This week's UK news: 12 October 2012
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12 October 2012


Scientist proves his teacher was wrong

Sir John Gurdon won the Nobel prize for medicine this week for his work on how cells work. On the wall of his office at Cambridge University he has a copy of his school report from when he was 15, which showed that Gurdon came bottom of his whole year group of 250 boys in biology. His teacher said it was "ridiculous" for Gurdon to have ideas about working in science and that it would be a "waste of time" for him and his teachers.

Gurdon says he keeps this report on his office wall to remind him that when experiments don't work his school teacher might have been correct.

What makes teenagers happy?

Close friends, playing sport and a settled home life are more important for 10-15 year olds than the wealth of their parents, according to research in the UK.

Other things that make young people happy are good behaviour by classmates in lessons and a healthy lifestyle. Children who have friends over every two weeks and who go swimming regularly are most likely to be happy, as are those who have their own bedroom and bike

Less happy children eat less than five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, and use the internet for more than an hour each day.

Another research report published this week says children under 3 should not watch television.

Scandal of dead celebrity

Sir Jimmy Savile, who died last year at the age of 84, was a very popular celebrity. He started out as a DJ, presented a pop music programme on TV in the 1970s, and also had a programme where he helped children to get something they really wanted. Savile was also famous for helping out at two hospitals and raising millions of pounds for charity.

But a television documentary last week interviewed women who said Savile had sexually abused them when they were young teenagers. Since then there have been more and more people calling the police to report shocking behaviour by Savile. Now his gravestone has been removed and 13 police forces are investigating the claims.

King Henry VIII gets new crown

Henry VIII is probably the UK's most famous king, because of his six wives and his creation of the Church of England. His crown was melted down almost 400 years ago when England became a republic for a short time.

Now the lost crown has been recreated and will go on show to the public. It was made by Harry Collins in the same way that the original would have been, and with real jewels and pearls. However, the crown is made of silver covered in gold rather than the 3kg of solid gold in the original.

The crown will go on display at Hampton Court Palace in London.

 

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