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For our Lang and Lit course, we were challenged to create an advertising campaign for a social issue we cared about. I chose animal rights and my original angle asked the question: how can we treat animals badly when they have been on our planet much longer than us? By Henrik  The phrase 'Respect your elders' normally means being aware that your elders have knowledge you don’t have because they are more experienced in life. We don’t normally use this phrase, however, to talk about animals so I decided to use it because most people know it, but not in this context.  For the explanatory text, I wanted to illustrate the problem and how it can be solved in a unique way for each species, so for example, for sharks I focussed on shark fin soup, for turtles on plastic pollution etc. In terms of the images, I wanted to show the elder that is being harmed inside of the thing that is harming it. This conveys that they are stuck inside our problems, not theirs.  I came up with the slogan 'Respect your elders' while thinking about the viper dogfish which is a kind of shark. I thought of unusual sharks that are so well adapted, like the hammerhead shark which has a hammer like body and its eyes on the side, which is rare in predatory animals. It takes advantage of having a wider sight range, while the Greenland shark lives to about four hundred years old by having an extremely slow metabolically rate. These creatures have stood the test of time and we don't have the right to now risk their futures.
I imagined this as a campaign the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), but it is my original work.
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In 1955, enthusiast Francis Tully was engaging in his fossil-collecting hobby excavating the Mazon Creek fossil beds of Illinois. This particular area was known for being quite abundant in organic remains from the Carboniferous period (359-299 million years ago) preserved in ironstone nodules. Tully cracked open one of these and discovered something alien – something that would still be a mystery 70 years later. By Beth  PaleoEquii, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Introducing Tullimonstrum gregarium, commonly known as the Tully monster, one of the greatest paleontological mysteries of all time. Scientists are still debating over what this is. The Field Museum of Chicago was the first to know about the discovery, seeing as Francis Tully had brought it to them knowing it was not like anything he’d seen before. Sources on this creature vary just as much as the theories do. Originally, it was thought to be some kind of invertebrate – perhaps a mollusk, or even a shell-less snail. If you visit the Field Museum’s website–https://www.fieldmuseum.org/ – and search up “Tully monster”, you’d see they have actually published several articles about this anomaly, claiming that they know what it is. These date as far back as 2016, so why is it that it’s still largely unknown? The truth is, the most that’s been definitively established is what they are related to, which would be lampreys.  James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Setting aside the taxonomic classification of the critter, another thing researchers ponder is its anatomy. With a roughly torpedo-shaped body and fins that resemble that of a squid, it looks like it could be a potential cephalopod. But then you notice two stalks and a proboscis that boasts a beak and oddly-shaped teeth. At first glance, you may presume the stalks to be an antenna of some sort, and the proboscis to be its head. However, scientists have actually proved the stalks to be eyes, resembling some kind of alien one might imagine in a sci-fi movie. But it’s impossible to separate the physical features from the taxonomy. Visiting what was mentioned in the previous paragraph, the argument between vertebrate and invertebrate is ongoing despite the proof we already have. Some still think it could be a squid or cuttlefish-like soft-bodied animal, though, as mentioned earlier, evidence points to close relations with lampreys. This would in turn place them in phylum Chordata alongside all other vertebrates, and possibly Agnatha, an infraphylum including jawless fish. Alas, yet again, there are more recent hypotheses that claim the Agnathan theory is simply undefendable. These paleontologists instead propose that Tullimonstrum could still be a chordate, just an invertebrate one. This is further reinforced by the fact that the Tully monster was found to have a notochord, a “primitive backbone” that characterizes the body axis and aids in structural support in an animal’s embryo. However, in the case of more primal animals like the aforementioned lampreys, the notochord remains as the primary form of anatomical assistance – such is most likely the case for the Tully monster. The cycle goes on, with more and more evidence both for and against any existing theories on Tullimonstrum. A 70-year-old mystery has yet to be solved. But when it finally is, what will this say about prehistoric organisms? It could change everything, challenging our very understanding of life on our planet. Or it could change nothing, and everything will stay the way it is. Stories like this prove that there will always be more to discover, to question, to reshape. What do you think? O ténis também é um desporto famoso por envolver estratégia mental. A estratégia mental é um aspeto fundamental do ténis, pois influencia diretamente o desempenho do jogador, ou seja, destaca a importância de manter a concentração durante todo o jogo e controlar os nervos, especialmente nos momentos mais difíceis, como quando o placar está empatado. Por Nayika Sabia que o ténis é um dos desportos mais praticados no mundo? Por que é que o ténis é um dos desportos mais praticados entre todos os desportos? Pode fazer-se, a si mesmo, esta pergunta e a resposta simples: que o ténis é um desporto muito divertido e competitivo, entre muitas outras coisas. Mas há muitas outras razões, e neste artigo vou explicar por que é que o ténis é praticado em praticamente todo o mundo e por que é considerado um dos melhores desportos deste planeta. O ténis é jogado em todo o mundo porque é divertido e tem uma história rica, mas pode o caro leitor pode se perguntar: quando é que o ténis surgiu pela primeira vez e como se tornou um dos desportos mais praticados no mundo? O primeiro jogo de ténis teve lugar na Inglaterra do século XIX e, originalmente, o ténis era chamado de Jeu de paume. O torneio de ténis mais antigo do mundo é Wimbledon, que foi realizado pela primeira vez em Londres em 1877. O ténis tem uma história rica e muito interessante, que se desenvolveu ao longo de muitos anos. Originou-se de jogos antigos e evoluiu para o desporto que conhecemos hoje. Com o tempo, foram criadas regras oficiais e grandes torneios, como Wimbledon, ajudando a tornar o ténis famoso em todo o mundo. Graças a essa longa história, o ténis é hoje um desporto altamente respeitado, praticado por milhões de pessoas.  https://flic.kr/p/vwcN3d Em maio de 1881, a Associação Nacional de Ténis dos Estados Unidos foi fundada para padronizar as regras e organizar competições de ténis. Isso foi muito importante para o desenvolvimento do desporto, pois tornou os jogos mais justos e organizados. Com as mesmas regras para todos, os jogadores podiam competir de forma mais equilibrada. Além disso, essa associação ajudou o ténis a crescer e se tornar um desporto mais conhecido, com a criação de torneios oficiais. O ténis também é um desporto famoso por envolver estratégia mental. A estratégia mental é um aspeto fundamental do ténis, pois influencia diretamente o desempenho do jogador, ou seja, destaca a importância de manter a concentração durante todo o jogo e controlar os nervos, especialmente nos momentos mais difíceis, como quando o placar está empatado. Por exemplo, um jogador que permanece calmo após cometer um erro pode recuperar-se e continuar a jogar bem. Além disso, pensar positivamente e acreditar em si mesmo ajuda a tomar melhores decisões na quadra. Portanto, a força mental é essencial para o sucesso em campo.  Edwin Martinez from The Bronx, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons O ténis tem muitas histórias interessantes e pessoas lendárias que deixaram a sua marca no desporto. Ao longo dos anos, grandes jogadores fizeram história com o seu talento e esforço. Por exemplo, jogadores como Roger Federer, Serena Williams e Rafael Nadal tornaram-se famosos pelas suas conquistas e dedicação. As suas histórias inspiram muitas pessoas a jogar ténis e nunca desistir dos seus objetivos.
Em conclusão, o ténis é muito famoso por muitas razões. O ténis tem muitas coisas para desfrutar: tem uma história rica, cultura e muito mais. O ténis não é jogado apenas por diversão; é jogado por muitas razões e é por isso que o ténis é um dos desportos mais praticados no mundo, com milhares de pessoas a praticarem o desporto. Por que a princesa Diana era tão importante para a sociedade, e não apenas para o Reino Unido?10/4/2026 A princesa Diana foi historicamente importante por humanizar a monarquia britânica, sendo apelidada de “Princesa do Povo” por ter demonstrando um amor genuino pelo povo. Por Betina  Photo by Provincial Archives of Alberta on Unsplash Sabia que, mesmo após a sua morte, a princesa Diana continua sendo o membro mais amado da família real porque era mais aberta e genuína com o público do que outros membros da família real, conquistando a confiança e o amor de todos? Mas só porque o público a amava, não significa que a rainha sentisse o mesmo. Devido ao comportamento de Diana, a família real não a tinha em alta conta, pois ela vinha de uma família pobre. Eles também achavam que Charles tinha cometido um erro ao se casar com ela. A princesa Diana nasceu em Norfolk, Inglaterra, em 1961, e morreu num acidente de carro em 1997. Antes de Diana se tornar princesa, ela trabalhou numa creche como assistente de aulas. Diana conheceu Charles numa festa de caça à perdiz em Althorp, a casa da família Spencer, como convidada da sua irmã. Antes de se conhecerem, Charles namorava a irmã de Diana, Sarah, mas Charles logo se apaixonou por Diana. O príncipe Charles e Lady Diana Spencer casaram-se em 29 de julho de 1981 na Catedral de Sy. Paul, em um casamento televisionado para todo o mundo, considerado o “casamento do século” e assistido por 750 milhões de pessoas. Um ano depois, Diana teve seu primeiro filho, o príncipe William. Três anos depois, Diana teve o príncipe Harry. Diana e Charles se separaram em dezembro de 1992 e ela morreu num acidente de carro cinco anos após a separação.  Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash A princesa Diana foi historicamente importante por humanizar a monarquia britânica, sendo apelidada de “Princesa do Povo” por ter demonstrando um amor genuino pelo povo. Ela revolucionou o papel da realeza através de um intenso trabalho humanitário, destacando-se na luta contra o estigma do HIV e visitando vítimas de minas terrestres. Diana quebrou os protocolos da família real, uma das razões para o descontentamento da rainha e de outros membros da realeza. Diana usou a sua riqueza e influência para fazer o bem a muitas pessoas, sensibilizando para a AIDS ao apertar a mão de um doente sem luvas, prestando apoio humanitário, como o patrocínio de instituições para pessoas com lepra, sem-abrigo e toxicodependentes, e enfrentando as suas próprias dificuldades com distúrbios alimentares e depressão pós-parto, quebrando tabus da época. E com estilo, a princesa Diana usou o seu guarda-roupa para se expressar perante o público.  Russ2009, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons O legado da princesa Diana foi a sua profunda empatia, o trabalho comunitário que realizou e todas as campanhas que fundou e participou. Pelo seu grande legado, os seus filhos, os príncipes William e Harry, também querem continuar tudo o que a princesa Diana começou, perpetuando o foco em causas sociais e quebrando a “norma” da realeza. Embora nunca tenha conhecido Diana, Meghan Markle, esposa do príncipe Harry, faz coisas semelhantes às de Diana, como trabalho humanitário, que é semelhante à dedicação de Diana a causas como minas terrestres, HIV/AIDS e lepra.
Alguns factos interessantes sobre a princesa Diana são que ela queria ser bailarina profissional, mas foi informada de que era muito alta. Ela adorava a banda “Duran Duran” dos anos 80 e, apesar de ser da realeza, a princesa Diana queria que os seus filhos tivessem uma infância divertida e normal, levando-os ao McDonald's e em transportes públicos. Em conclusão, a princesa Diana era um ícone e muito moderna para a sua época, conquistando o amor e o carinho de todos. Ela também serve de modelo para a nossa geração e para as gerações futuras, elevando o padrão da realeza atual. As the screen industry grows, reading provides a restful pause from everyday life. However, reading has declined and fewer people are reading now. By Della  Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash People don’t read as much as they used to. That is just the truth. The National Literacy Trust's Annual Literacy Survey in 2025 states that fewer than 1 in 5 8-18 year olds read daily for pleasure. These were the lowest levels ever recorded. But why is this, and what reasons are there to hold on to reading? You will be able to find out the answers to these questions and more below, so go ahead. You should note though, that this is from the perspective of a child that reads a lot, so you may not agree with some of the opinion-based parts. The goal of this article is just to inform you, not to tell you that you should get rid of all devices in your household immediately. Why don’t people read? One of the main causes of not reading that I have found, is electronics, and it seems that this really is the leading cause. A lot of the time people used to spend reading, especially teenagers, is now spent on devices and social media. When you get home from school you could read a book to relax, instead of go watch TV, or go online. But going online is something that is designed to catch our attention and make us keep coming back. Since this is online though, I will have you know that my goal is not to completely stop people from going online, just to make sure you are not always online (again). Some people have to work a lot and if they have a desk job this can mean spending a lot of time online. It is important that when you can, you take a break and do something better for you. Such as reading. Another reason people are not reading is that they don’t have access to books or don’t know how to read. I find this very sad, since reading is one of my favorite things to do. Imagine a world without books. Never knowing how to read, not learning through things that other people have written down for others to see, that is just sad. Sometimes it seems as if books are written just for you. You can find any number of things in a book - including some really interesting characters - between the pages. If I could help it, everyone would have access to these wonderful stories, and I hope you feel the same.  Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash Now this is my final reason, though it is definitely not the final reason. Some people say they don’t like books! Some say this because reading is hard for them and it is an irritating, forced activity. Some say that it bores them, but this is sometimes because they are reading at too high or too low of a level. Another reason people would feel bored is if they cannot find any interest based books. Now, I'm pretty sure people don’t just not read because of this, but it can make them feel like they don’t have a choice, and then reading is no longer the same thing it is for people who enjoy it. So if you are a parent of a kid who does not like reading, maybe just check in on what they are reading, what level they are reading on, and if it is too hard for them. Why should we hold on to reading and not let it get left behind? Reading is really good for you, unlike devices. While devices can harm you, reading can widen your perspective and take you on joyful journeys to other worlds, countries, cities, or lives. It helps your imagination thrive, and can totally boost your mood if you had a bad day. It can also calm you down to get ready for bed, while devices do the opposite. Even if you have a hard time reading, things like audiobooks or read-alouds can still let you enjoy these hidden worlds. Reading is one of my favorite things and I would hate for people to not be able to experience these stories just because the actual reading bit is a struggle for them.  Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash We can take books anywhere. The airport or airplane, school, work, buses, trains, hospitals, appointments, I could go on all day. If you need something, you can almost always find it in a book. At least, somewhere. Books are a wonderful source of entertainment. Plus, there are millions of books from all over the world and from all different authors. There are a lot of ways to express yourself, but books are like stories that are preserved forever. It is human nature to tell stories, and this almost ensures that the stories are preserved.
So yes. I have written all that I have to say about this. There are probably a lot more reasons why we are not reading, but should keep reading anyways. I only have these though, and I am running out of things to write, so this is the end of the article. But remember to keep in mind: reading has a huge amount of benefits, and if we stop, then all of those benefits would have to be achieved another way. Sure, there are more ways, but reading or listening to an audio book is one of the simplest, funnest ways. At least for me and a lot of other people. Reading is important. Let's make sure we all do and can. Works Cited Klein, Alyson. “The Real Reasons Kids Aren’t Reading More.” Education Week, 28 Mar. 2022, www.edweek.org/leadership/the-real-reasons-kids-arent-reading-more/2022/03. National Literacy Trust. “Children and Young People’s Reading in 2025.” National Literacy Trust, 11 June 2025, literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2025/. Savage, David. “A World without Books - Imagine That! - What’s Good to Read.” What’s Good to Read, 22 Aug. 2021, www.whatsgoodtoread.co.uk/a-world-without-books-imagine-that/. “The Crisis in Children’s Reading: How We Can Reverse the Decline - Raising a Reader.” Raising a Reader, 10 Feb. 2025, raisingareader.org/the-crisis-in-childrens-reading-how-we-can-reverse-the-decline/. Airplanes work differently compared to other types of vehicles. They are advanced pieces of technology, so read on to find out more. By Bogdan  Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash Have you ever flown on a plane? If you have, you probably thought at least once about how airplanes work. Today I will tell you all about how airplanes work, how they fly, and what drag and thrust are. Let's get started. Airplane wings First, let's talk about airplane wings. Airplane wings are shaped to make air move faster over the top of the wing. When air moves faster, the pressure of the air decreases. The difference in pressure creates a force on the wing that lifts the wing up into the air. The curved airfoil design makes the air move faster above the wing than below it. The difference in airspeed creates a difference in air pressure. The faster moving air above the wing results in lower air pressure while the slower air moving beneath the wing has higher air pressure. This is the reason planes can generate lift and safely fly in the sky without falling hundreds of meters to the ground beneath. What is drag? When an airplane flies, the air surrounding the plane pushes back at the plane. This force is called drag. Drag always acts in the opposite direction to the plane’s motion. You might have experienced this when swimming at the beach. Have you ever noticed that there is a force stopping you from gliding through the water when swimming? Guess what? What you have experienced is called drag. To overcome drag, airplanes use another force called thrust.  Photo by Henry Möllers on Unsplash What is thrust?
Thrust is the force that pushes the plane forward. The amount of thrust depends on these key factors which are the number of engines, the types of engines, the throttle settings, density and altitude. The rudder is a part of a plane which helps the pilot navigate the direction where they want to go, but the rudder only controls the movement of turning the plane left and right while the ailerons control the movement of up and down also known as roll. Because of these incredible laws of flight, it is possible to use a plane to fly over the Atlantic Ocean from London Heathrow to New York in only 8 hours. While doing the same journey by boat is a whopping 144 hours which is equivalent to 6 whole days. You have to admit airplanes have changed the travel industry a lot and you should be thankful that airplanes exist. Works Cited https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9oVFRG1PGQ https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/dynamicsofflight.html Have you ever wondered what a perfect homemade smoothie tastes like? By Leonora  Photo by ikhsan baihaqi on Unsplash When I found out that my favorite Norwegian player drinks the Berry Banana Smoothie, I knew I had to try it. Haaland is a famous soccer player from Norway. He is known for scoring many many goals in one match and that is impressive. When I first saw the video for the smoothie, my brain turned on and I thought, “We have to do this, NOW!” I wrote down the recipe and everyone in my family tasted it saying, “WOW, I like this!” Now, it has become a tradition to make this smoothie. It's always me and my brother who make it for our family. Another reason this recipe is so important to me is because it’s something that reminds me of Norway, my home country. When I'm homesick or we just want to drink something, we usually make this smoothie. You might think this is only a smoothie, but even a little smoothie can make a memory. So, if you want a smoothie memory in Mozambique, try this smoothie.  MichaelEmilio, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons This is my recipe:
Berry Banana Smoothie Ingredients:
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Fun fact: In Norway we pronounce Haaland differently, HOL-an. Have you ever wondered who is the best basketball player? Dive into this article to learn more about Lebron James and his life and successful career. By Nathan  Christopher Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Personal history and resilience - how I am inspired by him Lebron Raymone James was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30th, 1984. Lebron’s father left the home when he was born and his mom struggled to find work to provide for her family. Lebron and his mom moved many times. He started playing basketball because he began living with Frank Walker and his family when he was in fourth grade. Frank Walker was a football coach who introduced Lebron to basketball at 9 years old. In his teenage years, Lebron traveled all over the United States of America with the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). When he was very young, Lebron already had a passion to succeed in basketball and dedicated himself to improving his game. Lebron James went to the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. During his time at this school he averaged 18 points in his freshman year. The team won every game, winning the state championship. In his second year at the school, Lebron averaged 25.2 points per game. In one year, he increased his average by almost 8 points. Basketball scouts from the NBA and colleges began to notice him and his basketball skills. His team was seen on national TV many times. Lebron now averaged 31.6 points per game. In high school, he was the National Player of the Year for two straight seasons. Many colleges, including Notre Dame, were very interested in having Lebron play for them.  Photo by Tom Briskey on Unsplash Once Lebron graduated from high school, he felt he was ready to go straight to the professional level. Lebron said that he was eligible for the NBA draft in 2003. The Cleveland Cavaliers made him their overall pick for the draft that year. This meant that he would be playing in his hometown. In 2010, Lebron made the big decision to join the Miami Heat. Awards, championships, records, statistics James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), and 21-time All-Star. Lebron won 3 Olympic Gold Medals for the United States of America. Lebron played on the 2004 USA basketball team. They won a bronze Olympic medal that year in Athens. During the summer of 2008, he helped the US basketball team win a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. He and his team won another gold medal in 2012 at the London Olympics. The most recent gold medal was won in Paris during the 2024 Olympics. In 2009, Lebron won his first NBA MVP award and in 2016, he won the 2016 NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Lebron James holds numerous records. For example, he holds the most NBA All-Star and All-NBA Team selections. He was selected 22 times as an NBA All-Star and 21 times for the All-NBA Team. He also holds the record for the most minutes played in the league’s history. Lebron was also picked for the NBA All-Defensive Team 6 different times. He is currently the NBA’s all time scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Lebron falls in 4th place for career assists and 6th for career steals. Finally, in 2025 Lebron was accepted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. After reading about his career, life story, and statistics, do you think Lebron James is the best basketball player? In my opinion, Lebron James’ story can inspire people to never give up during hard times and to always try their best in what they do.  Photo by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash Moon Knight is a Marvel character that was released to the world in 1975 in the comic book "Werewolf By Night #32”". Now you probably expected me to say “Moon knight #1” , but before he got his own comic book he appeared in one page of another comic book. Eventually Marvel made the first comic of this anti-hero in 1980. This character had a wonderful story but was overlooked because of his crazy personality and having to fight his inner demons. Let's get into into the story of this underrated characters, including Marc Spector, Steven Grant, Jack Lockley, Mr Night and the one and only Khonshu. By Tommaso  Photo by Emre Turkan on Unsplash In the middle of the desert, that's where we start the story. A mercenary named Marc Spector is traveling in these harsh conditions alone. No water, no food. This is how he died: he fell down on the sand and closed his eyes. A mystical being appeared in front of him, the god of the moon, Khonshu. Khonshu revived him as his avatar and he did this because Marc was broken, near death and had dissociative identity disorder. Khonshu thought it was perfect for manipulation, which he wanted for vengeance, as Khonshu is the god of time and vengeance.  Photo by Alex Andrews: https://www.pexels.com/photo/full-moon-821718/ This is the start of Moon Knight. Marc served Khonshu in many ways and eventually his DID (Dissociative identity disorder) made him create new personas such as Steven Grant and Jack Lockley. Quite a story, right? But with a story like this, why was Moon Knight so overlooked? It's almost as if the simple characters are the ones getting all the popularity, while the more complex and interesting ones are ignored. In fact, take Captain America, an iconic hero with a simple story. As of 2020, Marvel had sold more that 200,000 million comic books just about Captain America! And the first Captain America comic ever? It would cost at least 2 million dollars for ONE comic! What about Moon Knight, though? He is not very known; in fact, I couldn't even find the numbers of how many copies he sold. But despite that, Moon Knight is actually getting quite a spike in popularity, even getting his own TV show from Disney that lately became one of the most successful Disney shows. His latest comic book, MOON KNIGHT Fist Of Khonshu 250 talks about Moon Knight's biggest challenge, so far, and celebrates 50 years of the Fist of Khonshu.  Photo by Erik Mclean: https://www.pexels.com/photo/collection-of-comic-books-with-vivid-colorful-illustrations-on-cover-7524996/ Now, let's talk a little bit about Marc Spector's personas. As I said before, Marc has DID which causes him to create personas, Jack Lockley, Steven Grant and later on, Moon Knight and Mr. Knight. For the time being, I would like to focus on Mr Knight, a more elegant version of Moon Knight, with a very iconic pose of him fixing his tie. Unlike the vigilante Moon Knight, that fights evil with evil, Mr Knight is calmer and more tactical, often collaborating with law enforcement. While the other personas are mostly just different average people from Marc, Jack is a driver/spy and Steven is a waiter who is actually Mr Knight.
With this out of the way, I would like to talk about why some characters are more popular than others. To do this with success I will ask you a few questions. Number (1) can you tell me who Arcade is? Marvel fans with a deep knowledge of characters could answer this, but for a very big portion of people they would think he is a building. Even though he is a Marvel villain. Number (2) do you know Sentry? Number (3) last question, what about Echo? The questions I just gave you are about different Marvel characters and all of them aren't that known. What if I told you that all of these characters have a more complicated story? I cannot tell you their entire stories, but I strongly suggest that you should find a way to love these characters, and maybe someday your new favorite hero or villain or anti-hero will appear on the big screen. I hope that in this very short blog post you have gotten to appreciate the hidden worlds that Marvel or even DC have. When you think of the greatest footballers, what names come to mind? Ronaldo, Maradona, Messi, and Pele—they come first to mind, don’t they? Here, notice how you never thought about any goalkeeper. Casillas, Kahn, Yashin, and Neuer. Did these players not perform at Ballon d’Or levels? Ask yourself: why are they the most undervalued out of everyone even though they have some of the greatest and most iconic performances? By Shreyansh  https://flic.kr/p/5NEjoX This has been going on for a long time now. Goalkeepers give impossibly great performances, yet the attention always goes to the strikers, the midfielders, and even the defenders. The “star striker” is all people ever hear. But what about the “star goalkeeper” who performed just as well as the striker? I want to highlight one specific goalkeeper who was undeniably one of the greatest to ever play the position, if not the greatest. He was young and had a dream: a dream to become the best. His name was Gianluigi Buffon, the 6'4" Italian wall who could make the best shots useless. Early Life & Career Buffon was born on the 28th of January 1978 in Carrara, Italy, to a family of elite athletes. He was originally interested in playing ping-pong (table tennis) but switched to football and began playing as a midfielder for the U.S.D. Canaletto Sepor Youth Club. He began gaining attention when he started playing for his local clubs, Perticata and Bonascola. He got the opportunity to play in his first world-class stadium in 1988 when he represented Tuscany at the age of 10. This was a children’s match where he got to play at the San Siro stadium in Milan. He still played as a midfielder at that time, and it looked like he would become an average midfielder in the Italian league. But one day, everything changed.  https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/304707539.pdf, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons In 1991 at his boyhood team Parma, both of the squad’s youth goalkeepers were injured. Coaches had no other option but to choose Buffon because he had the height required and ambition for the position, as he had become too “tired” of playing as a midfielder. He performed at a solid level and quickly replaced the two other goalkeepers. He started delivering eye-catching performances immediately. Noticing his form, he was called up for the Italy U-16 National Team in 1993 during the UEFA U-16 Championship. He reached the final, making several magnificent saves along the way. Despite all of this, his team failed to win and lost 1-0 to Poland. Following that, he continued his performances at Parma, gradually getting promoted to the first team. This was quite unlucky for AC Milan. He made his senior debut against them in 1995. Milan were expecting an easy game, but a young Buffon did not allow that. He impossibly managed to keep a clean sheet against star-studded players such as Roberto Baggio and George Weah. Beginning of International Career Buffon was again called up, this time to represent the U-21 team in the UEFA European U-21 Cup. He went on to win the tournament by defeating Spain in the final. This marked the first trophy that Buffon would win for his country. The whole world saw his talent, so Italy asked him to represent them at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He remained as an unused substitute throughout the whole tournament, though, as he didn’t get to play any minutes.  See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons His career was not slowing down. He achieved European glory the next year as Parma went on a historic run to win the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia. He was called to the national team yet again for the Euro 2000, but bad luck struck. He broke his hand in a warm-up match and once again didn’t play a single minute the entire tournament. While still at Parma in 2000, he faced controversy because he oddly chose the jersey number 88. This angered several people as they knew the number had neo-Nazi connections. Buffon denied all of those allegations, explaining he chose it because it looked like "four balls"—a symbol of strength. His career would be back on the rise soon. In 2001, he moved to Juventus for a record-breaking fee of €52.9 million. He surprisingly rejected offers from FC Barcelona and AS Roma because his dad told him Juventus would be his best chance to win the Serie A. He immediately started performing at his world-class level. This earned him a guaranteed spot in the 2002 Italian National team for the World Cup and a starter position for all the games this time around. Prime Years The 2002 World Cup began great for Buffon as they finished 2nd in their group only behind Mexico. After cruising into the Round of 16, Italy was eliminated by a formidable South Korean team. Coming back from the disappointing tournament, Buffon was reaching his individual peak. He won the Serie A with Juventus and led them to the UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan. The match ended 0-0. In the penalty shootout, Buffon made two incredible saves but unluckily lost the game 3-2 on penalties. Despite the loss, he was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. To this day, he is the only goalkeeper to have ever won it.  Olaf Nordwich, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Buffon carried this form into the 2004-2005 season where he continued to win domestically. He repeatedly won Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for nearly every season in that era. He was also included in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest players in 2004, having been nominated by the legend Pele himself. He reached the 2006 World Cup in his best form. Italy fought hard through the tournament, eventually reaching the final where they faced Zinedine Zidane’s France. Buffon kept an incredible five clean sheets—tying the record for a winning goalkeeper. He only conceded two goals the whole tournament: one from an own goal and another from Zidane’s penalty. The final ended 1-1 and Italy beat France 5-3 on penalties. This gave Buffon his dream since childhood: the World Cup trophy. The Decline and Loyalty Following his World Cup win, Buffon was widely recognized as one of the best and most expensive goalkeepers in the world. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United—they all wanted him. This was especially tempting considering his club, Juventus, was just exposed for the Calciopoli scandal. They had been relegated to the Serie B and had all of their Serie A titles stripped of them. Any other person would flee the club immediately. Anyone else but Buffon. Despite the huge offers, he stayed loyal to his club. He played in muddy, dusty, and broken stadiums to earn his team a spot back in the Serie A. Almost all of his teammates left for other clubs and Buffon could have too. Ask yourself: why would the best goalkeeper in the world who had just won a World Cup play in a club that was relegated to the Serie B? Well, Buffon’s answer was pure commitment.  Doha Stadium Plus Qatar from Doha, Qatar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons He served the club with dedication for 17 years before departing to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for one season in 2018. He then returned to Juventus for two more seasons where he broke the record for most Serie A appearances, making 658 total. He eventually left Juventus permanently to join his boyhood club Parma. There, he played until his eventual retirement in 2023. His career spanned 28 years and saw the heights of the World Cup and Europe. He was a truly spectacular player who will always be remembered as the one greatest to ever play the GK position. Buffon is a man who deserves deep respect. Imagine choosing not to leave your club after they were relegated, even though you were the best goalkeeper in the world at the time. By staying, he sacrificed the 2006 Ballon d’Or, where he finished in second place. It is very clear that his decision to stay with Juventus in the second division cost him the award, but he won the respect of the entire world instead. Both experts and Buffon himself believe that if he had joined a bigger club after the Calciopoli scandal, there is a very high chance he would have won the Ballon d’Or that year. This would have made him the only keeper after Lev Yashin to ever do so; nevertheless, he chose to side with Juventus over the prestigious award. Memories After retirement, Buffon hasn’t stepped away from football just yet. He continues to work with the Italian National Team as Head of Delegation. He acts as a linking bridge between the coaches and players. He manages the senior and junior team and additionally provides help for younger players so that they can feel more confident about the pressure of representing their country. He is remembered as a legend, not just in Italy but for most football fans all over the world. He inspired an entire generation of players with his saves, loyalty, and success. It’s not just us who spoke greatly of him; football greats did too. Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Zidane all praised him, with Zidane saying he is the greatest goalkeeper to ever live. All of those players didn’t score many goals against Buffon. When they rarely did, those goals were earned by the greatest forwards to play football.  MichaelEmilio, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Overall, Buffon didn’t just highlight himself; he highlighted his entire generation of players that stood tall in the GK position. Even though they were seen as the greatest rivals at times, Buffon and Casillas were very good friends off and on the pitch. That is why, in my opinion, he is the greatest player to ever stand in goal. He was friendly with his colleagues, but when he was on the pitch, he stopped their shots like a monster.
Buffon proved that you don't need to score the winning goal to be the hero of the story. Sometimes, the greatest hero is the one who ensures the opponent never scores at all. While strikers live for the moment, Buffon lived for his badge, proving that loyalty is a legacy that lasts far longer than any trophy. He changed the way we look at the 'star goalkeeper,' making the position just as legendary as the number ten. Though he has finally hung up his gloves, the shadow of the 'Italian Wall' will always loom large over the Turin stadium and beyond. Millions of players will come and go, but there will only ever be one Gianluigi Buffon—the man who guarded his goal with the heart of a lion. A lion who inspired, and will continue to inspire, generations of the beautiful game. This blog post is about the amazing Tim Howard, a goalkeeper who overcame incredible challenges to reach the top of his game. Don’t let his issues fool you. In goal and off the pitch he comes in strong. By Sammy  Александр Осипов from Ukraine, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tim Howard was born on March 6, 1979. When he was young, he faced many difficulties, including OCD, Tourettes syndrome and ADHD. I read a biography about him called The Keeper: The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard, and it was fascinating to see how instead of letting these challenges hold him back, he found ways to turn them into positive energy. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, he pushed forward and became one of the best goalies in the world. When he was about 10, Howard started behaving in some interesting ways like needing to follow patterns, touching things in the same order every time. This was his OCD. Then he also started having tics like making facial expressions, blinking too much. After that, he had to touch people before he spoke to them. When Howard got a bit older, he started playing soccer more and his coach quickly noticed that he had natural talent for being a goalie. Also, some of the symptoms like tics would sort of go away when he was playing as he was just focussing on the ball.  Vbrunophotog, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons With his ADHD, soccer wasn’t the only thing that helped him. His mom also took him to a therapist to help him, figure out his problems and control his challenges. With the support of his family, his coaches, and his own determination, Tim Howard grew up to become a professional goalkeeper, proving that obstacles can be stepping stones to greatness.
Aside from his personal story, he won titles like the FA Cup and League Cup with Manchester United and the Gold Cup with the US national team. He won MLS goalie of the year in 2001 and US Soccer Male Player of the Year in 2008 and 2014. In 2024 he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The Keeper is a great book and I recommend you read it to learn more about Howard's inspiring journey. Ever since humans have evolved, all our activities have been shaped by the natural world around us, from the land that we walk on to the ocean that we swim in. One of these activities is surfing. Surfing goes back to the 12th century in Polynesia where the people rode on waves. Later, Hawaii transformed what was only a passion for some to a sport and surfing became an important part of Hawaii’s religion. But with climate change increasingly affecting the natural environment around us, will surfing need to change? Will it even have a future at all? By Thandi  Photo by Delphine Beausoleil on Unsplash First of all, when you are a surfer there will be days where you can cleanly ride a wave, but days where you just can’t. But this might not you; it might just be the waves. It is always important to know what conditions are key to surfing and one thing is clear: without waves, there is no surfing. Wind determines how gentle or powerful a wave will be. A light offshore wind is perfect for beginners or a relaxed ride. With too much wind, the waves can become chaotic. Tides and floods affect lines and sandbanks, but mid-tide can be the best as it gives a balance of wave height and speed. Some people ask what the greatest surfing spots have that make their waves better than others. For example, Pipeline in O’ahu, Hawaii, and Skeleton Bay in Namibia. Well, Pipeline operates on a shallow, sharp reef, while Skeleton Bay is a highly consistent sandbank point break, both of them producing some of the most dangerous and rideable barrels on Earth.  Photo by Gian Luca Pilia on Unsplash But how will these places be affected by climate change? Well, have you ever heard of coral bleaching? According to NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration), coral bleaching is when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as light, temperature, or nutrients, and then expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. One main cause of coral bleaching is warm waters. This affects the beaches and coastlines that have extremely good waves as they are often formed with the help of corals underwater. So, with the temperatures increasing, the water temperatures also end up increasing and this will cause further coral bleaching. Unfortunately this won’t only be affecting the waves but the local surfers as they won’t have their everyday surf spots anymore. In addition, the local economies that rely on the money made by all the tourists that come to surf will suffer. For example, on Oct. 27, 2014, Save The Waves staff presented the findings of the most recent Surfonomics study to the Governor of the Provincia Cardenal Caro and the community of Pichilemu in Chile. The study found that visiting surfers to Pichilemu spend an average of $186 US dollars a day. Based on a conservative estimated range of 10,000-40,000 surfers a year, visiting surfer expenditure contributes about $2-8 million dollars annually directly into the local economy of “surf city.” So imagine the impact when this is only one of many cities that rely on tourists that come to surf.  Photo by Matt Paul Catalano on Unsplash Looking toward the future, surfing may face dramatic changes as climate change continues to reshape our oceans and coastlines. Rising sea levels, stronger storms, shifting wind patterns, and coral bleaching will probably alter the way waves form and break. Some surf spots may improve temporarily due to changing sandbanks, but many iconic waves could weaken or even disappear. According to studies referenced by Duke Surf, the legendary Skeleton Bay in Namibia could cease to exist within the next 20 years due to coastal and sand movement changes caused by climate shifts. If this happens to one of the world’s most perfect waves, it could happen elsewhere too. Major competitions, such as those held at places like Pipeline in Hawaii, may need to adapt by changing timing, adjusting seasons, or even moving to different spots.
As highlighted by Kima Surf, warming oceans and rising sea levels will increasingly impact reef breaks and coastal formations, meaning that famous surf destinations could become less reliable and potentially less popular. The future of surfing will depend not only on athletes adapting to new conditions, but also on global efforts to reduce climate change. Without action, the waves that define surf culture today may not look the same for the next generation. Através do desporto, desenvolvem-se competências essenciais como resiliência, disciplina, liderança e capacidade de comunicação. Além disso, o desporto desempenha um papel fundamental na formação de indivíduos mais saudáveis e equilibrados, melhor preparados para enfrentar os desafios que surgirão no resto das suas vidas. Por Maria  Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash Para muitas pessoas, o desporto é mais do que apenas atividade física, influenciando não só a saúde física, mas também o bem-estar mental e as competências sociais. Através da prática desportiva, as pessoas podem desenvolver valores fundamentais para nós, seres humanos, tais como responsabilidade, resiliência e paciência, e isso pode contribuir para a capacidade de lidar com desafios e frustrações e para o aumento da confiança. De acordo com o Pew Research Centre, 79% dos desportistas afirmam que o desporto lhes dá um impulso positivo de confiança. Mas até que ponto o desporto pode realmente ter um impacto na mudança das pessoas? Neste artigo, discutirei como o desporto pode influenciar a saúde física, a saúde mental, as competências sociais, a resiliência, a liderança e a disciplina das pessoas.  Photo by Gentrit Sylejmani on Unsplash Saúde Física Em primeiro lugar, “a atividade física traz benefícios significativos para a saúde do coração, do corpo e da mente” (OMS). Praticar desporto fortalece os ossos e os músculos, reduz o risco de osteoporose, ajuda a fortalecer o coração e os pulmões e contribui para prevenir a obesidade. Mesmo que seja apenas algumas horas por semana, o desporto pode ajudar o sistema imunitário e melhorar o humor em menos de algumas semanas. Alguns exemplos de desportos que têm maior impacto na saúde física das pessoas são a natação, a corrida, o ciclismo, o remo e os desportos com raquete, como o ténis e o squash. De acordo com o blogue “A casa do Tenista”, o ténis pode aumentar a esperança de vida em 9,7 anos, a natação em 6,8, o ciclismo em 6,2 anos, o remo em 5,4 e a corrida em 3,2 anos. Isto mostra-nos como a prática desportiva promove uma melhor qualidade de vida, tornando as pessoas mais saudáveis e resistentes fisicamente, e como pode aumentar a nossa longevidade. Saúde Mental “A prática regular de atividade física pode aumentar a nossa autoestima e reduzir o stress e a ansiedade. Também desempenha um papel importante na prevenção do desenvolvimento de problemas de saúde mental e na melhoria da qualidade de vida das pessoas com problemas de saúde mental... A atividade física pode ser um complemento importante ao tratamento da depressão. Pode ser utilizada em combinação com medicação e/ou terapia psicológica” (Saúde Bem Estar). Este excerto da Saúde Bem Estar fala sobre como o desporto contribui para o equilíbrio emocional, complementando o tratamento da depressão, ansiedade e stress, e mostra-nos como o desporto desempenha um papel fundamental na estabilidade emocional, ajudando a reduzir os níveis de ansiedade, stress e tensão psicológica. O exercício físico regular também estimula a libertação de neurotransmissores. que são responsáveis pelas sensações de prazer e bem-estar. Isto promove sentimentos de felicidade e melhora o humor das pessoas. Além disso, a prática desportiva pode aumentar a autoconfiança e a motivação, o que ajuda as pessoas a enfrentar os desafios do dia a dia de forma mais equilibrada, com uma mente mais aberta e objetiva. De acordo com o NIH, 68% dos adolescentes e 50% dos adultos afirmam que o exercício físico ajuda a reduzir o stress e a ansiedade. Isto mostra-nos como a prática desportiva pode ser eficaz e essencial para promover a saúde mental e o bem-estar.  Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash Habilidades sociaisOs desportos ampliam os círculos sociais das pessoas. Ao praticar atividades físicas, a probabilidade de fazer amigos é muito alta, pois combina interação social estruturada, objetivos comuns e contacto regular. De acordo com um estudo da Universidade da Flórida, a participação em desportos coletivos contribui para o início de amizades duradouras e ajuda a fortalecer os laços sociais das pessoas. Além disso, uma pesquisa da revista American Journal of Recreation and Sports indica que os adolescentes que praticam um desporto desenvolvem e fortalecem a sua comunicação com os outros, em comparação com os adolescentes que não participam em desportos coletivos ou individuais. Os adolescentes que praticam desporto também têm maior capacidade de resolução de conflitos. Isso mostra que a prática de desporto tem um grande impacto nas habilidades sociais dos indivíduos. RessilênciaO desporto desenvolve a resiliência porque ajuda a lidar com erros, a adaptar-se a desafios, treina a força mental e física, proporciona controlo emocional e definição de objetivos. Atletas resilientes aprendem a enfrentar desafios e lidar com a ansiedade com muito mais facilidade e rapidez do que pessoas que não praticam desporto. Os desportos que mais ajudam na resiliência são corrida de longa distância, natação, artes marciais como judô, escalada, ténis e futebol. O desporto ajuda as pessoas a lidar com erros e derrotas, porque ninguém ganha sempre. As derrotas e os erros ensinam os atletas a aceitar o fracasso e a aprender com os erros que cometeram. O desporto expõe os atletas a novas situações, como novas competições, problemas diferentes e adaptação a uma mudança de estratégia. A capacidade de adaptação que os atletas têm através da prática constante do desporto prepara as pessoas mentalmente para o que está por vir, não só no desporto, mas também em outros eventos inesperados da vida. Liderança e disciplina
O desporto pode mudar profundamente as pessoas em termos de liderança e disciplina, pois exige regras, paciência, responsabilidade e compromisso. Para participar num desporto, é necessário gerir o tempo, assumir compromissos, assumir funções de liderança, como capitão de equipa, e ajudar uns aos outros, especialmente os mais jovens, mas também estar sempre concentrado. Além disso, para ser um desportista, é necessário ter respeito e espírito desportivo para com os adversários e colegas de equipa. Esses requisitos e habilidades ajudam os indivíduos a serem mais organizados, determinados, respeitosos e capazes de orientar a si mesmos e aos outros. Em conclusão, o desporto tem o poder de transformar as pessoas em versões mais inteligentes, saudáveis e instruídas de si mesmas, influenciando positivamente não só a sua saúde física e mental, mas também o seu bem-estar emocional e social. Através do desporto, desenvolvem-se competências essenciais como resiliência, disciplina, liderança e capacidade de comunicação. Além disso, o desporto desempenha um papel fundamental na formação de indivíduos mais saudáveis e equilibrados, melhor preparados para enfrentar os desafios que surgirão no resto das suas vidas. Referências CUF. “5 Razões (Científicas) Para Fazer Desporto | CUF.” Www.cuf.pt, 11 June 2015, www.cuf.pt/mais-saude/5-razoes-cientificas-para-fazer-desporto. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026. Hatfield, Jenn. “5 Facts about Americans and Sports.” Pew Research Center, 11 Mar. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/11/5-facts-about-americans-and-sports/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026. Jones, David. “Impact of Team Sports Participation on Social Skills Development in Youth.” American Journal of Recreation and Sports, vol. 3, no. 2, 31 Aug. 2024, pp. 24–34, www.researchgate.net/publication/383619830_Impact_of_Team_Sports_Participation_on_Social_Skills_Development_in_Youth, https://doi.org/10.47672/ajrs.2400. Mahindru, Aditya, et al. “Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review.” Cureus, vol. 15, no. 1, 7 Jan. 2023, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9902068/, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33475. Organização Mundial da Saúde. “Atividade Física - OPAS/OMS | Organização Pan-Americana Da Saúde.” Www.paho.org, www.paho.org/pt/topicos/atividade-fisica. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026. Osgood, Laurie. “Team Sports Can Yield Life-Long Friendships for Youth and Their Parents.” Living Well in the Panhandle, 3 Mar. 2020, nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/2020/03/03/team-sports-can-yield-life-long-friendships-for-you th-and-their-parents/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026. Saude Bem Estar. “Importância Do Exercício Físico Na Saúde Mental.” Www.saudebemestar.pt, 19 Jan. 2023, www.saudebemestar.pt/pt/saude/atividade-fisica/exercicio-fisico-e-saude-mental/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026. Vitoria. “Os 10 Esportes Que Aumentam a Expectativa de Vida - Blog Da Casa Do Tenista.” Blog Da Casa Do Tenista, 30 July 2024, www.casadotenista.com.br/blog/post/os-10-esportes-que-aumentam-a-expectativa-de-vid a. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026. Os jogadores de futebol devem jogar pelo amor ao jogo, porque há adeptos que se entregam de coração todas as semanas, adeptos que viajam, cantam e sofrem pelos seus clubes, sem qualquer recompensa. Por José Rafael  Photo by Alfonso Scarpa on Unsplash O futebol deve ser jogado por aqueles que amam o jogo, por aqueles que sentem alegria em cada passe e cada ataque, por aqueles que respeitam o campo e as pessoas ao seu redor, e por aqueles que jogam não apenas por dinheiro ou fama, mas por paixão. Pelo orgulho e pela emoção pura que o futebol proporciona. Essa verdadeira paixão constrói valores, une comunidades, inspira jovens atletas e mantém viva a essência histórica e cultural do futebol.  Photo by Fancy Crave on Unsplash O futebol não deve ser jogado apenas por dinheiro, porque quando o dinheiro é a principal motivação, o jogo perde a sua essência e o verdadeiro prazer de jogar. Jogadores que só se preocupam com a vitória ou com o dinheiro perdem o respeito pelos seus companheiros de equipa e adversários, tornando os jogos menos justos e menos divertidos. Por outro lado, aqueles que jogam por amor são mais dedicados, enfrentam desafios com coragem e valorizam cada vitória e derrota. O futebol jogado por paixão mantém a conexão entre jogadores, torcedores e a história do desporto, garantindo diversão, respeito e crescimento pessoal. Aqueles que jogam por dinheiro perdem todo o respeito deles, dos clubes e dos jogadores. Um exemplo é Oscar, que aos 25 anos foi para a China em busca de ouro e queria sair para jogar em times fora da China, mas ninguém o queria porque ele só pensava em dinheiro e não no amor pelo jogo e pelo clube. Outro exemplo é sobre Song, que foi a uma entrevista para falar sobre o seu contrato com o Barcelona. Ele disse que não pensou duas vezes, viu quanto dinheiro eles estavam a lhe oferecer, então aceitou e saiu correndo.  Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash Os jogadores de futebol devem jogar pelo amor ao jogo, porque há adeptos que se entregam de coração todas as semanas, adeptos que viajam, cantam e sofrem pelos seus clubes sem qualquer recompensa. Os jogadores sentem a pressão e continuam, e quando respeitam essa paixão, o futebol torna-se mais do que apenas um negócio. Torna-se identidade, comunidade e emoção partilhada que liga gerações dentro e fora dos estádios, mantendo o desporto honesto, humano e inspirador para todos os que acreditam nele.
Em conclusão, o futebol deve ser jogado por amor, porque a paixão garante dedicação, respeito e espírito de equipa. Jogar apenas por dinheiro tira a essência e o prazer do jogo, tornando-o menos justo e verdadeiro. Portanto, aqueles que amam o futebol não buscam apenas vitórias ou recompensas financeiras, mas vivem cada momento do jogo com alegria, comprometimento e paixão, tornando o desporto mais bonito e inspirador para todos. É importante ensinar responsabilidade e permitir que as crianças enfrentem pequenas frustrações para desenvolver resiliência. Por Cataleya  Photo by Natasha Hall on Unsplash Os estilos parentais mudaram profundamente nas últimas décadas devido ao desenvolvimento da IA, à influência das redes sociais e às transformações culturais. Hoje, muitos pais querem estar mais presentes, compreensivos e envolvidos na vida dos seus filhos. No entanto, apesar dessas boas intenções, surge uma questão preocupante: como os estilos parentais modernos estão a afetar a saúde mental dos adolescentes? Este artigo defende que a parentalidade afetiva e a parentalidade moderna desequilibrada contribuíram para o aumento da fragilidade emocional, baixa tolerância à frustração e um número crescente de problemas de saúde mental entre os jovens.  Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash No mundo atual, existem muitos estilos de parentalidade, como autoritário, permissivo e negligente. O estilo autoritário, considerado o mais equilibrado, combina afeto com limites claros e orientação estruturada, promovendo maior autoestima, resiliência e menos ansiedade nos adolescentes. Por outro lado, a parentalidade mais moderna é basicamente uma forma de educar as crianças com gentileza, ensinando-as a se comportar, agir e pensar por meio de abordagens menos agressivas. Mas essa abordagem cria um sentimento de superioridade nas crianças e adolescentes em relação aos pais, pois eles não os temem, levando-os a agir de maneira muito rude e desrespeitosa. Os estilos modernos de parentalidade têm efeitos positivos e negativos no desenvolvimento dos adolescentes. Por um lado, uma parentalidade mais afetuosa e comunicativa fortalece os adolescentes, tornando-os mais abertos e aumentando a sua autoestima, melhorando a relação entre pais e filhos e criando um ambiente seguro onde os jovens se sentem mais à vontade para expressar as suas emoções. Além disso, o apoio emocional pode funcionar como um escudo contra a pressão social e digital, reduzindo a sensação de solidão. Por outro lado, quando essa abordagem se torna excessivamente permissiva ou superprotetora a um grau extremo, podem surgir consequências negativas. A falta de limites claros entre pais e filhos pode diminuir a tolerância à frustração, dificultar a aceitação de críticas e aumentar a ansiedade diante dos desafios. Consequentemente, alguns adolescentes podem desenvolver maior dependência emocional, insegurança e dificuldade em lidar com responsabilidades e conflitos da vida real.  Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash Para resolver este problema, os pais devem procurar um equilíbrio entre o afeto parental e limites claros em ambos os lados da questão, adotando um estilo autoritário. Além disso, é importante ensinar responsabilidade e permitir que as crianças enfrentem pequenas frustrações para desenvolver resiliência. Deve haver diálogo e compreensão, mas sem perder a autoridade. Só assim será possível criar jovens mais fortes e respeitosos, emocionalmente preparados para o futuro.
Em suma, embora a parentalidade moderna tenha boas intenções e benefícios, como maior diálogo e apoio emocional, quando desequilibrada pode contribuir para a fragilidade emocional e a falta de responsabilidade nos adolescentes. O segredo está em encontrar um equilíbrio entre amor e limites. Se queremos criar jovens fortes, capazes de enfrentar o mundo real, precisamos educá-los com carinho, mas também com firmeza. In the early 1950s South Korea was in the top 10 poorest countries in the world. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Venezuela experienced an economic boom. Today these countries have switched places. Why is this? By Maria  Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash Throughout history, some nations have risen to become global prosperity while others have fallen into both economic and political crises. The differences between countries' success are often shaped by political leadership, economic strategies and the ability to adapt to global change. Some of the many factors towards why some countries struggle and others find a path to succeed include choices in investment, long term planning, economic diversification and political stability. By comparing two countries who started on different terms and faced their own challenges such as South Korea and Venezuela, it becomes clear to us humans how strategic decisions can determine a country's future. South Korea After the Korean war from 1950 to 1953, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world where their per capita income was comparable to or lower than most Sub Saharan African and Asian countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana. Unlike Venezuela, South Korea had very few natural resources such as oil and relied on U.S aid to have a supportive economy for Korean citizens. By 1962 the countries per capita was roughly around $87 making both Pakistan and Nigeria richer than them at the time. Before the year of 1962, around 80% of the country's foreign investment was on foreign aid, especially from the United States. However instead of staying dependent on aid from other countries, the government created a long-term plan to develop and rebuild their nation. Between 1962 and 1980 when Park Chung-hee was president, South Korea introduced a series of a five year planned economy which was planned to start in that same year. This plan focused on export oriented industrialization, where the government planned to sell their own products to the global market in exchange for profit. Initially exports included a variety of textiles and wigs, but later on shifted to higher valued industries such as electronics and STEM related areas. At the same time, the South Korean government invested massively in education for children and young adults particularly in STEM classes such as science, mathematics, engineering and technology for a future where a highly skilled workforce was existent.  Photo by Daniel Bernard on Unsplash By the 1980’s and 1990’s, the country had their first official presidential elections which helped increase the country's political stability and attracted foreign investment. Trade liberalization and technological upgrade numbers started to increase and allowed South Korea to compete globally. Later on in the early 2000s, after 50 years of investing in technology, STEM and education, South Korea became a global leader in semiconductor, artificial intelligence and 5G technology production. Companies like Samsung, Hyundai and LG which are known as chaebols, are now family owned companies which dominate exports and have fueled rapid economic growth. More recently, South Korea has continued to grow despite the most recent that have fallen on their plate. The most recent presidential elections have been in April and since then the country has experienced a 2% rise in GDP which is driven largely by their technology innovation and strong exports. In 2025, South Korea ranks 14th globally and 4th in Asia among the world's richest countries.  Photo by David Ford on Unsplash Venezuela In contrast, Venezuela presents strong opportunities to become wealthy but instead of developing and growing their economy like South Korea they suffer economic decline which was driven by poor political and economical decisions. During the 1950’s to 1980’s, Venezuela experienced a huge economic boom due to oil exports. At the time, the country was one of the strongest economies supported by a market based system and being heavily dependent on their global demanded oil exports. However, around the 1990s Venezuela's economy began to plummet. Instead of keeping the oil numbers on the market limited, the government flooded the global market with oil. Since high supply demands lead to lower prices, this strategy significantly reduced national revenue. At the same time, Venezuela failed to diversify its economy, remaining heavily dependent on oil instead of making profit from a variety of different products. Under President Hugo Chávez and more recently Nicoals Maduro’s control, the government introduced a socialist and a command based economic policy. Businesses were nationalized and foreign investment was disencouraged. Private companies couldn't expand and trade due to the decline of the government's money and the decline in the country's oil exports causing investors to leave the country and preventing companies from growing and developing globally and nationally. As oil prices collapsed in 2016, the country faced extreme hyperinflation due to the massive printing of money to cover their spending. Because of this, the Venezuelan currency rapidly lost its value making basic goods unaffordable. Today one dollar is equivalent to 394.316 Venezuelan currency. In the present, Venezuela ranks as the 145th richest country globally and is standing as the poorest country in South America. The country is suffering through widespread poverty, shortages of food, collapse of medical services and educational systems and is suffering a severe political crisis.  Photo by Andrés Silva on Unsplash The Comparison The contrast between South Korea and Venezuela shows us how leadership, economic strategies, plans and overall decisions have a true impact on the development of national success. South Korea invested in the country's education systems, technology and diversified exports. On the other hand, Venezuela stayed heavily focused and dependent on their oil exports and failed to diversify their exports and trade. In addition, they discouraged foreign and national business growth and investment in their country, reducing the global business opportunities that South Korea took advantage of. While South Korea used government intervention to support the country's industrial growth and global competition, Venezuela used complete government control to restrict trade markets, shrinking their economic output. These opposite strategies explain why and how South Korea rose to become a global leader in the technology market and how it became an economic power house while Venezuela drove away from the possibility of achieving its highest peak to a country that descended into an economic collapse.  Photo by Babak Habibi on Unsplash Future challenges and impacts Looking forward, both countries are facing major challenges that will shape their futures. South Korea, although being one of the top countries with economic success, holds the lowest birth rate in the world which is currently standing at 0.82 (Average number of children per woman). This number is far below the 2.1 needed to sustain population levels, raising serious concerns about future labor shortages. In 2023, the country broke the world record and once again its one regarding fertility rates. In 2023 the average number of children per woman stood at 0.72, a little lower than what it is today. Luckily, the numbers are starting to rise but in the long run, this could slow down economic growth, increase the pressure on social services and challenge long-term productivity, even after the government's billions of dollars of investment and attempts to encourage childbirth. Venezuela’s future remains uncertain without Maduro. Although there are early signs of political change, it's unlikely that the country can become economically successful without overcoming their pileload of challenges and changing their system. Some of the main challenges include the high poverty levels, political instability, damaged infrastructure and their weak public services such as hospitals. The success of the country will depend on whether future leaders can rebuild trust from their nation, attract foreign investment once again and whether they can diversify their exports beyond oil alone. If these changes are made effectively, Venezuela could slowly recover from their unstable status and improve the country's living conditions. In addition, if these changes were made  Photo by alejandro luna on Unsplash Overall, the comparison of South Korea and Venezuela highlights how a country's success includes choices in investment, long term planning, economic diversification and political stability and how neglecting one part of the equation can lead to severe economic and political decline. Venezuela's government for instance is a combination of state control with minor private business and is a crucial example of how these leadership decisions can shape a country's path to success. Whether Venezuela will recover from its decline and rise back to its feet or fall into continuous darkness remains uncertain and a mystery for most of us. But it will always serve us as a reminder of how fragile national success and global power can be.
Works Cited Britannica.“Venezuela Economy.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela/Economy. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026. Hays, Jeffrey. “SOUTH KOREA after the KOREAN WAR and the REBUILDING of ITS SHATTERED ECONOMY | Facts and Details.” Factsanddetails.com, July 2021, factsanddetails.com/korea/South_Korea/Modern_History/entry-7180.html. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026. Park, Soojin Oh. “Why the World’s Lowest Birth Rate Prevails in Korea and Defy Billions of Public Investments: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Parenting, Child Care, and Family Life.” PrePrints, 21 Apr. 2025, https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202504.1579.v2. South China Morning Post. “South China Morning Post.” South China Morning Post, 28 Feb. 2024, www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3253465/south-korea-sets-new-record-worlds-lowest-fertility-rate-despite-spending-billions-stem-population? Accessed 17 Feb. 2026. World Bank Group. “Venezuela, RB| Data.” Worldbank.org, 2009, data.worldbank.org/country/venezuela-rb. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026. Com o tempo, o cérebro começa a associar o jogo como uma fonte rápida de prazer e estímulo, o que contribui ainda mais para a formação de hábitos repetitivos e mesmo em alguns casos o desenvolvimento do vício ao jogo. Por Tatiana  Photo by Triyansh Gill on Unsplash Alguma vez já se perguntou por que é que os videojogos são tão viciantes? Neste artigo, discutirei esse tema usando um dos vídeojogos mais jogados no mundo: “Mortal kombat”. Jogos como Mortal Kombat são projetados para ativar diretamente o sistema de recompensa do cérebro, por meio da libertação dopamina, de recompensas constantes e da criação de um “pequeno mundo” controlável. Estas características proporcionam-nos prazer, uma sensação de domínio e uma forma de escapar da realidade. Esses mesmos mecanismos que tornam os jogos divertidos também podem, eventualmente, levar ao vício. Dopamina: Por que jogar é tão viciante? A Dopamina não é exatamente o hormônio do prazer, como muitos dizem, mas sim o hormônio da motivação e da antecipação. Ela é liberada em muitos aspectos do jogo, por exemplo, quando esperamos por uma recompensa, superamos/ganhamos um desafio e notamos progresso; muitos videojogos usam esta estratégia eficaz. No Mortal Kombat, a dopamina é ativada quando: ganhamos uma luta, executamos um combo difícil, fazemos um “fatality” e quando o jogo anuncia “Finish Him!” (Acabe com ele!). Estes momentos ajudam a estimular-nos, pois combinam estímulos visuais muito intensos com sons impactantes, bem como feedback imediato. Com isso, o cérebro memoriza rapidamente o ciclo: Esforço – Recompensa – sensação de prazer. Isso é diferente da vida real, onde os resultados são lentos ou imprecisos, enquanto no jogo, a recompensa é clara e imediata. Este mecanismo torna-se ainda mais eficaz porque a libertação de dopamina não acontece apenas no momento da vitória, mas também durante a expectativa do resultado. Antes mesmo de saber se vai ganhar ou perder, o jogador já se encontra estimulado, o que aumenta o envolvimento emocional com o jogo. Desta forma, o simples ato de iniciar uma nova luta ou tentar executar um movimento mais complexo já provoca motivação e entusiasmo, levando o jogador a repetir o comportamento. Com o tempo, o cérebro começa a associar o jogo como uma fonte rápida de prazer e estímulo, o que contribui ainda mais para a formação de hábitos repetitivos e mesmo em alguns casos o desenvolvimento do vício ao jogo. Sistema de recompensa: Por que queremos jogar “mais uma”? Os Videojogos utilizam um sistema chamado reforço variável, o mesmo utilizado nos jogos de azar, onde a pessoa nem sempre ganha, mas quando vence, a sensação é intensa, e a imprevisibilidade torna o jogo interessante. Além disso, os videojogos, especialmente o “Mortal Kombat”, recompensam o desenvolvimento de habilidades, o aprendizado de personagens, domínio de técnicas e conteúdos desbloqueáveis. Estes elementos criam uma forte sensação de progresso e competência, duas necessidades psicológicas fundamentais do ser humano. Por isso, quando o jogador percebe que está a melhorar, sente-se motivado a continuar, pois o jogo reconhece de forma clara o seu esforço. Ao contrário da vida real, onde o progresso pode ser lento e o reconhecimento nem sempre é imediato, nos videojogos a recompensa é visível e constante. Além disso, “Mortal Kombat” é um jogo altamente competitivo, o que intensifica ainda mais o envolvimento do jogador. Cada vitória funciona como uma validação pessoal, enquanto cada derrota gera frustração e a vontade de tentar novamente. Surge, assim, a ideia de jogar “só mais um jogo”, o que pode levar a longas sessões sem que o jogador se aperceba do tempo a passar.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/36782129@N05/5594435290 Ademais, em “Mortal Kombat”, as regras são claras e o sucesso depende, maioritariamente, da habilidade individual. Essa sensação de controle contrasta com a vida real, onde muitos fatores estão fora do nosso alcance. Como consequência, o jogador pode começar a preferir o ambiente do jogo, onde sente que o seu esforço é justo e recompensado, ao mundo real, que muitas vezes parece imprevisível e frustrante. Dessa forma, esse “pequeno mundo” criado pelos videogames serve como uma forma de escapar da realidade, pois, ao ingressar no jogo, o jogador se distancia momentaneamente de questões pessoais, pressões académicas ou profissionais e preocupações diárias. Apesar desse escape parecer saudável quando moderado, ele torna-se problemático quando é o principal meio usado para enfrentar problemas emocionais. Neste sentido, o jogo deixa de ser somente uma forma de entretenimento e começa a ocupar um lugar importante na vida do jogador. Outro aspeto a destacar é o uso excessivo das consolas de videojogos que pode levar a efeitos prejudiciais, como queda no desempenho académico ou profissional, isolamento social e mudanças em hábitos fundamentais, como o sono. Assim, sempre que o jogador não conseguir jogar, ele pode sentir irritação, ansiedade ou frustração, indicando que sua relação com o videogame não está mais equilibrada. Em situações mais sérias, o vício pode impactar a saúde mental e o bem-estar como um todo. Contudo, é importante destacar que os videojogos não são, por si só, nocivos. Mortal Kombat e outros jogos têm o potencial de aprimorar reflexos, concentração e habilidades de pensamento estratégico. A questão se manifesta na ausência de limites definidos e quando o jogo é usado como substituto da realidade, em vez de ser considerado um complemento. Portanto, é fundamental cultivar uma relação consciente com os videojogos, através de estratégias somples como: definir horários, balancear o tempo de jogo com outras atividades e identificar os sinais de uso excessivo são medidas essenciais para prevenir o vício.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/36782129@N05/5593850973 Como evitar ou sair deste ciclo?
Para escapar desse ciclo, ou mesmo evitá-lo, é necessário mais do que apenas optar por jogar menos; é essencial entender o que motiva esse comportamento. O primeiro passo é a percepção pessoal: identificar quando o jogo deixa de ser apenas uma forma de entretenimento e se torna um meio de evitar problemas ou emoções negativas. A partir desse ponto, é fundamental definir limites claros e realistas, como determinar horários específicos para jogar, evitar sessões longas durante a noite e assegurar que as responsabilidades escolares, profissionais e familiares sejam sempre priorizadas. Outra estratégia relevante é substituir gradualmente o tempo excessivo de jogo por atividades que também estimulam o cérebro de maneira positiva, como a prática de exercícios físicos, que liberam dopamina de forma natural, ou o aprendizado de novas habilidades que proporcionem uma verdadeira sensação de progresso. Além disso, o convívio social presencial é essencial, pois fortalece as relações reais e diminui o isolamento, que frequentemente acompanha o uso excessivo de videogames. Ademais, pode ser benéfico estabelecer pequenas metas pessoais fora do ambiente virtual para recuperar a motivação e o sentimento de realização na vida real. Ao adotar essas estratégias, o jogador não precisa deixar o jogo completamente, mas aprende a criar um equilíbrio saudável, prevenindo que o entretenimento se torne em uma dependência. Em conclusão, Mortal Kombat é um bom exemplo de como os videojogos podem ativar os mecanismos de recompensa do cérebro humano, proporcionando-nos estímulo contínuo, sensação de avanço, e um espaço de controle que, em muitos casos, não encontramos na vida real. No entanto, os mesmos fatores que fazem com que o jogo seja envolvente e emocionante podem, sem controle, levar-nos ao vício. O segredo, por isso, não está em vilanizar os videojogos, mas em compreendê-los e utilizá-los de forma consciente. Deste modo, pode-se desfrutar do entretenimento digital sem que este substitua a realidade. A Fórmula 1 é, neste momento, um dos desportos mais avançados tecnologicamente, mas ainda assim apresenta diversos riscos de saúde para os pilotos. Por Francisca  Photo by Kenny Leys on Unsplash A Fórmula 1 é um desporto que fascina as pessoas pela velocidade que os carros atingem, pelo brilho mecânico das viaturas e muitas vezes pelos condutores que os conduzem. Este fascínio que conquistou o mundo, atualmente movimenta milhões de euros anualmente. Apesar de todo este glamour, é um desporto de muitos riscos e desde 1950 (o ano em que o campeonato de fórmula 1 foi estabelecido), o desporto foi assombrado por 33 mortes devido a acidentes ocorridos durante as corridas. Apesar disto, nos últimos 75 anos, a tecnologia associada aos carros e circuitos, os sistemas de segurança e a preparação dos pilotos evoluíu para garantir a segurança dos pilotos. O treino rigoroso a preparação física a que os pilotos estão obrigados são também um factor que ajuda a manter as corridas a um nível alto de competição e que contribui também para a sua segurança. A Fórmula 1 é, neste momento, um dos desportos mais avançados tecnologicamente, mas ainda assim apresenta diversos riscos de saúde para os pilotos. Durante os anos em que um piloto corre na Fórmula 1 ou em ligas inferiores, o treino para suportar a força “G” mantém-se o mesmo. Força “G” ou força gravitacional é a medida de aceleração que atua sobre o corpo do piloto. É a pressão que os pilotos sentem principalmente no pescoço quando travam, curvas a alta velocidade. O piloto, por vezes, pode sentir o peso 5 vezes do seu corpo e por isso precisa de força dos músculos, principalmente no pescoço.  Photo by Brian McCall on Unsplash Ademais, cada piloto pertence a equipa com um treinador que ajuda a criar uma rotina que ajusta o corpo do piloto a suportar a força “G”. Enquanto a força “G” exige muito do corpo humano, o calor intenso dentro do carro cria outro desafio difícil para o piloto. Quanto à equipa que apoia os pilotos, o seu objetivo é garantir que o carro esteja o mais leve possível para andar mais rápido. Para andar mais rápido os carros de fórmula 1 não têm nenhum tipo de ventilação. Para garantir a sua segurança e regulação obrigatória, os pilotos têm que usar camadas de roupa à prova de fogo. Os pilotos podem sentir até 60 degraus em lugares de extremo calor como no circuito de Singapura. O calor pode alterar o corpo dos pilotos e causar estresse térmico e problemas com oxigênio, o que pode aumentar o risco de erros durante momentos críticos de decisão. Por isso, antes de correr na Fórmula 1, os pilotos passam por várias categorias ou escalões. Normalmente os pilotos começam a sua carreira quando ainda são crianças nos “Karts”, depois passam para Fórmula 4, Fórmula 3, Fórmula 2 e só se forem muito bons conseguem chegar à Fórmula 1. Os carros da Fórmula 4, 2 e 3 são menos potentes, mas a preparação que os pilotos destes escalões precisam ter é basicamente a mesma que na Fórmula 1 adaptada ao carro e à velocidade. Na sua formação, os pilotos preparam-se fisicamente, treinam o pescoço, têm muitos cuidados com a alimentação e fazem muito exercício para conseguir aguentar o calor dentro dos carros.  Photo by Isaac Maffeis on Unsplash Os pilotos também têm formação sobre mecânica e sabem muito sobre os pneus, pois são um elemento muito importante na Fórmula 1. Por fim, precisam também ter preparação mental para conseguir pensar rápido e ter bons reflexos, mas também para conseguir aguentar os vários resultados das corridas.
O avanço tecnológico na Fórmula 1 é muito importante, por isso, as equipas deste desporto fazem muita investigação para desenvolver carros cada vez mais rápidos e seguros. Assim, o formato do carro é muito estudado para que se torne mais aerodinâmico. Os pneus são um elemento muito importante e as equipas usam sensores e computadores para serem mais rápidos e mais seguros. A invenção do Halo foi uma coisa muito importante na Fórmula 1, sendo o Halo uma barra de proteção em forma de “U” à frente do “cockpit” da Fórmula 1 para proteger a cabeça do piloto. Ele é um equipamento obrigatório e aguenta até 12 toneladas de pressão e aguenta o peso de pneus ou carros. Hoje em dia o Halo é a invenção mais importante na Fórmula 1 e já salvou muitas vidas de pilotos em acidentes que poderiam ser mortais. Por tudo isso considero, a Fórmula 1 um desporto tecnologico, pois ha muitas coisas usadas nos carros normais, como a previsão da sua aerodinâmica e os pneus, que começaram a ser testadas nas pistas, inclusive em marcas de luxo como Ferrari e Mercedes. Em conclusão, a Fórmula 1 evoluiu muito em tecnologia e segurança, garantindo uma experiência melhor para os pilotos e, apesar da emoção e do sentimento de risco, os pilotos estão mais seguros agora do que estavam há muitos anos atrás. It’s part of human nature to be fascinated by the things around us, including the beings we coexist with. But sometimes, that fascination can be taken too far. By Beth  Photo by Michel Stockman on Unsplash Aquariums tend to be a calming place where you can get amazing views of marine life and learn about them. Often these aquariums are centered around conservation education, where they rescue animals from the wild and nurse them to health in captivity where people can see them. They put animals on display as a way to get people, specifically children, interested in them and possibly inspire them to want to save these creatures from things like the climate change crisis. Because of all this, you’d expect the workers there to be educated on the animals and careful with them. But the sad reality is that that’s not always the case, as proven by this photo.  This image comes from a video from an aquarium, in which a man is filming the worker cleaning the tank. Unfortunately, it is very low quality and blurry, and therefore it may be hard to see what exactly is going on. In the original footage, the zebra shark approaches the worker. The worker grabs onto the shark and tickles its underbelly. The shark does appear to be enjoying it, so it’s just a wholesome little interaction, right? Well, that’s not completely true. See, if you look closely at the worker’s hand, you will notice they are not wearing gloves or any kind of hand protection while they are tickling the shark. Based on the position of the person’s finger, we can assume that they are scratching the shark with their fingernail. This is bad for the shark. Sharks have a protective layer on their skin called dermal denticles, which is rough and feels like sandpaper. When the human scratches the shark with their fingernail, they are causing damage to the layer of dermal denticles on this shark. This is potentially endangering the animal, because it makes it more likely to get parasites and infections. The denticles are also crucial for more efficient swimming by reducing drag. Now, in the original footage, the zebra shark came right up to the worker. Because of this, we may be able to tell that the shark is used to these kinds of interactions, also proven by the fact that the animal doesn’t show any signs of retaliation or aggression against the human. And because this isn’t the first time the shark is receiving pets, we can conclude that its denticles are more damaged than we thought. Sharks aren’t the only ones being abused. Here is another notable violation of an animal’s rights.  I stumbled upon this video whilst searching for evidence for my case against certain ways of treating marine life. The full recording features what I’d assume to be an aquarium worker “rating” the cownose rays that they work with on a scale of 1-10. It isn’t this that is inherently bad; t’s the way the worker is treating this specific stingray. As you can see, the worker is placing his entire hand on the ray’s head and petting it as if it were a dog. Stingrays are often nicknamed the “puppies of the sea”. If you research deeper and look at common ray touch pool regulations, you’ll notice that most aquariums only allow two-finger touches along the back of the ray.
There’s a reason for this. The skeleton of the ray is made of cartilage, which is notoriously fragile. When too much stress or pressure is applied to the material, it can get damaged easily, resulting in serious wounds. Due to the playful and non-aggressive nature of the cownose ray (as well as other kinds of stingrays), they are rather easy to take advantage of for the purpose of entertainment. As we reach the end of the article, there is one thing everyone encountering wildlife should keep in mind: just because an animal appears to be enjoying it, doesn’t mean it’s good for them. There are plenty of ways to keep an animal happy without harming it. In Lang and Lit class we were given the challenge of writing odes to anything our narrators (real or fictional) wanted to celebrate. My idea was to choose a speaker who is looking back at a house they used to live in. By Sage  My bedroom
sturdy wood floor and towering bunk beds with worn colored blankets and trinkets strewn across the juice stained carpet Submerged underwater, enveloped in a muted space providing sanctuary from frigid winds My kitchen bustling with activity, hustling movements, clinking sound of chinawear, sound sizzling and simmering, colors flying platters of food that traveled the world, each sight and smell transporting you to different worlds. Noodles from Asia, fish caught on the bays of Mozambique My bathroom tranquil, trickling waters fogging the mirror like breath from a pensive tea soft light streaming through open windows on a step stool barely reaching the sink, resisting over the tyranny of the tooth brush My door on the porch, creaked open in greeting friendly faces waiting for your return. Eu, apenas mais um aluno comum da AISM, decidi desafiar-me durante as férias. Escrever um livro, intitulado “Minha Voz, Minha Alma”, uma coletânea de poemas, escritos de uma forma “crua” e sincera. Mais do que literatura, ajudou-me a compreender o quanto escrever é importante para mim e ajudou-me a conhecer-me a mim mesmo. Por José  Na verdade, eu já escrevia, mas apenas poemas soltos. Nunca tinha pensado em escrever um livro ou um texto que fosse mais do que versos e estrofes dispersos. Comecei a escrever poemas no ano passado, contudo, no início, eles não eram realmente sobre mim, mas para refletir a vida de outras pessoas. Ainda têm este foco, todavia, agora a inspiração de escrita dos mesmos sou eu. Lembro-me de pensar na primeira estrofe sentado na minha secretária na sala de aula e depois escrevê-la no meu caderno. Os primeiros eram mais sobre situações amorosas, porque achava que era disso que se tratava a poesia e também era o que estava habituada a ver. Depois de algum tempo, percebi que esse tipo de escrita já não me servia. Eu tinha tantos sentimentos reprimidos e guardados que comecei a sentir a necessidade de os libertar de alguma forma. E foi aí que comecei a escrever a sério. Porque foi então, quando comecei a escrever o que sentia, que comecei a perceber o significado da escrita, da poesia. Queria uma forma de libertar as minhas emoções, de escrever sobre as experiências de vida que estava a viver e, acima de tudo, uma forma segura de me expressar, sem qualquer tipo de julgamento. E na poesia encontrei o que queria... espaço e segurança. Houve uma altura na minha vida que foi muito difícil para mim, difícil ao ponto de questionar a minha própria existência, e uma das formas que encontrei para aliviar a situação foi escrever – o que ajudou muito. Os meus poemas surgiam sempre do nada. Às vezes, durante as aulas ou mesmo numa conversa com amigos, eu até acordava a meio da noite para escrever. Eles simplesmente apareciam, às vezes eram apenas os títulos e o resto vinha sozinho, com caneta e papel na mão. Nunca tive um lugar específico e fixo para escrever os meus poemas, então escrevi muitos deles em papel, outros nas últimas páginas do meu caderno escolar e outros no meu telemóvel.  No verão, terminei um livro. No final, o autor disse que escreveu aquele livro porque decidiu dar aos outros o que precisava na sua adolescência. E depois disso, fiquei comovido com essas palavras. Percebi que era egoísta guardar aquelas milhares de palavras só para mim, quando havia tantas pessoas a passar pela mesma coisa que eu. Então, como forma de mostrar a elas que não estavam sozinhas, decidi escrever «Minha Voz, Minha Alma». Cada poema é uma explosão, um reflexo, um espelho e um refúgio. Escolhi este título porque sabia que, ao escrevê-lo, estaria a retirar todas as camadas de proteção que tinha construído até então. Estaria a mostrar feridas que nunca tinham sarado, sentimentos que tinha escondido até de mim mesma. Mas nada disso se comparava a mostrar esperança a alguém como eu. Essa foi a melhor forma de solidariedade que encontrei... escrever, pois «Coragem não é escrever. É permanecer viva depois de escrever.» Escrever este livro foi a melhor coisa que eu poderia ter feito este ano. Porque, além de ajudar os outros, também me ajudou a mim. Ajudou-me a conhecer-me melhor, a descobrir feridas que nunca tinham realmente sarado, ajudou-me a sentir-me melhor e a melhorar a minha maneira de pensar e escrever. Agora, vejo o mundo de forma diferente do que via há cinco meses. Vejo-o com mais leveza, porque o livro me fez repensar, me fez perdoar as pessoas e a mim mesma. Viver uma experiência e depois refletir sobre ela, falar sobre ela ou mesmo escrever sobre ela depois de a ter vivido é algo muito diferente. Quando voltamos a uma memória, revemos as nossas ações, reconhecemos os nossos erros e temos a oportunidade de não os repetir.  Com isso, percebi que não precisamos de ser as melhores pessoas para escrever, não precisamos de anos de experiência para o fazer. Só precisamos de começar. De deixar tudo sair, permitir-nos ver o nosso eu interior e aceitar-nos como realmente somos. O truque secreto é a vontade, o resto aparecerá por si só. E para se expressar, não precisa ser poesia. Podem ser crónicas, contos, diários ou até mesmo banda desenhada. O importante é a sua verdade, os seus sentimentos, as suas emoções ou até mesmo o que você quer que seja importante para si. Escrever tem um poder incrível de libertação, e não é apenas para escrever e publicar. Pode ser o que quiser que seja. Não se adapta a isso, isso adapta-se a si. Basta escrever, não precisa de vírgulas, pontos finais ou parágrafos. Só precisa de escrever. Escrever é para todos. Não importa se é bonito, difícil ou simples. É como falar consigo mesmo. O importante é colocar o que sentimos no papel, porque isso nos liberta. No entanto, tudo o que posso dizer é que, se a minha escrita foi capaz de me ajudar a compreender-me, talvez a sua possa fazer o mesmo por si. Pegue num pedaço de papel, num telemóvel ou até mesmo nos seus pensamentos e escreva. Deixe que o que o inspira o guie. Brevemente, o livro será publicado, porém, se quiser ver a prévia da obra, faça o “scan” do código QR abaixo.  "Like a red rag to a bull" is an expression we use in English to say that something will make someone intensely angry, but does this make any sense? Not when we think of how bulls actually see red rags... By Noella and Audrey  Photo by Stephane YAICH on Unsplash Bullfighting is a traditional practice in countries like Spain, Mexico and other parts of South America that dates back to the 18th century. Some people view it as a cultural form while others see it as cruel and outdated. Because of this, it has become a very controversial topic and some places have even banned it. Many people believe that bulls hate the color red but this is actually a myth. Bulls like other cattle are color blind to red, which means they can’t see red the way humans do. In bullfighting, the matadors often use a red cape called a muleta but the bull isn’t reacting to the color. It is reacting to the movement of the cape. Bulls are naturally triggered by fast or sudden motion, not by color. So why do matadors use the color red specifically? Why not brown or any other colors? The reason they use the color is to mask the bloodstains because the final stage of a bullfight can be bloody, and the red color helps conceal the bull’s blood from the audience, making the spectacle less gruesome. It is also because the color has become part of the long tradition of Spanish-style bullfighting.
But red isn’t the only color matadors use. They use something called a capote, which is a large cape. This is usually used in the first stage of the fight. The front side is typically pink or vivid fuchsia and the reversed side is usually yellow or sometimes blue or green. Bulls can see some of these last colours because they are red-green colourblind (dichromats) and only see shades like yellow and blue. Isn't it interesting how we often believe ideas like "a red rag to a bull" even though we know they are not true? Like ostriches "burying their head in the sand", which we use to say that someone is running away or hiding from their problems. Ostriches are not hiding though. They are turning eggs! In Language and Literature class we explored different texts related to migration, before we wrote our own creative pieces about any migration from history that is connected to us or that we find fascinating. By Logan  Photo by Samuel Ferrara on Unsplash The day starts normal.
I wake to the sound of birds, Mama baking bread. I bike to school. Late. No one notices. All eyes On the teacher’s screen. It starts with the news. Italy at war. We’ve no time to cry. Leave or face the consequence. The fight at our door. We packed in silence. Mama cried when no one looked. The chickens stayed still. Only our dog, Rocco, came down the empty road. We arrived early. Lamps lit the road as more came. Hundreds of people. The moon lit their faces, solemn for the long journey having nothing but their clothes. The boat smelled like oil. Salt burned deep inside my nose I didn’t say so. Waves knocked at the walls. Sometimes it felt like the sea was asking to come. Nights were long and loud. Mama sat up, eyes open. she never got rest. Was Rocco under Our favorite tree? Was he safe? Or had the bombs dropped? The cold night breeze left, Replaced by thundering storms. The moon full again. A girl dropped her doll. No one noticed, but I did. It sank like a name. We passed floating wood. No one said what it had been. Maybe another boat. The crew spoke in shouts. I’m sure one man prayed a bit. Glancing upward on his knees Mama did, but soft Land came into view not shining, not gold, just land. But it made her cry. I wanted to cheer but my voice stayed in my mouth. I think of our future, Starting over we’ll have troubles but we had them at home. I think back to Sicily, Everything before? across the ocean. Aware of the challenges, I straighten, raise my head high And know we’ll prevail. Popeye! You are probably confused why I am talking about him, looking at the title of this article, but Popeye actually played a huge role in Nintendo's history. Shigeru Miyamoto, a worker at Nintendo, (which, at the time, was a small video game company) wanted to make a game about Popeye but because of a licence problem they had to change the characters and a star was born. Donkey Kong was released in 1981 and this sent Nintendo down a rabbit hole of games about a rich princess, a ferocious firebreathing lizard and a legendary plumber… By Tommaso To talk about this I am going to have to start from 1983, which is an important year in video game history, because it was known as “The Video Game Crash”. So many people were buying video game consoles, and because of this a lot of people started making them and at a certain point there were just too many of them with different pros and cons that people started to lose interest because it would take them too much time to research and make the right decision. So just like that, in a blink, buyers stopped buying. The shops felt like a desert… gaming was dead… At the time companies like Nintendo only made handhelds which are not consoles. But then… Nintendo had an idea to help gaming, even though they had never done this before. Nintendo released a gaming console… Now, you might think that it was a horrible idea to do this. Gaming was dead because of consoles, so why would they make one? In 1985 Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System alongside with a game for it called Super Mario Bros. They didn't call it a console. They said it was an entertainment system... The “NES” was a massive success with 61.91 million sold and gaming was brought back to life by Nintendo. More and more people started playing and only 7 years after the release of the NES, Nintendo made the SNES. Not much of a change, right? “S” stands for super and “NES” stands for… well… the same as the last console. But regardless, people stormed into video stores to get it also because it came with a new game: Super Mario World! This was revolutionary because the SNES could support up to 16-bit games and, even though it definitely doesn't feel like much now, this was a massive leap from the NES considering that it could only support 8-bit. But past these wonderful things, the SNES sold 49.1 million units. Less than the NES. Nintendo had to think of another console to beat their own record, so they headed to the creator of Mario himself… Shigeru Miyamoto. And in less than 10 months they forged from Mount Inferno the Ring of Pow- oh wait… sorry, wrong story... They made the Nintendo 64! 64 because of its 64-bit CPU. That's right, they went from 16 to 64 in just 10 months!  Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash Just like that, Shigeru was praised by gamers. But then, a gaming chef saw this 64 thing and released his own console with a game called Sega Saturn along with Sonic 3d Blast… It wasn't that good, though, so Sega went back into the kitchen and released Sonic Adventure and this one was actually really good, so Nintendo had to step up their game. Around this point in 1994 to 2001, two new consoles came onto the market called the Playstation and the Xbox but we’ll get to that later… so Nintendo released the Game Cube with Super Mario Sunshine. And even though it was great and better than anything they ever made, it sold only 21.74 million units worldwide. Way less than the 64. Now it was Sega's time to attack with Sonic Adventure 2 and it was even better than the last. So what did Nintendo do? It released the Nintendo Wii with 2 games. But they made it to also interest the non-gaming community and you have probably already heard about but if not, the Wii is a console that has a camera and a controller so that you can put the camera on the TV and then hold the controller. You can play basketball or bowling...the list goes on; you just have to move the controller and the camera will sense it and make different movements in the game. So because of this, they released Wii sports and Super Mario Galaxy. At this point I don’t need to even say that the Wii was a massive success with their new record now becoming 101.6 million copies sold worldwide. And even the games were great, with people still praising them to this day! Now let's go back a bit: in the 2000s and 2010s, Xbox started rising up with the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One already released with more games coming out over there like Halo. I said before, Playstation now made the PS 2, PS 3 and then PS 4 which all had crazy good games as well, and everyone was aware of this. They made themselves a name in the gaming community. Nintendo saw this and joined the battle along with Sega. This was the start of “The Gaming Wars”... In this “war” Nintendo released the Wii U. This was a handheld and people became confused and wanted consoles. It was a massive failure for Nintendo selling only 13.56 million copies. While all the other companies were doing great, except for Sega that was moving kind of off the rails with “Sonic Unleashed”, an adventure with Sonic turning into a werewolf; and then “Sonic and the Black Night” where Sonic wields a sword. Coming back to sanity, Nintendo had an idea. In 2017, before any other rival released another console, Nintendo released the Switch, a handheld and also a console. This has become Nintendo's biggest success; as of September 30, 2025, the Nintendo Switch has sold a whopping 154.01 million units.
As time went on, Playstation released the Ps5 in 2020 while Xbox released the Xbox Series X in the same year and, uhm… Sega was basically forgotten in the gaming war. So, what about Nintendo? What happened to the great company? The “war” ended in a truce and in June 2025 Nintendo released the Nintendo switch 2… and as the numbers have grown, the Switch 2 stands at a record breaking speed of 10.36 million copies sold so far. With all the twists and turns that this heroic company has faced, one unanswered question remains… what's next for Nintendo? Recently, a tiktoker named Citra has been going viral for making an animatronic that’s supposed to be bulletproof, fire proof, water proof and can run 32mph. Citra also stated that it will be sentient and he does not know if it will be friendly or not. The animatronic's name is Nosey. By Trent  Photo source: Steam Community Progress so far So far Citra has built the animatronic with legs as tall as 5 feet, as well as the hands. Citra is now going to add echo location. The beast was rumored to be 10 feet tall overall. In Citra’s original drawings when Nosey crouches it would be the same height as a human, which is 6 feet tall. It will also have silent footsteps. What inspired this design choice In Citra's drawings it appears to be a bunny inspired by the popular franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s, which made a series of games with characters inspired by animals including chickens, bears, foxes and bunnies. Popular character Bonnie has a similar look to Citra's animatronic. Problems Citra has caused : Because of Citra building this animatronic, other creators are building more animatronics to fight Nosey such as the Terminator, Ultron and many more. Titles like “Citra and his animatronic need to be stopped” are going around online. After all this, Citra created a false post saying Nosey had escaped and the internet freaked out. Now he supposedly said he stopped making Nosey but the internet feels he is lying and footage of Citra still making this animatronic has been floating around the web. There is some skepticism, though, that the footage was AI-generated and he was telling the truth. What do you think about all this? |
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