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What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a digital token that can be sent electronically from one user to another, anywhere in the world. Bitcoin is also the name of the payment network on which the Bitcoin digital tokens move. Some people differentiate between Bitcoin capitalized, as the token, and bitcoin lowercase, as the network. Unlike traditional payment networks like Visa or American Express, no single company or person runs the Bitcoin network. Instead, it is a decentralized network of computers around the world that keep track of all Bitcoin transactions, similar to the decentralized network of servers that makes the internet work. Because there is no central authority running Bitcoin, no one has the authority to force new users to reveal their identities. The network was designed this way to create a currency and a financial network outside the control of any government or single company. The computers that join the network and track Bitcoin transactions are motivated to do so ...

How to buy, send and invest in the digital currency “Bitcoin is the beginning of something great: a currency without a government, something necessary and imperative.” Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan How do people use bitcoins? It is an electronic or digital currency that works on a peer-to-peer basis. This means that it is decentralised and has no central authority controlling it. Like currency notes, it can be sent from one person to another, but without a central bank or the government attempting to track it. The system depends on cryptography to control the creation of the currency. While no one authority controls the generation of the coins or tracks them, the system itself is designed in such a way that the network maintains a foolproof system of the record of every transaction as well as tracking issuance of the currency. The beauty of this cryptocurrency is that if you receive a bitcoin from another, you can be as sure of the payment as you would on receivi...

Girls who start their periods before turning 14 are 51% more likely to have underage sex (and get pregnant and married younger) Over half of girls who had periods before 14 have sex before the age of 16 This compares to just 4% of those who menstruated at 16 or over, study reveals Few girls engage in intercourse before they began menstruation, it was found For each year menstruation was delayed, age at marriage rose by 9 months 'Significant' link found between age of first period and age of first pregnancy Girls menstruating before 14 were up to 31% more likely to get herpes The earlier a girl gets her first period, the younger she will have her first sexual experience, get pregnant and marry.   Over half of girls (55 percent) who had periods before the age of 14 – when most girls have hit puberty – had sex before the age of 16, a study reveals. This compares to just 4 percent of those who menstruated at 16 or over – considered latefor the start of pubert...

Teen girls need to learn that sex is about fulfilment, not about validation It seems like every week my daughter's class has a "talk" at school. Sometimes it's about drugs, sometimes it's about mental health, but most frequently it's about sex. They barely have time for maths and English, so much of their day is spent on topics such as revenge porn and consent. SHARE SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE SHARE ON TWITTER TWEET LINK Still, maths and English can wait. I love that sex and consent are included in my kids' education. We certainly didn't have it in my day. My classmates and I had one awkward session with diagrams of body parts and a penis shown only in outline.  It prepared me for life as a sexual being about as well as a packet of salt prepared me to cook a meal. SHARE SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER LINK We knew nothing, other than what we read in  Dolly  magazine's Dolly Doctor column, and that didn't really cover c...

Want Your Own Website? You'll Need a Host... But What's That? How many websites do you visit a day? Which are your favorites? Do you go there for business, research, financial help, or pure pleasure? Tens of millions of new websites are created every year. That means you not only have the privilege to go where your heart desires, but you could even jump in and create your own website. Yes, you. There aren't any applications, permits, or tests you have to pass. If you have an idea, a purpose and some enthusiasm, you could have your own presence in your own personal corner of the web. As far as creating your website, you can probably do most of it on your own, with some help designing and writing it. But when it comes to actually getting your website on the Internet, you'll definitely need assistance. This article is about that part of the process—finding a website host. A Few Internet Basics Most of us connect to the Internet through home computers tha...

If your school offers a student health plan, it can be an easy and affordable way to get basic insurance coverage. If you’re enrolled in a student health plan, in most cases it counts as qualifying health coverage. This means you’re considered covered under the health care law, and won’t have to pay the penalty for not having insurance. Be sure to check with the plan to be sure. Enrolling in a Marketplace plan instead Even if you have access to a student health plan, you can apply for coverage (or stay covered) through the Health Insurance Marketplace instead. If you’re a dependent under 26 Living in the same state as your parents:  You can be included on your parent’s application. Your parent can add you during Open Enrollment (or during a Special Enrollment Period, if they qualify). Losing a student health plan may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. This way they can add you to their plan outside Open Enrollment. (Voluntarily dropping a student plan doesn’t...