Fasting may lead to health benefits
27th February - "Easier"
Scientists have conducted tests on mice showing that fasting could have many health benefits.
Carlos Ghosn to step down as Nissan boss
25th February - "Harder"
Carlos Ghosn has announced that he will step down as Nissan Motor's president and CEO.
Slippery ketchup bottle helps zero-waste economy
23rd February - "Easier"
Scientists have invented a super-slippery surface that can be put on the inside of bottles.
Bio-terrorism could kill 30 million in a year
21st February - "Harder"
The former head of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has warned that the world could be in great danger from bio-terrorism.
Zealandia – The eighth continent?
19th February - "Easier"
We may have to change our thinking about how many continents there are. Geologists say there is an eighth continent - Zealandia.
Marriage makes you less stressed
17th February - "Harder"
A new study suggests that marital bliss has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA.
New, super-thin material cools buildings
15th February - "Easier"
A team of engineers has created a super-thin material that could help keep buildings cool.
Director for new Batman movie coming soon
13th February - "Harder"
There is a new Batman movie in the making and a director for it could be announced soon.
World's largest refugee camp must stay open
11th February - "Easier"
The High Court in Kenya has blocked the Kenyan government's attempt to close the largest refugee camp in the world.
TV maker illegally tracked and sold viewing data
9th February - "Harder"
The television maker Vizio has agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle claims that it collected data from 11 million people without their consent.
Size zero models have dangerous eating disorders
7th February - "Easier"
Many models have to get down to a very unhealthy weight to keep their modeling agency happy.
Astronauts' brains change shape during spaceflight
5th February - "Harder"
Researchers from the University of Michigan in the USA have found that the brain of astronauts changes shape during spaceflight.
Starbucks plans to employ 10,000 refugees
3rd February - "Easier"
Starbucks boss Howard Schultz has said his company would employ 10,000 refugees over the next five years.
Half a million at Washington D.C. Women's March
1st February - "Harder"
New figures reveal that as many as 500,000 people attended the Women's March on Washington on January 21st.
Scientists say end of world is 30 seconds closer
30th January - "Easier"
Scientists from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BPA) have said the end of the world has come a little closer in the past year.
Cats are just as clever as dogs, says study
28th January - "Harder"
For whatever reason, people assume dogs are more intelligent creatures than cats. This notion has been called into question by scientists in Japan.
Worries about microplastics in our seafood
26th January - "Easier"
People who eat seafood may be also eating tiny pieces of plastic. The small pieces of plastic are called microplastics.
City plans to plant 3 million trees
24th January - "Harder"
The city of Manchester in England has embarked on an ambitious plan to plant three million trees.
Ants use the Sun to get from A to B
22nd January - "Easier"
Ants are some of the most impressive creatures on this planet. There are so many things we do not know about them.
Eating chili peppers helps you live longer
20th January - "Harder"
There is good news for lovers of hot and spicy food – the chili inside it can help you live longer.
Eight billionaires as rich as half the world
18th January - "Easier"
The world's eight richest men have as much money as half the world. Eight billionaires are as rich as the 3.6 billion poorest people in the world.
Animal rights pressure group buys LV shares
16th January - "Harder"
The animal rights pressure group PETA has purchased shares in the French luxury goods company Louis Vuitton.
Scientists make super-strong spider web silk
14th January - "Easier"
A group of researchers from Sweden has unlocked one of nature's biggest secrets. The scientists worked out how spiders make such strong silk.
Weekend-only exercise enough to live longer
12th January - "Harder"
There is good news for those who only have time to exercise at the weekend – the so-called 'weekend warriors'.
Zombies would wipe out humans in 100 days
10th January - "Easier"
Everyone knows that zombies only exist in horror movies. Or do they? A new article predicts that imaginary zombies would kill almost everyone on Earth in just 100 days.
Using cotton buds could damage your hearing
7th January - "Harder"
Doctors are now telling us what grandparents have known for decades - don't stick anything smaller than your elbow into your ears.
Language barriers holding back global science
4th January - "Easier"
New research says that language barriers are holding back science around the world.
USA and Russia in election hacking tit-for-tat
1st January - "Harder"
A new crisis is looming between the USA and Russia over U.S. allegations that Russia hacked Hillary Clinton's emails during the U.S. election.
Japan Prime Minister visits Pearl Harbor
29th December - "Easier"
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has visited the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Smartphone toilet paper at Japan airport
26th December - "Harder"
An airport in Japan has taken toilet cleanliness to a new level. A company has installed "toilet paper" for smartphones.
Women are better doctors but get paid less
23rd December - "Easier"
A new study from Harvard University shows that female doctors are slightly better than their male colleagues, but get paid less.
UK's Prince Harry vows to make a difference
20th December - "Harder"
Britain's Prince Harry has said he wants to make a difference in the world.
Scientists unlock secrets to seahorses
17th December - "Easier"
For the first time, scientists have unlocked the secrets to one of the world's most recognizable but least understood fish – the seahorse.
Syrian refugee top student in Australia school
15th December - "Harder"
A Syrian refugee who could hardly speak a word of English two years ago has just passed his school exams in Australia with flying colours and is in the top 4 per cent of all graduates in Melbourne.
Venezuela seizes 4 million toys for its children
13th December - "Easier"
The government of Venezuela has seized nearly 4 million children's toys from a toy distributor. It will give the toys to children.
Ivory Coast gets three-word postal addresses
11th December - "Harder"
Ivory Coast has adopted a revolutionary new system of postal addresses that contain just three words.
1.2 million people accept birthday party invitation
9th December - "Easier"
A father in Mexico got a surprise after he posted an invitation to his daughter's 15th birthday party on Facebook - 1.2 million people have said they would attend the party.
New store lets you shop, walk out and pay later
7th December - "Harder"
Amazon just unveiled what it describes as the world's most advanced shopping technology.
Oil pipeline protest joined by military veterans
5th December - "Easier"
People in the U.S. state of North Dakota are angry because an oil company is building a giant pipe near their land.
Thailand has a new king
3rd December - "Harder"
Thailand has a new king after Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64, accepted an invitation from parliament to succeed his father.
Christmas cards show nativity in war zone
1st December - "Easier"
A charity has released a series of Christmas cards with a difference. They have traditional Christmas scenes from the Holy Land but they also contain images of the war in Syria.
India to be a cashless society, says Prime Minister
29th November - "Harder"
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has outlined his controversial plan to make India a cashless society.
Low social status bad for health
27th November - "Easier"
A new study shows that having a low social status can be bad for our health.
Man sells firewood to pay wife's medical bills
25th November - "Harder"
An Internet campaign has come to the rescue of 80-year-old man in the USA who was reduced to selling firewood on the roadside to try and pay for his wife's medical bills.
Seriously powerful weather satellite put into space
23rd November - "Easier"
The USA has put into space the world's most advanced and powerful weather satellite. Scientists say it will revolutionize how we predict the weather.
Emergency junk food flown to earthquake town
21st November - "Harder"
The residents of a town cut off by last week's New Zealand earthquake have received a somewhat unusual but welcome air delivery.
Scientists change plants' sunblock to grow more crops
19th November - "Easier"
Plant biologists have thought of a clever new way to increase the size of crops by as much as 20 per cent.
Mathematicians work out the perfect cup of coffee
17th November - "Harder"
Mathematicians are using their analytical skills to understand what makes the perfect cup of coffee.
Israel backs bill to make mosques quieter
15th November - "Easier"
Israel's government has approved a bill to make mosques quieter. Mosques may not be able to use loudspeakers.
Boys and girls react differently to stress
13th November - "Harder"
A study from Stanford University in the USA suggests that very stressful events affect the brains of boys and girls in different ways.
World leaders have mixed reactions to Trump victory
11th November - "Easier"
World leaders have congratulated Donald Trump on his surprise win in the U.S. Presidential election on Tuesday.
India cities experiencing hazardous air quality
9th November - "Harder"
Many of India's big cities are experiencing such hazardous air pollution that it almost defies belief.
Calls for Daylight Saving Time to be scrapped
7th November - "Easier"
There are calls to end the semi-annual practice of Daylight Saving Time - putting our clocks backwards and forwards an hour in the spring and autumn.
U.S. must be world policeman, says ex-NATO boss
5th November - "Harder"
The former chief of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has said America needs to be the world's policeman to make the world a safer place.
New UAE law gives workers time off to read
3rd November - "Easier"
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced a new law to get people to read more.
Broccoli and avocado slow down aging
1st November - "Harder"
New research suggests that eating green vegetables can ward off the signs of aging.
See the links below for earlier lessons.
Lessons were produced every day between Nov 2004 and Dec 2005.
Lessons were produced at "easier" and "harder" levels between Apr 2005 and Aug 2006.
Podcasts started in Apr 2005.
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