… And Does Earth Have Any?
A quasi-moon, also known as a quasi-satellite, is a celestial body that temporarily orbits a planet, but is not gravitationally bound to it in the same way as a natural moon. Instead, a quasi-moon follows a complicated and often irregular path around the planet, sometimes staying in orbit for a considerable amount of time before being ejected into space or drawn into a different orbit.
Zoozve
Perhaps the most well-known quasi-moon has, until recently, been Zoozve. This is an asteroid that appears to be in orbit around Venus. A closer inspection of its celestial journey, however, reveals clearly that it is not gravitationally bound to the planet. Rather, Zoozve goes around Venus and the Sun in a complex and unstable orbit which means it will be ejected from this quasi-satellite orbit or get drawn into another orbit.
Far Away And Close To Home
What’s fascinating about Quasi-moons is that although astrophysicists as far back as 1913 had predicted their existence, the theory was not confirmed until 2002 when Brian Skiff (of the Lowell Observatory) discovered Zoovze. Since this discovery, 8 more quasi-moons have been found; one associated with Neptune and 7 others that are orbiting alongside Earth. Neptune’s quasi-satellite doesn’t have a name but is referred to as 2007 RW 10 and has been in this state for around 12,500 years. It is believed that it will remain the same for just as many more.
The 7 confirmed current quasi-satellites of Earth are 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and (164207) 2004 GU9, as well as (277810) 2006 FV35, 2014 OL339, 2013 LX28, 2020 PP1, and 2023 FW13, which is the most recently discovered.
Quasi Moon 2023FW13
The new-found quasi-moon 2023 FW13 was first noticed last year on March 28 by the Pan-STARRS observatory and was confirmed by 3 other observatories before being officially revealed on the 1st of April. Experts believe that it has been orbiting the earth since 100 BC and will do so for another 1,500 years. Perhaps reassuringly, tt is thought to be the most stable earth-associated, quasi-satellite ever discovered!
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I recently watched The Winter King, the latest screen adaptation of the classic Arthurian Legend, and based on the novel by Bernard Cornwell. It was more historical drama with a touch of druid mysticism than the high-camp fantastical realism of Excalibur, the film of 1981. In this case, Cornwell seems to have based his version of King Arthur on what is thought by historians to be the most historically plausible version of the fabled King of the Britons.
Who Else Could King Arthur Have Been?
Tentative evidence suggests that if King Arthur had even existed, he would not have been a king, but rather the commander of an elite fighting force and would have lived 5 centuries before medieval legend suggests. The legendary leader, who could also have been known as Arturus, may have led the resistance of Romano-Britons against invading Saxons, Jutes, and other Northern European interlopers. Notably, confirm these Romano-Britons were pushed back to the west of Britain and are the predecessors or founding fathers of Wales. But details of individual figures involved are, however, scant.
Another theory with little evidence to support it suggests that the king may have been a Roman Centurion called Lucius Artorius Castus who led a group of Sarmatian Knights against the Picts (northern tribes) around 200 AD, about 300 years before typical Arthurian legends. The 2004 historical drama, King Arthur starring Clive Owen is constructed around Artorius.
Historyextra talks about 5 other warlords from around 100 AD to 600 AD whom modern-day Arthurian legend may be based on. These include Ambrosius Aurelianus, Constantine, Magnus Maximus, Arvirargus, and Cassivellaunus, and again, they were a combination of Romans and Britons.
Camelot
These depictions and suggestions of who Arthur was are not in wild contradiction with each other and do seem to be a plausible foundation for the fabled King, be they Briton or Romano-Briton. But, to be a king, he would need a seat of power, a castle – Camelot Castle, as legend dictates. In similar fashion, there are several leading candidates for the location of Camelot which have been derived from a combination of fables, folklore, and historical stone inscriptions, rather than a structured collection of compelling primary evidence. These are Cadbury Castle, Somerset, Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, Caerloen, South Wales, and Winchester Castle, in Hampshire.
A Less Magical Past
There is not enough evidence to assert one place over the other or one version of Arthur over another (of which there are many more not depicted here). Indeed, there is not enough evidence to suggest that Camelot or Arthur, King of Britons (as we perceive Kings to be today) even existed. What is more likely is that the King Arthur figure that we indulge in today is a composite of several warlords (of Briton or Romano-Briton persuasion), who lived between 100 AD to 600 AD during the dark ages. At least for now, it’s a case of sorry to disappoint, but evidence (or lack of it), means we can’t be any more definitive. Perhaps, though, there is some value in Arthur and Camelot remaining in the realm of legend. They are surely better known and loved than many of their flesh and stone contemporaries who exist!
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How The Pomodoro Technique Can Help You
In a recent article, I touched on the Pomodoro technique as a means of being productive when it comes to revision over the Easter break. But, such a fleeting mention doesn’t do justice to just how useful it can be.
The What
The Pomodoro Technique is a strategy aimed at helping people who struggle to focus for long periods and have a short attention span. If you get easily distracted, the Pomodoro is definitely for you. Developed in the 1980s by a University student who struggled to focus on his studies and assignments, the Pomodoro Technique is a strategy for doing work in short stretches. Twenty-five minutes of focus broken up by five-minute breaks, with a longer break of 15-30 minutes after every fourth stretch. It’s a technique that’s applicable beyond revision and can be applied to how you work, manage tasks, and helps you completely remove procrastination as a problem—which is an issue many of us deal with, especially when it comes to those things we just don’t want to do. By breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks to deal with systematically, that mountain in front of you is reduced to a series of steps. It makes you more efficient, mitigates distraction and ultimately makes you much more accountable to yourself.
The How
The Pomodoro Technique is designed to get work done while preventing the chance of overwhelm or the temptation of distraction. It works best with a bit of preparation and with a timer beside you (that timer should not be your phone, we’re here to remove distractions not add them). To prepare, make a list of the tasks or a single large task broken down into smaller ones. Assemble everything you need and remove anything you don’t. What you’re going to do is flip your perspective from sitting down for the long haul and instead stack a series of small wins through short bursts of focused work with breaks in between.
Once you’re ready, the process is fairly straightforward:
STEP ONE: Choose the task.
STEP TWO: Set your timer and work ONLY on that singular task.
STEP THREE: Once the timer goes off take a five-minute break. Stretch your legs, grab a drink, or check your phone.
STEP FOUR: Repeat steps one to three FOUR times.
STEP FIVE: Take a longer break of between fifteen and thirty minutes. Have some lunch, walk the dog or meditate.
Keep working through the steps like a cycle as you progress through your to-do list, and you’ll soon find yourself racing through it. It may seem deceptively simple, but that’s why it works. The idea behind this method is that the timer instills a sense of urgency. Instead of sitting back with the whole day ahead of you, finding ways to put off the work, time is turned against you. The breaks are there to help you catch your breath and not burn out.
If a task overruns, simply pick it up on the next interval, while if you have tasks that you know won’t take long at all, group them. If you have a sudden revelation of something that needs doing, simply make a note and add it to the list to do later, don’t ruin your momentum by diving into that task immediately. And of course, there are always moments of unavoidable interruption. Whether it’s a knock at the door or being informed of an important phone call, it’s not the end of the world. Simply take that break there, and then start fresh with a new interval from there.
What if you finish that task before the timer is up? Don’t call it early, use your remaining time to brush up further on whatever that task is. Research it more or go over what you’ve done; you’re focused on that particular topic at that moment so it’s important to keep that focus.
Things To Note
This technique isn’t going to change your life and solve all your problems, but it can be a huge help if used properly. With that in mind, it’s important to note that it doesn’t apply to everything and has its limitations. Long-form writing isn’t always the best for this. To really get into the flow of a piece, you do need longer to get the thoughts out of your head, so save the Pomodoro technique for research, editing and planning. Timing-wise, while the windows are relatively short, as you adjust to the technique it’s important to consider lengthening the windows of focused work. As your attention span and working mind adjust to it, you’ll likely find that the short windows begin to hinder more than help and longer stints will be more beneficial. Indeed, with that in mind, you might just come to a point where one day, you may not need it.
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Social media is often dubbed as one big distraction for young scholars. Indeed, it can be, with many influencers and marketers tailoring content to engage people for as long as possible. The manner of constant attention can be toxic, and the content can be too. However, as with many things, how you approach and utilise social media can make a big difference to how it impacts your life. There are pockets of this online space that are not only safe, but highly informative too! Even your home learning pursuits can be better facilitated through an apt use of social media. But how? Well, we’ll give you a few ideas after the jump.
Mute Functions
As we mentioned, social media can be a huge distraction. Not everyone can avoid these pitfalls through their own willpower alone. Still, there’s no shame in that. If you use social media already, consider opening up a ‘studying’ account that’s separate to your personal one. After that, some social media platforms may have ‘mute word’ and ‘mute phrase’ functions that enable you to do just that!
If you tailor the content that comes through your feed, you have a stronger chance of staying focused for study. There are really great and informative social media accounts out there, but sometimes their good work can be buried under lots of spam or content that might appeal to you in your free time. Filter out the noise and get to the good stuff! You may even be able to venture into your settings and turn off direct messaging, muting your inbox on respective sites. Keep your studying account private, too, and you won’t get distracted by juggling multiple conversations.
Prolific Academics
It’s important to be mindful of who you interact with online and the types of content you consume. Safety is always the most important thing. With that in mind, there are also people who are worth heeding. For example, Professor Brian Cox has a Twitter account, as does NASA, and a multitude of many other smart, studious people. There are lesser-known experts online too, still highly credible voices in their field that are worth researching further.
Many of these social media profiles have links to encyclopaedic websites of their own. So, in that respect, their social media presence may just be a stepping stone for a wider and deeper learning journey, too, connecting you with huge quantities of research and data elsewhere. Prolific academics that are online may post various facts and data that may inspire you in your academics, and potentially, even eventual career aspirations. They may even publicly disclose personal anecdotes that motivate you. Some of them may even have been home learners, too! It can all help you feel encouraged!
Bookstagramming And Other Suggestions In Social Media
Social media can help. It just shouldn’t replace the tutoring role. In addition to a tool such as Mute Function, things like ‘bookstagraming’ (where people post pictures and thoughts on their favourite books on Instagram) may help. It’s not academic learning, but if you explore these digital areas for books on your reading list, you may encounter many fresh ideas that can contribute to your home learning success! Remember to use hashtags when searching for the most relevant content to your learning!
Platforms like Pinterest can also provide you with plentiful inspiration. It’s a more visual social media site, where you should encounter more than a few studying and revision tips. A new perspective on your learning could be just the ticket!
Blogs can also be a useful resource when learning from home (and we’re not just saying that for obvious reasons!). There are so many institutions and writers interrogating the subjects you’re studying, and they also update their pages when new information, including research and statistics, becomes available.
All parties on the home learning journey can benefit through using social media tools responsibly. Inspiration and education are always evolving, particularly through online spaces. So, it’s important to stay up to date. Try to keep a dialogue open with your tutor so that you can be transparent and trustworthy and ensure you’re both in agreement about how and when social media can be used in your study.
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What You Need To Know About AI: A Beginner’s Guide To What The Future Holds by Brian David Johnson
Artificial Intelligence is a bit of a big topic at the minute. A couple of years ago it was just a villain in science fiction, but now it seems like evil sentient robots are here and ready to take over the working world… and do your homework for you. For a lot of people it’s a scary topic because it’s something we see and hear about in the news and online but don’t understand what AI is. Is it really going to take over the world? Or is it actually going to help us achieve some really cool things? Well, artificial intelligence expert Brian David Johnson is on hand to help with his book, aimed at younger minds, What You Need To Know About AI. It’s a beginner’s guide to artificial intelligence, starting off with a very youth-friendly explanation of what it is (fortunately it is not a collection of sentient toasters looking to take over the world) and then dipping into what it can be used for and where it may help us in the future.
Reader-Friendly
As its title says, the guide helps you learn everything you need to know about AI, from how it helps us discover the epic stuff up in space or under the sea, to whether it will help you build your very own dinosaur, and why. It’s presented in short and easy bites of information, with some great little illustrations to go alongside. It’s not a big, long, boring essay full of words you won’t understand, but written in such a way that the understanding will come easily. You’ll probably understand things so well after reading it that you’ll be able to explain everything to somebody who’s never even touched a computer!
Over the course of the book, you’ll learn where AI came from, and how it’s already being used in the world of sport, space, medicine, animals and more. You will discover the amazing possibilities of AI, that might shape the future. Along the way, you’ll learn super cool facts, bust some myths, and gain a balanced and informed view on one of the the biggest topics of our time. Mixed in with it all is a message about how you can use AI positively and help engineer a better future. So if you or anyone you know is a little bit scared of what AI is, you can use this book to put those fears to rest!
Get Ahead Of The Trend
This book has been a great help to plenty of teachers across the world in understanding AI and is a great starting point for young, curious minds looking to the future and how the world might look when they’re older. It will be of great interest to those who might be thinking they want to work in computing or some other field of Science and technology when they’re older. AI will certainly play a an ever-increasing role within those sectors.
And no, artificial intelligence didn’t write this to try and fool you all. Prove it, you say? Chicken nuggets, Spider-Man. A robot wouldn’t write something daft like that now, would it?
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Now we’re properly into spring, there is only one thing for it: I need to write about Japanese cherry blossom. It isn’t just that cherry blossom is a Japanese thing – after all, we see it all over the UK, its pretty pink and white petals covering gardens and parks. But, in Japan, the season is known as Sakura. From March through to May, people gather in different places to marvel at the beauty of what cherry trees can offer. In fact, people travel far and wide in Japan (and beyond) to follow the cherry blossom season. It is so stunningly beautiful it is easy to see why.
Locals and visitors who are fortunate enough to experience Hanami (the ability of enjoying the fleeting beauty of blossom) will travel to different places to see with their own eyes the way nature changes. The season does not last long – after a week or so, a lot of the blossom falls to the ground and the trees are less colourful. Interestingly, cherry blossom symbolises human life, transience and nobility. People love it so much that they often hold parties to celebrate the offerings that nature provides.
Inspiration For Haiku
You may not know that the haiku, a very short Japanese poem, traditionally consisting of a total of 17 syllables, with 5 in the first line, 7 in the second and 5 in the third, is usually focused on nature. This form of poetry is particularly well-known for focusing on the seasons. It is fascinating to think that haiku has been a popular form of poetry since the 9th century! Bear in mind, though, that many translations from Japanese into English do not seem to follow the 5-7-5 rule due to the languages having quite different sounds. If you would like to to read some great examples of the traditional Japanese haiku, Basho Matsuo is a particularly famous writer of them. One example of his work is given below, capturing the essence of the cherry blossom season perfectly:
A lovely spring night
suddenly vanished while we
viewed cherry blossoms
(Source: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/haiku-poetry-about-japans-cherry-blossoms)
So, if you are looking for something to write as the evenings get brighter and longer, maybe have a go at haiku. And if you are interested in the wonderful cherry blossom season in Japan, perhaps you could write about that.
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How Did The Death Zone Get Its Name?
As the Everest climbing season gains momentum, you may hear the term “Death Zone” mentioned in articles and news reports about extreme high-altitude mountaineering.
At 29,029 feet, Mount Everest stands as the world’s highest mountain, with its final 4029 feet referred to as the Death Zone. The reason for this designation is that above 25,000 feet, our bodies struggle to adjust to the altitude, and the lungs fail to process sufficient oxygen, which in turn causes cells to begin to die.
Hypoxia
The effects of extreme high altitude on the lungs can be devastating: issues arise with hypoxia (oxygen deficiency), causing soaring pulse rates, blood clots (due to blood thickening), and increased stroke risk. In severe cases, this situation can progress to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), believed to occur when blood vessels constrict, raising pressure in the lungs. This results in fluid leaking from blood vessels into lung tissue and, in extreme cases, air sacs. This life-threatening condition, colloquially termed “fluid on the lung,” restricts respiratory function and can lead to drowning in one’s own fluid.
High-altitude hypoxia can elevate the resting heart rate to 140 beats per minute, a condition known as tachycardia, which may precipitate sudden cardiac arrest. The eye is also vulnerable and can suffer from high altitude retinal hemorrhages.(HARH) which looks like red splotches in the eye. It doesn’t look great but isn’t life threatening. According to experts, however, it can affect vision.
And More…
The digestive system slows is suppressed at high altitude and blood is diverted away and used to increase the bodies cardiopulmonary reserves. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. The brain is also affected at High Altitude by a condition known as high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). This is where hypoxia causes the brain to swell and this can lead to ataxia, fatigue and a decreasing level of consciousness.
Records Of The Death Zone
Experts suggest that climbers do not spend more than 20 hours in the Death Zone, with 48 hours being the absolute maximum for most people, even with supplementary Oxygen. Babu Chiri Sherpa holds the record for the time spent in the death zone without supplementary Oxygen and this is 21 hours. Pemba Gyalje is the record holder for being in the death zone with Oxygen and this is 90 hours.
Considering the risks and perils of entering the Death Zone, one may wonder why climbers undertake such challenges. The famous answer to this question, of course, is “Because it’s there!”
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The 7 Major Types Of Electromagnetic Waves And What They Do
To fully understand electromagnetic waves we should familiarise ourselves with the electromagnetic spectrum, (or the EM spectrum), representing all the electromagnetic radiation in the universe. This type of energy is distributed throughout space in the form of electric and magnetic waves. It allows for the transfer of both energy and information.
Spectrum Placement
There are seven electromagnetic groups on the EM Spectrum. On the left of the spectrum exist Radio waves which have the lowest frequency and the longest wavelengths. Planets, stars, and even lightning emit radio waves, and of course, humans use radio waves to communicate sound and information.
Similarities And Differences
Microwaves come next on the EM spectrum, followed by infrared, visible light (the one we can see), Ultraviolet, X-rays, and Gamma rays. What these types of EM radiation have in common is that they all travel at the same speed in the vacuum of space, which is the speed of light. They differ in the fact that each form of EM radiation has a different wavelength and frequency range giving it different qualities.
For example, radio waves are great for communicating information for TV and radio as their long wavelengths allow them to transfer data over long distances within minimal signal degradation.
Microwaves (and radio waves), have long wavelengths and give scientists unique visibility into dense molecular clouds containing nascent stars. These same qualities make microwaves perfect for cooking as their frequencies can penetrate molecules found in food.
Infrared is a great heat source due to its ability to release heat from chemical bonds and it is also used in night vision cameras/goggles.
Visible light of course allows humans to see and do tasks, and UV radiation can help humans produce Vitamin D and is increasingly used to sterilize water.
Gamma radiation has profound medical applications allowing doctors to target and destroy cancer cells.
Show Don’t Tell is a technique used in pretty much every form of creative writing. It is a skill that once mastered will take your writing to the next level. It’s a way of allowing your readers to experience your writing through actions, thoughts, feelings and the five senses, as opposed to just rambling off a lengthy and unengaging factual explanation. People read fiction to get away from the real world and to experience something different. This is commonly known as escapism, when you want to get away from the humdrum of school and work and have a much more entertaining time in Middle Earth or on some futuristic space station. Good writers show these details through actions, thoughts and feelings in order to make their stories more engaging. Read on to find out just how they (and you) can do that.
Of course, Show don’t Tell is not a tool that needs to be used all the time, there are plenty of occasions to simply tell, such as long passages of time. It’s hard to show that without clogging up the word count and slowing down the pace of your story. So how do you show instead of tell? Here are three key aspects of storytelling and how best to demonstrate them: emotions, dialogue and setting.
Showing Emotions
When someone is mad at you they don’t usually say, “Oh, I’m really angry at you now,” because that would be telling. So how do you know that they’re mad? You see the signs—not in what they say but how they say it and the change in their body language. Their eyes might narrow, their lips may thin or their jaw clench. Their voice may take on a different, colder, or harsher tone, they may raise their voice. Their hands may close into fists, their posture might suddenly stiffen. These are all signs that somebody’s angry—all different ways that you can show it. People don’t go around announcing their emotions to people in real life, we learn to notice these signs, so if in your narrative you write that Susan was really sad, the reader isn’t engaged because there’s nothing to make their brain work. However, if you say that Susan’s bottom lip started to tremble, or that she had to blink away tears, your reader can infer from that information that she’s sad. It doesn’t sound like much but these are the little things that keep your audience engaged.
Dialogue
Yes, it can seem a little bit counter-intuitive to mention dialogue here, and you might be wondering how to show when a character is literally telling somebody something when they’re speaking.
Dialogue is one of the most effective ways to show something in a story, as it not only drives the plot forward but is a great tool for revealing character. The words we choose to say and how we say them speak volumes about us, so it is vitally important you think about the words that your characters will use.
One of the best examples of this is from the 1964 film Goldfinger. Secret agent James Bond is at the mercy of the villain, Goldfinger, when there is this wonderful exchange which on the surface looks like a terrible example of telling rather than showing:
Bond: Do you expect me to talk?
Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!
Context is everything here. Bond is strapped to a table with a laser set to kill him and the villain seems to be simply stating what the audience is expecting to happen. But if you think about what the two of them are saying, it reveals what kind of people they are. Bond looks like he has no way out, and his words show that even faced with death he will not betray his country, will remain defiant, and appears to be every bit of the hero he’s been so far in the film. Goldfinger on the other hand, solidifies his presence as the villain as his choice of words shows his callous dispassion and nonchalance at the fact he is about to disintegrate another human being. Of course, your writing doesn’t need to be quite as dynamic and dramatic as this, but it just shows how much your audience can pick up from a couple of lines of dialogue, so don’t be afraid to use it!
You may wonder how can you make your characters stand out from each other. Think about the ways they talk. Think about the slang, contractions and vocabulary they might use and how they can give clues as to your character’s background and intelligence. For example, a school student will use certain slang words like ‘rizz’, which you wouldn’t likely hear from someone much older. Considerations like this are how you show (and don’t tell!) that your characters are unique and memorable.
Description and Setting
Instead of writing lengthy passages of description to ‘set the scene’, effective storytellers weave this description into the action of their stories. Not only are you showing the world but you’re also driving the story forward and not boring your readers with paragraphs about trees. For example…
Snow crunched underfoot.
What can you infer from this? That it’s snowing and therefore likely winter, as well as the fact that the characters are walking toward something. Little details like this go a long way and allow your readers to paint the rest of the picture. You don’t need to spell it out, just leave clues for the reader to piece the picture together.
All these things may sound simple, but as is often the way, it’s easier said than done. With practice, though, you’ll only become more adept. And the best way to supplement practice is to also read plenty, to see how other writers do it. Now go put some ‘rizz’ into that writing! See, sounds weird, doesn’t it?
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The Enduring Appeal Of Hans Christian Andersen
You may well have heard of Hans Christian Andersen, the famous Danish writer who was born on 2nd April 1805. He was a prolific writer, one that we know – in particular – for writing many fairy tales. So why, over two hundred years after his birth, is he so well-remembered?
A Prolific Career
Hans Christian Andersen wrote 156 fairy tales (and more besides) – examples you will probably have heard of include ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’. Even today, in 2024, we know these stories. They are firmly ingrained in many people’s upbringings, whether through being read to as a child or through films we might have watched which are based on the stories. For many of us, our childhoods consisted of being read stories and we remember them well into adulthood.
An Influential Master
Interestingly, many more modern children’s stories may be based on, or influenced by, Hans Christian Andersen. The Wind in the Willows is one such example, the story of four riverbank friends beautifully told by Kenneth Grahame. Also, Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as stories by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll, are said to have been inspired by Andersen’s work. What a lot of these have in common is talking animals – and bringing inanimate objects to life. Even very recent films like Toy Story, could be said to have been influenced by the Danish writer’s vivid imagination.
The writer’s legacy lives on, from the statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen to another in New York’s Central Park – but this is of Andersen with the Ugly Duckling! Amazingly, in Shanghai, China, there is a $13 million theme park dedicated to his fairy tales. Andersen’s tales have been translated into more than 150 languages – so if this doesn’t make him a successful writer, I don’t know what does!
So, on 2nd April 2024, just after the Easter weekend, if you are sat munching your way through Easter eggs, you might want to dip into Hans Christian Andersen’s fantastical worlds. You never know where this might take you!
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