This week, NASA got everyone jolly excited with an announcement about "exoplanets". Simply put, an exoplanet is a planet that does not orbit our Sun - but orbits around another star.

End of post? Not quite.

While the definition of an exoplanet is very simple, finding these far-flung worlds is not. Here's how you can find an exoplanet:

When a star has planets orbiting around it, then the planets cause the star to "wobble". Scientists pick up these wobbles as changes in the colour of the light emitted by the star.

When a planet passes in front of a star, then a tiny amount of the star's light will be blocked. This is the most popular way to find planets - NASA's Kepler spacecraft has found thousands of candidate planets using this method since 2009.

It's called the transit method. Here's a hulk (planet) and giant Lego head (star) to demo how this is done:

A tiny amount (around 1%) of exoplanets have been found by directly imaging them in orbit around a star. It's incredibly difficult to do (imagine trying to photograph a speck of dust in front of a lightbulb) but here's a short movie of four planets more massive than Jupiter orbiting the young star HR 8799. These images were taken over seven years by the W.M. Keck observatory in Hawaii.

Another tricky method is to detect how a star's light is bent around a planet due to gravity. Only a handful of planets have been found this way.

We will never know! But we have (at the time of writing) discovered just under 3,500 extra-terrestrial worlds.

Scientists are also busy trying to work out if these planets could hold life, which is why the recent NASA announcement is particularly exciting - the space agency has found SEVEN Earth-sized planets all within the "habitable zone" of a star ( a place in the orbit where life could survive as it's not too hot or too cold - which is why this is sometimes called the "Goldilocks zone").

It's a fascinating concept and one that will keep scientists and science fiction writers busy for some time. Imagine planet hopping between worlds with different civilisations.

You may want to download the "eyes on exoplanets" app to fly through the planets and see an artist's concept of their surfaces.

To find out more about exoplanets and where to find them, check out NASA's exoplanet exploration site.

Apps, monitoring devices and video-link surgeries could all bridge the £22bn NHS funding gap, according to the i paper.

Investigations from the paper and its sister publications found 44 Sustainability Transformation Plans (STPs) produced by regional NHS bodies to meet this five-year target.

The move is met with scepticism by some who are concerned that technology can never fully replace a trained medical clinician. For example, the planned increase in home alarm devices by some councils 'lacks humanity' and cannot pick up on cues that a person is struggling in their own home, according to the paper.

Yet, Hampshire County Council has trimmed £4.7m from its budget since partnering with telecare provider PA Consulting. And Northamptonshire County Council has agreed to cut £24m from its adult care budget and plans to use more home alarm systems to achieve this.

​DIY clinics are another option, where patients take their own blood pressure or oral chemotherapy treatments at home, for example. South Yorkshire is named as one region 'pinning its hope on benevolent Big Brother equipment' by the paper. Another tech option is "telehealth", where patients with long term health complaints use technology to send such information to their GPs.
​
Apps dispensing real-time medical advice are being considered in London over the next five years to uncluttered doctors' surgeries, according to the newspaper.

And A&E admissions could also be reduced through apps. Sounds unfeasible? Well, chronic respiratory patients in Portsmouth already use an app linked to clinicians so they can chart symptoms and watch videos to monitor inhaler usage and exercise.

Others argue that such technologies can never fully replace medic-led care. Speaking to the i, Declan Hadley, digital health lead for Lancashire and Cumbria change programme, said:

Telehealth, for example, could mean 'a disabled person can be a prisoner in their own home', according to Carlo Salvatore, a member of Disabled People Against Cuts.

Another diabetes patient points out that everyone is different and no one should be forced into phone- or Skype-based conversations.

Let's not forget that the NHS does not have the best track record when it comes to technology. For example, NHS 24 dubbed the transformation project to replace its IT system as a "systemic failure around project governance”.

So, could technology save the NHS?

No.

Humans must first upgrade their approach to technology. It's a two-way street where we must work as hard as we can to see technology implemented in the most effective way. We must address fears of alienating and dangerous tech-based medical practices with patients. We must also address the fears of another NHS tech initiative that spirals out of financial control.

Why?

Because humans need to wholeheartedly embrace technology for any future NHS tech initiatives to ever succeed.

How?

Technology must complement the care given by human clinicians, not replace it. 

Human health bosses must learn from the mistakes of past tech projects to stop the NHS flat lining.

Technology is constantly adapted to meet the needs of humans. Now, humans need to adapt to the technology on offer to the NHS. We must innovate our approaches and methods or we will fail technology and, ultimately, the NHS will fail too.


To read all the NHS articles in full from the i newspaper, click here. ​

The God Particle is the rather grand nickname given to the Higgs boson, which is a teeny tiny particle, with some massive implications.

The Higgs boson is responsible for all the mass in the universe. In other words, if there's no Higgs boson, there's no you or me. No Marvel universe. No universe at all. 

You may remember that a lot of scientists got a lot of excited when the Higgs boson was discovered on 4 July 2012.

And it's discovery really is a big deal.

To understand why, first we need to understand a branch of science called Particle Physics, where scientists break down our complex universe into its most basic building blocks.

These most basic building blocks are called elementary particles (those particles that can't be broken down any further). There are two groups: fermions (that make up matter) and bosons (that carry forces).

​In simple terms, the fermions are the Lego blocks seen here that make up matter and Ironman is the boson pulling everything together:

We understand bosons and fermions relatively well, as well as the forces that result from these particles.

But we don't really understand why matter has mass, or the amount of matter it has. And this is where we need to understand the Higgs field.

The Higgs field is an invisible and theoretical force field the fills the entire universe. We can't see it but we can detect it with sophisticated equipment.

As a particle passes through the Higgs field it interacts with the field and gets mass.

As a particle moves through the Higgs field, it generates Higgs bosons as the field becomes "excited".

​​So, if we can detect Higgs bosons, then we know that there is a Higgs field.

If we know there is a Higgs field, then we understand how matter gets mass.

“The way the Higgs field gives masses to particles is its own unique feature, which is different from all other known fields in the universe,” says Matt Strassler, a Harvard University theoretical physicist. “When the Higgs field turns on, it changes the environment for all particles; it changes the nature of empty space itself."

In other words, space is no longer empty. Matter has mass. The universe exists. And the God particle suddenly seems like a very apt name for the Higgs boson.

​It's a lot of weird and wonderful science to get your head around. This excellent video by Dave Barney and Steve Goldfarb gives a more detailed explanation:

​Hello. I'm the freelance writer who gets tech. I have two degrees in Physics and, during my studies, I became increasingly frustrated with the complicated language used to describe some outstanding scientific principles. Language should aid our understanding - in science, it often feels like a barrier.

So, I want to simplify these science sayings and this blog series "Sunday Science" gives a quick, no-nonsense definition of the complex-sounding scientific terms you often hear, but may not completely understand. 

If there's a scientific term or topic you'd like me to tackle in my next post, fire an email to  [email protected] or leave a comment below. If you want to sign up to our weekly newsletter, pop your email in the form below - thanks!

Image: CMS https://home.cern/images/2014/01/higgs-boson-decay-four-muons

Have you considered publishing guest posts on your blog? I have. It seems like a no-brainer. I get someone else to write the content, the contributor gets some brand exposure, I get a unique insight into an area I didn't understand. Share the love, right?

Wrong.

What you may not know is that guest posts could damage your blog. They could drive down your SEO with spammy links and dilute your brand with irrelevant content.

This doesn't mean you should never allow guest posts on your blog. But you have to be picky. I've worked on both sides of the fence - as a guest contributor and a blog editor.

Here are my top tips if you're planning to accept guest posts:

If someone asks to write for your blog then you need to ask for some examples of their writing. More specifically, ask if they have any examples that are relevant to your blog and its core topics.

It's also worth researching any potential writers to see if they have a blog and the quality of their work. A quick Google search is a good start. Then, read some of their work to check it gives useful information and isn't filled with links back to their own site.

Never, never, EVER accept a post that has been published elsewhere. It'll drive down your SEO. ​I also use the  Copyscape online tool to double check for plagiarism. 

You'll also need at least 500 words of unique content on an interesting topic - not one that's been beaten to death thousands of times. 

Don't accept a post that's filled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

Why?

Well, if the writer doesn't have the time to check for such errors, then they do not have the best work ethic. For me, it's a red flag and such sloppy writing doesn't make the cut. I know it's harsh but you need to work with writers that respect your brand and their work.

Make sure any guest contributors give you a clear rundown of the proposed post. You need a working title and a synopsis at the very least.

I also get contributors to answer the following questions: "how will your post help our audience?" and "what is your main message to them in 1-2 sentences?"

​It makes sure we're all on the same track before they spend a lot of time working on a post.

Don't be afraid to say no to a post if it isn't a fit for your blog and your brand. If the writer has gone off the original outline and produced something that isn't a fit - just say no.

It helps to have some editorial guidelines so your policies are laid out in black and white - we'll cover that in a later post.

Your blog is your blog. I would not recommend giving author accounts. Although the vast majority of guest contributors are honest souls, you are bound to eventually work with those that are not.

Do you want to open your blog up to spammy links? People who can edit and remove content without you knowing? And accept dodgy comments?

It's not worth the risk.

Trust me, writing a quality blog post takes A LOT of time and effort. You want to grow a community of writers that want to work for you - so make sure you treat your writers with respect.

I once blogged for a client who was just rude. There's no other way to put it. What's more, last minute requests to change the copy were constantly made, deadlines would be changed on a daily basis and the criticism was never constructive - all while being barked at by quite an unpleasant person.

Please don't be that person! Talk to your writers, be reasonable and always, always be courteous. I'll talk about feedback and building a community of writers more in my next posts.

Whether you're a guest contributor or want to start working with guest contributors, I'd love to hear about your experiences and any tips you have - please leave a comment below!

Pi, not pie. The Raspberry Pi is a tiny device with a world of possibilities.

The Raspberry Pi is a micro-computer. It's like someone has scaled down your laptop to the size of a credit card.

Here's my Pi with a Lego Ironman for some sense of scale:

The Raspberry Pi was originally designed to address the skills gap in the computing sector. Yes, millions of children are happy to use computers - but do they understand what's going on underneath their iPad's screen?

The Raspberry Pi was born to address this deficit in use and understanding. It can teach you the basics of programming.

All you need to do is to hook up your Pi to a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Turn it on and, after a simple setup process, you'll be greeted with a familiar looking screen.

From here, you can mess around on Minecraft (there's a Pi-based version available on the latest models) or start tinkering with some basic programming.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, it is. And the best bit is that a Pi will only cost you just over £30.

​The not so simple part is what you can do with your Pi. Which is pretty much anything.

You can make a media centre, create a retro video games console, make a camera.... or just play Minecraft.

You can find out more about the sort of projects you could achieve here at Pi HQ: https://www.raspberrypi.org/.

Here's my personal favourite, a holographic death star!

Last year, the detection of gravitational waves caused ripples across the entire scientific community. It was heralded as the discovery of the century, not just because it was incredibly difficult to do, it also proved one of Einstein's fundamental theories.

So, what are gravitational waves?

A gravitational wave is a ripple in the fabric of space and time. That's right, the fabric of space and time.

If you imagine our Sun and planets are resting on a big plastic sheet. The sheet is the fabric of space. The Sun and planets are going to distort that fabric because they have mass.

I don't have planets. But I do have a big light and some Lego superheroes. And cling film.

As you can see, the light (Sun), Lego superheroes (planets) are distorting the space-time (cling film). When they move, ripples are caused. These ripples are gravitational waves.

The more massive the moving object, the bigger the distortions in space-time.

In other words, the more massive the moving object, the bigger the gravitational waves.

Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves some 100 years before they were detected as part of his General Theory of Relativity. Even he thought they would never be detected.

Gravitational waves only stretch space by a tiny, tiny amount.

They get lost in the noise of the universe.

To detect them, you need one of the most precise and largest experiments in the history of scientific endeavour.

LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, is this experiment. It discovered gravitational waves after decades of work

​If you want to find out more about gravitational waves and the LIGO experiment this video from PHD comics is absolutely fantastic: