Technology
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TikTok passes one billion downloads
Is TikTok a good thing? The app lets people share short videos with each other. They can work together with other users to make new jokes and songs. Is it creative or a waste of time?
- Technology
- Reading Band 14+
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Facebook to launch new global currency
This week, Facebook announced it is building a new currency called Libra that will make it as easy to send money around the world as it is to send a WhatsApp message. Is this a good idea?
- Money
- Technology
- Reading Band 14+
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The sinister rise of ‘deepfake’ videos
Are “deepfakes” a threat to democracy? In an online video, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg lays out his plan for world domination. However, it is not really him. The video is a fake.
- Technology
- Politics
- Reading Band 11
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The smart speakers that know if you’re sick
Would you trust Alexa to diagnose you when you’re sick? Experts predict that, within 10 years, smart speakers will be able to detect illnesses by listening to our behaviour. But what about our...
- Health
- Technology
- Reading Band 14+
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Artificial stars could redesign the night sky
The night sky is already filled with light from street lights, planes and satellites, making it difficult to star gaze. Some warn that if businesses are allowed near the sky, we may lose sight...
- Technology
- Reading Band 11
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Buckle up! The flying taxi is here
Will flying cars take off? A company called Lilium has unveiled its electric-powered flying taxi, following a successful test flight. The vehicle could take to city skies as soon as 2025.
- Technology
- Reading Band 14+
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Minecraft celebrates 10th birthday with new game
Is Minecraft good for you? In the game, players use basic blocks to create fantastic worlds using their imagination. But it is not just great fun — experts say it is good for your brain too.
- Technology
- Reading Band 8
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Fortnite taking too much time to master, say fans
Is Fortnite still worth playing? Season 9 is finally here, with new worlds and challenges to explore. However, some players say the game has become too difficult and time-consuming to win.
- Technology
- Reading Band 11
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The tiny robots that could change the world
Will they change the world for the better? Scientists in the US are making tiny robots. They are the size of specks of dust — yet they could transform the future in a big way.
- Technology
- Reading Band 5
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Yes, China might control your tooth brush
Should China be trusted? The UK has said that the Chinese company Huawei can help create the 5G network that will soon connect everything from our toothbrushes to our fridges and cars…
- Technology
- Reading Band 11
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Emojis have a history going back 5,000 years
Will we all write in emojis soon? A new British Library exhibition looks at the history of writing, starting with hieroglyphs and ending with emojis. They have more in common than you might...
- Technology
- Culture
- Reading Band 8
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The Pope, the professor and our robot future
Should we worry about robots? Pope Francis thinks so. He says that as robots become more advanced, we must make sure they serve humans rather than control us.
- Technology
- Reading Band 8
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Happy birthday! World Wide Web turns 30
Should we celebrate? In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee handed in his proposal for a World Wide Web. Thirty years later, his invention has transformed the world, but is it better or worse?
- Technology
- Reading Band 14+
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Supersonic shockwaves snapped by NASA
Will we all be flying on supersonic planes soon? For the first time ever, NASA has photographed the shockwaves made when supersonic planes blast through the air.
- Science
- Technology
- Reading Band 11
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The plan to create a global internet from space
The company OneWeb is sending hundreds of satellites into orbit. They want to provide internet to every corner of the planet (except Antarctica). Some say space is already too full.
- Technology
- Reading Band 5