Horizons Vol 2 - Lingfield College Academic Scholars Magazine 2022-23

Introduction

As part of our work in stretching and challenging our most able pupils, all Academic Scholars at Lingfield College in Years 7-10 write a research essay on a topic of their choice

In conjunction with the scholars sessions and annual scholars trip, the essay encourages pupils’ intellectual curiosity and provides them with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge and excel in a topic that they are passionate about The essay is investigative in nature and enables pupils to develop an array of skills including research, time management, evaluation and critical thinking

This year, for the first time, we offered an EPQ club to Year 8 and Year 10 scholars The EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) is a qualification rewarded by the examining body AQA which supports students in writing their scholars essay and results in them receiving a Level 1 or Level 2 EPQ qualification for their work

As well as writing about their chosen topic, pupils who enrol in the EPQ club complete the following:

Project proposal

Research into primary and secondary sources

Producing a written report

Creating a bibliography and appendix

Creating and maintaining a production log

Evaluating the project in a written and a verbal presentation

"I am absolutely delighted with the quality of this year ’ s entries Their topics are forward thinking, challenging, and their research is extensively evaluated to draw viable conclusions I hope that you enjoy the new format of our Scholars Essay Booklet, which we felt would be a better showcase of their incredible work "

Well done to each and every one of the Academic Scholars for their outstanding entries. I look forward to celebrating with you all at this year ’ s Scholars Symposium on 14th June, where will announce the prize-winner of each year group

CHRISTINA HUBBARD

HEAD OF SCHOLARS

Contents

INTRODUCTION - MRS CHRISTINA HUBBARD

5

ARE FOSSIL FUELS DESTROYING THE EARTH AND HOW CAN THIS BE PREVENTED?

9 HOW CONVINCING IS THE EVIDENCE THAT EXTRA-TERRESTRIALS HAVE VISITED EARTH?

13 IS THERE A 'SPECIAL' RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE US AND THE UK?

16

SHOULD THE RIGHTS OF THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY INFLUENCE CHANGES TO LEGISLATION, THAT AFFECT SOCIETY AT LARGE?

20 DO VIDEO GAMES PROMOTE VIOLENCE?

24 IS CRYPTO A LEGITIMATE CURRENCY?

28

ARE BATTERY-ELECTRIC CARS REALLY THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOBILES?

32

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WILL IT BECOME THE DOWNFALL OF HUMANITY?

ARE FOSSIL FUELS DESTROYING THE EARTH AND HOW CAN THIS BE PREVENTED?

WRITTEN BY MABEL W

What are fossil fuels?

Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources, also known as finite recourses. There is a limited amount of fossil fuels available, which means that once they are extracted and used up, they would take hundreds of millions of years to be replenished.

Fossil fuels are made of decomposed remains of plants and animals from millions of years ago, which is why they have the word ‘fossil’ in the name. The word ‘fuel’ is used as all of the matter from the deceased plants and animals contains carbon, which gives off energy when it is burned

There are three main fossil fuels – coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gasses. Both oil and gas come from layers of dead marine organisms being buried under many layers of mud and rock, which builds up to be incredibly heavy The geothermal heat from the earth’s mantle warms the matter to 110°C. This, combined with the massive amount of pressure, compresses the matter into oil. Natural gas is then formed form oil at temperatures above 110°C Coal is also made up of plant and animal matter, and is typically found in sedimentary rock deposits.

Extraction of fossil fuels

There are many ways to extract these fossil fuels from the Earth, as each recourse has its own method of being extracted For example, there are two ways to mine coal – surface mining and underground mining Surface mining is where coal is extracted closer to the upper portion of the Earth’s crust – usually found 50-80 metres below the Earth’s surface Surface mining is used when the coal deposits are less than two hundred feet under the ground This method of mining for coal is relatively easy Miners use machines to dig through the topsoil to the coal deposits After the coal has been extracted, the topsoil is put back to continue plant growth. Compared to underground mining, surface mining is the cheapest option of the two ways to acquire coal from the Earth, and accounts for two-thirds of the United States’ coal production

Underground mining, which is also referred to as ‘deep mining’, is a process that is used when the coal is hundreds of feet below the surface It retrieves the coal from places sometimes as far as three hundred metres below the Earth’s surface. Miners are transported to the coal deposits by elevator and train, and then use a machine to extract it

After the coal is extracted using either of these processes – surface mining and underground mining – it can be processed This process removes dirt, rocks, sulphur, ash, and other unwanted materials This process isn’t a necessity, but does improve the heating value of the coal.

There are several different ways to mine oil, such as surface mining, in situ recovery, and offshore oil extraction No matter which process is used, oil can be refined into synthetic crude oil

Surface mining for oil is used for oil sands (bitumen) that are less than two hundred feet from the Earth’s surface The oil sands are extracted by a large mechanical shovel, and then transported to ‘crushers’, where the sand is mixed with hot water Next, the oil sand is pumped through an ‘upgrader’, where unwanted contents such as sand, clay, and water, are separated from the oil.

Situ recovery is a type of mining that is used when the oil sand is much deeper in the Earth Unlike surface mining, the bitumen (oil) is separated from the sound underground, instead of being brought elsewhere The two ways of doing this are cyclic steam simulation (CSS), or steamassisted gravity drainage (SAGD).

The final way of extracting oil is offshore oil extraction, which is time consuming and expensive Before removal can begin, the company will look at geophysical data to show potential oil reservoirs Next, a survey will be done to map different geological structures beneath the seabed, along with an exploratory drill to see if these structures contain oil The development of the mining starts and can take up to 10 years to complete. The company uses a combination of pressure and chemicals to break down the sand oil The process typically adds hydrogen and removes carbon This refined oil is then used to make gas, jet fuel, diesel, and heating oil

There are three ways to extract natural gas from the Earth – vertical drilling, horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing.

Vertical drilling was the original process created to extract natural gas from the Earth This form of drilling is used when the natural gas is directly below the Earth’s surface – a well is drilled straight down into the rock that holds the natural gas

Horizontal drilling is used to extract natural gas that was previously impossible to reach This process begins by drilling vertically into the ground. Then, a flexible drilling pipe is manoeuvred into and steered horizontally to the natural gas reservoir

Hydraulic fracturing is a more complicated and controversial way of extracting gas from the Earth Three materials – water, chemicals, and sand – are blasted into a rock formation under the Earth’s surface The sand props up the rock, allowing gas to escape, which is then collected for processing This process is controversial as it requires enormous amounts of water, therefore negatively impacting aquatic habitats

Uses of fossil fuels

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the UK, in the second half of the 18th century, fossil fuels have been consumed at a rapidly increasing rate

Today, they supply more than 80 percent of all the energy consumed by the mechanically developed countries of the world.

They provide electricity, heat, and transportation, while also feeding the processes that make a vast range of products, from steel to plastics

The usage of coal has doubled after the 20th century Most countries depend on coal as it is generally cheaper than the other two fossil fuels (oil and natural gas)

Coal is used in the production of soaps, fibres, solvents, electrical utilities, and plastics There are various uses of coal in different manufacturing sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, making paper, steel industry and cement manufacture

Crude oil or petroleum is typically used for generating electricity and fuelling transportation such as cars, busses, or jets

Various chemicals, medicines, lubricants, plastics, tars, and wax are produced from the by-products of oil.

Natural gas is mainly composed of methane, and is much cleaner in comparison to the other two fossil fuels

Natural gas is used in air conditioning, cooking appliances such as heat homes, heating water, fuel stoves, etc Similarly to coal, natural gas is also used in the industrial sectors such as glass foundries, aluminium smelters, steel smelters and other manufacturing sectors. Dyes, fertilisers, paints, and plastics are also created by natural gasses

How are fossil fuels harmful and what is the impact?

The primary fossil fuels; coal, oil, and gas account for over 75 percent of global

greenhouse gas emissions, and nearly 90 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, making them the largest contributor to global climate change

Greenhouse gasses envelop the Earth, trapping the suns heat inside, leading to global warming and climate change This is dangerous as it causes warmer temperatures overtime. These changes in weather patters are disruptive to the usual balance of nature – this poses many risks to all life forms on Earth, including humans Every aspect of fossil fuels is harmful to the environment – from extracting them, generating electricity using them, and relying on them for manufacturing purposes

The environmental damage begins with the extraction of fossil fuels For example, hydraulic fracturing is extremely controversial as it requires enormous amounts of water, therefore negatively impacting aquatic habitats This extraction method also produces toxic and radioactive wastewater that could drain into and contaminate other water

Activities such as producing food, cutting down forests, generating power, overconsumption, using transportation, manufacturing goods, and powering buildings are all contributing to greenhouse gas emissions This leads to severe storms, increased drought, poverty and displacement, increased health risks, and ocean levels rising. As the sun ’ s heat gets trapped around the Earth, temperatures rise, causing more moisture evaporates This can lead to heavier rain fall, and therefore a higher risk of floods and extreme weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes With the warmer weather evaporating more moisture, there has been an increasing number of droughts

Sustainable options to fossil fuels

In an attempt to combat the amount of harmful greenhouse gas being created, sustainable and renewable energy sources have been made, such as wind power and geothermal energy

While people such as the ancient Egyptians have been harnessing the wind for a long time today we capture energy with wind

places with strong with such as mountain passes to create electricity for nearby homes, schools, and other buildings

Turbines are built in the ocean to harvest the heavy winds, which are called ‘offshore wind farms’

Wind turbines can be very efficient, providing a relatively cheap, clean form of energy. They are especially useful in places with steady winds, and do not burn or emit fuels into the air, although, wind is not always the most reliable source of energy

It depends on the time of day, weather and location

Beneath the surface of the Earth, the Earth’s core is extremely hot, with temperature reaching over 6,000°C. This heat is constantly moving towards the surface – it stays below the Earth’s crust and makes its way out very slowly Geothermal heat can be harnessed in different ways The first way to access it is with geothermal heat pumps – a pipe of water looped between buildings and through a hole dug deep underground This water is heated by the geothermal energy below the Earth’s surface and brings the warmth aboveground to the buildings. Geothermal energy can be used to heat houses, car parks, and pavements Another way to harvest geothermal energy is with steam In certain parts of the world, there is steam under the Earth’s crust that naturally rises to the surface, which can be piped into a powerplant In other places the ground is dry, so water has to be injected underground When this turns into steam and rises to the surface, it is used to turn a generator and create electricity.

Geothermal energy is clean, meaning it does not require any fuel, or release any harmful pollutants into the air However, it is only available in certain parts of the world, so this energy can’t be fully relied on In places where there is only dry heat under the ground, fresh water is being

taken to make steam, which could have been used for drinking, hygiene, or cooking

Is continuing to use fossil fuels the only way?

For over a century, the human race has relied on fossil fuels to generate the energy needed to power our cars, planes, buses, manufacturing, and business. We have begun to rely too heavily on these materials, which are slowly depleting, and destroying our planet in the process

Fossil fuels are undoubtedly extremely harmful to the environment They release dangerous chemicals into water and air While this harms aquatic life, it also poses risk for humans who unknowingly use that water for drinking, bathing and more. The terrible affect that fossil fuels are having on our planet’s air is colossal, and is not only bad now, but is predicted to get worse

The sun ’ s heat is being trapped around us, and our planet is suffocated because of it

In 2018, more than 8 million people were thought to have died due to pollution from fossil fuels The creatures that inhabit this planet are having their ecosystems taken b h l l i i d

However, as a planet, we are constantly developing As population levels rise, we have more needs to be met, which means that cutting out fossil fuels completely is impossible While the other options such as wind power and geothermal energy are helping, we must make a dramatic change in our lifestyles to reach a better future More sustainable energy must be used, but sadly there is not enough for the planet to rely on it as our only source of power

I believe that companies need to find a way to make the extracting process of fossil fuels much more environmentally friendly, and that they must be used in moderation In the meantime, the Earth needs to put more trust in sustainable sources of energy.

HOW CONVINCING IS THE EVIDENCE THAT EXTRA-TERRESTRIALS HAVE VISITED EARTH?

WRITTEN BY LEO P

Along with many people, I believe that there is extra-terrestrial life somewhere in the Universe. However, despite all the effort put into searching for it, we seem not to be able to find any signs of it But what if it was the aliens who found us?

In my essay, I am going to find evidence and evaluate the evidence to suggest that aliens have visited Earth so that I can reach a conclusion

To start with, what is an alien? Typically, when someone mentions ‘alien’ we think of a little green man, or an animal-like creature with human intelligence The reality is that they could be anything from a single celled organism to a massive moon-sized intelligent life form. The dictionary definition is ‘of or from outside the earth or its atmosphere.’ This means that an alien could be anything, so long as it is alive Furthermore, aliens would not necessarily be carbon-based; some people think that they could be silicon-based.

There is also the question of why do we look for aliens? One simple answer is curiosity Humans have always wanted to find new things, and what would be better than finding a whole new life-form? Scientists would be able to learn even more about life and what it needs to exist, and if the extraterrestrials were sentient, we might even learn from them

Chapter One – Do aliens exist?

Rationally, how likely is it that extraterrestrials exist in the Universe? There are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, at least 5000 confirmed exoplanets, and many more undiscovered ones just in our galaxy; with 100-200 billion galaxies out there, the chances are that there will be at least one with life on it. Furthermore, the nearest Earth-sized planet is located just 4 22 light years away which is very close when compared to the vastness of the known universe: 93 billion light years in diameter Rationally, the universe is so large, it is highly likely that other life exists

On the other hand, there are some theories which suggest that it is incredibly unlikely that intelligent life exists elsewhere. For example, the Fermi Paradox argues that: since there are so many planets, lots older than Earth, intelligent life should have already developed on some of them Given the billions of years they could have existed before humans evolved, it would be likely that some civilisations would have developed space travel and have reached us already Since this has not happened, alien civilisations must not exist.

However, one explanation for the Fermi paradox is that any alien civilisations that exist are purposefully ignoring us This could be because they are letting us evolve naturally, and do not want to skew humans' current development, for example by giving us technology to easily evade problems which would have benefited us in some way if we passed without aid. Another explanation for why aliens might have ignored us is that they want to minimise the risk of us being a threat to them, and the easiest way to prevent that is by us just not knowing about them

Another theory against the possibility of aliens visiting Earth is the fact that eventually all civilisations self-destruct

At the point that humans have developed space travel, we have also created the means to destroy ourselves Assuming aliens are like humans, they would want to annihilate any threat to them, which could start a war that would end with them destroyed or with their technology vastly reduced Therefore, they wouldn’t be able to reach Earth.

However, if they are not like humans and don’t have the same violent instincts, this might not be the case and they might be able to perfectly coexist with another race

carried on now with much more powerful radios by SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)

The fact that SETI is monitoring for unusual radio frequencies, suggest that scientists generally believe that any intelligent lifeform out there will have access to that kind of technology, and is also interested in finding other life.

Scientists are not just sending and monitoring for radio signals, they have also sent out a few unmanned space probes carrying information about humans There are currently five probes which have the solar system, and the furthest is about 23,874,000,000 kilometres away These interstellar probes are still functioning and sending data about what it is like outside our solar system However, both voyagers one and two also carry copies of the golden record, which is a record storing information about Earth such as images, sounds and some people speaking in different languages While it is unlikely that the record will ever fall into alien possession, if it does, it also tells how to find Earth so that they could visit us if they wanted to.

Chapter Two – How are people looking for aliens?

What have scientists done to try to find evidence of aliens and how successful have they been?

One of the first ways people looked for aliens started in 1896 when Nicola Tesla suggested that he could use a more powerful version of his wireless electrical transmission system to communicate with aliens from Mars, but despite one false alarm, there were no results This is still

However, the search for aliens is not just happening in space Astrobiologists are studying creatures living in the extremes of Earth, like volcanoes and the bottom of oceans This research is useful because it tells the scientists how life could be adapted to extreme environments, and therefore other planets However, one bad thing they discovered is that even with access to state-of-the-art laboratories, it is incredibly difficult to find signs of life, and the probes sent out have worse equipment This means that to get the best chance of success, samples would need to be returned to Earth for much more thorough examination

Chapter Three – What can UFO sightings tell us about aliens?

So far, I have not talked about aliens on Earth, but this chapter is about UFO sightings I am going to look at some famous sightings and try to find some explanations for UFO sightings which does not involve actual UFOs.

One of the most famous UFO sightings of all time is probably the Roswell incident from the summer of 1947 where a farmer found the wreckage of what looked like an alien spaceship on his ranch near Roswell He then took it to the nearby air force base, and the next day, they released a statement to the public where they announced that they had found the remains of a UFO However, the day after, they published another article saying that it was actually a weather balloon which had crashed This was further amended in 1994, when the US air force said that it had been a spy balloon meant for monitoring the USSR during the cold war, but they had not said so when it was found because they did not want anyone finding out about it.

Because of all these changes, the Roswell incident is a very controversial alien encounter Lots of people have said that

they

think the US government was trying to cover up an actual alien crash site

While the Roswell incident is most likely the most famous sighting, a few weeks before it happened, a pilot called Kenneth Arnold claimed to have spotted nine UFOs flying in formation at what he estimated to be 1,200 mph. When he was questioned later, he said that the way they moved looked like saucers skipping on water, except they were crescent shaped and moved much faster Lots of people were excited because this was the first proper sighting, and most people thought that it was either some new military technology or aliens

However, there are some other explanations for these sightings which do not involve seeing actual aliens Sometimes, our brain can mess with what we thought happened, so we think that a completely different thing happened to what actually happened For example, someone could be looking through their photos, when they see something flying in the sky and say it must have been a UFO The reality might be that it was a bird or plane which they would have noticed if they had not been focussed on what they were taking a picture of This can cause the most normal plane or bird to be recognised as something completely different.

Chapter Four – Have aliens had any role in the history of Earth?

Have aliens ever come into contact with humans in the past?

You have probably heard of the theory that aliens helped to make the pyramids, but most likely you dismissed it because of how unrealistic it sounds Imagine, however, even with the technology we have now, it would still be a massive undertaking to build a pyramid of that scale Now imagine what it would have been like for the Egyptians with primitive tools and technology.

Furthermore, the coordinates for the pyramid of Giza are 29 9792° N, 31 1342° E and the speed of light in a vacuum is 299 792 458 m/s The latitude co-ordinate is the same as the first six digits of the speed of light Some people say that this is very unlikely to be a coincidence. But in reality, the chances of it being because of aliens is small

In addition, people say that the Nazca lines (see figure 1), which are lots of large shapes resembling animals and plants in the Nazca desert in southern Peru, were made by aliens This is because it would have been extremely hard to make them without being able to see them from the sky, they were only even discovered when someone flew a plane over them.

There are also a few old paintings in which it seems like UFOs are in the background One of them is called the Madonna with Saint Giovannino (see figure 2) and pictures what looks like an alien spaceship The painting was painted in the 15th century by Domenico Ghirlandaio and shows Mary with a UFO above her shoulder.

However, the problem with all of these arguments is that there is no way of proving that it was aliens who made them because we don’t even know for sure how the natives made them, so until scientists can find out how they were made, we can’t assume that it was aliens

Figure 1

Figure 2

Chapter five – What do our views tell us about aliens?

Now, I am going to look at what we believe aliens to be like, and where these beliefs come from The idea that aliens might exist comes from back in the Greek times when they thought that these other worlds would be impossible to get to. The belief that aliens exist became much more widespread in the 18th century and there were the first reports of UFO sightings It was not until around the 1950s that the governments started looking for evidence of extra-terrestrial existence and the threat they could pose, and at the same time, people started to get obsessed by aliens and what they were

This leads me onto my next point that lots of films have aliens in them Most sci-fi films have aliens, and quite a few horror films do as well Often these films portray aliens as being much more advanced than us, which might have contributed to the general belief that they are more intelligent than humans Furthermore, they are often shown as being evil. This could influence the belief that they could be a threat if they came to earth It is highly likely that aliens are not like anything we have seen in films, and they almost definitely do not look like they do in films

However, none of these arguments actually tell us that aliens exist, because the are fiction, and while they represent an obsession with extra-terrestrials, they don’t prove anything.

Conclusion

I think that the evidence that suggests that extra-terrestrials have ever visited Earth is not very convincing This is because most of the evidence to suggest that they have is very vague and circumstantial Furthermore, no solid proof has ever been found to suggest that aliens exist, and there are only theories saying that aliens must exist

I think that the belief in aliens is a bit like the belief in God, because although no evidence has ever been found to prove their existence, people still believe that they exist and are willing to spend money to try to prove themselves right.

However, despite what I have found out and what my views are, I think that just because aliens might not be relevant here on Earth, does not mean that scientists should stop searching for life on other planets because it would still be a massive achievement to for both science and technology to find non-human life

According to a survey I did among 78 people, 46 (59%) of them believe that aliens exist, 27 (34 6%) of them are not sure, and 5 (6 4%) people think they do not exist Another poll among 10,000 American adults showed that 65% of them believed in the existence of aliens. In this poll, they found that 76% of under 30s believed aliens existed, but only 57% of above 50s thought that they existed This might be because the younger generations are more exposed to aliens, whether it is through films or at school, than the older generation

IS THERE A 'SPECIAL' RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE US AND THE UK?

WRITTEN BY HARRY C

What is the special relationship?

The 'Special Relationship' is a term used to describe the tie between the United Kingdom and the United States. However, to completely understand what the term means, we must look closer. This is because the two nations certainly have a relationship but the question is, is it a special one?

The word special means (according to the Oxford dictionary) 'better, greater or otherwise different from what is usual' To determine whether this tie is greater than usual you must look at several factors and also the roots of this relationship. How did it start? Does one nation overlook the other? It is commonly accepted that the UK acts as a sidekick to the US but this has not always been the case, take Vietnam where the UK chose not to send troops and help the Americans fight Hồ Chí Minh's men in the north of the country. The Australians did, but their relationship with the US isn't deemed 'special' so what is it that drives the UK and the US closer together or is this whole thing a misconception and in reality, the UK acts merely as a lapdog to its American counterpart?

One thing is certain and that is this case can most definitely be argued both ways There is almost no right or wrong answer – it's nothing but opinion. This opinion also depends where in this relationship's long history you look. From each president to the prime minister, every leader has different viewpoints on the relationship entirely.

Chapter 1 – When did the 'special relationship' begin?

The relationship between the two nations dates back to around 1584 when the first British colony was set up in Virginia. However, it wasn't until 1607 that the English began to settle permanently The US declared independence from Britain in 1776 and in 1783, when the Americans won the War of Independence, the UK recognized the US as an independent state According to the US Embassy, 'The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1785 The US broke relations when it declared war on the United Kingdom during the war of 1812; relations were reestablished in 1815 ' The US embassy also claims that relations were strengthened by the UK's alliance with the US during both World War I and II, the conflict in Korea (where the UK supplied the UN response to the North Korean invasion, together with the US) the Persian Gulf war, the second Gulf War (where the US and the UK led the action) and also in Afghanistan

In addition to this the US assisted the UK with information, equipment and aviation fuel during the Falklands war This tie was further bound by the UK's role as a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which now consists of 30 countries – the US being one of them This all preserves the idea of 'The United States has no closer ally than the United Kingdom' (US Embassy) In addition to all of this, the US has donated $543 million to the IFI (International fund for Ireland) which has helped generate a much larger economy and economic opportunity in Northern Ireland Speaking of Northern Ireland – the US has prioritized keeping the peace there and developing the 1998 Belfast Agreement as well as the 2006 St Andrews Agreement to try and keep the peace between Irish 'Nationalists' and 'Republicans' (people who want a united Ireland) and 'Loyalists' and 'Unionists' (people who want Northern Ireland to remain as part of the UK) It is also stated that 'The United Kingdom and the United States continually

consult on foreign policy issues and global problems and share major foreign policy and security policy objectives ' (US Embassy) This in turn strengthens the tie so, therefore, it could be argued that the length of the relationship itself makes it special due to many relationships between nations lasting nowhere near as long The Foreign Office stated that 'The special relationship continues to go from strength to strength, deepening the partnership we have shared for decades' which presents the ideology that both nations see themselves as each other's closest ally –however what caused this relationship to start?

Another reason for the close relationship between the two would go back to the colonial period in America which was ruled by the British As a result of this over onefifth of the American population has British ancestry including 34 out of 46 presidents, further backing this is that an estimated 678,000 British citizens live in the US and 139,000 Americans live in the UK (figures from the Foreign Office) The nations are also each other's biggest partners in science What is apparent, is that all of this is possible due to the Americans adopting English as their first language, therefore creating more trade and opportunities for both nations to interact with one another. If the US had chosen Spanish or French to be their main language they would have better trade with South America and Spain – or France and other French-speaking nations than the UK

Chapter 3 – reasons for the 'special relationship'

Chapter 2 – What caused the 'special relationship' to begin?

As established in the previous chapter, this relationship is preserved by similar ideologies and policies This begs the question, what else caused this relationship to not only begin but also to be maintained? The obvious answer is of course the shared language and similar culture between the two nations The foreign office said 'The UK and US have a long special relationship based on shared ideals of open government, free speech, and open markets. We work together on political affairs, including trade, finance, technology, education, arts, and sciences ' The US embassy adds to this by saying 'Bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals, and democratic practices of the two nations ' As well as this the two nations are the biggest investor in each other’s economies

Looking at the previous chapters it has been well established that there certainly is a relationship between both the US and the UK – however, in the next two chapters we need to work out if it's special or not One major event that gives reasons for there being a 'special' relationship would be the Cold War The Cold War was between (predominantly) the US and the Soviet Union (now Russia and its neighbouring nations) There was no real conflict in this ' war ' which lasted from 1947-1991. Yet there was global unrest where nations weren't sure exactly what would happen next The main threat was the use of nuclear/atomic bombs During this 'conflict,' the UK and US were constantly sharing information and intel on their enemy

Intel was shared with no other nation, which, if we go back to our definition of special, this is very clearly 'different from what is usual' Richard

J Aldrich

writes 'Britain's intelligence contribution was most important, helping to offset the growing post-war asymmetry of the 'Special Relationship' (in an article named British intelligence and the ‘Special Relationship’)

This means that there most certainly is a special relationship since Britain played a key role in gathering intel which ensured that the Americans came out as the global superpower after the Cold War – this completely overrides common views on Britain being a 'lapdog' for the US and it showed just how important the two were to one another It is widely accepted that the Cold War brought both countries closer together however this isn't the only instance of this The nations have helped each other out in countless wars over the years Rafi Raza Sanghro (In an article named The Special Relationship: The US, Great Britain and Egypt over the Suez Canal) states 'During WW- II, the UK, and the USA developed close co-operation

The relationship between both countries developed to such an extent that Prime Minister Winston Churchill (whose mother was American) called it ‘the special relationship between the UK-USA ' This surely means that the relationship is special due to one of Britain's many war heroes describing it as such, clearly suggesting that yes, there most certainly is a special relationship between the two

Chapter 4 – Reasons there isn't a 'special relationship'.

Despite this, there are many instances when this tie has been far from special!

Take the Suez Crisis in 1956 for example

The 100-mile canal was constructed by the French in 1869 and by 1875 the British became the largest shareholder in the canal After conquering Egypt in 1882, the Suez Canal was an 'excellent' source of income and dominance for the British Empire

Since then, it has connected Britain with the Middle East, India, and the Pacific We must also take into account that by 1956 Britain had lost almost all of her colonies, and two thirds of the oil was shipped to the West by the Suez Canal The Egyptians thought that they had a secondary position in their own country and after the military coup in 1952 there was a greater hatred towards the British, British property was burnt and UK citizens were attacked Soon after, the boycott of British goods made it very difficult to control and use the canal It was later agreed that the UK would withdraw its troops from the canal in 1956 (Control of the canal was handed back to Egypt) Gamal Abdul Nasser (an Egyptian military General at the time) soon used the revenue from the canal to construct a dam (the US had previously refused to give a loan to Egypt to construct this dam) This infuriated the UK's government which said that 'Nasser must be broken' and that 'Europeans had constructed the canal for international trade' The UK wanted Nasser removed no matter the chaos caused However, the US decided it would be terrible for their interests to declare war on Nasser, this is because the US did not want to anger the whole Arab world. Shortened down, the US wanted to maintain its stronghold in the Middle East, and they did not want the Soviets to take their place The Soviets' support for Nasser was also making it hard for the US to side with the UK, and therefore Washington was not taking an interest in the British and their difficult time Britain had never thought she would be left alone during this important time, however they were proving that the relationship isn't always 'special'

I agree to a certain extent that the relationship between the UK and the USA is most definitely special as both nations see each other as their 'biggest ally' and share common policies as well as political and ideological views For example, the US might not be what it is today if it wasn't for British colonisers and also the UK's key role in the Cold War, without which could have resulted in the USSR becoming the global superpower (a title owned by the USA and soon to be China)

As well as this, both nations are the number one investor in each other’s economies and also share knowledge that no other nation knows Both nations fought together during both world wars and some troops even train together to this day. However, the two have also had some not so good times, deeming the relationship not 'special' in any way due to it being like any other and completely going against the previously established definition of “special” This was highlighted in moments like the Suez Crisis which caused Britain to be left alone due to Washington not wanting Moscow to fill its role in the Arab world (which would have been angered if the Americans were to declare war on General Nasser) Every relationship has its ups and downs but to be deemed special does a relationship have to be perfect? No It just has to be more significant than others, and therefore I believe that yes there is a special relationship between the UK and the USA

SHOULD THE RIGHTS OF THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY INFLUENCE CHANGES TO LEGISLATION, THAT AFFECT SOCIETY AT LARGE?

WRITTEN BY THEO B

In our modern society of equality and acceptance, the boundaries and basic meaning of gender have changed significantly We are no longer defined by gender anymore, and certainly not just two. The term transgender is commonly discussed in recent times. We have seen a move to support the rights of those who are transgender, from Nicola Sturgeon’s attempt to change the law in Scotland so anyone over 16 can self-identify, to sporting events that transgender people have been allowed to compete in

But what does it mean to be transgender, and can the law accommodate the rights of people who are transgender and those who are not, with equity? Teen Talk has confirmed that there are officially eleven separate genders, but someone can identify as any of these or none at the same time And there are many more that have been created such as Facebooks fifty-seven different gender options. But how can you differentiate between these genders other than labels assigned to them? Someone who was born a woman and remains a woman is different from someone who was born as a man and now identifies as a woman, but they can still identify as the same gender. This is what I want to discuss in my essay. Should a transgender woman be treated the same as a cisgender woman by law?

I will start my essay by further elaborating what it means to be transgender and whether they all have the same rights as each other I will then discuss how transgender rights have created controversy in sport I will then discuss how young people are being given the means and ways to change their gender before adulthood and whether this should be legalized, and I will finish by talking about what laws can be put in place to resolve the differences between transgender and cisgender people

What are the different classifications of transgender and how are they treated differently in society?

The term transgender is defined as when a person identifies as a different gender from that which they were assigned at birth It can also be used to describe someone who has either gone through surgery to change gender or someone who has selfidentified As a society we have currently accepted that anyone who identifies as a different gender to be under the umbrella of trans, but this can mean a lot of different things But are they all treated equally, and do they have the same rights and opportunities as each other? If a person feels that they are trapped in the wrong body and chooses to express themselves as the opposite gender, they expect to be treated that way and be accepted by others But if someone else chooses to go to the extent of having operations to change their body, they would also want to be treated as the opposite gender too But should they both be treated equally? They expect similar treatment but are biologically different

A big controversy linking to those who are transgender is whether those who selfidentify as trans are allowed to go into public places that are segregated by gender that align with their chosen identification,

like bathrooms and changing rooms In this case I will be discussing whether those who self-identify as transgender without having any surgery or hormonal drugs should be allowed into public gender affiliated places This is because it can cause discomfort for those surrounding that person, who must comply to that person ' s gender choice, especially when they cannot tell that someone is transgender. For example, if they have the appearance of a man but identify as a woman The question is should anyone who says that they are transgender be allowed into any gender assigned place with no questions asked?

Currently there are laws and regulations to protect those who are transgender when in public gendered places, meaning that if they choose to go to the bathroom that best matches their chosen gender, they are not allowed to be stopped or questioned by anyone But there are also now bathrooms that apply for just trans people or those who don’t feel comfortable in either men ’ s or women ’ s toilets This is why many public places, including schools, now have a separate bathroom in between the men ' s and women ’ s toilets To support an application to legally change your gender in the UK, you must have lived as the opposite gender for two years minimum before it is official Laws like this help to balance the rights of transgender people and cis gender people But this still poses the question that if after two years you continue to still have the same biological body as your birth gender, dressing in a manner associating with that gender, do you have the same right in law compared to somebody who has gone through surgery and changed their biological appearance?

Should self-identified individuals be allowed into sporting teams of the opposite of their birth gender?

Another controversial argument to do with those who have changed gender is if they should be allowed to compete professionally with cisgender opponents This mainly impacts when transgender men compete in women ' s sports because it can often become severely unfair for the cisgender women who are put against an opponent who was originally a man If they identify as woman, but their anatomy and hormones indicate that they are a man, then clearly, they will likely be physically stronger than a female athlete It can be extremely unfair when a physically fitter and stronger male who has chosen to identify as a woman competes among cis gender women, mainly for the other athletes involved There are some famous examples of there being men in the lowest division leagues for sports when they were men, and then suddenly being at the top of the league as a woman because they have a man ’ s body but a woman ’ s mind

One of the most memorable examples of this was in the case of Lia Thompson who chose to identify as a woman and climbed to the top of women ’ s leagues for swimming In January 2022 Lia held the world record for the fastest ever 100meter freestyle swimming which was later reevaluated after many female opponents

This highlights perfectly when the rights and preferences of a transgender person can affect other people surrounding them who have no choice but to comply with that person ' s preferences Is it right that those women were easily beaten by a trans man who was not victorious in the male's division of swimming? Or that their own rights were compromised after being put in a changing room with a woman with a male penis and body? I sympathise for the female athletes and can see why they would feel that their rights were forfeited in favour of the trans individual

Should we be able to give drugs to minors to help gender transitions?

There really seems to be no limit to what gender you can choose to identify as now, and who you want to be these days This has started to have an influence on children, who have grown up being taught about different sexualities and gender choices compared to adults who are only just catching up I think that it might be too much for children to process at such a young age and that they don’t understand the wider impacts of changing gender There has been a rise in young teens who feel that they are trans or want to make other changes to their sexuality and are looking for parental support But is there a concern that children who might not have even started puberty to be allowed to take drugs or go through surgery to change

This has been seen most famously in the case of Nichola Sturgeon, who at the time of this being written has resigned from office She intended to change the law so that anyone from the age of 16 and above can go through gender reassignment surgery without the need for parental consent Nicola has also been linked to the scandal whereby a male rapist was moved into a women ’ s prison after they said that they identified as a woman, which was one of the key reasons she has left her position

There have also been cases of children being manipulated into becoming famous internet sensations because of their gender choice, with their parent's influence For example, the youngest trans model, Noella McMaher, at only ten years old has already made millions and become a transgender icon for young people Her parents who are both non-binary have been the main support for her becoming trans and her rise to fame, saying in interviews that they are immensely proud of what she has accomplished But from the interviews, it is unclear whether Noella really understand what she has accomplished as an influencer When asked about how she feels being the youngest trans model ever, she only responded saying “that’s cool”. This shows how young people, like Noella, could be influenced and manipulated With the increase in influencers making money from being seen to be radical or different, this can lead to young people being commercialised and exploited

What laws can be put in place to allow transgender people to keep their rights without causing conflicts

So far throughout this essay I have

mentioned how the preferences of the transgender community can often spark up debate for those who are cis gender But at the end of the day, transgender and cis gender people must be able to co-exist if we hope to function as a society and find a way to overcome conflicts People who are trans must go to a toilet and go to a changing room. If they go to one, they might upset people and if they go to another, they will be going against the point of being trans in the first place and be upsetting for them So how can we find the middle ground with this debate so that everyone can be happy?

The goal of giving equal rights to transgender people is so that a woman who feels that she is a woman is treated as one by society, in all places, even if they used to be a man and vice versa This works in the case of there being a man who is now a woman and appears and functions like a woman, but the controversy comes when there is a person who says they are now the opposite gender, with no changes in their body or appearance If a trans person does not wish to undergo surgery, or change the way they dress, to they have any les rights, as a trans person who actively adopts the new gender in a more obvious way

If you were a trans person who had gone through many rigorous surgeries in the hope of changing gender and you saw someone who chose one day to be a woman without any outward change, would you consider them the same as you? Would it not be a bit of an insult to your struggle to change gender just to see another person not have to undergo the same journey, but have the same rights? Not everyone who decides to change gender are the same in terms of legitimacy or have the same biological backing that shows their gender change We need to look further into how classify and protect

the rights of th i f l within the tran

Conclusion

So, I hope you importance o discussing tran ensure that al protected and harmoniously choice of the always be at t doesn’t mean can go into th do so without this topic beco will become in establish the l within the tran

It is always im debate, that p choose, and s this country a own body, we who are trans

DO VIDEO GAMES PROMOTE VIOLENCE?

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM S

Video games are played often by many people – most commonly children – and are career paths for the select few that take their love for gaming to the extreme. There are many genres for gaming, most commonly FPS (first person shooter) games, which gave eSports professionals popularity and riches An unfathomable amount of people have risen to fame through video games, some of them becoming multimillionaires because of their skill. On the contrary, for some, gaming has been their downfall – addictions, doxing (leaking someone ’ s personal information online), obesity, depression and sleep insomnia are common in the underbelly of this supposedly harmless hobby; topics as serious as violence have been blamed on video games There are multiple valid reasons why people think this, but the range of conclusions people have come to are too broad to extract a clear, definite answer out of the question

One subject was extremely common among most people who attempted who answer the question ‘Do video games make you violent?’ – video game genres. There are over 30 different genres for gaming, the most prevalent being FPS and action-adventure games. Both have copious amounts of combat and blood in them – it is no wonder why they have been the scapegoat for violence in gamers

Most games in these categories have mild to extreme amounts of gore in them, so it is no wonder that they are all rated ‘M’ or over.

It is not rare for video games in the FPS or horror genre to have this rating, but there are some exceptions such as Fortnite which has an age rating of 12 – a haven for the budding esports gamers This should give an idea about why video games can promote violence, but it will be covered in much more detail as you progress through the essay.

Chapter 1: Is the age of the player a factor of better or worse mental health while gaming?

The youngest person to ever game professionally is ‘Victor De Leon III’ (also known as ‘Lil Poison’) at only 6 years old His speciality was in the Halo franchise, which is one of the most well-known FPS games for having its own universe – novels, graphic novels, comics, short movies, animated movies, and feature films It is also an extremely harsh environment to children Due to there being a voice chat, players can say anything to anyone without it being censored, unlike games such as Roblox, where a strict chat filter is implemented to all accounts to bar players from using explicit language Children can take any kind of insult extremely harshly, even if told by a stranger – this could impact their mental health and make them quit playing the game It does not even have to be because of other players, losing to a mere boss fight can trigger the worst of tantrums

Hurt feelings are not the only downside of voice chat, however, as it makes it extremely easy to discover and leak other players’ personal information, such as their name or address (since there is not a filter stopping anyone who is uninformed about keeping your personal details safe online, all voice chats are a paradise for doxers) Although losing a game, even in an incredibly important esports competition, would cause most children to cry, kick, punch, or all the above, people of higher

maturity tend to express their failure through verbal or even physical means

There are plenty of viral videos on multiple websites (most commonly YouTube) of grown men punching a hole in their monitor and even more of screaming out some of the most horrible words a human could utter – but in every one of these videos, none have shed even one tear. Both sides have different reactions but they both make the loser express such negative emotions that they scream and cry for fifteen minutes or cost themselves hundreds upon hundreds (even thousands, depending on how avid the gamer is) of cash Since both reactions provoke an action of violence and outrage, it is correct to assume that the age of the player is not a factor of the player’s mental health while gaming.

downright terrible people in the façade of what seems like a friendly community On some rare occasions, you do not even have to be in their game for something bad to happen – during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, over 100 million Roblox accounts’ personal information was compromised (account passwords, email addresses and authentication codes) due to one of the Roblox staff accepting bribery to a hacker, who gained backdoor access to the customer support panel The incident has been resolved now, but it left much of the community in a state of fear of their information being stolen This is not the only issue of multiplayer games –there are many others Threats of violence, spamming, flaming (strong emotional statements that are intended to provoke extremely negative emotions), griefing (using the game itself in unintended ways to harass others), sexual harassment and hate speech are so common in multiplayer games that they have become the ‘ norm ’ On the bright side, they have multiple benefits that not only hone the players’ ingame proficiency, but also other skills that will be used later in life, such as:

Cooperation and teamwork

Communication skills (voice chat is always used in popular multiplayer games)

Social skills (they allow players to safely meet new people and make friends)

Chapter 2: Are multiplayer games dangerous or a great experience?

Multiplayer games are a wonderful thing, they make a lonely experience into a utopia with friends that you have never met before but will last for decades You could meet the best of people on any multiplayer game – or the worst There are countless amounts of hackers, exploiters (people who cheat in-game) and

Multiplayer games also do not have to be played with strangers, your friends from work, school or anywhere else can join you in-game so that you can be certain that you are not endangering yourself by playing with strangers. Although there are some benefits of playing multiplayer games, the negative points outweigh the positives, concluding that they are more dangerous than beneficial (mostly because over 100 million accounts were stolen – including the ones with maximised security)

Chapter 3: What are the best and worst video game genres to play in terms of mental health?

As stated in the introduction, there are over 30 different video game genres, FPS games taking 1st place and actionadventure games close behind in the fierce popularity competition. Both share some of the same qualities – a large map for you to experience, other players, weapons and violence There are some other genres, however, that are more refined than the rest but still did not manage to take the spotlight A prime example are ‘MMORPG (standing for ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game’) games such as World of Warcraft or the Final Fantasy series These are all incredibly famous games of this genre that both the players and the developers have invested thousands of hours in World of Warcraft is considered one of the most addictive games in the world due to its plethora of weapons, locations, enemies, and bosses Considering 44% of World of Warcraft players suffer from a video game addiction and that there are around 4 35 million consecutive players on World of Warcraft per day, approximately 1,914,000 people on World of Warcraft alone have a gaming addiction. This proves that, while being an endless amount of fun, MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) games are undoubtedly harmful for your mental health – specifically gaming addictions

Moving on from the darker side of gaming, the ‘Puzzle’ genre – although not as exciting as the others – can expand the players’ intelligence through classic games/activities (e g online word searches or crossword puzzles) However, it is unlikely that many people play games from the genre due to the lack of action A suitable alternative are ‘Strategy’ games because instead of constant trial and error from the ‘Puzzle’ genre, you must use your brain to progress

A perfect example is Warhammer 3 – you build armies and go to battle with other players as a spectator While it does involve fighting, it is only basic animations of punches and bows being fired – and while it still sounds far duller than a typical MMORPG game, it has kept players occupied for hours on end Both genres are perfect examples of what ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is in terms of mental health, and they can keep the gamer occupied for hours on end – just one has a hefty price to pay if you get too invested in them

Chapter 4: Horror games or FPS games –which one is worse?

Continuing from chapter three, horror games and FPS games are both extremely popular, fun, and exciting. Horror games force terrifying situations into the player and FPS games can cause the most levelheaded of people to crack under pressure and because of this, they are exceedingly popular, as seen by the graph below Although they sound like perfect ways to pass the time on weekends, there are multiple dangers of both genres Most horror games have a copious amount of blood and gore, and since age ratings are usually ignored, children have easy access to burning terrifying moments into their memory – as well as copying them Hundreds of YouTube videos, people have taped themselves playing horror games with heart monitors, most exceeding 125 BPM

This could be extremely dangerous for the player as a high heart rate can cause extremely serious issues, such as arrhythmias which can eventually lead up to a much deadlier version of itself –tachycardia – which can cause heart failure, stroke, and sudden cardiac death FPS games can also be threatening because of the constant pressure the genre naturally puts you under. It has less severe effects as the horror genre and can still induce a skyrocketing heart rate due to the fastpaced nature, but instead of being chased around by a monster in an abandoned asylum, multiple players hunt you down to best everyone else As stated in chapter two, FPS games are multiplayer games, usually with a lot of in game harassment, so this is a massive downside considering there can be always dozens of victoryhungry players with their sights on you at most points in the game

Both games are equally as enjoyable and dangerous, but horror games are worse overall since it can cause extremely serious health issues and the sheer amount of gore can influence people (predominantly children) to simulate what they see in these inappropriate games. FPS games can be better than horror games, though still quite bad, because there is an option to play friendly matches with people you are associated with

Conclusion

There is enough evidence to prove that video games can cause multiple serious things along with just prompting violence in gamers, such as this graph for the USA which states that as the video game sales rise, so does the violent crime rate

of which are children

This includes arrythmias and tachycardia which can sometimes result in death

Mental health issues are not excluded as well, anger issues, video game addictions and – directed at children – tantrums can be the cause of losing a match or playing for too long and getting overly invested in a game

Not many video game genres are exciting enough to bring out these issues listed above (as stated in chapter three, the puzzle genre is a great example of not being as exciting as other games due to the lack of fast-paced action), but FPS games and horror games are because of their intensity and – although it sounds like a bad trait of a video game – anxiety inducing moments, which is a magnet to gamers looking for endless fun, thrills and excitement A major downside of these genres is that they usually involve copious amounts of blood, and in horror games, gore. This is especially bad for the children partaking in games like these because they are prone to tantrums and nightmares galore, over being chased by an entity or being killed by another player in game

Disclosed in chapter one, there is a plentiful number of videos roaming about on social media platforms of people punching holes in their monitors over FPS and/or horror games, a substantial portion

In conclusion, video games promote violence

IS CRYPTO A LEGITIMATE CURRENCY?

WRITTEN BY HARVEY H

In my topic, “Is Crypto a legitimate currency ” I will be discussing the positives and negatives of Cryptocurrency (Crypto) in a hope to show the reader a brief introduction on what crypto is and how it works.

In terms of the positives, we will consider how you can generate and store online cash easily and efficiently as many crypto stems incorporate these functions. Also, we will look at how crypto currency can be used on luxury items, allowing you to carry a large quantity of money with the use of a devices adding to protection.

We will also look through the negatives of crypto, including irreversible transactions, illegal activity, harm to the environment and unsecure exchanges. Then I will look into other forms of payment that are more global e.g., banknotes and coins to hopefully give you an idea of the differences that occur with both currencies

After this, I will compare crypto currencies efficiency to physical money (cash) to portray the difference between the two hopefully coming out with a victor and, allowing me to showcase how the question was answered through statistics and general knowledge, leaving me with the final conclusion which will later be revealed.

Cryptocurrency negatives

There are many negatives that come with the use of crypto currency, this all starts with the unreliable price of cryptocurrency which can, skyrocket or drastically fall in value at any moment creating a risky asset which could be classified as gambling forcing many to reconsider investing into crypto

More so, negatives come from a lack of awareness, as not many starters are completely aware of the technology This lack of awareness induces a sense of risk for crypto investments among people, leading to potentially irreversible transactions which commonly occurs through processes like lack of awareness

Once a transaction has gone through it cannot be reversed or refunded proving why scammers love to lurk around the crypto community meaning any small faults that you make could lose you large amounts of money whereas cash reinforces protection behind transactions

On top of this, storage of your online crypto can come across as unreliable, because many educated crypto users would store their earnings in a virtual wallet however many don’t, instead they store theirs in either a custodial wallet meaning it is controlled by the company which could be risky or a hot wallet, meaning it could be accessible from the internet This leaves them very vulnerable to scammers who don’t hesitate to take advantage of these situations.

These circumstances fuel illegal activity, as criminals known as scammers leverage the feature of anonymity to drive their malicious activity It is impossible to trace the identity of the users making cryptocurrency transactions This allows criminals anonymously to provide financial aid to activities like buying drugs, funding terrorism, money laundering, use of the dark web, and much more

There are other small details that could be the cause of its inefficiency, with it not being legalised in every country, as only some have embraced the new technology, due to it still being in its emerging stage As well as this, its causes harm to the environment, as an energy extensive process called crypto mining is estimated to account for 0 2% of global electricity consumptions which is a concerning figure Finally, the on-going curious question ‘what can you purchase with crypto currencies?’ Many people think you can buy almost everything with crypto currencies, you can most certainly not, as over the years it has grown to widen its uses to more retailers it still has a number of brands holding out. With its main purchases being electronics, luxury items, including watches, diamonds and some cars (Tesla), many smaller retailers don’t want to take the risk of accepting Bitcoin as payment as the market could crash and they lose all their money essentially giving away a free item

Cash instead of crypto

However, a main contester of crypto currency is the traditional English pound, even though the new generation evolve around technology, the English pound will always stay an efficient currency and will continue to be used by millions This is due to many positive factors with minimal faults to its layout, allowing it to function an economy and satisfy a country

Some of the major positives include its ability to ensure you freedom and autonomy, you can use it without electronics, internet, or access to any equipment, showing flexibility, also it has a legal tender, meaning creditors, such as shops and restaurants can’t decline a payment of cash unless both customer and shop agree another form of payment

Cash transactions are fast as banknotes or coins settle a payment immediately.

You also have the ability to keep track of your expenses with cash as it prevents you from overspending because you can not go into dept with banknotes, which can keep many eager spenders away from shops and help them control their spending

Despite all these positives, there a few negatives that come with the use of cash, one being the weight of coins (and large numbers of notes) as you physically would not be able to carry large quantities of cash around with you and you will not have the storage to do so Similarly, the material of banknotes is cotton paper, which is a start to be more sustainable, but still contains a lot of paper due to the mass production of it creating major damage to the environment However, it is clearly shown that the pros flush out the cons due to the mass of success that came out of the pound creating a tough contester for successful crypto

Cash versus Crypto

In response to this on-going debate, I have seen a that the gap between positives and negatives is very close

However, throughout my research I have found out that crypto is a highly risky ‘ currency ’ forcing the negatives to marginally out way the positives, however you can clearly see the thought process gone into crypto platforms creating a wellfunctioning currency

Correspondingly, the margin between pros and cons with cash is quite tight, however the pros come out as the victor So, I will now compare the most widely used currency, the English pound to the most widely used crypto currency, Bitcoin

Firstly, cash has the disadvantage of depreciation in value whereas Bitcoin should always keep its value due to its amount being capped at a 21 million, allowing you in theory to hold your value without fear of inflation

The main argument about the purchase of goods of pounds versus Bitcoin is very different due to the longer standing currency pounds allowing you to purchase anything from shops and restaurants to luxury cars and houses whereas we have already seen how Bitcoin struggles to keep up with the extent of coins, only being able to purchase a minimal number of items. Nevertheless, the rate of crypto currency transactions sky rockets above cash due to the simple design of a click of a button completing transaction in seconds whereas cash takes time to transport and verify it to the owner slightly evening out the debate Even so, cash contains a set value allowing you to purchase and use stuff whenever you want, whereas Bitcoin uses a different system for value as it not issued or regulated by a central bank or Government, therefore is not subject to Government policies proving why it has a different system to cash With Bitcoins price primarily determined by its supply, markets demand for it, availability, competing currencies and investor sentiment, finalising, why it could appear as an unsuccessful/inefficient currency

In conclusion, I believe with all the information collected during my research I have come to a valid end to this ongoing argument Even with all the positives of Bitcoin, you can clearly see from the evenly

distributed facts provided that cash stands tall over Bitcoin Cash is legal tender, ensures privacy, it’s inclusive, helps keep track of expenses and is a store of value

These exact reasons and many more force cash to come out as the victor, backed up by history of its value running the economy of the UK for over 300 years. Whereas crypto has merely completed 11 years, already coming to an unsteady balance with markets crashing across the board, proving how main cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum would struggle to run a sustainable economy due to minor faults that could cause major issues and disruption

Many fans of cryptocurrency will consider it as a legitimate currency as they see it as ‘the ultimate currency for free people’, but no Government in the world recognises cryptocurrency as a legitimate currency It appears as to volatile to serve as a currency, showing how it is just a snippet of codes, displaying how crypto is not seen as a currency nor an investment Finalising why I believe crypto is not a legitimate currency

ARE BATTERY-ELECTRIC CARS REALLY THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOBILES?

WRITTEN BY AARON C

In July 2017, the UK government proposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2040 Following this, in February 2019, former prime minister Boris Johnson announced that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would be brought forward to 2035, saying that it would happen even sooner if a “faster transition is feasible”. He also confirmed that this would include the sale of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles too. Ever since, the UK has been tightening the time limit for the ban, with the ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) cars set to be introduced in 2030, and the ban on hybrids in 2035.

Additionally, many other countries around the world are trying to implement these bans too. In 2018, Denmark put forward an EUwide prohibition for petrol and diesel cars, but this was rejected due to it being contrary to the EU’s rules. A year later, in October 2019, they presented a phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles by 2030, which was supported by ten other EU states This was later changed to 2035 due to Germany refusing to agree to the ban. Currently, over forty countries have proposed 100% bans of ICE cars from as early as 2029 to 2050.

However, these proposed bans raise many questions For example: Why are the bans necessary?

These bans are being implemented to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, to prevent the effects of global warming, climate change and air pollution Furthermore, they are being implemented to increase sustainability.

This also raises the question of what will replace internal combustion cars

Major car manufacturers, such as VW have said that by 2033, all their new cars will be electric In addition, Toyota have said that they will have thirty different battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on offer by the end of the decade, and they aim to sell 3.5 million BEVs in 2030, an increase of around one million from last year, and approximately thirty-five percent of their yearly sales Despite these promises, upon further research, there are many obstacles that will face OEMs that attempt to do this This essay will explore the challenges that come with transitioning to a new form of energy, and any, more feasible, replacements for internal combustion cars.

Chapter 1: Battery Electric Vehicles

In recent years, the relevance of electric vehicles has increased dramatically With growing climate concern, and manufacturers such as Tesla becoming more popular, more people are aware of the changes that need to be made for a more sustainable world and are therefore more likely to purchase an electric vehicle. In 2021, global electric car sales increased by one hundred and ten percent, with most of the sales in China

Moreover, BEVs have benefits that make them a suitable replacement for internal combustion engine cars -

they do not emit any greenhouse gases when running and they are already present in many countries around the world This means they are readily available worldwide, unlike other replacements

Where petrol and diesel cars gain energy from burning fuel, BEVs gain energy from a battery pack Electric cars today use battery packs that contain electrochemical cells, which as the name suggests, generate electrical energy from chemical reactions, and vice versa The most common of these are lithium-ion battery packs It appears that these will become even more common in years to follow, as over the last three decades, prices of lithium-ion batteries have decreased by ninety-seven percent

However, this is where problems arise

The largest lithium reserves in the world are in Chile and Argentina, and extracting lithium causes large amounts of air pollution and soil degradation Not only this, but the UK, US and China use natural gas and coal to generate a large proportion of their energy Though BEVs do not emit any carbon whilst running, the energy used to recharge the battery does. Another problem they face is a lack of infrastructure Even in countries where electric cars are most popular, there are not enough charging points to make long journeys, especially since electric cars have much shorter ranges at full capacity compared to an ICE car, due to the batteries being much less energy-dense than petrol or diesel.

Currently, the world is not prepared for a global transition to electric cars So instead, are there any other solutions that would be more practical, more cost-effective and easier to implement than BEVs?

Chapter 2: Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Despite being much less popular than BEVs, hydrogen fuel cells have still been prominent among car manufacturers as an alternative to ICE cars The most notable of these cars is the Toyota Mirai, which was first produced in 2015 Hydrogen fuel cells work by using the chemical energy from hydrogen to efficiently generate electricity Since hydrogen and air are the fuels, the products are electricity, heat, and water. This means they achieve the same goal as batteries in providing energy for transportation without emitting carbon while in use From a practicality standpoint, hydrogen fuel cells can also be seen as the superior energy source Hydrogen fuel cells have remarkably high energy-densities, and some can be even more energy-dense than standard combustion engines

Therefore, they can run for longer with the need for refuelling Even when refuelling, hydrogen fuel cells have the over lithium-ion batteries Filling up a hydrogen tank is very similar to filling t tank of a combustion engine car, so it a similar amount of time Compared to BEV, which can take several hours to recharge the battery, hydrogen cars ha the obvious advantage.

So, why were batteries chosen instead

Overall, hydrogen fuel cells face the sa problems as batteries Hydrogen fuel c suffer from using fossil fuels to obtain t necessary resources Hydrogen is one the most abundant elements on earth, it is normally bonded to another eleme and it must be isolated to be used for cells One way of doing this is through reforming, but this emits carbon dioxid which completely negates the fact that emits no greenhouse gases when runn Like BEVs, building the necessary infrastructure would require a massive investment Therefore, it would be mu more cost-effective to develop a green way to extract lithium instead, because the

Chapter 3: Biofuel

Whilst being a much lesser-known alternative to fossil fuels, biofuels could prove to be a highly effective way of generating clean electricity without having to rebuild the world’s infrastructure

Biofuels are made over a short period of time from biomass, such as agricultural, domestic, or industrial biowaste There are two main types of biofuels: bioethanol and biodiesel Bioethanol is produced in the US, whereas biodiesel is mostly produced in the EU

Bioethanol is the most produced and used biofuel It is an alcohol made through fermentation of carbohydrates from sugar and starch crops. It can be used for vehicles in its pure form (E100); however, it is normally added to petrol to reduce harmful emissions In addition, E10 fuel (ten percent ethanol) is currently being used in Formula One, which is an incredibly effective way for new automotive technology to reach the road, having already been the testbed for semiautomatic gearboxes and adaptive suspension. On the other hand, biodiesel is produced from oily or fatty plants. Similarly, in its pure form (B100) it can be used to fuel vehicles but is mostly used to reduce levels of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in vehicles, by adding it to diesel

The main advantage that biofuels have over fossil fuels is that they are mostly carbon neutral. In other words, most of the carbon that they emit was originally taken from the atmosphere anyway, by the plant, in the process of photosynthesis The advantage they have over electric cars is that they do not require as much adaptation to work around the world, as biofuels can be adapted to work in current ICE vehicles, and petrol stations only need to fill their tanks with biofuel rather than with petrol or diesel

Conversely, sourcing biofuel from agriculture can contribute to deforestation, as trees must be chopped down for fertile soil to plant these crops on This also reduces biodiversity, because only one type of plant is being grown there They also have an extremely high production cost, and do not actually reverse or stop climate change Since they still produce greenhouse gases (GHGs), they can only serve to slow down global warming and climate change rather than prevent it completely

Overall, biofuels cannot serve as a replacement for fossil fuels, due to their high cost and their inability to put an end to climate change But if all proposed alternatives have fatal drawbacks, what if we changed nothing at all?

Chapter 4: Fossil Fuels

For over two hundred years, since the industrial revolution, humans have relied on fossil fuels for transportation, heating, and electricity generation Yet, only in the last twenty to fifty years have we become aware of the problems they cause, and the threat that they pose to humanity.

It is predicted that we will run out of crude oil from 2040-2050, however some believe it may last longer because there are new reserves yet to be discovered Currently, there is an estimated 1 4 billion cars on the road around the world, of which the vast majority run on fossil fuels More cars are being bought every year, so this number is still expected to rise.

Petrol and diesel are produced from crude oil through a process called fractional distillation, which involves separating crude oil into its different hydrocarbons by using their different boiling points The process of fractional distillation does not negatively affect the environment on its own, but refining crude oil can release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere Recently, the motor vehicle economy has developed dramatically, and vehicles have been produced and used more This has contributed to increasing the amount of carbon emissions from cars Petrol and diesel emit carbon when they are burnt, which releases the hydrocarbons that become trapped in them over the time, into the atmosphere Along with other chemicals in the atmosphere, these emissions also cause air pollution. Air pollution has also become a major public health concern in China, where the most cars are sold every year Cars account for approximately 30% of global carbon emissions

However, since 2020, the price of oil has significantly increased, and in some countries, such as the UK, petrol and diesel cars have higher tax rates than

hybrid or electric cars. This may make owning a petrol car so expensive, that people will be persuaded to purchase an electric car, and global emissions will decrease

Conclusion

Unfortunately, utilising the current technology, all the solutions to making cars more environmentally friendly or sustainable involve emitting carbon at some point in their lifespan, whether it be during their production or while they are being used However, this technology is bound to improve over time, and countries and manufacturers alike are committed to making it happen Additionally, whilst global carbon emissions have increased every year, annual emissions in the UK alone have decreased.

Overall, it is possible that Europe, North America and parts of Oceania could transition to mostly using electric vehicles for transportation, but it is highly unlikely that this will happen in the rest of the world too

In conclusion, BEVs are likely to continue to grow in sales in future years, but they are not the future of automobiles, because it would be very costly to implement globally and they still greatly contribute to worldwide air pollution and climate change

This statistic suggests that for developed countries, such as European or North American nation, electric car sales are growing, and could eventually become the norm for these regions. However, most cars are sold in Asia, which produces the most carbon of any continent annually, especially in China, due to their rapidly expanding industrial economy

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WILL IT BECOME THE DOWNFALL OF HUMANITY?

WRITTEN BY SAMUEL O

Why is technology becoming so bad for humans?

Throughout the years of evolution, humankind has evolved in many ways, especially in brain power and cognitive abilities. Humans are starting to become less intelligent and that this trend will only continue in the future, due to many reasons.

First, human intelligence is declining due to our growing reliance on technology. Due to our ever-growing reliance on technology, many people believe that we do not need to use our brains as much as before, leading to its de-evolution This argument concentrates on periods of times when humans were hunters and problem solvers. In these times, we needed to use our brains; cognitive thinking and quick problem-solving skills were our greatest allies. Otherwise, we would not have survived However, modern humans have practically conquered the world. We do not face any resistance or threat to survive from other animals. Therefore, we do not need to use our brains, and instead put much of this burden on technology Nowadays, humans are too dependent on technology and this dependency will only continue to rise as it continues to develop. This will result in future generations becoming less intelligent

Another argument in favour of deevolution explains how there is a comparison of a parents and child’s genes that have revealed that there are 25-65 new mutations in the DNA of each generation This can affect the brain power of future generations, and it is most likely that it will take a turn for the worse

Chapter 1: Is AI making people and future generations less intelligent?

Mutations in children and adults signal that something is changing However, this does not necessarily mean that change is occurring for the better In fact, studies have shown that over half of all genetic diseases have a neurological part to them, which inhibit the cognitive potential of the individual. This statistic shows how genetic mutations, especially relating to the brain, usually lead to decreased function The same study has shown that at least one child in twenty or fifty have sustained a mutation that has decreased their intellectual capabilities This is solid proof that we are de-evolving

When looking at change in the environment, we have had to all come together to battle through it. However, today, times are different Only a minuscule percent of people make the tech that is used globally by everyone, who do not even give it a second thought Before, humans worked in smaller groups This meant every person had a job that was essential for survival, especially when the environment was changing Today, however, although everyone has responsibilities, they usually aren’t life or death (With the exception of key workers e g , police, fire service, doctors,) We can look at global warming as an example Global warming is possibly the biggest threat to humanity However, even though the vast majority of people know about it, who is actually doing anything? We leave it up to governments and Non-Government

Organisations, “powerful people”, to figure out how to get us out of this This method of giving the work to others really highlights how much we are de-evolving When we are finding ways to not use our brains, how can we say we are still evolving?

Chapter 2: What is Artificial Intelligence compared to Human Intelligence?

To understand the difference between AI and Human intelligence, first, we need to know what intelligence is If we give a short definition, then intelligence is the ability to gather information, analyse it, learn from experience, understand, and conclude Due to its natural behaviour, it collects intellectual, cognitive functions like perception, memory, language, and planning

Human intelligence is a property of mind, to take an experience from the past It is the power to adapt to the situation, deal with thoughts, and use themselves and their abilities to get out of a situation The energy efficiency of human intelligence is about 25 watts Humans learn to manage hundreds of skills from their life. Man can make decisions from experienced scenarios, which leads to why mistakes are not often repeated – e g , going back to something that you know does not work, etc

The field of AI (Artificial Intelligence) focuses on designing machines that can mimic human behaviour Robots and AI software use instructions developed by scientists after in-depth study and regular improvements AI research comprises of many tools and insights from many fields It also overlaps for functions such as the central robotics system The energy efficiency of AI is 2 watts in a modern machine or a learning machine It takes time to teach the system on each responsibility There are two types of AI: Weak AI (or Narrow AI) and Strong AI

Weak Artificial Intelligence:This type of Artificial Intelligence is designed to perform a particular task It is the reasonWeak AIcan do only the works it is intended-for It is bound by the rules imposed on it, and it cannot go beyond those rules Apple’s Siri or Windows’ Cortana are excellent examples of Weak AI Weak AI is also called Narrow Artificial Intelligence.

Strong Artificial Intelligence:Strong AI is a system that performs tasks considered to be like humans These are more complex algorithms and programs It can oversee even trickier situations without the intervention of a person You can see such systems in self-driving cars (e g , Tesla) or operation rooms of hospitals (e g , open heart surgery, keyhole surgery, etc.)

Chapter 3: What applications is AI being used in?

AI is used globally now – not just in phones and computers – on a much larger scale

AI in law

Previously, the processing of legal documents was very hectic work, requiring expertise, arduous work, and time. With the help of AI, the processing of legal documents can be done very quickly This enables the firms to concentrate on other aspects, including administration and expansion

AI in manufacturing

AI is also popularly used in the manufacturing industry. Earlier it used to take hundreds of skilled and unskilled men to do a work in any manufacturing sector Now machines with AI capabilities have supplied the forefront to the industry to produce better products in a brief time

AI to take Risks on behalf of Humans

There are many industries and fields which are potentially dangerous for humans Artificial intelligence is used in all those industries and areas, such as mining, space travel, fuel collection, deep-sea exploration, etc Not only this, but these sophisticated devices can also be used to explore the ocean floor as they are beyond the limits of humans, such as Kaiko, an unmanned machine that collects materials from the ocean floor, or Robonaut 2 Robonaut 2 is a dexterous humanoid robot built and designed at NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. The aim of the Robonaut was to help humans take more risks when going out into space The Robonaut (which can be controlled with an advanced and modified VR headset) enables humans to do more dangerous jobs and tasks – e g , fix a module on the ship There are various other sectors, such as radioactive and biohazard product

manufacturing industries, where the AIenabled devices are used to enforce human safety

AI in healthcare

The most significant use of AI is in the healthcare industry. The biggest challenge here is how we can treat patients better and at the lowest possible cost Therefore, now companies are using AI in hospitals so that the patient can get better treatment For example, small AI programs called Health Assistants are also available for consultation in common health-related issues

AI in education

Now with the help of AI, grading and evaluations can be automated, which will give the educators more time to focus on tutoring their children With AI, the weaknesses of a student can be easily assessed A student that is weak in a particular subject or even a section of those subjects can be determined so that a perfect study plan can be prepared for that student. Now students can find answers to any of their queries with the help of AI Tutors by sitting at home; this increases the interest in studying as well

Chapter 4: Statistics

A recent survey I took showed that a staggering 72% of teenagers under the age

The use of AI in work has increased by 86% in the past 10 years and $118 billion has been spent during 2020-2022 alone in support of AI development The use of AI isn’t just impacting workspaces, it affects many other aspects. Take shopping, for example. Most supermarkets have replaced human cashiers with automated tills For food, you can order online from the comfort of your home (DeliverooTM, Just EatTM, etc )

Conclusion: What will we do next?

The use of AI is rapidly increasing, becoming accessible in almost every electrical device – from Siri on an iPhone to ChatGPT on computers and laptops. We have already spent almost $118 billion on AI and technological investments that have been implemented in businesses, schools and many other workplaces Many scientists and engineers including Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have predicted what will happen if we continue investing in AI Stephen Hawking once said, “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” This is a powerful quote as it contrasts the idea that the one thing that modern humans were given as an ability has been transformed and replicated into Artificial Intelligence, which can rapidly learn any skill presented to it Elon Musk also said, in an interview that ‘AI is the most dangerous threat to life on Earth

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this essay theme as I’ve always taken an interest in history I’ve heard the term “The special relationship” used in the news The theme allowed me to explore both current and historical events between the two nations, researching the topic to form my own views and opinions on the subject

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

At the moment I’m not entirely sure what I want to do when I’m older, however I have an interest in going into either finance

I have chosen economics as one of my GCSE options for next year - or running my own business

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I’ve always looked up to people who work hard to achieve their goals in all walks of life as this is a characteristic I really admire For instance, in the world of sport, Cristiano Ronaldo has worked incredibly hard to be as fit as he is and playing at the level he does at the age of 38 – but also his dedication to get to be arguably the best player of all time shows just how hard working he was to achieve what he wanted to As well as this, I really respect people who help others, for example, during covid all the key workers, who despite the virus still did their jobs (be it working for the NHS, in education or delivering food and other essentials) because they knew everybody needed it

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

When I’m older, I would like to be an automotive engineer, or something to do with maths and science, or even computer science The most important factor, however, is that I my job fulfilling

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role models are my parents because they are smart and supportive of my endeavors They also teach me lots of new, inspiring things

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I decided to write my essay about aliens because I have always been interested in them and thought that it would be a good opportunity to learn more about them

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role models are my parents because they are very clever and teach me lots of important things

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS' PROGRAMME?

I enjoy the afterschool sessions, because they are insightful and interesting

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

Outside of school, I play two musical instruments, those being the drums and the electric guitar In addition, I play hockey twice a week and I am a part of a team

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS' PROGRAMME?

I enjoy doing the after-school scholars’ sessions because it is fun to learn new things which I never knew before, and it is also fun because I can do it with my friends

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I have been doing tennis out of school for about seven years at the local tennis club I have also just started doing a bouldering club on Saturdays

HARRY C

AARON C

HARVEY H

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose the topic “Is crypto a legitimate currency ” as recently I have experienced many encounters on apps involving many uses of crypto which got me quite interested, this then lead on to my looking into crypto and allowing me to potential invest in it myself Then, my essay popped up and an idea sparked in my head to help create multiple benefits, forcing me to make an amazing essay while learn all that is needed for me to potentially pursue in crypto trading

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN

YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

My main aim for when I am older is to become a professional footballer due to my love and passion for the sport however the slim chances doesn’t always goes everyone ’ s way so on the academic side I would love to pursue a career in either engineering or architecture

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

As well as being an Academic Award Holder at Lingfield College I am also a Sports Scholar here, allowing me to take part in many sport activities with my main being football With me competing for 2 clubs

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this topic because I usually think about how we are rapidly advancing in technological development – for example, non-human cashiers in shops.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role model is probably Stephen Hawking because of his ground-breaking studies and theories about the field of astronomy

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

SAMUEL O

I would love to go to space and work on the ISS before it is removed from its orbit

I take singing lessons at school, and I frequently enter writing competitions

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this essay theme because I’ve heard debates online about this question and wanted to attempt to answer it for myself I also thought it was interesting and a challenging-enough topic to select as the basis for my essay

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

I would like to go to a (still undecided) university in Scotland as some of them have great maritime degrees, as I want to become a yacht captain, starting from a deckhand

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLAR'S PROGRAMME?

I enjoy the sessions after school as they aren’t like an average lesson, most of the time they are fun and interactive, such as completing escape rooms created by the sixth form

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I’m involved in sea cadets and air cadets which enables me to become an instructor in activities like sailing and kayaking, and they also allow me to get licenses for different boats and planes

MABEL W

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose my essay theme as I feel that the environment is a very important topic at the moment and wanted to do my own research on how the Earth is being affected by fossil fuels

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

I want to work as a detective

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

Someone I’m inspired by is David Attenborough as he spends so much time educating and exploring the planet

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I play netball for a club outside of school

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

William Butler Yeats

Niamh Fitzgerald - Year 12 Editor, Horizons 2022-23