In the realm of entertainment, there are few things as gratifying as witnessing a beloved story transition from page to screen seamlessly. Such is the case with Netflix’s Heartstopper, a heartwarming coming of age tale that has not only captured the hearts of its readers, but also sparked a newfound enthusiasm for reading among its audience. For those uninitiated, Heartstopper, created by Alice Oseman, is a graphic novel series that explores themes of love, identity, and self-discovery among teenagers, set in England.
So what has made this series such a success?
Heartstopper resonates deeply with its audience due to its exploration of topical themes relevant to today’s youth. From navigating relationships and sexuality to dealing with mental health issues, the series tackles these subjects with sensitivity and authenticity. This relevance ensures that readers not only connect with the characters, but that they also feel heard and understood, offering them solace, and perhaps makes them feel not alone.
Perhaps one of the key reasons for the show’s (and graphic novels’) success, is its commitment to inclusive representation. The series features diverse characters from various backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities, allowing readers from all walks of life to see themselves reflected in its pages. Indeed, Oseman is brave in the way she refuses to shy away from normalising LGBTQ+ community, and it is this inclusivity that fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance, making the story accessible and relatable to a wide audience.
Upon its adaptation into a screen series, Heartstopper received acclaim for its stellar performances. The actors, including Kit Connor as ‘Charlie Spring’ and Joe Locke as ‘Nick Nelson’, brought Oseman’s characters to life with nuance and authenticity. Their portrayals resonated with viewers, drawing them into the narrative and eliciting a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. And, again, Netflix have kept with Oseman’s desire for inclusivity by using actors “an essence of that character in them,” making the casting sublime.
Undoubtedly, however, at the heart of Heartstopper’s success lies in its brilliant writing. Oseman’s storytelling is captivating, weaving together intricate plotlines and rich character development that keep readers eagerly turning the pages. The transition from page to screen is seamless, thanks to Oseman’s involvement in the adaptation process, ensuring that diehard fans of the graphic novel had little to quibble with.
Why not do both?
While the screen adaptation offers a visually stunning portrayal of the story, diving into the graphic novels allows readers to experience the full depth and nuance of Oseman’s writing. Each medium offers its own unique perspective, enriching the overall Heartstopper experience.
If you’re struggling with what to read (or watch next), click here to find Kellie’s personal reading list broken down for age and genre so you can find your next page-turner.
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As the exam season begins, many students find themselves grappling with a familiar foe: anxiety. The pressure to perform coupled with the uncertainty of the outcome can weigh heavily on even the most prepared minds. However, with the right techniques and strategies, it’s possible to navigate exam anxiety and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
Mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation, can help students calm their minds and bodies in the face of exam-related stress. Encourage your child to set aside time each day for mindfulness practice, whether it’s a few minutes of deep breathing before bed or a guided meditation session in the morning (You can click here to look at Kellie’s guided meditation). By cultivating a sense of presence and awareness, students can reduce anxiety levels and improve their ability to focus and concentrate during exams.
The prospect of tackling a mountain of study material can feel overwhelming, leading to heightened anxiety levels. Help your child break down their study tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks, and create a realistic study schedule that allows for regular breaks and rest periods. Make sure you take time to celebrate small wins, such as completing a task. By focusing on one task at a time and celebrating small victories along the way, students can build confidence and momentum as they work towards their exam goals.
A strong support network can provide a much-needed source of comfort and encouragement during times of stress. Encourage your child to reach out to friends, family members or teachers, for support and guidance. Remind them that it’s okay to ask for help when needed and that they are not alone in their struggles. By fostering a supportive environment, students can feel empowered to share their feelings and seek assistance when necessary.
Negative self-talk can exacerbate anxiety and undermine confidence, making it difficult for students to perform at their best. Encourage your child to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations and self-talk. Remind them of their strengths, past successes, and resilience in overcoming challenges. By cultivating a positive mindset and reframing negative thoughts, students can boost their self-esteem and confidence, leading to improved performance in exams.
In the midst of exam preparation, it’s essential for students to prioritise self-care and well-being. Encourage your child to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious meals, getting regular exercise, and prioritising adequate sleep. Encourage them to engage in activities they enjoy, whether it’s spending time with friends, pursuing hobbies, or simply taking a break to relax and recharge. By prioritising self-care, students can enhance their resilience, reduce stress levels, and improve their overall well-being.
While exam anxiety is a common experience for many students, it doesn’t have to define their exam experience. By implementing these techniques for managing anxiety, students can cultivate resilience, confidence, and well-being, enabling them to face exams with courage and composure. Encourage your child to practise mindfulness and relaxation techniques, break tasks into manageable chunks, foster a supportive environment, practise positive self-talk, and prioritise self-care. With these tools and strategies at their disposal, students can navigate exam season with
grace and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
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2023 saw ChatGPT equipping the masses with ground-breaking AI capabilities and functionality, but also introduced the concerning reality of AI-generated content, bringing with it the risks of AI plagiarism from both students and professionals. As a result, “ChatGPT” emerged as the breakout word of 2023, but “Deepfake” appears poised to claim that title in 2024. Deepfake extends beyond plagiarism, encompassing the creation of highly realistic yet fraudulent videos or images of influential individuals using AI tools. These deceptive creations are then maliciously disseminated across the internet, social media and even television platforms for political or commercial gains.
Previously relegated to the realms of tech journalism and cyber-security, the Taylor Swift deepfake scandal at the onset of the year propelled deepfake into the mainstream spotlight, even garnering attention from the periodical, The Scientific American. Millions of fans found themselves deceived or nearly deceived by deepfake Taylor Swift advertisements, thrusting the issue into public consciousness, and prompting widespread concern over the issue.
Fortunately, many deepfakes are discernibly fabricated, intentionally crafted for comedic or illustrative purposes, as seen in examples like the Seinfeld Pulp Fiction mashup or the Morgan Freeman impersonation. Moreover, vigilant users typically identify and flag inconspicuous deepfakes swiftly, mitigating the risk of widespread deception. However, amidst the flurry of crucial elections of global political figures this year, the spectre of deepfake-driven political propaganda looms large. Consequently, media organisations, which play a pivotal role in disseminating global news, are intensifying their efforts to detect deepfakes.
A recent example of this proactive stance around ungenuine images is the Princess of Wales’s doctored photo, which was uncovered via hyper-vigilant deepfake detection protocols within media outlets responsible for distributing the Royal’s Mother’s Day family picture. While this incident was innocent, such detection measures may prove indispensable in identifying nefarious uses of deepfakes for commercial and political manipulation in 2024.
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It’s World Heritage Day on the 18th of April. So, let’s shine a light on some of the UK’s most well-known heritage sites.
Stonehenge is perhaps one of the most iconic sites in Britain. Located in Wiltshire, the prehistoric stone circle is estimated to date back to 3100 BCE and was most probably built as a monument site for worship. Today, the site receives an estimated 1 million visitors each year.
Dating back to 122 CE, Hadrian’s Wall was built as a Roman defence against the ‘barbarians’ in the north of Britannia. It stretches from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east of northern England to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Located in Warwickshire, Kenilworth Castle is famous as the home of Robert Dudley, the (supposed) lover of Queen Elizabeth I. However, the castle predates Dudley, who only occupied it from 1563, by a few hundred years. The original castle was founded in the 1120s.
Overlooking The Channel, Dover Castle in Kent is one of the largest castles in England. As well as attracting many visitors each year, this castle has also been used as a location for a number of film and TV productions including Doctor Who, Into The Woods, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Giant’s Causeway is an area of volcanic rock columns found on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The rock formations are said to be between 50 and 60 million years old and, according to Gaelic legend, the area is the remains of a road built by the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill so that he could cross the North Channel to meet Scottish giant Benandonner for a fight.
Also known as Holy Island, Lindisfarne is a tidal island (when the tide goes out it can be reached by land) off the coast of Northumberland that has been an important Christian site since the 6th century. Lindisfarne is perhaps most famous as the site of the first Viking raid on Britain in 793 CE – an event which kickstarted a long series of Viking invasions in Britain.
Also known as the Palace of Westminster, the grade 1 listed Gothic building serves as the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It is thought that the site of the Palace, along the bank of the River Thames in London, has been used as a meeting place and residence for England’s rulers since the 11th century.
Built between 1705 and 1722, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire is most well-known as the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Despite being open to the public, and receiving around 950,000 visitors last year, the palace remains the home of the current Duke of Marlborough.
This is the site of one of the most famous battles in England’s history – the battle during which King Harold of England was defeated by the invading French leader, William, Duke of Normandy. William is now perhaps more widely known as William the Conqueror. After the battle, William had the Abbey built at the place of Harold’s death.
Located off the coast of North Cornwall, Tintagel Castle has long been associated with the legends of King Arthur. It is likely that the area surrounding the castle, the Tintagel Peninsula, had been occupied since the 1st century, but the ruined castle that stands there now upon a rocky islet wasn’t built until 1233. If you visit, you will see that the castle is very much a dramatic sight to behold.
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Passover is coming up at the end of the month. But what exactly is it and how is it celebrated?
Also known as Pesach in Hebrew, Passover is a Jewish festival that marks the moment when Moses led the Jewish people to freedom after hundreds of years of enslavement under the Egyptians. The festival of Passover, which typically lasts eight days (or seven for those who live in Israel), has been celebrated since around 1300 BC and always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, though this date is subject to change each year within the Gregorian calendar. This year, Passover will begin on Monday the 22nd April and end on the 30th.
There are many traditional elements to the celebration which are typically observed during Passover. One of the most important of these is Seder. Seder is a ceremonial meal (pictured, when fully set out) which is usually held on the first two nights of Passover. The meal typically includes a reading of the Haggadah, a text which recounts the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, along with prayers and blessings and questions from children about Passover. A number of symbolic foods are included during the meal, the elements of which make up the Seder Plate. This includes Maror: bitter herbs which represent the harshness of slavery; Charoset: a sweet mixture which represents the bricks and mortar that the Jews would have used to build the pyramids; Karpas: vegetables, often dipped in salt water, which represents the hard work of the enslaved Jews; Zeroah: a roasted lamb bone to represent the sacrificial lamb offered in the Temple of Jerusalem; and Beitzah: a hard-boiled egg which was a typical offering brought to the Temple. All of this is accompanied by matzah (a cracker-like form of unleavened bread). Matzah is a significant element throughout Passover as many Jews refrain from eating typical bread products which contain grains that have come into contact with water and been allowed to ferment and rise. These products are also known as chametz and the removal of chametz forms another traditional part of Passover, with many households undertaking a thorough cleaning of their home to remove any traces of chametz. In ancient times, Passover also involved the sacrificing of a lamb which was then eaten as part of the Seder meal. These sacrifices don’t occur today, but the sacrificial lamb remains an important symbol of Passover.
To observe Passover, some households will refrain from work during the first two and final two days of the festival, and some of the more dedicated observers may avoid driving, using electricity and spending money. The seven or eight days of Passover are a time for celebration and, in addition to the Seder meal, it is a time where Jewish people come together with family and friends to eat, drink, share stories and enjoy music. Passover presents a key opportunity for families to talk about Judaism with their children, helping to ignite and maintain interest in Jewish culture and faith whilst ensuring that the history of the Jewish people is not forgotten.
For more information about Passover, visit Chabad.org: What Is Passover (Pesach)?
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With my recommendation of George Orwell’s 1984 last month, it seems only fair to continue with the theme of thought-provoking literature to get your mind going. But instead of looking toward the future, this time it’s a book that looks upon the past. This month, the recommendation is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman (pictured). There’s no Superman or Captain America in sight here though, this is a story without heroes and a tale that would arguably make a great addition to the school curriculum.
The first and only graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize, Maus is a brutally moving work of art about a Holocaust survivor and the son who survives him. Part memoir and part comic book, this isn’t like any cartoon you’ve seen before. Maus takes the medium to tackle a very dark topic: the holocaust.
This is the “Complete” edition of “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale”, collecting both parts: “My Father Bleeds History” and “And Here My Troubles Began”.
The back cover of the book reads: “The complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler’s Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival – and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. It is a contemporary classic of immeasurable significance.”
The story of the Jewish Vladek, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story, Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. It uses familiarity against the reader and the assumption that good always wins over evil, casting the generally harmless household animals of cats as Nazis and mice as Jews.
This is a story that’s on many ‘must-read’ lists, is the only Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel and has a whole host of outlets and authors singing its praises for just how well-written, thought-provoking and generally incredible it is. Here are just a few;
‘One of the cliches about the holocaust is that you can’t imagine it… Spiegelman disproves that theory’ –The Independent
‘The first masterpiece in comic book history’ –The New Yorker
‘Like all great stories, it tells us more about ourselves than we could ever suspect’ –Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials series
Maus is honest, real and heartbreakingly written. It’s simple in its storytelling and its ink pen drawings are just as minimal, which is exactly what it needs to be when the subject matter is where the focus should be. It’s a story about a family set against a hugely terrible moment in human history, and one that is absolutely worth your time. Indeed, even a second read is warranted in order to fully appreciate it. The Complete Maus is probably the most engaging history lesson you’ll ever get.
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The Earth’s atmosphere is a complex and dynamic system in which a multitude of chemical, thermodynamic and fluid dynamic effects take place. It has undergone three major evolutionary changes since the formation of our planet: the early atmosphere, ocean formation and biological era. Without it, life would not exist, so it is imperative that we protect it to safeguard our future.
When the Earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago, there was no atmosphere. Volcanic activity formed the very first protective layer around our planet, through the release of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and water vapour. As the planet began to cool 700 million years later, the water vapour condensed to form our oceans which in turn soaked up large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. We finally entered the biological era of our atmosphere through the action of photosynthesis from bacteria and algae. This caused much of the atmospheric carbon dioxide to be converted into oxygen, creating the ozone layer and a supportive environment for life on Earth.
The chemical composition of our modern day atmosphere is vastly different to how it began. It is currently composed of 78% Nitrogen (the most abundant but inert gas), 21% oxygen (the part we need to breathe), 0.9% Argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide and 0.06% other gases. Ozone in the atmosphere helps to protect us by absorbing harmful UV rays while greenhouse gases help insulate the planet to keep it warm and able to sustain life. Human activity in the last 200 years through industrialisation, however, has had a profound effect on the atmosphere. With the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and release of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, we have seen an increase in global warming.
Our atmosphere is broken down into five main layers. The lowest layer is known as the troposphere and is the layer we all live directly beneath. It contains most of our weather patterns and water vapour and extends around 10km high. Higher up lies the stratosphere, which contains most of the ozone that protects us from UV rays. Unlike the troposphere, the temperature rises in the stratosphere as the altitude increases; this reflects the increase of unabsorbed UV rays. The mesosphere is considered part of the middle atmosphere and contains gases that are still thick enough to slow down meteors heading towards earth. The thermosphere absorbs large amounts of solar radiation, causing ionisation of molecules and also plays an important part in radio wave reflection around the globe. The outer layer is called the exosphere and contains gases that are so sparse they rarely come into contact with each other.
Our atmosphere is vital to our planet and its delicate balance of gases enable the right conditions for life to thrive. It plays an important part in regulating the earth’s temperature, protects us from UV rays and facilitates global weather patterns and the water cycle. In the modern age of industrialisation, our atmosphere is now under threat and increased efforts are needed to move towards renewable energy sources and sustainable practices. Hopefully this article will have demonstrated further evidence and reason as to why the fight against climate change is so important. It is factual, undeniable, and if we are not more direct in our response, its break down is entirely inevitable.
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Mars, with its cold and barren landscape, may seem inhospitable to life as we know it, but it might once have been teeming with life. I mean, the Sahara desert wasn’t always a desert. Just 2,500 years ago, during the African Humid Period, it was lush green and covered in grass, trees, and lakes. Is it so hard to believe that 2,000,000 years ago the desert-like Mars might have also been teaming with life?
Astrobiologists, those involved in the study of the origin and evolution of off-world life, have in recent years attempted to answer this question with the help of technological and off-world scientific rovers that traverse and study the geological makeup of Mars. One of the key pieces of evidence supporting the idea of past life on Mars is the presence of huge craters — called bench-and-nose formations — which are thought to have once been habitable rivers. These were discovered by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover and the scientists who analysed its data, using numerical models that simulated thousands of years of erosion.
In 2020, the continuing search for signs of past life on Mars led to the deployment of advanced robotic missions like NASA’s Perseverance rover (The image above is a photo of the surface taken by the rover. Its helicopter component can also be spotted in flight on the right of the shot). With its cutting-edge instruments, the goal of Perseverance is to explore and examine the ancient lake-bed of Jezero Crater, where scientists believe that the then-warm and wet conditions may have been conducive to life billions of years ago.
One of Perseverance’s primary objectives is to collect rock samples that may preserve traces of ancient microbial life. These samples will be stored and eventually returned to Earth, where the extraterrestrial rocks can be analysed in laboratories equipped with sophisticated instruments capable of detecting any such fossilised biomolecules.
In addition to these physical searches overground, in 2021 scientists (writing in the peer-reviewed journal Astro Biology), studied Martian meteorites and revealed that rocks below the planet’s surface could produce the same kinds of chemical energy that allow for subterranean life on Earth. Again, this was a fascinating but tentative conclusion, drawn from circumstantial evidence just like previous rover studies. So, while we can’t say definitively that there was once life on Mars, the case for it is getting much more compelling.
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On 31st March, in 1855, Charlotte Brontë, of the famous literary family, died. She was only 39 years old. The eldest of the Brontë sisters (there was Emily and Anne, as well as brother Branwell), even despite her own relatively young age, she had outlived her siblings. Charlotte was most well-known for her novel ‘Jane Eyre’, a classic of English literature which is loved and adored by readers the world over.
Back in the 19th Century, life was tough – and many people didn’t live into old age due to poor health and miserable living conditions. For the Brontës, though, they were relatively fortunate and lived at Haworth Parsonage, on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors in the north of England. Here, the four siblings invented imaginary worlds and had quite an idyllic childhood. They would also have had two other siblings, but sadly they died young. The four, who all wrote in later life, spent their days creating worlds that were quite different to their reality.
The siblings called their collected imaginary world ‘Glass Town’ – Charlotte Brontë was only 11 when this came to be and she also referred to it as her ‘world below’. Branwell was obsessed with battles and politics; Charlotte preferred grand, romantic settings, with passionate relationships; and younger sisters Emily and Anne had a desire to write about more homely, cosy themes. All in all, the siblings created a world which was an amalgamation of all of their ideas. They even published their own homemade magazine which included some of Charlotte’s poems (she wrote more than 200 in her lifetime and many of these featured in this family publication).
If you study English Literature at A-Level, you may well be asked to read ‘Jane Eyre’. It is, for many, a favourite novel – the Gothic setting and the madwoman in the attic are famous for good reason. But even if you are not a fan of such classic literature, you can’t help but be interested in the wonderful world of the Brontës and how they lived their lives. I, personally, find it fascinating that all four siblings were successful writers, to varying degrees.
So, on 31st March this year, if you are looking for your next good read, why don’t you pick up ‘Jane Eyre’. Maybe the writing of Charlotte Brontë will help you create your own imaginary world!
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The subject of quantum computing remains largely confined to the realm of exclusive coffee table discussions among theoretical physicists like Fernando Brandao and Oskar Painter. This suggests that the topic of quantum computing may fly way over the average person’s head, fascinating as it is. One of the best ways to shed light on this esoteric subject is to compare it with classical computing, and then outline the underlying quantum principles in a more relatable, albeit cursory way.
For example, this Caltech article explains that both quantum and classical computers — yes the one you are currently using — tend to have microchips, circuits, and logic gates. Algorithms written by programmers, and increasingly by AI, control the operations using binary code and ones and zeros in both classical and quantum computing. Furthermore, both quantum and classical machines employ physical objects to encode binary data. However, this is where the similarities end.
While the computer you are reading this on encodes data in two states, either on or off (binary digits), Quantum computers have taken a significant quantum leap forward. They use quantum bits (or qubits) and process data differently. While today’s computers process using ones and zeros, a qubit can be a superposition of one and zero simultaneously until its state is measured. Also, these states of multiple qubits can be quantum mechanically entangled. Superposition and entanglement are what give quantum computers powerful capabilities extending beyond that of classical computing.
While the potential of quantum computing is indeed profound, the full extent of its impact on modern computing capabilities remains uncertain. Quantum computers have existed in a nascent and experimental form for roughly a decade and are not yet utilised in industry or for practical everyday tasks. For now, classical computing reigns supreme.
However, quantum computing made an important experimental breakthrough in 2019 when it completed a calculation in a fraction of the time a classical computer would have required. While this is considered proof of principle it will be years before quantum computers will be solving practical problems like this in the everyday, or grace the desks of everyday users!
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