Blog Posts by Vanessa Green

Do you think maths is hard and dull? Did bad classroom experiences leave you frustrated with your lack of numeracy skills?

Well, two of the country's most famous mathematicians want to help you find some enthusiasm again.

One from the top

Carol Vorderman needs no introduction, but here's one anyway. After 26 years crunching the numbers for Countdown, she left and launched her own online maths school themathsfactor.com.

She's also David Cameron's maths tsar — and she's worried about the nation's lack of numeracy.

"We have an enormous problem. Of the adult population aged 16-65, it's only 22% who are numerate to a pretty average GCSE level. That is appalling, disgraceful and unnecessary. One reason for that is cultural; in this country there's a sense that maths is boring and difficult."

[Related feature: How to improve your vocabulary]

But far from finding maths boring herself, Carol says that for her "numbers dance". "Maths is a language not a subject. It's the language of commerce, of

Read More »from How to get better at maths

If you could do your weekly supermarket shop blind folded and cook your evening meals in your sleep the chances are you are stuck in a food rut —and you're probably not doing your health much good either.

Studies show that people who eat a wide variety of food are healthier, live longer and have a reduced risk of developing many major lifestyle diseases yet, according to a recent survey, most of us have just four staple dishes in our cooking repertoire —and boy, are we bored!

For example, this week alone, over 17 million of us will eat pasta topped with some sort of sauce for supper (spaghetti bolognaise being the favourite resulting in the average person eating approximately 8,000 spag bols in a lifetime!), 10 million of us will have roast meat and vegetables, 7 million will have stir fry and the rest of us will have either a ready meal of some sort, sausage and mash, shepherds pie or fish and chips.

So what's the problem?

Eating the same foods week in and week out reduces your

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Every year up to 150,000 people die that could have survived if they'd received first aid.

That's a shocking statistic but one that could be brought right down if more people had the confidence to respond in emergencies. So what do ambulance crews wish you knew?

Don't hang up!

James is a paramedic in a small North West town and says the most important thing to remember is not to end the call: "I suppose people are a bit panicked because they sometimes phone for an ambulance and then hang up the phone.

"But the 999 operator can give pre-arrival advice, like putting the person into recovery position or starting CPR. You need that advice, so stay on the phone."

Know your numbers

Before travelling abroad, know how to contact an ambulance in an emergency. Dialling 112 will connect you to the emergency services anywhere in the European Union.

[Related feature: Take control of your time]

Emergency aid

Don't assume that you can't help in an emergency just because you've never attended or

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There are 1,013,913 words in the English language, according to the Global Language Monitor, but how many do you use? Do you know just enough words to get by, or are you a master of erudite, insightful commentary?

Vocabulary is about more than communication; it helps shape people's thoughts and ambitions.

Orwell's novel 1984 depicts a dystopian future where language is being phased out in favour of 'newspeak', an impoverished alternative that suppresses individual thought. He knew that language is about more than making yourself understood.

Limited vocabularies can affect people's lives and their self-esteem. Mum-of-one Emma said: "I have a wide vocab, my partner doesn't and people are prejudiced. When we have meetings at my daughter's school, they dismiss him. And at job interviews it's a huge problem."

Whether you're writing, interviewing for a job, talking to your friends or just thinking, your vocabulary really matters. But are we increasingly impoverished when it comes to

Read More »from How to improve your vocabulary

Everything in moderation, they say? Maybe not when it comes to the Triple Bypass Burger.

A man in the US suffered a heart attack last Saturday while eating the aforementioned burger at the Heart Attack Café located in downtown Las Vegas.

This comically tragic story was the first of its kind at the restaurant, whose slogan ‘Taste Worth Dying for’ might need to be rethought after the man was taken out of the eatery by paramedics. Thankfully, he survived.

[Related feature: The world's most unhealthy sandwiches]
[Related article: Brit is 'fattest man alive']

The infamous American eatery unapologetically serves up calorie-rich and fat-laden food. The burger in question costs £7 ($11.10) and contains a 1.5 pound beef burger served with several slices of processed cheese and the option of 15 slices of bacon for an extra £1. 76 ($2.77).

Shockingly, this isn’t even the unhealthiest item on the menu. The Quadruple Bypass Burger features two pounds of meat, processed cheese and 20 bacon slices for an Read More »from US man has heart attack while eating 'Triple Bypass Burger' at The Heart Attack Grill

They may cause you to reminisce about the simpler and wholesome days of your youth, but most popular breakfast cereals are so full of sugar, they’d be better placed with chocolate bars and biscuits in the supermarket, a study has revealed.

Consumer watchdog Which? has come out against manufactures, claiming they don’t do enough to reduce the amount of sugar in their products.

[Related feature: Top 10 healthiest breakfast options]

“Cereals aimed at children were particularly disappointing, with high levels of sugar found in 12 out of 14, meaning that many would be more at home in the chocolate biscuit aisle,” a spokesman said.

Kellogg’s Frosties are the worst offender according to the Which? report, with 37g of sugar per 100g of cereal. More than 12.5g of sugar is considered excessive. Left: Frosties were voted the worst sugar offender Right: Chocolate rice cereals followed closely behind

In total, 32 of 50 cereals surveyed were found to be high in sugar. The list also includes products like Kellogg’s Special K which are marketed as healthy or slimming options.

Richard Lloyd, executive

Read More »from Two thirds of breakfast cereals 'would be more at home in the biscuit aisle'

It’s no secret that most professional photos are heavily retouched before they’re shown to the general public, but just what kind of editing work goes into modeling shots and close-ups? How much airbrushing, re-touching and Photoshop trickery is used to achieve those perfect, blemish-free faces?

Well, M. Seth Jones knows exactly what goes into producing a flawless spread. He is a professional retoucher who perfects imperfections and transforms rather ordinary looking people into picture-perfect cover girls for a living.

On his website, he describes the process that’s involved in manipulating the human face for advertisements.

"In these selected images, you can witness first-hand the impact that retouching has the potential to make on a single image. Every image presented to me has an ideal state that I'm attempting to reach; retouch is so completely subjective, that it is likely that no two retouchers will approach an image in the same manner, or reach the same finished outcome. At

Read More »from What models look like before Photoshop

How do you feel when you buy two bottles of shampoo for the price of one? Most of us are searching for ways to cut costs in the current climate, and often succumb to the lure of marketing terms such as "Buy One, Get One Free!"

But have you considered that these 'deals' often mean we spend more than we would've done otherwise. For example, you may see a luxurious moisturiser you wouldn't typically buy, but because the sign says it's half price, you delve for your purse — even though it's still more expensive than your usual product.

[Related feature: What does 'this does not affect your statutory rights' mean?]

Our emotional reaction to special offers plays a role in parting with our cash. Fifty pence off bananas! Half-price wine! 50% extra, free! You know the ones, and shoppers lured by these phrases may find it tempting to take the big, flash banners shouting 'free' at face value.

And this is particularly the case when it comes to everyday items — shoppers are even more inclined to opt

Read More »from The retail catchphrases that cost you money