National Science and Media Museum: Everything you need to know about Bradford museum reopening

Science and Health

One of Yorkshire’s most well-loved museums is finally set to reopen its doors in January, some 18 months after being closed for a major refurbishment.The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford will open in time for the kick-off of celebrations to mark the City of Culture 2025.Some £6m has been spent on the refurbishment, which will eventually include two new permanent galleries as well as a new foyer and redesigned shop.Its director, Jo Quinton-Tulloch, told the Yorkshire Post of her anticipation of the reopening, which is on January 8.An artist’s impression of the new foyer at the National Media and Science Museum in BradfordShe said: “We’re incredibly excited that we’re now so close to reopening the museum. The work we’ve been doing is really transformational.“We know it’s a flagship institution within the city centre.and that throughout the year Bradford will be welcoming millions of people as part of City of Culture.“It feels very strange to be in a museum that has not had visitors for so long.”While the two new galleries, Sound and Vision, will not be open until summer, Ms Quinton-Tulloch offered a teaser of what is to come.She said: “There’s some some really important objects that tell the origins or the starting points for so much of the world that we now live in, which is full of sound and vision technologies.“That includes the first photographic negative which was created by William Henry Fox Talbot, and the camera that was used to take the first moving images by Louis Le Prince the creator of the first known film, Roundhay Garden Scene. We’ll be showing that film in the gallery.”Other highlights include the apparatus of television inventor John Logie Baird, and the cameras used to create the infamous Cottingley fairy photographs by schoolgirls Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths.“The galleries are really rich and wherever possible, we’re showing Yorkshire and Bradford stories too,” Ms Quinton-Tulloch said.A key part of encouraging local visitors is to keep the museum free at the point of entry. Ms Quinton-Tulloch said: “I think everyone should have free access to arts and culture. I’m also very aware that still not everyone feels that museums are places for them, and that might be because they’ve never visited before. They’ve never had the opportunity to come. And so it’s still really important to remove that barrier.“We want visitors to come from across the country and after the across the world, to find out, to celebrate with us, to share these amazing opportunities inside of Bradford and Yorkshire.”Forming a key part of the re-opening programme is a new exhibition of the work of one of Bradford’s most famous sons, David Hockney.David Hockney: Pieced Together showcases Hockney’s video installation capturing Woldgate Woods in the Yorkshire countryside through the four seasons, with each screen showing a different perspective of the country lane.Other highlights will include a refurbishment of the museum’s beloved video games archive into a new area called Power Up.Enthusiasts will get hands-on gaming experience as well as learning about the science and art behind game development.

Book lovers delight: Milton Library’s $5 bag sale offers endless treasures

Arts & Culture, Books

Newswatch 16’s Mackenzie Aucker shares how the book sale helps support the Milton Public Library.

MILTON, Pa. — Those who wander through the Milton Public Library can get lost among the hundreds of books on their shelves. 

Travel down a narrow hallway, and that’s where you’ll find the library’s book nook. 

For the past several weeks, the library has been running its annual winter book sale.

“We provide a shopping bag, and it is $5, and as many books, DVDs, audiobooks as you can put in there, it’s $5 for the full bag; that’s what we’ve been doing, it’s running all month long,” said Hollis Jacoby, Milton Public Library senior library associate. 

The book nook has all of the library’s donated books, DVDs, and audiobooks. Community members fuel the book nook by dropping off their donations on the first Friday and Saturday of each month.  

“We even have some CDs back there, so it’s a whole section of that back hallway that is just filled to the brim with books and anything else you might want, so anything you can find back there that you want, put it in the bag and it’s yours,” said Jacoby. 

Sue Kratzer frequents the Milton Public Library and is taking full advantage of the winter book sale. 

“If you go to a local store you’re paying $20 for maybe one book where you can maybe have 20 books in a bag,” said Sue Krazter, New Berlin. 

The winter book sale also helps the library with funding the many programs it offers. 

“Some of them like just for reading time or for the little ones, but we also have adult programming, we have like the book folding classes or flower arranging, have a groups for teens—there’s a teen book club that meets here every week, so it would go towards all of our different programs and being able to fund those for all of our patrons,” said Jacoby. 

The winter book sale at the Milton Public Library runs until Monday, December 30th.

Tripura: Agartala Book Fair From Jan 2-14, Bangladesh Publishers Not To Participate

Arts & Culture, Books

Agartala, Dec 28: The 43rd Agartala Book Fair will be held from January 2 to 14, 2025, but there will be no participation from Bangladeshi publishers or booksellers this year.The 12-day event, set to be inaugurated by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha at the Badharghat fairground in West Tripura, will feature publishers from Kolkata, Guwahati, Delhi, and local houses. However, Bimbisar Bhattacharjee, Director of Information and Cultural Affairs (ICA), confirmed that no Bangladeshi publishing house had applied for a stall, despite the upcoming lottery for stall distribution.Subabrata Deb, President of the Tripura Publishers’ Guild (TPG), attributed the absence to the ongoing political instability in Bangladesh, concerns over safety, and visa issues. This marks the first time in many years that Bangladeshi publishers will not attend the fair.Writer Nandita Roy also expressed regret over the absence, noting the demand for Bangladeshi literary and research-based works in Tripura.The state government has advanced the fair’s schedule to January, allowing students to visit without conflicting with board exams.

College program makes science more interesting for students

Science and Health

Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTMifflin County Junior High School students Hailey Freed (left) and Jazelle Williams stir a mixture of ice cream and liquid nitrogen to make a frozen treat.LEWISTOWN — It’s not every day science students at Mifflin County Junior High School in Lewistown get to ignite a fiery plume in the classroom, or freeze liquid ingredients to make a tasty frozen treat.It’s part of the norm for those with labs with Juniata College’s Science in Motion program.
“Science in Motion provides support for the middle school, junior high school and high school,” explained Kelli Stine, a general science teacher at Mifflin County Junior High School. “There are mobile educators that provide hands-on experiments and demonstrations with the students.”
Fire and ice included.
The program stresses when students see science in motion, they become excited about the subject that explains it, and learning becomes the recipe for something awe-inspiring.
Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTKelsi Newman (left), of Juniata College’s
Science in Motion program pours liquid nitrogen over a balloon making liquid oxygen as she is
assisted by Mifflin County Junior High School
student Aubrie Yoder.“This school year, I have 103 students over five class periods,” said Melissa Schomaker, an eighth-grade science teacher at Mifflin County Junior High School.
“I often borrow supplies from Science in Motion for labs,” Schomaker added. “One example is the chemicals for an elephant toothpaste lab to demonstrate exothermic chemical reactions and the effect of varying concentration or using a catalyst. Another popular lab I borrow uses ionic salts to show the range of colors emitted by burning various elements.”
Both teachers agree the hands-on approach is much more effective in teaching science than having students sit at their desks and stare at the pages of a textbook.
“Students very much prefer hands-on activities and with Science in Motion, I am able to bring many concepts to life that I may not otherwise be able to do due to limitations with supplies and equipment,” Schomaker explained.
Case in point: Kelsi Newman, the middle and junior high school outreach coordinator from Juniata College, spent the day in Mifflin County classrooms recently, and performed many demonstrations to highlight the products of various chemical reactions.
Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTMifflin County Junior High School student Raelyn Reinhart (left) doesn’t flinch as a fiery plume is ignited by Kelsi Newman, of Juniata College’s Science in Motion program.“She provides great demonstrations – the liquid nitrogen demonstration, making ice cream with liquid nitrogen and the fire demo,” Stine said. “We can also get pre-made labs through the school year delivered to our classroom.
“I use the mixtures and compounds lab, the endothermic/exothermic lab, M&Ms half-life lab and the law of conservation of mass lab,” Stine added. “I have been using the program for years. It is valuable to our students.”
Stine’s average class size is around 23 students, and she teaches six periods each day.
At the conclusion of each class, every student was able to hold methane-filled bubbles, which were then ignited by Newman. This combustion reaction lasted only a few seconds, but it was just long enough to get great pictures of the students.
“They talk about this demo day a lot and we refer back to it often in our discussions,” Schomaker said.
Photo courtesy of MIFFLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTMifflin County Junior High School students Chase Krepps (left) and Lily Curry make ice cream using liquid nitrogen.Science in Motion supports middle and high schools by addressing the needs of science, engineering, and technology in the classroom by providing:
Mobile educators, or visiting science education specialists, to the schools with multiple sets of modern scientific equipment and supplies needed to give every student a hands-on experience;
Well-maintained equipment and materials to teachers to allow greater access to advanced laboratory resources;
Professional development workshop opportunities for teachers to keep high school and middle school courses current with the latest discoveries in science and have standards-aligned laboratory activities.

You only have days to watch this Oscar-nominated Denzel Washington movie on Netflix

Technology

If you sat down to watch Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to Gladiator earlier this winter and were taken by surprise when Denzel Washington first appeared and then proceeded to dominate every one of his scenes in the movie, this one’s for you. Scott and Washington have collaborated a few times before, and one of their best movies together is about to leave Netflix in both the UK and the US.31 December, New Year’s Eve, will be your last day to catch American Gangster included in your subscription, before the 2007 crime epic leaves the streaming service for now. It might be back in the future, of course, but that isn’t something you’d want to bet on.

American Gangster Official Trailer #1 – Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe Movie (2007) HD – YouTube

Watch On
The best streaming services on the market don’t just have the newest releases, after all, and an actor like Washington is the perfect example of how a back catalogue can be a huge asset. American Gangster sets him up in a leading role and lets him loose to do some of his very best work.Washington plays Frank Lucas, a chauffeur to a big crime boss who spots an opportunity to fill a power vacuum and does so quite brilliantly. He’s not necessarily going to get it all his way, and another big Scott collaborator, Russel Crowe, plays a detective who’s absolutely determined to bring Lucas down.Image

Makati Business Club calls for more transparency in 2025 budget process

Business News

MANILA, Philippines – The Makati Business Club (MBC) on Saturday, December 28, called for a “more transparent and accountable process” in finalizing the 2025 General Appropriations Act, particularly in the bicameral committee’s actions and discussions on the national budget.

The MBC commended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for scrutinizing the bicameral-approved 2025 budget before its final passage, expressing its alarm over some adjustments the committee had made.

These include giving a budget of P1.1 trillion to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is larger than the Department of Education’s P737 billion. The DepEd is constitutionally mandated to have the highest budget among all departments.

House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun earlier disputed the claim that the DPWH had a higher budget than what is allotted for education. Khonghun pointed to the total education budget being P1.055 trillion, when including other allotments for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), state universities and colleges, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), among others.

The MBC also questioned why Congress received a budget increase of P19 billion.

“There is no sufficient explanation on the need and/or justification for this budgetary adjustment,” they said.

The MBC said there was no explanation or justification for the P26-billion allotment for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos sa Kita Program, meant to be a financial assistance subsidy for “near-poor” families.

“There is no information on how this will be implemented, and conditions required for receiving the assistance. We note that the Senate has also previously questioned the funds for the program,” the MBC said.

The MBC said that there was no explanation for the removal of the P74.43 billion subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Citing Pulse Asia’s survey on Filipinos’ top concerns in March, which were controlling inflation, increasing workers’ pay, and fighting graft and corruption, the MC said that these must be the government’s priorities, and reflected in the national budget.

“Therefore, the 2025 budget should focus on addressing supply-side inflation, improving infrastructure, addressing workforce skills gap, and driving government efficiency and transparency to attract more job-creating investments,” they said.

Pulse Asia has released a more recent survey as of June, with the top concerns being increasing workers’ pay, creating more jobs, and reducing poverty.

Expert Speaks

“MBC believes that the national budget should be designed to address the concerns and needs of the Filipino people. Thus, MBC calls for a more transparent and needs-aligned corrective actions to the 2025 budget,” they added.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier expressed disappointment in the P10-billion cut in his department’s computerization budget. Marcos had given an assurance that his administration would restore it.

Malacañang has announced that Marcos will sign the 2025 budget on Monday, December 30. – Rappler.com

Dear Abby: Gossipy neighbor won’t stay out of our business

Business News

DEAR ABBY: I have a neighbor who gossips about our other neighbors. She tells me if a man comes to visit our neighbor across the street and if he spends the night. She’s always asking me where they are going and what they are doing. I told her I don’t know because I don’t pay attention to what other people are doing. This neighbor has now started calling me if I go out and wants to know where I went. If I go to the doctor, she asks me why. If I have work being done at my home, she asks how much I paid for it. If I’m out more than a few hours, she asks where I was for so long. I am a private person, and I will tell someone if I want them to know. She even comes outside and starts pulling weeds if I have company. I don’t know how to deal with her. — PRIVATE IN WEST VIRGINIA DEAR PRIVATE: Deal with this nosy woman by telling her if it was any of her business, she would already know the answer to her incessant, intrusive questions. Avoid her as much as possible. If your across-the-street neighbor doesn’t already know, warn her that this person is invading her privacy and repeating every detail she observes to anyone who will listen.Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Protecting Your Interests in Los Angeles Business Disputes

Business News

—In Los Angeles, running a business is not without its challenges. And, let’s be honest – disputes are bound to happen. Contracts get breached. Payments delayed. Promises not kept. It is frustrating, right?
These situations can cause stress and financial strain. That is why you need to know how to protect your interests. With the help of a Los Angeles business law firm – you can tackle these issues head-on.
And if you are unsure where to start – a Los Angeles business litigation lawyer can guide you in the right direction.
What causes business disputes?
You depend on a lot of people to keep things running smoothly – suppliers, clients, contractors, and even business partners. But they can also be the ones causing problems. Common causes of disputes include,
Unpaid invoices – A client refuses to pay, and suddenly you are stuck chasing money instead of growing your business.
Broken contracts – You deliver goods or services – but the other party doesn’t hold up their end of the deal.
Partnership issues – Internal disagreements about finances or responsibilities can disrupt operations.
These problems might seem manageable at first. Maybe you think, “I will handle it myself.” But without the right approach – they can escalate fast. That is where experienced business attorneys come in. They not only understand your case but also help you seek redressal for your issues and damages as they are experts in the subject.
Small claims court – Worth it?
Small claims court is often a good option for simpler disputes. Like when you are owed money or there is a minor disagreement over a contract. It is quick and cost-effective because you do not usually need a lawyer. But even here, preparation matters.
You need proof – strong, clear proof. A signed contract, unpaid invoices, or emails showing agreements. Without that, the court might not rule in your favor. And if the other side fights back with valid points? You could lose or end up with less than what you deserve.
While small claims court works in certain cases – it is not always enough. For bigger disputes – a Los Angeles business law firm provides the expertise you need to protect your interests.
Why business attorneys matter
Let’s face it. Not everyone is a legal expert. Trying to handle a business dispute on your own can feel overwhelming. That is why having business attorneys makes a big difference.
Here is what they bring to the table –
Skilled negotiation – Attorneys can often resolve disputes without even going to court. Their experience helps them secure better outcomes.
Legal mediation – When direct negotiations do not work – mediation might. A lawyer guarantees that any agreements reached are fair and enforceable.
Court representation – If it comes to that – they will make sure your case is presented in the strongest possible way.
With an attorney – you are not just protecting yourself – you are also sending a message that you take your business seriously.
Handling contract disputes
Contract disputes are one of the most common issues in business. Just assume this – You hire a contractor for a big project. They do not finish on time or deliver low-quality work. Now, you are stuck. Or, maybe you deliver goods to a client – and they refuse to pay – claiming the products were defective.
In situations like these – the side with the best evidence usually wins. That means contracts, emails, invoices – anything that backs up your claim. A Los Angeles business law firm can help you organize this evidence and build a strong case.
Defending against unfair claims
What if someone sues your business? It happens. Maybe a customer claims your service did not meet expectations. Or a supplier accuses you of breaching a contract.
This is where business attorneys really shine. They will review the details, gather evidence, and build a defense. For example – if someone says your product is defective – your lawyer might use expert opinions or customer feedback to prove otherwise. They also look for weaknesses in the other side’s argument to strengthen your position.
Avoiding disputes altogether
Let’s be real. The best way to deal with disputes is to avoid them entirely. Here is how –
Clear contracts – Spell out everything – deadlines, payment terms, responsibilities. Leave no room for confusion.
Document everything – Keep a record of all communications, agreements, and transactions. You will thank yourself later.
Legal review – Before signing any major agreement – have a Los Angeles business law firm take a look.
By being proactive – you save time, money, and a lot of unnecessary headaches.
Why choose a Los Angeles business law firm?
Local expertise matters. A Los Angeles business law firm understands California’s unique business laws. This insight can make a big difference in how your case is handled.
These firms don’t just help resolve disputes – they also act as advisors. Whether you are setting up a partnership, negotiating contracts, or protecting intellectual property – they have your back. Their goal is to prevent future problems while addressing current ones.
The personal touch matters
Legal jargon and complex terms can make your head spin. Good business attorneys keep things simple. They explain your options in plain language and help you make informed decisions. Having someone on your side who genuinely understands your situation? That’s invaluable.
When to call a lawyer
Don’t wait until a problem spirals out of control. If you sense a dispute brewing – whether it is an unpaid invoice, a broken contract, or a partnership issue – reach out to an attorney. The sooner you act – the better your chances of resolving the issue favorably.
Wrapping it up
Business disputes can feel like a roadblock – but they don’t have to derail your success. Small claims court works for minor issues – but for bigger problems – you need professional help. With the right Los Angeles business law firm by your side – you will protect your interests, resolve conflicts, and stay focused on growing your business.
Don’t wait for things to get worse. Take control of the situation now. Your business – and your peace of mind – depends on it.
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