more expensive to make because they need more fabric, but consumers are not willing to pay. Whilst this may be okay for big companies, smaller companies are struggling to pay for bigger sizes. Should this be taken into consideration?

In addition, two researchers found that the exposure to plus-sized modelling leads to people thinking being overweight or obese is socially acceptable, which could lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity has become a huge problem in the UK and other countries around the world, including the US and Saudi Arabia. In 2018, 63% of adults in England were either overweight or obese. So, why is obesity a problem? Well, it is associated with bad mental health and a poorer quality of life, as well as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer.

But being super-skinny is not actually healthy, and in a lot of cases plus-sized models are healthier. Researchers sent out an anonymous survey to models above the age of 18. 81% of them had BMIs that were classified as underweight. What type of example is this showing to young girls, that it is okay to starve yourself in order to fit what marketing departments deem beautiful? The researchers also found that 71% dieted, 56% skipped meals, 52% did fasts or detoxes and 23% used weight loss supplements. Also, many were told to lose weight or change their shape and they would not be able to book a job without doing so. Being underweight is not really talked about, and only being overweight is considered unhealthy. However, being underweight can actually lead to a weaker immune system, fragile bones and feeling tired.

So, we should have plus-sized models because it helps people feel included and it will help to change society’s view of beauty from only being thin to accepting everyone. I do not think we should only have plus-sized models and smaller models, but also mid-size models. The fashion industry must support healthy lifestyles and real people. I strongly believe that the fashion industry should support the movement towards health and healthy eating, and models of all sizes should be used to advertise clothes.

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p r a h S Scratch Samuel Hum e of FULHAM PREP ASKS I SHOULD FIN F WE D THE VACCI NE VEXING

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le if enough peop e, in cc va e th ke ta be ld ou there sh and herd immunity ion at in im ideally el of the disease

C Some people speculate that the developers and manufacturers of vaccines are motivated by profit

OVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. The unexpected spectre of a flulike virus causing a global pandemic has shocked nations worldwide. We have all been told time and time again that a vaccine is our golden ticket out of this torturous lockdown. Yet some people remain fervently against the idea of taking a vaccine.

Unsurprisingly, since it was a new concept at the time, it met with a lot of criticism from people who objected to the idea of having infectious cowpox material inserted into them. Some argued it was unsanitary and there were concerns it would cause sickness.

The arguments for vaccination are Whilst it is true that some people have on the whole pretty straightforward. mild reactions to certain vaccines (such Vaccines are developed as the flu vaccine), these by scientists to protect reactions are harmless vaccines undergo individuals from the and only last a day or so. a lot of testing disease in question. It is In fact, vaccines undergo before they are hoped that they will also a lot of testing before released to the prevent the spread of they are released to the public the disease from person public and that testing is to person. Ultimately, if carried out to ensure the enough people take the vaccine, there vaccines are safe. should be herd immunity and ideally elimination of the disease entirely.

The idea that vaccines can cause autism has been around for quite some time as So, what do the so-called ‘anti-vaxxers’ well, and has been of particular concern say? Arguments against vaccination to some parents when giving their are wide-ranging and include religious children the MMR vaccine (a vaccine to reasons, fears that a vaccination prevent measles, mumps and rubella). could cause sickness, concerns about However, multiple studies over time autism and mistrust of science. All are have indicated that the MMR vaccine medically unfounded. does not cause autism. Another reason for refusing vaccines comes from a fear The idea that vaccines can make you sick of the unknown and a mistrust of the is not new. It has been around as long as chemicals that go into a vaccine. vaccines. The first vaccine to be widely distributed was the smallpox vaccine Some people speculate that the back in the 1800s. It was developed by developers and manufacturers of Edward Jenner and involved injecting vaccines are motivated by profit and fluid from a cowpox blister into a self-interest and produce vaccines to person to create immunity to smallpox. make money regardless of any harmful Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021 117

consequences. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, there are fears that this has been rushed through without proper safeguards as the vaccine has been developed in record time.

(It usually takes around 10 years to develop and roll out a vaccine, but this one has taken just under 12 months). In answer to this concern, scientists point out that, first, this vaccine has not in fact been made from scratch. The COVID-19 virus is one of many coronaviruses.

Coronaviruses have been around for a long time and scientists have been researching this family of virus for over fifty years already.

Another reason why we have been able to create a vaccine for COVID-19 so speedily is because governments are willing to put a lot more money into developing vaccines for this particular disease given the catastrophic way it is affecting the health and economy

of the world. For the same reasons, scientists and developers of the vaccine have been far more willing than usual to co-operate with each other and share information and research for the greater good of defeating COVID-19.

So: ‘Yes! Take the vaccine!’ Vaccines have been around for hundreds of years in some shape or form. They have led to the extinction of smallpox and are the reason why we now have polio, typhoid and cholera under control.

They are the promising light at the end of our lockdown tunnel and the world’s only real hope of escape from this pandemic. As a wise person once said, ‘Why are you worried about the vaccine because you don’t know what’s in it when you’ve been happily eating hot dogs and chicken nuggets all your life?’ 

Gun

Fights

GUN CULTURE BY

Gabriel Horsbrugh of CUMNOR HOUSE

‘Why are you worried abo u don’t know what’s in it t the vaccine because yo u when you’ve eating hot do gs and chicke b n nuggets al een happily l your life?’

R

ight now there are just three countries where you have a constitutional right to own a gun: the US, Guatemala and Mexico.

But I believe that no civilian should be allowed to own a firearm, as it will cause many problems leading to injury or death. But there are some arguments against getting rid of guns.

In Serbia, Yemen, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia many civilians own firearms but gun restrictions make it much harder to obtain firearms. In the US less strict gun laws are linked to one of the greatest gun-violence death rates, which beats nearly all the subSaharan countries, including some of the poorest countries in the world.

The gun lobby quotes self-defence in its favour. There are always going to be people with guns, the argument

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goes, and citizens will naturally feel safer if they are not weaker than possible attackers. However, cases where civilians have used guns to stop mass shooters are very rare, so having guns seems a bit pointless. Another argument against the banning of guns is that guns are just a tool and they don’t work on their own; it is people who actually kill.

So it seems pointless to ban guns when they can also be used for other things, such as hunting and collecting. Instead we could look at things such as the mental health system, to address the root of the problem. However, even though all this is true, I still think that giving people, or at least allowing them to have a weapon that could easily be used for killing and destruction, should not be allowed. 

y r a Sc Thought

rgh VAMPIRES BY Paloma Ba ol, of St John’s College Scho Cambridge

W

e have all been petrified by the various myths, legends, and stories of those blood-sucking monsters. Gripping tales range from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the famous Dracula. However, we are still left with questions: Where did the idea of vampires originate?

Could they be real? If so, how?

The first of many myths probably originated back in the Medieval period, when The Plague – or ‘Black Death’ – was around. A symptom of The Plague included bleeding from the mouth. This brought about suspicions of ‘vampires’.

There was also another disease that brought about theories in the Middle Ages: porphyria. If one has this disease, one cannot go outside in comfort, because your skin will blister in the sunlight. However, the popularity of this suspicion was probably not yet global. In the 17th and 18th Centuries, the myths of vampires were properly originating in folklore. Later on these myths found their way to England and Germany where, no doubt, in the 18th Century the idea of Dracula came about.

But these are all just stories, and strange suspicions, right?

Well, they might not be. There are various communities around the world that claim to be vampires. It is possible to find such groups on social media. However, do not fear!

They keep to themselves, and they are definitely not like Count Dracula. When they do have their feeding rituals, they have them in private, and drink blood from willing donors (yes, people actually do this!). Yet, still, it seems a little hard to believe. Could this be a rouse? Could it all be lies, or a joke?

There is also the science to consider. If you consult cryptozoology – the study of officially unidentified animals – there is always the chupacabra to think about. Chupacabras (literally translated ‘goat-sucker’) are, supposedly, strange, wolf-like creatures with fangs. In Puerto Rico, there were reports of farmers finding livestock either dead, or nearly dead, with their blood drained. Apparently there were also two holes in the animals’ necks. Few people claim to have actually seen the creatures themselves, however, only their victims. Once again, though, don’t worry! Chupacabras only attack farm animals. They even seem to be a bit shy when it comes to humans.

be like if vampires did exist? Would we know about them? Is there a parallel universe where they do exist? Take a look at literature. Of course there is Count Dracula, but there is also modern literature, for example Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clair, where there is a whole separate world called The Shadow World that lives amongst us, and includes demons, vampires, werewolves, warlocks and, most importantly, shadowhunters. It is the shadowhunters’ job to protect us ‘mundanes’ from demons. The shadowhunters have a government, called The Clave. The Clave is pretty much in charge of everyone in The Shadow World, and has laid down laws to protect mundanes from vampires, too. These laws mean that the vampires cannot hurt mundanes. In The Shadow World most vampires are actually very nice people who want to be like us. A bit like Harry Potter, the mundanes (or ‘muggles’) have no idea about The Shadow World. So, we never know. Is there a Shadow World? Would we know about it?

There is also Dracula to consider, where we are free to know about vampires, but there are very few of them. The vampires supposedly lurk in the darkest corners of the world, and keep to themselves, only attacking if you walk into their grasp. In this fantasy, vampires are cruel, frightening, and hidden from everyone.

So, if vampires were or are real, there are two main scenarios.

One is like Shadowhunters, where everything is under control. The other is like the world of Dracula, where there are no rules, yet vampires are very few, and keep to themselves.

However, these are still just stories. Is there any reliable proof of vampires apart from eye witnesses? Surely it is all just suspicions and tales from folklore and literature? How could we ever know if vampires exist or not? We can only guess, make up theories and speculate.

Moving on from cryptozoology, though, there is still evolution.

Could vampires evolve from chupacabras, spiders, or even bats?

What would it

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Sc llege o C ’s John

T

he fashion industry has one of the largest environmental footprints.

Modern consumer society is constantly buying and replacing items with new 'trendy' ones. As it turns out, the constant production of new clothes and other items affects the earth directly, harming it in a multitude of ways.

The Aral Sea, 1950. A large sea stretches out for miles, supporting a massive population of fish and a large number of fishing communities. But suddenly the Soviets charge in and use all the rivers that supply the lake with water for irrigation. Cotton, the plant they were irrigating, is very waterdependent. On average, a shirt can cost up to 2700 litres of water. The irrigation gradually caused a decline in the water that made its way into the lake, and in 2014 NASA announced that the eastern basin had completely dried up. Not only was the dry-up of the lake horrible because it cut off the food and economic sources for a large population, but also because of the direct effect it had on the people who lived around the lake. The seabed, when exposed to the air, released lots of carcinogenic dust that caused a massive increase in throat cancer. This is just one of the many atrocities the fashion industry is involved in. A large amount of cotton is produced around the Aral, but make sure that when you buy clothes the source is a clean one, unlike Uzbek or Kazakh cotton.

Movies such as Zoolander (2001, US) make jokes out of the subject, but child labour in the fashion industry is very prevalent and is a major issue. Children around the world are forced to work many hours a day from a young age, and often lose their lives to brutal factory accidents.

The Aral Sea cotton plantations are just one The seab ex horrific example of child labour in the fashion e rele posed t d, when o th a sed industry. Families who had previously relied e air car dus , thou t that cinogen on fishing to supply themselves with food h who sands o armed ic live and money were forced to go to them just to d ar f peopl e o lake und th survive, facing horrible working conditions e and brutal injuries. Child labour in Uzbek cotton fields wasn't banned until 2012, when eleven people died in the harvest, including a six-year-old child who was suffocated by kilos of cotton after falling asleep in a truck. And the ban wouldn't even have happened if campaigners hadn't pushed the irrigation gradually caused a decline in government. the water that made its way into the lake, and in 2014 NASA announced that the eastern basin had completely dried up

It is very important that you check the source of the clothing you plan on buying, since the cotton and fabric from Uzbek fields and Bangladeshi factories can find their way to suppliers and companies even in the UK. The less you support those factories and harsh fields, the less the children will have to suffer and the less the Earth has to suffer.

Since lockdown in the UK, COVID has had a massive effect on how much people buy.

Without the need to constantly appear with 'trendy' clothes, people have bought far less clothing and have used far more second-hand clothes. People feel safe from judgement in their homes, and generally wear more comfortable clothes over the ones that they usually wear. This has had a massively positive impact on the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry, and I, like many, hope that this break from fast fashion continues, and I hope that people will be more aware about their decisions and actions about clothes. 

Child labour in Uz until 2012, whe bek cotton fields wasn't ba nn n eleven people including a sixdied in the harv ed year-old child est,

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Yes &

No The child learns that if they scream every time they are given vegetables the parents will give in and take them away

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Conditioning by the wonders of operant EP Howie Blench of NEWTON PR

W

e were all children once, and we’ve all been told by our parents how to behave, and how not to. We’ve all been told off for doing the wrong thing, and we’ve all been either praised or rewarded for doing the right. Reinforcement is a method that can be used to teach specific behaviours, and there are two different ways of reinforcing behaviour. One is positive and the other negative. Each has its pros and cons, and everyone responds differently to both. But is one more effective than the other?

that if the subject continues demonstrating this behaviour but stops receiving rewards they may start to demand a reward and stop behaving in the right way altogether.

For example, a child asks their parents for a toy, the parents ask the child to use ‘please’ after asking, the child uses ‘please’ and the parents reward them with a toy. The child learns that if they use ‘please’ after asking for something they are more likely to get it so start using ‘please’ more frequently.

Negative reinforcement means if the subject behaves If used correctly, reinforcing behaviour can work well. wrongly they suffer some form of unpleasant punishment. However, negative behavioural conditioning is used to It may sound harsh put down on paper like increase a behaviour, so it can work more that, but in reality most of the time it isn’t. It than one way. Let’s say a child is served The relationship can be something as small as a stern word some vegetables with a meal. They know between behaviour or telling-off. The relationship between that they don't like vegetables so they and consequences has a specific behaviour and consequences has a specific scream. When the child screams, their name: ‘operant name: ‘operant conditioning’. For negative parents take the vegetables away. The conditioning’ reinforcement to be effective, it has been child learns that if they scream every time shown that whatever consequence is they are given vegetables the parents will applied must be immediate. For example, if something is give in and take them away. In the future, the child has to be taken away, this should be done straight after the tantrums so frequently that the parents stop giving the poor behaviour in question. Eventually, if the process child vegetables. So beware, parents. Although you may is repeated over and over, the behaviour becomes try to make your children do things they don't want to automatic. Once this has happened, the threat of do, just be conscious of how they might change your consequences no longer needs to be applied because the behaviour too. subject will automatically behave in this way.

Both forms of reinforcement are ways of training someone For example, a parent complains to their child when the to show a certain type of behaviour. But studies have child doesn’t tidy their room. The child starts to tidy their shown that neither one nor the other is more effective. In room to stop the complaining. Now the child learns that fact, they work best when used in conjunction with each if they tidy their room the complaining stops and so they other. Many children have even been shown to respond start to do it more regularly. better and faster when both methods are used, instead of just one.

Positive reinforcement is pretty much the opposite of negative reinforcement (clue’s in the name). The method As you can see, I find the human mind intriguing. There’s involves giving a reward to a person for behaving well. so much that we are yet to discover about the brain and The reward can range from money or physical gifts to its behavioural patterns. We know less about what’s praise. The idea is that if the subject receives a reward going on inside our own heads than we do about the dark for good behaviour they will repeat this again and again, side of the moon, which happens to be 384,400 km away. expecting rewards. One of the issues with this approach is Now, that’s something to think about.

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l Hussey of NEWTON be na An by ts or Sp ed Underrat PREP

W

hat’s your favourite sport? Well, I assume there will be numerous answers to this question, but some answers will probably be more common than others. For example, football has about four billion fans across the globe, which makes it one of the most popular sports in the world, along with cricket. In the UK, over 24 million people participate in regular football games per year (statista.com) but fewer than nine million per year play regular tennis.

But there is a number of unique sports that can take anyone by surprise because not many people take them into account. Even some major sports are really popular in one country but hardly feature in others (ice hockey and basketball, for instance). In the UK hockey, rugby, golf, squash, skiing, badminton, tennis and swimming are poorer cousins to football and, in my view, don't get enough recognition. Their athletes work just as hard (or harder) than footballers and are paid a lot less. Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are household names, but not Adam Peaty, the GB swimmer who won gold in the Olympics. People like Peaty are very successful but many people don’t know them. We need to promote these sports more, through the athletes’ successes.

Of course, people have different opinions and interests about their choice of sports, but some people don’t like to try new experiences and like to stick in their comfort zone. We can all agree that having the same opinion and playing the same sports can get very, very boring.

So we all need to try something new. This rule doesn’t just apply to sports activities but to everything in life.

Experimenting can widen your knowledge and prepare you for future situations. If you don't like it, at least you have tried it and you now know that a specific activity isn't for you. On the other hand, if you do like it, spread the word to some friends and family members and you can share that enjoyment with others. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

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Socialising is a big part of everyone’s life and what better way to do it than through active participation? At the same time, you will meet people that inspire, motivate and support you to really push towards whatever goals you have, inside or outside the sporting world.

Successful sportsmen and women always have a special relationship with the people they work with and make best friends for life and loyal colleagues they can turn to during a tricky situation. Even if you're not looking to become a famous sports supremo, by participating in active pastimes you will meet interesting people who can make a difference in your life.

Finally, picking up your untouched hockey stick or tennis racket can boost your mood and make you more positive. Mental health problems have risen 50% during the pandemic we have been struck with. This past year has really taken a toll on my mental health (and yours, I’m sure), so making sure that we are happy is the most important thing. Doing these new (or different) sports can take your mind off the stress you are going through. During the learning stages, you will have to focus on your technique and tactics, so you focus on that instead of being stressed about homework, exams, and so on. During these tough times, it’s great to get creative and escape from the world of worry as if you are just popping off to your own landscape where nothing is restricted.

If we were to promote these underrated sports, there would be more of a mixture in sports and athletics.

Also, there would be more range in the sporting news and there would be more excitement over a hockey or golf tournament than just a football competition and the 900,000 people who play golf would increase.

In conclusion, don’t hold yourself back because, as Picabo Street (an American World Cup ski racer) said: ‘To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.’ 

Be a

Sp o r t

“

If we were to promote these underrated sports, there would be more of a mixture in sports and athletics

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The

Keyto

y g o l o Myth

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THE IMPORTANC E OF MYTHOLO GY BY Luke E Solefield . of

I

n my experience, mythology plays a big part in the lives of humans, whether it’s for good or bad. In the time of the Romans, most of their battles were influenced, in some way or another, by mythology (which to the Romans was more like a religion). Also, prior to their battles, they would pray to a plethora of gods, which they thought would give them good luck on the battlefield. The Romans had twelve major gods; all of these gods were alterations of the Greek gods (apart from Apollo, who retained his name and positions). My point here is that history would be dramatically different if any one type of mythology did not exist. Subsequently, people wouldn’t have all of the mythological tales that entertain many every day.

If you are wondering why I am mentioning Roman aspects and Greek ones, then we have to look back to when the Romans invaded Greece. They took the Greek gods and essentially Romanised them (but as I said before Apollo retained his names and positions). However, this didn’t only happen to the Greeks. When the Greeks invaded Egypt, they effectively stole the Egyptian god Harpa-Khruti (also known as Horus the Child), turning him into Harpocrates, the god of silence and secrets.

Mythology is really fun to learn, but is it appropriate for it to have a space on the school curriculum? In my opinion and experience, it is (provided the stories are modified).

When you’re learning about a myth, you find all kinds of things such as the etymology of some words or brands like Nike, for example: yes, the shoe company is named after the Greek goddess of victory. As well as this, cereal is named after Ceres, the Roman counterpart of Demeter (the goddess of plants, crops and grain). Also, the Roman aspect of Nike is Victoria, giving us the name Victoria and the word ‘victory’. Mythology also plays a big part in today's scientific research, especially as the planets are named after a Roman god (apart from Earth and the Sun, which isn’t a planet). Furthermore, mythology is a great way to learn about the cultures of other countries, and then you can fully appreciate the buildings or shrines that have been constructed to honour their culture.

myt h wa olog the y to l y is a cou cultu earn great can ntries res o about buil fully , and f othe hav dings appre then y r ou eb or cia hon een co shrin te the e our n s the struct that ir c ult ed to ure

You’ve heard me talk about the etymology of words, and how great mythology is to learn, but what role did it really play in the world’s history? Well, as I said before, most of the battles the Romans engaged in were driven by their beliefs, and even some battles were caused by them. Take the Greek battle of Troy. Now, it has been proven that a city called Troy did exist.

However, this battle, in mythological terms, started because of Eris, the goddess of strife. According to the mythological stories, she threw a golden apple into the middle of three goddesses and it read ‘for the fairest’. In short, a mortal man named Paris was given the honour of deciding who was the fairest. He chose Aphrodite, who then allowed him to marry the prettiest woman in Greece, Helen of Troy. Paris kidnapped her from her home, as she was already married, and brought her to his palace. Soon, a battle raged outside the walls between the Greeks (Paris’ side) and the Trojans (Helen’s homeland). Using the wit of Odysseus, and the strength of Achilles (who died during this war), the Greeks won. As I have said, a city called Troy did exist and so this battle probably did take place, just without the gods and goddesses.

You might wonder what impact mythology has on us. Well, by reading this you should have already experienced one.

It makes us feel excited and attached to the history of our planet. You reading this article means that you either liked mythology before and were interested in what I was going to say, or you hopefully like mythology a little better now.

Sometimes the most interesting stories are ones directly tied to our history. Mythology teaches us about our history and the cultures of those around us, and often opens up a whimsical new world to explore.

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e m Fa Fatale

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THE FAME GAM E BY Olivia C ampbell-John BROOMWOOD HA ston of LL

Y

ou probably don’t want to admit it, but deep down somewhere inside you there has always been a craving for fame. Whether it’s the red carpet, flashing lights, thousands of ‘likes’ or just feeling as though you have fulfilled your life, people will always try to seek fame. That’s right, isn’t it?

But why? What is so appealing about this social label that people are given?

Why do we want it so much when we know it can be something that could be so bad for us? Over the years, we have seen lots of terrible effects on so many celebrities, yet we still go chasing after the spotlight. The demand for fame has increased hugely in the twenty-first century and has made people incredibly greedy and placed a social barrier between celebrities and those who have not made fame. We have come to realise that fame has become a toxic industry and has affected many people.

Many people want to become famous for different reasons, one of them being wealth. For some people, their only objective in life is to obtain money and the best way to do this is through fame. In addition to this, some people just want to be the centre of attention and in the limelight because it fuels their ego and boosts their confidence, making them feel better about themselves and, in a way, making them feel more important than everyone else. For some people, even, fame means happiness because it makes people feel valued and wanted, making people crave it more. However, even if we admit it or not, there is one underlying reason why everyone wants it, and that is success. Fame is viewed as the peak of our career since, if you reach celebrity level, many believe they will be deemed successful for the rest of their lives. For many people, fame is their only goal and, once they have reached it, they feel accepted in society.

And that’s it. That’s why people long for it so much. As well as the riches and acknowledgement, people will clamour their way through life and hurdle any obstacle just to feel accepted and fit in. People want what other people have, and that’s fame.

Do you really want to be shoved under the noses and showcased to the rest of the world? Is that really how you want to live your life? Couldn’t you be doing something more rewarding, fulfilling and useful with your time? There is much evidence that living in a world of fame is a toxic place to be in. So why is the desire for fame on television or Hollywood still so much greater than something like the desire to be in an industry like medicine or business? Surely that would be more useful. Fame has made people greedy, self-centred and incredibly vain. It is shocking how much people only care for themselves these

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Kim K ard a She has shian. She has it admitted regrettin all, right? Not q g her cho u ice of life ite. .

Many celebrities have admitted to wishing for a more private life

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who have succeeded in fame and those who haven’t quite reached that level has highlighted just how harsh hierarchy can be, and how mean and selfish it is making days and, if we keep going on as we are people act. For example, last week Emma now, it will only get worse. Fame has only Watson announced on her Instagram page taught people to love themselves and not that she is putting her career on hold for the others and this barrier that it has created moment to start a family. This should be very needs to be broken. exciting news and was for a few moments before the hate comments started rolling in.

Have you ever wanted to be a superhero, People were cyber-bullying her just because like Chris Evans as Captain America? Well, she was taking a much-needed break. think again. He explained in Celebrities like this are placed a recent interview that fame under mountains of pressure surely we should didn’t turn out quite how and it just isn’t fair. have enough he expected: ‘I think when common sense to see that this I first came out here I was Fame has swept like a pursuit of fame is very hungry to get to the catastrophic wave over society, wrong top. Now I’m kind of at this leaving chaos and destruction middle road, and I’m looking in its wake. Pressure has around, like, isn’t life pretty much as great increased so much on everyone and has as I want it right now? If you get too far, caused a great deal of pain to people like the there’s no off switch.’ This proves that fame Artist and DJ Avicii, who died young from isn’t necessarily all that it is thought to the pressure weighing down on him. With be. Maybe you even want to be a reality all the knowledge that we have gained over television star, like Kim Kardashian. She time and how much progress we have made has it all, right? Not quite. She has admitted to get where we are today, surely we should regretting her choice of life path and is have enough common sense to see that this sometimes sick of being under the cameras, pursuit of fame is wrong. even in her own home. Who wouldn’t?

Many celebrities have admitted to wishing for a more private life, for example Johnny Depp, Zac Efron, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson and even Lady Gaga, to name a few. This division between people

A P d a n w e L Dear Percy

Marley & Emmy Rushton e of Marlborough House giv puppy Percy some advice

I hear you have joined the Rushton family.

Welcome! I know for a fact that they’re very happy to have you. I just thought that the following might help with your new arrival.

To start off with, don’t do your business where you’re not supposed to, as it can be really smelly and will probably get them a bit annoyed.

Eventually, when you meet other dogs, be nice and gentle with them and do not growl at them or at their owners. Don’t pull on the lead either as it can be a bit hard when you’re trying to have a calming walk and you’re being pulled to go at a faster pace, so try walk at their ankles.

Don’t chew shoes and don’t go through the bins, because what goes in those bins isn’t good or made for dogs, especially puppies like you! So, it might make you ill and that’s not what we want.

Also remember: no biting! It really hurts and the punishment will probably be to go in your cage for a bit of cool-down time. The worse thing is being put in your cage all by yourself because all you want to be is with your family and not be locked away with people upset with you.

Always come when your name is called on a walk or anything. It’s hard at first because all you want to do is explore and sniff new things!

Remember to give the Rushton family loads of cuddles and kisses as there is nothing better than a cuddle on the sofa in the evening!

Now I’m going to tell you what each member of the Rushton family loves. Mr Rushton likes to sit on the sofa and watch TV in the evenings so that would be the perfect time for a cuddle.

Mrs Rushton loves to have calming, peaceful and long doggy runs so make sure to stay at her pace and not growl or chase after other dogs if you see any. Emmy likes having her room nice and tidy so don’t go doing your business in there, but she is always up for a play and a cuddle. Finally, Lottie. She, the same as Emmy, loves a cuddle but just don’t go biting her fingers or chewing her shoes, even though she normally leaves them all over the place!

Now you’re probably wondering how I know so much about the Rushton family. This is because I was once part of it. I had eight lovely, beautiful and adventurous years with them until I passed away of cancer on 30 November 2020. I really had the best years of my life with this family. We went on many adventures and it just made me the best dog I could possibly be. And I know that they’ll do the same with you. If you follow my steps then you should fit in just fine.

I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have as great a good life as I had.

Loads of love,

x y e l r a M

PS Always remember to smile!

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of Perfection

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Genetic Engin eering By Jo shua E. of Sol efield

P

icture a society where you could fully customize your child: hair colour, skin tone, height, abilities, strength and talents. This is what genetic engineering could give us. It sounds ideal, doesn’t it? However, there would be some problematic implications and some might believe genetic engineering is inhumane. But first, how did genetic engineering start?

The first instance of genetic engineering was in the 1960s, when scientists bombarded plants with radiation, trying to get something useful purely by chance. Although it was partially successful, it was too inefficient to make a use for. In the 1970s it was advanced when scientists began to inject small parts of DNA into bacteria. In 1974 the first genetically modified animal was born – a mouse (and because mice’s DNA is similar to humans, we have been able to successfully test on them). Thanks to this development, mice have helped save millions of lives. Then in 1994 the first genetically modified food was put on sale – the ‘flavour saver’ tomato. This was a tomato in which a gene was placed to increase the amount of time it took for a tomato to rot.

This was so tomatoes would have a longer shelf life. Also, in the 1990s scientists treated maternal infertility by placing another set of genes into an embryo, making them the first children with three genetic parents.

GMOs are ‘Genetically Modified Organisms’, a term which encompasses mainly food and bacteria. Because we are modifying our own food, there are some debates and concerns about GMOs and some people are very strongly opposed to them, but why is this the case? Some concerns about GMOs include the fear that GMO and non-GMO plants or animals might breed, which can produce unhealthy sideeffects. The main concern about GMOs is food. Is it different to other foods or products and does it pose a threat to us as humans? The answer is both yes and no. GMO foods are checked before being put on the shelf for possible dangers or side-effects. This has been reviewed by multiple agencies and, after years of study, the results have shown that GMO are close to harmless. However, if not checked properly, GMOs can be more dangerous than an actual weapon.

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But let's take a look at the positives. In Bangladesh, aubergine is one of the most important foods. Unfortunately, the crop is often entirely destroyed by pests, which means pesticides were in high demand and, being expensive and harmful if consumed, most farmers became sick. In 2013 a new GMO aubergine was introduced which had a fatal poison that destroyed insects' digestive systems but was completely harmless to humans. This lowered the use of pesticides by 80% and, while the farmers’ health improved, so did their income.

Before I get back to genetic engineering, let me say a word about bacteria. Bacteria are often attacked by bacteriophages that insert a virus into the bacteria, which is lethal most of the time. If a bacterium survives, then it saves a piece of the virus’ DNA which is stored in a DNA archive of sorts called CRISPR. When the virus attacks again, the DNA is basically copied and pasted. This arms a protein called cas-9 which then, in turn, finds the virus and disables its harmful tendencies by eliminating that part of the DNA. This is interesting because cas-9 is so precise; it’s like a DNA surgeon specifically for genetic engineering.

The revolution began when scientists found that CRISPR was programmable, basically meaning we could make CRISPR cut out whichever part of DNA we wanted. In 2015 scientists used CRISPR to cut the HIV virus out of living patients, thereby proving that it worked. The year after, scientists eliminated half of the HIV virus out of rats who had caught it. At some point in the future, CRISPR could cure cancer by helping our immune system become better cancer hunters.

Overall, Genetic Engineering will change the face of the earth in the future. For better or for worse? We can only wait and see.

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High HAWKING FOR ALL BY Ulysse s Proud of MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

H

ave you ever wished for a wild and extravagant pet?

Perhaps a predator? If so, you could always become a falconer. How about whistling for a bird of prey instead of a dog, like everyone else?

One more complex aspect of owning a bird is keeping track of its weight. This is crucial. If, for example, a hawk is too heavy it will just sit in a tree and be content and not fly back to you. This is where the expression ‘fed up’ comes from. If it is too light, it will have fatigue and will not fly at its best. So you need to There are many species to choose from. Harris Hawks are work out the optimum flying weight for your individual bird. similar to Labradors: they are easy to train and will An owl or kestrel has a very small weight window; follow you on walks, and if manned well the hawk on a cold night you could even kill this type of Harris hawks will think of you as a hunting partner. These hawks bird by missing just one night’s feed. This is why a are similar to know their patch and never fly off or far away. beginner should choose a Harris Hawk; they have Labradors: they a bigger weight window, are fun to walk with are easy to train and will follow At the other end of the spectrum there are falcons. and are an ideal companion. One other thing you on walks These are more closely related to robins than you must be wary about when getting a hawk is hawks, so there are some major differences: these sex, because females can be up to twice the size hunters will not follow you around like hawks, but of males and far more aggressive. As a beginner, will fly up to a kilometre in the air, scanning the ground for choose a boy: they are a lot more mellow! prey. You exercise falcons by swinging a lure up and down with meat attached to it, and the falcon will dive down and catch Let me finish with the equipment involved in falconry. On the lure, which will teach it to catch moving birds. Falcons are the bird’s legs, you will need two anklets made from leather. fascinating but have many downsides, such as the high price Attached to these are jesses, which are lengths of twine used tag (5k-150k) and the tendency to fly miles away in pursuit for holding the hawk in flying. There are other jesses required of prey and not come back! Also popular are owls, but if you for the aviary. You also need a travel box, a tracker (to avoid forget to feed these birds on a cold night they may even starve losing your bird), hoods if you have a falcon, and a freezer to to death, so they are not a good choice for a beginner. store food: anyone squeamish should note you will need to pack your freezer with a variety of dead animals to provide a Surprisingly, in the UK you do not need a licence to own a bird balanced diet, including quail, rats, mice and chicks, and get of prey, and you can simply buy one from a captive breeder. used to cutting them up. I am a vegetarian, but managed to You cannot take one from the wild. There are many training get over this because I wanted to be a falconer so much. courses; from experience, I would suggest East Sussex Falconry.

They have a wide range of birds and an incredible depth of Why not try a day out at East Sussex Falconry? You never know: knowledge. one day you might become a falconry enthusiast, like me! Training to be a falconer starts with feeding the bird on the glove, then making the bird hop to your glove for food, finally training the bird on a special lead and ultimately training the bird to come back to you whilst flying free. This is a very rewarding process.

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On

e g r a Ch ELECTRIC CARS BY Silas Smith College School, Cambrid ge

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id you know that in nine years' time you won’t be able to buy a brand new petrol or diesel car? That means for you and me (I’m 13), our first cars will most likely be electric. So what should we look out for when switching to electric cars?

There are many different things to take into account – emissions, cost and so on. As you might expect, the emissions of electric cars are much less than petrol and diesel cars. They produce fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their life than a petrol car. This is also taking into account that it takes energy to create the electricity used to fuel the car. They contribute less to climate change and smog because they produce fewer direct emissions. So, judging by statistics, if you want to go green, then going electric is a good option.

However, price is also a factor. Electric cars are (at the moment) much more expensive to buy: Teslas and Polestars can range up to a staggering £70,000. But there are other options from the likes of Volkswagen, Ford, and Kia. These too, however, cost much more than a petrol car from the same company. For example, the petrol version of the Volkswagen UP is around £14,000, but when you switch to the electric version the prices rise to £25,000.

This may seem like a bad idea at first. You are spending around £10,000 more to go electric, but studies have shown that running an electric car is much cheaper than running a petrol or diesel car. This is simply because electricity for your car is much cheaper than petrol or diesel. People have been said to have saved around £10,000 over the life of the car because they ran an electric car rather than a petrol or diesel car.

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of st John’s

however, are Tesla’s supercharger stations, which are much quicker than the rest; they can fill up your battery in under 90 minutes. This may seem like a lot, but compared to others it is actually really quick. The other bonus factors of this is that your Tesla can plan which stations you will need to go to on your journey, however long it may be. The other charging stations, however, can take much longer. Most people won’t charge their battery fully because that can take a very long time, so for the average car 30 minutes of charging will get you a good 100 miles. (Of course, this isn’t the case for all cars). People also charge their car overnight. Although it may be quite expensive to buy a home-charging cable, it is really useful if you are going on a long journey the next day.

Normally one of these will charge your car fully in around eight hours. People have to be careful with these, however, because home-charging cables are highly vulnerable to theft and vandalism. With petrol and diesel cars, of course, filling up takes only a couple of minutes.

So, we have examined all the factors when looking at what type of car you should buy right now, and yes, petrol and diesel cars are much more useful, and they cost less, but they are going to be off the street in the next 40 years, and they will be the past. And even though electric cars take ages to charge, at some point in the future they are going to fix that.

And when they are the only ones left, the prices will seem normal, and they will probably dip. The fact is, electric cars are the future, and at some point soon you will have to change.

Whether it’s now or in nine years, the time will come.

There is still a problem, though: if you have an electric car are you going to be able to charge it wherever you go?

Well, there are now more there are now than 35,000 electric charging more than stations across the UK at over 35,000 electric 13,000 different locations. charging stations A decent number of those, across the UK

“

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Fashion shouldn’t cost th

e earth SAYS Francesca

Freedman of Vinehall Scho ol

D

id you know the equivalent of a rubbish truck of clothes and textile waste end up in landfill every second? And that the water it takes to make just one pair of jeans could supply a person with drinking water for over seven years? Well, it's true.

As well as contributing hugely to pollution and landfill, manufacturing clothes uses a staggering amount of water – 73,250.45 litres of water to make a single T-shirt, enough to supply one person with drinking water for up to three years.

Another problem the making of clothes creates is that a lot of the factories dump their toxic wastewater into flowing rivers, If everyone keeps buying clothes at the rate we are now, there which can harm both aquatic life and people who live by is not much hope for the planet. It may sound dramatic but the river because they contain damaging chemicals such as when the demand increases so does the amount of waste. mercury, arsenic and lead. And this is even before the rivers This waste comes from both made clothes that people have stream into the sea and half way around the world, harming discarded as well as bits of scrap fabric and garments that many more living things. Countries in Asia are some of the didn’t make it into the shops. According to main culprits in doing this, especially China, the charity ‘Wrap’ 350,000 tons of clothing Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand. manufacturing clothes uses a waste end their life in landfill every year, an estimated £140 million worth of clothing. staggering amount Greta Thunberg knows the negative impact of of water - 73,250.45 This is an astonishing number that needs to the fashion industry and isn't afraid to adapt litres of water be brought down. and change her way of living in order to protect to make a single T-shirt the planet. She told The Guardian, ‘The worstEvery time you make a new purchase of case scenario, I guess, is I’ll buy second-hand... I clothing, you will most likely be contributing to the downfall know people who have clothes so I’ll ask if I can borrow them of Earth since over 80% of clothes we buy ends up in landfill. or if they have something they don’t need any more. I don’t Obviously, you cannot entirely stop buying clothes when need to buy clothes I don’t need, so I don’t see it as a sacrifice.’ your old ones may not fit or it may just be time for new ones.

But I urge you, next time you buy new items of clothing, Now that you are aware of the impact fashion has on our please consider what might happen after you have finished planet, I really hope you will join Greta Thunberg and the wearing them. hundreds of others who have chosen the planet over fashion.

The water used to make your trousers could save a young Landfill isn't the only impact fashion has on Earth. child in Africa who isn't fortunate enough to have clean, Surprisingly fashion is also the second largest polluter on running water at their disposal. If we hadn't bought so many the planet after the oil industry and makes up 10% of global items of clothing, we could have saved thousands of aquatic carbon emissions. These emissions come from the factories creatures from losing their lives. But if we reduce the number that make the clothes you are sitting in now. And worse still of purchases we make, we can still save the planet. Help make the World Bank warns that by 2030 the pollution released by things right again. Fashion shouldn’t cost the Earth. the fashion industry will rise by 50% if we continue to make and buy clothes at the rate we are now. This is because the demand for clothing is rising because some people want to keep up with all the latest trends and crazes, meaning they might buy more clothes than are needed, then only wear them a couple of times. I know that you can sometimes get carried away and swept up in the latest trends and products, but you need to know the consequences on the planet – your planet.

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y r t n u o C

Iona Alexander of OLD BUCKENHA M HALL SEES GOOD IN BOTH

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The city offers a far more diverse community than the countr yside, making the social environment more colourful and easier for outsiders

F

or thousands of years we have debated the relative advantages of rural and urban life: the beauty of natural scenery against the fizz and buzz of the city.

Many people move into a city because of the services and opportunities

The countryside is good for your mind and soul. When you live in the country you become more aware of your surroundings and respect nature much down country lanes, or waking up to a more than if you were to live in a city. blanket of snow that covers untouched You start to notice the weather; you fields, or a storm that can freely blaze listen to birdsong and catch the sweet across a building-free horizon, and of scent of freshly cut grass. The sounds course watching the beautiful sunshine and smells of nature are enhanced in through the hillsides or mountains. the countryside and they force you to This certainly builds your respect and both appreciate it and live appreciation for Mother in the moment. The peace Nature’s presence, both Some love the and quiet makes you its power and its peaceful vibrant, bright relax, enjoy each day and influence. lifestyle that the city offers, thrive. You are not set on as well as the an unnatural daily routine Living in the city is close convenience as you are when you live to the polar opposite. in the city, where you are Many people move into woken up by the sound of traffic and a city because of the services and cars honking their horns. You respect opportunities that come with the the majestic power of nature much ‘package’ of owning or renting an more when you live in the country. apartment or house in a bustling place The planet on which we live can throw like London. Some love the vibrant, its weight around with the seasons: bright lifestyle that the city offers, as whether it is seeing flash floods stream well as the convenience. For example, you can step outside your door and only need walk a few metres to reach your local store. There is everything from Chinese cuisine to Mexican food, all on offer from shops, supermarkets and restaurants, just some of the 

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When yo u aware o live in the cou f your s n urroundin tr y you become much mo m gs and r re espect n ore ature

the countryside where people and properties are more widely dispersed.

It is easier to feel excluded or isolated in the countryside.

You can fulfil your professional dreams in a city much more easily than you might in the countryside

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Nowadays I live in the countryside, but I did spend four years in Hong amenities that are provided in a city, Kong, which was an amazing urban along with museums, theatres and environment. I cannot lie: the city cinema. The city offers a far more can offer you some extraordinary diverse community than cultural experiences that the city can the countryside, making you treasure for life. The offer you some the social environment countryside provides a extraordinary more colourful and easier much slower pace and cultural for outsiders to adapt, or rhythm. It has a natural, experiences that be accepted. It is easier you treasure for powerful beauty, whether life to find and make lifelong it is the daffodils swaying friends. Jobs are on offer together in the breeze, or all over a city, all types, whether you the sun setting through the trees, or are interested in banking, or media, the endlessly rolling hills. I can see the or maybe the fashion industry. It’s advantages in both lifestyles.  all on your doorstep. You can fulfil your professional dreams in a city much more easily than you might in

Living

lege Isabelle Egerton of St John’s Col

SHOULD GET School, Cambridge SEES WHY WE OUT AND ABOUT

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his won’t be the first (nor the last!) time you’ll hear someone talk about the benefits of getting out into the countryside. But why is life in the country so good for you?

In the countryside you can feel at peace with yourself and forget about all of your worries

First, researchers at the University of East Anglia suggest that being in the countryside can reduce your blood pressure and lower stress levels: ‘Exposure to greenspace reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, preterm birth, stress, and high blood pressure.’

Constant noise in busy towns and villages can make people stressed, causing their blood pressure and heart rates to increase. This could lead to a heart attack or stroke. Going to the countryside means you can relax and be mindful. In the countryside, people often say that life feels like it is moving more slowly. This can only be a good thing, right? Time can often feel like it is slipping away at an alarming rate. In the countryside you can feel at peace with yourself and forget about all of your worries about life back in urban areas.

The countryside also offers cleaner air. Trees and green spaces are usually scarce in built-up areas, whereas in the country that is almost all there is. This results in better air quality and breathing, benefiting everyone, especially people with asthma, for example. The countryside is also a lot less polluted. This could be because there are fewer people around, meaning fewer people who could drop litter. Others may say there is less pollution and plastic lying about in the countryside because people tend to respect nature more. Having cleaner air gives us less risk of heart disease and asthma, which can only be a good thing. In cities there are a lot more cars and other forms of transport, which all release carbon dioxide, which is harmful to the environment, resulting in global warming. Spending time in the countryside will be a huge help to your health.

The countryside offers a lot more space than compact built-up cities. If you are claustrophobic, bustling cities like London may not be to your taste.

Even if that is not you, the countryside will always offer an escape from busy towns. Maybe if you live in a small block of flats, you could be less fortunate and not have a garden. If you lack a private outdoor space the countryside offers a huge, diverse, area that is often completely empty without another

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human in sight. Children need the space to run around, and all adults need the space to exercise, so going to the countryside is the perfect way to have fun, exercise and feel better. tr yside, in the coun e ar u yo r enjoy Whereve vity you can ti ac an e b s alway

there will

The countryside is often described as a natural mood lifter. This means you can feel uplifted.

The country offers people the chance to feel refreshed from their busy normal lives. Cities are frenetic and hectic, not allowing people to reflect on themselves and have a moment of peace. The countryside is not overstimulated and all the space can allow you to distance yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. In the countryside you won’t be overwhelmed by the noise and technology, which generally lifts your spirits. Most of all, in the countryside it just feels like you can take a break from everything.

Finally, the countryside hosts a huge array of fun and easy access to activities for all ages. Have you ever tried horse riding? Or climbing? Or have you ever thought about how therapeutic fishing can be? Not all the best activities are indoors or in cities. Just interacting with nature is important for you, but you can do this while having fun! The range of different hobbies and activities is huge. And wherever you are in the countryside, there will always be an activity you can enjoy. If you were at the beach you could go crabbing, or if you were inland you could try the classic, den building.

Maybe you are a person who prefers being in a city, or that’s the only place you really know and understand. But remember, the countryside offers something for everyone and you can have fun while the countryside works its magic on you.  Mind’s Eye Prep | 2021 143

Northern lights over Callanish stones, Isle of Lewis

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