Fee Fi Fo Fum!

Fee fi fo fum hand lettered title

Illustration ©2014 Ken Wilson-Max “Fee fi fo fum”  is from the classic English fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk, which was originally called Jack the Giant Killer.  The Cornish fairytale tells the story of a brave young man during the reign of King Arthur who kills many giants. Giants are common in Cornish stories. Cornwall, the home of…… Continue reading Fee Fi Fo Fum!

Billions of people still don't drink or use water that is safe. One of the 17 Promises the world made was to ensure that everyone can get clean, safe water by 2030. Is there enough water for everyone? Less than half of the world's countries are unlikely to make this promise happen by 2030. Here… Continue reading Is There Enough Water For everyone?

The World is Full of Litter

Plastic is one of the most highly littered materials. It is a large part of modern life. Smartphone cases, computer keyboards, shopping bags, and water bottles are all made with it. While plastic has been around for less than a century, it's dramatically changed the way we live. It is very hardwearing and designed to… Continue reading The World is Full of Litter

Plastic is one of the most highly littered materials. It is a large part of modern life. Smartphone cases, computer keyboards, shopping bags, and water bottles are all made with it. While plastic has been around for less than a century, it’s dramatically changed the way we live. It is very hardwearing and designed to…… Continue reading The World is Full of Litter

Are Fewer Airplanes in the Sky a Good Thing?

The global pandemic has changed the way we travel. There are fewer airplanes in the sky. Airlines are retiring them because there are fewer passengers. While this is bad for the airline and travel business, it is quite good for the environment. If you live in a big city you’ve probably enjoyed the peace and…… Continue reading Are Fewer Airplanes in the Sky a Good Thing?

What is a Pandemic?

A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease, usually a virus.  A pandemic happens when a new virus spreads around the world, and most people do not have immunity, that is, their bodies cannot fight it. Viruses that have caused pandemics have normally come from animal influenza viruses.  It’s just the Flu, isn’t…… Continue reading What is a Pandemic?

Wahala!

‘Wahala’, the pigeon English word for problem aptly describes Nigeria’s education situation. 13 million children are out of school in Africa’s richest country. That is as much as the population Tokyo and more than the population of New York. Most of the children come from the northern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Boko Haram,…… Continue reading Wahala!

What is AIDS?

A virus called HIV causes a  syndrome called Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). What does AIDS mean to children? The Kiddle encyclopedia explains; Acquired means that people are not born with the disease. They are infected with the HIV virus.Immune or Immuno- talks about the immune system. The immune system is the part of the body that fights off disease.Deficiency means not enough. An immuno-deficiency is where the immune system cannot fight…… Continue reading What is AIDS?

Eucalyptus!

The Eucalyptus, from the family Myrtaceae, is famous for being one of the tallest trees on the planet. It grows up to 60 meters, or 200 feet tall and there are over 700 species of eucalyptus. Most come from Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. They are evergreen trees, which means they don’t shed their leaves,…… Continue reading Eucalyptus!

For The Earth Climate Change Is Bad

The world is getting warmer. As things heat up it puts a strain on animals and habitats. Students across the world skipped school and went on strike in a fight against climate change. Inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, environmentally conscious students are calling for the government to take action on global warming. Greta Thunberg…… Continue reading For The Earth Climate Change Is Bad

How Much Pi?

Emma Haruka Iwao, who works at Google, used Google Cloud computing to calculate 31.4 trillion digits of pi. This is the first time some used publicly available cloud software for an enormous pi calculation. Peter Trueb set the previous world record in 2016, calculating the digits of pi to 22.4 trillion digits. Emma loved pi…… Continue reading How Much Pi?

Gorilla In Trouble

Gorilla in trouble… More than half of the world’s endagered mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Mountains on the border of Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. The rest live in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. There were only 880 left in 2018. Thankfully with a lot of work, this is changing slowly. According to…… Continue reading Gorilla In Trouble

100 years since the end of the Great War

2018 is 100 years since the end of the Great War. Nowadays, no one thinks sending children to war is a good thing. In fact more people think war itself is bad. But it was not always that way.  All the armies in the first Great War had child soldiers. Young boys and girls were…… Continue reading 100 years since the end of the Great War

What is Citizen Science?

Millie Kerr is an American writer and wildlife conservationist based in London. She loves animals big and small, and supports their protection through writing and photography. Mille explains what citizen scientists are all about.

The Mysteries of Hypnosis

I’m sure you’ve heard of the mysteries of hypnosis. Maybe you’ve seen a hypnotist on TV hypnotising volunteers from the audience, making them do funny things that make everybody laugh. Hypnosis is a kind of wide-awake sleep. Your eyes are wide open or closed while it’s happening. You may also have heard of people being…… Continue reading The Mysteries of Hypnosis

Promise 13 – Climate Action

Promise 13 – Climate Action is meant to improve the world’s climates. We produce more carbon dioxide (CO2) every year. The sun’s rays warm the Earth, keeping everything from freezing. But carbon dioxide (CO2) from cars and factories and homes slows down or stops the heat from the rays escaping back into space. So the…… Continue reading Promise 13 – Climate Action