Being as it was only little over a month since the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings, it seems apt to talk about the growing probability of consumer space travel.

The landing in 1969 was driven by a rivalry between Russia and America, who were battling it out to see who could get a man on the moon first. The consumer space program seems to be driven by a similar impulse, this time between Richard Branson’s Virgin and The Lynx.  

Sadly, holidays are still a while away from being like ‘The Jetsons’ but this could be the biggest leap in tourism since the invention of the plane. As you would imagine initial prices to travel are exorbitant, roughly $50,000, but this is small change compared to the millions that it has previously cost tourists to travel into space.  The galactic flights only take you marginally out of the Earth’s atmosphere so the space age travel isn’t quite where we would like it to be just yet. 

When the first commercial flights were put on sale, the prices were only affordable for the privileged and now some airlines literally giveaway flights. Will intergalactic flights ever be affordable or will they always be the folly of the rich and famous? Would you pay huge fees to take such a significant, unique and life changing trip? I would be willingly (if I had anywhere near the money), the sophistication of the technology involved warrants the fees and it would be an experience that few could boast.

Dragon’s Den is one of the BBC’s flagship programmes and has highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit the country has to offer, albeit with some being significantly better than others.

Each Dragon is a well established entrepreneur with a ruthless edge allied with a cute a business mind and boundless ambition. These are just some of the characteristics needed to have a successful career in business, which of course, can bring unimaginable wealth and opportunity.

So do you have what it takes to be the next Peter Jones or Duncan Bannatyne? Well, first we have to establish the characteristics needed to succeed at such a level. According to testimonies from some of the best entrepreneurs of the last 100 years, the key abilities are perseverance, quality and being able to surround yourself with people cleverer than yourself.  

The first and third one, you can learn; perseverance involves a bit of discipline and mental strength and surrounding yourself with more talented people really only involves swallowing your pride, as well as a bit of perception. It’s the second that is hard to learn. Most people want to get rich quick and by and large, scam people out of their money. As Milton Hershey said, “Quality is the best form of advertising”. The biggest companies invariably deliver the best products, certainly the best that can be created on a production line. 

Do you see yourself as a future Dragon? Can you fulfil these criteria? If so, get a head start and have a look at some of our business courses.

As I have mentioned before, explosive science is always good. Screaming jelly babies, bottle tornadoes, the list is endless. Anyone who has ever been on YouTube will have seen videos showcasing the emphatic properties of mentos and diet coke.   

Basically pop a mento into a bottle of diet coke and the reaction causes a geyser effect. The science is simple; the caffeine, potassium benzoate, aspartame, and CO₂ gas contained in the Diet Coke and the gelatin and gum arabic ingredients of the Mentos all contribute to the jet effect.

In addition the physical structure of the Mentos is the most significant cause of the eruption due to nucleation. The surface of the mint Mentos is littered with many small holes, allowing CO₂ bubbles to form very rapidly and in great quantity, in turn causing the jet of foam.  

Here are some videos of the emphatic results the reaction can cause.

On a serious note: do this experiment with the greatest of care and in a controlled environment. If you want to perform more experiments, take a look at some of our science courses.

For a lot of us sport is an everyday part of life, for others it’s the last thing they want to do. Good sportsmen generally have the habit of excelling at many sports whilst the less able tend to struggle at all disciplines.  

The reason is obvious. Sport involves skills and characteristics that can be applied to a range of sports and disciplines.  Speed, agility, balance, determination, co-ordination etc are all essential components to the good sportsman, but how can they be applied to the rest of our lives, our work, play or family? 

Determination

A vital part of sportsman is armoury and can make an average person good and a good person great. Determination can be applied to all parts of life; making sure your kids get to school on time, resisting bowing down to a stroppy child’s tantrums, going for the big promotion at work, getting your homework in, the list is endless.  It is possible to be determined to the detriment of others, but by and large, it is a characteristic that we all benefit from and is the fuel for man’s great leaps in culture and technology. 

Hard Work

Have you ever wondered why the sportsmen do so well at ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ despite having two left feet? Simple. They know how to train and put the hours in. Constant training and conditioning is the staple for any body that has ever regularly played sport.  Running the extra mile when you’re tired and keeping your head when the going is tough is so important in getting the best out of life and getting the best for those you care about. 

Flair

This doesn’t always apply as most people lack the extra spark that can make all the difference but those with the eye for the spectacular or a creative streak have the ability to enhance the lives of themselves and those around them. The cut and thrust of high tempo sport can force one to use all the creative power they have to unlock the opposition.

The same can apply at work, school and home, wherever. Can you put a creative angle on your science project that will get an A rather than a B? Can you think up a new, fresh way of keeping your child happy and occupied? Creative thought and the ability to improvise can bring a real spice to the more mundane parts of life. 

If you think you are good sportsman or would like to pass on your knowledge, have a look at some of our sports courses. 

Everyone’s favourite TV show returns for one last hurray. Burt and Ernie reprise their roles as consummate children’s entertainers in this superb music video.

Whoever put this together deserves full marks for his research and commitment.

Please enjoy this truly excellent video.

If you've got an electric mixer -- either a handheld one or a freestanding mixer -- this is very low effort indeed, but it is a real showstopper. There's something quite extraordinary about the greedy silence that falls over the table as you put these out. You can almost feel it.

The glitz is provided by their utter fantabulousness and the scattering of candy over the top. If you don't want to use a candy bar, of course, buy some upmarket honeycomb, or else scatter with some finely chopped pistachios. You will lose the sugary-glitter look, but you will still have brought to life an elegantly voluptuous creation.

Yield: 8 servings

4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup soft butter
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt

For the Glaze:
5 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons butter
2x 2.1-oz Butterfinger bars, broken into shards

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Break up the chocolate and melt it with the butter in a bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler. Once it's melted, sit the bowl on a cold surface so that the chocolate cools.
4. Preferably in a freestanding mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale and moussey, then gently fold in the flour, baking soda, and pinch of salt.
6. Fold in the slightly cooled chocolate and butter mixture and then divide among 8 ramekins or custard cups. Put in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, get on with the glaze by melting the chocolate and butter in a microwave (or double boiler), then whisk to form a smooth glossy mixture and spoon this over the cooked puddings.
10. Decorate with Butterfinger rubble: I just put the bars in a freezer bag, set to with a rolling pin, and strew over the top.

Courtesy of the Disney website.

We all know our local Del Boy; he’s loud, he’s confident, he loves a good deal, but ultimately he fails. Don’t let that put you off though. Del Boy could be a very strong negotiator and savvy businessman, problem was he usually bought bad stock (like selling ski masks in the middle of the summer). 

Del Boy is a font of quotes and one liners that will forever remain in comedy legend but what can we glean from them from a business point of view? 

Del Boy: ‘He who dares wins’  

One of Del’s most famous quotes and the motto of the SAS. It’s obvious to see the business relevance in this quote; not being scared to fail is one of the most important attitudes you need when starting a business. Fearlessness and the ability to spot the smallest opportunity and go straight for it is so important when it comes to generating business and getting ahead of rivals. 

Fearlessness should not be confused with recklessness however, and all daring decision in business should be backed with logic and good reason. 

Boycie: Where d'you get those aces from?
Del Boy: Same place you got those kings. I always knew you were cheating, Boycie.
Boycie: Yeah, how?
Del Boy: 'Cause that wasn't the hand that I dealt you.

Always stay ahead of your competition. Knowing what your rivals are doing and their future plans can keep you ahead of the game. Markets are so competitive these days that it is imperative to come up with the latest trend and keep up with technology. It is very easy to be left behind in business if you don’t firmly keep your ears to the ground. 

Del Boy: ‘There's no point in running away. Running away only wears out your shoes’ 

Don’t run away, face problems head on and sort them out before they escalate. Some of the biggest mistakes in economic and business history have been made because people have refused to look at the facts.

Do you fancy yourself as a Del Boy or do you plan to learn from his mistakes? To learn more about business, look at some of our courses.

Anyone that entered into our debate from our previous environmental post will know that saving the world from the impending gloom of Global Warming is something we have covered to some degree.

But we only discussed whether it was true or not. We came to the conclusion that actually we best sort something out before it gets a little out of hand. So what’s the best thing we can do?

As Tesco so rightly say ‘Every little helps’ but I think it is a little naïve to think that rushing home and turning off your telly or washing your clothes at 20° will make any significant difference. Sadly, I fear it is a little late for those measures.

If the scale of the problem is as large as we are led to believe it is, then something very drastic will be needed; something so drastic that it would require a worldwide effort and probably a large cut in our civil liberties.

Tree fellers in the Amazon would be told to hop it, all developed nations would be demanded to get out of their cars, work on a typewriter and live with the lights off. All power stations told to decrease their productivity to the point that thousands of people lose their jobs.

It’s all starting to look a little impractical, which is probably why this question is saved for the boffins. I have heard about impregnating areas of the ocean with a chemical that significantly increases the amount of algae in the surrounding areas.

Contrary to popular belief, trees actually provide very little of our atmospheric oxygen and it is the vast quantities of algae in the oceans that keep the world breathing.  

Maybe that is the answer, maybe nature will adapt, maybe you want to learn more and become an active part of the movement to ensure we don’t ruin the world. If so, take a look at our environmental course.

Child Care

A Child Care studies course puts fun and learning together at the same time, it is a course that keeps on giving if you willing to put in the effort in and give back.

Whilst in the Classroom on the opening day, you see the usual tables and chairs, but the creativity just shines out from around. The walls have so much to look at, including hand made puppets, trips they have been on, and much more.

The course also offers great equipment and services, you have many books of study, to learn from and you also have practical elements to practice on.

We had the pleasure of one of the children playing with the sensory dough, and she loved it. She was not fazed by the cameras and just stayed content playing. The staff in the classroom are friendly and helpful, you can tell that they love what they do.

Fun all around, I think you might agree. For more information on the course please visit: http://www.bournville.ac.uk/home-en/employers/short-courses/childcare.aspx