Latest Stories from Jessica
A failing NHS is causing patients to self-diagnose and self-medicate
What happens when Googling your health symptoms and self-medicating is more efficient than getting a doctor’s appointment? Just ask the millions of people who depend on free healthcare services in the UK. Last year, medical patients in the UK claimed it was ‘easier to see the Pope than a doctor,’ and raged further when their long-awaited GP visits lasted less than five minutes. The NHS now says that average...
This beauty company sells discounted cosmetics destined for landfill
Each year in the UK, around 90 million beauty products are discarded before they even hit store shelves. One women-owned retailer is selling them for a fraction of the price online with the ultimate goal of cutting down on cosmetic waste. Beauty companies may have concealed their wasteful practices for many decades, but the truth has finally come to light… and it’s not pretty. The industry is notorious for contributing massively...
Al Jazeera to be imminently banned from broadcasting in Israel
Netanyahu has announced an immediate ban on the Middle Eastern news company from operating in Israel. The US expressed concern, as Al Jazeera’s journalists have been some of the only officials able to broadcast from the ground. On Monday, Israeli parliamentarians voted in favour of a new law which allows government leaders to shut down any broadcaster it deems a ‘threat to national security’. It seems that President Benjamin Netanyahu’s...
Reforesting with the wrong trees could be worsening the climate crisis
Tree planting has been heralded as a saving grace in the face of a warming planet, but projects that use the wrong plant species are contributing further to the climate crisis and worsening biodiversity loss. By now, we are all aware of just how vital trees are to our planet’s ecology. They clean and cool the air we breathe, stand as homes for wild animals, and absorb natural and...
A Michelin-star restaurant will open in outer space by next year
Inside a NASA complex on Cape Canaveral in Florida, the mission to make luxury space travel available to the public is well on its way. ‘The public’ being those in the highest tax bracket, of course. Ever since Jeff Bezos yeeted himself into the stratosphere a couple of years back, we all knew luxury space tourism was inevitable - but how many of us could’ve predicted it would be possible...
Is microdosing at work about to become the new norm?
For most of recent history, people have viewed drugs as dangerous and counterproductive to humanity’s success. With some of the world’s most successful people admitting to microdosing at work, could that change? For years, there have been whispers of employees of Silicon Valley taking psychedelics to come up with new features for our favourite bits of technology including smartphones, tablets, and computers. Even Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, attributed...
Swedish retailer bans children from buying anti-ageing skincare
In a bid to protect young people from being influenced by beauty trends online, a popular pharmacy in Sweden has decided to ban under 16s from purchasing anti-ageing skincare products. While the societal pressure to be perfect has never been more intense, no natural human process has been vilified in recent times quite like ageing. Across the internet, beauty gurus and unqualified content creators are constantly sharing endless (and often...
The importance of World Water Day
Though access to water is often taken for granted in many parts of the world, every continent faces unique challenges when it comes to securing this precious resource in the future. On World Water Day, let's explore them. Today is World Water Day, an observance held each year on March 22nd to raise awareness about the importance of freshwater and the sustainable management of our planet’s water reserves. It is an...
Will calls to ban smartphones for children be answered?
A new poll suggests that most parents want smartphones to be banned amongst children. Could it happen? Are our beloved smartphones addictive? I think we all know that the answer is yes, but a large proportion of people are now going as far as labelling them ‘electronic drugs’ which young people are particularly vulnerable to. With so many children growing up with these devices in their pockets – and a sharp rise...
Exclusive – celebrating Women’s Month with Wadi Ben-Hirki
This Women’s Month, we spoke to women’s rights activist and young entrepreneur Wadi Ben-Hirki about the work she is doing through her foundation to improve opportunities, education, and the livelihoods of young girls and women in Nigeria. In a world marked by gender disparity and injustice, Wadi Ben-Hirki and the work of her foundation are a beacon of hope, striving to improve the livelihoods and opportunities for women and girls...
