Innehållsförteckning för October 2024 från The Primary Planet

Welcome to Issue 135, TPPers! As you may have guessed from the front cover, we’re going on tour this month – hitting six amazing cities scattered right across the globe! Why? Because World Cities Day falls on October 31. Maybe some of you have been to one, two or even all (!) of these cities already? Or maybe you have some of these urban locations pencilled in on your travel wish list? For me, visiting Tokyo would be a dream come true! You will also notice there is no AG MAG in this month’s issue. But for those of you who enjoyed it last month, you’ll be happy to know we will have an AG MAG Science Week special planned for November’s edition. On that note, we’d love to hear…

Eternal Hearts Choctaw tribal members and representatives from Ireland have gathered at the Choctaw Capitol Grounds in Tuskahoma in Oklahoma, USA, to unveil a new sculpture honouring the remarkable Choctaw-Irish connection. The Choctaw were the first tribe from the southeastern United States to undergo the ‘Trail of Tears’, in the 1830s. This was the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans from their traditional lands to territory west of the Mississippi River, in what is now the state of Oklahoma. The name Oklahoma itself means ‘red people’, from Choctaw ‘okla’ (people), and ‘humma’ (red). 2,500 of them died during their terrible forced journey, in winter snow storms. Then, in 1847, living in dreadful conditions themselves, the Choctaw collected $170 (over $5,000 or €4,000 today), to send to Ireland on hearing about the…

This month in history On this day in Colorado, US, a couple released a helium-filled balloon shaped like a silver flying saucer and claimed that their six-year-old son Falcon Heene was trapped inside. After being tracked by helicopters for 90 minutes at 2,100 metres, it landed. No one was inside. Falcon was found hiding above the family’s garage. His parents claimed it was a mistake, but Falcon gave them away, saying it was a publicity stunt to get on a TV show. They were fined and given jail sentences. On this day, the United Nations announced that the world’s population had reached 6 billion. This milestone was seen as a major moment in global demographics. By 2011, the population had surged to 7 billion. Today, there are over 8 billion…

Where: In cinemas from October 18 Cert: TBC Voiced by: Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, Pedro Pascal as fox Fink and Catherine O’Hara as opossum Pinktail Directed by: Chris Sanders Sometimes, to survive … we must become more than we were programmed to be. Get ready for a heart-warming adventure with The Wild Robot, from DreamWorks Animation – the team that brought us the brilliant How to Train Your Dragon series. When ROZZUM unit 7134 (or Roz for short) is ‘awoken’ by a family of inquisitive otters, she finds herself stranded on a remote island after a shipwreck. As the curious and friendly robot begins to explore her new home, she meets an array of wild animals. From them, Roz slowly learns to adapt to the natural world around her –…

Maker: General Motors CompanyCountry: USAModel: ElectraYear: 2022Fuel: ElectricTransmission: Automatic Top Speed: 322 km/hHorsepower: 759 hp Materials: The Wildcat EV is made from organic sheet metal with a unique aluminium trim that flows into the interior of the car. Behind the Badge Buick was founded in 1899 by Scottish inventor David Dunbar Buick, and is one of the oldest automobile brands in the world. Although it is an American company, 80 per cent of Buick-branded vehicles are sold in China. During the 1910s, the then Chinese emperor was a big fan of the brand and began importing Buicks for personal use. 5 Fast Facts 1 The Buick Wildcat EV is a concept car. That means it is an experimental model that showcases technology and design to gauge customer reaction, but…

TPP's October Book of the Month Check out The Tower Ghost by Natasha Mac a’Bháird, our book of the month for October. Title: The Tower GhostAuthor: Natasha Mac a’BháirdPublisher: O’Brien PressYear: 2024 Clare O’Neill has won a scholarship to the school of her dreams – Sycamore Hill in County Donegal. When she starts, Clare barely has time to draw breath as she gets used to new routines, subjects, teachers and her new classmates. She soon befriends the very self-assured Rose and the shy, gentle Molly. However, when Clare sees a girl in the window of the locked and out-of-bounds north tower, it seems that all is not as it should be at Sycamore Hill. Determined to solve the mystery of the girl in the window, Clare, Rose and Molly turn…

The Atlantic puffin’s range is over 1,620,000 km2 and Europe is home to about 10,000,000 adults. However, its numbers have been declining so rapidly that its status has been changed from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature). This is the species of puffin that comes to our Irish shores, and to the coasts of all the other North Atlantic countries. Puffins spend autumn and winter out at sea. They return to land in spring to meet up with their lifelong mates. In clifftop colonies, each couple digs a burrow and lays a single egg there. The chicks are fed fish, especially sand eels. When they are fully fledged, the ‘pufflings’ make their way at night to the sea. They do not…

Age: 19County: LimerickSport: Swimming Can you still be a ‘rising’ star after competing at two Paralympics and winning two medals, and having already set a world record? Given Róisín Ní Ríain is still only a teenager, we think she can, as there is much more to come from the Limerick star! Ireland won six medals at the 2024 Paralympics and two of them belong to Ní Ríain, who lives with visual impairment. She won silver in the S13 100m backstroke and bronze in the SM13 200m medley in Paris. Rewind three years and Ní Ríain was Ireland’s youngest athlete in Tokyo in 2021, where she qualified for five finals. No medals on that occasion, but she wouldn’t have long to wait. In 2022, the Limerick athlete won two bronze medals…

Well, who would have thought Queen Elizabeth I would aide and abet our young Seamróg lad last month, eh? Yip, if you look closely, you’ll see Seamie well camouflaged on the queen’s dress. Of course, even this royal collaboration wasn’t enough to foil most of you eagle-eyed TPPers. So, off he goes again. Yes – this time smaller and sneakier. All you have to do is find out where. When (I’m getting tired of saying ‘if’) you do, log on to www.theprimaryplanet.ie/competitions(or scan the QR code) and leave the location, along with your name and school details in the comment box provided. If you are correct, you will get entered into a draw for a super-cool O’Neills GAA county jersey of your choice. Again, don’t worry if you don’t see…

Billionaire Spacewalk Jared Isaacman, a 41-year-old American billionaire, made history on September 12 by becoming the first private citizen to take part in a spacewalk – floating outside a spacecraft while orbiting Earth. The spacewalk, part of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, saw Isaacman exit the Dragon capsule, tethered by a 3.6-metre line, to perform tests on a new, more flexible spacesuit. This marks a major milestone for private space exploration, as only professional astronauts had previously conducted spacewalks. The mission wasn’t without its challenges. The walk was delayed by four hours due to additional safety checks but finally received the go-ahead after SpaceX technicians confirmed all systems were ‘go’. There were a few tense moments during the event – Isaacman had to open the hatch manually instead of using a…

Title: The Ghost of a Flea (1819-20) Artist: William Blake (1757-1827) Born: London, England Nationality: English Medium: Tempera (powders mixed with egg yolk) with gold on mahogany panel Style: Gothic, Romanticism Artwork measurements: 21.4 cm × 16.2 cm (painting) On display at: The Tate Gallery, London Here’s something suitably scary for the lead-up to Hallowe’en – a horrifying image by William Blake! The Ghost of a Flea is truly bizarre. Blake was an extraordinary man, now recognised as an outstanding poet and artist. His ideas and art were so weird that people considered him to be mad. ‘An unfortunate lunatic,’ one critic wrote. All his life, Blake had visions. At four years old he said he saw God ‘put his head to the window’, and at nine he saw a…

Carson’s Dead Again Do you know the expression ‘playing possum’? Maybe not. Opossums are American animals, and we don’t have them here. 'Playing possum’ means to pretend to be dead to trick a predator, like these animals do. Certain other animals do it too; it’s an automatic reaction. But Carson the baby opossum has done it hundreds of times. He was brought to a Tennessee wildlife rescue centre after losing his mother, and is constantly alarming the staff with his ‘dead’ act. He curls into a ball, stops blinking and starts drooling whenever anyone comes near him. He’s had director Juniper Russo running for her stethoscope on several occasions to make sure he was still breathing. He falls ‘dead’ on the scales when being weighed. Once, when he was running…

1. The Heart of India City: New DelhiCountry: IndiaPopulation: c. 34 millionFamous landmarks: India Gate, Qutub Minar, Lotus TempleFlight time from Dublin to New Delhi: c. 9 hours We begin our world city tour by flying to New Delhi, often called 'The Heart of India’. And October is the perfect month to do so, as Diwali begins on October 29. Also known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is one of the most important and spectacular festivals in India – celebrating the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. During the five days of Diwali, people decorate their homes with oil lamps and candles, and enjoy food, fireworks and the exchange of gifts with family and friends. When in New Delhi, expect to see … Trees! New Delhi…

When Bronze Trumps Silver Before a big competition, if you had to choose between finishing second or third, which would you pick? Most people would probably choose second place, thinking it’s closer to winning. However, psychological studies from the Olympic Games have found something surprising: bronze medallists are often happier than silver medallists. Why? Silver medallists tend to focus on what they missed – being just one step away from winning gold. They often replay the event in their minds, thinking about what they could have done differently to take the top spot. This can lead to feelings of regret and disappointment. On the other hand, bronze medallists usually feel grateful and relieved. They’re happy just to be on the podium and to have earned a medal at all. Instead…

The light,The light comes closer,It fades in and out,I, I come closer,Until I see the tower,I’ve come seeking refuge from the storm,I spot the lighthouse keeper,My stomach falls into my toes,And I feel sick with the realisation thatThe lighthouse keeper is seeking refuge too!He rows his boat towards me,Fighting a losing battle against the whipping wind,The wind,The rain,The towering waves,They all overcome me,Engulfing me with water,Tipping over my boat! As I am swallowed by the ocean,All I can think is how wonderful the waves look,Crashing above my head,I am cold,So very cold,Someone help, please!I want to scream,But when I do I don’t make noise,Although maybe someone has heard me,I feel a hand grabbing my collar, pulling me back to air,The lighthouse keeper,He’s saved me. I would like more than anything…

Sport not to be missed this month Highlighting the best sporting action taking place this month USA vs Ireland Oct 11 Ireland play their final match of WXV1 against the United States in Vancouver (8.30pm Irish time). Having faced tough tests against New Zealand and Canada in their opening matches, they will be targeting a winning finish. United States Grand Prix Oct 20 After the drama of Azerbaijan and Singapore, Formula 1 heads to Texas where Max Verstappen has won the last three Grand Prix. A fourth would put him on course for another championship – but Lando Norris will have other ideas. Leinster vs Munster Oct 12 Leinster are taking their derby game with Munster to the home of the GAA, with a bumper crowd expected at Croke Park.…

Good Month, Bad Month There is just no stopping the Norwegian sensation, who made a record-breaking start to the Premier League season with back-to-back hat-tricks. As you’ll read below, it has been a dismal start to the Icelandic’s stint as Ireland boss after the Boys in Green slumped to 2-0 losses at home to both England and Greece. Differing Fortunes for Ireland This is a big month for both the Ireland men's and women’s teams – for differing reasons. The Girls in Green play Georgia in a two-part play-off as they continue their bid to qualify for next summer’s European Championships in Switzerland. Given that they beat Georgia 11-0 and 9-0 during their successful qualification campaign for the 2023 World Cup, Eileen Gleeson’s side are widely expected to progress to…

This month marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic bouts in boxing history. On October 30, 1974, George Foreman put his two heavyweight championship belts on the line against Muhammad Ali, who, at 32 years old, was considered a fading former champion. ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ took place in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). It was an unusual venue for such a high-profile fight. Both Ali and Foreman agreed to fight under contracts organised by promoter Don King, provided they were each paid $5 million. King didn’t have the funds, so he sought sponsorship. Up stepped Zaire's president, Mobutu Sese Seko. Over 60,000 fans packed the Stade du 20 Mai (the 20th of May Stadium). The fight began at…

Proudly Sponsored By Following the Desmond Rebellion and the Plantation of Munster, the only part of Ireland that was not under English control was the northern province of Ulster. The Ulster chieftains had always been fiercely independent and had resisted any attempts of an English invasion. However, as the 16th century drew to a close, things were about to change. Ulster chieftains There were many powerful clans and chieftains in Ulster, but the most powerful and highly respected of all was Hugh O’Neill, the Earl of Tyrone. Other powerful leaders in Ulster were ‘Red’ Hugh O’Donnell from Donegal, Hugh Maguire from Fermanagh and O’Rourke of Breifne. When the forces of Queen Elizabeth began to set their sights on Ulster, these leaders were not prepared to stand idly by. Rebellion The…

# 1 Apple Watch Launches From Planet Tech (Abridged) Last month, Apple fans were thrilled by the launch of two new iPhones and the highly anticipated Apple Watch. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are almost identical, except for their screen sizes – 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, respectively. Both are equipped with the new A8 chip, making them 25% faster and 87% more efficient than the iPhone 5. However, the biggest surprise was the unveiling of the Apple Watch, set for release next year. This sleek square device boasts a sapphire screen and heart-rate sensors. It allows users to send image-based messages that vibrate on the recipient's wrist. The touch screen is filled with app icons, or 'bubbles', that can be arranged as you like. Siri, Apple’s voice…

Sun Was Out, So We Ploughed On Christy Moore has a famous song called ‘Joxer Goes to Stuttgart’ and in his song he sings, ‘There was every make of car and van all carrying the full load, Ford Transits and Hiaces and an old Bedford from Tralee’. Well, I can tell you that the roads to Ratheniska in Co. Laois were a similar sight from September 17 to 19. That’s right, Planet Farmers, the National Ploughing Championship (NPC) returned – the farming community’s version of Electric Picnic and All-Ireland Final Day rolled into one. Thankfully, this year the weather was savage and ground conditions were top notch. This was a welcome improvement on last year’s mud fest. As I made my way into the arena you could tell that everyone…

Elliðaey (its Icelandic name) or Ellirey is a small uninhabited island about 14 km south of Iceland. It is the most northern of the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), an archipelago of about 18 little islands. Online fame This little 0.45 km² island is famous because the one and only house on it has been named ‘The Loneliest House in the World’ online. No doubt it isn’t – but the title has stuck! The image of the house, with the ground rising sharply behind it to the edge of towering cliffs, has captured imaginations worldwide. It looks so strange and out of place that some people argue that the images are photoshopped! As images sped around the internet, rumours abounded as to who built the house and why. The most bizarre was…

NASA’s Artemis programme is gearing up to send humans back to the Moon for the first time since 1972. And the plan is that this will lead to the first human setting foot on the surface of Mars. On November 16, 2022, the Space Launch System (SLS) blasted off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, kicking off the Artemis I uncrewed mission. This was the most powerful rocket ever built. The main payload of the SLS was the Orion spacecraft. Orion was sent farther into space than any vehicle intended to carry humans had ever been. One of the main objectives was to test it, especially its heat shield. Once released from the SLS, Orion completed one flyby of the Moon, entered orbit for…

In Proud Partnership with CHILDREN'S MENTAL WELLBEING Bullying is when someone is mean, nasty or cruel to another person on purpose, over a continued period of time. They may call you names, take your things, tease you or push you around. This is never OK. Even though it might not seem that way at first, the person who bullies is actually NOT the stronger one! Dealing with bullies can be tough because they've learned how to make others fear them. But bullying is a learned behaviour and, just as they learned it, we can learn how to stand up to it – whether it's happening to us or someone else. People become bullies because they are unsure of themselves and believe the only way to get attention is by taking…

Lilywhites Legend Retires Kildare legend Johnny Doyle has announced his retirement after an incredible 29-year senior playing career. The 46-year-old called time after Allenwood’s loss to Athy in the Kildare Senior Football Championship. Doyle made his club championship debut back in 1995 and was named Kildare Player of the Year in 2004 after helping Allenwood win their first senior championship. He also spent 15 years wearing the lilywhite of Kildare, winning a Leinster Championship in 2000. He played 154 times for his county, scoring 8-258. Speaking after his club's defeat at the Kildare GAA Centre of Excellence, Doyle simply stated: ‘That's it, you can't go on for ever.’ Managers on the Move The GAA inter-county season may be in hibernation but already counties are putting plans in place for 2025,…

Aki Gains Irish Citizenship Bunkee Aki has officially become an Irish citizen. The Ireland and Connacht centre was among the 3,600 people who were granted citizenship in Dublin’s Convention Centre last month. Aki moved to Galway in 2014 and made an immediate impact with Connacht, helping them win a Pro12 title in 2016. He qualified for Ireland on residency grounds, having lived in the country for three years (World Rugby have since extended the requirement to five years), and made his debut in 2017. He has gone on to win 57 caps, which he will hope to add to next month, as well as three Six Nations titles. ‘I love the people, love the culture,’ said the 34-year-old. ‘There’s not a bad word I could speak about Ireland.’ URC Derby…