BALANCE_FEBRUARY_2020 - 5

WELCOME
HAPPY
DAYS

NEWS

GOOD

A dedicated space where we let the positive deeds shine in an often negative world
EXTRA DAY OFF, ANYONE?
A four-day week seems like a
lovely idea, but can it work in
practice? One company in the
Republic of Ireland certainly think
so - productivity at ICE Group
in Galway rose by a whopping
27 per cent when they lopped off
a weekday last summer. "We're
trying to get a culture where we're
working so efficiently during our
four-day week that we're covering
that fifth day," says HR manager
Breann McGarry. "The experience
as a whole [is] very, very good."
JAWS REBOOT
Sharks that can walk have been
discovered in Australia. It's actually
an incredible discovery given, it
seems, these walking sharks (also
known as epaulette sharks, due to
their colouring) are still evolving.
"This may be the one place in the
world where speciation is still
going on for sharks," says Gavin
Naylor, director of the Florida
Program for Shark Research at the
University of Florida. "Studying
these animals will help researchers
better understand them and
why 'some change, and others
stay the same'."
TOP BRASS
If you've seen beloved British film
Brassed Off, this news may not
surprise you: playing in a brass
band can be good for your health.
The University Of Sheffield's
Dr Michael Bonshor says: "Our
research has clearly shown
that playing in brass bands can
be beneficial for individual
physical, psychological and social
wellbeing." The takeaway of the
research is that being a member
of any sort of club or team can
boost your wellbeing.

WORK LIFE
LOSE A DAY, HELP YOUR COMPANY

CANCER

YOGHURT OFFERS UNLIKELY HELP

NATURE

SHARKS: NOW WITH ADDED FEET!

SOLAR ENERGY
THE VILLAGE BRIGHTENING THEIR FUTURE

MUSIC

BRASS BAND MUSIC IS GOOD FOR YOU

TECHNOLOGY
SIGHT ISSUES? ASK ALEXA FOR HELP

HEALTHY YOGHURT
Eating yoghurt may reduce the
risk of getting breast cancer.
Research from the University
of Lancaster discovered that
beneficial bacteria in yoghurt may
play a crucial role in displacing
harmful bacteria in the body
- bacteria thought to cause
inflammation, which can trigger
the Big C. "There is a simple,
inexpensive potential preventive
remedy; which is for women to
consume natural yoghurt on a
daily basis," the researchers say.
SHINE ON
Despite its abundant sunshine,
just one per cent of the continent
of Africa is solar-powered.
However, Id Mjahdi in Morocco is
looking to inspire positive change
by becoming its first fully solar
powered village. Infrastructure
has long been a stumbling block,
but now several of its buildings
are solar-powered, including a
preschool. According to Mohamed
Lasry of Moroccan solar power
company Cleanergy: "It is possible
to duplicate anywhere in the
world. It is not a complex system;
it is easy to do, it is robust."
HELPING HAND
Amazon's Alexa has teamed up
with the Royal National Institute of
Blind People. Users can access the
RNIB's Sight Loss Advice Service
by using voice commands such as
"I'm losing my sight." David Clarke
of the RNIB says: "Voice assistant
technology is playing an everincreasing role in transforming
the lives of blind and partially
sighted people. We are ensuring
that people can get essential
information about sight conditions,
their rights and support available."

5
BALANCE_FEBRUARY_2020

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