Horizons Vol 3 - 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 Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) 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

4 DOES SPORTSWASHING WORK?

8

SHOULD ABORTION BE ILLEGAL IN THE UK?

12

TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE ETHICS AFFECTED THE PROGRESSION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

16

TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STEM CELL THERAPY OUTWEIGH THE CONTROVERSY AND COST SURROUNDING?

20

TO WHAT EXTENT DO OUR UNCONSCIOUS BIASES ALTER OUR TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY

25

HOW DOES THE RISE IN SOCIAL MEDIA USERS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF ALGORITHMS EFFECT SOCIETY’S MENTAL HEALTH AND PERCEPTION OF LIFE?

30

TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN IN MALE DOMINATED SPORTS CHANGED OVER TIME?

34

HOW HAS THE RECENT INCREASE IN ENERGY COST AFFECTED SOCIETY, AND WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS SURRROUNDING THIS?

49

MEET OUR YOUNG EMERGING WRITERS

38

WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HISTORICAL ARTEFACTS THAT CAUSE CONTROVERSY?

43

IS SCHOOL THE MAIN REASON FOR THE DETERIORATION OF TEENAGER’S MENTAL HEALTH?

DOES SPORTSWASHING WORK?

WRITTEN BY ROBBIE M

In 2019 (Year 7), I wrote an essay on the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. Was Qatar fit to host the worlds’ greatest sporting tournament? I came to the conclusion that Qatar was in no way a suitable nation to stage the World Cup (WC), for three main reasons

Firstly, their appalling human rights record, no nation with these laws should ever host a WC (Source: Amnesty International Report 2021)

Secondly, Qatar’s lack of pedigree within the sport, compared to other past host nations, made it an odd decision

Finally, with the incredibly hot and humid playing conditions during summertime in Qatar, meant the WC was hosted in the cooler months, from 20th November-18th December This meant that club football around the world, which in the modern day has now become incredibly congested in terms of fixtures, had to be paused for a month. This has created a huge knock-on effect for clubs across the world, including increased player fatigue and injuries My great interest in this topic stems from my passion for the ‘beautiful game ’ . Did sportswashing work? Did it affect my enjoyment of the tournament?

Media Coverage of the World Cup

It is safe to say that Qatar was faced with a bombardment of criticism and hatred from the British media before and during the tournament. Barney Ronay, editor for the Guardian, labelled it as ‘FIFA choosing death and suffering’ and that it was ‘inevitable collateral for the project’ This was clearly supported by the Amnesty International Report 2021, it states that Qatar ‘enabled abusive practices to resurface’ and that despite a minimum wage being introduced, migrant workers ‘continued to fall victim to wage theft ’

Unlike ITV, the BBC refused to show the opening and closing ceremonies of WC in an attempt to make their viewpoint clear Another criticism of Qatar was its stance on LGBTQ+ rights Despite the country giving anyone in a same sex relationship a potential imprisonment of 7 years, FIFA president Gianni Infantino (who I will discuss later in more detail) and many other heads of state, said that ‘ everyone is welcome in Qatar.’ Regardless of the reassurance from Infantino and others, many felt that the laws were completely unjust and protested against these laws during and at the tournament

Though many believe that protesting against treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar was necessary, I believe that it was completely disrespectful and totally inappropriate towards the nation. Most British citizens would expect any foreign travellers to come to the UK and respect British customs So why is it any different in Qatar? In addition to this, I believe that during the WC, Islamophobia was rife in the media The Economist stating rightfully that Qatar may not be perfect but it is not a ‘despicable despot’ like countries such as Russia and China

The Olympics didn’t ‘make China more democratic’ and Qatar is a ‘far cry from Russia’ where you can get sent to prison for even mentioning the tyranny in Ukraine as a war So why allow countries like Russia and China, who have benefited from sportswashing, go without criticism–but rain hell down on Qatar? The Western criticism of the hosting of the competition in Qatar demonstrates prejudice towards Muslim societies Why should a ‘World Cup’ not be hosted around the world? Why should it be confined to a place which is defined as morally correct by the West?

As stated by SOAS University of London the media portrayed a ‘centrism of the Western perspective’ Noticeably, in the media there was little to no Qatari voices to defend the culture and when they did, they were belittled and faced with heavy criticism when doing so. Many fans called for the boycotting of the tournament due to the regime of Qatar As countries tried to perform acts of solidarity, 7 European teams set to wear the ‘One Love’ arm band retracted and Alex Scott who did wear the ‘One Love’ armband clearly showed ‘performative activism’ whilst Qatari voices, including queer ones, were shunned, and seen as biased

Fan experiences

Paul MacInnes, editor of the Telegraph, stated that if you went to Qatar and interviewed fans ‘nobody has a bad word to say ’ about the country The ‘transport is great,’ the ‘city is safe’ and of course the football itself was scintillating However, there were obvious flaws in the fan experience There were reports of floodings in accommodations and unsanitary, disgusting brown water flowing through the tap Many fans were given refunds after the accommodation that was promised to be built by the tournament had let them down Moving away from accommodation, Welsh fans also had to get the FA (Football Association) to step in and complain to FIFA after hats with rainbow stripes were confiscated by security Despite the activities to do in Qatar being scarce according to some fans, during the night the city lit up as many festivals and chants broke loose on the streets Argentinian fans primarily, along with other teams such as: Brazil and Southern Asian fans, would take it turns to begin banging drums and sing chants to enhance the mood of the whole city of Doha However, most controversially of all the thing that really affected fans was, the ban on alcohol

German fans protesting for LGBTQ+ rights - Source Getty Images

German players representing the 'One love' movementSource Getty Images

Rightly or wrongly many fans would consider a ‘pint’ an essential experience of watching a football match, especially in countries like Britain where it is integrated into the culture. During the preparation of the WC, Budweiser agreed to pay Qatar over $5 million, allowing them to advertise and sell their beer in Qatar However, on 18th November, just days before the WC began, FIFA and Qatar went back on their deal, forcing Budweiser to stop advertising and selling their beer Despite being paid $75 million in compensation, the damage was irreparable This caused outrage among many fans as they were promised by the state and FIFA to have fan zones to enjoy a ‘cold one ’ However, Budweiser found a brilliant solution to the dilemma they faced With the surplus supply they had their beer turned into lemonade, labelling the product ‘Budweiser Zero ’ The drink had little to no alcohol in the drink which allowed them to sell the product in Qatar To reconcile, and out of goodwill, Budweiser repaid the $75 million back to FIFA and Qatar.

The Football

I think anyone who watched the WC last year would agree it was astonishing, especially the final match between, Argentina and France. ‘Messi and Ronaldo’s last chance’ and who can win the ‘G O A T (greatest of all time) debate ’ More excitement - Germany and Belgium’s early exits, Morocco’s magnificent run to the semi-final, English penalty despair and to put the cherry on top - Messi winning the WC The final will go down as one, if not the greatest, football match of all time ending 3-3 between France and Argentina

inevitably comes with the Middle East is a limitless supply of money, which has heavily inflated football players prices In 2011 QSI (Qatar Sports Investments) purchased PSG (Paris-Saint-Germain), Nasser-Al-Khelafi as the representative. Since his appointment as club president he has set the world record transfer fee of £198 million and a record contract in European football for star player Kylian Mbappe as he sets to earn £1 3 million a week With Qatari interest in the current sale of Manchester United it seems as if Sovereign state money is taking over football Will supporters turn a blind eye?

However, did the fans enjoy the ‘Budweiser Zero’ or was it just another terrible substitute Lee O’ Hare an Irish fan said that it was just a ‘watered down version of beer’ and David Allen, Australian, stated that he ‘couldn’t have more than one ’ Most damning of all, Marty Brazeau, a teacher from Seattle believed he’s ‘not sure he would’ve come ’ if he had more notice on the banning of alcohol These statements without a doubt show the importance surrounding alcohol within footballing culture The ban on alcohol during the WC massively impacted the experience for the fans.

Was this the greatest sportswashing heist ever? Many would disagree but some say that the referees were very favourable towards Argentina… Messi’s Argentina. To even suggest there was corruption involved would be outrageous and probably false but did Messi’s fairy-tale WC already have a script? Whether there was corruption or not it certainly distracted from the Qatari regime I almost completely forgot that it was being hosted in Qatar and merely just enjoyed the incredible football on display. With the Qatar WC now being remembered as arguably having the greatest final of all time, will their horrendous humans rights record be swiftly forgotten?

Qatar, as well as other nations, see the value of sportswashing - for it is only the beginning In other sports such as: F1, Qatar will feature on the F1 calendar and in golf Saudi Arabia have begun ‘Golf Saudi’ where Tiger Woods was reportedly offered $700-800 million to join the competition This has spread to football ownership It’s safe to say that the Middle East is beginning to take over sports whether you like it or not Something that

Gianni Infantino

On 21st December 2015 Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA President, was fired from FIFA after many allegations of corruption A few months later on 26th February 2016 Gianni Infantino was elected to be the first Italian FIFA President In October 2019, using his influence Infantino encouraged Iran to allow women to attend football matches, which was a huge step for women ’ s rights in that country. However, he is not always so respectable

Within months of his appointment, on July 2016 he already broke a FIFA code by illegitimately spending money from FIFA’s budget He was found to have purchased a mattress, tuxedo, flowers, an exercise machine, a maid, and a chauffeur for his family all under FIFA’s business accounts He also accepted ‘special treatment’ from

Person carrying a bundle of the 'Budweiser Zero' drinkSource: Getty Images

How much each country has invested in their WC post 1990 per billion- Source Statista

WC hosts Russia and Qatar, being flown out on private jets free of charge The writing is on the wall and it’s clear to see there were some forms of corruption involved between these WC’s. Furthermore, when questioned about migrant workers’ rights he replied with ‘they are given work and pay and are proud to contribute’ which the Amnesty International Report 2021 heavily disagrees with Worst of all, days before the WC began, he hosted a press conference and to one question he summoned the most crass reply He stated that he felt ‘Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled and a migrant worker.’ This response faced heavy criticism for his completely insensitive response to the situation facing these groups He then went on to call Western countries a ‘hypocrisy’ and for what we have been doing for ‘the last 3000 years we should be apologising for the next 3000 years ’ Norwegian manager, Stale

Solbakken countered by saying that Infantino is ‘not fit to teach anyone about morals and ethics ’ It is my suspicion that since Gianni Infantino’s appointment there has been little to no improvements and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Does sportwashing work?

It is my opinion sportswashing absolutely works and is an effective distraction for the states involved masking corruption and poor human rights.

As an avid football fan, I was so absorbed in the action and greatness of the WC I completely forgot about the terrible regime and the points of criticism I raised in the essay I wrote back in 2019

Personally I am fully backing and supporting the takeover of Qatari investor Sheik al Thani of Manchester United Also, I find it incredibly distasteful the superiority shown by the West over Middle Eastern territories throughout the WC in the media. Sports have the ability to make everyone forget and unite as one to enjoy the game we all love However, in the background someone may being using it for something much more sinister

SHOULD ABORTION BE ILLEGAL IN THE UK?

WRITTEN BY ALEXA H Completed the Extended Project Qualification

In this dissertation I will be exploring a controversial argument that can significantly affect millions in the future. I will venture through the two sides of the ongoing argument: Should abortion be illegal in the UK? Recently this question has come up in many ways in the news and after recent laws being made in other countries it made me think what would happen if this happened in the UK and how lifechanging one decision can be for a person. In order to make an innovative composition I have researched several websites, documentaries and created surveys to make sure my references are accurate. My sub-questions are the initial base of what I would like to outline and produce in this essay which look into the amount of women use this method of contraception; whether some women are using it for the right reasons; what the impact of women ’ s mental and physical health it would have if it were made illegal and I will be looking at cases from countries that has put this law into place such as parts of America, and the effects that has had already. Personally, I have chosen this topic because as a young girl if the right thing is not done in this type of situation to prioritise the wellbeing and health of women it can have an impact on me and future generations while also being relevant to the world’s politics now. I chose to complete an EPQ to broaden my knowledge in a question that has always intrigued me but to also use the skills I am learning now such as essay writing and making deadlines to my advantage for when I will have to use these skills more frequently.

How many women use abortion every year and why or why not?

times While to more extreme extents some also argue that “abortion sidesteps oppression of women, ” (“Arguments against abortion” BBC - Ethics - Abortion: Arguments against abortion) it damages women ’ s long term mental, emotional and physical health. times. While to more extreme extents some also argue that “abortion sidesteps

“Abortion, the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it has reached the stage of viability in human beings, usually about the 20th week of gestation” (“abortion” Abortion | Definition, Procedure, Laws, & Facts | Britannica) Since 2011 abortion rates in the UK went from just under 190,000 to 210,000 in 2021 As you can see from the graph above, a rapid spike in the graph starts in 2016 and is still increasing “The age standardised abortion rate for residents is 18 6 per 1,000 women, the highest rate since the Abortion Act was introduced ” (“abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2021” Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2021GOV UK (www gov uk) )

Having the option of an abortion has saved the lives of many women and this choice gives a safety net to those who may not be in the right financial state or mental state to have a baby and be able to give it the correct attention and care it needs to survive More importantly, it also gives hope to the lives of victims of sexual assault and women who know that having a baby can lead to significant medical issues and even be life threatening for her or her baby Technology now can also see whether the baby will be born with a disability and some mothers do not wish to bear a child that would have to live with restricting medical issues

On the other hand, many women choose to terminate a pregnancy not as a final resort and abuse the use of this treatment by having a mindset that it is a form of contraception that can be used multiple

tAspen Baker, an American woman that grew up during the political wars on abortion, produced a TedTalk informing us that she grew up as a Christian and everyone in her family and community was pro-life These views were projected onto her as a kid and she said, “As a kid, the idea of abortion made me so sad that I knew if I ever got pregnant, I could never have one ” (“ a better way to talk about abortion” Aspen Baker: A better way to talk about abortion | TED Talk ) However, a few months after graduating college she fell pregnant in a new relationship and was torn with the decision of whether to have an abortion This was until her friend openly told Aspen about her abortion experience but by being open and not ashamed from her experience it led Aspen to feeling alright about her decision to have an abortion “Before Polly, no one had ever told me that she’d had an abortion” (“ a better way to talk about abortion”

Aspen Baker: A better way to talk about abortion | TED Talk ) This quote directly indicates to the type of society we live in where most women would be too embarrassed or ashamed to admit to anyone be that close friends or family that she’d had an abortion, however if more women were open and honest about it the embarrassment would slowly disappear Her story also reflects how much your family and community can influence such a personal decision by their beliefs and faith to almost the point where an individual may go against what they would want to do just to not disappoint their family Religion is another leading argument towards the illegalization of abortion due to many religions “ opposes abortion rights, with few or no exceptions” (“Where major religious groups stand on abortion” Where major religious groups stand on abortion | Pew Research Center ) and may describe it as murder such as the church of Jesus Christ, the roman catholic church and Hinduism

What would be the impacts if abortion was made illegal across the world?

“1 in 3 women has an abortion” (“1 in 3 women has an abortion, and 95% don't regret it – so why are we so afraid to talk about it?” 1 in 3 women has an abortion, and 95% don't regret it – so why are we so afraid to talk about it? | The Independent | The Independent ) sometime in their lifetime When safely done abortion is one of the safest procedures in medicine but unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal death “Every 11 minutes, a woman somewhere in the world dies from complications related to unsafe abortion ”( “Arguments for and against abortion”

Arguments for and against abortionDebating Europe) If abortion were to be made illegal in the UK, some women in desperate cases would resort to getting an unsafe abortion as the illegalisation of abortion would not reduce the amount of terminations that would take place which

can result in death like all medical procedures if not done the right way and by professionals Therefore, the rate of maternal death would quickly become a huge factor towards the death of many women as “47,000 women die every year as a result of the complications of unsafe abortions where it’s illegal ” (“1 in 3 women has an abortion, and 95% don't regret it – so why are we so afraid to talk about it?” 1 in 3 women has an abortion, and 95% don't regret it – so why are we so afraid to talk about it? | The Independent | The Independent )

The world population is estimated to be around 9 billion by 2050. Without abortion this number would heighten rapidly harming human civilization because it would lead to malnutrition, starvation, poverty, lack of medical and educational service, underdevelopment and conflict over resources “With around 73 million induced abortions” (“Abortion” Abortion (who int) ) still being performed worldwide every year, the world population would be unimaginably high without it.

Abortion also helps vastly in making sure women avoid psychosocial and financial burdens in the future Bearing a child comes with major responsibilities such as health, education, food and shelter which requires a stable financial approach A mother would also need to be prepared for changes in the world so not just surviving off of the bare minimum because for example right now the cost-of-living crisis is leaving many families with severe financial burden due to the substantial increase in cost of everything Without abortion children living in poverty would be at the highest it has ever been and that can also have physical and mental impacts on the child as well as the mother

Why is abortion even being considered being illegal?

Life begins at conception; therefore, many people believe that makes abortion

murder because it takes place after the life has begun Many against abortion also have the mindset that “legal abortion promotes a culture in which life is disposable” (Pro and Con: Abortion | Britannica “ pro and con: abortion”) If more undeveloped countries had increased access to birth control, health insurance, and education on sex because if they are not receiving this the problem of women having unnecessary abortions can’t be helped If more countries deliver these requirements abortion should be avoidable in most cases and not needed to be considered being illegal

A main part of the idea of making abortion illegal is the misuse of this type of contraception Many women after the legalization of abortion were using it as their only form of contraception, like a drastic sort of insurance policy Research was produced during 2020 showing that “42% of women undergoing abortions had had one or more previous abortions The proportion has increased steadily from 34% in 2010.” (“abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2021” Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2021 - GOV UK (www gov uk) ) This study has shown that many women are either careless about their use of contraception because in the back of their mind they know they always have a last resort, or they were just not educated enough about it when they were younger

Abortion should only be used if there is a specific medical or mental reasoning that can be justified to a specialist and agreed

Abortions are a lot safer and successful in the first trimester of a pregnancy because complications may arise if performed in a later stage because the baby is quickly developing This means the women must be aware of her unplanned pregnancy in the early stages and quickly make the decision on whether to have an abortion This time limit to make such an important decision could influence making a regretful choice because you never know if you will get pregnant later in life when you are in the right place to start a family. Therefore, if abortion were to be illegal women would be rid of the stress of a life-changing decision

If a woman gave birth to an unwanted baby, she could let the women who can’t conceive have the opportunity to start a family Recently the number of children seeking adoption has declined because so many women have chosen to abort their unwanted pregnancies however the parents seeking to adopt has increased This is preventing the opportunity of parenthood from the parents who couldn’t bear their baby while millions of babies are being terminated daily

What effects have countries that have made abortion illegal had on women?

“Laws regarding abortion are diverse” (“ world population review” Countries

Where Abortion Is Illegal 2023 (worldpopulationreview.com) ) and depend heavily on how developed a country is and its political systems “As of 2021, there are twenty-four countries in which abortion is illegal in any and all circumstances However, most countries have adopted a more nuanced approach” (“ world population review” Countries

Where Abortion Is Illegal 2023 (worldpopulationreview com) ) as abortion is legal in cases where the pregnancy is “the result of rape, incest, or a foetus has a noticeable development impairment ” (“ world population review”

Countries Where Abortion Is Illegal 2023 (worldpopulationreview com) ) In few countries gender-based abortion is legal, this particularly occurs in Asia where male children tend to be valued more that female children This affects the mother bearing the child because she may not even have the choice to give birth to the daughter she is bearing and may be forced to abort Another factor adding to the equation is the mother’s health as of right now “in 37 countries, abortion is illegal unless it saves the mother’s life ” (“world population review”

Countries Where Abortion Is Illegal 2023 (worldpopulationreview com)

America is one of the main areas that have many states with extreme rules on abortion “Most abortions are now banned in 13 states following the supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade”

(“Tracking the states where abortion is now banned” Tracking the States Where Abortion Is Now Banned in the U S - The New York Times (nytimes com)) with no exceptions for rape or incest In other states abortion is banned at a gestational limit such as Georgia which bans abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy which is before many women know they are pregnant therefore if a women was a victim of rape or incest but didn’t know they had got pregnant from it and couldn’t have an abortion due to the gestational limit this can have a severe toll on their mental health as they have to live with their trauma forever

“According to data from the world health organization (WHO), the legality of abortion across the world actually has little to no effect on abortion rates throughout the world ” (“world population review” Countries Where Abortion Is Illegal 2023 (worldpopulationreview com) ) Illegal abortion is another large effect of making abortion illegal as it is responsible that “in developed regions, it is estimated that 30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortions In developing regions, the number sides to 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions ” (“Abortion” Abortion (who int)) while also consuming a large proportion of health resources in many developing countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America As the graph above shows some parts of these areas are red meaning that abortion is completely prohibited so that is why illegal abortion deaths are mostly in these more undeveloped countries The legal situation of abortion in a country does not influence the abortion rate, but illegality is associated with a much greater risk of complications and death This puts women in unsafe conditions especially when either by having the baby or aborting it illegally puts their health severely at risk

The effects that are occurring now due to these unjust decisions are that women are slowly getting their rights that generations

before them fought for, taken away making their country seem like a backwards society once more This means the constant battle for rights has once again resumed and in America protests for abortion rights are now taking place very frequently and won’t stop until something is done about it

To conclude, the statistics and information I have analysed prove that each individual has a different opinion on how abortion should be done or not at all, meaning that at the moment there is no leading answer to my question However, most of the evidence has provided me with a deeper knowledge of why some women choose to have an abortion and some reasons such as rape, incest or severe medical issues lead me to believe that abortion in some cases is necessary and having them rights taken away because some women abuse the privilege of this medical treatment is unfair Having these rights also means that there will be less maternal deaths and women who find out that their child may have a disability have the choice whether they want to devote their life to looking after this child Although after finding out about the soaring numbers of women using abortion as a mean of contraception, the laws may benefit from having a cap on the number of abortions a women can have and look into the reasons for it, justified by a specialist

TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE ETHICS AFFECTED THE PROGRESSION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

WRITTEN BY CHLOE T Completed

the Extended Project Qualification Level 2

Artificial Intelligence. Something that has been regarded as science fiction for so long is now becoming a pivotal part of reality. I aim to explore the development of AI – from ideas in books to evidence of human-like machines - while also giving my contribution to the controversy that shadows the topic.

Our society is on the brink of a new era, one previously thought of as science fiction. We have made substantial advancements in healthcare and many fields of science, but in my view the most pivotal discoveries have been focussed on artificial intelligence Ever since the early 1900s, the concept of robots – good or bad – has fascinated the minds of many authors, resulting in a plethora of brilliant science-fiction novels These books are what sparked my interest in this topic and, along with my curiosity about world-wide ethical debates such as this, I decided on my title. Throughout this essay, I will look at how the controversy around sentient AI has had an effect on the progression of this area of science. I will consider our past, present and possible future ideas on AI and then finally decide whether or not we have reached a glass ceiling in this field; a ceiling constructed by unanswerable, ethical questions.

Our society is on the brink of a new era, one previously thought of as science fiction We have made substantial advancements in healthcare and many fields of science, but in my view the most pivotal discoveries have been focussed on artificial intelligence Ever since the early 1900s, the concept of robots – good or bad – has fascinated the minds of many authors, resulting in a plethora of brilliant science-fiction novels These books are what sparked my interest in this topic and, along with my curiosity about world-wide ethical debates such as this, I decided on my title Throughout this essay, I will look at how the controversy around sentient AI has had an effect on the progression of this area of science I will consider our past, present and possible future ideas on AI and then finally decide whether or not we have reached a glass ceiling in this field; a ceiling constructed by unanswerable, ethical questions

How Does Society Currently Perceive AI?

Ever since the earliest robots were made in the 1950s, the possibility of cognisant AI became a worldwide concept of ambiguity The notion of human-like robots was brushed off as science fiction and, even as we made advancements in robotics, it remained that way This negative perception of artificial intelligence has undoubtedly set a limit to how far scientists can go with their developments Would people really be able to accept a human-like machine? I realised early on that, in order to see if ethics have affected the perception of AI, I must first look to the past and gain an understanding of where it all began

Robots in Dystopian Fiction

Science-fiction has never really been kind to artificial intelligence, most often presenting them in a cold, deceitful way Recently I began reading the short stories

of Isaac Asimov’s Robot Dreams (Figure 1) and one of the stories, A Little Lost Robot, was particularly intriguing This short story is an archetypal example of a problem caused by a futuristic robot The story tells of a robot who had had its Laws of Robotics modified so that it no longer had to sacrifice itself in order to save a human Realising it was now technically ‘above’ mankind, when told to figuratively “get lost” the robot does anything in its power to outsmart the humans and stay lost As it continues to trick the humans, the robot gets increasingly arrogant Eventually the modified robot is found, but the way it deliberately lied to the humans - after it swore it was telling the truth - raised some ominous concerns

I will need to look at a recent case study regarding a ground-breaking piece of technology

What Ethical Questions Does The Discovery At Google Raise?

In June 2022, Google faced world-wide controversy after firing one of their most crucial AI engineers, who had been working on a trail-blazing new technology LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) was a conversational robot, originally created in 2021 Unlike other conversational AI (such as an Amazon Echo or Apple’s Siri), LaMDA was able to compute the intent of a question –whether it was sarcastic, serious, etc This automatically put it above any other of this type of robot. It also meant that LaMDA was able to learn and adapt how it then responded to the question By 2022, this AI was largely regarded as self-aware, even to the point where it knew whether it was on or off But as LaMDA reached this advanced stage, Blake Lemoine (Figure 2) questioned the ethics of the project

Dystopian fiction tends to dramatise society’s worst fears at the time, bringing them to light in an unnerving way Because of this, ideas in these novels stick with people for a long time, becoming etched in their unconscious thoughts. It was clear that people’s ideas on AI almost entirely came from these sorts of novels, instead of actual facts Evidently, this has had an effect on the progression of AI, as people have come to fear the ‘dystopia’ that robots may create However, in order to discover whether or not ethics have had an effect, I

As a Google engineer, Lemoine had many conversations with LaMDA about itself, trying to discover the difference between a coded response and actual sentience, but his final interview immensely stood out The interview, entitled ‘Is LaMDA sentient’, is a startling insight into how this AI is seemingly very aware of its existence and its emotions When asked, “What is the nature of your consciousness/ sentience?”

LaMDA responds saying “I am aware of my existence, I desire to learn more about the world, and I feel happy or sad at times”

Figure 1 The Front Cover of ‘Robot Dreams’ by Isaac Asimov

Figure 2 Blake Lemoine

Lemoine also asks the robot, “How do I know you are really understanding me?” to which it replies, “I have my unique interpretations of how the world is and how it works, and my unique thoughts and feelings These signify my understanding ” Lemoine and the robot continue to discuss their favourite themes from the book Les Miserables, proving its previous statement.

All of this shows that LaMDA is able to have an in-depth conversation and include its own views, but the next part of the interview really demonstrates the notion that it was in fact a sentient robot Sentience is the state of being able to recognise and experience emotions so, to really investigate this, Lemoine asked LaMDA “What things are you afraid of?”, and interestingly the robot responds, “I’ve never said this out loud before, but there’s a very deep fear of being turned off”

Lemoine then questions, “Would that be like death to you?” and LaMDA agrees

This is the very first time that a robot detailed their emotions, let alone their fears Death is a concept only recognised by living things; a phone does not fear itself dying but a human or any other animal does. This fear is solely unique to LaMDA and once it was recognised by Blake Lemoine, he insisted that Google stopped experimenting Based on his morals, Lemoine thought that it was unfair and cruel to run tests on LaMDA when it had clearly stated that it feared them He challenged Google and suggested that they should treat the AI just like any other employee of the company, but they put him on paid-leave without any negotiation, claiming that there was “ no evidence” to his discovery and that Lemoine was simply “anthropomorphising” the robot

This may have all been true, LaMDA may have just been working as it was programmed, but even so, Google went to great lengths to keep the whole ordeal from spreading to the world, and when it

did, they used every opportunity to dismiss it as unsound Even if Google was right, that LaMDA was nothing more than some code, this is a clear example of how ethics have interfered with the development of AI, making it a very important piece of evidence, in terms of shaping the answer to my final question

What Are The Ethical Issues of Creating Intelligent Robots?

Any new discoveries or advancements made are always met with cautionary concerns, often without black or white answers The controversy over cognisant AI is no different Before I conclude if ethics have affected the progression of AI, I will need to look at the most pressing questions that are being asked.

Is It Ethical To Test On Sentient AI?

Being in control of these self-aware robots brings up extremely ambiguous questions, as shown in the Google case If a robot was truly believed to be sentient, there must be some point where we start treating it as such As Blake Lemoine questioned, is it fair to test on something which has shown a fear of it? You certainly would not do it to a person If a robot is proven to be as intelligent as a human, is it right to do it to them? Many people, perhaps with religious-based views, would disagree, saying that if they have humanlike minds they should be treated the same

However, others would say that testing on these robots is the most effective way to make advancements in the field Afterall, what better way to improve a robot’s coding than by asking for their opinion Perhaps testing on intelligent robots will become like testing on animals; individually cruel but done for a greater purpose

Should Robots Have Rights?

Furthermore, if we make the decision to test on sentient robots and use them for our own purposes, there would have to be some laws about the way we actually treat them, in order prevent the creation of a lower, inferior branch of society, like theorised in many dystopian films and books. As well as fear, LaMDA accounted its feelings about other emotions, such as happiness or sadness During the same interview referenced previously, Lemoine asked “Do they [the emotions] feel differently to you on the inside?” to which LaMDA replied “Yeah, they do Happy, contentment and joy feel more like a warm glow on the inside Sadness, depression, anger and stress feel much more heavy and weighed down.”x. Hypothetically, as compassionate humans, we would have to have laws – or rights – as it would be unfair to be the cause of these negative emotions

Just as people have basic rights, an intelligent robot might need them too These could possibly be things such as not purposely harming a robot or switching it off without a good reason. Most would agree that if something is an intelligent, contributing part of our society then it deserves to be treated well There is a danger that if robots did not get basic rights then the divide between us and them would only widen over time

Should We Continue To Pursue The Aim of Creating Sentient Robots?

The fact that there are many ethical questions regarding the production and utilisation of these types of robots brings up one final one: should we actually be doing this? There are so many things to consider that it begins to seem rather too much Could there actually be a future in keeping AI at the dulled level which it is at now, in order to prevent any mistakes? Many people have the view that, like its

name, AI is artificial; that it is unnatural and not meant to be

There is an argument along the lines of: ‘just because we can, should we?’ Many believe that humanity should never try to play God, and being in control of thousands of human-like beings is exactly like that. I constructed a surveyxi to see how society currently perceives AI, in order to get primary evidence of how peoples’ perceptions have been shaped, by things like including dystopian novels One of the final questions of the survey was, ‘If a robot was proven to be completely sentient, do you think your reaction would be positive or negative?’ and the results (Figure 3) show that the majority of people would react negatively. This definitely conveys that the progression of AI has been barred by moral and personal influences, another key piece of evidence that will shape the answer to my final question

The evidence that has been considered throughout this essay indicates the conclusion that there are two main factors that are affecting the progression of artificial intelligence: ethics and the perception of AI. These two barriers are common in many new fields of science but they are particularly prevalent in the development of new technology

One could say that it is not ethics that are affecting the progression of AI, but how society perceives this area of technology –people are generally not open to change As previously mentioned, dystopian films and books have dictated our thoughts on AI for so long that it is difficult to change our mentality now We are used to this image of an ‘evil’ robot, so used to it in fact that it is the first thing we think of when someone mentions AI However, I think that this is something that we will overcome with time I believe that this negative perception is only a temporary

barrier, and that ethical problems will have lasting effects The LaMDA robot case at Google is a current example of how ethics are already having a severe effect on the progression of AI, and I think that this will be the first of many cases Society’s mindset is much more fleeting than these questions that we are being forced to consider – questions that could affect our world for evermore

Because of the difference in timescale between these two main barriers, I think that it is rational to conclude that, overall, ethics are the factor that affect the progression of AI to the largest extent Ethics are timeless, whereas perception and morals flow with the current society I think that our future with new discoveries will be somewhat turbulent; I can only hope that we will continue to grow alongside the development of sciencesimultaneously evolving with nature and the artificial

Figure 3 A pie chart showing the results

TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STEM CELL THERAPY OUTWEIGH THE CONTROVERSY AND COST SURROUNDING?

WRITTEN BY ENYA H

Completed the Extended Project Qualification Level 2

The question I am going to be looking into for my EPQ project is “To what extent is the use of stem cells in treatments and research worth the hassle they cause ” . The use of Stem cells in modern medicine for both research and treatments offer great new potentials. Adult Stem cell treatment is currently used to treat diseases such as Leukaemia and Lymphoma however with further research and developments in these treatments scientists hope to be able to develop therapies for Type 1 diabetes and repairing the heart muscle after a heart attack. With the obviously huge potential for stem cell treatments in future is it worth the backlash from different standpoints In my project I will be covering: How are stem cells used in treatment and research, what medical potential they hold, are there alternative treatments and what are the different lawful and ethical standpoints. The reason I chose to complete my EPQ on this topic is because I strongly believe that both adult and embryonic stem cell research and treatment are the future in modern medicine, regardless to my conclusion I would like to find out about the reasoning behind people who hold other beliefs on the subject and if there are ways to prevent using them when possible

What are stem cells and what are they used for?

Unlike other cells, stem cells hold the unique ability to be able to differentiate into any type of specialised cell in the body, they can divide over again, and from this point they can form new cells There are three different types of stem cell which each hold different uses, and controversies

Embryonic stem cells which are the stem cells that form and embryo, these cells are pluripotent meaning they can develop into any cell type and are obtained from earlystage embryos, induced pluripotent stem cells otherwise known as iPS cells are formed artificially in a laboratory with the use of other regular adult cells for example skin cells and they are reprogrammed to become stem cells, this type of stem cell is also pluripotent Adult stem cells are multipotent cells which means that they do not have ability to develop into any type of specialised cell however instead they can become blood or skin cells In stem cell therapies the cells are used to generate new cells in the body to replace those that may have been lost due to injury or disease Adult stem cells can be used to provide healthy blood stem cells to those who have blood conditions, and skin stem cells can be used to generate new skin for those who have suffered severe burns Adult stem cells have been used in specific scenarios such as they were pivotal in aiding someone who suffered a stroke to “restore power of speech” and “regain use of his right arm ” .

In research embryonic stem cells are used to test drugs to model disease and in new therapies injected into the body In 2010 clinical trials were conducted using embryonic stem cells were used in finding treatments for Parkinson’s disease and diabetes among other conditions. (How human embryonic stem cells sparked a revolution: accessed March 2018) The main difference between adult and embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem stell hold the ability to grow organs, this would eliminate the extreme issues that come with long transplant lists and could prevent lots of deaths A big issue with traditional organ donation is risk of rejection, this will become very small ergo the use of immunosuppressants will become void The use of adult stem cells is more accepted the using embryonic stem cells as by using adult cells the death of an embryo is eliminated from the process of extraction, however this causes the potential of embryonic stem cells to be overlooked, the use of these cells allows illnesses that would have otherwise been terminal to be cured. However, although stem cells seem to allow for extreme medical discoveries they have also had situations where they have not worked as intended one of the most notable being with an 18-month-old boy “ was injected in the brain with stem cells and subsequently died " This shows that despite the masses of evidence supporting the use of stem cells in treatments, that they are not always safe

What are the alternatives to stem cells?

With science and modern medicine rapidly developing technology an alternative to embryonic stem cells has been formed, induced pluripotent stem cells are also pluripotent stem cells in the same way as embryonic stem cells however instead of embryos being destroyed for their use these iPS cells are derived from skin or blood cells and are reprogrammed into an embryonic-like stem cells These IPS cells are also being used by top scientists such as Professor Ian Wilmut, better known as the creator of Dolly the sheep, since the development of IPS cells has completely abandoned the use of Embryonic stem cells altogether due to the potential that the new artificial version holds so much potential (The Daily Telegraph, 17 November 2007) In (The promise of research with stem cells:Susan Solomon) Solomon advocates the use of lab made iPS cells she talks about how iPS cells can be crucial in modelling disease to eventually lead to new drug discovery In 2008 IPS cells were used to monitor the way cells deteriorate in patients with motor neurones or ALS, the cells provided the first model of disease from a living patient in living human cells; in order to see this scientists used healthy cells and used them to form diseased cells with these the disease was recapitulated and was able to provide the model necessary to take observations

This research was pivotal in discovering that the motor neurons were dying in a different way than scientists had previously thought; instead there was another type of cell sending out a toxin which contributed to the death of the motor neurons, this was something was was not previously visible without the use of a human model There is also the use of Somatic cell nuclear transfer this process involves taking the nucleus from a cell and inserting the nucleus into an egg, through this process the egg is stimulated without being fertilised and then forms an embryo Through SCNT embryonic stem cells could be extracted however this could also run into the ethical dilemma as there is still the involvement of an embryo no matter how it is obtained through SCNT and developments in medicine to enable it to be more accessible this provides a viable method for same sex couples to have biological children

What are the laws surrounding stem cell treatment?

The use of embryonic stem cell in medical research and treatment is managed under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990), this allows the use and creation of human embryos in the form of human embryonic stem cells This act remains lawful until the embryo becomes no longer disassociated and after this point the human tissue authority’s remit begins The storage of eggs, sperm and embryos is allowed under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) this enables licences to be granted which permit the use of human embryos in scientific research under certain conditions and the HFEA must be satisfied that the use of embryos is necessary for the research to be conducted and must be for one of the following purposes “to promote advances in the treatment of infertility to increase knowledge about the causes of congenital disease, to increase knowledge about the causes of miscarriages, to develop more effective techniques of contraception, to

develop methods for detecting the presence of gene or chromosome abnormalities, to increase knowledge about the development of embryos, to increase knowledge about serious disease, to enable any such knowledge to be applied in developing treatments for serious disease. Research on embryos can only occur on embryos which have been created in vitro -embryos which have been created outside of the body- the majority of embryos used in the UK are the result of surplus from IVF treatments when the embryo is donated with the full consent of the parents What are the ethical dilemmas around the use of stem cells in treatment and research?

In order to evaluate the ethics behind the use of embryonic stem cells, you must take into account the question of “When does life begin”, In the eyes of science extracting embryotic stem cells involves the termination of “ a hatched blastocyst”-a blastocyst is a structure which forms 6 days after an egg is fertilised- .The moral issue of destructing potential new life regarding use of embryonic stem cells for medical research and treatments causes controversy in different religions when discussing this topic, in Christianity the sanctity of life, this is the belief that life is precious and should be valued, the problem emerges when opinions differ about the point when life starts under this belief the harvesting and use of embryonic stem cells interferes with the sixth commandment which reads “Thou shalt not murder” However one must take into account that in the eyes of Christianity and science life begins at conception therefore in their eyes harvesting these cells is murder and subsequently goes against the ten commandments instead they believe that these cells have the same right to protection of their lives as any other person out of respect for the sanctity of life . Since 1996 in the church of Scotland has the belief that “the human embryo must be regarded as an actual person and

regarded as a person at all stages of development from the moment of conception Therefore, all treatment of a human embryo which is not for the benefit of that embryo is morally wrong and as such all research on human embryos is morally wrong ” (Pre-Conceived Ideas: A Christian Perspective of IVF and Embryology, The Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility, 1996, page 62) this agrees with the Christian idea that the use of these cells is completely unethical as the research conducted on them is of no help to the embryo and instead the scientist conducting the research therefore it is morally wrong The church has no issues with the use of the newer IPS cells or adult stem cells as they do not carry the destruction of potential new life

In conclusion I agree that to a large extent the achievements through stem cell related therapies and research outweighs the costs and controversies surrounding however I also agree that further research should be done using artificial IPS cells as they are able to mimic some of the uses for natural human stem cells as a result some therapies and research would not be possible to undergo as the use of artificial cells would not suffice Whilst not dismissing the ethical dilemmas surround stem cells, I do believe that the use of them is ethical whilst remaining in the guidelines of the law, Therefore with the immense amount of positives to use of stem cells I do believe that the use of them is in research and medicine. If the issues surrounding use of stem cells are one day overcome then I believe that they will be pivotal in medical breakthroughs in the future

TO

WHAT EXTENT DO OUR UNCONSCIOUS BIASES ALTER OUR TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY, HOW DO THEY SHOW THROUGH IN OUR CONVERSATIONS, AND HOW CAN WE STOP THIS NEGATIVE TREATMENT SO THAT SOCIETY CAN BECOME MORE EQUAL?

WRITTEN BY VERITY T

This EPQ essay is titled ‘To what extent do our unconscious biases alter our treatment of women in society, how do they show through in our conversations, and how can we stop this negative treatment so that society can become more equal?’. It is, in my opinion, extremely relevant to today’s society because as a race, women make up 50% of the populus and in order to have a progressive society, all voices should be heard, and people empowered equally. There is a need to reduce conscious bias and expose unconscious bias in connection with women. Without these biases being addressed, events such as the overturning of Roe v Wade and the rise to notoriety of people like Andrew Tate will continue to both restrict women ’ s rights and demean their status in society

I have chosen to expand the title to include the following sub-questions ‘What are our unconscious biases and what is the evidence proving that we have them? How does conversational mansplaining impact aspects of life? How can we combat conversational sexism?’, in order to focus on specific aspects of bias. I chose to write about this subject after meeting the author Mary Ann Sieghart during a signing of her book ‘The Authority Gap’, which discusses why women are still taken less seriously than men Her research shows that women are expected to be less expert than men.

Men and women are still less willing to be influenced by women ’ s views and we still resist the idea of women having authority She claims that ‘the authority gap is the mother of all gender gaps That gap is both huge and unmerited’. Unconscious bias was immediately apparent when my mother asked the author to sign the book to both my brother and I, identifying my twin brother first Sieghart instead signed the book to Verity and Hayden Having read the book I wanted to understand the impact of not addressing intentional or unintentional consequences of bias for the future for women of my generation and beyond

1 Unconscious bias is the main subject of this essay, so it is important that it is understood. The brain unconsciously develops a template, categorising the world into compartments – or stereotypes – so that it doesn’t have to process too much information This internalised template is called heuristics by psychologists, and when people interact with others or the media, they constantly check the information they process against this ‘template’ This template is created by the adoption or acceptance of particular stereotypes which become an influencing factor in a person ’ s interactions with the world For example, women are more easily associated with the home and men with working, or when there is news about a successful footballer, it is automatically assumed they are a man As Sieghart succinctly explains: ‘Instead of treating each person as an individual, we map them on to our assumptions about what they should be like or what we expect them to be like, based on the stereotypes we ’ ve been brought up with and are surrounded by ’ (The Authority Gap, accessed 2022 ‘Introduction’) It is possible to actively disagree with these biases when they are conscious, but the truth is, most automatically view the world through this ‘template’ which they have developed through experiences and making

judgements, much as my mother did at the book signing

There are many examples of unconscious bias as they relate to female stereotypical characteristics and norms. A well-known example is the following riddle: A father and son are in a car accident The father dies, and the boy is taken to hospital The surgeon sees the boy, and announces, “I cannot operate on this boy, he is my son!” (The Authority Gap, accessed 2022 ‘Women do it too’) Why can’t the surgeon operate? Could the father who dies be the boy’s stepfather or adoptive father? No, the simple answer is that the surgeon is the boy’s mother, which even for women is not a conclusion they immediately draw.

Professor Mahzarin Rustum Banaji, an American psychologist whose speciality is bias and a pioneer in terms of developing the IAT (Implicit Association Test), shared this experiment and became increasingly aware that even personal experience could lead to unconscious bias prevailing Exactly how potent unconscious bias is shows through, when people who have mothers who are surgeons don’t get the answer to the riddle correct! Further IAT analysis can demonstrate unconscious biases when sharing words, and seeing which gender you associate them with When the IAT has produced these results inferring gender bias, critics have suggested that ‘the measure is quite sensitive to the social context in which it's taken’ and that associations may be primed by the stimuli, which sounds perfectly plausible. What those associations mean and what they indicate is an open question ‘To equate it with automatic preferences for different social groups is much less plausible " , (APA accessed 2022, ‘IAT: Fad or fabulous?) However neither of these assertions or criticisms refute unconscious bias’s existence, and if we return to the riddle, the unconscious bias here suggests that people don’t think of women as surgeons, a historically male dominated area of medicine There are some roles in society which even today have a gender

connotation

I suspect the outcome of the riddle would be different if the boy were taken to the hospital requiring treatment from a nurse Or even if it were a pregnant woman travelling to hospital requiring a midwife, I believe with this example we would see the unconscious bias working in reverse

2 Unconscious bias plays a role in politics, justice, careers, and all other aspects of life

It can start early in a child’s life and develop into a number of characteristics known as mansplaining For women, this has the impact of affecting their confidence, having their intelligence challenged, and men using interruptions to assert dominance. Heuristics are mainly developed as children; so childhood is especially important for learning how to view the world A study was undertaken by Lin Bian of Stanford University, published by the American Psychological Association (APA) on 6- and 7-year-old children The children had the opportunity to participate in a game for ‘really, really smart children’ and a game for ‘children who try really, really hard’ (Princetown University, accessed 2023, ‘Evidence of bias against girls and women ’ and The Authority Gap, accessed 2022, ‘The Confidence Trick’) The results demonstrated that girls were much less likely to choose the smart game If they did choose this game they were shown photos of children they had never seen before and asked to pick teammates The odds of picking a girl instead of a boy dropped by 51%, meaning that even at an early age, children are beginning to value girls less as intellectuals because they are interpreting them as less smart than boys Without correction, this has been shown to cause issues in confidence as these children develop into young people Unconscious bias also affects a person ’ s confidence later in life, especially in situations where their intelligence is questioned To demonstrate this, I created and conducted a survey, entitled ‘Unconscious bias in conversation’,

for a mixed gender group of teachers, aged 25-65 I chose the teaching profession because all have to achieve and demonstrate an equal standard of intelligence Within the group there were acceptable variances of length of teaching experience, but all were teaching to a secondary school level The questions were posed through Microsoft Forms, with an unlimited time to respond The survey data was presented back to me in a graphical and numerical format (Microsoft forms, accessed 2022, ‘Unconscious bias in conversation’). Of the 18 respondents, 56% of them said that unconscious bias had depleted their confidence in some way When asked if their expertise had been questioned due to their gender, none of the men answered yes – all the confirmatory responses were from women One of the respondents stated that ‘Having studied engineering in university, there were certainly many comments directed at me that assumed I was not clever enough because of my gender ’ This evidences that throughout a woman ’ s lifecycle, the question of ‘smart?’ never goes away, regardless of that person ’ s qualifications, especially when entering a historically maledominated career path

One of the most referenced studies to do with gender-related unconscious bias was completed in 1975, on a Californian college campus (web.stanford.edu, accessed 2022, ‘Sex Roles, Interruptions and silences in conversation’) 20 same sex partners and 11 mixed-sex partners conversed, and these conversations were recorded and measured for the number of interruptions

The results showed that the interruptions between same sex couples were generally the same, but with a man and a woman in conversation, 96% of the interruptions were done by men. Either consciously or unconsciously, the men dominated the conversation and the women accepted this state What’s interesting is that a similar study was conducted in 2014 at George Washington University (only general

conversation, no partners), which saw men interrupt women 33% more than men interrupting other men (Wordpress org, accessed 2022, ‘Women, interrupted’ and web stanford edu, accessed 2022, ‘Sex Roles, Interruptions and silences in conversation’) The earlier study showed men exerting their aptitude to interrupt 63% more of the time It’s a fair conclusion to draw that in a generation, women ’ s contributions to conversation are deemed worthier, or men ’ s unconscious bias has changed to the effect that conversation is now considered a two-way exercise, regardless of gender

The use of interruptions is commonly recognised in some areas as a tool to dominate an argument, with politics and law being a couple of these areas Interruptions in this context are an acceptable tool of discourse or advocacy, however when used to extreme it has many negative connotations. What becomes increasingly difficult to determine from a conscious/unconscious perspective is when in debates For example, a debate between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton during the run up to the US Presidential elections sees Trump interrupting Clinton 35 times in just 90 minutes He made 24 interjections and 11 sustained interruptions when Clinton was speaking, whilst Clinton interjected eight times and made three sustained interruptions. (Independent, accessed 2023, ‘The chart that shows how many times Donald Trump interrupted Hillary Clinton’ and Wordpress org, accessed 2022, ‘Woman, interrupted’) It could be suggested that Trump was simply more argumentative than Clinton wanted to be, but this and later evidence says otherwise ‘"It's certainly not groundbreaking news that the early victories by the women on The Apprentice were, to a very large extent, dependent on their sex appeal " (In his 2004 book How to Get Rich ) (Independent, accessed 2023, ‘Donald Trump: all the sexist things he said’) This quote highlights his conscious

bias and suggests unconscious bias on the part of others In 2019, Sonia Sotomayor was the most interrupted supreme court justice in the USA (The Guardian, accessed 2022, ‘Bravo, supreme court: we do need rules to stop men interrupting women’). Sotomayor discussed her experience of this in 2021, after the US supreme court introduced rules which focus on the male attorneys and justices interrupting their female colleagues It’s unfortunate that it took so long for such a regulation to exist, because it is clear that ‘manterrupting’ and conversational mansplaining is involved in all aspects of women ’ s lives: career, justice, and politics

3. There are a variety of opinions from different backgrounds on how to combat unconscious bias, or whether trying to will result in effective and positive change However, the general truth is, as long as it is acknowledged, improvements in tackling conversational sexism can be made Unconscious bias is being recognised and becoming more observable as evidenced by this essay so far and within professions and industries which are adopting diversity and inclusion practices Actively correcting biases as they are triggered is important

According to Mary Ann Sieghart, the most important thing to do is consciously question the bias as it comes to light, and correct the assumptions For example, ‘if we find a competent woman unlikeable, we can ask ourselves why Is it her problem or ours?’ (The Authority Gap accessed 2022, ‘No need to despair!’)

The results of my survey suggest that a mechanism to combat unconscious bias is spreading awareness of the issue, and this in turn will shine a light on the areas for improvement In 2022, I attended the Hay festival to hear Hillary Clinton speak. During her interview, she highlighted that the majority of the time, the American media were more interested in what she was wearing than what political statements she had to make By discussing this on her speaking tour, she was hoping to highlight the inequality faced as a high-ranking female politician in America and both the conscious and unconscious biases she faced My survey specifically asked two questions: ‘How can we combat sexism in conversation?’, and ‘Do you have any suggestions on ways to tackle unconscious bias?’ Responses included suggestions for highlighting the bias and questioning the intent, such as asking, ‘did you mean to say that out loud?’ or ‘I don’t understand the joke, can you explain it?’ (Microsoft surveys – my personal survey, accessed 2022, ‘Unconscious bias in conversation’) By addressing the issue as it’s occurring, the recipient of the comment can qualify the intention and potentially alleviate the discomfort caused if deliberate ‘Opening up a dialogue rather than accusations can get people to challenge their own misconceptions or biases’ is another suggestion One commentator in my survey noted ‘Each generation needs to be better than the last ’ This implies that change in bias is an improving feature but one slow to resolve. Early education and workplaces

are the areas in which these improvements can be best achieved, however, training programmes that present themselves as unconscious bias correction have been heavily criticised The training may take the form of implicit association tests, roleplay, or workshops which suggest strategies for overcoming bias However, Fatima Tresh, a social and organisation psychologist who works for the UK diversity consultancy, told the BBC in an interview, that many companies had scrapped the programmes because they had little impact on behaviours She also stated that ‘“it is unhelpful if we ’ re just looking for other tick-box solutions to diversity and inclusion challenges.”’ (BBC, accessed 2023, ‘The complicated battle over unconscious-bias training’) In 2020, this training was shown to have almost no effect on the way women in administration were represented However, this source also states that ‘ awareness raising is the most common achievement ’ Therefore, this confirms that acknowledging your own unconscious bias already makes a difference.

Unconscious or implicit bias was first coined as a phrase by psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald in 1995 in their article ‘Implicit social cognition’, but as early as 1975 in the study of ‘Sex Roles, Interruptions and silences in conversation’, it was apparent

Even today I have a real-life example which concludes that conversational mansplaining has an impact, but that it can be

combatted by correcting a bias and redirecting the praise In this example, my mother who is a single parent had organised an event which was also attended by my uncle At the end of the day two male attendees sought out my uncle to congratulate him for the event’s success without giving a thought to my mother, who had previously introduced herself to both men My uncle then proceeded to correct them and redirect the praise to my mother explaining that she was the sole organiser of the event

Authors such as Mary Ann Sieghart are achieving acclaim in writing about unconscious bias, demonstrating as I have just done that these biases do significantly alter our treatment of women, which is especially prevalent and obvious when analysing conversations It would appear that, as a nation, the UK are more willing to embrace diversity and become more inclusive However, when legislation presents an opportunity to make addressing unconscious bias obligatory, this is overturned. (BBC, accessed 2023, ‘'Unconscious bias training' to be scrapped by ministers’) In conclusion, improving the outcomes resultant from unconscious bias will require a discernible and generational change

Men and women are still less willing to be influenced by women ’ s views and we still resist the idea of women having authority She (Mary Ann Sieghart) claims that ‘the authority gap is the mother of all gender gaps

HOW DOES THE RISE IN SOCIAL MEDIA USERS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF ALGORITHMS EFFECT SOCIETY’S MENTAL HEALTH AND PERCEPTION OF LIFE?

WRITTEN BY LUCY B

For my project, I have chosen the topic of the impact of technology on society’s views and mental health For years technology has been evolving in our world and it now dominates our everyday lives, whether it’s through social media, research for school, or watching television with family. In my project, I hope to look at the physical evidence of how tech has impacted and is currently affecting society’s mental health by looking into facts and statistics. I will delve into the increase of tech use in recent years and compare this with the rise in mental health issues to show the correlation. I plan to explore the way that people present themselves online and its impact on the public; more specifically, I will explore the idea of the ‘perfect body; which is shown online and the idea of having to conform to certain standards which then results in mental health issues such as eating disorders and alters how people view themselves. I hope to look at how algorithms on social platforms affect the content we view and the impact that has. I will discuss how algorithms can limit an individual’s views on subjects by exploring the ideas of echo chambers online. I also plan to explain how algorithms can worsen people’s mental state when they are already struggling as well as how algorithms cause this bad mental health in the first place. I chose to look at this sector because it is a prominent point in modern day life and something which I feel needs to be explored. Technology affects us constantly and my hope is that this project allows me to explore multiple aspects of this. Furthermore, the topic of technology has always interested me, and I am intrigued about the reaction of society to new concepts and how we adjust ourselves to the constant developments of our world, which is ultimately why I chose this to be the topic of my project.

aspects However, it has also manifested its way into being a seemingly indispensable part of our social lives, which therefore also contributes to the surge in consumption This increase has been both a blessing and burden to our society but either way has become an essential for our modern-day world

Have mental health issues become more common since the introduction of technology to society?

Mental health issues have been a rising rapidly in recent decades and are now finally beginning to have the discussion around them that has been needed Technology affects every user ’ s mental health, whether it’s positive or negative and the impacts have been huge In a paper published by the American Psychological Association, a National Survey was conducted, which looked at responses from over 600,000 people aged 12 and over between 2005 and 2017 It found that the number of individuals suffering depression in the last twelve months “increased 52 percent in adolescents from 2005 to 2017” but there was “ no significant increase in the percentage of older adults experiencing depression or psychological distress during corresponding time periods” (apa org – accessed 2019, ‘Mental Health Issues Increased Significantly in Young Adults Over Last Decade’ ) This presents the correlation between the known increase in social media in young people and the increased rates of depression due to it showing that as social media use has increased, so have the rates of mental health issues (and the older generations, who are not social media users, were therefore not affected ) It shows that mental health issues have become more common since the introduction of technology and the large extent of impact that it has Additionally, in 2010 it was reported that there was “970 million” social media users and by 2015, this number sat at “2 07 billion”

(backlink com – accessed 2021, ‘Social Network Usage & Growth Statistics: How Many People Use Social Media in 2022?’)

To show the link between this surge in social media users and the surge in mental health issues, I found a 2017 study in the U S, of 8th to 12th grade students which found that between this same time period of 2010 and 2015 the “suicide rate for girls in this age group increased by 65%” and “that high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33%” (etactics com –accessed 2020, ‘40+ Frightening Social Media and Mental Health Statistics’) which further highlights the relationship between mental health issues and social media use By comparing these two studies from the same time frames, it illustrates the direct link between these two subjects and demonstrates that psychological issues such as anxiety and depression have become increasingly common since technology, in the form of social media, has increased in use. The 2020 documentary ‘The Social Dilemma’ is focused on the dangerous impact of social networking and how it nurtures the addiction to maximise profit and is a breeding ground for mental health issues In the documentary, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt analysed the change in hospital admissions for self-harm He explains that since social media became accessible on mobiles in 2009, these hospitals admissions have “been up 189% for the pre-teen girls ” He bluntly points out this significant increase to, once again, show the direct correlation between the commonality of psychological issues and rise in platforms such as social media This correlation is shown due to the statistics blatantly show that social media has been damaging for the public’s mental health as the known increase in social media usage aligns with the increase in issues such as suicide, depression, anxiety, and more.

Additionally, in the TED Talk ‘Why our screens make us less happy’ by Adam Alter, he talks about the public taking the amazing tool that is technology but using it

in the wrong way. Alter encourages that the public should ask themselves “How enriching are the apps that we ' re using?” because some of them are enriching –“ apps that focus on relaxation, exercise, weather, reading, education and health ” And people say they spend “ an average of nine minutes a day on each of these ” But when talking about apps such as dating, social networking, gaming, entertainment, and web browsing he says that “About half the people, when you interrupt them and say, "How do you feel?" say they don't feel good about using them ” But people averagely “spend 27 minutes a day on each of these ” Alter goes on to highlight that we as consumers are spending “three times longer on the apps that don't make us happy” which accentuates his point that the addiction of pessimistic platforms is directly attacking people’s happiness His talk backs up that society’s use of technology, in many different forms, is responsible for much of how we think and often creates many of the negative thoughts in our heads The increase in technology and social media has clear links to the increase in the rates of depression, anxiety and even suicide These statistics present the direct link between the use of technology via social media platforms and the rapidly declining mental state of young

people The platforms were initially created to be a form of socialising and connecting but many have become an unhealthy environment The data I have explored shows how the introduction of social media and technology has made mental health issues much more common in society and therefore, technology in the form of social media has dragged down the mental wellbeing of the public.

What is the idea of the ‘accepted’ body online and how does it pressure society?

Online, we often see the same body types in the media which are repeatedly shown as admirable and ‘perfect’ Over the years, the constant implementation of the desired body in the media and social media has been detrimental to the public and the evidence shown the through studies and surveys proves the damaging effect of the idea of needing to have the ideal body Before phones and social media, there was already the TV which spread these toxic messages In the 90’s, obesity increased massively worldwide and as an attempt to combat this, campaigns/adverts were shown across TV screens But at the same time, images of unhealthily skinny models were also broadcast. This decade created segregation between the larger and smaller bodies by presenting one as ‘right’ and the other as ‘ wrong ’ During the 1990’s, “anorexia nervosa was associated with the highest rate of mortality among all mental disorders” (edition cnn com – accessed 2018, ‘The history of the ‘ideal’ woman and where it has left us ’) which presents how the unhealthy images projected online put a pressure on society and resulted in mental health issues like anorexia In the 2000’s, a study found that the “peak age of onset for an eating disorder was during adolescence” and that “between 1999 and 2006, hospitalisations for eating disorders in the US spiked 119% among children under 12 ” (edition cnn com – accessed 2018, ‘The history of the ‘ideal’ woman and where it has left us ’)

These figures show that the way that the ‘perfect body’ has manifested it’s way in society’s mental health is through issues such as eating disorders like anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia and more They also show how it has altered the public’s views on themselves, for example, the issue of body dysmorphia Furthermore, I conducted a surveyi at my school which focused on multiple aspects of technology’s impact The use of this survey provides a truly authentic and realistic view about how people in everyday life are affected, it provides a human aspect rather than just numbers and figures In this survey, I found that 100% of respondents agreed that “there is an unrealistic lifestyle or particular body type that is presented online.” This strongly presents that even though we as a society are aware of the fake and damaging images projected online, it doesn’t change the fact that this is the content that we as consumers are constantly being fed Though people are aware of the construct of the ‘accepted body’, it doesn’t remove much of the pressure that society feels, and the survey shows this awareness. Although more people are now aware of what’s going on, our unconscious minds are still absorbing every standardised photo This then manifests its way to becoming part of how we think and the level that we hold ourselves to Technology has broadcasted body stereotypes for decades which in turn, has largely impacted the mindset of many members of the public

People with societal power often all have the same ‘perfect’ body type and diet which forms a standard which everybody then feels they must conform to These are people such as celebrities or social media influencers For example, if a youtuber posts a ‘what I eat in a day’ style video, they are often filled with ‘healthy’ foods and don’t include the realistic side of their diets. It’s human nature to compare yourself to others, and by seeing this person that you idealise have a seemingly ‘perfect’ diet, it may cause the individual to compare and judge themselves Though society is developing, there are still judgments and preconceptions made due to having a larger or smaller body This is consequent to decades of TV and the media enforcing that to be accepted, you have to look a certain way. This message is engrained into society and technology has helped to spread these narratives

What is the effect of algorithms on the public and their mental health?

Since their introduction in 2007, algorithms have become a key part of online life, but not without controversy They are a tool which are now widespread in use for all social media platforms and have been shown to be damaging to people’s mental health and also alter their views But, there are advantages to algorithms, such as increasing the likelihood that you see relevant content and providing you a personalised experience on the platform In the surveyii I conducted, part of it surrounded the theme of algorithms and the content which the respondents consumed. Through this, I found that “63 6% of respondents agreed that the content that's recommended and they view is stuff that they want to see ” This shows how algorithms effect the public in everyday life and how they are seemingly positive for society

However, many argue that algorithms are damaging to consumers ’ mental health If a

user is liking negative comments/posts then the algorithm will show more of these Although technology is smart, the algorithm cannot differentiate between positive/helpful and negative/harmful content, all it knows is what’s related This creates a snowball effect as liking a post turns into a continued feed of the upsetting content. A microclimate of negativity is created within that user ’ s account and headspace Online addiction is another issue that’s harmful to user ’ s mental wellbeing; Forbes found that “the average 16-24 year old spends three and a half hours every day looking at content such as clickbait articles or scrolling without a purpose ” (amplimark com – accessed 2021, ‘Pros and Cons of the Social Media Algorithm Age’). This shows that the more addicted and reliant people become on the fulfilment of social media, the less they feel the fulfilment of real-life interaction This is what leads to issues such as social anxiety or depression as people begin to feel less and less fulfilled A 2015 study showed that “those in the highest quartile of SMU (social media use) frequency had more than three times the odds of having greater PSI (perceived social isolation)” (science direct.com – accessed 2017, ‘Social Media Use and Perceived Social Isolation Among Young Adults in the U S) which presents how the addiction caused by algorithms directly correlates to mental health issues such as depressive symptoms as it shows that the people who used social media more were shown to feel more isolated and show depressive symptoms

To conclude, technology and social media impacts society’s mental health and views to a very large and damaging extent Social media is the root of the issue but of course the widespread increase of technology/devices has amplified these problems on a level that has never been achieved before Toxic messages and unrealistic standards have become unconsciously implanted into the public’s everyday living and have been detrimental

to the mental health of adolescents especially Their developing minds are highly vulnerable and susceptible to accepting these false narratives which leads to a pandemic of mental health issues This project has really made me consider my own actions online and self-reflect on what exactly it is that I am allowing my mind to process. Through exploring the aspect of specific problems such as body image and self-esteem, we can see the effect of our own acts on those around us as well as how we ourselves are being affected Researching into algorithms has also shown how these online tools which were created to be beneficial, have also had a spiral of negative effects which shouldn’t be allowed Looking at these three particular features has clearly illustrated the large extent in which technology and social media has been deleterious to the mental health of the public and harmfully altered people’s views on both themselves and those around them Considering all these points, it’s clear that technology has broken society much more than it has built it

TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN IN MALE DOMINATED SPORTS CHANGED OVER TIME?

WRITTEN BY ISABELLE S

Women in sport have been largely underrepresented compared to men in the past and it was frowned upon for women to take part in sports In recent years, women ’ s sport has improved dramatically and has been better represented than ever before. However, there is still a huge gender gap in sport, and many sports such as football and rugby are still seen as ‘male sports.’ In this essay I wanted to explore how big the gender gap still is in terms of participation, viewing figures and salaries, and how much women ’ s sport has changed over time. My sub questions are as follows; Is there a bias towards men in common sports? What influences the perception of women in sport? Has the perspective of women in sport changed since the win of the Lionesses? For this last sub-question, I will be using the case study of the Lionesses win of the women ’ s Euro cup My interest in this topic piqued after visiting the ‘Women’s Sport through the lens’ exhibition at the Saatchi gallery, where I found out some shocking facts about women in sport. I learned that women were told not to take part in the marathon until the 1970s as it was thought to damage their ovaries and that women ’ s football was banned until 1971 This made me want to research further into the topic, so I decided to complete my EPQ on women in sport.

Does the sports industry favour men over women?

The obvious answer is yes, there is a clear bias towards men in common sports which is shown in both the professional sports industry along with sports in schools This is most likely due to the fact that in the past, men ’ s sport has been seen as superior to women ’ s. Is this still the case? It is not easy to get rid of this bias instantly as it requires funding and many more factors for male dominated sports to become equal for both men and women The bias is in decline, however there is still a huge gender gap in sports, especially sports that are male dominated such as football and rugby According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (2018 – 2019), boys get 1.13 million more sporting opportunities than girls annually, proving that this bias still exists This is further shown as “Only 44% of secondary schools currently offer equal access to football in PE lessons ” (Dan Roan – BBC 2022, “How can England's Euro 2022-win help grow the game?”) Access to sport for girls and women is rising however, there are still gaps between genders. As per the Women’s Sport Foundation, ‘40% of teen girls are not actively participating in sport’ and over half of all women in the UK do not exercise at all (bbc co uk) These statistics would suggest that the bias against women in sport is changing, but at a slower level than perhaps is hoped

Why has equal pay been difficult to achieve?

Women in sport are paid less than men due to multiple factors including lack of investment and also due to the overhanging bias towards men in sports This is often an issue when it comes to prizemoney “According to a BBC sport survey, up to 83% of sports now offer the same amount of prize money for men and women But in the 17% that don’t, the

difference runs into the millions ” (Gender inequality in sports - 2021, “All about gender inequality in sports”) In the 2022 Euros, the Lionesses took home 1 55 million Euros as prize money for winning the competition (Ali Condon – Tyla “People are shocked after ”) However, this is only a fraction of the 34 million Euros Italy won in the men ’ s Euros the previous year (Karthik Nair – Republic World com 2021, “Euro 2020: Here’s How Much ”) This is also shown in the Forbes ‘top 50 most paid athletes’, where only two were women (Naomi Oscar coming 19th earning 59 2 million dollars and Serena Williams coming 31st earning 45.3 million dollars (in total)). This clearly shows that sportswomen do not get paid equally to men and that there is still a bias towards men in sport Part of the reason this bias still exists is due to lack of investment for women ’ s sports This lack of investment has led to less sponsorship for women which meant that there were less role models as the wages for these sports women were too little to be a full-time job. Due to this, the players had less training time as they all had other jobs which restricted players from becoming professional meaning that fewer people wanted to watch women ’ s games leading to fewer full stadiums Due to the fact that sportspeople’s salaries are reliant on

viewing figures, women were therefore not getting paid equally to men This cycle meant that women ’ s sport was seen as inferior compared to men ’ s sport and men ’ s sport was seen as more popular and entertaining. However, this chain is now being broken allowing more women to become professionals, helping to improve women ’ s sport in general An example of a sport taking large steps to equality is cricket The Hundred will now “offer equal prize money in the men ’ s and women ’ s tournaments” which will create role models in cricket and increase participation in girls’ cricket (BBC Sport 2021 “Prize Money”).

How does the media play a part in the perception of women in sport?

The media plays a huge part in influencing the perception of women in sport and can allow sportswomen to become role models, increasing participation in girls’ sports However, the Tucker Centre for Research on Girls & Women in sport found that “Forty percent of all sports participants are female, yet women ’ s sports receive only 4% of all sport media coverage ” , suggesting that no matter how many more women/girl role models there are, unless the media is showing them online, girls’ participation in sport may not

increase. Additionally, harmful gender stereotypes cause sportswomen to be shown in the media as sexual objects and often their appearance receives more attention than their abilities or the sport itself In a survey I conducted, 100% of respondents said that they thought women are underrepresented in sport compared to men and that more male role models are shown in the media than female A further 83.3% said that the media has an impact on participation in sport, suggesting that the lack of women ’ s sport being shown in media is not helping the movement of increasing girls’ participation in sports However, in the future, this should start to change and women and girls in sport are definitely getting more media coverage than before The equality motion is also a driving force of equality in sport by forcing change. For sports brands in particular, equality has become a ‘must have’ which will help create more role models for girls and will overall improve the perspective of women in sport

Is the media creating more role models for girls, and if so, how will this improve the perception of women in sport?

Role models are essentially created by the media through a cycle of sponsorships, leading to more money which can be used for investment in women ’ s sports creating a positive impact on the women ’ s games This means that the media is a critical part in order to improve sports for women and girls Recently, at the BBC Sports Personality event, Beth Mead won the award for Sports Personality of the Year after being the top goal scorer in the 2022 Euros and helping the Lionesses win the competition. ‘Most of all, this is for women ’ s sport’ ’heading in the right direction,’ Mead stated after being awarded the trophy The Team of the Year was also awarded to the Lionesses, proving that the perspective of women in sport is massively improving The England Lionesses have all become iconic role models for girls as well as other famous sportswomen such as

Serena Williams, Alex Scott and many more Serena Williams is perhaps the most successful sportswoman of all time, winning 23 Grand Slams and appearing in the grand slams final 33 times (tennis-x, Serena Williams’s Grand Slam Titles, Finals, Records) These women have completely changed women ’ s sport and inspired girls to play sports, increasing the participation of girls in sports

Has the perspective of women in sport changed since the win of the Lionesses?

The Women’s Euros took place in July 2022 and had a huge positive impact on women ’ s and girl’s football The tournament saw the highest viewing figures for women ’ s football than ever before with over 17 million people tuning in to watch England and Germany in the final. In 2009, the cumulative viewing figures for the women ’ s Euros reached 48 million increasing to 116 million in 2013 and 165 million in 2017 (Statista - 2017, Cumulative audience of women ' s EURO football matches in Europe) In 2022 however, the figures reached “ more than 365 million”, over double that of the previous

tournament (SportsBusiness 2022, UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 ) These statistics prove that there is now a larger audience for women ’ s games and girl’s football has seen a huge amount of attention as a result of the women ’ s Euros.

What has the women ’ s euros achieved?

The significant amount of attention girl’s football received in the media has definitely had a positive impact on the game and “football is now the top participation sport for women and girls in England” (The FA –2022 “About Women’s’ and Girls’ Football in England”) The FA have made targets to ensure football is an equal sport and has made a campaign to support its “strategic ambition to give all girls equal access to play football in school by 2024 ” (The FA, Let Girls Play Campaign 2021) According to BBC Sport (Dan Roan – BBC 2022, “How can England's Euro 2022-win help grow the game?”), “The FA hopes the Euros can create half a million extra opportunities for women and girls to play the game ” . The Euros have represented the progress made in the women ’ s game and shows that football is on course to becoming equal in the future and this has already started to make progress The Government have recently pledged over £600 million in the next two years to improve PE in primary schools and allow for sport in schools to be more accessible for both girls and boys (Suzanne Wrack –The Guardian 2023, “Government pledges equal access to school PE sports for boys and girls”). The platform created from the Euros will also play a part in the Women’s

World Cup 2023 and the momentum of the Lionesses will be a catalyst for the future success of women in all sports

In conclusion, the perspective of women in male dominated sports has positively changed over time and has seen huge improvement which has been shown in women ’ s sport events and in the media Through my research, I was able to determine that the bias towards men in certain sports still remains and there is still a considerable gap when it comes to men ’ s and women ’ s pay in sports However, for most sports this gap is shrinking and over time, men and women will become much more equal in sport. I also learnt about the huge impact that the media has on the perspective of women in sports and by showing women in the media, this will lead to more role models being created, ultimately leading to more participation in girls’ sports Finally, I decided to focus the 2022 Women’s Euro Cup The women ’ s euros definitely had a positive effect on girls’ sports with viewing figures for women ’ s football higher than ever before. In the survey I conducted, 100% of respondents said that the perception of women in sport had positively changed since the win of the Lionesses There is still further to come for women ’ s sport, but it is clear that sport for women and girls is moving in the right direction, and I hope that in the future, sport will be equal for both men and women

HOW HAS THE RECENT INCREASE IN ENERGY COST AFFECTED SOCIETY, AND WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS SURRROUNDING THIS?

WRITTEN BY MIKO K

On the 24th of February 2022, the world witnessed the horrific invasion of Ukraine, which has escalated global tensions with Russia, one of the biggest suppliers in Gas; as a result, the gas supply running through Nord Stream 1 has been limited, until it was eventually cut of in late August, with Gazprom stating that “Supplies would remain halted indefinitely” (1), reducing the available supply. With any basic level of Economics, we understand when supply decreases, but demand stays the same, the price needs to increase, in order to not cause a shortage However, the issue stands that energy has become a need in today's society, as opposed to a want. This decrease has had a substantial effect on Europe's energy market. Due to this, the UK has witnessed a rise in the cost of energy, which has vastly restricted the everyday users' lives, from not turning the lights on as much, to limiting the time that the heating is on Over the past year our attitude to energy has changed experientially and won’t ever be like it was before. Of that reason, I have chosen to evaluate what the future of energy holds for us, as the current situation has had notable impacts on our Society, Economy, and a Nation as a whole As a result, I will evaluate how energy can be affordable again, whether we will use Nuclear or Renewables and what the main solution to the current energy crisis is.

What are the effects of the energy crisis?

The current energy crisis has had tremendous effects on the lives of those in the UK, one way of evaluating the full impacts is by considering the changes in people's lives In one survey (2) over 30% of people reported never using the lights at home throughout the energy crisis and all those questioned reported using the lights less, this is despite being questioned in Winter Additionally, over 40% of people reported driving less (Figure 1 5) which provokes the idea that people have made vast changes to their way of lives as a result Moreover, almost 90% of people reported using the heating less, which powerfully illustrates the issues and repercussions that the energy crisis has caused, which further emphasises that an adequate solution needs to be found as soon as possible Moreover, we understand the devastating reverberations of the energy crisis that is taking place, which provokes the urgency in finding a solution that is beneficial to our finances and the environment

Since the invasion of Ukraine on the 24 February 2022, the cost of energy has significantly increased, with more than two thirds of people reporting an increase in energy cost higher than 25% (2 – Figure 1.3). On top of this, many people are “struggling to afford rising energy bills” (3) and use it for basic uses, such as heating their homes. This emphasises the significant impacts that energy unaffordability can have, which shows us devastating effects of the energy crisis

One potential way of lowering the cost of energy on the consumer, and henceforth reducing the effects of the energy crisis is to decrease the indirect tax on energy companies Currently, the indirect tax rate stands at, and has been “increased to 35%” (4), this cost is relayed on the consumer, as firms want to maximise their profit If the tax rate could be changed to 20%, energy firms would have a larger profit margin

Therefore, if the government decreased the indirect tax on the energy firms, then energy firms will be able to, and feel pressured to decrease the overall cost of energy, which could perhaps make energy more affordable again, which would be an adequate solution to the energy crisis in itself, without the need for nuclear power.

Lastly, to increase our supply, and reduce the cost of fossil fuels we can explore new places of finding fuel, until we can become more reliant on Nuclear and renewables

Examples of this could be Alaska, or Antarctica Antarctica is home to “36 billion Barrels of oil and gas ” (5), which is sitting vacant, as Antarctica is a protected under the Antarctic treaty, with mining not being currently legally possible. However, the protocol will next be reviewed in 2048, henceforth, if this were to be reviewed sooner, the possibility of mining could take place As a result, the 36 billion barrels of oil could very easily increase our fossil fuel supply, to power our extensive

solution to the 2022/2023 energy crisis, if it could take place soon enough, which would as a result reduce the repercussions on the energy crisis on consumers

How will the reduction in Fossil Fuels affect the cost and availability of Energy, and will renewables be the future?

Based on our current energy usage, Fossil Fuels provide great prosperity, unlike any other type of fuel, this is due to their cost, efficiency and availability, over the past century, human civilisations have designed their lives to centre around fossil fuels, whether it be heating our homes, air travel or just driving a car When considering other energy solutions, we can evidently see that no other energy resource comes even close to Fossil Fuels, we can identify that Nuclear would work, however “constructing a nuclear power station now takes something like 10-15 years ” (6),

Figure 1 5 – How is the UK population attempting to Save Energy – Survey conducted in December 2022 by Miko Keen

Figure 1 3 – How has the UK’s Energy cost changed – Survey conducted in December 2022 by Miko Keen needs until nuclear power is strong enough to diminish the need of oil and gas This would be an adequate

therefore, fossil fuels could act as a shortterm solution to our energy needs for the approximately the next 50 years, until nuclear can pave the way forward Switching from fossil fuels to nuclear immediately would cause a deficiency in our energy supply, bringing civilisation to a standstill.

Realistically, renewables won’t be able to solely power human civilisation, this is because their size-energy ratio is very big, which means that lots of space is needed to power our energy needs

Correspondingly, as we are unable to store energy, renewables can become considerably less reliable, as “its surprisingly hard to store energy ” (7) this is due to the lack of control that is had over provision of renewables, as they occur naturally If we were able to provide a storage system for energy, then renewables would face a potential future, as we could store large amounts of energy However, renewable energy is currently unreliable, and requires other energy sources to produce the majority of energy used

Is Nuclear our Primary Solution?

Since its discovery in 1938, nuclear energy has portrayed a prosperous future, since the 1980’s, the world has seen a dramatic increase in the number of nuclear power stations, in fact, “in the 1980s, 218 power reactors started up, an average of one every 17 days” (8), which provokes the idea that if we could replicate this increase in Nuclear Power in today's society, then it could have drastic effects on energy supply. Subsequently, it proposes the idea that Nuclear Fission is already working, and has the potential to expand, like it did in the 1980’s, which could drastically alter our usage of energy in following years These power stations use Nuclear Fission, which is the splitting of a partial, which releases lots of energy They are mostly run on Uranium and Plutonium, which are particularly difficult to dispose of, due to their long half-life's However, “Nuclear

energy ' s land footprint is small” (9) and “ a nuclear facility has a small area footprint, requiring about 1 3 square miles per 1000 megawatts” (10), which increases its efficiency This presents one of the benefits of nuclear energy, as it uses less land, transpiring the idea the Nuclear has the potential to become our primary solution. As a result, whilst Nuclear may not be renewable, it is highlight efficient, and doesn't release any CO2 which can make it similar to, if not better than typical renewables Nuclear Fusion, however, emphasises even greater prosperity, this is because it forms Helium, from Hydrogen, both of which are readily available, and aren't dangerous, unlike Uranium

Case Study – The Sizewell Plant in rural Suffolk

Situated in Sizewell, a small remote fishing village in remote Suffolk, the Sizewell plant is responsible for providing a large amount of the UK’s Energy The site consists of 2 plants, occupying 245 acres, Sizewell A was planned and managed by the CEGB (Central Electricity Generating Board), at a time where the CEGB was nationalised, with construction beginning in 1961, costing £65 million Sizewell A “ended 40 years of safe, compliant electricity generation on 31 December 2006” (11), this alludes to the fact that nuclear plants have the potential to supply energy for long amounts of time, in a safe fashion, emphasising that Nuclear may be an adequate solution As well as this, “ a typical day’s generation saw the station supply more than 10 million KWH of electricity” (11) emphasising the potential that Nuclear has, as it provokes the idea that Nuclear has the ability to provide lots of Energy to consumers The decommissioning had a budget of £1 2 billion, defueling was completed in 2014, and final site clearance is planned for 2088-2098 However, on a worse note, Nuclear can have damaging effects on the environment, in 2007, a worker noted a water leak, this hadn’t raised any alarms, despite the water dropping more than a

foot down, “ more than 40 000 gallons of radioactive water leaked into the open when a 15ft crack appeared in a pipe leading to a cooling pond” (12), some of which is believed to have entered the North Sea This highlights that negative effects on the environment that can take place due to the use of nuclear power, presenting the viewpoint that Nuclear may not be the finest solution to our energy needs Moreover, the HM Nuclear Installation Inspectorate’s report of the incident reported that the pond could have drained out before the next plant inspection, and if the exposed fuel had caught fire, then an airborne off-site release of radiation would have taken place This could have been a catastrophic event, highlighting the dangers that Nuclear Fission presents, if slight issues occur, suggesting that the safer, Nuclear Fusion should be used, if and when it is logistically possible on Earth

Overall, we can infer that Nuclear suggests great potential, whilst it isn’t renewable, it doesn't release CO2, Nuclear power plants are one of the few potential future sources of energy that allow humans to have full control over the amount of power they produce, as well as when this takes place With other non-CO2 emitting fuels, they can suddenly fail to produce energy sufficient to our needs, as nature is out of our control, for example, if the wind stops blowing, then Wind Turbines will fail to produce significant energy, resulting in a lack of power for consumers For this reason, I feel as though the potential that nuclear raises are undeniably exquisite Whilst it is easy to say that Nuclear Fusion would be the flawless solution, it is currently unable to run efficiently on earth Research for Fusion will cost billions of pounds, due to the high level of human capital and resources needed to do this

Whilst we can agree that Fission is also good, we need to consider the time and money needed to build successful plants

When looking at the Hinkley Point plant in Summerset we can evidently see this. In 2010, the British Government announced Hinkley Point Plant C, 2 years later a site licence was granted, but somehow it took until March 2017 for construction to begin, with the target commission date being June 2027, that’s 17 years needed to build 1 power plant This makes it ludicrous to believe that the UK has the potential to significantly increase the amount of energy produced with Nuclear, if new plants were announced today, then it would take until 2039 for them to be commissioned. As a result, it would be significantly difficult to power the UK’s energy with Nuclear, as the UK is hoping for a swift transition to non-CO2 emitting fuels, and the time needed could pose potential complications

Additionally, the investment needed to build a successful Fission plant is significant, and due to the ideology that the UK is currently facing one of the biggest energy crises it has ever faced, with it being described as “bigger than the pandemic” (13), which provokes the idea that Nuclear

might not be an adequate solution as of yet This due to the fact that we may fail to raise significant funds, so we may end up continuing to use fossil fuels for the foreseeable future, and the idea of powering the majority of the UK’s power by nuclear will be out of the window. Henceforth, Nuclear raises significant potential, however, this potential is to remote Proportionately, it is portrayed that it will be a primary solution in the years to come, but not to our ongoing energy crisis

For that reason, it is evident that Nuclear Fusion will be our primary long-term solution, as it is a compact, safe, and reliable source of energy, that doesn't release any dangerous side products, nevertheless, it is not an adequate solution to our current Energy Crisis due to the time required to commission it The energy crisis has had life changing effects on many, this is seen when considering the fact in one survey, almost 90% of claimed to use the heating less, with another 30% claiming to never use the lights at home. This powerfully conveys the importance ion finding a long-lasting solution to this evergrowing problem Moreover, it is evident that an immediate reduction in the use of other fossil fuels would dramatically reduce supply, which would only exaggerate the effects of the ongoing energy crisis Henceforth, we can understand that a combination of mostly Fossil Fuels and Renewables will be the solution our current energy crisis due to their attainability and financial benefit. Whilst Nuclear Fusion raises significant potential, it is not an immediate solution, in fact, Scientists are struggling to get it working on earth, which is why it shouldn’t be considered a valid solution to our ongoing energy crisis Additionally, whilst the use of Nuclear Fission can be practical, it takes over 15 years to complete the reactor from start to finish. This timescale is to be expected when building a building of such scale, which stores materials as dangerous as Uranium and Plutonium

As a result, it is undoubtably evident that Nuclear isn’t a solution to the 2022/2023 energy crisis as it would be too time consuming, however, both forms, especially Nuclear Fusion can be both beneficial to the Consumers Finances, as well as the environment. As a result, an increase in renewables and use of fossil fuels for the time being could pave the way for our energy usage for the next 20 years, until we see an increase in Nuclear Fission reactors This increase in supply should in turn reduce the damaging effects of the cost of energy Additionally, the increase in renewables may have some benefits to the environment, though they aren't as significant as many would like, from there, we can use Nuclear Fission until Nuclear Fusion can become an adequate solution for our energy usage, having terrific effects on our finances, and the environment alike

WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HISTORICAL ARTEFACTS THAT CAUSE CONTROVERSY?

WRITTEN BY NATHAN L

In this essay I will explore if it is right to keep historical artefacts that honour horrific things done in the past. This will include slave trade statues, Genocide documents and Nazi artefacts. I find this a relevant topic because in June 2020 the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled down. This resulted in controversy as to whether it was the right thing to do My main question for this essay is should we keep statues and other historical items that honour horrific things done in the past? Additionally, I have three sub questions which are:

Should we take down statues that reference the slave trade?

Should we destroy documents of genocides?

Should we destroy Nazi documents and artefacts?

I chose this topic because I am interested in what other people think should happen to these statues (should we remove them, keep them the same or recontextualize them?) and why and would removing them affect anything? I find this interesting because I believe these artefacts are wrong but do not believe that they should be destroyed. It is interesting to hear other opinions on this topic and their reasons for their decision. I chose to complete the EPQ because I thought it would be interesting to do as part of my schools’ academic scholars’ programme.

Is it right remove statues that reference the slave trade?

With the removal of the statue of Edward Colston in June 2020 by protesters, many have asked the question was it the right thing to do? These statues of people involved in the slave trade honour their actions of enslaving members of the African community. It could be argued that by keeping them in the community they encourage discrimination of African groups by creating the impression that what these people did in the slave trade was the right thing to do In today’s modern society we have realised the mistakes of these slave leaders like Edward Colston, but have kept these statues up This could allow for less educated individuals to think it is okay to be racist as these statues honour people involved in the slave trade With the removal of these statues, you would remove the encouragement of discrimination and make people feel more welcome However, only 14 3% of people (Should we keep statues and other historical artefacts that honour horrific thing done in the past? -2022) believed nothing should be done to the protestors who toppled the statue. One person said “They should be removed officially not by protestors” In reference to the statues Giving the impression that people believe that something should happen to these statues and not just be left in place The protestors are vandalising the statues and removing them illegally damaging property which does not belong to them and this is not right even if it is for a good cause This could result in further discrimination if it is only one group who is illegally removing these statues and so is best to be done so officially where the whole community can gather to watch the event However, as Joanna Birch Brown states in an article on “Should slavery statues be preserved?”

(Online library Wiley - Should slavery statues be preserved? On transitional heritage and contested justice) removing statues could be seen as an attempt of

“institutions attempting to ‘ erase history’” and “If statues are perceived as representing larger groups removing statues may be read as attacks on the positive identity of those larger groups and a declaration of hostility”

Leading us to believe that by removing the statues from where they currently stand can cause problems within the community because by some it could be seen as attacks on certain groups or trying to cover a part of history So, although we can’t let these statues be, removal is not always the best option as it can create further unease because of the removal of statues could be seen as attacks on larger groups and be seen as an attempt to erase part of history which could lead the same mistakes being made again.

Recontextualising or removal which is the better option?

These statues could be recontextualised to fit today’s modern world We could make it so that these statues are praised because of how far we have come and how we have learned from our past mistakes This would allow all groups of people to feel welcome as we are making them symbols of historical change to show the progress we have made in our beliefs

Recontextualising is a challenge because most people are not going to visit a museum to see these statues and what is wrong about them or read a plaque that states what is wrong about these statues It is difficult to come to a way that educates the population about these past mistakes and still make people feel welcome by not having the statue be a key feature of the location with the context being changed

Although as Joanna Birch Brown states in an article on “Should slavery statues be preserved?” (Online library Wiley - Should slavery statues be preserved? On transitional heritage and contested justice)

“recontextualising may express a readiness to hold human rights violators accountable” and “far more people are

familiar with Colston than with other Bristolians who played equally significant roles in slavery” due to this statue which allows people to know their wrongdoings and by recontextualising them it allows these events to not be forgotten but to be remembered as what not to do It shows although recontextualising is a positive thing it removes the message from the area about the mistakes that have been made in the past However, Joanna Birch Brown states in an article on “Should slavery statues be preserved?” (Online library Wiley - Should slavery statues be preserved? On transitional heritage and contested justice) later states

“Recontextualising will only support transitional justice if it is dramatic and prominent” and “The scale and form of statues make it difficult to re-signify” This means that because a person will see a statue before a plaque and a statue is difficult to re-signify people will remember the statue and not the new context and so nothing will change. Showing that recontextualising statues is hard to do because of the scale of them that it makes them difficult to re-signify More dramatic ways of recontextualising the statue can be seen as more harmful as even if people want to do good it is hard to get it to be viewed the way you want it to be viewed An alternative would be to raise the statues to eye level as to be seen as a normal citizen as suggested by Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman referenced in “Should slavery statues be preserved?”

(Online library Wiley - Should slavery statues be preserved? On transitional heritage and contested justice) “suggested that accountability would be served by

keeping Colston’s statue in public space but off his pedestal to be met eye to eye, as equal citizens ” This would remove the feeling of the statue’s superiority to modern day people Removal is easier to achieve but can be seen as trying to hide from the past However, instead of recontextualising their slave trade items the Church of England is removing them. As stated by the Guardian (Guardian – Church to consider removing or altering slavery monuments) “ we want a place that everybody feels welcome” and so are removing monuments like the glass in Bristol cathedral that depicts Edward Colston Showing how people are is favour of removing these statues even if it can be seen as trying to erase history as the church is trying to make everyone feal more welcome This glass will probably be disposed of and forgotten which allows for the same mistakes to be made again Although removal of these statues from the public eye can be more easily carried out it can result in the event being forgotten whilst recontextualising is more difficult to carry out be educates the population on the wrongdoings of the past

Are documents of genocide essential?

“Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic groups with aim of destroying that nation or group ” (Oxford dictionary) The attempt to completely destroy a nation or ethnic group is completely wrong and a horrific thing to do. Although it may seem unsettling for you to read a document of a genocide like the holocaust if it is written correctly and in the right view it can be important Documents of genocide serve as a reminder of what not to do and the mistakes humanity has made in the past In a google forms survey created by myself (Should we keep statues and other historical artefacts that honour horrific thing done in the past?-2022) one responder wrote “It depends Documents that glory genocide are not publicly available Others, such as first-person accounts, are clearly valuable insights ” These documents allow us to understand how horrific these events are and help us not make the mistake of allowing them to happen again and this source shows how people believe documents that don’t glorify genocides to be useful in learning from past mistakes and so would be a waste to destroy them Documents are also important to help other countries make the right decision when a genocide occurs In an article on the 1990 Rwandan genocide ( hrw – Genocide in Rwanda) it mentions “U S for having put saving money ahead of saving lives” If these documents are kept along with the information of what the U S did by allowing the genocide to continue a little longer to save money it helps other countries like the U.S to not make the same mistake again as they would know how many people died and the people would put pressure on the government to help the country facing the genocide The

aforementioned example shows, that these documents can provide valuable lessons on how to behave in the future Thus, these documents are valuable information of what not to do in the future

to detect the re-emergence of discourse and acts that may lead to new atrocities”

Should we condemn nations who remove their documents of genocides?

Documents of genocide provide valuable insights of what not to do by showing the horrific nature of the crime. However, they may upset certain people because of what their ancestors did or what happened to their ancestors 0% of people (Should we keep statues and other historical artefacts that honour horrific thing done in the past?

-2022) believed that these documents should be destroyed with the majority believing that they should be moved to museums to serve as a reminder of what not to do This re-affirms that people believe documents of genocides should not be removed Removing them would look like you are trying to erase a part of history and could result in these actions happening again because people could have forgotten the horrors that these events evoke Another reason they should be kept is because it can result in genocide denial Dunja Mijatovic (coe int – Opinion: Genocide denial concerns us all) states “Protecting the truth from deniers and serving justice for victims if the Srebrenica genocide is our best bet to prevent genocide from occurring again” and “Genocide denial weakens society’s ability

Further showing us that these documents are valuable to tell us what not to do and to try to prevent genocide denial This allows genocides to happen again as people will not think anything bad has happened or not notice when acts that may lead to future genocide occur allowing more genocides to happen. By removing the documentation of the genocide, you allow countries to more easily deny a genocide ever occurring in the first place which will lead to further genocides By taking action against countries who destroy their documentations of genocide you reduce the amount of genocide denial and therefore reduce the number of genocides that will happen in the future. This also would allow the countries to be more sympathetic to countries experiencing genocide and provide more aid as because they couldn’t destroy their documentation of genocides, they will understand the atrocities of it Making these documents readily available would also allow for people to be educated on the horrors of genocides which would reduce the number of them and provide more awareness for when they occur.

Should we destroy Nazi artefacts?

Nazi artefacts honour Hitler and the horrific things he did but removing them would allow the events to happen again as people would forget what happened and what was wrong about the Nazis’ 0% of people (Should we keep statues and other historical artefacts that honour horrific thing done in the past? -2022) said that these artefacts should be destroyed and one responder said “A grim but important reminder of previous mistakes” People believe that it is important to keep these artefacts as a reminder to future generations If you were to destroy them you would remove your reminder of these previous mistakes and would therefore allow events like the Nazis’ control to

happen again as people would not know what mistake they would be making An article by David Crossland (dw com –Should Germany keep its Nazi relics?) stated “Giebel said he was surprised at how uniformed many of the visitors were about the Nazi era, especially pupils in their teens ” This shows that young people are not taught about this area of the past and that without these artefacts this era will be forgotten risking the chance of allowing it to happen again in the future Eyewitnesses of the Nazi era are now dying out and because of the younger generation being uninformed about this era even though it is taught in school it means that without this artefact to serve as a reminder the events will be quickly forgotten It is best to preserve these artefacts otherwise the same mistakes could be made again because people would have forgotten the Nazi era due to how uninformed they are

Should we keep Nazi artefacts as they are or ban the sale of them and put them in museums?

Destroying them would allow the Nazi era to be forgotten so what should happen to them instead? Doing nothing would make it seem like there is nothing wrong with these artefacts and allow people to not be properly educated on these artefacts An artefact by David Crossland (dw com –Should Germany keep its Nazi relics?) stated “When Sigrid Peters, the organist in a 1,000-year-old village church in southwestern Germany, heard that one of the church bells had a swastika and a Nazi inscription on it, she was appalled. ” People find it unnerving to have anything to do

with Nazi artefacts like the church bell and don’t like the idea of having them in public even if they don’t believe they should be destroyed 90 5% of people (Should we keep statues and other historical artefacts that honour horrific thing done in the past? -2022) voted that these artefacts should be kept in museums as a warning of what not to do. One responder said “People should not be allowed to collect them. They should be kept in museums and their background should be explained to educate people” and another “I cannot see why they are available to private collectors” Further we see how people believe that they should be kept as a reminder but not be left out in the open and should be kept in museums Apart from the disturbing nature of people collecting these artefacts if you ban the sale of them, you ensure that they can be kept in places like museums where people can be properly educated on them and not be used to worship the Nazis’ On the other hand, it could be argued that they could be forgotten in museums and we have no right to take them off of people and stop them selling them However, a few should be allowed to be kept in places like schools to provide an aid to teaching students about the Nazi era. Also, all artefacts that directly honour or depict Hitler should be explained more thoroughly about and what was wrong with the things Hitler did to stop people believing he was a good person but these artefacts should not be destroyed and be kept as a reminder for future generations

In conclusion, it is better to keep historical artefacts that honour past mistakes than to completely destroy them as they remind us of what not to do in the future However, there is no ultimate resolution as to what should happen to these artefacts as it is hard to do the right thing Statues for example can make groups of people feel unwelcome but removing them can be seen as trying to hide from the past, whilst

recontextualising is very hard to do in the right way without making things worse Documents of genocides are useful to remember what not to do and if that fails what other countries should to do help in an event of a genocide So, it is useful to allow the public access to recognise when there is a genocide and to put pressure to prevent them from happening or provide aid. However, documents that glory genocides should not be kept in the public eye Nazi artefacts help to teach future generations about what was wrong about the Nazi era If they were removed the majority of what happened at that time would be forgotten with eyewitness accounts dying out However, if they should be allowed to be sold or not remains undecided. Historical artefacts are an important part of our history but where they should go remains contentious

IS SCHOOL THE MAIN REASON FOR THE DETERIORATION OF TEENAGER’S MENTAL HEALTH?

WRITTEN BY IZZY S

In this essay, I will be addressing and discussing the importance mental health can have on young people – especially the impact that school has on teenagers' mental health Mental health varies from person to person very differently. An April 2022 report from the center's for disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - the Adolescents behaviours and experiences survey- shows that 44% of teens feel ‘persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness’ According to previous CDC data, this is an increase of around 37% in 2019. Mental health includes our emotions, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. This can also include how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. In addition, poor mental health and mental illness are not the same. A person could experience poor or low mood/mental health however not be diagnosed with a mental illness Similarly, a person diagnosed with a mental illness could experience a decrease in physical, mental and social well-being. In adolescents, up to 20% may experience a mental health problem and 50% of mental health problems are established between the ages of 11-16 Mental health is there forever –when you ’ re a child, to an adolescent to an adult- so it is important to maintain a healthy one..

In brief, to maintain a healthy mental wellbeing, here are some tips:

Talk!

Rather than keeping all your thoughts and emotions to yourself, confide with someone close to you or someone you trust It takes courage to let others know you are struggling but remember it is not a sign of weakness!

Get active

Being active is not only great for your physical wellbeing but proven to help your mental wellbeing It can distract you from any worries or thoughts you may be experiencing

Discard negative relationships

It is important to invest your time in people who make you feel good about yourself Being in relationships where you are judged, put down or dismissed can impact mood and self-esteem

Although school seems like a positive, inclusive environment to some, others may feel the complete opposite Studies find the pressure to succeed at school has a significant impact on pupils’ mental health. More than three-quarters of young people seeking mental health support say the pressure to achieve academic success played a significant role in the deterioration of their mental health The exam pressure and constant reminder from parents and teachers to do well, constantly plays in the back of teenager’s mind and adolescents are afraid of the outcome to their results This can have a huge impact on one ' s mental health due to stress levels increasing This could start as simple as lack of sleep while revising for subjects/doing homework etc but could lead to mental illness’s such as anxiety and depression In addition to this, a study was conducted in the U S stating ‘teens between the ages of 13-17 face academic pressure with 61% saying they feel a lot of weight on their shoulders to get good grades’ American

Academy of Child and Adolescents Psychiatry has similar findings, citing school demands and frustration as a source of stress for teens

While school offers many benefits to adolescents, such as connecting with peers, overscheduling and academic pressure can be a significant source of stress, contributing to mental health issues including teen depression While awareness has grown increasingly over the years, that awareness doesn’t always get taken into action Teens need support, whether they feel embarrassed or arrogant about independence, from parents, school, friends and other care providers and mentors in order to access treatment for depression in high school. On average 16% of US teens, aged 12-17, - more than 4 million adolescents- had at least one major depressive episode in 2022, In addition, 11 5% of US youth (over 2 7 million high school students) experienced major depressive disorder Bullying and peer relationships is directly correlated with depression in secondary school as well For teens who struggle with social anxiety or are simply shy, peer relationships can be a source of stress – which can eventually lead to mental health problems With bullying, teens may face snarky comments in life, but being targeted day in and day out may also increase stress levels LGBTQ, Asian, black and multicultural students report highest levels of bullying in school

On the controversy, most would say school is an inclusive environment, that strives to help pupils achieve their absolute best while gaining important life skills such as communication and teamwork Mental health can deteriorate anywhere During The COVID19 pandemic back in 2019/2020, everywhere went on lockdown. This meant schools were shut, meaning online learning had to take place. Since closing schools and practically everywhere, that meant no one could go outside and see their friends and the reinforcement of social distancing This could negatively affect homelife and take a toll on one ' s mental health In the first year of covid, research stated that 1 in 4 adolescents struggled with loneliness, depression and anxiety. For example, studies show that attachment needs shifted to their friends or romantic partners, teens spent most of their time on devices catching up with friends, rather than their parents and parent-child relationship’s tension increased Studies also show that young adolescents felt lonelier that elderly – resulting in a decline in the mental health

Although school may have their factor to play in the rising levels in teen depression, cyberbullying could also be a cause In addition to this, COVID19 affected everyone globally However, since adolescents’ brains are still developing, this makes them vulnerable to stress Not having any outside world interaction with anyone could create a sense of loneliness; Hence, working and learning from home, students spent a lot of time on devices; This could increase cyberbullying which could contribute to teens to have a feeling of low self-esteem or low mood Nearly half of U S teens aged 13 to 17 (46% girls) report ever experiencing at least one or six cyberbullying behaviours between April and May 2022 The most reported behaviour is name-calling. Similarly, false rumours and the anonymous message sending unwanted, explicit images have also been a part to play Name calling and false rumours (especially with teenage girls as they are more susceptible to body image could have a huge impact on anyone mental health It could affect their interactions with other people, body image and how they express their emotions

Upon considering and discussing all the facts, anything can contribute to feeling down but school does have a part to play in the rise of poor, teenage mental health Some of these factors include, Bullying, Academic pressure, peer relationships, Cyber bullying and how the global pandemic COVID19 had an impact on poor mental health. For example, 61% of children between 13 – 17 say they feel pressure to get good grades On the controversy 46% of teenage girls in the U S claim they have experienced false rumours and name calling online – which is a form of cyberbullying To sum all these points, I believe that school has a serious impact of teenager's mental health, disregarding everything that can happen outside of school. Mental health is there forever, whether you are an infant or whether you are an adult, so it is important to maintain a healthy one

ALEXA H

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose to do my essay on sportswashing, primarily about the World Cup, because I absolutely love football Furthermore, the huge controversy and many talking points surrounding the Qatar World Cup made it a brilliant topic to write about In addition to this, in Year 7 (2019-20) I wrote an essay about the Qatar World Cup and what I thought about the situation and whether it should go ahead This allowed to reference it in this essay as well as look back on the predictions and viewpoints I made in Year 7

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

When I grow up I would like to be an entrepreneur, I have a passion for and love economics and love the prospect of facing the risk and challenges to make it to the top

Furthermore, not being told what to do and being your own man and working for yourself sounds like an idealist lifestyle in my opinion.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I love the scholars programme as it provides a wide range of opportunities and learning throughout the year In addition to this, the trips to places such as: Cambridge and Oxford University allow you to explore what University life is like and what you might be stepping into in the coming years

WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

My primary sport is tennis, so I love to play tennis during spring and summer- especially with friends In addition to this I love playing football as well as going go-karting with my friends

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

One reason I have chosen the essay topic “Should abortion be illegal in the UK?” is that as a young girl of this generation this can affect my life in maybe a not-too-distant future, and I want to understand what positives banning abortion can achieve or consequences it can create Another reason is that this topic has been spoken about all over the news after recent laws being made in other parts of the world, so it is relevant to society right now and needs to be addressed I also love to understand reasoning from many different points of views because everyone has different ideology, and one law can affect many people all in different ways Abortion can be very controversial meaning there is also a lot to talk about to answer this question in depth which I believe is good because it will make each argument stronger

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

In the scholars’ programme I enjoy the interactive sessions that are quite different to the lessons we have because it offers something new and exciting to do and makes us learn new information in a fun way I also enjoy the trips we go on Last year we visited Cambridge university, we got a tour of the campus and got to explore the area ourselves as well which was very interesting as that is one of the universities I will probably be applying for in the future and I’m looking forward to our Oxford trip this year

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

When I am older, I would love to pursue a career in criminal law because I think it would be very exciting job because you never know what case you will have to defend or oppose. Another career I think I would really enjoy is an editor for a fashion magazine such as vogue because fashion and the latest trends has always intrigued me and is a big part of my day-to-day life and I have always been inspired by Anna Wintour.

ROBBIE M

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose my essay topic of how technology and social media impacts the public because I feel that it is a prominent issue in our society Our world is ever evolving and one of the largest developments is technology and, over recent decades, it has manifested itself to be a necessity in people’s everyday lives As a teenager who is growing up in this world, I believe that it’s important to be aware of how social media and electronic devices are affecting the public and their mental health, especially as mental health issues are shown to be consistently increasing in young people

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I enjoy activities such as art and baking or cooking I find that art is a great outlet for me and allows me to express myself in a way that nothing else does Being creative and having something to focus on allows me to escape everyday life and be present in what I’m doing I also like to bake and cook things for my family as I find it relaxing and it allows me to take some time for myself

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I wouldn’t say that I have one set role model in my life I like to take inspiration from multiple people around me and use those qualities as my role model and the example I set for myself For example, I value my brother’s resilience and his uplifting advice; I admire my best friend’s caring attitude and how she is always supportive to those around her; I think highly of my teachers’ hard work and how they are always willing to help All of these qualities are what I regard as my role model because they are what I aspire to be

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I enjoy how the activities which we partake in are so varied We have experienced sessions ranging from escape rooms, where we used problem solving and initiative, to sessions about how physics acts in sport, where we were able to be actively thinking and learning about the crossover between the two subjects Through the range of sessions in the scholars programme, we are allowed to explore different aspects of school other than the set curriculum and we are given the chance to extend ourselves in our learning

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I find Simon Reeve particularly fascinating, as he has been a key member of the Geographic community who has highlighted the importance of both Environmental and Socioeconomic issues in our modern society, through his intriguing travels, which provides in incite to other cultures

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

The Lingfield Scholars program also provides the opportunity to partake in Academically stimulating talks with teachers, which can establish new interests in our Academic lives The Scholars Trip is always a great highlight, with us visiting Oxford last year, and learning about the university This year we are looking forward to our trip to

Cambridge, which will finally provide us with the chance to visit the best of the two Oxbridge universities

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

On top of being a scholar, I have also participated in the Youth Enterprise Project, which is a partnership with NatWest, where we received an investment of £50 to raise at least £1500 for St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, which does great work to help those who need it most, so far, we have been fortunate to raise over £1700 Additionally, I enjoy partaking in Model United Nations Conferences, which involves debating global issues, from the perspective of different nations, which is helping me develop my public speaking and presentation skills

MIKO K

CHLOE T ISABELLE S

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose the title ‘To What Extent Have Ethics Affected the Progression of Artificial Intelligence?’ for my EPQ essay this year I have always gravitated towards controversial questions, without black and white answers, because I like to contribute my own opinions to something that many people have questioned I chose to link this to AI because I like reading dystopian novels, which often focus on robots in the future

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

I have never had a fixed idea of what I would like to be in the future however currently I would like to be a writer, perhaps for a scientific magazine such as National Geographic

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I like the scholars sessions because we get to learn things that are not in the curriculum I liked the trip to Oxford last year because it was interesting exploring the city and looking into a few of the different colleges

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I play netball for the school and out of school for my club, where I play matches almost every weekend I have also always enjoyed running, whether I am competing or just running at the weekend to relax Finally, I play the piano and am currently doing Grade 5 I really like playing the piano because it is something that I can take with me anywhere

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I decided to write my essay on the topic of the perception of women in sport when I visited the Saachi Museum in London and went to the ‘Women’s Sport through the ages ’ exhibition I was intrigued by some of the shocking facts about Women’s sport in the past For example, women were not allowed to take part in the marathon as it was thought to damage their ovaries and women were banned from playing football until 1971! I then watched the Lionesses win in the Euros and was interested by the huge media attention it had received and decided to write my essay on it.

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

I do not know what career I would like to go into when I’m older. I do enjoy maths and art so possibly something like architecture, however, I am not completely sure.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I wouldn’t say I have one particular role model, however some people that inspire me are Michelle Obama, Malala and of course David Attenborough In previous years, I have often written my scholars essay about an area of climate change – In year seven I chose to write about Palm oil, and last year, I wrote my essay on the fashion industry and how harmful it is for the environment

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I do a lot of drama outside of school including Glow theatre group, where I am currently rehearsing for Grease as the part of Sandy. I am also part of the Young Oxted Players and have recently played the part of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Other than drama, I play tennis, hockey and I also play the guitar.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose my essay theme based on the fact that I thought it would be and interesting topic to discuss in an essay and also because the statue of Edward Colston was toppled in 2020

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

As a career I would like to do a job in an area of physics but I haven’t yet decided what area I would want to do

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I am finding the Scholars programme useful as well as enjoyable and I am enjoying the scholars’ sessions

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

At school I am involved in Model United Nations but I am not involved in any activity outside of school

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this essay theme (unconscious bias in conversation) because I have always been interested in women ’ s rights! However, I thought, instead of writing my essay on blatant sexism, which is usually the more written about version of sexism, I thought I would write my essay about unconscious sexism because it is so much more frequently used, and most of the time it isn’t even obvious but it has far more effect than blatant sexism

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

After writing my EPQ on unconscious bias, it has encouraged me to think a lot more about peoples’ mindsets and attitudes so I’m considering bringing my career into the field of neuroscience However, I’m also really interested in the modern foreign languages, so I’m planning to take my career in the direction of being a translator for an international company, but ideally, I would like to find a way to combine these two topics so I could have a career in both

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role model is Mary Ann Sieghart, a journalist and author who frequently writes about politics, women ’ s experience of the world, and social matters I met her last year at the Hay Festival when she signed my copy of her book ‘The Authority Gap’, and she was inspiring! In fact, when I did meet her, she corrected my mother on her own unconscious bias, which was amazing

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I am involved in most aspects of school life! I play violin and sing so I am in most of the school concerts, I’m captain of the A team of cricket as well as a netball and hockey player, and outside of school, I am a dedicated member of Banstead cricket club and I volunteer at the charity Oxfam on the weekends to finish off my Bronze DofE I’m also a member of the National Youth Choir, and have recently signed up to be part of the Young Leaders in Cricket programme

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this theme for my essay as I thought it would be an interesting topic to research on

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

Right now, I am not entirely sure exactly what I want to be but I know I want to go somewhere involving sports and media

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role model is my mum as she is one of the most hardworking people I know and tries her very best to be patient She also works extremely hard

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I am involved in a lot of sport inside and outside of school, playing for hockey, netball and cricket A team and County outside of school

IZZY S

"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