Hello and welcome AQUILAnauts ! This issue is all about wonga , bread , dough , the means , the wherewithal , dosh , brass , spondulicks and lolly . Yep , that ’ s right , I ’ m talking about money !
Hello and welcome AQUILAnauts ! This issue is all about wonga , bread , dough , the means , the wherewithal , dosh , brass , spondulicks and lolly . Yep , that ’ s right , I ’ m talking about money !
Bird poop islands When is an island not an island ? When it ’ s made entirely from highly effective nitrogen , phosphate and potassium-rich bird poop . That ’ s when ! E . B .’ s exploring the guano boom of the mid-19th century , that ’ s a time when guano fertiliser became extraordinarily valuable – not a literal poop explosion , apparently .
SSSHHHH ! Don ’ t you know it ’ s rude to talk about money ? Ed
Yes , ( well sort of ) but it really shouldn ’ t be . In fact , of all the things it ’ s important to talk about , cash is right up there . A recent study showed that 52 per cent of UK adults struggle to talk openly about their financial situation . That ’ s an incredible statistic , and one that desperately needs to change ! Talking about money leads to better , less risky decisions , which means more moolah to go around !
Money , money , money Throughout the centuries money has taken many forms , from cowrie shells and cattle to shiny gold doubloons . But what will the money of tomorrow look like ? Will you even be able to see it at all ? Calculata ’ s here to explore the future of all things KER-CHING !
Do you have a financial goal ? Perhaps you ’ re saving up for something right now ? Or are you the sort of person who burns through your pocket money before it ’ s even reached your poc … hey , where did that go ? Are you a millionaire in the making ? Perhaps you already have a thriving business ? If so , why not write to us and let us know ? We ’ d love to hear all about it , and your letter might get featured in a future issue of the magazine .
We hope you have a nourishing and notable November . Don ’ t forget to join us back here in December for a Christmassy look at the Science of Stars !
Freya Hardy , ed
While you ’ re at it , don ’ t forget about all the Awesome Activities we ’ ve got lined up for you online . This month you can :
1 Hunt for gold from the comfort of your own home .
2 Have more fun with burgernomics .
3 Take a deep dive into the running costs of becoming a workaday tooth fairy .
4 Become a guano gazillionaire .
AWESOME
ACTIVITIES ALERT
SCAN ME
Number munching ! Have you heard of the Big Mac Index ? It ’ s not just a quick snack , it ’ s a lighthearted way to compare currencies from around the world . Get your chops around the concept of PPP ( that ’ s purchasing power parity to the uninitiated ) with Calculata , here !
Taskmaster Money Maths challenge Little Alex Horne is back with yet another Taskmaster challenge , and this one is all about money . So , what ’ ll you be doing this month ? Planning a rubber duck heist ? Taping 2p pieces into a portrait of The Taskmaster ? Defrauding a fictional hippopotamus ? ( All of those sound kind of fun to be honest , ed .) You won ’ t need bags of cash for this one , but you will need ingenuity . Are you ready to make good choices ?