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Also known as community immunity, herd immunity is an indirect form of protection against an infectious disease. It occurs when a high enough percentage of the population has acquired immunity either naturally or through vaccination. This then prevents the spread of the disease, protecting those who are not yet immune. Herd immunity is generally beneficial for people who cannot be vaccinated due to their medical situation, for example if they have immunodeficiency or are waiting for a transplant.

And what does it mean in the case of the COVID 19 pandemic ?

In the case of the COVID 19 pandemic, this means allowing people to gain immunity by contracting the virus and of course recovering. Their organisms build their own defense system by developing the necessary antibodies. In other words, if you are not immunized yourself, but you only encounter people who are immunized, you aren’t at risk of being infected.

The percentage of infected people varies by location, and there’s no way of having reliable data on this without widespread testing. Especially as infected people sometimes don’t show any symptoms. Experts have estimated that up to 10% of the population may have had coronavirus in some countries. In any case, the figure is a long way off the 66% required to make herd immunity effective.

So why are so many of us in lockdown then? Aren’t these measures preventing us from reaching herd immunity? Wouldn’t countries be putting their citizens in danger through such a policy? And what about all the unknown factors? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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The World Health Organization is a United Nations agency that is responsible for international public health. In the case of a global health pandemic, such as the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, the WHO has a central role in coordinating the response plan. However, some people have called into question its effectiveness.

When the World Health Organization was created?

The United Nations created the WHO in the aftermath of the Second World War, on April 7th 1948 to be exact. Its headquarters are located close to Geneva, Switzerland, and the agency has 7,000 employees around the world. Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom has been Director General since 2017. Due to its role as an international leader, the organization has to increase public awareness on health threats, fight illnesses and improve access to healthcare, especially in the world’s poorer countries.

One of the key principles in the WHO’s constitution reads as follows: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”

In the case of emergencies, especially international epidemics, the WHO has to coordinate the action plan to prevent the illness from spreading. They do that by making official recommendations, based on the information they get from countries affected by the disease.

So is it down to the WHO that half the world’s population is under lockdown? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Exceptional times call for exceptional measures, as they say. Tracking apps are now being used by governments to combat the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In several countries, they are already live, while elsewhere, the apps are still at the development stage. Despite the obvious importance of stemming the spread of the virus, there has been much debate about resulting privacy issues.

Why do we need tracking apps then?

Many people with coronavirus experience only mild symptoms, or none at all. The problem is they are still able to transmit the disease to other people unknowingly. If a person later experiences symptoms, contact tracing can be used to help others realise they are at risk. In turn, they can then self-isolate for the required amount of time to avoid potentially spreading the disease.

The smartphone is perhaps the one item that almost all of us have in our possession constantly. It will come as no surprise to younger generations that their geolocation data is regularly collected by smartphone apps. Manufacturers and app providers have access to information on our whereabouts all the time. The difference is at the moment apps are being designed specifically for tracking purposes.

What about governments then? Do they track us in the same way as brands? And do citizens
have a say in the matter at all? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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This subcategory of the workforce includes jobs that provide services to other people. Despite doing work that is physically and emotionally demanding, care workers have long been underpaid and underappreciated in society.

But since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, they have been widely hailed as heroes. In many countries, citizens under lockdown have been holding a minute’s applause from their balconies on a daily basis, in honour of care workers.

So, who exactly are we talking about?

Of course, anyone in the healthcare sector is by definition a care worker. Through the nature of their work, people working in a hospital are at a greater risk of being infected. That’s especially true for those who have hands-on contact with infected patients, like nurses, doctors and their assistants. They are frequently referred to as being the “front line” in the fight against coronavirus. But sometimes they are being sent into battle without adequate protective equipment, like masks and gloves.

The role of workers in care homes is just as important. The older a person infected with coronavirus is, the more likely they are to have serious symptoms. Anyone who looks after one or more dependent people can be considered a care worker. So that includes childcare workers, although schools and nurseries are closed in many places for the time being.

What are the demographics of care workers? And will care workers get greater recognition once the coronavirus pandemic calms down? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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It’s estimated that up to 50% of the world’s population has been under some form of lockdown since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Governments have imposed these measures to reduce physical contact and stop the disease from spreading. The current lockdown in India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, is reported to be the largest in human history.

Although restrictions vary from country to country, the general principles of a lockdown remain the same. Only essential businesses are allowed to remain open. People are being ordered or advised to stay in their homes all the time apart from certain exceptions. Those include going to work if remote work isn’t an option, buying essential supplies like food, and helping vulnerable people like elderly family members.

Some countries require their citizens to print and sign an official form any time they go out. Law enforcement officers can then carry out spot checks.

So schooling, exercise, watching movies and dining are all exclusively home-based activities for the time being. Towns and cities across the world are practically deserted.

So, what’s the best advice for those living in lockdown?

It's best to not to let yourself go during the lockdown period. It’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, by getting regular exercise, sticking to a balanced diet and sleeping well. In most countries, citizens are allowed to do some daily exercise outdoors, as long as they avoid other people and don’t go too far from their homes.

You also need to protect your mental health. Being in lockdown and aware of the Coronavirus threat is a stressful situation for many. It’s important to get the facts from a trustworthy source of information. But if you feel anxious, consider limiting the time you spend following media coverage, especially when you’re feeling anxious.

And while we may not be able to see friends and loved ones in person, we can still stay in contact via social…

HouseParty is a video chat app that was created in the United States in 2016 and became particularly popular among millennials. Those who download it use it for an average of 51 minutes per day. That’s comparable to Facebook and higher than other popular apps like Instagram, Messenger and Snapchat.

The current coronavirus-related lockdowns have led to a resurgence in the app’s popularity around the world. It was downloaded 50 million times in the space of just a month, which is 70 times more than usual.

Other video chat services, like Zoom and Skype, are often used by companies for remote work, whereas HouseParty is mainly aimed at younger generations. That gives it more of a fun image than its rivals.

OK so what can I do with HouseParty then?

It’s fairly basic compared to a lot of messaging apps, not having any emojis, stickers or filters. The main purpose of the app is to make video calls between up to 8 devices.

You can also play games and quizzes like Time Up and Trivial Pursuit. When one of your friends opens the app, you instantly get a notification. As you can imagine that can get pretty irritating if you have a lot of contacts, but thankfully you can turn notifications off for selected or all contacts.

To download HouseParty, you need to set up a username and verify your cell phone number. The app accesses your phone contacts in order to find people you know. You also have the option to connect to Facebook or share your HouseParty profile link on Snapchat.

One big difference with other social media apps is that friends of friends can join video chats and games. By default when you open the HouseParty app, your personal video room goes live and any of your contacts can join.

But, are there any privacy issues ? Should I avoid using HouseParty then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !

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Neobanks are 100% digital. They run exclusively through mobile apps, with no brick-and-mortar premises. They offer customers a user-first design, and promise low cost banking operations. There are more and more neobanks around, drawing in millions of users and rivalling traditional banks, although they don’t technically hold the same status.

Don’t confuse neobanks with digital banks, which are usually the online-only arms of bigger players in the banking sector. You may have heard of the San Francisco based neobank Chime, which is the leader in the US at the moment. But brands like N26, Revolut and Monzo are also bringing over their expertise from Europe, where the online-only trend is further ahead. All were created in the late 2010s.

Ease of use is one of the main advantages with neobanks. New customers just need to download an app and can open an account without too much hassle. Other services like fund transfers, online payments and cash withdrawals are similarly user-friendly and inexpensive. Most of the time, there aren’t any income requirements or monthly maintenance fees. The interfaces are simple and foreign exchange fees are low. Some even have features enabling users to monitor their spending in certain areas and set monthly limits.

A recent neobank adoption study by Finder estimates that 54.4 million Americans already use digital-only banking services. falling coins That’s over 20% of the population. What’s more, a further 22.5 million intend to open a neobank account in the coming months.

While the digital-only nature of neobanks may seem most suited to millennials, it’s actually Generation X who use them the most. 30% of Gen Xers have made the transition to neobanks, compared to 27.2% of millennials. Baby boomers are the least likely to have a neobank account, with an adoption rate of just 8.4%.

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Chloroquine is a prescription drug which has been used for many decades to treat malaria. It’s included on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines, which means it should be kept widely available at an affordable price for all.

Due to its antiviral properties, it has been getting a lot of attention from medical researchers as a potential treatment for Covid-19 patients.

Chloroquine was discovered in the 1930s and has been widely used to treat malaria since 1945. Malaria is a disease which humans pick up from mosquito bites in tropical regions of the world. mosquito To combat malarial parasites, the drug interferes with their essential processes while they are inside red blood cells.

Scientists discovered that a derivative of chloroquine, known as hydroxychloroquine, could be used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Its antiviral effects can increase the pH inside cells, preventing a virus from replicating.

So could hydroxychloroquine help us in the fight against the coronavirus?

The problem is that the antiviral effect is still somewhat theoretical. It’s rarely been confirmed outside of in vitro experiments. That’s because chloroquine is toxic in very small doses and can cause serious side effects. An overdose could potentially lead to fatal heart problems. When looked at for potential use against chikungunya, dengue fever, Ebola and the flu, all tests were unsuccessful.

Since the start of the current outbreak, some initial studies suggested that chloroquine could be effective in curing coronavirus sufferers. In early March, researchers at the University of Beijing were able to demonstrate its effectiveness through an in vitro trial.

And the most publicised trial was in Marseille, France. Among those who received chloroquine, 75% no longer had the virus six days later.

So why aren’t we doing everything we can to treat coronavirus patients with chloroquine? In under 3 minutes, we answer your qu…

A conlanger is a person who creates one or more constructed languages. These are different to most languages in that they are devised for a particular purpose, rather than evolving naturally. Most notable examples come from science fiction or fantasy franchises, like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek. Their depicted characters often communicate in constructed languages.

A first impression might lead us to believe that the incomprehensible words we hear are just a series of meaningless sounds. But in reality, these languages can actually be spoken. They have syntax, grammar and all the other necessary ingredients to be considered a language.

So could we learn a constructed language in the same way as we would learn Italian for example ?

David Peterson is one of the most well-known conlangers out there. He started out his career as a linguist and has invented 13 languages over the years, including the dothraki language spoken in Game of Thrones. HBO hired the Language Creation Society in anticipation of the series launch, and Peterson came through a competitive application process to be selected.

In several interviews Peterson has explained that the most difficult part of being a conlanger is deciding whether a particular word should exist or not. For example, the nomadic dothraki warriors don’t carry around smartphones or books with them when going into battle. So there was no need to invent a word for those objects. On the other hand, they do have 14 different words for horse.

Peterson created the roots of the language by playing around and combining letters with sounds. After building up a small amount of vocabulary, he scribbled down basic sentences, then added suffixes and prefixes to increase the number of words.

But what's the point of inventing a language that won't survive to be used in everyday life ? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !

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Anthropomorphism means transferring human forms or emotions onto animals and other non-human entities. It has its origins in ancient mythology, where deities were often represented with human forms and qualities. Think of many ancient Roman or Greek gods; when they weren’t fighting battles on horseback, they were at home falling in love, getting married and having children. Even in the Bible, Genesis talks about God creating humankind in his own image.

Over time, the use of anthropomorphism has become more linked to animals. We use personal pronouns like “he” or “she” to refer to pets, and like to imagine how our furry friends are feeling, in a range of situations. We might say a dog is smiling when it bears its teeth, or that a cat is bored because it doesn’t react to our attempts to get its attention.

The trend grew bigger and bigger with the explosion of social media. Everywhere you look online, you see photos and videos of cats, dogs, and almost any kind of animal. These pictures give us the impression that animals love, think and live in the same way that we humans do. The Buzzfeed Animals Facebook page has amassed more than 4 million fans and counting.

The idea that animals have emotions and free will is seen by some as being unscientifically sentimental, or showing a lack of objectivity.
And anthropomorphism isn’t just limited to living things - it can apply to inanimate objects too. Marketing studies have shown that products which resemble a human schema in some way are seen more positively by potential buyers. That could be the front of a car appearing similar to a human face, for example.

Robots are also seen to be more trustworthy and competent when they have a face, voice and name, like humans do.

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You probably won’t find it on autocorrect or spell check, but misophonia is a condition which affects up to 15% of adults. The term literally means “hatred of sound” and it was coined in the 2000s by Margaret and Pawel Jastreboff, audiologists at the University of Atlanta. Misophonia is a condition when specific sounds trigger negative emotions, thoughts and even physical reactions.

For example, it could be the sound of a person whistling, chewing or tapping which just drives you nuts. An alternative name for misophonia is Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome, or 4S for short.

Some scientists believe that it’s a neurological disorder while others see it as an anxiety problem. Studies have shown that misophonia sufferers display high levels of activity in the anterior insular cortex when subjected to trigger sounds. That’s a part of the brain that processes emotions and how our attention is directed.

Like with most psychiatric problems, misophonia affects people with varying degrees. Not everyone has symptoms to the same extent. Think of that person who complained when you ate an apple too loudly in their proximity. They probably don’t need therapy. SON Even if by simply avoiding the problem, they risk disturbing social or professional relationships.

Many misophonia patients talk of a startling jolt when they hear trigger sounds, instantly taking them out of a relaxed state. It’s known as a reflexive aversive response, and they experience strong feelings like rage and disgust.

Many with the disorder report that their reactions intensify over time. There are a few options for treating or managing it. Some of the most common are antidepressants, neurofeedback, earplugs and soundproofing.

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A dark pattern is an online interface which has been designed to trick visitors into performing certain actions against their will. The term was coined by British UX specialist Harry Brignull in 2010. Ecommerce industries were booming and the general public weren’t necessarily aware of dark patterns.

Researchers at Princeton University carried out a study of 11,000 e-commerce sites to collect data on the phenomenon. Their algorithm found examples of dark patterns on 1,267 of the sites, equivalent to around 11%. The experts noted that the most popular sites just happened to be the ones which used the most dark patterns.

Almost certainly yes! Some kinds of dark pattern seek to make the visitor feel guilty. 160 of the Princeton study sites used Confirm-shaming, a technique which aims to steer the user towards going ahead with a purchase, despite the user’s intention being to refuse it or leave the site. For example, when turning down a discount offer, they might be forced to click on a button saying “No thanks! I’d rather pay more for my product”.

One of the most used dark patterns on e-commerce sites are messages about a product’s rareness in order to increase its desirability. These kinds of alerts show that there is only a limited quantity available or that the product is in high demand.

The Princeton researchers are hoping their study and dark-pattern-detecting algorithm will be used by government regulators. The idea is to help them better understand these techniques, which are sometimes intentionally deceptive.

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Also known as the alternative vote, instant runoff voting is an election method in which voters rank candidates by order of preference. It’s not massively comm on across the globe, but some mathematicians believe it to be more democratic than other widely used systems.

Just because we have the right to vote, doesn’t mean we live in a perfect democracy. The voting system in use at an election can be decisive in its outcome . Between a majoritarian system, like first-past-the-post, a proportional system, or a mix of the two; you could have different victors.

Perhaps none of them are the best method. And it’s not politicians or philosophers who are saying this, but economists and mathematicians. They believe that if there’s a problem with democracy, it’s partly down to flawed electoral systems.

So many have tried to find new ways of electing leaders with an improved political process. The theory of the alternative vote system is that voters rank candidates by preference, from favourite to least favourite. If a candidate manages to be first choice among over 50% of voters, they automatically win the election. Depending on the context, that could be unlikely, especially if there are many candidates in the race.

In the case of no majority, the least preferred candidate is removed from consideration, buzz but the votes aren’t simply thrown away. Instead, those votes go to the second favourite candidate and a new count is established. Gradually, candidates are eliminated one by one until someone has a majority.

It’s true that vote counting can be complex in an instant runoff situation. But there are advantages too. There’s only one round of voting, in theory there are no wasted votes and there is less reason for tactical voting. The system incites candidates to make pledges which appeal to the entire population, rather than targeting certain demographics.

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Telehealth refers to remote health services which are provided using technology. While the technologies have been around for decades, uptake has been relatively slow. That’s changed with the current COVID-19 pandemic however, as telehealth has become a must for patients and doctors alike.

The terms telehealth and telemedicine are sometimes used interchangeably, though the scope of telehealth is seen as being greater. The World Health Organisation recognises that telemedicine is “an open and constantly evolving science, as it incorporates new advancements in technology and responds and adapts to the changing health needs and contexts of societies.

The most obvious example of telehealth is a medical appointment carried out by videoconference, rather than face-to-face. You simply use an online service to book your appointment in advance and then connect to the service at the agreed time.

But other kinds of processes or procedures also fall under this label. For example, when one doctor contacts another in order to ask for their opinion, or receives guidance while performing a medical act on a patient.

Self-monitoring enables medical professionals to follow patients remotely, using various devices. This is particularly useful for long-term conditions like heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Studies of these scenarios have shown that health outcomes are generally comparable to in-person appointments, while offering greater satisfaction and cost savings.

Teleconsultations also help with other growing challenges, like caring for an ageing population, monitoring chronic conditions and providing healthcare for residents of so-called medical deserts. Those are remote areas where a previously existing hospital may have closed, and no doctors are physically based.

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Desert locusts are a type of insect which have been threatening agricultural production in Africa, Asia and the Middle East for centuries. They are phytophagous, which means they feed on plants. In early 2020, these locusts have invaded several countries in East Africa, destroying vegetation everywhere they go. Experts fear the risk of famine, in a part of the world where many already live with food insecurity.

To really understand what’s brought about the current upsurge, you have to go back to May 2018 and the Empty Quarter desert in the Arabian Peninsula. A cyclone and heavy rains created a warm, wet climate, which was ideal for desert locusts to breed and flourish. This area has no roads and is therefore not closely monitored by humans. A second cyclone later the same year enhanced this problem, with three generations of breeding occurring undetected.

The locusts started migrating towards Yemen, where a civil war prevented any intervention, and then onto the horn of Africa. Just as countries were trying to contain the breeding in late 2019, Tropical Cyclone Pawan struck. The situation was already becoming out of control and it has only gotten worse since.

Somalia has declared a state of emergency, while several other countries are already facing their worst infestation for decades. There were six major locust outbreaks in the 20th century, with the last taking place between 1987 and 1989.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, desert locusts appeared at the border with South Sudan and Uganda at the end of February 2020. That was the first time since 1944, when the insects caused a famine.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has already confirmed this is the worst locust outbreak to hit the Horn of Africa for 25 years. Many are already referring to the current situation as a plague, and there’s no telling how much worse it could get.

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We’ve all heard of the pill and the coil for women, but did you know that male contraceptives also exist? The obvious examples are condoms and the withdrawal method, but new solutions are being developed in the form of gels, shots and even thermal underwear. Many have tried and failed in the past, with no such products yet achieving commercial success.

The ideal situation would be to have a form of male birth control that’s safe, effective and reversible. Of course, there are also vasectomies for those who are looking for something more permanent. As you may know, a vasectomy is a surgical procedure which consists of sealing off the tubes which carry sperm.

Male pills have already been developed. They basically rely on hormonal modifications, in the same way as female contraceptive pills. By suppressing two types of male hormones called FSH and LH, a decrease in testosterone production and sperm count is brought about. But it’s a hard sell to some guys, who feel anything that affects their male hormones will make them less of a man.

Pharmaceutical companies are looking to find other ways of making sperm less mobile, and therefore less likely to fertilize an egg. They have tried gels which can be injected into the penis or the vas deferens ducts, preventing sperm from leaving a man’s body. It’s even been speculated that something as simple as a nasal spray or a pill could be used just before sex, with an immediate effect that lasts up to two days.

Finally, thermal underwear can be used to raise the temperature in a man’s testicles, which has the effect of reducing sperm production.
While this is all very interesting, some tests have shown unwanted side effects and the methods aren’t yet ready for large-scale production. News stories spring up every now and then promising a male pill within a few years, but nothing has been able to fit the bill.

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OK Boomer is an internet-born phrase which surfaced in 2019 to highlight the generational gap between certain people of different ages. It pits baby-boomers up against the millennials and members of gen-Z.

It all started as a viral meme on social media, which teens used to dismiss criticism of their generation, most often by so-called boomers. In the eyes of many young people, the treatment they were getting from older generations was condescending, and they needed to retaliate. One particular clip on TikTok has been viewed millions of times, featuring a white-bearded man talking about the millennials and gen-Z having Peter Pan Syndrome.

The phrase got mainstream media attention towards the end of the year, when a 25-year old New Zealand MP called Chloe Swarbrick used it in parliament. The Green Party representative was heckled by another MP while speaking about the country’s short-term politics on climate change.

Some feel it’s a pejorative form of ageism, as those who use it are effectively saying all people of a certain age are not worth listening to. Others see it as a way for the snowflake generations to cut short a debate, not being able to take any criticism.

In reality, it’s not that simple. Many younger people see it as fair game, after regularly having their views dismissed on serious subjects like climate change. In a way, OK Boomer is aimed at a mindset, rather than everybody born in a certain period of time.

But there is definitely a sense that previous generations have created a mess which millennials and Generation Z are now having to deal with. Inequality is constantly rising and there’s a global climate crisis.

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Cruelty free is a label for products which don’t cause harm to animals. This kind of guarantee is designed to reassure consumers who refuse to buy products which are tested on animals. It’s most often used to describe cosmetics, but can also apply to a wide range of other household and pet products.

There are many cruelty free labels around, but the main premise is generally the same: No end product or ingredient comes from or has been tested on animals. Suppliers have to prove they do not carry out animal testing and brands must agree to random testing.

Cruelty-free shopping had become popular by the 1990s, but the concept was sometimes misleading and confusing. Brands were designing their own logos to certify their products as cruelty-free, according to their own definition of the term. Animal protection groups were excluded and clearly this important issue needed addressing by independent organisations.

Among the many different labels seen today, two of the most strict are The Leaping Bunny Program from Cruelty Free International and Beauty Without Bunnies by PETA. Both feature extensive online databases on cruelty-free companies. Visitors can search by country, by product type and whether the company tests on animals or not. PETA require a company’s CEO to sign a statement of assurance guaranteeing they and their suppliers will never carry out any form of animal testing.

If you’re wondering which cosmetics brands are cruelty-free, Lush is one of the safest options out there. The international company has had a no animal testing policy in place since it was first created. Others include Urban Decay, Too Faced and The Body Shop.

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Alan Smithee is perhaps Hollywood’s least talented director! Let me explain…

It’s not uncommon for directors to disown their projects by using a pseudonym. Most often, they are not satisfied with the movie, or feel that it does not represent their creative vision. This is often due to pressure and interference from producers or movie studios, preventing the director from keeping control of the project. Alan Smithee is one of the most used pseudonyms, as well as a few similar variants like Adam Smithee.

Until the 1960s, when making a movie went badly, the director was always heavily criticised, no matter the nature of the problems. On the other hand, when a movie achieved recognition and received an award, the producer was the one to take the acclaim. That was because producers were the ones to always approve the final cut.

Only in 1968 did the Director’s Guild of America change its rules to allow for directors to be credited under a pseudonym. That was specifically for the release of a movie called Death of a Gunfighter. During filming, the lead actor Richard Wildmark arranged for a change of director to finish the project. But neither director wished to be credited, as they felt Wildmark had been calling the shots all along. The DGA held a hearing and its panel agreed that neither director’s creative vision was represented. They found a compromise, and credited the movie to Alan Smithee.

In fairness, the pseudonym had many fooled. Esteemed film critic Roger Ebert wrote in a Chicago Sun Times review that "Director Allen Smithee, a name I'm not familiar with, allows his story to unfold naturally."

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The blob is a nickname for Physarum Polycephalum, a slime mold that can detect and digest food, move around and procreate. It’s ultra-resistant and has capacities for learning and transmitting information. While it had been largely ignored for a very long time, the blob and its distinctive features have been getting a lot of attention of late.

That’s largely thanks to a public unveiling in late 2019, at the city zoo in Paris, France. Scientists in the French zoo grew the blob in a petri dish, before grafting it onto tree bark when it was large enough in size.

The Blob nickname is inspired by the 1958 movie of the same name. In the movie, a gooey alien lifeform lands on planet Earth and begins consuming everything in its path, all the while growing bigger and bigger. In reality, the Blob has been present on Earth for between 500 million and 1 billion years. But humans were unaware of it for a long time and confused it for lichen or mushrooms.

The blob looks most like a mushroom, but it’s not a fungus. It produces pigments, but it’s not a plant. Finally it moves and feeds itself, but it’s not an animal either. The blob is a single-celled organism, which can be classed as a protist. That’s basically a scientific term for something that can’t be described as a fungus, plant or animal. With over 720 sex chromosome combinations, they procreate at great ease, dividing from their core and growing exponentially. A blob measuring nearly half a square mile has already been seen in the USA.

There are thousands of different kinds of blob, of all colours. It is most often yellow, but can also be found in other shades like red, pink and white. Some live on land, some in water. The blob moves around using its network of veins, but it’s not the fastest of organisms. It’s average speed varies from 1 to 4 centimetres per hour.

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A digital detox is a period of time when a person chooses to limit their use of computers and mobile devices. The aim is to reduce the stress that can be generated by technology and spend time concentrating on real-world social interactions instead. Digital detoxes are certainly in vogue - even the major internet companies are promoting it, despite the obvious role they play in facilitating our online habits.

The term Digital Detox was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. Since then, smartphones have become ubiquitous and 28% adult Americans admit to being online “almost constantly”, according to the Pew Research Center. Sometimes it gets close to addiction territory. And that’s why detox courses have been created, to get away from the internet and the smartphone.

These camps originated in the United States, and were brought over to Europe in the 2010s. Dedicated coaches are employed to help cell phone addicts put their devices down. This doesn’t happen in hospitals or institutions, but rather in tourist establishments like luxury hotels or country guesthouses. The packages include relaxation treatments like massages, meditation and yoga. Costwise, you’re looking at around 300 - 500 dollars for a single night.

So that’s the cushy version for office managers who overuse technology. In China, on the other hand, young digital addicts are locked up in camps where they have to follow military training.

In recent years, there has been a push towards promoting digital wellbeing. Apple, for example, has added options to its iPhone devices to reduce distractions and improve concentration. You can also set up weekly reports to find out how much time you spend on your various apps. Once past a set limit, access is automatically blocked.

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A hikikomori is a reclusive person who withdraws from society and lives in their own home all the time. This isolation phenomenon is mainly recognised in Japan, where it’s believed there are over one million hikikomori. Local authorities are concerned about what may happen to these people, as well as their increasing numbers.

The word hikikomori literally means “pulling inward” or “being confined”. Meanwhile, the Japanese government defines a hikikomori as a person who has remained isolated for over 6 months. That means they haven’t attended school or work, and have refused to leave their home or family home. In that time, they also haven’t had any real social interaction outside of their family circle. Despite being social recluses, hikikomori don’t necessarily have any mental health issues and they are rarely suicidal.

Each individual has their own story. People may become hikikomori due to retirement, sickness, financial difficulties or family pressure. Sociologist Teppei Sekimizu explains that Japanese society has a tendency towards collectivism. A person’s perceived worth is often based on their ability to conform to the rules of collective life. Hikikomoris don’t fit in and this leads to their acute social withdrawal. porte de prison

When this particular demographic was baptised as hikikomori in the 1990s, it mainly concerned young people who were unable to find work. Since then, it’s become more common among middle-aged people, with their numbers now matching their younger counterparts. Among hikikomori who are over 40, more than half have been isolated for over five years, and nearly 20% for 20 years or more. Some live with their parents who may be in their 70s or 80s. Others live alone and end up becoming kodokushi. That means a person who dies alone and remains undiscovered, potentially for months or years.

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The acronym GINKs stands for “Green Inclinations - No Kids”, referring to those who consciously decide to forego having children for environmental reasons. It’s inspired by the term DINKs of the 1980s, which meant “Double Income - No Kids”. Whereas childless couples have often been accused of being selfish in the past, GINKs choose not to form a family out of a sense of eco-responsibility. It’s not all that common to come across couples who openly identify as GINKs, but it is a growing trend and many are proud of their choice.

GINKs believe that many environmental issues are caused by the earth’s overpopulation. Indeed it’s likely our planet’s resources can’t provide for the needs of an infinite number of humans. So with a world population approaching 8 billion, some believe it’s time to slow down birth rates. Having a child contributes greatly to greenhouse gas emissions, especially in developed countries where an individual’s energy consumption is high. So there’s an environmental argument for a couple limiting the number of children they have, or not having any at all. But there’s more to it than just that.

GINKs believe that the choice to lead a child-free life should be respected just as much as having kids. Many women get fed up with being told about their biological clock, or some kind of natural urge to have children which they are supposed to feel. They’re often asked “what are you waiting for?” by friends or family. Why shouldn’t they be able to reject this so-called duty, without feeling ashamed.

Environmental journalist Lisa Hymas was one of the first women to call herself a GINK, back in 2010. She highlighted additional benefits to being child-free, such as greater financial freedom, increased leisure time and greater energy to invest in a career, friendships or romantic partnerships.

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Revenge porn is the intentional sharing of private sexual content, without the consent of the person in that content. It could be explicit text messages, photos or videos, for example. Revenge porn hasn’t been around forever; it has grown with, and been facilitated by, the internet, smartphones and social media.

The humiliation and harassment that comes with it can cause severe emotional distress. Both adults and minors are at risk, with younger people often unaware of the dangers posed by internet trolls, cyberbullies and vengeful exes. While it is a relatively recent phenomenon, many countries and regions have brought in legislation against revenge porn. That currently includes all but 4 states in America, despite there being no federal law on the matter.

The issue of consent is key here. The person in the photos or videos might well have initially shared the content of their own free will. That’s common between romantic or sexual partners these days. But they almost certainly didn’t agree to the images being shared more widely, which is where it turns into revenge porn.

Some have claimed that the term revenge porn is a misnomer, because it suggests the victim did something to provoke the abuse. The most common scenario is a female victim, with the perpetrator being an ex-boyfriend, retaliating out of bitterness at how their relationship ended.

But revenge porn is often more about power and intimidation than revenge. We have seen hackers famously obtain intimate photos of celebrities and then leak them on the internet to make a name for themselves. And some offenders simply get a kick out of feeling victims are under their control. They may try to use blackmail for financial gain or to receive more explicit images from the victim. This is known as sextortion.

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A sedentary lifestyle is one which involves little or no physical activity. It’s one of the major global health issues of the 21st century, as it is an underlying cause of death, disease and disability. It’s estimated that each year over 300,000 premature deaths are caused by obesity and sedentary lifestyles, just in the United States.

Screen time spent in front of a computer or TV is often a good indicator of how inactive a person is. When we sit down, our muscles don’t perform the important contractions our bodies need to clear glucose and fats from our blood. This in turn increases the risk of diabetes or heart problems.

Generally speaking, you can consider yourself having a sedentary lifestyle if you sit for 7 hours a day or longer. In fact, those who sit for more than 11 hours a day have a 40% higher risk of premature death than those who sit for fewer than 4 hours per day. So simply remaining seated for too long can be a matter of life and death!

Humans are increasingly inactive from an early age. A National Household Travel Study found that 54% of children aged 5 - 17 were driven to school in a private vehicle in 2017. Meanwhile, an additional 33% travelled by school bus. You can do the math, that only leaves a small percentage who walk or take public transportation.

All the while, American children are averaging 3 hours of screen time per day, which puts them at a greater risk of obesity. On weekends, that figure can rise to between 5 and 7 hours.

Staying seated for too long is bad for many health indicators, in the long term too. So it’s better to start off on the front foot. Our cardiorespiratory capacity is at its highest at the end of our teenage years. It then begins to decline from the age of 35. Therefore being fitter from an early age will reduce risks when you get older.

Nowadays, inactivity is a bigger killer than tobacco, as it affects a far greater number of people. Having a sedentary lifestyle increases the…