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Vivo wants you to show us how it’s done!
Vivo wants to see any Art, Short Stories, Images, Videos created by you . . .
Got something creative to share? Take it to your school’s vivo administrator and if they forward it on to us you could see it featured here!
Classical Music: Where and Why to Start?
Classical music isn’t often thought of as cool, but it could be. It’s certainly worth giving it a go.
When people think of classical, Mozart and Beethoven probably come to mind. They might know that Mozart was a child prodigy, forced to travel the length and breadth of Europe at the age of six by his relentlessly pushy papa. And that Beethoven, also a child prodigy, continued to compose volumes and volumes of music after losing his hearing. A lot of people know these stories, but perhaps not the music.
People generally think of classical as “stuffy, pretentious, (and) unnecessarily formal”. Sadly, they are mostly right. But you don’t need to go to a posh concert hall to hear classical music. We are lucky to live in an age where we can access music of all genres online. Everybody can explore the wonders of classical music with a few clicks. Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube will all do the trick.
Here at Vivo, we believe there are different types of music to suit different occasions, for example, when you are dancing you’re not going to want to listen to sleep-inducing, chill out mixes. There is also a place and a time for classical. So, why not give it a go. Next time you are revising try playing Brahms or Bach. Classical music has been found particularly beneficial for focus, reducing blood pressure and aiding restless nights. Perfect just before a big exam!
5 reasons to listen to classical music
• It can help you unwind and relax
• It can make you smarter (kind of)
• It will increase your emotional intelligence
• It’s a new language to master
• It will open you to a world of new experiences
So why not start here. Check out these videos.
J.S.Bach – Tocatta und Fuge
Luigi Boccherini – Minuetto
Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No.1
Jean Sibelius – Finlandia
Franz Schubert – Ave Maria
Watched all of the videos? We’d love to know which was your favourite? Tell us on Twitter.
Source(s): Thought Catalog, ClassicWORLD, Tarja M
Vivo’s Favourite YouTube Channels
Want to impress your friends, parents and teachers with your breadth and depth of knowledge?
But don’t have the time to read 1000s of books? Have no fear. There’s always YouTube.
It isn’t just videos of cats, people hurting themselves and acoustic covers of Rihanna songs. There are thousands of channels devoted to making learning fun and accessible to everybody. You don’t have to pay huge tuition fees or be the top of your class to view them.
Take a look at Vivo’s pick of the best educational YouTube channels for teens. Which one is your favourite?
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
Kurzgesagt provides us with fresh visuals that make all those crazy statistics and science mumbo-jumbo a whole lot easier to understand. This is not the most busy or frequent channel, meaning it is extra special when a new one is published. In case you were wondering, Kurzgesagt translates into English as “in a nutshell”.
Subscribers: 244, 805
Views: 8,974,908
Joined Jul 9, 2013
TED
Ted is built up of two channels. Ted Ed publishes videos of educators explaining the answers to fascinating questions, spiced up with amazing animation. Ted Talks is similar, but with no animation. With these videos you get to watch educators giving inspiring and informative lectures to hundreds of people on stage at a TED Conference.
Subscribers: 5,206,058
Views: 752,085,427
Joined Dec 6, 2006
Vsauce
Vsauce combines his incredible knowledge of obscure topics and a delightful humour to create a truly magnificent channel. His videos answer fascinating questions, such as: ‘How many things are there?’, ‘Is my red the same as your red?’ All of these videos are educational yet addictively gripping.
Subscribers: 7,795,749
Views: 676,503,863
Joined Jul 30, 2007
SciShow
SciShow is a youtube channel where presenters explore various topics from the world of science news, history and concepts. It has previously published videos on dinosaurs, why stars twinkle and how rainbows are formed. It’s another really engaging channel, worth checking out.
Subscribers: 1,983,373
Views: 201,467,008
Joined Oct 20, 2011
Learn to Paint like Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh is thought of as one of the greatest artists that ever lived.
Born in 1853, he originally wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a pastor. But, after failing in this endeavour, Vincent pursued the life of an artist. His genius wasn’t recognised in his lifetime. In fact, he only sold one painting while he was alive. In 1990, one of his paintings, Portrait of Dr. Gachet, sold for $82.5 million. He is often known for cutting off his own ear, but most people will recognise his famous paintings of sunflowers and landscapes.
Impressionism and post-impressionism
Impressionism is a style in which artists use small, narrow but very effective brush strokes to vividly display the changing qualities of light and darkness within a painting. They use thick paint and vivid colours. Their paintings are normally focused on ordinary subject matter but incorporate unusual visual angles. Famous impressionist painters include Monet, Manet and Cezanne.
Van Gogh is thought of being a member of a slightly different school of art called the post-impressionists. The post-impressionists took their style from the impressionists but differed in a few key ways, mainly by using geometric forms and unusual colours.
Van Gogh’s work is most notable for motion, paintings such as Starry Night (above) have been praised for how it captures the deep mystery of motion and light. Anyone interested in both science and art should check out this interesting video below.
Facts about Vincent
- He sold only one painting while alive, The Red Vineyard. He became famous only after his death.
- In 10 years he created around 900 paintings, many of which are considered as some of the greatest works ever created.
- Vincent wrote over 800 letters. The majority of these were sent to his brother and closest friend, Theo.
- Van Gogh never had formal training in art and is considered self-taught.
Source(s): TED-Ed, Philip Scott Johnson
Are You a Cyborg?
It sounds like a crazy question, right? Like something straight out of science fiction.
Are you reading this on your smartphone by any chance?
In the video above, Shots of Awe explores the idea that perhaps we’re all already cyborgs. It is argued that the reason for this is that our technology functions as an extension of our selves. When you take out your phone and search the internet, the information is presented to you instantly. It is as if it is part of your mind.
Many thinkers argue that these tools are just an extension of our selves, “extending our thought, reach and vision”, and that they are just another part of us, like our arms, our eyes or our brains. Our use of technology becomes so immediate and omnipresent that it becomes an important part of who we are. Why not check out the video and see what you think?
Facts about the ubiquity of technology.
- 91% of all adults have their phones within arm’s reach every hour of every day.
- Every minute 100 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube by individual users.
- The average 21-year-old has spent 5,000 hours playing video games, sent 250,000 emails, instant messages and text messages and has spent 10,000 hours on a mobile phone alone.
- There are 350 million Snapchat messages sent daily.
Source(s): Shots of Awe
Hip-Hop and Shakespeare
Do you associate William Shakespeare with hip-hop?
Most major cultures, movements and ways of life have been influenced by a wide range of people and events from the past. Sometimes these influences can surprise you. Let’s take hip-hop for example.
Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx, New York, in the 1970s. It started when a DJ, named DJ Kool Herc, started mixing existing tracks with his own “shouts”. Hip-hop is made up of four different aspects: MCing, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti art.
Akala on the influence of Shakespeare on hip-hop (above)
Hip-hop emerged from a mixture of other genres that came before it, like blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. However, if we take a look even further back and step out of the 20th century, we can find other influences that are arguably just as important, perhaps even more so.
Yes, it’s William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s influence on the English language is so great that there is no doubt that it would have subconsciously made an impact on hip-hop. In terms of rhythm, Shakespeare’s writing is easily comparable to hip-hop.
The links between hip-hop and Shakespeare are fascinating. Check out the two videos featured in this article for an entertaining take on the greatest English writer of all time.
MC Lars on the hip-hop of Shakespeare (above)
So, there you have it. Shakespeare and Kanye have more in common than you would have originally thought.
Source(s): TEDx Talks
Growing Up in Ancient Rome
Take a look at this TED-Ed video, which shows us what it would have been like growing up in Ancient Rome. The lives of men and women were worlds apart. One video follows the coming of age of a 17-year-old boy, while the other follows 4 sisters in their daily lives.
Fun Facts:
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Left-handed people were considered untrustworthy and unlucky, while left-handed gladiators were treated special as their fighting style was different and made it more entertaining.
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When the Roman Empire reached its territorial peak in 117 AD, it spanned across 2.5 million square miles.
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Hair dye was popular amongst women with red and blonde being the popular colours. This was achieved with ingredients such as goat’s fat, beech wood ashes and saffron.
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Caligula’s favourite horse lived in a marble stable with an ivory manger. He also tried to make his horse a consul, which was the highest job in government.
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Rome had over 140 communal toilets where people would actively socialise.
Obama and Attenborough Talk Nature
Two icons discuss the importance and beauty of the natural world.
Barack Obama is no stranger to an interview. As president of the USA, his opinion is always in demand . Wherever he goes, cameras and microphones seem to follow him around. However, in this unusual scenario, the tables have turned, and it’s Obama asking the questions – to Sir David Attenborough no less.
David Attenborough is a British presenter and naturalist who works primarily with the BBC. His nature documentaries are famous all around the world. He is the only person to have won awards in black and white, colour, HD and 3D. His main work is his Life series, which focuses on earth, animals and plant life.
Watch the interview below.
Growing up in the state of Hawaii, Obama has a great love and respect for nature, and he says we all need to act to save our planet from climate change.
With these iconic figures recognising the dangers of man-made climate change, it’s important to remember that we all need to do our part to save the world. From walking to school to recycling, every little contribution helps!
Source(s): The White House
Black Holes, Headless Chickens and YOU!
Check out Vsauce’s YouTube channel to see these amazing videos for yourself.
Vsauce
Vsauce is an educational YouTube channel hosted by Michael Stevens. Stevens poses a mixture of scientific and philosophical questions that seem impossibly weird. Within seconds, you will find yourself absolutely gripped by the unique mix of humour, knowledge and personality. You will never see the world in the same way again!
With Vsauce, expanding the mind and becoming a better, more knowledgeable YOU has never been so much fun!
What can you do without a brain?
In the video above, Stevens asks, “Is there such a thing as a no-brainer?” He tries to determine whether there is anything humans can do that doesn’t require the use of our brains. He wanders through stories of headless chickens, cockroaches and the possibility of finding an answer after death. It is one of our favourites.
Technology, gaming and fictional worlds
Vsauce has a number of other videos with intriguing titles made up of some of the most gripping content on the internet. If science and philosophy isn’t your thing, then you could check out Vsauce2 and Vsauce3 for more videos on topics like technology, gaming and fictional worlds.
Here are a couple of other Vsauce videos.
Did the past really happen?
Travel INSIDE a black hole
Source(s): Vsauce
The Vsauce Jurassic World Special
Have you seen Jurassic World? Are you a fan of the old Jurassic Park films?
Vsauce invites special guests Chris Pratt and Jack Horner for this Jurassic World special. Jack Horner is a famous palaeontologist studying dinosaurs; he’s also the technical advisor for the Jurassic Park movies and inspired the character Dr. Alan Grant. Actor Chris Pratt asks the questions. Take a look below.
People sure love dinosaurs, or maybe they just love Chris Pratt! Jurassic World has broken the record for the highest grossing box office opening weekend.
Fun facts:
- The first dinosaur to be named was the Megalosaurus in 1824.
- Birds descended from a type of dinosaur called the Theropod.
- No one knows exactly how long dinosaurs lived but scientists estimate some lived up to 200 years.
- The difference in time between when Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus lived is greater than the difference in time between Tyrannosaurus Rex and now. The t-Rex lived closer in time to us than to the Stegosaurus!
For more videos from Vsauce, check out their YouTube channel.
Source(s): Vsauce
Pencils of Promise
Making a difference by building schools. Be inspired.
Pencils of Promise, or PoP for short, is a fantastic non-profit organisation that builds schools and gives opportunities for education in developing countries.
Founded by Adam Braun in October 2008, the charity works in Guatemala, Laos, Nicaragua and Ghana. Since then, the organisation has distributed 1,047 scholarships, built 304 schools and supported 182 teachers. There programme WASH teaches kids about water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as providing facilities for over 5,000 students.
The name Pencils of Promise comes from an incident in India when Braun was visiting. When he asked a poor child in the street what he wanted most of all, the boy answered “a pencil”.
To help you get a clearer understanding of their goals and visions they have lots of inspiring videos over on their Youtube channel.
Pencils of Promise also have support from a few celebrities. Back in 2012 Justin Bieber donated $10,000 to Pencils of Promise. Magnum Ice Cream held a competition where fans were asked to vote between musicians Bieber, Usher, Jordin Sparks and Nelly Furtado. The musician with the most votes could donate the money to the charity of their choice. Justin Bieber emerged victorious and generously split the $20,000 reward between Pencils of Promise and Make a Wish Foundation.
Source(s): Pencils of Promise
Miracle Machine Could Save Lives
Bill Gates has developed a fantastic invention that turns sewage into drinking water.
Not only does this machine look really impressive, it could help supply water to millions of people who currently have no access to safe drinking water, saving millions of lives. It is called the Janicki Omniprocessor, and it turns sewage sludge into drinking water and electricity. The machine is named after its founder, Peter Janicki.
It works by drying sewage waste (sludge) and then burning it. This creates steam that powers an engine, generating electricity. While this is happening, the water removed from the sewage is filtered and cleansed, producing safe drinking water.
This invention could have a huge impact across the world, providing millions of people with access to clean water.
Facts to make you think:
- 748 million people in the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. This works out as approximately one in ten people around the world.
- Over 500,000 children die every year from illnesses directly caused by unsafe drinking water.
- A running tap wastes 6 litres of water per minute.
- Australia is the highest user of water per capita in the world.
- Australia wastes more water per head than any other country in the world.
For more information about saving water, check out WaterAid.
Source(s): waterwise, WaterAid, thegatesnotes, helloU
The History and Future of Everything
Does anybody have a friend who thinks they know everything?
Now you can hit back with the knowledge you will pick up from watching the awesome videos on YouTube channel, Kurzgesagt.
Translating from German to English as “In a Nutshell”, Kurzgesagt offers up spectacular videos on an an array of topics, ranging from time to the immune system to war.
Here are a couple of their best videos for you to sink your teeth into.
The History and Future of Everything — Time
In this ambitious video, Kurzgesagt take us on a trip back to the beginning of the universe and then fast-forwards to its final moments. What does all this mean for us? Well, that the present moment is precious. They pick out some fascinating facts along the way.
Are You Alone? (In The Universe)
In this video, Kurzgesagt explains how we are all intimately linked to the rest of the universe. It discusses where all the tiny pieces that make up our bodies have come from, as well as where they had been before they came together to create the things we now know as you and me.
Source(s): Kurzgesagt
What if Superpowers Were Real?
Life would be so much easier if we could fly or read people’s minds right?
We all dream about having super powers. But would it actually be beneficial to have super strength, invisibility or the ability to dance really well (does that count as a superpower?). These TED videos poke fun at some of the most popular super powers, exploring the possibilities of each one and what could go wrong if we actually had those powers.
Immortality
Want to know what it would be like to live forever? Well it may not be as pleasant as you may have once thought.
Super strength
Crushing cars with your bare fists and being able to break just about anything imaginable. Here’s why super strength won’t be as straightforward as first expected.
Super speed
Imagine being able to travel to wherever you want in a matter of seconds, Your power is transportation! Only joking; it’s super speed. Here’s why being as fast as Usain Bolt might be the ideal limit of human speed.
While classic super powers may not work, Iron Man and others who rely on technology may not be so far-fetched. This video is of an Iron Man super fan showing off his crazy glove creation. He can shoot lasers that make quick work of balloons.
The glove features 2 lasers, a blue 700mW that shoots from his palm and a red 300mW that shoots from the top. His invention makes quick work of balloons; although, we’re not sure how it’ll hold up against Ultron.
Source(s): TED-Ed, LaserGadgets
How to Paint Like a Surrealist
Surrealism is possibly the most imaginative art movement of them all.
It literally takes the idea of viewing the world through your dreams and subconscious mind, instead of through logical thought, and transforming that view into a piece of art.
Surrealism first came about when “The Manifesto of Surrealism” was published, authored by a key pioneer of the surrealist movement, André Breton. However, it is often said that surrealism was actually formed out of a Dutch movement called “Dadaism”.
Even though the surrealists had mastered the traditional artistic methods, they just weren’t that into them. In fact, they wanted to create art that ignored these teachings so they could express new levels of creativity: art that came directly from the imagination.
Some famous surrealist artists include Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and Max Ernst.
Watch these fun videos that show you how you can paint your own surrealist masterpieces.
Fun Facts
- Before this was an art movement it was a literary movement. However it is mainly a philosophy and way of life.
- Salvador Dali was only 6 years old when he completed his first painting.
- Surrealists looked for pieces of art from children and patients from mental institutions.
- “Surrealism” means “Above Realism” whereas “Dada” from Dadaism, literally didn’t mean anything.
- The most expensive surrealist art piece ever sold was Dali’s “Portrait de Paul Eluard”, which sold for a breath-taking $22.4 million.
Source(s):
Why Sitting Can Be Bad for You
Are you sitting down, relaxed?
There’s no better way to wind down after a long day than sitting down on a comfy sofa, but is it actually any good for you? There’s no doubt that sitting for brief periods is good for recuperation and recovery; however, the nature of our modern lifestyles — lounging in front of the TV and our laptops — mean we sit for much longer than we really should.
In this video, TED-Ed explores the negative side of sitting for so long. Sitting for more than 6 hours a day can be bad for your health and can apparently shorten life expectancy by up to 15 years.
Combating these health effects is simple, walking between classes and staying active during break time. Stretching is another great way to stay active and to release some stress from your muscles.
So, let’s all be more active in future and take care not to remain seated for hours and hours on end. While you’re planning how to improve your sitting habits, take a look at this cat sitting like a human.
Source(s): TED-Ed
Change the World Through Kindness
How can you change the world through kindness?
All you have to do is make a list. Write your name at the top first. Then write a name of a friend. Then leave the third one blank. Finally, watch this video, and all will be explained.
Help Yourself
This could be absolutely anything you know will make you happier, from eating your favourite food to watching your favourite TV show.
Help a Friend
This doesn’t have to be your very best friend. It could be a classmate, a teacher, one of your parents, a sibling. It doesn’t have to be the biggest gesture ever either. Even small acts of kindness can bring someone else a substantial amount of joy.
Help a Stranger
This one could be tricky, but very effective. This could be anything from giving a stranger a compliment, giving up your seat on the bus or train, helping someone with heavy bags or anything else you can think of. These things take a little amount of effort but can really make a difference to someone’s mood, including your own. As well as this, if someone was to witness your act of kindness, they might be more inclined to help someone else out.
The joy you can create from just one small act of kindness could really improve someone’s day, and also improve your own.
Source(s): randomactsofkindness
Snow Dragon Vs Frozen Minotaur
Exploring the world of ice caves!
How cool would it be if you stepped out into your garden or were walking around your local park and discovered an untouched cave, a whole new world that nobody had ever laid eyes on before? Imagine being the first to explore such raw natural beauty.
Eddie Cartaya and his climbing partner Brent McGregor were the first to explore three caves in the Sandy Glacier on Mount Hood in Oregon. They named the caves Snow Dragon, Pure Imagination and Frozen Minotaur.
The caves and tunnels inside Sandy Glacier are constantly changing and morphing due to the warm water above and warm air below causing the glacier to slide down Mount Hood. The entrance to the cave is 2000ft wide and slowly being sealed up with a wall of winter snow around 30ft tall.
Snow Dragon, Pure Imagination and Frozen Minotaur are connected by 7000ft of passages. They may comprise of the longest glacial cave system in the US outside of Alaska. It’s believed that the the glacier has retreated by at least 40% over the last 100 years and the ice used to be 200ft thicker.
Snow Dragon entrance
Pure Imagination lower entrance
Frozen Minotaur entrance
So, Snow Dragon Vs Frozen Minotaur Vs Pure Imagination. Which do you think looks the most impressive?
Click here to go to IDEAS.TED and find out more about these amazing ice caves.
Source(s): TED, IDEAS.TED