How Can We Stop Cow Farts From Killing Us?
‘Cows cows the more you eat the more they fart’.
Ever heard that expression before? Well it isn’t just a saying it affects us all. Cows’ farts are made out of methane and did you know that methane contributes to 75% of global warming! Methane surrounds us everywhere and it is even in your cough syrup.
Image: Via Flickr Creative Commons
Personally I think that cows are the main cause of global warming because they fart too much which releases methane and damages the atmosphere.
Another cause is us, humans, who release greenhouse gasses and pollute the planet through cars, factories and litter.
So how could we prevent the cows from killing us? Well here are three ways how:
- Reduce the amount of cow meat we eat as this reduces the need for cow meat so fewer cows will be bred together meaning there will be less farts released because there will be less cows.
- Feed them less grass and more of other stuff so that they reduce production of methane as grass makes cows fart a lot.
- Change the cows’ diet. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed because that contributes to the release of methane.
So it goes back to the original question. How can we stop cow farts from killing us? Well I’ve already told you so re-read my article!
Zain, aged 13
Brit Off Into Space!
Tim Peake, who is going to make history as he’s going to be the first British person on the International Space Station, is doing his final preparations for his flight.
Tim Peake was an army platoon commander who later served as a pilot and an instructor. Peake also completed his BSc (Hons) in flight dynamics at the University of Portsmouth. In 2009, Peake left the army having served for 17 years and having had over 3000 flying hours to his name.
To pursue another career, he decided to apply for the ESA astronaut training programme. Over 8,000 applicants applied for the programme and there were only six places for the programme. Within 6 months, his flying career got him the job. Also, Tim Peake is an aquanaut (which is a person that stays underwater for more than 24 hours) which was part of his training to become an astronaut.
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
Deliveries Now Take To The Air
As well as that, he and his crew mates, from the US and Russia, had to practise new ways of living as they had to lay down with their knees in the air because they were going to stay in that position for 7 hours as they tried to hunt down the International Space Station.
The plans for Tim Peake and his colleagues are as follows:
- 29/30th November – the astronauts will do their final preparations.
- 29/30th November – 1st December – the astronauts will arrive at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
- 1st– 15th December – the astronauts will stay in a quarantine (so they won’t be sick when the day comes).
- 15th December – the astronauts will fly off into space and come back 5 months later.
Get ready Brits, for a wonderful new world record on the 15th of December 2015!
Stephen, aged 13
Tired of your package coming in destroyed or having the package come late?
Well, look to the future as Amazon have released a new video showing drones, branded by Amazon, landing on a lawn depositing a package.
What type of drones do they use?
The drone is an octocopter (an eight propeller drone) which allows the drone to lift off and land with ease. The drone also has wings and a motor so it can fly at its normal altitude of 400ft at 15mph.
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
How does it work?
First of all, the customer puts in their details and once they buy their item, the message gets sent back to the nearest Amazon warehouse. Immediately, the employees take the item and place it where the drone can pick it up. Once the drone picks up the item, it will start to set its co-ordinates and head off to the designated home.
When the drone reaches near the house, the buyer will receive the message so that they can step outside. Once the drone has arrived to the location, the drone will drop the item and leave the to go to deliver another package.
Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson said in the Amazon advert that, “It’s incredible that the time it takes to arrive at its destination is 30 minutes, which to my standard is incredible.”
Safety Regulations?
Well you can’t always have a good ending when it comes to rules. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, they state that ‘flying beyond the line of sight is not permitted’. Amazon replied, saying ‘semi-autonomous flight in designated air corridors is the only way its system could work.’
The future is closer than ever before!
Stephen, aged 13
What are Balance Boards?
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
A Balance Board is a transportation device that gets you from A to B. It is basically a smaller version of the full size Segway.
The maximum speed of this device is 10-13 mph which might not seem fast to some, but trust me it is.
It weighs 9.8kg so you don’t really want to be carrying it when it has died.
It costs between £200-£1,400.
Is has blue LED lights at the front of it which makes it look nice especially in the night. 🙂
How did I find out about it?
My Mum’s friend told me about it so I looked it up on the internet this September.
What do I like about Balance Boards?
It is extremely fun to use. The Balance Board has different speed modes on it and it goes quite quickly. I decided to try one because they look very interesting; the experience was fast, fun and entertaining!
Was making Balance Boards illegal a fair decision?
I think that Balance Boards are a great transportation vehicle and we should legalise their use in public. I don’t think it was fair to make them illegal, why should other people have to suffer because of another person’s wrongdoing-why don’t they punish them individually?
If someone crashed your or their car you wouldn’t ban everyone from using cars would you?
Malachi, aged 13
Curiousity Rover To Explore Massive Sand Dunes On Mars!
NASA’s Curiosity Rover will soon be exploring deep sand dunes on Mars, some of which are the same height as a two storey building and the width of a football pitch!
This is the first time sand dunes like this will be explored on a planet in our solar system other than earth; the first dunes the Rover will be exploring are the Bagnold Dunes which are still known to be ‘active’. When a dune is ‘active’ its sand ripples and drifts which cause the dune to move.
When the Rover reaches the dunes it will start collecting samples which it will then process using its lab instruments. Nathan Bridges, one of the men responsible for the campaign, has said that ‘NASA scientists want to find out about the types of sandstone which are beneath the surface of Mars’.
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
It will take the Rover just over two weeks to reach the Bagnold dunes as movement for the Rover isn’t swift due to the its size and the rocky terrain of Mars; evidence for this being the fact that over the past three weeks, the Rover has only travelled a measly 315 metres.
The information given to us by the Rover may help scientists decide whether Mars can be habitable by humans or not and if we can possibly survive on the “Red Planet”.
Jude, aged 14
WW2 Spitfire Remnants Found In Cambridgeshire Marsh
This is a story which is extremely important to me as I have loved RAF planes since a very young age and have taken a deep interest in the stories of WW2 pilots and the anatomy of such a courageous aircraft.
Yet, my favourite plane of all, the Submarine Spitfire has been a remarkable creation in my eyes. I firstly heard about Pilot Officer Harold Penketh on a TV programme and the entire story moved me so much that I knew I had to read into it in more detail and share it among others.
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
The Story
Pilot Officer Harold Penketh who originated from Brighton was flying an MK 1A Spitfire X4583 based with a Rhodesian Squadron Royal Air Force at RAF Wittering. Harold was flying it across the Cambridgeshire fields on a training course; everything seemed perfectly safe and in control.
Suddenly, the plane was believed to have lost formation and the cockpit headed straight down for the land, the BBC recorded: “The cause of the crash was never fully established, although witnesses said the MK 1A Spitfire X4583 broke formation and nose-dived into farmland in the village of Holme, South of Peterborough.”
Unfortunately, Harold did not access his parachute in time to survive the crash.
After a number of investigations into the crash, it has been thought that Harold’s oxygen supply failed as well as other issues with the plane. Pilot Officer Penketh’s body was discovered and he was returned to his family.
The dent in the earth soon enclosed the plane as the water levels in the area are rather high. It remained there for 75 years.
75 Years Later
The site was discovered after a geophysical survey which the metal detectors instantly picked up.
Once the dig commenced, archaeologists found a number of artifacts were retrieved and looked at and they were able to recover the starter motor, control panels, a section of the oxygen system as well as one of the entire fuel tanks. It has not been identified yet but it is believed that a bone belonging to Harold was retrieved among the remains.
Two rather important artefacts were finally discovered: One of the propellers was unearthed in an extremely good condition.
Harold’s cigarette case was found, although slightly bent his initials lay clear H.E.P and left a very subdued atmosphere among the archaeologists.
It has not been identified yet but it is believed that a bone belonging to Harold was retrieved among the remains. This brought a termination to the excavation but was soon resumed a few days later.
I have been extremely touched by such a melancholy but miraculous event that was able to give life to young Harold again, who deserved so much more in his short lived life. Yet, I know I shall always remember him and his wonderful Spitfire for the many years to come.
Molly, aged 14
Has Humanity Finally Found The Miracle Cure?
Ever wondered about what stem cells actually are? Curious about what their limitations are? Well look no further because here you’ll find the answers to all of your questions.
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are cells capable of developing into any other kind of cell.
Where do stem cells come from?
Stem cells are taken from embryos about 3 to 5 days old, however, scientists have recently been able to 3D-print them!
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
Curing Juvenile Krabbe disease
Luis and Kian King were cured of Juvenile Krabbe disease – a disease that destroys the nervous system, because of a stem cell transplant.
In an interview with The Mirror, their mother Laura Otter said “We are trying not to get carried away, but it is hard not to get excited. Without this transplant there was no happy ending.”
“This is the difference people can make if they join the donor register. Something so small can give children a life and a future.”
Curing paralysis caused by a stroke
Another example of how stem cells have been used is when two women that were paralysed by a stroke had stem cells injected into their brain have been able to walk, talk and use their limbs again.
Curing AMD
A woman with AMD (age-related macular degeneration), a disease that causes loss of central vision, has had her sight restored after a single stem cell was grown into a patch of cells that were then transplanted into her eyes.
Stem cells can also be injected into babies in a womb, which can be used to cure Brittle Bone Disease! Clinical trials for this treatment will start in January 2016 in both Sweden and the UK.
Now you hopefully know more about stem cells than you did before you read this article, so look out for any new information on science news sites and find experiments done on Google Scholar if you want to know more on this amazing topic.
Camillo, aged 13
Neuromorphic Chips: The Way To The Future
We’ve all heard of the singularity but I’m still going to explain it to you anyway. It is the moment in time that technology becomes smarter than us. For ages people have thought of this as science fiction, but that fantasy may soon be a reality.
Neuromorphic chips are chips that will allow computers to be somewhat aware of what is happening in their surroundings. It is powered by a smartphone with special software. A test robot called Pioneer can recognise objects it hasn’t seen before and perform tasks without the instructions being programmed into it. You just show Pioneer how to do something, then it will do it.
Image:Via Day Donaldson
BENEFITS
- Neuromorphic chips are far more energy-efficient than traditional chips, consuming thousands to tens of thousands times less energy than the average computer chip.
- Neuromorphic chips can work in real time, similar to the way the brain works. If the chips were connected to sensors, they could be used in artificial retinas.
This is a groundbreaking invention as it will advance AI (artificial intelligence) greatly and may soon give us self-driving cars. With the real time processing, many options for technology will open up; wearable technology such as Google Glass will be able to help us in many more ways. There will also be educational and psychological benefits.
Children would have a fun way to learn and would be more encouraged to learn, mentally ill children could have someone to talk to and if you ever need some advice then your computer or smartphone will be able to help you out. This invention can also save lives, for example, if you are being robbed, or are in a fire, your computer or invention or other device can contact the police or the fire brigade and give them your address in a matter of seconds (if you have it wirelessly hooked up to sensors in your house).
All in all, neuromorphic chips will surely benefit our lives and help us have more technological advances in the future.
Camilo, aged 13
Apple Finally Unveils The New 12.9in iPad Pro
The global super company has finally launched their new product, but will this crash other tech businesses?
Measuring 12.9in diagonally, the iPad Pro’s screen brings 76% more screen area than the recent 9.7in with the same 4:3 ratio for width and length.
The company’s chief executive went to a conference in San Francisco’s large Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to announce the new iPad.
Tim Cook said “we asked ourselves how could we take iPad even further? Now we have the biggest news iPad has had since iPad-the iPad pro is the most powerful and capable iPad we’ve ever created.”
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
The iPad was first launched in 2010. The new tablet will use Apple’s new A9x processor which is 1.8 times faster than the previous A8x used in 2014’s iPad Air 2. Its graphics are twice as better than the A8x processor which will help drive the large, high density screen made up of 5.9 million pixels.
The new iPad Pro also has 10 hours of battery life (matching the same of iPad Air 2) and four speakers creating a stereo sound.
“It’s faster than 80% of processors of portable PCs that were shipped in the last 12 months and faster than 90% of the graphics of portable PCs shipped.” Said Apple’s Phil Schiller on stage.
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
How much is it?
The iPad Pro will be available at your smartech store in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray for £502.02 with 32 GB storage. Versions with 120 GB of storage with 4G connectivity will cost £702.20.
Alexis, aged 13
The Darkest Of Nightmares Has Arrived In The Form Of Five Nights At Freddy’s Four! (Game Review)
Probably from just seeing this picture, it gives you the creeps, just like when I saw it for the first time.
Most people will definitely expect this to be better than all the previous games, for this is the final chapter of the horror game series. Also, the graphics are really good, which makes the game scarier and creepier. But why is this game better?
Image:Via DeviantArt
Well, it’s a heck of a lot more different from the others. Instead of being in a pizzeria working as a night guard, you are a little child in your house alone with a bunch of animatronics hunting you down to stuff you in a Freddy suit and there’s no phone guy, either. However, the goal is the same-you must survive for five nights to win the game. But it’s not easy to win…
So, when you start the game, you play a mini-game, but the objective is unknown. After that you start in your bedroom, with no camera of any sort but to you need to check the left and right hall to see if anything is coming.
If you are checking one of the halls and hear breathing, you can shut the door to stop anything from coming in. The only thing you have is a flashlight, but it will scare away anything that tries to frighten you. But be careful, you must have the door closed for seven to ten seconds, but if it’s is closed for too little an amount of time (one to six seconds), they could still be there and it will be GAME OVER for you.
Watch your back as well, because they could also come up from behind you (that’s technically the bed). If you complete all the other five nights, you can continue up to night nine and win. In Five Nights at Freddy’s Four, there are eight figures that try to scare you:
- Freddy Fazbear (there’s two of them)
- Bonnie, Chica
- Chica’s cupcake
- Foxy
- Plushtrap (toy version of springtrap from FNAF Three)
- The super creepy, black-shaded-Nightmare.
Any improvements?
This games is way too scary to have improvements! “The best part of the game when I was playing it was playing the plushtrapminigame,” said the manager of Legit Gaming Magazine. This game is recommended to all horror gamers because it has great graphics and will give you the creeps every second you play the game.
There are no other better horror games than this. So…
GET THIS ONE!
Imran, aged 11
Meccano Bridge Beats World Record!
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
Queen’s University Belfast engineering students recently set a new world record with a 100ft bridge made from Meccano, strong enough for a person to cross!
It was made in Belfast and was led by Dr Danny Mcpolin. It took a year to complete the project and was recently finished.
Around 11,000 pieces of Meccano were used to make the bridge weighing around 600kg, Dr Danny Mcpolin added, “If you count all the nuts, bolts and washers, there are approximately 70,000. That’s a lot of Meccano!”
The Meccano bridge is only temporary and was built across Belfast’s Clarendon Dock.
Dr Danny Mcpolin explained that he saw this development, “not only as an opportunity to celebrate the students’ and staffs’ incredible work over the last year, but also a chance to give local children an insight into the exciting courses on offer at Queen’s.”
Jack, aged 11
Tim Berners-Lee’s Gateway To Knowledge Being Abused!
On average around 73% of people in the United Kingdom (results from 2013) use the internet but the question arises how safe are we when using it? Are our personal details safe with our computer? Could we lose everything due to just a minor computer hacking? If you want to know how safe you are then continue reading this article.
Tim Berners-Lee would be very upset right now because his intention was to create something that would help others; people have abused his help and tried to ruin it by hacking it.
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
Ed Vaizey, Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCM) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has said:
“We’re investing in cyber-security despite the challenges we have faced in public finances, and we’ve achieved so much since we announced the programme in 2011.”
Vaizey added:
“We also want to develop a highly skilled workforce, ensure there is world-class digital infrastructure in every part of the UK, and support high-quality science and innovation.”
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
He also went on to say that they have spent £860 million on cyber security; so don’t worry your computer is completely fine, no one can hack it… Or can they?
Research from the Telegraph shows that £650 million was lost in the world’s biggest bank raid because of a group of Russian hackers.
When Ed Vaizey said they’re spending so much money on stopping hackers, they should actually realise that hackers are smuggling in illegal equipment to hack the biggest protected networks. What people like Mr Vaizey or people in his position should do is spend more money on searching suspicious people and doing more to stop this illegal equipment coming in. Otherwise all of this money, being spent in cyber security, will be pointless because hackers can easily go beyond all of this cyber security and create new technology against it.
Sergey Golovanov of Kaspersky Lab said:
“These bank heists were surprising because it made no difference to the criminals what software the banks were using.”
Image:Via Flickr Creative Commons
Even people like a virus analyst agrees that it doesn’t make a difference to the hackers which software or cyber security it is because they can just use their illegal technology which is way more advanced than our cyber securities and hack into the computer or device.
How safe are we on the internet?
Well that is for you to find out and me to write about after you have found out for me.
Zain, aged 13
Does Violence In Video Games Cause The Violence In You?
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
They say gaming makes you angry all the time. An angry man is a dangerous man, unsociable and unable to follow basic instructions. This issue is important to me because I disagree with views like these. I am here to change your mind. I am here to show you the truth behind the lies.
Imagine a world without video games, imagine just reading books and playing board games. How boring would that be?
Take a second and think do you think the games you play make you violent?
How long do you spend playing your video games?
Research involving British primary schoolchildren found that the length of time that young people play video games, could have an effect on their behaviour or their school academic performance. In addition, those who spend more than three hours a day gaming displayed higher levels of aggression and were less academically engaged.
Yet I believe despite this survey, playing violent video games is no more likely to be damaging to a child’ behaviour.
Have you ever considered that young people might not be getting violence from their video games? They could be exposed to violence by television programmes, the wider media or from their wider life experiences.
Have you ever thought of that?
New Robot Hotel Opens In Japan!
Image: Via Wikimedia Commons
Films such as ‘I, Robot’, ‘Metropolis’ and ‘Wall-E’ have been a part society since the beginning of cinema, and with all the new technology it seems that we may be closer to that reality than we have previously thought.
There are growing fears of robots eventually dominating humans, yet some argue that robots could be an extremely useful tool for everyday life. Some of the existing robotic skills that scientists have managed to program into robots include apple-picking, doing laundry and even feeling each-other’s emotions.
Over the past few days, there’s been a lot of news coverage on a recently opened robot hotel in Japan which includes an English-speaking dinosaur as a receptionist, an automated trolley porter and a robotic arm that is in charge of the management of the ‘robot cloak-room’!
The fact that this new hotel is hardly a talking point in Japan clearly displays the fact that Japan is the world leader in robotics technology. And to add to that point, Japan’s government is also planning to include robots in airport staff, with their range of assistance including the shuttling of unwieldy luggage, cleaning the facility and assisting with heavy lifting.
I can see that both sides of the argument have a valid point. They can take jobs that place humans in dangerous situations and help with the care of elderly, young or physically challenged people. Yet they could also cause a higher unemployment rate and financial problems by replacing humans, as even though some jobs may be dangerous, they are the only way that some individuals can make money. And maybe the government should be focusing on reducing the amount of danger instead.
It varies on opinion, yet everybody seems to end up asking the same question…
Will robots dominate society?
Clara, aged 13
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