Signpost 52 (4 May)

As the weather improves and restrictions start to ease, we hope you are all beginning to see people safely again and get out and about more. Hopefully, you still have time for our weekly selection of articles from across the World Wide Web!

This week in 1926 Britain's first general strike in support of the miners started and ended on 12th May. In 1951, King George VI opened the Festival of Britain. It was built on an old bomb site near Waterloo Station in London. In 1979, the Conservative Party won the general election, making Margaret Thatcher Britain's first woman Prime Minister.

REFLECT

A growing chorus of scientists and philosophers argue that free will does not exist. Could they be right? The Guardian presents this interesting and challenging article, that asks “Is free will an illusion?”

CONNECT

Several elections are happening on Thursday 6^th May 2021, partially as some were delayed from last year. If you aren’t sure which elections are going on in your area, the website whocanivotefor.co.uk can help you out. Type your postcode in and it will give you a list of the elections in your area and details of all of the candidates.

LEARN

In 1951, the Festival of Britain was the first international exhibition showcasing the best of British manufacturing and design. You can read about the festival here, and you can see a map of the festival grounds here.
The V&A museum website also has a fascinating article about the products produced for the Festival of Britain.
Have you seen a Pizzly Bear? There have been increasing reports of grizzly bears mating with polar bears to make 'Pizzly' hybrids in recent times. You can watch an explanation from Vanderbilt University here. The Rainforest Trust also has an interesting article about what constitutes a species and uses the Pizzly bear as an example.

Did you know that May 2^nd was National Truffle day? These decadent bite-sized treats are enough to put a smile on most people's faces! BBC Good Food has a brilliant classic truffle recipe here, but if you fancy something different why not try one of these dairy-free versions. From whiskey or lavender to peanut butter and cardamom, or even avocado! There are 16 mouth-watering versions to try!

FUN

Pinocchio would have only been able to tell 13 lies… scientists at Leicester University have tested how long the wooden character's nose could have grown! Read here to find out more.

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