Latest Stories from Charlie
The most immersive Game Pass titles to improve 2021
Lockdowns and social restrictions look likely to last well into 2021. We’ve picked the most immersive and best Game Pass titles currently available to keep you going in these isolating times. Despite mainstream media’s tendency to vilify video games, recent studies suggest that they can actually improve overall wellbeing and better your mood. Playing through a lengthy RPG or tense survival game can help distract, escape, and...
‘Reset Earth’ game encourages Gen Z to protect the ozone layer
The United Nations is launching an animated film and interactive game that aims to teach Gen Z how to protect and appreciate the ozone layer. Who’d have thought the UN would be dropping a mobile game in 2021? ‘Reset Earth’ is a new game and interactive web series being launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to celebrate this weekend’s World Education day. It’s available through the...
Joe Biden restores US to the Paris climate accord
After only being in office for a few hours, US president Joe Biden has already rolled out numerous executive orders to undo Trump’s policies. First up – the climate crisis. No matter which side of the Trump fence (or border wall) you sat on during his time in office, you can’t deny that he was disastrous for the US climate change effort. In August 2020, tracking website Brooking estimated that...
New electric car batteries can charge in five-minutes
Israeli company StoreDot has unveiled the first factory produced, five-minute charging battery, which could make electric cars a more viable option for buyers in the near future. Electric cars have taken a while to truly take off with consumers. While big names like Tesla have made them trendy for wealthy celebs and business folks, they’ve yet to capture widespread commercial interest from ordinary people. The high entry costs coupled with less...
Explaining the rise of ‘flat designs’ in 2021
Burger King is the latest big-name franchise to adopt a new ‘flat’ logo. It’s part of a rising graphic design trend that appeals to Gen Zers and mimics the slick style of social apps. The popular fast food chain Burger King has just unveiled its latest branding redesign and it’s about as clean, minimal, and flat as you’d expect from a big name in 2021. It follows in the footsteps...
Apple backing new equality initiatives with $100 million pledge
Last summer Apple announced it would be putting $100 million into a new Equity and Justice Initiative and has now finally revealed how it’ll be spending the cash. In response to the Black Lives Matter protests in mid-2020, Apple committed $100 million to a new Racial Equity and Justice Initiative lead by the company’s vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson. Apple has kept relatively quiet about...
Global warming could stabilise if we reach zero emissions
If net zero goals are reached by 2050 then global temperature increases could stabilise within a few decades, giving renewed hope for future control of the climate crisis. New research suggests that global warming could be steadied within a few decades if we reach zero carbon emissions. It’s long been thought that planetary shifts in temperature would be ‘locked in’ and continue for generations, even if we successfully lowered emission rates...
New study indicates more women directing top Hollywood films
More women were directing in 2020 than ever before, but still only accounted for a measly 16% of the top 100 highest grossing films. How can the industry change? Last year was a particularly challenging time for films and theatre. The pandemic forced nearly everyone indoors and caused worldwide cinema closures. Numerous big budget Hollywood projects were delayed and some wound up releasing straight onto streaming services in the hopes...
Japan developing wooden satellites to reduce space junk
Kyoto University has teamed up with Sumitomo Forestry to create the first satellites made entirely of wood. It’s hoped that they’ll reduce the levels of space junk in our atmosphere. If you thought human littering and wastage was a problem confined to just our planet, you may want to look into the ever-pressing issue of space junk. More satellites are being launched into our atmosphere every year. Tiny alumina particles are...
Are ‘pre-polluted’ babies the new normal?
Researchers find microplastics in human placentas, calling the presence of the particles 'a matter of great concern.' Just when you thought our plastic pollution problem couldn’t get any worse, Italian researchers have found microplastics in the placentas of human fetuses. While we don’t yet know the health implications of this finding, the researchers concluded that the presence of these particles “is a matter of great concern.” Microplastics are small pieces of...
