Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth.
YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them.
Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
Can you believe it’s already 2024? I can’t. I can’t believe its almost spring. I know a lot of people detest the winter, and I get where they’re coming from. Arctic winds and biting cold temperatures that can give you frostbite? Yeah. Not the most pleasant thing ever. But as someone who only moved to Canada about a year and a half ago, I love the winters. Despite the freezing conditions, there is beauty to it, like every other season. Just looking outside at the layer of snow calms me down. Untouched snow is even better, a blanket of shimmering white, coating everything, even the rooftops and the trees. I even go out of my way to avoid stepping on snow that hasn’t been touched yet. Is it just me or does anyone else do this too? And to think snow is just some frozen water. But now wondering about it, every form of water is beautiful, from puffy clouds to aqua waves on golden sand.
Winter has its fun to it, of course. Sledding and other outdoor activities in the winter are nice. And curling up in a fuzzy blanket while sipping a warm drink is just a whole other feeling. But it also has a deeper meaning behind it. Winter is often associated with hardship and sorrow. Animals stock up on food and prepare themselves, some hibernating, others migrating to warmer places. Snow falls, snowflake by snowflake, engulfing everything in a sea of white. It seems as though all signs of life have disappeared. But just like the winter, any difficulties and hardships we face in life are not permanent. Slowly and slowly, the snow melts away, and the landscape grows into something more beautiful than ever. With flowers blooming from every tree and the grass a lush green. Just like we will learn from those challenges and emerge from them stronger.
If you’re one of those Calgarians that wished they lived somewhere warmer, as someone with experience, I can tell you that people who live in sweltering hot places and barely ever see snow, are wishing for the Calgary winter we have. In just some time, it’ll be summer again, and we’ll be burning under the Calgary sun, and maybe even wishing for the snow to come back. Which is why it’s important to appreciate right now, and also appreciate every season, because each one brings a different kind of beauty and a different kind of joy with it.
A single breath; the brush of an olive branch; the peace after a rainstorm. Have you ever heard the sound of silence?
The sound of empty thoughts and eyes that wander? The everlasting echo of earth’s lullaby? It’s a beautiful song only you can find.
Take a walk in the rain at night, and feel each step sink into the ground. Feel the grass and mud beneath your boots. Listen to the raindrops that drip down your coat. Can you hear the sound of silence?
It’s a moment where your thoughts explore your surroundings, and your eyes wander the depths of the earth. You’re left to roam, explore, and breathe. Find yourself here once in a while. Listen to the silence of the world.
Take a walk in a busy city. New York, maybe. Or perhaps downtown Toronto. Or even Calgary during the Stampede. Let yourself pause for a moment. Hear the medley of distinct voices mix into one buzzing sound. Watch the people walk in clusters – their bright and dull colors shining against one another. Grim and cheerful faces mixed within the crowd—the old and the young; the tired and the lively.
What do you perceive? As you watch them move, you must stay silent. Let your thoughts focus on only what you see. Now you can hear the earth’s song of silence.
When we stop to hear our surroundings, we let go of our worries for a moment. We feel the fresh air fill our lungs. We breathe a little deeper.
The silence of the earth is a melody of sounds. Trees bristling against a cold winter wind, or the distant chatter of a crowded street. It’s silence because you let it be. You observe. You listen. You learn.
Welcome to the story of Inside out, an animated movie released in the year of 2015. This movie highlights different emotions through a cast of characters set in the main characters brain, Riley. In this post I will talk about the role of empathy in the movie and how it can relate to viewers.
Characters:
Riley: An 11 year old girl who used to live in Minnesota but has now moved to the Golden State (San Francisco), she has a deep passion for the sport of hockey
Joy: One of the five characters who control Riley’s emotions and is a representation of happieness in Riley’s life
Sadness: Sadness is a representation of grief in Riley’s life controls all her emotions relating to it
Fear: One of the five characters who controls Riley’s emotions of fear and apprehensiveness
Disgust: A character who lives inside Riley’s mind and protects her from things that can be disgusting eg. eating brocolli
Anger: The fifth and final character who lives inside Riley’s mind and voices her judgement in angering situations
Bing Bong: Riley’s old imaginary friend who is portrayed as a stuffed elephant, Bing Bong plays a big role in the plot line and in the message of empathy.
Explanation: Riley who used to live in Minnesota now lives in San Francisco due to her parents decision to move. She is having a hard time fitting into the new community and the story centers around the conflicting emotions in her mind. All the emotions in Riley’s mind live in what is called the headquarters.
Examples of empathy:
During the story, Joy and Sadness are taken out of headquarters through a tube and are stuck on one of the 5 islands that represent Riley’s personality, Goofball island. Through their journey of trying to get back, they come across Bing Bong who helps them along their journey. Unfortunately, during the adventure, Bing Bong loses one of his treasured possessions and is devastated. Joy, the representation of sympathy in this situation, tries to tell him that its okay and shes sorry for him. This doesn’t help Bing Bong at all until sadness (representation of empathy) comes along and tell him that she knows how he feels and how she’s been in the same situation before. She takes him in for a hug and a few minutes later, Bing Bong is all fresh and ready to go. This example shows how empathy and sympathy are 2 seperate things and how opting for empathy is the most effective solution.
Throughout the journey back to headquarters, Joy begins to realise that Sadness’s role is crucial in Riley’s life and learns that it is okay to be sad sometimes. Because of this, Joy does not try to diminish Sadnesses role in Riley’s life anymore. This shows the empathy of understanding different perspectives.
In headquarters when Disgust and Fear watch an embarasing memory of Riley doing a presentation in front of the class, they react strongly and feel second-hand embarassment. Although it is different, this type of empathy shows how they can put themselves in Riley’s shows and understand how she feels.
Summary: All in all, This movie is a great representation of the idea of empathy and even sympathy. The idea of empathy in this movie is very relatable and resonates with viewers easily. Thank you for taking the time to read this post!
In this day and age, it’s common for most teenagers to have at least one social media platform and electronic device- such as a phone. This UK study in 2023, found that 97% of children (starting at age 12) are on social media. Of those children, 70% say that social media is causing them to have increased feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. These numbers are slowly increasing day by day, post by post, and we need to strive to ensure the safety of our child’s psychological well-being.
Social media can be a menacing place for minors as they are often targeted because they are innocent and don’t know the possible dangers. It appears to be that some apps that are “meant for kids” (such as YouTube Kids), intentionally target children and expose them to toxic, disgusting situations. Many predators can contact naive children on social media and trick them into doing things that they will regret later, such as sending inappropriate messages or photos.
A recent trend that has taken place is “ElsaGate”. It featured people dressing up as popular fictional characters on YouTube Kids and doing some incredibly inappropriate and/or unethical things. Although there is an unimaginable amount of useful knowledge on all those websites across the internet, there is much that you wouldn’t want your child to know. Both children and adults can easily get exposed to extremely inappropriate content no matter how cautious a person may be. Many parents need to be cautious of the websites their children visit because inappropriate media is everywhere. A study, 1, found on the website Internet matters.org, has shown that most young kids have come across many inappropriate media through video games and funny videos. Many sites say that they are safe for kids but on almost all of those websites there is at least one video displaying content not suitable for children. An unhealthy amount of children have been exposed to visual content that can and has scarred many for life.
As you should understand by now, children on social media aren’t old enough to be able to handle the many risks that social media and cell phone use can cause. Another threat that is becoming much more popular is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a type of virtual “attack” method that bullies a person through a virtual device. When done to a great extent, it extremely damages the psychological well-being of the person being bullied. It can be done to anyone anywhere, from anyone in the world.
Along with all these mental issues that are gained through social media- hacking cases are rising day by day. For example, a child may click on a link that appears to be a new online video game. Turns out that link just made their device extremely vulnerable to being attacked and now all their personal information is being leaked to the world for their twisted uses.
Blackmailing is another topic that arises when hacking is brought up. Photos, videos, emails, texts, and all sorts of things can be used against you. Everything you send can be shared with anyone from anywhere. Blackmailing has caused kids to do things they would never dream of doing and has caused a great deal of harm to their parents.
Did you know that children under the age of 16 are extremely prone to being addicted to their phones and social media? A study from the National Library of Medicine, in the United States, showed that nearly 70% of teens have some sort of addiction to social media/their phones. The Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma”, focused on how common social media apps were used to control and impact the decisions of its users. The creators of these apps are looking for one thing, YOUR ATTENTION, as you use an app more, for example, YouTube, the app gets to know you more and tries to steal your attention by filling your pages with things you would generally enjoy. You can see this on Instagram (non-stop scrolling), Snapchat, and YouTube. Social media creates such a distraction to a child’s mind that they forget to live their life.
Because they are so addicted to their screens, they do not put time into the things that matter, such as relationships, friendships, school, sports, etc. Due to all this addiction, attention span, or in this case, the lack of it, is clear evidence of the dangers to a child’s mental well-being. A CNN article reports that in the past 20 years, there was a decrease in attention span from 2.5 minutes to just 47 seconds.
Using the internet as a tool to learn and help people is amazing, please take as many precautions and safety measures as possible when doing so. You never know if you could be the next blackmail target, or who knows what else.
With technology advancements and availability happening regularly, so does our innovation towards aviation technology. If you do not know what aviation technology is, it is essentially scientific advancements towards aircraft (any vehicle capable of flight). As our population is growing, the need for transportation for both people and goods is also becoming more imperative. The most important transportation, which achieves this very efficiently, especially over longer distances, is aircrafts. Not only are aircrafts efficient when it comes to transporting people and goods, but they also benefit economies, safety, and environments. Because the aviation industry continues to revolutionize, the industry and its innovation will continue to create more ever-lasting impacts on a global scale. There are many roles that revolutionize the industry, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), hybrid and electric airplanes, and lastly, the workforce.
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
How Artificial Intelligence will play a role on the aviation industry
Think back to the Apollo moon landing, an event that happened during the year of 1969. Back then, Artificial Intelligence was not very recognized, let alone the phones that we now use everyday. However, today, Artificial Intelligence now plays a huge role, especially with assisting humans with regulating data. With Artificial Intelligence becoming more involved, it does so in the aviation industry by improving safety and performance in aircrafts from automated drones to pilot assistance systems, as well as helping future pilots themselves train in simulations. By having Artificial Intelligence help regulate data, performances, and safety procedures, the aviation industry will not only become more smarter and automated, but aircrafts and pilots will also benefit with Artificial Intelligence by their side.
Image by 2427999 from Pixabay
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Why hybrid and electric airplanes will revolutionize the industry
When it comes to revolutionizing technology, there is also the valid point to consider our environment. With hybrid and electric airplanes, it obviously will benefit our environment due to their low carbon emissions and higher efficiency.
Photo by Gonz DDL on Unsplash
However, the question is why will hybrid and electric airplanes revolutionize the industry? Along with their benefits to the environment, they also allow us to better manage our energy. In fact, hybridization (of an aircraft) leads to reducing fuel consumption by 5% when compared to a standard flight. A 5% less fuel consumption may seem little at first, but keep in mind, we use millions of airplanes on a yearly basis. For example, in 2017, 37 million commercial flights were done, and commercial flights are mainly for people. With a 5% reduced fuel consumption, our hybrid and electric airplanes will not only benefit our environment, but they also allow us to manage our energy better, making these airplanes, and also the industry itself, more efficient as the years go by.
As a little extra note, as climate change progresses, the industry will definitely not stop at hybrid and electric airplanes. The industry is currently exploring alternative fuels and energy sources for there aviation technology. Especially in the aerospace engineering sector, they are also looking into aircraft efficiency and aerodynamics. Above all, there are a lot of methods that the aviation industry is testing in order to limit climate change. The future where aircrafts are as eco-friendly and efficient as possible is yet to come. With hybrid and electric airplanes as possibly the beginning, the aviation industry can significantly contribute to eliminating climate change.
Photo by Dongsh on Unsplash
The role of the workforce towards the future of aviation technology
Finally, we have the workforce engaged in aviation technology. There are a lot of workforces engaged in aviation technology, including, but not limited to, airlines, engineers, and navigation service providers.
Photo by Gabriel Alenius on Unsplash
Although the growing development of aviation technology is causing future workers to require more training, the entirety of the future of aviation technology depends on the workforce, especially the engineers that research, create, and test them. From the Apollo moon landing in 1969 to today, there is an incredible difference in all of the workforces. Because of this difference, innovation and adaptability is absolutely necessary for the future towards aviation technology. The role that the workforce holds is to not only allow the technology to become more automated by AI or more efficient, but to also create and test more ideas to how they are to be used, and also how else they can be used in a safe manner. An open-minded workforce always leads to technological advancements.
Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
Closing Section
The future of aviation technology is very promising. With AI-assisted technology and more efficient, as well as eco-friendly, technology, the idea of transportation has a strong possibility of changing in the future. Similar to every workforce, the reality is that without a workforce, there is no future or promise to society. The reason why society is as advanced today is because of ideas from everyone. Regardless if its part of the aviation industry or not, every idea matters. You will never know if the craziest ideas works if you are not open-minded with others. In my opinion, I have always been fascinated by how aircrafts and spaceships come to life. It is very exciting to wonder exactly what revolutionized aviation technology will come in the future!
Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is a world where speed, precision, and cutting-edge technology converge. As fans around the globe eagerly await each race,.
Speed Demons: Unleashing the Power of Formula 1 Cars
Formula 1 cars are engineering marvels designed for one purpose: speed. These high-performance machines can reach insane speeds, with current cars topping out at over 230 mph (370 km/h) on the fastest tracks. The acceleration of an F1 car is equally impressive, capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in just under two seconds. All F1 cars use the DRS (drag reduction system) to overtake their opponents with ease. Lightweight materials and powerful hybrid power units that seamlessly blend internal combustion engines with electric power.
Aerodynamics: The Art of Precision Engineering
Aerodynamics plays a pivotal role in the performance of Formula 1 cars. These sleek racing machines are designed with precision to cut through the air with minimal resistance, enhancing speed and maneuverability. Every curve, winglet, and surface is meticulously crafted to optimize airflow and generate downforce, which is crucial for maintaining traction on the track.
Global Grand Prix Circuit: A Calendar of Prestigious Races
Formula 1 is a truly global phenomenon, boasting a calendar that spans the continents. The season comprises a series of Grand Prix races held on iconic tracks around the world, from the historic Monaco Grand Prix with its narrow streets and tight corners to the high-speed straights of Monza in Italy. The diversity of tracks adds an extra layer of challenge for teams and drivers, testing their adaptability and versatility.
4. The halo
The halo is an important part of every F1 car. The halo, as shown in the picture above, is a ring-like head protection made out of carbon fiber and metals to prevent damage to the head in a collision. Lewis Hamilton, the eight-time world champion of Formula 1, was involved in an accident where Max Verstappen’s rear wheel went on top of his car (in the picture above). If it wasn’t for the halo, the crash could have ended horribly.
Most people enjoy happiness. It’s a common belief that happiness and pleasure are good things. Sometimes, one might say that they live to experience joy and peace. However, is experiencing this kind of pleasure all that matters?
This is the question at the root of the thought experiment called “The Experience Machine.”
In this experiment, hypothetically psychologists were able to create a machine that can induce whatever happy or pleasurable experience that you want. You would not be able to distinguish these ideas from reality, and it would be able to exactly simulate whatever happy experience that you wanted, for as long as you wished. In other words, if you plugged into the machine, you could experience infinite happiness.
Given the choice, would you plug into this machine? If you would, would you prefer the machine to reality?
Most people would choose not to. The philosopher who came up with this experiment, Robert Nozick, determined with a few reasons as to why someone might choose not to plug into the machine:
Instead of just experiencing things, we all have a human instinct to want to DO things
For example, I could offer you the choice between eating a slice (or multiple) of your favorite cake, or to plug you into a machine that would simulate the feeling of eating it. Most people would choose to actually eat the cake rather than experience eating.
We all fear the loss of identity
If one chooses to sit under the simulated experiences of a machine that would only ever make them happy, does this person have an identity? Do they have personality traits? If one does not encounter conflict and adversity, they would not have character. Would a complete lack of personality make this human more of an inanimate object?
We are limited to what we can make
One would not be able to make contact with the concept of reality. Everything that one creates and experiences, despite being simulated to seem real, is an illusion.
Personally, I agree with Nozick’s arguments and I would not choose to plug into the machine. I also think that, although the concept of infinite happiness is nice at first, it makes one wonder – without negative emotions, struggles, and conflict, can one really experience happiness? Without real experiences of sadness and adversity, is it possible to experience positive emotion?
If emotions are more or less relative to one another, and we were to completely remove all negative emotion and feeling, we would also be removing the feeling of happiness and pleasure. This would leave us with no emotion left to feel. The alleged “happiness” would just be emptiness. Infinite emptiness and apathy that we wouldn’t choose to change because that would be all of the experiences we were having.
Nozick says that “plugging into the machine is a kind of suicide.” If we subject ourselves to a world of emptiness, is that not the same thing as experiencing death? To not allow ourselves to develop in the world that we were born in, to choose to exist in a state of endless void… how is that any different than dying?
However, a counterargument that many who choose to come up with, is that if an experience makes one incredibly happy and has the ability to make someone happy forever, does it matter if it’s real? This is a theme in the classic film, The Matrix, where one of the colleagues of the main character betrays the protagonist because he is able to get placed back into the happy utopia where he is successful and contented. Some argue that if a device has the ability to make someone happy forever, why would they choose to live in a world filled with harsh reality? Would ignoring reality for a very long time eventually become a relief instead of a burden?
And now that you’ve read this article, I’m curious to know.
Would you choose to plug into the Experience Machine?
It can be difficult for many students to learn how to manage the demands of both their social lives and their studies. People struggle with the necessity to manage their time well because they want to have a busy social life but still strive for academic achievement. Striking a healthy balance between the demanding demands of academic obligations and the equally vital need for social ties and personal well-being is crucial for students. We’ll look at useful tactics in this book to assist you in striking a balance between your academic obligations and the enjoyable experiences that come from social connections.
Create a Schedule
Using a planner or a digital calendar to schedule your classes, study sessions, social activities,
Allocate specific times for different studying and social events and if possible have those specific times as often as possible to create an easy routine.
Prioritze Tasks by Urgency
Identify your most important tasks and prioritize THEM!!
To avoid unnecessary stress and overwhelming feelings, break large tasks into more small and manageable tasks.
Set Realistic Goals
Don’t put more weight on your shoulders than you can take.
Be realistic about what you can achieve, and don’t commit to social activities during busy periods of the academic year.
Use Productivity Techniques
Use these techniques to minimize time spent on academic requirements and events
Communicate with your friends and family
Communicate about your academic life to your friends and family, as it will help to cut down on a few invitations here and there during busy times.
Plan social events well in advance, so they can seamlessly fit into your schedule.
Stay Organized
Keep your materials and assignments well-organized. This will save time and energy.
Regularly review and update schedules so that you are on track with all events.
Take Care of yourself
Keep yourself healthy and happy by regularly getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in activities and habits that can help you recharge and rejuvenate yourself
Reeber to keep a healthy balance, you have to be the focal point, and the focal point itself has to be evem.
In the ever-evolving landscape of student life, finding the perfect balance between academics and social engagement is a dynamic process. As you implement the strategies outlined in this guide, keep in mind that flexibility and adaptability are key. Each individual’s journey is unique, and the ability to harmonize academic pursuits with social fulfillment is a skill that evolves over time. By conscientiously managing your time, setting realistic goals, and prioritizing self-care, you not only enhance your academic performance but also contribute to the development of a well-rounded and fulfilling college experience. Striking this delicate balance will not only lead to success in your academic endeavors but also enrich your social connections and contribute to your personal growth.
After a history of racism, colonization, and oppression that the Indigenous Peoples of Canada have been through, they continue to face the same problems of systemic racism in current society. This systemic racism is especially evident in Canada’s healthcare system. Indigenous people, especially Indigenous women, have a harder time accessing healthcare treatments when it comes to pregnancy. They have also reported being treated differently by healthcare professionals based on their race.
Researchers at the Public Health Agency of Canada recently conducted a survey in August 2023 to measure the differences in accessing healthcare between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, this study found that from 2015 to 2020, 18.6% more non-Indigenous women who were recently or currently pregnant had access to a regular healthcare provider. Compared with non-Indigenous women, 14.2 percent fewer Indigenous women said they had a place to go for immediate, non-urgent care in urban and rural areas. This study, according to many Indigenous leaders and healthcare professionals, was the first to quantify the gaps in healthcare for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. This study also found that gaps existed across the country, whether in remote or urban locations.
Finding care in Indigenous communities:
Staff shortages hardest hit remote Indigenous communities in healthcare. This leads to many individuals seeking care in urban clinics. This already poses as an obstacle as many communities do not have assigned medical transportation. Once Indigenous women reach the urban clinics, many have reported facing language barriers. A lack of staff who speak languages like Cree or Dene makes many Indigenous women feel unsure of what treatment(s) they are agreeing to. In addition, patients face discrimination regularly. They also receive a lot of judgment based on racist stereotypes associated with Indigenous communities. Due to these reasons, the lack of representation of Indigenous staff, and the lack of Indigenous healing methods and other culturally safe resources being offered as a treatment, many Indigenous women and their families have distrusted the Canadian healthcare system.
Positive experiences in Indigenous-led clinics:
The participants enrolled in the survey also shared positive experiences when seeking care in an Indigenous-led clinic. For example, an urban Indigenous-led clinic in Vancouver called the Kilala Lelum Health Center provides culturally safe and trauma-informed care for patients. This clinic provided support that was not available in other clinics, such as addressing the needs of Indigenous individuals who were facing homelessness by not only providing healthcare but also helping them find stable housing.
Next steps to this study:
According to Cheryl Whiskeyjack, executive director of the Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society in Edmonton, it is important to start talking to people in medical school and nursing school to have more representation of Indigenous approaches to healthcare and medicine. According to Sebastian Srugo who was one of the lead authors of this survey studying gaps in healthcare between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, the next step is to write up a plain-language version of the text to make it accessible to more people, and after that comes more research.
It is important to understand and educate ourselves on the obstacles that minority groups in Canadian society face in accessing necessities of life such as healthcare. Here are sources for deeper reading and further understanding of this topic.
Hello, and welcome to Part 2–deciding on a post-secondary institution! This is a 2-part series–Part 1 was on Tips on Picking a Post-secondary Program. To preface, there are many different paths you can take after high school – including apprenticeships, studying abroad, and more – this blog post will only be covering one of those paths. For the content of this blog post, I’m exploring factors to consider when picking a post-secondary institution. Please enjoy!
Factors to Consider:
Cost
Tuition, fees, textbooks, residence, living expenses on food, clothing, entertainment, wifi, etc.
Although the career path and degree that you get is important, so is the environment you spend your time in. Consider the following:
What is the city like around campus?
Consider the extracurricular activities that are available – sports, clubs, student council, etc.
What is the size of the school? Do you have a preference?
Are their resources and support systems for your mental and physical health? Will these resources actually help you?
Miscellaneous:
How far is the university from home? Does this factor into your decision?
Ask students who have attended the institution about their experiences– what would they recommend and what’s it like.
Talk with friends, family, guidance counselors to get different opinions
To end off this post, a reminder that choosing a post-secondary institution can be a long process, but an important one. It’s a decision that needs to be considered from all angles – so take the time and effort to research and learn about your options. Regardless of what others think or do, this is a decision that should be made out of your best interest and what you want. As always, thank you for reading and have a great day!
Have you ever heard of the Dancing Lights of Nature? They are the ones that illuminate dark night skies, replacing them with an array of vibrant colors, leaving those who witness them either awestruck or inspired. This captivating phenomenon has not only influenced modern-day scientific theories but has also become a part of ancient studies and myths. Altogether, enchanting the locals of the north with its mesmerizing dances. If you haven’t figured it out already, I am describing the Aurora Borealis. Since they are a rarity in the north. They can only be seen during the autumn and winter seasons, prompting more and more people to travel just to witness the breathtaking Northern Lights.
As a Calgarian, I consider myself very lucky to have seen these enchanting light shows numerous times. Being a night owl has made gazing at them even more enjoyable. The ubiquity of the patterns captures all my attention, easing my mind from all stresses. It beautifully demonstrates how nature can transform cold nights with the mere warmth of its magical appearance. The sight reminds me of inner peace and brings me into a state of relaxation. Whether the air around me carries a crisp, cold gust or a soft, chilly breeze, whether the ground is blanketed with thick sheets of snow or scattered patches of ice. The captivating colors diffused by the lights hold no comparison to the scenic beauty of the environment.
How are these mind boggling shows created?
These mystifying lights are created by the formation of massive storms that alter electron and proton particles in the sky, causing them to collide with various gases. This reaction creates tiny bursts of colorful light. Resulting in simultaneous reactions of millions of particles, giving rise to short but spectacular light shows sponsored by nature itself. Expanding over vast surfaces, these lights predominantly display shades of green, with hints of pink, purple, and violet.
It fills my heart with joy to know that I am part of a tiny percentage of people who have actually witnessed the Aurora Borealis. These wonders inspire individuals and ignite the creativity of artists, bringing communities together. As someone deeply connected to this phenomenon, I invite you to join us and experience the magic for yourself!
Wild forests are some of the most important ecosystems on planet Earth. Regardless of where they are located, from the coniferous forests here in Canada to the tropical rainforests in the Brazilian Amazon Basin, forests do a great deal in providing our world with very specific needs of stability.
It is widely agreed upon that forests not only support hundreds of other plant and animal species but host almost half of all terrestrial species on our planet. The sheer amount of biodiversity in forests compared to other biomes, and the precious oxygen they give to us humans, are sufficient to support the fact that we should do all we can to protect the trees.
The larger a tree is, the more “influence” it has, on both its surrounding areas of the ecosystem and far-away regions. Even though all forests are crucial for the overall biosphere of our planet, mature forests with large trees (that is, forests that have been given a long period to grow into their current state), are especially important to keeping the world safe and healthy. Forests not only provide homes to a multitude of different animals, but they also contribute to storing carbon, filtering and purifying water passing through, and placing checks against rising temperatures as a part of global warming.
The destruction of forests
Apart from these natural benefits, forests also serve as wonderful places for travelers to visit and even contribute to extremely positive effects on the mental health of many people. Families, as well as tourist groups, enjoy visiting forests to seek shade from the summer heat. Or, they would admire its beauty and grandeur in the winter, when the whole scenery is covered with snow. All of these would be disrupted, and even made impossible, by the constant and often indifferent reduction of forests, in developing and developed countries alike.
Many industries around the world, as well as various world governments, default to allowing agricultural, logging, and mining practices to take over the forests’ lush resources and vast land area. However, these acts of deforestation are mostly unsustainable. When the loggers, for example, exhaust all the timber in the forest vicinity, they don’t plant more trees to replace the lost supply. Instead, they open up more areas to harvest wood, without putting focus on the fact that even vast forests can one day disappear, from the extreme pressures put by humans. If we continue the current trend of deforestation, within a few generations, tropical rainforests will completely be erased from the face of this planet.
What we can do:
Apart from encouraging government officials to advocate for political policies to protect the environment, other ways all of us can help are planting trees, or committing to other volunteering activities involved in conserving nature. Tasks like removing invasive species or doing small community lectures for the general audience also greatly help the cause of forest protection.
Supporting Non-Profit Organizations, like the TREE Foundation, really helps to conserve a lot of forests, and serve as a fighter to counter a lot of the misuse of forest lands.
Lastly, buying environmentally sustainable products in the markets goes a long way in demonstrating support to the brands that care about respecting the environment, developing their products sustainably, and not committing acts of wanton in exchange for profit.
So, with all of this in mind, let us all do our part in protecting the forests, and our planet in general! Remember, this is for us, and all of the future generations to come.
Notion is an online organization tool that’s supposed to make your life easier, by helping you manage your time, your schoolwork, and anything else you possibly need to organize. As we get older and our workload increases, managing and organizing everything sometimes becomes our last priority. So maybe you’ve heard of Notion when you were trying to navigate through the millions of tasks you have. At least, that’s how I heard of it. With thoughts of extracurriculars and schoolwork, tests and family gatherings, and everything else that could possibly stress me out on my mind, I felt myself enter the panic mode.
I like to think of our brains as a libraries, with books for memories, tasks and everything else in there. And sometimes, when you’re stressed, you might feel like the once perfectly arranged library of your brain is suddenly all chaos, the books falling and bookshelves crumbling. And that’s when I learned about Notion. It was the perfect tool to organize everything and keep the library from falling. I could have all my tasks and priorities in there, so I knew when to work on what. Everything would be in one place, and I could get it all done on time. And on top of that, it can be incredibly aesthetic and visually pleasing!
But as soon as I clicked the sign up button, I realized that this was going to be much more complicated that I expected. Notion is helpful, but at first it all seems very complex and intimidating. So today I’ve decided to finally give it a try, and I thought I’d share this information with you too so you could learn how to easily navigate notion without all of the confusion.
So let’s get started!
I’m going to show you how to make a Notion dashboard first. This is where everything you need will be, you can have a calendar, to-do lists, and even Spotify connected.
Start by clicking the New Page option on the left side of your Notion
You will probably see options to add and icon and a cover, you can find anything from the web and upload it if you like. If you want to make it aesthetic, pick a color scheme and stick to it. I decided to make mine lavender for the most part.
This is what mine looks like so far.
I used a random aesthetic font copy and paste website online for the font.
2. Then, if you see a lot of options such as import, templates, or table on your page, go ahead and click empty page. I added a quote as the first block on the page, you can add a note too, or if you don’t want one skip to the next step! You just type in a slash and then type in callout. A callout is a grey box with a short note. You can change colors and icons by clicking the six dots to the left of each block.
3. Next, I wanted a place that had all of my other to-do lists, notes, and goal trackers in it. So I typed in slash and typed in gallery view. If you see a pop up that says select data source, click add new database. You can title this whatever you want and edit each of pages too.
3. If you want to add images, you can just copy and paste them from online.
4. If you want to add a to-do list, just type slash and then type to-do list.
5. To add a Spotify playlist to your notion, just go on to Spotify and select the playlist you want to embed. Then, click on the three dots and click share. Click embed playlist and copy the link.
Next, go onto Notion and create a new block (type slash). Type in embed. You will see a pop up where you can paste a link, just paste the Spotify link over there! You can embed almost anything like this onto your Notion page. You can move all of the different blocks around by clicking the six dots on the left of the block, and even put them into columns.
And that is how you make a simple, yet aesthetic Notion spread! This blog post just shows you the basics, but the more you use Notion, the better you will get at it. I hope this helps!
Here’s what my Notion dashboard looks like after I finished:
For all those parents involved in their child’s sports- we know it can be tough.
Having the hassle of operating the time clock for your children’s games can sometimes lead to frustration.
Dallas West is a dad to a 14-year-old daughter who plays ringette and an 11-year-old son who plays hockey.
West has said that trying to operate the “old console” during the middle of a game, has proved to be ineffective and inefficient. Trying to delete or add a penalty while pushing buttons and while having barely any idea of what you’re doing at the same time can be both frustrating and time-consuming.
Because operating a complicated time clock during a child’s game has shown to be a stressful task, West decided to come up with a solution.
“It was really born of people’s frustrations, including my own,” West said. “I thought, hey, I could probably solve this problem.”
“Blitz Sports” is an app that connects a Bluetooth device to the scorekeeping box. Then, through the app, the user can access the scoreboard. This gives the user the option to control the time, shots on the net, and penalties.
“Nobody likes being in a stressful situation, I just thought I’d make it easy. Now within the app, if you want to delete a penalty, you just push the trashcan. That’s it,” he said.
This hardware can also work on work on scoreboards at schools, for sports such as volleyball and basketball too- which would be very helpful for those scorekeepers out there.
So for all you hockey parents out there, make sure to check out this link:
The night sky is always filled with bright stars, especially in rural areas. If you went stargazing, you would’ve realized how incredible the stars in the night sky alone, let alone the moon, comet showers, and planets that are temporarily visible to the naked eye. If not, I strongly recommend stargazing whenever possible because it is an experience you will not forget! Whether you want stargazing or not, it is common to note down that there are many stars in our universe. In more charming words, we can presume that there are a numerous amount of immensely beautiful stars that are observable in the night sky. However, there are also a lot of interesting facts about stars that you may be unaware of. Before you go on your next stargazing, I recommend you remember these fun facts!
1. In the night sky, you can observe things 20 quadrillion miles away!
20 quadrillion miles is an unbelievably big number. In fact, the total distance of circumference of Earth’s equator is approximately 24 901 miles. If you calculate correctly, you would find that 20 quadrillion miles is the same as travelling 24 901 miles 803.2 billion times! This fact may be very interesting, but keep in mind, you can only observe this far on good nights. Meaning: plan your stargazing sessions when it does not seem like it is cloudy or any other obstruction preventing you from seeing that far.
Image by PayPal.me/FelixMittermeier from Pixabay
2. Every star you see is bigger and brighter than the sun!
This may come as a surprise to some of you, but keep in mind, the sun is the closest star to us than all of the other stars in the entire universe. Because the sun is closest, it would make sense to conclude that it is bigger and brighter than other stars. However, considering the previous fun fact, we can observe stars that are unimaginably far away. Think about it. The earth’s distance from the sun is 1 AU (Astronomical Unit). Now, imagine a star that is 215156003 AU (approximately 20 quadrillion miles) away from our earth. Of course, in order for us to see a star that is that far away from us, that star would have to be incredibly bigger and shining much brighter than our now seemingly pathetic sun (However, never forget that the sun is still the most important star in our solar system).
Photo by NASA on Unsplash
3. Red stars are COLDER than blue stars! Blue stars are the HOTTEST!
Depending on if you have been taught this in school or not, red is actually the coldest fire. To prove that red (and also orange) are the coldest colors, please observe the the candle picture below.
– Notice how there is a blue color sitting on the base of the candle. That blue color is the hottest part of the flame due to it being more exposed to the oxygen that causes the fire.
Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay
Typically, from our limited everyday experiences, we infer that red flames are hot. However, while they are indeed hot, they are still the coldest color flame to exist. The same logic applies to the temperature of a star: its hottest color is blue and its coldest color is red. All the different color stars you see in the night sky are all in different temperatures. Next time, when you see a barrage of stars painted in a night sky, like in the picture below, remember that blue stars are the hottest!
Photo by Ryan Hutton on Unsplash
I hope you had fun learning these three interesting facts about stars! I advise that you do not forget any of these the next time you look at the stars in the night sky. Nonetheless, I hope you have a great rest of your day and consider stargazing to end it. Stargazing is always super fun! I strongly recommend it to everyone!
