The ocean is an alien, barren wasteland. A cold and seemingly endless stretch of clogged blackness clings to a shapeless void.
Despite this empty and dead stretch of our world, it is teeming with life. Pressure here, seven hundred meters below the sea surface, can be up to 5,800 lbs per square inch. That is equivalent to having more than 400 cars stacked on top of you at once. Temperature here is maintained at a steady, icy four degrees Celsius. The water here is too deep to be affected by the weather above.
Black and scaled, an alien hangs suspended in the water column. Through the gloom, large bulbous green eyes stare blankly at a 90 degree angle above its head. Its vivid acid green eyes are not, however, the most startling thing about this animal. Meet the Barreleye fish, the silent and otherworldly creature that drifts alone through the midnight zone. Its transparent head is made up of a fluid filled sac revealing their inner eyes, brains, and organs. It is nicknamed the ‘spook-fish’, for its rather freakish appearance.
This fish is the only vertebrate that has developed ‘mirrors’ in their eyeballs. Its ‘invisible’ head allows much needed light to enter from all angles into its eyes which is essential for hunting in the dark. Its eyeballs can roll completely back, allowing it to look not only forwards, but vertically upwards through its see-through brains. The Barreleye is very good at digesting jellyfish, dueto its large digestive system. It is able to survive under such water pressure thanks to a special molecule called trimethylamine N oxide, contained in its cells. Nature has gifted this fish with incredibly unique and otherworldly features to help it survive in the hostile environment it calls home, far below the surface.
Another example of the miracle of nature can be found in the frosty confines of Alaska, spread out across the Arctic circle, where the Wood frog prepares for eight months of being frozen alive. Literally.
As the winter closes in, the land is blanketed in frozen, unforgiving ice, and the ground is locked into an eight-month winter slumber. This relentless wave of ice hits the frog, freezing up to 70% of the water in the frogs’ blood as temperatures plummet well below zero. Ice sucks precious water out of the frogs’ cells
However, the frog has a creative trick up his sleeve. Its liver starts pumping out excess glucose and urine, which, unlike most animals, is not excreted, but stored in the blood. This mix of substances creates a sort of ‘homemade’ antifreeze. Not enough to free the frog, but enough to allow its vital organs to retain enough moisture.
The wood frog spends the next eight months in a state of suspended animation, ice crystals locking its body in place. Eventually, its heart and lungs stop beating. The wood frog can survive for months with an impressive two thirds of its body completely frozen.
So, how does any of this relate to thinking outside of the box?
The animal kingdom has found unimaginably vast solutions for surviving in the extreme and often deadly conditions our world has to offer. Evolution has had to be smart and more importantly, spontaneous and creative when equipping these animals with the proper tools needed to survive. In that sense, thinking outside of the box is all about being creative, unconventional, and seeing things with a fresh perspective to adapt to the vast array of challenges one will be presented with in life.
Like the Wood frog or Barreleye fish, open minded people will thrive through frozen, steely winters and dark, frigid oceans, evolving and adapting to each new challenge with creative solutions, no matter how weird or different. Closed minded people will inevitably struggle under the inky blackness of the ocean and the endless winters of Alaska.
That is what we can learn through nature and evolution.
Thinking outside of the box is an important skill to learn to have. Not because we need to push through frozen winters or survive in pitch darkness, but because we are human, and in the world created today, complex challenges will inevitably arise, requiring original and unconventional ideas to solve them and progress and develop as people. Everyone has to potential to do this, but it requires practice and a willingness to grow in weird and wonderful ways that may not always be expected.

Nowadays, we are always consuming and viewing multiple ideas and content all at once. This is a result of social media and our daily exposure to infinite information. Has this constant information overload removed our ability to have our own original ideas?  
 
When observing pieces of music, we often may find similarities in the melody, rhythm or lyrics. This happens because we have produced an infinite amount of music and songs, limiting the possibility of creating new ideas. Sometimes, artists are not purposefully copying other creators but are just coincidentally creating songs with similar traits.
 
In the past, the world and its art or culture was not as globalized as today. People were usually brought to listen to songs from their own country or state. Whilst nowadays, people can easily get hold of songs, films or content from across the globe, which means an increasing number of people are absorbing the same data and knowledge. Research shows that what humans create is usually  based on what we have experienced and learned throughout our life. If everyone is learning the same things, how are we expected to ‘think outside the box’?  
 
We have all at least once thought we had created an amazing idea, however when we entered a social media such as TikTok or Instagram we see the same thing plastered along our screen.  
 
Not only on social media or online, even in our school lives we are faced with learning similar topics as most people. Even though schools have different curriculums there are certain events which are commonly discussed amongst pupils all around the world. It is unlikely that you find a person, who has finished school, who hasn't heard about WW2 or basic addition and subtraction. So, from an early age we are already programmed into thinking in a certain way, however we are still expected to think outside the box.  ​

Thinking out of the box has to do with dealing with unexpected situations, problems, and challenges in a different, creative way rather than in a traditional way. 

We experience ways to think out of the box every day but we tend to stick to the basic and obvious solutions. It is difficult to dare choose an alternative path to solve whatever issue, but it might surprise you that thinking of the box and focusing on your critical thinking skills can be an even better outcome. Even though it may seem trying to come up with an idea is easy, one should understand that thinking out of the box has its risks, and we should accept the fact that things might not work the way we intend, but this also applies to traditional thinking, so why not try thinking out of the box for once?  
 
Our school values pupils that think creatively and who might in the future lead and develop new ideas in their personal and professional life and influence others to do the same. People who are open-minded often make it easier to welcome new ideas, beliefs, and cultures. As a result, you're more likely to allow yourself to have new experiences.  This also encourages communication skills which may be developed by teenagers when they reach university. Take for instance, Mark Zuckerberg who founded Facebook when he was attending university, who only managed to come up with this idea because he used a way of thinking out of the box which involved his love for computer science. He didn't get the money immediately, he developed that in the long-term as he wanted his app to grow and later he was acknowledged for his achievement.  
 
All in all, when you are thinking out of the box don’t think about what might go wrong, think about the positive result that might come out of it, but if it doesn’t, don’t give up! Resilience should prevail if you really want the goal to work out. Be confident in your own opinions and ideas and if you think you are correct, don’t let others get in the way of your goals. Remember, always be open-minded because you never know, everything in life happens for a reason. ​

As we pass through life in today's fast world, which is mostly routine or out of habit, "thinking outside of the box" has become an increasingly important term. Whether a student, artist, or entrepreneur, it is outside the box that real creativity and innovation begin. But what does it really mean to think outside the box, and why is it so crucial in today's world?


What does it mean?
It literally means thinking outside the box: a different perspective of things, questioning the status quo, and offering alternative solutions. That means one should not be tied to the idea of there being only one right way to do things but find new, sometimes unconventional paths. This may relate to anything from complex problem-solving in advanced math and science to new modes of self-expression in the arts, the written word, or music. Think, for example, of some of the world's most brilliant inventions and innovators, such as Steve Jobs, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein. They certainly did not make their great breakthroughs by “going with the flow”. Instead, they approached problems with a different type of thinking, questioned beliefs held for centuries, and dared to dream the impossible. It definitely wasn't conventional thinking that bequeathed Einstein his theory of relativity-the staple that changed how we view space and time. The theory flowed from a mind audacious enough to dream of the universe in a different way.


Why Is It Important?
Thinking out of the box is not restricted to geniuses or innovators who change the world. It is more of a skill which all of us can develop and use in daily life-be it solving some everyday problem, studying for exams, or working on some group project. For students especially, such a mindset becomes vital. When students permit themselves to take a few leaps beyond what is expected, new possibilities are left to them. Another requisite element is to be original. Industries want workers of this kind because it's a developing industry, and they would want workers to contribute new ideas to their companies. Problems that may be tougher than those in the past will surely arise, and knowing how to adapt and solve such problems will make one more successful. It can be in developing new
technology, improving business processes, or finding some ingenious ways of helping others. The ability to think creatively is an asset.






How Can You Practice It?
1. Question assumptions to think out of the box, not because it is so, merely because a reason exists.
2. Keep yourself curious through new ideas, wide reading, and learning from different perspectives.
3. Cooperative help from others can give birth to creative solutions.
4. Never be afraid of defeat; instead, use it as a landmark leading to success. It is part of the process.
5. Change your environment. Change in environment may give you a fresh idea and a different perspective.


And all it really means by thinking out of the box is challenging oneself to look beyond the obvious. It is a mindset to delve into newer ideas, look at problems creatively, and find opportunities at a place where others see obstacles. Whether you are at school, preparing for the future workforce, or simply trying to solve an everyday problem, this way of thinking will open the door to endless possibilities. So let's break ourselves loose from the ordinary and see where thinking out of the box can take us!

Since a young age, we have been taught that reading is crucial for your brain, that it’s a “brain workout” and that it will benefit you in many ways. The advantages of reading are vast, ranging from enjoyment and relaxation to prevention of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Reading stimulates the brain’s neural pathways, improving cognitive function, memory, and brain activity. It boosts not only your creativity, but your capacity to learn. Reading enhances your vocabulary, your knowledge, your imagination, and your mental health.
Specifically for emotional health, reading exposes you to many different emotions, building up your resilience to different situations where, emotionally, things get difficult. Reading can also promote stress relief, relaxing your muscles and decreasing your heart rate.
Reading changes the way your brain connects with different circuits. It benefits your vocabulary, your cognitive function, and many, many others. If you struggle with reading frequently, start slowly, by reading only a few pages a day, until you feel more motivated to read more. Some ways of reading more are:
- Developing a routine (for example, reading before bed).
- Read books on topics you are interested in (such as murder mysteries, economics, biographies).
Reading, for many people, can be a hard habit to pick up. But once it becomes a routine, the rewards will be indispensable.

When we see the words AI and revolution, we think of robots and computers controlling the world. However, when talking about AI there is a much closer revolution and change that we are entering, and it is linked to the environment. It is no secret that in this past century our environmental situation has only gotten worse, from climate change to global warming. The world has been facing, one could argue, an existential challenge. With the start of AI and its increasing popularization, our environmental situation will only get worse.  
 
Why does AI have such a big hold on climate change and global warming? Simply put, the AI that we use in our computers, at school, or at our workspace, is dependent on a vast amount of electricity to function. Nvidia, the company that runs the data centers of AI language models, have stated that they consume as much electricity as 1.3 million households in the US annually, or 14.384 GWh.  
 
As we increase the use of AI facilities the power demands will only become more burdensome in our already slowly decaying world. The environmental agency says current data center usage stands at around 460 terawatt hours in 2022. Which could increase to 620-1,050 TWh in 2026, equivalent to the energy demands of Sweden or Germany respectively. Google uses as much energy for AI each year as all the homes in Atlanta.  
 
All this energy powered for AI is mostly by burning coal and fossil fuels, meaning that AI could be the next massive and growing amount of global carbon emissions.  
 
Currently, the world is trying to become carbon neutral by 2050, an agreement set by the UN called the Paris Agreement, a goal yet to be reached. How will we achieve this goal with the burden of AI technology weighing us down, with its huge energy consumption? Will AI be effective and productive enough to warrant this amount of electricity usage?  
 
Although Microsoft, Google and OpenAI have said that they are trying to improve more and more AI and decreasing its effect on carbon emissions, as the world realizes how AI is taking a huge part on future environmental issues, its popularity might be impacted. Another example of this is cryptocurrency, which also uses the same amount of energy as the whole of Argentina. 
 
AI could, in the future, help with global warming and climate change. However, it is not yet ‘intelligent’ enough to support us in our journey of decreasing carbon emissions. The advance of artificial intelligence could lead to an 80% increase on carbon emissions.  
 
Is AI the begging of an environmentally friendly world or just the final nail in the coffin of our planet?  ​

One of the most disruptive global catastrophes in modern history, The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone around the world immensely. As we recover from this crisis, it is crucial to acknowledge the long-lasting and profound changes the epidemic has made in every single aspect of our lives. Many believe that the post-pandemic world is a mere return to “normal” life, when in reality we are re-sculpting the term as we go.

The pandemic served as a helpful and much-needed reminder of the importance of looking after our planet. Air pollution and environmental deterioration significantly decreased as a result of the abrupt, temporary slowdown in industrial activity. This provoked discussion on the critical topics of sustainability and climate change. Companies, governments and individuals are now adopting different methods of becoming greener, like sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy (solar panels, windmills, etc.), increase in policies that give value to sustainability, and advocating for environmental conservation. The world is changing, and so we change together for a greener future.

One of the greatest shifts we had to adapt to was working in the comfort of our homes. As doors to schools, colleges, offices and other public spaces closed, we became guinea pigs for a huge worldwide experiment: the sudden change to remote work. This, which was considered a short-term change, has now become permanent in many places and industries. It does not have to be one or the other, many companies nowadays are allowing employees to do a blend of both, to suit what they prefer. There are many advantages to remote work: the flexibility, safety from virus exposure, and many people are now moving to small towns or the countryside since they no longer feel tied to the big cities to maintain their jobs. These advantages are great and globally recognized, however, there are disadvantages as well. Isolation, technical issues, a blurred boundary between work and personal life and increased screen fatigue are major reasons why some companies went back to being 100% in-person. Many people did not have computers or any sort of device that they could work, or worked jobs that were purely physical and could not be done online.

The COVID-19 lockdown severely altered how we connect with people. We started to rely solely on screens for communication, via social media, texting, or video calls. While this technology allowed us to keep in touch during tough times of isolation, it also emphasized the importance of in-person interactions, and the effect one single hug has. So now, after the isolation, there is a larger appreciation for face-to-face communication and contact, and a stronger sense of community. We learned the importance of maintaining relationships, and now we as a society have implemented in our lives a healthy mix of digital and physical communication.

In conclusion, the post-pandemic world is one of fresh starts. Obviously, the pandemic has presented colossal obstacles However, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on how we would like to shape our future. We as a society have the potential to live in a more sustainable, creative, inclusive and adaptable world. It is imperative that we keep the lessons learned in the pandemic in mind as we move forward into this new era: an era of new beginnings.