•ART•MUSIC• FOOD•PHILOSOPHY• WELLBEING•SCIENCE NATURE• APPS TECH•BOOKS•AND MORE!

& &

ISSUE 41 FEBRUARY 2022

THINK about BRAVERY

LEARN
about HEROES
brilliantbrainz.com
 We’re THE HOOT S!
I’m Felix, he’s Fred,
Hello!
and we’re the HappyClaps!
We are Wiz and Dom!
Welcome to issue 41 I’m Sing-Sing.
of Brilliant Brainz! In this month’s
story Peep gets to
know one of his
music heroes.

Toot Honk Peep

Hi kids, Prof.
Parrot here. Lo ers
for me on
page. I’l
othe r
l
pa
th
po
ge
e
p
s
ok out
le
up
tt

to
on
o.
Welcome
...to the FEBRUARY Issue of
Brilliant Brainz!

N OT E TO PA R E N TS This month we are thinking about

HEROES. Superhero films and books are
t always
Every parent knows that life is no really fun to watch and read - but
years old.
easy, whether you are eight or 80 being a hero in real life is hard. We
e help don’t have mag ic powers, we can’t fly
Determination and self-confidenc
t come their and we don’t have superhuman strength!
people to deal with problems tha
ourselves
way. We all need to be heroes for To be hero ic , humans have to dig deep
too. Our
- and hopefully for other people and find their inner strength
en to stand
wellbeing page encourages childr and determination. There are
hero.
strong and proud - to feel like a
inspiring stories inside about
- based) people who have achieved this.
As usual, there’s lots of fun (hero
activities to enjoy too.
Enjoy, Eleanor

CONTRIBUTORS
EDITORIAL br ill ia nt br ai nz .c om
Editor:
Art: Art Atelier CONTACT US @BrilliantBrainzMag
Eleanor Cole Philosophy: Emma Leeson
Fo r ed ito ria l: @BBrainzMag
Music: Eleanor Cole om
Designers: hello@brilliantbrainz.c @BrilliantBrainzMag
Sandra Perry & Food: Michele Harper Fo r cu st om er se rv ic e:
lliantbrainz.com
hello@brilliantbrainz.
com
Linda Storey Science/Nature: Elizabeth Thomsen customer.support@bri
Illustrators: Sport: Wesley Forbes
Richard Hoit & © 2022 Brilliant Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any parts of
Health: Lucy Miller the contents of Brilliant Brainz without written permission is prohibited. Brilliant Brainz ISSN number
Keri Green 2631-6811 is published monthly by Brilliant Publishing Limited, England, company number 11069297.
Images Shutterstock.com. Graphic symbols courtesy of Vecteezy.com. FEBRUARY 2022.
Wellbeing: Beth Parmar
Marketing: Send address changes to customer.support@brilliantbrainz.com.

Sorcha Egan Books, Apps &Tech: Toby Starbuck BAR rate for a 1 year subscription is £39.99. Printed in the UK by Warner’s Midlands Plc.
Printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) paper. Magazine wrapping is compostable.
 p6: Art
Inside
p10: Philosophy p14: Music

Design a SUPERHERO and make Let’s have a think about bravery. Can music make you heroic?
a collage. Plus, find out about the For starters; do you think you Find out here. Plus, David Bowie,
‘mysterious’ Banksy! need to fear something to be a music hero.
brave?

p18: Food & Nutrition p22: Science & Nature p26: Sport, Health & Wellbeing

Find out about two vaccine heroes Sporting heroes - and how to
Everything a superhero needs and…how to make snot?! make yourself feel and be more
in a bowl. heroic.

p30: Books & Screen Time p32: Apps & Tech

PLUS
Letters 4 2
rC h a n g e 3
r a i n z f o
B
p e t i t i o n 3 4
k e s & C o m
Jo
E!

There’s nothing more heroic than

a Greek God – we find out about
some books of Greek myths
A round-up of the All-Time Tech
Heroes – according to BB writer
Toby Starbuck.
AND MOR
that will keep you enthralled.
 Hey,

LETTERS kids! Write

to me and tell me
what you think of my
mag. I think it’s
brilliant!
LETTER OF
THE MONTH

Thank
David,
age 6 You!
...to everyone who wrote in
Nicola, age 8

with their art, thoughts and

cooking pictures this month.
David is making a delicious
looking ‘lucky’ stir fry - which
obviously was lucky! Nicola,
Emmi and Opal have all
made a festive egg-box
scene.
Well done to everyone!
Squawk! Prof P

Emmi, age 11

Opal,
age 8

P IT! EMAIL
SNA IT!

e lo v e h e a r in g f r o m you
W Want to be on the BB Letters page? It couldn’t be easier. Send a letter, a photo, or a video to
FILM IT!

hello@brilliantbrainz.com. Turn to page 34 for details.

4 brilliantbrainz.com
 The BRAIN GAME
Are you brave enough to dive in and discover the heroic words
below? Words run forward, backward, up, down, or diagonally!
HEROIC WORD SEARCH
T F E A R L E S S G R S D I
V R U O I V A S R R P N E P
EXPLORER
R C O U R A G E O U S A T R

? L

A
L

F
D
V

V
E

I
E
O

N
E

T
X

U
A

R
P L

E
O

R
R

U
E

P
O
R

E
O

E
CARER
HEROIC
FEARLESS
CHAMPION
PIONEER
DEFENDER
R A R E T R O P P U S T H C BOLD

G R O ADVENTURER
A G R H E R O I C G T BIGHEARTED
P I O N E E R O V V E G I O PROTECTOR
? R N E L E A D E R O B U B R
DARING
GUTSY
E G H F R U D T I O O T COURAGEOUS
E R
SAVIOUR
S P D E R B R A V E L S T E LEADER
C H A M BRAVE
P I O N T E D Y D E
SUPPORTER
P E E E T D E F E N D E R P

? SUPER SECRET
Can you identify the superhero from their secret identities?

1 Clark Kent = 2 Diana Prince = 3 Doctor Banner =

_U___M__ _O____

4
W____

Peter Parker =
THE
I_________
H___
?
SP_ _ _ _ _ _ N

? brilliantbrainz.com 5
 BAN KS Y
?
Bansky is a world-famous street (or graffiti ) artist,
originally from Bristol. He has always concealed
his identity - no one knows who he is, even though
he leaves his mark all over the world’s streets.

Banksy originally kept his identity hidden

because graffiti is illegal in many places,
Born:
Date unknown but it has also given him ‘mysterious’ status as
an artist. He often paints images of everyday
people with a witty or funny slogan.

In New Orleans, U.S.A.

Forgery
There are many different types of street and
graffiti art, but Banksy’s signature style is the use
of stencils often against a bare wall, rather than
painting a background. Genuine Banksy artworks
can be found all over the world and are very
valuable, but many people have tried to copy
him and create ‘fake Banksies’. Here are two
images of a girl holding a balloon.
Can you spot the real and the fake?
6 brilliantbrainz.com
 FEATURED ARTIST

Art is a way of immortalising (keeping

them alive) heroes by making
monuments of them. There are many
statues and monuments of ancient
Greek gods and
other heroes all
around the world. Banksy’s street art is a very
modern and different approach
to creating a heroic art
monument. He uses the image
of a hero or superhero to show
humour and often to highlight
problems in society. There is,
of course, the risk that the
monumental street art will be
orway
In Stavangar, N painted over! But that is all part
of the charm and spontaneity.
apleton Road
NHS Heroes Gorilla Mask, St

During the pandemic, the healthcare workers

have been called ‘heroes’ as a positive expression
of gratitude for their tireless work saving lives and
caring for people. Many people created artworks
outside their homes to thank the NHS workers. The
image of a ‘rainbow’ has been a popular symbol.
Banksy created the artwork ‘Game Changer’ as
a thank you to England’s health workers amid
the pandemic. It appeared at The University of
Southampton Hospital, and shows the image of a
young boy holding a flying superhero nurse, whilst
his other superhero toys are in the bin. He wanted
to provide a positive image to the workers, whilst
raising money for UK health charities. The piece
sold for a record £16.7m at an art auction!
atch?v= 3NPUZVuMAms
Britis h Sp ray cation ’ here: www.youtube.com/w
Watch Banksy’s ‘The Grea
t

Recently, a mysterious art-

ist, painted four murals across
Pontefract in West Yorkshire.
Now identified as Rachel List, her
works were originally mistaken for
Banksy’s. She uses the ‘Superman’
emblem with images of nurses or
masks to celebrate the NHS.
 S UP E R H E R O COLLAGE
The idea of heroes having superhuman qualities exists in
popular culture with the comic book fictional superheroes,
like Black Widow and Spiderman, whose name or powers
are inspired by spiders, or there is Batman whose powers
and costume are inspired by bats!
Now you can invent your own superhero and make
an illustrated collage to showcase your ideas.

Many people love to dress up as superheroes, or imagine

marvelousRoland/flickr.com

themselves as having magical powers. The Disney film,

The Incredibles, is about a superhero family
who all have magical powers.

YOU WILL NEED:

• An A3 & A4 piece of paper
• Some collage
materials e.g. newspaper,
B ef or e yo u star t:
magazines, coloured paper, and Invent your superhero. It could be yourself or someone you
tissue paper. know. You can give yourself/them magical powers. Super
powers are often inspired by a real-life animal or creature. This
• Glue stick might help you with your ideas.
• Scissors
Superhero costumes and designs often have a only 2 or 3
• Colo uring pencils or felt tip pens colours. Carefully think about what colours you would like to use.
• Black fineliner or pen (optional)

1 2

Start creating a background for your

superhero using collage papers on the A3
Add some other elements to your
paper. if you would like it to be night time, use
background to set the scene, such as tall
a mixture of dark colours. A patchwork effect
buildings or an imaginary place your superhero
gives a great result.
might be. You can cut out tiny windows onto
8 brilliantbrainz.com buildings, or use some pen to create detail.
 ART PROJECT

3 Design your 4
superhero on
the A4 paper
using a pencil
to begin with.

Use colour to finish designing your superhero.

Think about naming your hero too. You might want
to design an ‘emblem’ or ‘logo’ for your character
using the first letter of this name.

5
Outline the illustration
in black pen to give it
definition (optional step),
then cut it out carefully.

Stick your superhero onto OPTIONAL

your background collage. It Stick a photo
could be in a flying or climbing on top of the face
position, or standing powerfully if you would like to
make a superhero of
on top of a building. someone you know.

Ask a grown-up to take a photo an

d send it to us at hel lo@ bri llia
ntb rai nz .co m

AK E A ‘ S TAINED
M YOU WILL N
EED:

LA SS ’ E F F ECT led cardb

oard
G A piece o f re c y c

US E to h ang in
HO Scissors

w i nd ow, Full of PVA glue

ue paper
and card
the Colo u re d ti s s
ur and craft bits
vibrant colo Colourful quins
m p o m s , beads, se
- e.g. po tchsticks
pattern. Lo ll ip o p s ti cks, or ma
ns
Felt tip pe brilliantbrainz.com 9
 S P OT

BRAVERY
K
TH I N

•T
HINK

S P OT

Can you be brave, or do you need to be a

superhero to do brave things? Maybe there
are times when we all need to be brave! Let’s
dare to think about this BIG idea as it’s sure
to become more problematic as we delve Draw or write an example
deeper…come on intrepid thinkers, let’s jump of when you feel you have
in the deep end together… been BRAVE.

Firstly, super-thinkers, think about some examples from everyday life and consider how
brave you need to be – very brave or not so brave? Draw a line from the examples to
where you would place them on the bravery line:

NOT VERY VERY

brave brave

Speaking Hearing Asking for Watching Meeting Getting Learning Making a Holding a
in front of thunder help something new hurt or trying decision spider
people scary on TV people something
new

Ask a friend or family member, where they would place these

examples on the bravery line – are they in the same places that
you chose or not? Ask them why they agree or disagree with you.

10 brilliantbrainz.com
 PHILOSOPHY

TH IN KI NG PH IL OS OP HI CA LL Y…
When we think more carefully about a BIG idea like bravery, ask more questions and
start to realise that we don’t all agree, that is when we are on the path to thinking
philosophically!
WATCH AND THINK
TOGETHER
Hugo in CBeebies’ ‘ What’s the Big Idea? ’ asks
lots of questions about bravery; if you have
permission from your parent or carer, search
for What ’s the Big Idea brave on YouTube
and see if you can list the questions that Hugo
asks about bravery OR ask some of your own:

Can we be Can we be
brave all scared and
the time? still be brave?

Ancient Greek philosophers were thinking about the BIG idea of bravery over 2000 years
ago and this is what they thought:
Pro tago ras
Bor n: arou nd 481 BC
Wh ere: Gre ece
Job : Thi nke r and teac her
Like d: Talk ing and hav ing
a good argu men t
Ar is tot le
Bo rn: aro un d 38 4 BC
Wh ere : Gr eec e
Job : Ph ilo sop he r an d
sci en tis t
Lik ed: Ma kin g detail ed
ob ser vat ion s of th e wo rld

Protagoras thought that if you have knowledge
about something, then you are less afraid of
that thing; following from that thought, was his
idea that just because you don’t have any fear
that doesn’t mean that you won’t need to be
brave. So, some people are aware of their fear
and other people are not BUT they might all be
brave…
Do you agree or disagree with Protagoras?
Whereas Aristotle thought that there is not just
one thing that makes one person braver than
another as it depends on what each person is
scared of – so he appears to link bravery with
being afraid. Aristotle also believed that people
shouldn’t take ridiculous risks and be too rash
when being brave!
Do you agree or disagree with Aristotle?

11
 In the book Max the Brave by Ed Vere it says that:
Max is a fearless kitten. Max is a brave kitten.

You can see a reading of

this book, on YouTube if
you search for: Max the
Brave – books alive…

Is it possible for someone to be brave if they have no fear of anything?

Aristotle would say you can’t be brave if

I think... you are not afraid. SO, if superheroes are
not afraid, then are they brave or not?

Or are we just assuming superheroes are

never afraid?
because...
And are we assuming that superheroes
are only in comic books and films.
Can real people be superheroes too?

Mmmmmm…lots to think about!

12 brilliantbrainz.com
 PHILOSOPHY

Are there necessary ingredients for being brave?

Perhaps fear is necessary to be brave A spoonful of
(if you agree with Aristotle)? Here is fear...and...
a list of possible ingredients needed
when someone is brave – you’ll have
your own ideas for what might be
necessary too.

Possible ingredients for BRAVERY Priority order

Fear

Lack of knowledge
Can you put them
First time doing the thing that needs bravery in order of importance
from 1– 6 (or 7 if
Confidence you’ve added in
your own idea) with
Responsibility
1 being the most
Positivity important?

Your own idea

YOU have done some super thinking Draw yourself as a modern philosopher
and are a modern-day philosopher, and decide what you would say
thinking deeply and zooming in on about bravery (just like the ancient
this BIG idea of bravery. Ancient philosophers did 2,000 years ago):
philosophers didn’t agree with each
other so you might not agree with them!
Hopefully, you will have made progress
with what you think bravery is about.

TH INK CL UB
If you’re reading this magazine then
you’re part of our thinking community,
so do tell us about when you or
someone you know has been brave.

brilliantbrainz.com 13
 The & Friends
Chapter 41: A Real Hero
Peep woke up really excited. His first lesson with his guitar hero was today!

A few weeks ago, Peep had won a guitar competition. The prize was a whole year of lessons with the
famous guitarist, Suzy Supremo.

As it was quite a long way to get to her studio, he started out early. Honk and Toot waved him off. They
were almost as excited as he was and hoped that they might get to meet Suzy sometime too.

Suzy turned out to be just as gifted as Peep had expected. She was also a great teacher. She really
helped him with some tricky fast-fingered passages that he was learning. And she gave him some great
tips on how to really listen to his own playing and to practise efficiently, not wasting time practising
without improving.

“Well done, Peep,” Suzy said, as he was

leaving. “That was a great first lesson.
Just do that practising I set you and I’ll
see you in 2 weeks. I’m going to stay
here, I have to do my own practising for
a concert I’m giving this evening.”

“What’s the concert?” Peep asked.

“I’m playing a charity concert for

disadvantaged children.” Suzy answered.

“That’s generous of you,” said Peep,

knowing that if it was for charity she wouldn’t get paid.
“It’s actually a privilege to be able to give the children some joy and happiness,” she said. “Giving back
is such a pleasure - so I need to make sure I play my absolute best.”

Two weeks later, Peep set off for his next lesson, but this time he wasn’t as excited as he should have
been. He was worried about Honk, who wasn’t feeling well.

Halfway through the lesson, Peep got a phone call. it was Toot. “Oh Peep, poor
Honk is feeling very breathless, so I’m taking him to the hospital.”

“I’ll meet you there!” said Peep, alarmed.

“What’s wrong?” Suzy asked as he hung up. When Peep explained, Suzy got
up and grabbed her coat. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

“You don’t need to do that. You must be really busy,” Peep protested.
“Not too busy to help a friend,” she smiled at Peep (who now felt amazing
because Suzy Supremo had just called him a friend!) and they set off.

14 brilliantbrainz.com
 MUSIC

When they got to the hospital, they found Toot and Honk in a waiting room. They both stared as Peep
walked in with Suzy Supremo, and so did all the other patients.

“Oh my gosh!” whispered a pale-faced,

slightly wheezing, Honk.“It’s so good to
meet you, Suzy. I’m a big fan!”

“Thank you so much. It’s a pleasure to

meet you both,” she smiled at them.
“Peep has told me all about you on the
way over. How are you feeling, Honk?”

“Well, it turns out it was a mild asthma

attack,” said Toot, who was desperate
to be part of the conversation with
Suzy. “Honk doesn’t have asthma,” she
continued, “or he didn’t - but something
seems to have triggered an attack today.”
She gazed at Suzy. “We really all admire
your talent so much,” she added, adoringly.

“That’s so kind of you!” said Suzy. “I’ve heard that the three of you are pretty talented too and that
your band, The Brainiacs, is really worth hearing, so I’m planning on coming to your next gig.” Suzy
was about to continue but just then a patient came over and asked for her autograph. Within minutes,
Suzy had a big crowd or people around her, including some doctors and nurses!

Suzy signed autographs and chatted to lots

of people, but the crowd kept getting bigger.
Before it could become a problem for the
hospital, Suzy said, “I’d better go. I have to
collect my daughter from school. SO nice to
meet you all.” She turned to Peep, “I’ll see you
in a couple of weeks – keep practising!”

And with another wave to them all, she turned

and headed for her car.

The Hoots watched her go. “Wow,” sighed Honk,

“she is SO nice!”

“I know!” agreed Peep, “she’s not just a

brilliant musician, she gives concerts for
charity, she drove me to see you, and she
signed all those autographs! She’s so nice, kind
and thoughtful. She really is my hero now!”

And they all agreed.

o t T h e E nd
N brilliantbrainz.com 15
 FOCUS ON:
C a n M U S IC m a k e y o u H E R O IC ?
u’v e pro ba bly no ticed tha t list en ing to different kinds of
Yo
sic ca n ma ke yo u fee l dif fer en t em oti ons. For instance, if
mu
u list en to ‘Ha pp y’ by Ph are ll, it pro ba bly actually makes
yo
But if you listened to
i Am
Music
k Lot
© Bac Columbia
Oth e r
yo u fee l ha pp ier an d a lot lik e da nc ing .
au tifu l bu t sa d pie ce of mu sic lik e Ad ag io for Strings by
a be
g a good cry!
Samuel Barbar, you might feel like havin
But can music make you think in a different way?
Although people spend a lot of time listening to
music, we still don’t know very much about whether
music can change the thoughts we are having. But
some recent research looked into this by asking a
group of people about their thoughts when they
listened to heroic sounding music and to some
sad sounding music. This was music without any
lyrics (words) so it wasn’t that the words could
make them think a certain way. The researchers
found that when the people listened to heroic
sounding music that their thoughts were more

H e ro ic M u s ic
positive, active, motivated, and constructive.

So, if you want to feel

more positive, motiv
courageous in your ev ated and
eryday life try listeni
heroic music. Here’s ng to
some suggestions fo
r you:
Iron man 3 theme tune
:
https://tinyurl.com/2
mxwr4tz
Tchaikovsky 1812 over
https://tinyurl.com/2
ture:
cywddut (make sure
you listen
to the end or you wi
ll miss the cannons!)
Wagner Ride of the Va
lkyries:
https://tinyurl.com/3
t9ydce9
Or lots of the Star
Wars music written by
Williams is very hero John
ic sounding!

16 brilliantbrainz.com
 MUSIC

DEAD AND ALIVE

David Bowie
We have written about David Bowie before in BB. But he
was such a musical hero that he deserves more than one
short paragraph! One of David Bowie’s many albums is
called Heroes and on it there is a song called ‘Heroes’
which is about a German couple who were in love but
couldn’t be together. The song became an anthem
for Berlin, a German city that was divided down the
middle by a wall for political reasons. In 1987, Bowie did a
concert near the Berlin Wall and performed Heroes. The
people on one side of the wall could hear people
Born: on the other side singing along. Two years later
1947 the wall came down and Berlin was one city
Died: again. Some people suggest that the concert
2016 was one of the many drops in the ocean that
brought about the re-unification.

Alesso (and Tove Lo) Born:

1991
Alessandro Lindblad (a.k.a.Alesso) is a Swedish (and 1987)
music producer and DJ who has performed at
many famous music festivals and worked with lots
of artists including Katy Perry and Liam Payne. In
2014 he released an album called Forever which
Alesso
includes a song, more of a ‘dance anthem’ really,
called Heroes (we could be). The song features
Tove Lo, a Swedish singer. The lyrics include some
of David Bowie’s lyrics from his song Heroes.
Alesso did a world tour which he named the
Heroes Tour and joined up with charity, Chimes for
Change which raised over £40,000 to “improve
the lives of women around the world” so he’s
a bit of a hero himself!

Tove L:o
brilliantbrainz.com 17
 EVERYTHING Packed full of veggie protein,
this
y
soup/stew makes a very tast
A SUPERHERO treat for any superhero that’s
on
a mission and needs plenty of
NEEDS IN A BOWL energy to keep them fighting
fit!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 1tbs olive oil

erbeans
• 240g canned butt
n lentils
• 100g canned gree
crushed or
• 2 cloves of garlic
chopped
• One red pepper
mustard
• 1tbs wholegrain WHAT TO DO:
ika
• 1tbs smoked papr
h leaves
• 80g baby spinac
hrooms
• 120g button mus
chopped parsley
• One handful of
ghurt or creamed
• 200g coconut yo
coconut milk
• 1 lemon
1 Chop or crush the garlic, cut the pepper into
small chunks and, depending on the size of the
mushrooms, either leave whole or slice.

2 3
Heat 1 tbls of oil on low heat Add the chopped garlic, peppers and mushrooms.
in a wok or a saucepan.

18 brilliantbrainz.com
 FOOD

5
4 Remove the butter beans from the can,
Stir in the paprika. using a sieve to drain the liquid.

6 7
Add the butterbeans and the Give it a good stir then add the wholegrain
lentils to the saucepan. mustard and coconut yoghurt or coconut milk.

8
Add the spinach leaves.

9 ED
If the dish looks a little dry, add 100ml of boiling DELICIOUS SERV
E
water. When it’s good and hot, add a squeeze of
WITH BROWN RIC
lemon juice - watch out for those pips!
AD!
OR CRUSTY BRE
brilliantbrainz.com 19
 REAL LIFE Superheroes
We all know about Superman and Batman but how about the real
superheroes that live amongst us?

UNICEF is one of those superhero organisations that support millions of

children and their families across the world including in the UK. Unicef
stands for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
Fund
Unicef’s motto is every child, everywhere.
everywhere Their aim is to protect all
children and especially children that are disadvantaged.

The most vulnerable children

are those who live in parts of
the world where food is scarce.
Unicef, along with ‘The
World Food Programme’,
and other organisations will
help to provide lifesaving food.
They may also provide clean
water for drinking and washing
which is essential to help to
prevent disease. Unicef and
its partner organisations
work in over 190 different
countries.

20 brilliantbrainz.com
 FOOD

Food Scarcity
If children don’t get the right foods and nutrients as they grow up, it
can stunt their development. This means children are not only much
shorter than they should be for their age but they also suffer damage
to their bodies and brains. This damage is sometimes irreversible –
meaning it cannot be put right. Worldwide, stunting affected
about 149 million children under 5 years old in 2020. Acute
malnutrition happens when a child doesn’t get enough appropriate food
and weighs too little for their height. These children become very thin
and weak, and when malnutrition becomes really
severe, children are at risk of dying. One of the
ways that Unicef workers help is to provide
high-energy peanut paste that can be eaten
straight from the packet, which is cheap
and easy to transport.

brilliantbrainz.com 21
 VA C C I N E H E R O E S
From sniffing smallpox scabs to
fast-paced development, vaccines
have come a long way.

IN THE BEGINNING...

COVID-19

22 brilliantbrainz.com
 SCIENCE & NATURE

KATALIN KARIKO

SARAH GILBERT

brilliantbrainz.com 23
 #I t’ s no t ni ce
Snot is gross. But for all its
ickiness, it’s a bit of a hero for 4
our body. Let’s see how it works. This is your ‘snot’. Have a
play! Try stirring it really
slowly. Next, try stirring it
YOU WILL NEED: quickly! How does it behave?

• 1 cup cornflour 5
• water Sprinkle some small particles on
• bowl the top of your ‘snot’ - glitter,
• spoon lavender, and spices like nutmeg
• food colouring (optional) and ginger all work well.
• glitter / lavender / spices

1 6
Put your cornflour in a bowl. Slowly Stir it up. What happens
start adding water and stirring. to your particles?

2 H AT’S THE
W
NC
SCIE E?
Keep adding
water until
you have a
thick paste.

For your snot you made oobleck. Oobleck,

like snot, is a strange material. Most of
the time it acts like a liquid. But if you
push hard on it it’s like a solid! This odd
behaviour is because there are lots of
cornflour grains quite close together.
3 When they are moved slowly, they
can flow past each other. But when it’s
Add some food
stirred fast, the water can move out of
colouring to make it
the way but the flour can’t! The grains
extra snotty looking.
all smash into each other, making the
material solid. Materials like these are
called non-Newtonian fluids.
Snot is a bit of a hero for your body.
Its stickiness and gooeyness mean it can
‘grab’ particles going through your nose
that you don’t want ending up in your
lungs. So when you breathe in pollen,
dust, or smoke, your snot steps in – what
a hero!

24 brilliantbrainz.com
 THE ENVIRONMENT

LOOKING AFTER THE ENVIRONMENT:

YOUR ENVIRONMENT NEEDS YOU!
If you’re looking for environment
heroes, there are no shortages! Greta
Thunberg, David Attenborough...,
there is plenty of inspiration. But could
you be an environment hero too?
Yes, you could! Here are a
few ideas.

Have you got a garden?

Could you build a bug hotel, put
up a bird or bat box, or make your own
d feeders? There are lots of ways
to make bird feeders – try coating a
pine cone in suet and bird seed, and
hanging it up. You could also plant
One way to make wildflower seeds for the insects,
a big difference is through and make sure that hedgehogs
citizen science. can get in and out of your garden.
Scientists can’t save species if they
Are there things you can do as a family?
don’t know where they live, and
You can ride, scoot, or walk as much as you
how they behave. But on their
can. Think about what you buy – can you
own, scientists can’t
reduce your plastic use? Try turning your old
collect enough information.
toys into something new, or giving them to
They need your help.
someone younger.

You can help collect local sightings of wildlife.

If you live near the sea you can be an
amateur marine biologist with Shoresearch.
You can record hedgehog sightings in
Wiltshire and Cumbria, bats in Devon, or
reptiles in Cheshire. There are citizen science
projects run by local wildlife trusts, the British
Trust for Ornithology, and the Natural History
Museum (and other places). The Natural
History Museum even has information on
how to set up your own citizen science
project! Take a look, and start your work
as a local environment hero!

25
 SPORT

SP OR T NE W S

On
eo
mo f the NNAASSCCAARR:: DDAAY TTO
st w
rac famo orld’s 220 th
Y ONNAA 5
5000
0
ing us F
0th Feebbru
ru a ry ary
eve ca
nts r The race happens on
! have to complete the
an oval circuit 2.5 mile
lap 200 times and
s long. The drivers
completes it in the qu the one who
ickest time wins. Pret
ty awesome.

BRITAIN’S
BRITAIN’S
STRONGEST
STRONGEST WOMEN’S
WOMEN’S CRICKET
CRICKET
MAN
MAN WORLD CUP
26th 4th March – 3rd April
26th February
February NZ, Australia, England, South Africa,
A sports event like no other. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the
Hugely powerful men do things West Indies will all play
that most of us would think in New Zealand to see
impossible. Pulling lorries who’s the best one-
up hills, airplanes down day cricket team in the
runways or lifting cars are world. England are the
just a few of their tasks. current champions
and will be looking to
keep it that way.

HEROESTOREY “People who a

re admired fo
r having
H S done somethin
DA M E SA R A achieved som
g very brave
or
ething great.”
Dame Sarah Stoney’s left hand
never fully developed because She started her career in the
of a problem during birth pool, where she won multiple
but this disability has not golds in the Paralympics and
stopped her from having World Para Games, and
the most incredible then switched to cycling
sports career. where she has been just
After joining her first as successful.
swimming club at 10 years old
she was told by her first coach that Because of what she’s
she had started too late. achieved and all the hurdles she
But she didn’t give up and has gone on has overcome, Dame Sarah
to become a 29-time world champion
across two completely different sports. Storey is most definitely
a HERO.
Who is your hero and
why?
26 brilliantbrainz.com
 HEALTH

Be a HEALTHY HERO!
You don’t need fancy gadgets, fancy
classes or fancy kit to be fit and
healthy - all you need is your inner
superhero! Here’s how…
ave a timetable
Just as you know you have to go to school (or home study) Monday –
Friday, you know that exercising 30 minutes a day is essential to your
physical and emotional health. So, on Sunday evening, why not set an
exercise timetable for the week ahead? If it’s scheduled, then it’s
part of your weekly plan and WILL NOT be missed, right?

arn it
Want to learn to do a cartwheel? Learn a new trick at the skate
park? Run the entire loop of the park in 3 minutes? Set a goal and
dream big. These accomplishments are super motivating especially
if you set yourself a reward like watching an episode of your favourite
Netflix show once you get home. These small incentives can be
exactly the boost you need to reach for the stars.

elationships
Working out alone can be convenient and
empowering, but exercising with friends is
hugely motivating and fun. Why not schedule
an after-school basketball match? Or a scoot around
the park? It’s not only sociable but a great way to make
new friends and talk about all the fun antics
that went on at school that day.

N!!
ptimism and FU for the fact that you
Be grateful
y enough to
are able and health
that you are
exercise, be happy
s and part of
making more friend
d enjoy the
the community an
mes with
good feeling that co
and being part
learning a new skill
aches life skills,
of a team. Spor t te
discipline and
like self-motivation,
awareness,
mental and physical
you to be your
which will all lead
own inner
best self - you’re
it!
superhero! Enjoy
brilliantbrainz.com 27
 WELLBEING

p er h er o P ower P ose
S u
What we do with our bodies has a big impact on how we feel. Sometimes we
don’t feel very confident and our bodies tend to demonstrate this – perhaps we
are
hunched over a bit, looking down, or fidgeting. This is turn can make us feel even
less confident and it can become a never-ending cycle.

Taking control of what we do with our bodies is a quick and easy way to make
ourselves feel more confident whenever we need to.

The superhero power pose is fun to do and is a very

1 effective confidence booster.
Stand with your feet hip
4
Put your hands
distance apart with your
on your hips like a
feet firmly on the ground
superhero – this
– this will give you the
will stop you
strength you need.
fidgeting.

2
Imagine you have a
string coming from the
5 Breath
slowly and
top of your head pulling deeply – this
you up really tall – this will calm
will stop you from you down.
hunching over.

3 Push your
6 Smile - this
shoulders back to will help you
make your chest feel happier
wide and strong – and more
this will help your positive.
breathing.

All of these actions send powerful messages to our brain that we

are relaxed and confident. To increase these feelings even more, try
striking a superhero power pose in front of the mirror so you can feel
confident, and see yourself feeling confident.
28 brilliantbrainz.com
 BOOKS

READING CO RN ER
I NEED A H E RO !
Who’s the biggest hero on your bookshelf?
Harry Potter or
Huckleberry Finn? What about Tracy Bea
ker or Matilda Wormwood?
Bilbo Baggins, anyone? Lots of literary heroes
have left their mark on the world.
Our favourite tales are passed down from generatio
n to generation by mums and
dads who enjoyed them before. But everyone we’v
e mentioned so far is a mere baby compared to
the grandaddies and grandmummies of adventur
e who star in the myths of Ancient Greece. The
timeless tales have been thrilling readers se
for nearly 3,000 years! Isn’t it time you
found out what all the fuss is about? Her
e are three of the best
collections available for readers of all age
s…

Greek Myths for Young Children - Anna Milbourne

Usborne Books
A great place to start for younger readers, with simple text that’s written
to be read aloud, and gorgeous illustrations throughout. A word of warning,
though; the Ancient Greeks didn’t shy away from the scary stuff. Some of
the stories might send a shiver down your spine!

Greek Myths: Meet the

Heroes, Gods and Monsters
of Ancient Greece -
Dorling Kindersley Publishing
Over 30 thrilling myths - from the heroic journey of Jason and the
Argonauts to Theseus’ battle with the fearsome bull-headed Minotaur
- are retold in this excellent collection, filled with stylish illustrations
by award-winning artist Katie Ponder.

There are lesser-known stories too, as well as fact pages that

take a deeper dive into the world of the Ancient Greeks,
and the Gods and Heroes who filled their tales.

D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths -

Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
For anyone who’s serious about Greek Mythology, this one’s a must-
have. Husband and wife team Ingri and Edgar wrote and illustrated
this beautiful book more than 50 years ago and it’s been in print ever
since, making its way onto several lists of “all time classic” children’s
books. It’s not hard to see why. The Greek myths are brought to
life with lively prose that is perfectly matched by the couples’ witty,
intricate illustrations. Perfect for readers aged 9 and over. Quite
possibly the ultimate bedtime story book.

brilliantbrainz.com 29
 TECH HEROES ts! Once
Not all heroes wear capes; some of them wear lab coa
ing. From
in a while an idea comes along that changes everyth
ices and
incredible transport solutions to life-saving medical dev
entions,
labour-saving tools, every generation has its great inv
and those ideas have got to come from somewhere…
They say genius is one percent inspiration,
ninety-nine percent perspiration (sweat caused by
hard work), in which case, here’s our rundown of
some of the sweatiest scientists who ever lived -
our All-Time Technology Heroes!
TH E WR IG HT BR OT HE RS
As the Greek myth of Icarus shows, people had
been dreaming of
flying for thousands of years. American bro
thers Wilbur
and Orville Wright were the first people
to make
powered flight a reality. The rickety Wright Flye
r took to
the skies over Kitty Hawk, Nor th Carolina, for the
first time in
December 1903. In a few shor t years, the aeroplan
e would
revolutionise global travel.

THOMAS EDISON
If there was ever a superstar inventor, it was Edison. Today his
reputation is in question. Edison is known to have put his name to
several other people’s inventions, and it’s certainly true that his greatest
talent was self-promotion. Nevertheless, it was Edison who
introduced electric lighting to the world, and his
work on film cameras and audio recording helped to
shape the 20th Century’s new art of cinema.

NIK OLA TES LA

Edison’s great rival was the Serbian-American genius Nikola
Tesla. After a short time working for Edison, Tesla set up
his own business, where he developed Alternating
Current (AC); the system which supplies
electricity to our homes, schools and
workplaces. He also worked on wireless technology,
creating the world’s first remote controlled boat!
30 brilliantbrainz.com
 APPS & TECH

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

Imagine a world where the fastest way to get
a message to someone in the next town was
a man on a horse! That had basically been the situation
for centuries before the railways came along and made Dobbin
look a bit on the slow side. But it was Scotland’s Alexander
Graham Bell who really changed things up with the invention of
the telephone. As his idea spread, talking to the other side of
the world became as easy as… well… picking up the phone!

TIM BERNERS-LEE
The English computer scientist and engineer Tim
Berners-Lee came up with the idea for the world
wide web back in 1989, when most of us were only using
home computers (if we were using them at all) to play Pac Man. He
developed the first server and the first web browser, which ultimately
led to the internet that we use today. Thanks, Tim… mostly.

STEVE JOBS
Steve Jobs wasn’t so much an inventor as
a designer. His time at the head of Apple,
and his work with the British designer Sir
Jonathan Paul Ive led to a series of new
products that had wide ranging effects on
our daily lives. The iMac, iTunes and iPod all
made their mark, but it’s the iPhone that Jobs
will forever be remembered for. He put
computers in our pockets, and
the world would never
JOHANNES GUTENBERG be the same again.
None of the other people on this list
would have got anywhere without Johannes
Gutenberg’s great invention: the printing press.
Before he came along, books
had to be copied out by hand,
making them far too rare and
expensive a thing for ordinary
people to own. Gutenberg’s press
used moveable blocks of type that could
be reset to print any text cheaply and
easily. Ironically, surviving copies of the
Gutenberg Bible are among the rarest and
most expensive books in the world!
brilliantbrainz.com 31
 BRAINZ FOR CHANGE
HE RO IS M
What does it mean to be heroic? Heroes choose to do the right thing – even when it is
hard or scary. They want to help or inspire others. They take on challenges that most
‘ordinary’ people won’t.
Heroes press on even if they are afraid, hurting, or exhausted.
They stay focused and keep going…

Albie
UN STOP PA BL E
…Just like 5-ye ar-o ld Albie Thom as, from
Holy well, in Wale s. Last year, Albie beca me
the youn gest pers on to scale Mount
Snow don . Despite being born with a condition that meant his
left foot had to be amputated, Albie hasn’t let it hold him back.
Following his big climb, he believes he can achieve anything he
wants in life if he sets his mind to it – like maybe winning a
Paralympic medal one day!

But Albie’s not the only one

scaling the heights…
ng the
Celebrating reachi
Sn owdon!
summit of Mount

walesonline

Jackson &
TO TH E TO P
Freya
Jackson Houlding (4), and his sister Freya (8),
also hit the headlines last year for their brave
climbing adventures. On a two-week family
camping trip to America, the young Brits covere d
50+ miles of bear and bug infeste d wilderness in
Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains. Jack son
beca me the youn gest pers on to
climb Ping ora Peak unaid ed – a
mountain that is 11,8 89ft tall.
And Freya beca me the youn gest
pers on to reac h the 12,165ft
summ it of a near by mountain
calle d Wolf ’s Head .
Staying focused on
their goal of reac
32 brilliantbrainz.com hing the top!
 WH AT ’S YO UR
‘MO UN TA IN’ ?
Any goal you set or ta
sk you face is
like a mountain you
must climb. Plan
ahead. Consider wha
t difficulties may
arise. Picture how yo
u will overcome
them. Imagine pushin
g on even when
you are worn out.

Flo
ECO WA RR IOR
6-year -old Flo Stokes, from Atherstone, Warwickshire, was
an
diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last summer. Flo faced
treatm ents.
18-month ‘mountain’ of hospital visits and chemotherapy
the
Yet she hasn’t let that stop her from continuing to campaign for
environment and against climate change!
The pass ionate eco warr ior’s unsto ppab le
attit ude has won prais e from Greta Thun berg
and UK Prim e Minister, Boris John son.
Determined to help
the
planet, no matter
what!

brilliantbrainz.com 33
 JO K E S Wh y d id Ba tm a n and Robin quit
going fishing tog
ether?
What superhe

~
ro
public transpo uses
rt?
Bus Lightyear!
ate all the worms!
Which cricket- ~ Because Robin
en
superhero hitsloving h a t d o y ou get wh with
th W superhero
most overs? e So unfair! When Thor throws a
yo u c ro s s a
~ Batman!
hammer, he’s a hero... a potato?
...But when I throw one, I’m banned
from B&Q!

Which superhero is the er hero

most curious? What does a supdrink? I went on Am
~ I-Wonder Woman! put in his or her Video and as azon Prime
could rent Ba ked Mum if I
~ Just ice. tman Forever.
Why is there Mum said, “N
ne o
hours like oth , just for 48
an Avengers ver a Thor in Why didn’t Sp
iderm er movies.”
tribute act?
~ Because he
has no Loki-li save the day? an
ke. ~ Because he
co uldn;t get out
the bath! of
s
What do you get if you crost
the Man of Steel with a ho What is Iron Man
nce without his suit?
broth? What’s the differen and
between Iron Maan? ~ Stark naked!
Aluminium M
Which superhero should s criminals but
visit a dentist? ~ Iron Man stop just foils their What do firefi
ghte
Aluminium Man s!
plan
with their che rs like
~ Plaque Panther! ese?
~ FireCRACKE
RS.

WIN TH ESE

Have you or someone you

know ever been really brave?
Write and tell us about it -
or tell us who your favourite
hero is and why.

hello@brilliantbrainz.com
The letter of the month WILL win this prize
AND IT COULD BE YOU!
34 brilliantbrainz.com
 M

IN
ON
SO

NE IS
TH
N

XT SU
’S
IA
DE
LA

E
U
N
EY

t C
COO L
LOO U R . Yo u ca n lea rn about colour theory and
g abou
Next month we are thinkin us e, in sp ire d by ou r fea tu red artist, Sonia Delauney.
ss’ ho
make a colourful ‘stained gla d yo u ca n ev en find the answer to that
e? See yo u then !
ribbe an cu rry an
You can cook a colourful Ca l as ke d: wh y is th e sk y blu
have al
colour-related question we
“ “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted
to change the world. Today I am
wise so I am changing myself.”
“We are all the heroes
of our own stories.”
Rebecc a Solnit,
Rumi,
Poet America n writer

“Sometimes the biggest act of “Real heroes are a

ll around us
courage is a small one.” and uncelebrated.”
i,
Ma ria Laura Raffo Degerronim Peter Capaldi,
man
Uruguayan economist, businesswo Scot tish ac tor, di
rector, singer and
and politician writer

”
Creative learning and wellbeing for kids
Explore philosophy, music,
art and more, all
through the year! THINK
about
luck

MAKE
s c r i b e a stir f
S ub ry

o m j u st
fr DESIG
N a beet

£3.33
br ill ia
nt br ai
le
nz .c om

e r i s s ue
p b r il
li ant
bra
in z
.c o
m

£4.50

www.brilliantbrainz.com