Friday, 17 July, 2020
Good news on the vaccine front; it’s World Emoji Day; world’s first beetle cam; and Kelly Rowland’s confession.
LINKS
Beetle cam:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/15/us/beetle-tiny-cameras-scli-scn-intl/index.html
What’s Up Fox?:
Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgum6OT_VH8
Watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkGCZk3F2HI
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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There was good news on the COVID vaccine front yesterday when two trials – one in the United States and one in Great Britain – reported positive early results.
An Oxford University vaccine trial involving 1000 volunteers seems to have triggered an immune response to the coronavirus which has scientists there quietly excited.
Meanwhile in America, people who had been given a vaccine developed by US government researchers and a company called Moderna have displayed a ‘robust’ immune response. Which is to say, the vaccine appears to have worked.
There’s still lots more testing to happen before either vaccine is proven to work and goes into mass-production to be distributed around the world – but it’s a welcome glimmer of hope during a difficult time. And who doesn’t love a glimmer of hope?
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Did you know that there is an emoji for a calendar? And did you know the date on the ‘calendar emoji’ is July 17? Which is today. Which is why today is World Emoji Day. Which is a day to celebrate the emoji .. because who doesn’t love an emoji? Billions of emojis are sent every single day – and each year, new emojis are added to the emoji library. Organisers of World Emoji Day say we should all try to communicate only in emojis today. Smiley face, pooh emoji, unicorn.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops. And today, we’ve landed in Seattle, on the north-west coast of the USA – where scientists have developed the world’s first beetle cam.
A bunch of clever scientists in the micro-technology department have created a video camera so small, it can fit on the back of a beetle. And for the first time ever, researchers are able to see what life looks like from a beetle’s point of view.
The camera is about as big as your fingernail and weighs one tenth the weight of a playing card. How clever is that? There’s a link in today’s episode notes to photo of a beetle wearing the camera…
SQUIZ KIDS SALUTES
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Welcome to a brand new Squiz Kids segment in which we salute incredible people doing amazing things.
And today, we offer up a great big Squiz Kids salute to Captain Tom Moore – the 100 year old English war veteran who will make his way to Windsor Castle in London today to be knighted by the Queen.
Who’s Captain Tom Moore? He made headlines a couple of months ago when he set out to raise money for the national health service in England by walking laps of his garden with his walking frame. He thought he would raise $2000. He raised $60 million.
And what does it mean to be knighted? It means the Queen taps you on the shoulders with a sword and from then on people call you Sir. If you’re a woman, you become a Dame. It’s totally a thing. And in Tom’s case, a well-deserved thing.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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Have you ever felt like you live in someone’s shadow? Do you have a brother or sister or cousin or friend that people always compare you to? Then Kelly Rowland, from The Voice, has got an important message for you … You do you …
While coaching finalist Chris Sebastian – whose brother happens to be Guy Sebastian – Kelly said she completely understood what it felt like to always be compared to someone more famous.
Before she became a Voice coach, Kelly was an original member of a girl group called Destiny’s Child – a group that also included Beyonce. And Beyonce casts a pretty long shadow. Kelly said she learned just to be herself and run her own race. Which is all any of us can do.
WHAT’S UP FOX ?
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Every Friday, we check in with Squiz Kids ambassador, Flynn, known as the Fox to his friends, to see what he’s been reading, listening to and watching.
Taking up space on his bedside reading table this week is Rise Of The Mythix – Golden Unicorn – by the multi-talented Aussie author, Anh Do. “It’s like Percy Jackson – but with an Aussie accent” says the Fox.
Taking up space on his Spotify playlist this week is Starlight – by The Muse. It’s an oldie (we’re talking 2006 people) – but a hard-rocking goodie.
And as for watching: he’s had his bike out over the holidays, doing a few jumps down at the local park, and is loving coming home and watching Seth’s Bike Hacks on YouTube. A channel dedicated to mountain bike adventures.
There are links to all of these cool things in today’s episode notes.
THE S’QUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What sort of insect have scientists in the USA strapped a teeny, tiny camera to?
- Who is going to be awarding Captain Tom Moore with a knighthood today at Windsor Castle?
- What’s the name of the girl group that Kelly Rowland and Beyonce were both members of?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s July 17 …
As well as being World Emoji Day, today is National Pyjama Day – a special day in which we’re all encouraged to wear our PJs all day to help raise money and awareness for kids in foster care. As if you need an excuse to stay in your PJs all day. Or is that just me?
It’s also a Friday – and that means a bigger than normal bunch of birthday shout-outs … for which we’re going to need a little help from our birthday reggae backing track …. cue the steel drums …
Celebrating a birthday today are these Squiz Kids … Vasili from the ACT, Jessica from St Ives, Ben from Wagga Wagga, Emily from Coal Point, Evelyn from Berwick, Amelia from Melbourne, Ira from Glen Iris, Saxon from Crookwell, Charlotte from Upper Coomera, Carlitos from Woollahra, Isa and Anouk from Cannon Hill, George from the Gold Coast, Zoe from Hendra, Finn from Coorparoo, Maeve from Curtin, Sunny from Ocean Grove, Nathaniel from Werri Beach, George from Brisbane, and Maya, who is currently travelling on the road with her family.
Weekend birthday shoutouts… Jaxon from Wallacia, Michaela from Tamworth, Aoife from Baulkham Hills, Baxter and Eva from Redlynch, Ben from Caringbah South, Aubrey from Bacchus Marsh, Claire from Sydney, Claudia from Cairns, Tyson and Amelia from Melbourne, Sophia from Wheelers Hill, Jarrod from Lowanna, Frederic from Bureen, Angus from Gowrie and Henry from Rosanna.
Happy birthday to you all.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- A beetle
- The Queen
- Destiny’s Child